78 SMITH SOUND ROUTE. 



am warranted in this supposition, I must remark that reindeer 

 are far from being capable of advancing over the uneven surface of 

 the ice, and are "besides too weak to carry heavy burdens. 



Sir John Barrow, in his work ' Voyages of Discovery and Ee- 

 search within the Arctic Eegions,' &c, publishes the above-men- 

 tioned letter of Captain Parry, disapproving, however, his proposed 

 plan, and anticipates greater success in the enterprise by accom- 

 plishing it in small sailing-vessels, fitted with the Archimedian 

 screw (like the ships Erebus and Terror), and steering northward 

 on the meridian of Spitzbergen : in other words — Barrow proposes 

 the repetition of the former attempts, notwithstanding their failure, 

 expecting success from more favourable circumstances. But here 

 a question is naturally suggested — may there not exist means of 

 reaching the Pole other than those which have been hitherto 

 resorted to — means not liable to the various inconveniences already 

 encountered during the several expeditions undertaken from the 

 coasts of Siberia towards the north upon the surface of the ice, and 

 which must be encountered in proceeding on foot, as Captain Parry 

 proposes ? 



The last Siberian expeditions were executed in a particular kind 

 of sledges, called " Narty," drawn by dogs. The expedition, un- 

 dertaken from the mouth of the Kolyma, travelled in this manner 

 in 1823 (from the 26th February to the 10th May) 1533 miles, 

 of which the greater part was along the shore towards the island of 

 Koluchin, seen by Captain Cook during his navigation in a north- 

 west direction from Behring's Straits. We proceeded upon the 

 ice along the shore very successfully, but as soon as we left it the 

 difficulties and impediments increased. If the coast of Siberia 

 had a direction parallel to the meridian, the Kolyma expedition 

 would have travelled 1 1° of latitude in one direction and the same 

 in returning ; therefore, if the point of departure had been the 79° 

 of north latitude, the expedition might have reached the Pole and 

 returned to its starting-point. 



The utmost limits of the coast of Greenland towards the north 

 remain yet unknown ; but the meridian direction of its mountains 

 and coasts allows us to suppose that, in proceeding along them, it 

 is possible to approach the Pole nearer than from any other 

 direction or even to reach that point. 



The northernmost point of Greenland, Smith's Sound, seen by 

 Captain Koss, is in latitude 77° 55' N. ; and in latitude 76° 29', 

 and on the island Wolstenholme, there is a village of Esquimaux. 

 Taking all this into consideration, my opinion may be expressed 

 in the following plan : — The ship of the expedition should winter 



