ch.xxviii] The Search for Franklin. II. 269 
In August, 1853, the Resolute and Intrepid broke out 
of winter quarters, but it was an ice-encumbered season, 
and by November nth the two vessels were again fixed 
in winter quarters 26 miles S.W. of Cape Cockburn on 
Bathurst Island. The Assistance and Pioneer had also 
left their winter quarters at the west end of Grinnell Land 
(a prolongation of North Devon) and had attempted to 
come down Wellington Channel. They too, however, had 
been stopped by the ice, and had to winter 52 miles north 
of Beechey Island. 
The winter passed happily enough on board the 
Resolute and Intrepid, but it was necessary to report to 
Sir Edward Belcher, and Hamilton was accordingly des- 
patched with two men and a team of nine dogs. He 
brought back an order to abandon the ships. It was not 
explicit, however, and it assumed that Captain Kellett 
was of the same mind. M'Clintock then returned and 
tried to persuade Sir Edward Belcher not to commit 
what amounted to a crime. He told the intending 
perpetrator that there was every reason to expect that 
the ships would get clear, but the only result was an 
explicit order to abandon them ! 
It was mainly during these journeys that M'Clintock 
gained his experience in the use of dogs. He covered 
the distance from the Resolute to the North Star in five 
days, and the 52 miles thence to the Assistance in 24 hours. 
The whole distance there and back was 460 miles, occu- 
pying 15 days, an average of 31 miles per day. Wrangell, 
on the coast of Siberia, made an average of 29 miles a 
day for 22 days. M'Clintock had one man with him, and a 
team of twelve dogs. He found that two dogs require the 
same weight of food as one man, and when properly fed 
and not overworked, a dog can draw a man's full load for 
a distance about one-fourth greater than a man would. 
If both man and dog are lightly laden, a dog will double 
the distance which the man could do. The final con- 
clusion was that for a very long period and a very long 
distance men are superior to dogs. At their best, dogs 
should be well fed and well treated, and should not be 
over-worked. Then they are invaluable for keeping up 
communications to distances not exceeding 300 miles. 
Belcher's disgraceful order had to be obeyed. He 
