THE GREAT FROZEN SEA

“ALERT” AND “DISCOVERY.”

THE

GREAT FROZEN SEA

A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE
OF THE “ALERT”

DURING THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION OF 1875-6

BY

REAR-ADMIRAL ALBERT HASTINGS MARKHAM, R.N.

(LATE COMMANDER OF H.M.S. “ALERT”)

AUTHOR OF “A WHALING CRUISE TO BAFFIN’S BAY AND THE GULF OF BOOTHIA,”
AND “THE CRUISE OF THE ‘ROSARIO’”

SEVENTH EDITION

LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRÜBNER & CO., Ltd
1894

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

The History of the Arctic Expedition of 1875-76, and the record of its results, will be found in the work of Sir George Nares. My object in publishing the present volume is to furnish a popular narrative of memorable events as they presented themselves to an individual member of the Expedition, and especially of the work of sledge travelling over the frozen polar ocean. It was written a few months after our return to England, but its appearance has been purposely deferred until the publication of the work by Sir George Nares.

The same reasons still exist for continuing the work of Arctic exploration as were adduced for commencing it in 1875.

It is impossible to complete so great a work in one campaign, and the results of the late Expedition ought only to whet our appetites, and stimulate us to undertake further discoveries.

The narrative of Sir George Nares will show the completeness of the work accomplished, so far as the route by Smith Sound is concerned, and with the appendices containing the numerous and valuable scientific results, will prove the importance of Arctic discovery. But there are other routes remaining to be explored, which will yield equally useful results.

Behring Strait is a portal leading to a vast region, the history of which has hitherto been as a sealed book.

An expedition to the east coast of Greenland for the purpose of connecting our discoveries at Cape Britannia with those of the Germans at Cape Bismarck, and thus solving the interesting geographical problem regarding the insularity of Greenland, would be of the greatest importance.

The exploration of Jones and Hayes Sounds offer a rich field; but that which, in my opinion, would yield the most profitable harvest, is the continuation of the discoveries of the Austro-Hungarian expedition in Franz-Josef Land. Once reach in a ship the position attained by Lieut. Payer and his sledge party, and such a measure of success would follow as would prove satisfactory even to the most sanguine. Although the flags of Holland, Sweden, and America will this year float in the Arctic Regions, that of England will be unrepresented.

It is hardly to be expected, in the present critical state of affairs, that our Government can afford to give either time or attention to the subject of Arctic exploration, but when the existing differences are all happily settled, there will really be more reasons for following up the work than were brought forward for undertaking it in 1875. We were never in a better position for doing so than at the present time. We possess a couple of ships whose capabilities for Arctic navigation have been already thoroughly tested, and found perfect; we have officers and men experienced in the navigation of those icy seas and in sledging, and we have stores and provisions ready to equip another expedition.

The expense, seeing that the ships and stores are lying idle, would be insignificant, and would hardly be more than equal to that of keeping a couple of small gun-boats in commission. Surely this great nation could easily afford, in the interests of science and for her own honour, to incur such an expenditure. I trust so; and I, for one, look forward with confident hope to the despatch, in a few years, of another Arctic expedition as well equipped as the one of which I was lately a member.

A. H. M. 

21, Eccleston Square,
   March, 1878.

OFFICERS AND SHIP’S COMPANY OF
H.M.S. “ALERT.”