fov. 9, 1876] 



NATURE 



33 



winter, but the quickly advancing season warned me 

 Jthat no movement should be made without a reasonable 

 probability of attaining a sheltered position. Accordingly, 

 Commander Albert Hastings Markham and Lieut. Pelham 

 Aldrirh started on September 5 to look at a bay seen 

 from our hill station about eight miles distant from us to 

 the westward. They reported that it was a well-sheltered 

 harbour, thickly coated with this season's ice, but that 

 the continuous wall formed by the grounded floe bergs 

 across the entrance to it would effectually prevent our 

 entering. 



After this report, with the temperature remaining steady 

 ctween + 20° and + 10°, and the barrier of grounded 

 ice, which, although protecting, effectually imprisoned us, 

 having increased in breadth to seaward for 200 yards, 

 each heavy piece being compactly cemented in amongst 

 its neighbours by the lighter broken up rubble ice, which 

 was carried in by the tidal current, and frozen into posi- 

 tion by the low temperature, I decided to commence 

 landing such provisions and stores as were hampering 

 the decks of the ship, and which would not be required 

 during the winter, should we fortunately be able to move 

 into safer quarters. 



On September 6, 7, and 8, we experienced a heavy fall 

 of snow, which, bearing down the young ice by its accu- 

 mulated weight, allowed the water to percolate upwards, 

 and render the floe very wet and unfavourable for travel- 

 ling on. But not expecting any decided movement of the 

 ice during the neap tides, and having secured the ship 

 with a bower anchor and cable to the shore, and landed 

 an ample depot for the support of any travelling party in 

 the event of accident to the ship, which at the time did 

 not appear improbable, Lieut. Pelham Aldrich, accom- 

 panied by Capt. Feilden, R.A., and Dr. Edward L, Moss, 

 started on a pioneering journey towards the north, and 

 Lieut. Wyatt Rawson towards the south. The latter 

 returned after two days' absence, having found the cape 

 three miles from the ship, forming the entrance to 

 Robeson Channel, impassable by land, on account of the 

 steepness of the cliffs ; and by sea, in consequence of the 

 continual movement of the broken pack, which prevented 

 him venturing on it, even with a boat. Lieut. Aldrich's 

 party returned after an absence of four days. He had 

 succeeded in establishing a depot of provisions, and ex- 

 ploring the coast line for a distance of twenty miles to the 

 north-west. The travelling was found to be unusually 

 heavy, owing to the very rough state of the ice, and the 

 deep snow, with its sticky wet foundation of sludge ; 

 indeed, so bad was it that although only laden with half 

 weights, all three sledges broke down. The young ice in 

 the few patches met with was too weak and treacherous 

 to admit of heavy sledg.-s journeying over it ; one sledge 

 broke through, and was only recovered with much diffi- 

 culty. 



On September 10 a westerly wind blowing off shore, 



irce 4, combined with the ebb tide, opened for the first 



line since our arrival here, a narrow channel between the 



rounded ice and the pack extending for half a mile 



eyond Cape Sheridan, but trending out to seaward. On 



the nth, the same wind continuing, the channel widened 



out until it was a mile broad, and extended for six miles 



to the westward, ending two miles distant from the shore. 



As this offered an opportunity of advancing a large depot 



of travelling provisions and boats by water. Commander 



Markham started with a strong party, having first to 



launch the boats across the heavier barrier of ice within 



which the ship was sealed up, apparently frozen in for the 



season. 



The sky being fairly clear, this was the first day on 

 which we were able to pronounce decidedly concerning 

 the northern land reported to exist by the Polaris. After 

 a constant watch, and carefully noting the movement of 

 the darkened patches, I was now with much reluctance 

 forced to admit that no land existed to the northward for 



a very considerable distance. As seen through the light 

 haze the dark reflection of the sky above the detached 

 pools of water in the offing, in strong contrast by the side 

 of the light reflected from the close ice, which in a great 

 measure is similar to the bright glare reflected from a 

 large sand flat, creates a very decided appearance of land 

 when there is a mirage ; indeed, sufficiently so as to 

 deceive many of us when so anxiously expecting and 

 hoping to see it. We, therefore, cease to wond r at the 

 cnsual look-out men from the Polaris being mistaken, 

 but the more experienced on board should not have 

 allowed themselves to be so readily misled. 



During the 13th and 14th the wind from the south- 

 west gradually freshened, until on the latter day it was 

 blowing a very strong gale, force 10 in the squalls, and 

 evidently extending over the whole extent of Kennedy 

 Channel ; for the swell from the open water which it had 

 produced on the weather shore extended round Cape 

 Rawson, and reaching our position broke up all the light 

 ice formed this season, and drove it out to sea, the large 

 grounded floe-bergs alone remaining, with clear passages 

 between them, through which we could have readily 

 passed if requisite ; but the main pack to the westward, 

 although the channel leading to seaward had extended 

 to between ten and twelve miles distance from us, still 

 remained fast to the shore at a distance of about six miles 

 from the ship. 



The ship was secured by a bower cable, stem to the 

 shore, one side resting against a large floe-berg, and 

 bumping slightly against it with the swell. During the 

 evening it was blowing furiously, with a blinding snow- 

 drift, and whilst I was thinking of the uncomfortable state 

 of the travellers in the tents in such a gale, I observed 

 Commander Markham arrive abreast the ship. Although 

 we were within 1 20 yards of the shore, it was only by 

 double manning the oars of the cutter that during an 

 opportune lull I was able to establish a hauling line 

 between the ship and the shore, and so communicate with 

 him ; when it appeared that, having one man disabled 

 from exhaustion, he had decided to push on for the ship 

 to obtain assistance. With the help of the fresh men 

 forming the cutter's crew, Capt. Markham and myself 

 had the satisfaction of seeing the sledge party all on 

 board before midnight, and the frozen man's life saved ; 

 but the sledge crew, who had so gallantly faced the 

 storm, were a!l much exhausted, and m fact did not 

 recover themselves for several days. 



On the morning of the 15th the wind lulled consider- 

 ably, and the remainder of Commander Markham's party, 

 under the command of Lieut. Parr, returned, having 

 passed anything but a pleasant time in their tents during 

 the gale. On ascending our look-out hill I observed that 

 the ice to the westward between the land and the channel 

 in the pack had drifted to seaward, leaving a clear road 

 by which we could advance to a place of shelter. Making 

 a signal to the ship, steam was immediately got ready and 

 the rudder shipped, but on lowering the screw we found 

 it impossible to enter the shaft. Whilst raising it again 

 to clear away the ice, a very thick snowstorm came on 

 with a blinding mist, which, hiding everything from view, 

 prevented our moving. Before midnight the storm was 

 blowing as furiously as ever. 



On the morning of the i6th, the gale still keeping the 

 main pack clear of the shore, the weather cleared again, 

 and another attempt was made to ship the screw, but 

 without success, on account of the accumulated ice. 

 While endeavouring to clear it the wind gradually shifted 

 round to the north-west, and we had the mortification of 

 seeing the pack rapidly nearing the land. By 2 P.M. it 

 had reached the shore ice, and effectually closed us in for 

 the winter. It never left the shore to the north-westward 

 of our position afterwards, although a large space of clear 

 water remained to the eastward between us and Robeson 

 Channel, so long as the wind lasted from the eastward. 



