348 North Polar Exploration. 



The objection on the score of expense will doubtless be 

 raised with more sincerity, at least, than is this unworthy 

 attempt to discourage naval voyages of discovery on the 

 ground of danger. But if the despatch of a scientific expedi- 

 tion, the results of which will be shown to be important by the 

 leaders of science, is to be refused owing to the trifling expendi- 

 ture it will occasion, let us be told so at once ; and let not those 

 who would advocate any iniquitous war with China or Japan, in 

 pursuit of the main chance, protest against the imaginary risk 

 of a scientific expedition. M'Clintock's voyage, and he was 

 absent two years and a half, cost £8400. Parry's attempt to 

 reach the Pole cost £9900. The actual expense of a Polar ex- 

 pedition up Smith Sound, consisting of two of those numerous 

 60-horse power gunboats which are now lying idle, or being 

 sold to be broken up, would not exceed £30,000. Now if 

 the solution of the greatest geographical problem that remains 

 to be solved, and the attainment of those scientific results 

 which have already been enumerated, are not considered 

 worth the expenditure of so trifling a sum — an expenditure 

 which would be richly and abundantly repaid — the character of 

 the English people must be strangely altered. Certain it is 

 that our forefathers would have held that such a sum appro- 

 priated for such an end was money well spent ; and there is 

 good reason for the belief that if the subject receives full 

 and fair consideration, the public opinion of the country will 

 now approve the despatch of a North Polar expedition. 

 During the last ten years the sum of £150,000,000 has been 

 spent upon the navy, out of which only a 230th part has gone 

 to the scientific department of the profession. Surely it is 

 not much to ask that this infinitesimal proportion should be 

 imperceptibly augmented, in order that an important and 

 valuable service may be performed ! 



An expedition for North Polar discovery, by way of Smith 

 Sound, will yield most useful scientific results, will add largely 

 to the sum of human knowledge, while it will run no risk of a 

 catastrophe such as that which befel the crews of the " Erebus" 

 and ' ' Terror/'' For these reasons it deserves such cordial sup- 

 port from the public opinion of the country as will induce the 

 Government to undertake it. When it is remembered how 

 beneficial are the indirect advantages invariably derived from 

 voyages of discovery, and how important it is that naval 

 officers should have some nobler career opened to them, in 

 times of peace, than the ceaseless round of holystoning decks 

 and cleaning brass work, an interest will be felt in these 

 voyages, even by men who do not personally appreciate their 

 scientific results. The same enterprise, courage, endurance, 

 and presence of mind are required to conduct an Arctic 



