52 
A VOYAGE TO SPITZBEBGEN. 
there is easy communication between Spitzbergen and 
England for many months in the year, or from about 
May to September or October. A ship can easily find 
a winter harbour as far north as 80° or even 80° 30' N. 
Ships have reached 81° 42' N., and men have 
reached 82° 30' N. If past efforts have resulted 
in the greatest advance north by this route, it 
seems probable that future attempts will also be more 
successful by this route than by the others. The 
failures to reach the Pole by this route have frequently 
been brought forward as an objection ; but this objec¬ 
tion equally applies to the Smith Sound route. The 
special advantage attached to this route is that*, 
owing to its being the broadest gateway to the Pole*, 
the Polar ice flows outwardly in greater quantity than 
by the others. This renders it probable that the ice 
zone is narrowest on this side, since more of it is able 
to escape to the southern seas to be melted, whereas*, 
on the other side, much ice is arrested by land. The 
warm flow from the Atlantic also has an influence in 
lessening the formation and accumulation of ice 
within the Arctic circle. The flow of warm water from 
the Pole may conjecturally be inferred to be more- 
voluminous in this direction than any other, which 
would have the double effect of narrowing the ice-band 
and of rendering it brittle in structure and more 
easily penetrable. 
