SAILING ORDERS. Xlll 



and comfort of the officers and crew. Ample supplies have 

 accordingly been furnished to the expedition ; and you have been 

 furnished with a memorandum from the Director- General of the 

 Medical Department of the Navy on the subject, 



8. The general design of the expedition should be, that while 

 both ships would share as far as possible in the objects of discovery 

 and exploration, one must be so placed that she would not only 

 serve for the crew of the other to fall back upon, but also, that 

 the united crews could, without doubt, escape from her to the 

 relief ship at the entrance of Smith Sound, by means of their 

 sledges and boats over the ice. Consequently, the second ship 

 must not be carried northward of the 82nd parallel ; such a 

 position would secure this most important object, and also afford 

 every prospect of exploration into very high latitudes. 



9. The eastern or the western shore may be selected for her 

 winter quarters according to circum stances ; the advantages of the 

 former are, that animal life has been found to exist there through- 

 out the winter, and that the ship would be favourably placed for 

 exploring the northern coast of Greenland, or adjacent land, in the 

 spring of 1876 : on the other hand, if the land is found to be 

 more continuous on the western side, it may afford a counter- 

 balancing advantage in the greater facility and security of com- 

 munication between the ships, and their co-operation in subsequent 

 operations ; this point must, therefore, be left to your judgment 

 to decide ; if you should select the western shore, then you should 

 be careful in passing, or subsequently, to place a record on the 

 eastern side of the probable or absolute position of the second 

 ship ; and in the absence of any conspicuous cairn, a ship or party 

 visiting the bay wintered in by the 'Polaris/ in about 81° 35' 

 north, would naturally seek the position of Hall's grave, where, 

 and at twenty feet due north of it, records would be expected to be 

 found. 



10. The captain of the second ship, wherever placed, would 

 follow such instructions as he will have received on parting com- 

 pany, or subsequently, from yourself. 



11. It should be a matter for consideration, whether, before 

 parting, you would leave a depot of some six months' of the 

 ' Alert's ' provisions with your consort, so as to be available for 

 your own crew should they have to retreat, but time and circum- 

 stances must govern your decision on this point. 



