This journey was made in the middle of summer after the disruption of the ice. The daily allowance of food for the men was insufficient, and the weight of 26 lbs. for each man was too great. But these were points which could only be learnt by experience, and Sir Edward Parry was the pioneer of Arctic sledge travelling. He attained the highest northern latitude ever before reached by man, and it was forty-eight years and two months before any explorer succeeded in going beyond the parallel which Parry reached in 1827. CHAPTER XX. THE JOURNEY OF EGERTON AND RAWSON. "You were used to say, Extremity was the trier of spirits, That common chances common men could bear, That when the sea was calm, all boats alike Showed mastership in floating." SHAKESPEARE. It was a part of Captain Nares's scheme for the spring campaign that, before the departure of the extended parties, a dog sledge should be despatched to communicate with our consort wintering some fifty miles to the southward of us. The officers and men of the "Discovery" were, of course, in total ignorance of our position and even of our safety, for no communication had taken place between the two ships since the day of our departure from Discovery Harbour, seven months before. As soon as there was sufficient light to admit of travelling, the important and necessary duty had to be undertaken of conveying information to her respecting our position, so that the anxiety of her people concerning our safety might be relieved, and also that the Captain of the "Discovery" might be made acquainted with our intentions regarding the routes of exploration allotted to our sledge travellers. The parties from the "Discovery" would then adopt other routes, and thus the area of unknown country to he explored would be extended to the utmost limit possible. The work of the expedition, consisting of the journeys of the different parties from the two ships, taking different routes, would thus embrace all that human effort could achieve with the means provided. [Illustration: DOGS AND SLEDGE.] The duty of communicating with the "Discovery" was entrusted to Egerton; and Rawson, who was naturally desirous of re-visiting his ship, was allowed to accompany him. Their sledge was dragged by a team of nine dogs, and the party was provisioned and equipped for an absence of ten days. If they failed in accomplishing their object in that time, and their supplies became exhausted, they could replenish their stock from the large depôt that had been established during the previous autumn at a point about midway between the two ships, in Lincoln Bay. Petersen, the Danish interpreter, accompanied the two officers in the capacity of dog driver.