2 VOYAGE TO THE POLAR SEA. June 



vessels under my command, and the great honour con- 

 ferred by Her Majesty was fully appreciated. 



The interest taken by the country at large in the 

 Arctic Expedition culminated in the demonstrations 

 attending its departure. No one on board our two 

 ships can ever forget the farewell given to the discovery 

 vessels on that occasion. Closely packed multitudes 

 occupied each pier and jetty on both sides of the har- 

 bour ; Southsea beach as far as the castle was thronged 

 to the water's edge ; the troops in garrison paraded 

 on the common, the men-of-war in port manned their 

 rigging and as we passed greeted us with deafening 

 cheers, whilst the air rang with the shouts of the spec- 

 tators on shore and on board the steamers, yachts, and 

 small craft which crowded the water. 



On passing through Spithead, H.M.S. ' Valorous,' 

 Captain Loftus Francis Jones, joined company ; the fires 

 were banked and all sail made before a northerly wind, 

 several yachts accompanying the squadron. By 8 p.m. 

 we were south of the Needles, with only one friendly 

 yacht left, belonging to the Eev. Mr. Conybeare, who as 

 father of one of the officers of the ' Discovery,' natu- 

 rally gave us a lingering farewell. By midnight we were 

 abreast of the Portland Lights, the three ships running 

 down Channel, under sail, at the rate of six knots an hour. 



The following day, on passing the Eddystone, Ad- 

 miral the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, Commander-in-chief 

 at Plymouth, visited the ships. In the evening the 

 f Valorous ' parted company for Queenstown, to com- 

 plete her coal, and to bring on the latest letters 

 to Bantry Bay, where the 'Alert' and 'Discovery' 

 arrived on June 1. 



