<120 UNCERTAINTY OF ICE-NAVIGATION. Chap. VII. 



of sledge-dogs at Godliavn last year, it was 

 my intention to liave sailed across to the west 

 side if possible, instead of pursuing the usual 

 route through Melville Bay ; but the opinions 

 of the captains of the lost whalers were in 

 favour of a " Melville Bay " passage, and the 

 necessity for obtaining dogs left me no choice 

 as to whether I should proceed west, or north to 

 Proven and Upernivik ; I have already recorded 

 what were my opinions at the time, so need only 

 observe now^ that, although I failed, I believe 

 my decision was justified by all former expe- 

 rience, even independently of the circumstances 

 which obliged me to adopt it. Nevertheless 

 it is mortifying to find that ships had reached 

 as far as Pond's Bay, and with but little diffi- 

 culty. Sir Edward Parry, upon his third voyage, 

 did not reach the west water until very late 

 in the season, although some of the whalers met 

 with better success by following up another 

 route. 



There is nothing more uncertain than ice- 

 navigation, dependent as it is upon winds, tem- 

 peratures, and currents : one can only calculate 

 upon "the chances," and how nearly we suc- 

 ceeded we have already seen. In the preceding 

 year (1856) some of the whalers got through 

 Melville Bay as early as the 15th June, only 



