Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 7.djvu/485

 Rh was matured, and has now, owing to the genius of McClintock, Mecham, Hamilton, Osborn, and Richards, reached a high state of perfection. In fact, in these days the sledge must be regarded as the principal means of arctic exploration, and the ship only as the auxiliary. It is to Sir Edward Parry that the introduction of sledge-traveling is due, but the very primitive and cumbrous machines used by him, during his many successful voyages to the arctic regions, are no more to be compared with the light and useful sledges which are being constructed from the designs of Sir L. McClintock for the expedition of 1875 than is a brewer's dray to a light gig. We propose to institute a comparison between the modes of traveling past and present, and to describe the work that will fall to the lot of an exploring expedition during the space of twelve months. The best route for polar exploration is the one that has been so unanimously advocated by all arctic authorities both of our own and other countries, and the one that is to be adopted by the expedition about to leave our shores. There are many reasons why the route via Smith Sound is superior to and more advantageous for polar exploration than any other. We know that the United States exploring-ship Polaris succeeded by this route in reaching a very high northern latitude—in fact, the highest latitude that a ship has ever attained, and that in a remarkably short space of time and with perfect ease. The shores of this narrow sound are teeming with animal life. In Dr. Hayes's expedition upward of 200 reindeer were shot during the winter, walrus and seals were abundant, and there were quantities of ducks and little auks in the summer. Where the Polaris wintered herds of musk-oxen found pasture, rabbits abounded, and large flocks of birds came northward in the summer months. This in itself is of the utmost importance, as with well-organized hunting-parties, such as will be formed on board our exploring-ships, the crews will be supplied with fresh meat. The Smith Sound route is the best adapted for exploration by sledges, and in case of mishap or any unforeseen accident befalling the ships, it would simply be a matter of time for the ship's companies to travel south and reach the Danish settlements, or one of the Scotch whalers that annually frequent Baffin's Bay. The importance of reaching in the ships a high latitude lies in the consideration that every ten miles made good in the ship toward the north is two days' sledge-traveling saved. The ships ought to leave England in the month of May or June. In a fortnight Cape Farewell, the south extreme of Greenland, would be reached, off which the first ice is invariably met. This in a great measure consists of small, detached fragments, probably broken off the land-ice, with which Greenland at the early part of the year is surrounded, by the motion of the waves. Icebergs are also fallen in with in this locality. The scene on a fine clear day in Davis's Straits, to one visiting these regions for the first time, is indeed very grand. Huge icebergs sailing majestically along, in every conceivable