298 VOYAGE TO THE TOLAR SEA. April 



vellers, having accompanied them to Cape Bichardson, 

 where they had arrived on the 6 th. 



' Captain Markham reports that, as usual on first 

 starting, a few of the men were suffering from the 

 severe and unaccustomed work, and the want of sleep 

 occasioned by the extremely cold weather ; and, also as 

 usual, that a great deal of double manning had been 

 necessary with the heavy sledges. One of Bryant's 

 sledge crew returned slightly frost-bitten. 



' The ship is dryer but colder between decks since 

 the departure of the travellers. 



' 10th. — The temperature rose to minus 11° in the 

 middle of the day. 



' Lieutenant Eawson and Mr. Egerton started this 

 evening, with two light sledges, four men, and seven 

 dogs, to search for an available road across Robeson 

 Channel, in readiness for the heavier exploring sledges 

 under Lieutenant Beaumont, expected shortly from the 

 u Discovery." This party is to travel by night in order 

 to escape the glare of the mid-day sun which is now 

 considerable and liable to cause snow-blindness ; and 

 also for the great advantage of sleeping during the 

 warmest part of the twenty-four hours. They started 

 after an afternoon's sleep and a good supper, which 

 to them was in reality a breakfast. Although 

 many of those remaining on board were drinking a 

 glass of spirits and water before going to bed, the 

 voyagers, both officers and men, preferred tea or 

 coffee, knowing from experience that spirits are bad to 

 travel on. 



4 Parties starting as these did, with dearly bought 

 experience, carry neither more nor less weight than is 



