1S7G CONCLUSIONS DRAWN FROM THE JOURNEY. 395 



After his return Commander Markham reported : — 

 ' I feel it impossible for my pen to depict with 

 accuracy, and yet be not accused of exaggeration, the 

 numerous drawbacks that impeded our progress. One 

 point, however, in my opinion is most definitely settled, 

 and that is, the utter impracticability of reaching the 

 North Pole over the floe in this locality ; and in this 

 opinion my able colleague, Lieutenant Parr, entirely 

 concurs. I am convinced that with the very lightest 

 equipped sledges, carrying no boats, and with all the 

 resources of the ship concentrated in the one direction, 

 and also supposing that perfect health might be main- 

 tained, the latitude attained by the party I had the 

 honour and pleasure of commanding, would not be 

 exceeded by many miles, certainly not by a degree.' 



In this I most fully concur. Markham's journey, 

 coupled with the experience gained by Sir Edward 

 Parry in the summer of 1827, and more recently the 

 memorable retreat of Lieutenant Weyprecht and his 

 companions after having abandoned the ' TegetthofF' 

 off the coast of Francis Joseph Land, proves that a 

 lengthened journey over the Polar pack-ice with a 

 sledge party equipped with a boat fit for navigable 

 purposes is impracticable at any season of the year. 

 The much-to-be-deplored outbreak of scurvy in no 

 way affects the conclusions to be derived from the 

 journey. 



END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 



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