l899-'00 TRANSACTIONS 63 



intention of the Government to send an expedition in 1875. 

 The ships equipped for the purpose were the screw steamer 

 the "Albert" and the "Discovery," under the command of 

 Capt. Nares, whose experience had been gained in the ' 'Resolute, " 

 Captain Kellett, in 1852-4. With him were Commander Mark- 

 ham, Captain Stephenson (commander of the "Discovery") 

 lyieuts. Aldrich, Parr and Beaumont, and Capt. Fielden. Capt. 

 Nares encountered great difficulties, but he pushed his ships up 

 Smith, Kennedy and Robeson Channels, and wintered in the 

 "Alert" in 82° 27' north latitude, the highest point of wintering 

 ever attempted to that date, the "Discovery" being some miles 

 to the south. In the spring of 1876, the explorers made several 

 extended sledge journeys under Commander Markham and 

 Ivieuts. Aldrich and Beaumont. Aldrich explored 200 miles of 

 the north and west coast of Grant Land, going as far as Cape 

 Alfred Ernest (named after the Queen's second son). Markham 

 and Parr boldly pushed out straight for the North Pole, and 

 reached the highest point up to that time attained, viz. , 83° 20' 

 26" N., or 38° north of Ottawa, say about the distance between 

 Halifax and Glasgow. 



You will see the names of many of these navigators on the 

 chart of the most northerly regions of Canada — Nares Land, 

 Markham Island, Aldrich Bay, Beaumont Island, etc. 



We can trace here and there in the older provinces of the 

 Dominion the influence of these Arctic explorations upon the 

 thought of the people. 



In Ontario we have Parry Sound and Island named by 

 Commander Bayfield, R. N., who made a survey of Lake Huron 

 and Georgian Bay (1822-25.) and named the Sound after Parry, 

 the fame of whose exploits as an Arctic Navigator in 1819-20 

 had naturally attracted Bayfield. 



McClure township in Hastings County was named in 1857 

 after Sir Robert LeMesurier^ McClure, R. N., the Arctic ex- 

 plorer. McClintock township in Muskoka perpetuates the fame 

 of Sir Leopold McClintock, whose name also appears in many 



*In his most interesting book "Nothing but Names," Mr. Gardiner gives 

 the name as Robert J. McClure. This is a mistake. 



