172 PLEASANT WAYS IN SCIENCE. 



the officers of the expedition seems to have been that the 

 ice of this Palseocrystic Sea is the accumulation of many 

 years, if not of centuries ; " that the sea is never free of 

 it and never open ; and that progress to the Pole through 

 it or over it is impossible with our present resources." 



The winter which followed was the bitterest ever known 

 by man. For 142 days the sun was not seen; the mercury 

 was frozen during nearly nine weeks. On one occasion the 

 thermometer showed 104 below the freezing-point, and 

 during one terrible fortnight the mean temperature was 91* 

 below freezing ! 



As soon as the sun reappeared sledge-exploration began, 

 each ship being left with only half-a-dozen men and officers 

 on board. Expeditions were sent east and west, one to 

 explore the northern coast of Greenland, the other to 

 explore the coast of Grant Land. Captain Stephenson 

 crossed over from the Discovery's wintering-place to Polaris 

 Bay, and there placed over Hall's grave a tablet, prepared 

 in England, bearing the following inscription : " Sacred 

 to the memory of Captain C. F. Hall, of U.S. Polarh, 

 who sacrificed his life in the advancement of science, on 

 November 8, 1871. This tablet has been erected by the 

 British Polar Expedition of 1875, who, following in his 

 footsteps, have profited by his experience " a graceful 

 acknowledgment (which might, however, have been better 

 expressed). The party which travelled westwards traced 

 the shores of Grant Land as far as west longitude 86 30', 

 the most northerly cape being in latitude 83 7', and longi- 

 tude 70 30' west This cape they named Cape Columbia. 



The coast of Greenland was explored as far east as 

 longitude 50 40' (west), land being seen as far as 82 54' 

 north, longitude 48 33' west. Lastly, a party under Com- 

 mander Markham and Lieutenant Parr pushed northwards. 

 They were absent ten weeks, but had not travelled so far 

 north in the time as was expected, having encountered 

 great difficulties. On May 12, 1876, they reached their 

 most northerly point, planting the British flag in latitude 



