J36 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



were expected, every one thought the stiffness would wear 

 off in time.'" Milne Bav was crossed on the 14th, and the 

 camp was pitched in Yelverton Bay on the 15th. On the 

 18th May, Aldrich decided to return. Provisions were 

 running short, and the condition of his crew was becoming 

 worse. He had then reached longitude 85° 33' W. On 

 the homeward journey the attack of scurvy gradually 

 became more pronounced, and the fast-increasing weakness 

 of the men rendered the daily distance accomplished so 

 short that the provisions placed in depot on the passage 

 out were insufficient to last them, on full allowance, while 

 travelling from one depot to another. 



On the 5th of June they passed Cape Columbia on 

 their return ; and on the 7th the dreaded word " scurvy " 

 was used for the first time. The depot at Cape Colan 

 was reached on the 11th. On the 13th, Aldrich writes: 

 " Got on very fairly till eight o'clock, when Good nearly 

 fainted. There appears to be utter inability to get 

 breath, no pain, and no difficulty to speak of in breathing 

 when at rest. The least exertion brings it on. 11 



On the 20th, when it was becoming evident that they 

 could not reach the ship without assistance, they met a 

 party of three who had been sent to their relief. On the 

 23rd other two came to their assistance ; and on the 25th 

 a party of officers with Captain Nares hurried them to 

 the ship. 



The only other sledge -journey of importance was 

 that along the Greenland coast, in charge of Lieutenant 

 Beaumont. Accompanied by Dr. Coppinger and sixteen 

 men dragging two sledges, he started from the Dis- 

 covery on the 6th of April for Floeberg Beach, intending 

 to make the Alert his base for the exploration. The 

 Alert was reached on the 16th, and after four days' 1 rest, 

 Beaumont with llawson, Coppinger, and twenty-one men, 

 dragging four sledges weighted to 218 lb. per man, 



