106 CKUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



During the winter two boats were built, in which the party 

 started to retreat on Upernivik, but were fortunately rescued 

 by a relief steamer in the vicinity of Cape York. 



The British Government, in 1875, fitted out an expedition 

 with Captain George Nares in command of the Alert, and Cap- 

 tain Stephenson, second in command, on the Discovery, while 

 the complete crews numbered one hundred and thirty officers 

 and men, with three native dog-drivers. The instructions, which 

 were to proceed up Smith sound, indicated that the primary 

 object of the expedition was to attain the highest northern lati- 

 tude, and, if possible, the North Pole, including explorations to 

 the adjacent coasts from winter quarters. The ships left Eng- 

 land on the 29th of May, and Cape York was reached on the 

 25th of 'July, after very little trouble with the ice. Here the 

 first of a series of caches of provisions was established, to pro- 

 vide for the safety of the crews in case they were obliged to 

 abandon the ships and retreat southward over the ice. These 

 caches were not used, and being left for future explorations 

 were the means of preserving life in the survivors of Greely's 

 party some years later. 



From Cape York the passage northward was a constant 

 struggle with immense floes of heavy ice, so that it was the 

 25th of August before the Discovery anchored for the winter in 

 Discovery harbour. The Alert pushed on, and reached Floe- 

 berg beach, in latitude 82 25' K, and longitude 61 30' W., 

 where further progress was barred by the heavy ancient ice of 

 the Polar sea, to which Nares has given the name paleocrystic, 

 to distinguish it from the ice of more southern waters, which is 

 formed annuallv. Here the Alert was moored for the winter, 

 exposed to the crushing action and movement of these solid floes, 

 in a latitude far north of that before attained by any ship. 

 Depots of provisions were established during the autumn by 

 sledging parties for use in the following spring. On the 3rd of 

 April seven sleds, manned by fifty-three men and officers, left 



