258 Arctic mid Antarctic Exploration [parti 
explore in every direction to the utmost extent of the 
means at his disposal. Penny undertook Wellington 
Channel. He had a team of dogs and the best dog driver 
in Greenland in the person of a Dane named Carl Petersen, 
a man of large experience and full of ancient lore as well 
as modern knowledge. M'Clintock and two other parties, 
led by Aldrich and Bradford, took the direction of Melville 
Island. Captain Ommanney led another division to Cape 
Walker, and smaller parties were to examine the inter- 
mediate coasts and islands. Altogether, search parties 
were despatched in eight different directions. 
Each sledge had a name, motto, and flag. They 
exercised all through March, and April 4th was the 
day selected for starting, the starting-point being at the 
north-west point of Griffith Island. The sledges with 
their crews went in two long columns to the appointed 
place with colours flying, a splendid sight, the Commo- 
dore delivered a spirit-stirring address to the assembled 
travellers, paying a just tribute to all they owed to the 
genius of M'Clintock, and the explorers started in two 
great divisions, one to the west and the other to the 
south. 
The ice surface was fairly good, though sometimes 
interrupted by lines of hummocks. Sails were set with 
the wind aft or on the quarter, the tent poles being used 
as sheers and as a yard, and the floor-cloths for a sail. 
Under favourable circumstances this was a great success. 
Large square kites, invented by Mr Leigh Smith's father, 
were partially successful. 
We travelled at night and slept in the day-time. As 
soon as the tent was pitched, the floor-cloth was put 
down, sleeping-bags laid out, and the buffalo robe placed 
over them. The men took it in turn to be cook of the 
mess, supper consisting of pemmican, biscuit, and grog. 
Boots were taken off, feet carefully examined for frost- 
bites, snow blindness doctored with vinum opii ("open 
eye " the men called it) and then all got into their bags. 
Songs and stories followed until all were overcome by 
sleep. "Is the chronometer wound"? was the form of 
sajdng good night. In the evening the agony of having 
to' force our feet into boots frozen as hard as iron had to 
be undergone. Breakfast consisted of cocoa or tea and 
