§ CAPTAIN PIMasked the First Lord of the Admiralty, Whether Captain Nares has been called upon to give his reasons for his non-compliance with the following extract of his sailing orders:—
14. It is expected that you will have at least six strong sledge parties and four dog sledges with which to commence further exploration in early spring. All these parties should be employed in the first instance to push out the North Pole party (which should be provided with at least one boat), and upon return from this work some weeks later, the parties for the exploration of the coast-lines should be sent out;whether he has explained his reasons for despatching the greater part of his men upon the secondary object of "East and West Coast Lines Survey," and reducing the Polar party to three sledges with two boats, and only two sledge crews to drag them, instead of concentrating all his strength on an effort to reach the highest latitude in accordance with his instructions; whether Captain Markham reported thatHe was convinced, at the very commencement of the journey from Cape Joseph Henry, that the journey must of necessity be of the shortest even under the most favourable circumstances, as fifteen men had to drag three sledges and two boats, total weight 5,100 lbs. which to move one mile would necessitate five miles walking and dragging,—in other words, it could not be expected under any circumstances, even with smooth ice, to make good more than two miles a day; that is, altogether, with everything in their favour, not more than 80 miles from the land, and still 350 miles from the Pole;whether Captain Nares has explained his reasons for remaining on board his ship, and why he did not place himself at the head of the Polar Sledge Party, he being the only officer in the Expedition with any experience in sledge travelling, to guide them; whether he has inquired why, at the latter end of August 1876, instead of returning, 91 Captain Nares did not make another attempt to reach the Pole, there being a strong fair wind, and every prospect that the ice had taken off shore sufficiently to enable him to round Cape Britannia; and, whether the Expedition returned in consequence of the outbreak of scurvy?
§ MR. A. F. EGERTONI think the best answer I can give to the hon. and gallant Member, without trespassing upon the patience of the House, is to tell him that all the communications which have been addressed by the Admiralty to Sir George Nares relating to his conduct whilst in command of the Arctic Expedition have been laid on the Table of the House, and I must refer the hon. and gallant Gentleman to those Papers for the opinion of the Board upon that officer's proceedings.