1876 NORTHERN SLEDGE JOURNEY. 849 



6 Taking command of the sledges " Marco Polo," 

 " Victoria," " Bull-dog," ''Alexandra," and "Blood- 

 hound," you will proceed to the neighbourhood of 

 Cape Parry, and from thence force your way to the 

 northward over the ice, with the two boats which have 

 been equipped for that purpose, and provisioned for an 

 absence of about seventy days. 



4 The object of your journey is to attain the highest 

 northern latitude possible ; and to ascertain the possi- 

 bility of a more fully equipped expedition reaching 

 the North Pole. 



4 At present we know little or nothing concerning 

 the movement of the ice in the offing. The journey 

 on which you are about to engage is therefore a far 

 more arduous one than Arctic journeys usually are. 

 The heavy nature of the ice across which you have to 

 travel has hitherto baffled all attempts made to cross 

 it, and the formidable obstacles it presents at present, 

 while stationary, must be considerably increased when 

 once it is in motion. Even during the summer, with 

 occasional lanes of navigable Avater between the floes, 

 Parry and Eoss could scarcely average a daily journey 

 of three miles. . 



' Therefore, while, with full confidence in your 

 ability and discretion, I leave you entirely free as to 

 the carrying out of your journey in all its details, I 

 must direct your most serious consideration — first, to 

 the extreme hazard of attempting an advance beyond 

 the time when half your provisions will be expended ; 

 and, secondly, to the danger of separating your party 

 or of leaving depots of provisions on a road which it is 

 impossible to mark, and which will probably break-up 



