92 THE SEA. 



members of the Royal Geographical Society, prominent among- whom were the late 

 Admiral Sherard Osborne and Sir Roderick I. Murchison, so long the president of the 

 body, advocated it with all their strength and might, while that noble-hearted lady, the 

 late Lady Franklin, took the deepest interest in its promotion. 



Their representations had due effect on the Government; the necessary votes were 

 passed, and the expedition organised. The vessels employed were probably as well adapted 

 for Arctic navigation as any that have left our shores for that purpose. The Alert is 

 a royal navy steam sloop of 751 tons and 100 horse-power, and was greatly strengthened 

 for her intended voyage. The commander of the expedition, Captain Nares, who 

 had only just been recalled from the memorable voyage of the Challenger, was a 

 man of considerable experience, and had been in Arctic service previously. AVith 

 him was associated Commander A. H. Markham, who had a considerable amount 

 of previous Arctic experience. The second vessel of the expedition, the Discovery, 

 had been a Dundee steam whaler, was purchased by the Government, and put under 

 the command of Captain H. F. Stephenson. The total complement of officers and crews 

 on the two vessels consisted of 120 men, the very pick of the navy and whaling marine, 

 many of whom had served in polar seas before. A store ship, the Valorous, accompanied 

 them to Greenland, and returned safely in time to enable Mr. Clements R. Markham, a 

 relative of Captain Markham's, who had made a trip on her, to lay before the British 

 Association meeting at Bristol, on August 31st, the earliest news from the expedition. 

 On the .voyage to Disco they had encountered heavy weather; but on arrival there it was 

 considered that it would prove a favourable season for Arctic exploration. The Valorous, 

 having transferred the stores, &c., intended for the use of the Arctic ships, had parted 

 company on July 16th, leaving the expedition in good health and excellent spirits. 



For the present let us leave them to pursue their researches in the polar regions 

 while we speak of the expedition which followed close in their wake, and, indeed, was 

 partly intended to be the means of a last communication with them. We refer to the 

 interesting voyage of the Pandora, which brought home very late news from them, and 

 which, considering the brief time in which it was made, deserves to be chronicled as a 

 most successful tf dash " into the Arctic regions. 



The Pandora was bought from the Navy Department by Captain Allen Young, and 

 specially fitted out by him for Arctic navigation. This was 110 small matter. Although 

 built for a gunboat, she had to be considerably strengthened. Heavy iron beams and knees 

 were put in amidships, to increase her resisting powers to a squeeze or "nip "in the ice; 

 her hull was enveloped in an outer casing of American elm four and a half inches thick, 

 to strengthen her sides; her bows were encased in solid iron. These changes, while 

 injuring her sailing qualities somewhat, enabled her to work her way among ice, where 

 an ordinary ship would be crushed like an egg-shell. She was a small barque-rigged vessel, 

 of 438 tons register, with steam-power which could on emergencies be worked up to 200 

 horse-power. The crew and officers numbered thirty men, all told. She was provisioned 

 for eighteen months. 



" The promoters of our expedition," says Mr. J. A. MacGahan, who accompanied it as 

 correspondent of the New York Herald, and has since collected his notes in a most interesting 



