Page:Littell's Living Age - Volume 126.djvu/40

28 and explore, by boats or sledges, as circumstances may show to be best, the sea and lands lying beyond. In case of disaster the depot- vessel will afford the adventurers a home to fall back upon. It is, however, unnecessary to say that the details of such plans must be altered indefinitely, and that it would be most unwise to strangle the skill of a commander, who has already shown himself so worthy of trust, by the bonds of red tape, which cut-and-dry "instructions" would assuredly be.

What, then, are the objects of this expedition? In the first place, it is the only expedition — since the unfortunate one of Sir John Franklin in the "Erebus" and "Terror" — which the English government has despatched to the Arctic seas for exploration alone. Since 1845 numerous ships flying the pennant have been within the Arctic circle, and have greatly enlarged our knowledge of the circumpolar regions. But they were in search of the expedition of Franklin; discovery was not one of their objects; and though they might have incidentally advanced science, provision was not made for research; and, indeed, so long as the mission they were sent on was unfulfilled, no man dared to think of science or of geographical exploration, brilliant though some of the discoveries made, no doubt, were. Need I remind the reader that on one of these expeditions the North-west Passage was discovered?

But the adventurers in the "Alert" and "Discovery" will have no thought to divert their minds from exploration in the widest sense of the term. Every provision has been made for it consistent with that economy of space which the storage of such a large quantity of fuel and provisions demand. Unlike the case of the "Challenger," there are no posts to visit, where stores can be taken or surplus baggage left. All must be at once taken from England; on this they will have to draw for the whole term of the expedition. The land and seas they are to explore are dreary enough, and an idea obtains that there is really nothing to be done in these far northern lands; that no interest attaches to them from a scientific point of view; and that the naturalists of the Arctic expedition, after they have surveyed their home in the far North, may sit down on its frozen shores and weep, if they are so inclined, because there is there no world for them to conquer. Around the Pole there are about two million five hundred thousand square miles of sea and land yet unknown, and lying virgin for exploration. It must not be supposed that the mere vainglory of reaching the spot known as the North Pole is the object of the equipment of this expedition. "The North Pole," writes Mr. Clements Markham (I quote the ipsissima verba of this eminent geographer because I can find none of my own which more fully express the meaning which I wish to convey), "is merely a spot where the sun's altitude is equal to its declination, and where bearings must be obtained by reference to time and not to the magnet. It will doubtless be reached in the course of exploration, and there is something which takes the imagination of ignorant and uncultivated persons in the idea of standing upon it. But this will not be the main, or even a principal result, of the expedition. The objects in view are the discovery of the conditions of land and sea within the unknown area, and the investigation of all the phenomena in that region, in the various branches of science. These results can only be obtained by facing difficulties, perils, and hardships of no ordinary character; but their vast importance, owing to the additions they will make to the sum of human knowledge, will be an ample recompense." I mention this, because in some circles the mere vainglory of reaching the North Pole seems to be considered the acme of the labours of the brave and accomplished men who are so soon to leave England, just as among the same people to march up a steep mountain, and then like the king of France, in the nursery rhyme, come down again (if possible with greater celerity than they went up), is the aim and end of all alpine research. In all likelihood the "North Pole" will be found to be situated in the midst of some icy sea, or if on land, in the midst of some dreary waste, its position only ascertainable by a long series of observations by the scientific officers, and differing certainly in no degree from the region immediately surrounding it. It is impossible to say what branches of science will be most advanced by the researches of the expedition. Oftentimes discoveries are made when least expected. One discovery leads to another, and with the material at hand an accomplished naturalist can never fail to make interesting observations, and even deduce 