THE SECRET OF THE NORTH POLE. 123 



hundreds of miles of ice with the confident expecta- 

 tion of at least attaining to the eighty-fifth parallel, if 

 not to the Pole itself. 



But a most grievous disappointment was in store 

 for them. Parry began to notice that the astronomical 

 observation by which in favorable weather he estimated 

 the amount of their northerly progress, showed a want 

 of correspondence with the actual rate at which they 

 were travelling. At first he could hardly believe that 

 there was not some mistake ; but at length the un- 

 pleasing conviction was forced upon him that the 

 whole ice-field over which he and his companions had 

 been toiling so painfully was setting steadily southward 

 before the wind. Each day the extent of this set 

 became greater and greater, until at length they were 

 actually carried as fast toward the south as they could 

 travel northward. 



Parry deemed it useless to continue the struggle. 

 There were certainly two chances in his favor. It 

 was possible that the north wind might cease to blow, 

 and it was also possible that the limit of the ice might 

 soon be reached, and that his boats might travel easily 

 northward upon the open sea beyond. But he had to 

 consider the exhausted state of his men, and the great 

 additional danger to which they were subjected by the 

 movable nature of the ice-fields. If the ice should 

 break up, or if heavy and long-continued southerly 

 winds should blow, they might have found it very 



