1876 PLANS FOR SPRING EXPLORATION. 253 



only way to carry out my instructions was by advancing 

 along a coast-line ; and that unless we discovered land 

 trending to the north, neither the ship nor our sledges 

 would be able to advance far in that direction. Our 

 great object, therefore was to discover land leading 

 towards the north. 



I accordingly decided to explore the shores that 

 were in sight, in order to ascertain if either coast 

 turned in the desired direction, and at the same time 

 to send a secondary party over the ice to the northward ; 

 to discover whether or not the pack was in motion in 

 the offing, and if stationary, whether, in the event of 

 our not finding land towards the north, it would be 

 feasible to journey over it the following year with the 

 combined strength of the crews of the two ships. 



When organizing the party to proceed directly to 

 the north across the pack, little or nothing was known 

 with certainty regarding the nature or movements of 

 the ice, but the experience of the ' Polaris ' expedition 

 led us to expect that if the pack were not already in 

 motion it would certainly break up early in the season. 

 Accordingly, in order to insure the return of the party 

 in the event of the ice breaking up in its rear, and en- 

 dangering the retreat, it had to be supplied with boats 

 suitable for navigation. But such a boat weighs within 

 a few pounds as much as the total amount usually 

 dragged by a sledge crew, and at once completely dis- 

 arranges the plans usually adopted in Arctic travelling 

 along a coast-line. 



When a boat is added to the necessary equipment 

 of the sledge the ' constant weights ' become raised 

 to about 200 lbs. for each man, and therefore only 



