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." OFFICERS. _Captain_, GEORGE S. NARES, F.R.S. _Commander_, ALBERT H. MARKHAM, F.R.G.S. _Lieutenant_, PELHAM ALDRICH. " ALFRED A. CHASE PARR. " GEORGE A. GIFFARD. " WILLIAM H. MAY. _Sub-Lieutenant_, GEORGE LE C. EGERTON (promoted to Lieutenant during the absence of the expedition). _Fleet Surgeon_, THOMAS COLAN, M.D. _Surgeon_, EDWARD L. MOSS, M.D. _Engineer_, JAMES WOOTTON. " GEORGE WHITE. _Naturalist_, Captain H. WEMYSS FEILDEN, R.A., F.G.S., F.Z.S. _Chaplain_, Rev. W. H. PULLEN. SHIP'S COMPANY.