xiv SAILING ORDERS. 



1 2. Having assured yourself of the safety of your consort, and 

 increased your own crew by such portion of her crew as you may 

 deem necessary to enable you to accomplish a sledging attempt to 

 reach the Pole (this being the main feature of the expedition), and 

 also the exploration of your share of the coast-line extending 

 northwards, you should, as leader of the expedition, then push on 

 northward, and explore by ship as much of the unknown area as 

 the season and the state of the ice would permit. But it is not 

 contemplated that the two ships should winter at a greater distance 

 apart than about 200 miles ; and if you advance with your ship 

 beyond that point in 1875, you should use every endeavour to 

 return within the 200 miles' distance; — or the case may arise, in 

 which it may be even wise to rejoin your consort and unite the 

 forces of both ships for exploration in the spring and summer of 

 1876. 



13. Should the advance ship, after leaving her consort, carry 

 continuous, or nearly continuous land up to a high northern latitude, 

 you should avail yourself of opportunities to land small depots of 

 provisions at intervals, with cairns and records as already de- 

 scribed ; and also to deposit at the most northern station, a depot 

 of provisions and a boat, for your spring tra veiling parties. 



14. Your own crew having been increased as above referred to, 

 by such portions of the crew of your consort as you may deem 

 necessary, it is expected that you will have at least six strong 

 sledge parties, and four dog sledges, with which to commence 

 further exploration in early spring. All these parties should be 

 employed in the first instance to push out the North Pole party 

 (which should be provided with at least one boat), and upon return 

 from this work, some weeks later, the parties for the exploration 

 of the coast-lines should be sent out. 



15. It must not, however, be lost sight of that, in the absence 

 of continuous land, sledge travelling has never yet been found 

 practicable over any considerable extent of unenclosed frozen sea, 

 although conditions may be found to exist which would enable 

 parties to travel for limited distances by sledge and boat operations 

 combined, and for this purpose the best boats and sledges that can 

 be devised have been supplied. 



16. You will be careful to furnish ample instructions to the 

 captain of the ' Discovery,' especially in regard to the explorations 

 to be undertaken by him during the spring and summer of 1876, 



