ch. xxxiii] The Route by Smith Soimd 309 
Soon after the return journey was commenced the 
whole sledge crew was attacked with scurvy. Three 
only, including Beaumont himself, were able to drag 
the sledge, the others being carried forward by relays. 
A dreadful disaster seemed imminent, but thanks to 
the foresight and energy of Rawson, Coppinger, and the 
Eskimo, Hans Hendrik, it was averted. They pushed 
forward to the rescue, and when they reached Polaris 
Bay only the officers were able to drag. Here there was 
a long rest, while the stricken men were revived on fresh 
seal meat. On August 8th Beaumont and Coppinger 
started to cross the channel to the Discovery with the 
now convalescent men, in a 15-ft. ice boat. After a 
most arduous and perilous voyage over the drifting ice, 
the ship was reached on the 15th. Beaumont had been 
away 132 days. 
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Archer had discovered and 
surveyed a long and narrow fjord running south from 
Lady Franklin Bay. This was an admirable piece of 
work, but the most important discovery was that of a 
deposit of coal of the Miocene period, with many impres- 
sions of plants, near the winter quarters of the Discovery. 
The outbreak of scurvy led Captain Nares to return 
to England, and although the geographical work fell 
far short of what would have been achieved had they 
escaped the disease, it was still of great interest and value, 
while the other scientific results were of the highest import- 
ance. The ships reached Portsmouth 2nd November, 1876. 
The geographical results were the discovery of 300 miles 
of coast-line facing the polar ocean, valuable observations 
on the structure of the ice in this region, and, through 
the tidal observations, the discovery of the insularity of 
Greenland 1 . The important magnetic, meteorological, 
and tidal observations were under the immediate super- 
intendence of Captain Nares. The great value of the 
other scientific results was mainly due to that very 
able naturalist, Captain Feilden. This officer had seen 
much service in India during the Mutiny, in China, and 
during the Civil War in North America on the Confederate 
1 Tidal observations, under the direction of Lieutenant Archer, were 
taken in 8i° 45' N., during 7 months ; and in 82 0 25' N., for two months. 
They were reported upon by Professor Houghton (Nares, 11, p. 356). 
