1870 GREENLAND SLEDGE JOURNEY. 87 



' During your advance you are to endeavour to keep 

 one of your sledges on the northern shores. Your 

 best guide for doing so will be to follow the line of 

 heavy stranded floebergs which border the coast, in 

 whatever direction they may lead you. 



' Should you experience smoother or lighter ice than 

 that in our neighbourhood, you may reasonably con- 

 clude that some protecting land exists to the north- 

 ward. In such a case you should divide your party 

 one sledge endeavouring to reach the northern land, 

 and the other continuing the exploration of the Green- 

 land coast. But as you are not provided with a boat, 

 anyone detached should return to the mainland before 

 the 1st of June. 



' Should you discover any deep inlet, which in your 

 opinion might prove to be a channel affording an 

 easier journey to the eastward than the coast-line of 

 the Polar Sea, it is desirable that it should be explored 

 this year. 



' Your party on returning to the " Discovery " must 

 necessarily cross Eobeson Channel after the ice has 

 broken up. This part of the work before you will 

 require more than usual skill and judgment ; but I 

 know of no officer in whose hands I would more 

 wiUingly leave its accomplishment, having the utmost 

 confidence that, with your great ability and forethought, 

 your interesting journey will be successfully accom- 

 plished.' 



Lieutenant Beaumont's report continues as follows : 



' Having completed the two advance sledges " Sir 

 Edward Parry" and "Discovery" to fifty-six days' 

 provisions, and the two supporting sledges " Stephen- 



