196 TILE PROGRESS OF MARITIME DISCOVERY. 
CHAP. XXVII. 
Scoresby.—The Arctic Navigators. — Ross.— Parry. —Sufferings of Franklin and 
his Companions on his Overland Expedition in 1821.—Parry’s Sledge-journey 
to the North Pole.—Sir John Franklin. — M‘Clure. — Kane. — M‘Clintock. — 
South Polar Expeditions. — Billinghausen. — Weddell. — Biscoe. — Balleny. — 
Dumont d’Urville.—Wilkes.—Sir James Ross.—Recent scientifie Voyages of 
Circumnayigation. 
Axtnoucu the undaunted courage and indomitable perseverance 
of the great navigators whom I have named in the preceding 
chapters had gradually circumscribed the bounds of discovery, 
and no vast ocean remained to be explored by some future Cook 
or Magellan, yet at the beginning of this century many secrets 
of the sea still remained unrevealed to man. 
The north coast of America and the Arctic Ocean beyond 
were still plunged in mysterious darkness; and although Cook 
in several places had advanced far into the Antarctic seas, yet 
here also a wide field still lay open to the adventurous seaman. 
Many coasts, many groups of islands scattered over the vast 
bosom of the ocean, awaited a more accurate survey, and would 
no doubt have remained unexplored, if gold, as in former times, 
had still been the sole magnet which attracted the seafarer to 
distant parts of the world.. But fortunately science had now 
become a power which induced man, without any prospect .of 
immediate profit, to spare no expense and to shrink from no 
danger, that he might become better and better acquainted with 
his dwelling-place the earth. 
It cannot be denied that our century has laboured at the 
solution of all these various geographical questions with an 
energy and perseverance unexampled in the history of civilisa- 
tion ; and the prominent part she has taken in their investigation 
is undoubtedly one of the great glories of England. At no 
other time have more voyages of discovery and more scientific 
expeditions been undertaken ; never have more courageous Argo- 
nauts gone forth to conquer the golden fleece of knowledge. It 
