And may they ever prove,
Both in Sledging and in Love,
That the tars of old Britannia are the dandy oh!”
In explanation of some passages in the foregoing spirited effusion, we may state that the six sledges belonging to the Alert were named respectively, Marco Polo, Victoria, Challenger, Poppie, Bulldog, and Alexandra. “Hercules” appears to have been the nickname of one of the strong men of the ship.
The Alert wintered so far north, that its officers and men failed to meet with some of the usual accessories of a Polar expedition. There were no Polar bears; no Eskimos; even auroral displays were infrequent. On the other hand, the darkness is described as not having been particularly dense. The reflection of the snow, and the keen “light of stars,” considerably mitigated the “deep obscure;” and once in every fourteen days the splendour of the moon illuminated the weird outlines of the monotonous Arctic scenery.
Some sledging was done in the autumn, though spring is the season when it can best be undertaken. The Alert was no sooner made all snug in her winter quarters, than sledging-parties carried provisions and boats along the shore both northward and westward, ready for use by expeditions in the following spring; the depôt being planted within a mile of the farthest northern position hitherto attained by civilized man. After a terrible journey of twenty days’ duration, the travellers returned on the 14th of October, just two days after the disappearance of the sun. The snow fell heavily, and, by protecting the sloppy ice from the intense frost, rendered travelling difficult. The men’s shoes got thoroughly wet; hence several were frost-bitten, and one officer and two men, on their return, were compelled to undergo amputation. Beneath the cliffs lay great dense, deep snow-wreaths, and in many places a road had to be excavated to the depth of six feet. The men sunk to their waists. The sledge was often completely buried. It needed all Lieutenant Rawson’s resolution and patience to bring back his little company in safety.
The main sledging-party, under Commander Markham, with Lieutenants Parr and May, and twenty-five men, left the Alert on the 25th of September, for the purpose of establishing a depôt at Cape Joseph Henry. They advanced three miles beyond Sir Edward Parry’s northernmost point, and, from a mountain 2000 feet high, sighted land towards the west-north-west, as far as lat. 83° 7’ N., but saw none to the northward.
With the return of the sun on the 29th of February, Captain Nares began his preparations for the spring sledging-expeditions, organizing two main detachments: one, bound northward, under Commander Markham and Lieutenant Parr, with fifteen men, supported by Dr. Moss and Mr. White, with two seven-man sledges; and another, bound westward, consisting of two seven-man sledges, led by Lieutenants Aldrich and Giffard.
On the 12th of March, Lieutenant Rawson and Mr. Egerton, as already narrated, started off to open up communication with the Discovery, but were compelled to return by the illness of Petersen, whom they nursed on the way with womanlike tenderness and devotion. In the following week, accompanied by Simmons, of the Alert, and Regan, of the Discovery, they resumed their adventurous track across the hummocky ice, with the temperature 40° below zero, enduring much, but pushing forward undauntedly. When their comrades of the Discovery condoled with them on account of frost-bitten cheeks, and noses, and fingers, it was with the frank, blithe heroism of the true British seaman that Lieutenant Rawson replied,—“Well, at least we feel that the cheers from Southsea beach have been fairly earned.”