304 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
No reliable indications of a similar state of things to that which 
he experienced off Siberia has been found anywhere northward of 
the islands and shores of America. We have occasionally been 
startled by announcements of open water; but a little further ex- 
ploration has proved these iceless spaces, or Polynias, to be very 
limited in extent, and solely due to local and apparent causes, such 
as currents or tides, and they have only been found in straits, and 
not to seaward of an open coast-line. 
Captain Nares has this advantage over Wrangell, that he is 
provided with boats fit to navigate a partially iceless sea, should 
his sledging be interrupted by water. Now, we know that the 
failure of Parry’s attempt to reach the North Pole in 1827, was 
largely due to the great weight of his boats, and the consequent 
difficulty of dragging them over the ice. This error we have 
attempted to correct, by supplying boats of considerably less than 
half the weight of Parry’s. 
But Arctic explorers are well aware that there is one condition 
which bars all progress: and that is—ice which is too thin to sledge 
over. 
Let us hope that our explorers may not meet with any such 
insuperable difficulty. 
We know full well that ordinary obstructions will but strengthen 
their determination to solve the great geographical problem com- 
mitted to them; and we have the satisfaction of knowing that this 
national undertaking could not be placed in abler hands. They will 
carry with them the assurance that they have not only our heartiest 
wishes for their success, but our entire confidence in their resolute 
endeavours to deserve it. 
