184 ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN SEAS. 



it was only by the desperate expedient of killing 

 some of his dogs to feed the others that he and his 

 companions got back in safety. For this reason, 

 the return journey seems to have occupied a much 

 longer time than the run north, for he only return- 

 ed to Ustianskoe Simowie, the place from which he 

 had started, on April 3d. 



As Alexei Markhoffhad thus traveled upward of 

 400 miles in seven days, and upward of 800 miles 

 in twenty-four days, there can surely be no abso- 

 lutely insuperable reason why other people, better 

 provided than he was, should not be able to travel 

 1200 miles in thirty-six days, or even in less time, 

 especially as modern science has done so much in 

 the way of condensing nutritious substances into 

 small bulk, that the difficulties as to provisions, 

 which MarkhofF had to contend with, might be 

 greatly lessened in the case of a fresh expedition. 



