an Arctic Expedition. 305 



Eight years have now passed, and during that time additional 

 experience has been accumulated by the Germans and Swedes, 

 which has enabled the council to form an opinion that justi- 

 fies the renewal of their representation made in 1865. The 

 distinguished Arctic officers 1 who are members of the Geo- 

 graphical Council, and who have carefully considered the evi- 

 dence accumulated since 1865 in a special committee, are now 

 unanimously of opinion that the route by Smith Sound is the 

 one which should be adopted with a view to exploring the 

 greatest extent of coast-line, and of thus securing the most 

 valuable scientific results. They have recommended the 

 Smith Sound route for the following reasons : — 



1 . That it gives a certainty of exploring a previously un- 

 known area of considerable extent. 



2. That it yields the best prospect of most valuable dis- 

 coveries in various branches of science. 



3. That, from the continuity of the land of Greenland and 

 the Arctic archipelago southward from the 82nd parallel to 

 open sea in Baffin's Bay and Davis' Strait, it promises rea- 

 sonable security for a safe retreat for the crews of an exploring 

 expedition, should then' ships be unable to be extricated from 

 an advanced position, which, with steam-power, is a most 

 remote possibility. 



These opinions have been still further fortified by the 

 recent report of the crew of the " Polaris," which ship, it 

 appears, safely navigated up Smith Sound 250 miles beyond 

 the point reached by Dr. Hayes's schooner in 1861, and traced 

 the land on either hand as far as 82° 16' N. She subsequently 

 returned, and although a portion of her crew were separated 

 fi'om her, and took to an ice-field in 77° N., they drifted under 

 the influence of the Polar stream down to a point hi Labrador 



1 Sir George Back, Admiral Collinson, Admiral Ommanney, 

 Admiral Richards, Sir Leopold McClintock, Admiral Sherard 

 Osborn, Mr. Findlay, Mr. Clements Markham. 



X 



