h. The latter advanced three
miles beyond Sir Edward Parry's most northward position, and from a
mountain 2000 feet high sighted land towards the west-north-west; but no
land was seen to the northward. On their return journey, which lasted
for twenty days, most of the people were frost-bitten in the feet.

The winter was passed by the officers and crews of the two ships much in
the same way. Banks of snow were heaped round the vessels, and the
decks covered ten feet thick with snow to keep out the cold from below,
the only apertures being those required for ventilation or egress. The
interiors of the ships being warmed by hot-water pipes, a comparatively
comfortable atmosphere below was maintained. The time was passed by
holding schools, with theatricals, penny readings, and games of all
sorts. As soon as travelling was possible, on the 12th of March,
Lieutenant Rawson and Mr Egerton, accompanied by Neil Petersen and his
dog sledge, set off from the _Alert_ to communicate with the
_Discovery_, the temperature being at this time forty degrees below
zero. Two days after leaving the ship Petersen was taken ill. A camp
was pitched, but, as he showed no signs of recovering, the officers
determined to return. At the utmost risk to themselves they succeeded
in retaining heat in the body of the sufferer, and were thus able to
bring him alive to the ship; but his feet, which they were unable to
protect, were so severely frost-bitten that it was found necessary to
amputate both of them, from the effects of which operation he died two
months afterwards. The following week, the two officers with fresh men
set out and succeeded in reaching the _Discovery_, thus relieving those
on board of the anxiety they had felt in regard to her consort's safety.
During the first week in April, the exploring parties, with sledges
from both ships, started off in various directions. The party selected
to make the desperate attempt to reach the North Pole was under the
charge of Commander Markham and Lieutenant Parr. Such was the rough
nature of the ice, that a road had to be formed in many places by
pickaxes before an advance could be made, even with light loads. The
sledges having thus to go backwards and forwards over the same road, the
advance was very slow, averaging not more than a mile and a quarter each
day. Unable to obtain any fresh provisions, their food was of a
character not calculated to maintain their health, and consequen