Soon after the return journey was commenced the whole sledge crew was attacked with scurvy. Three only, including Beaumont himself, were able to drag the sledge, the others being carried forward by relays. A dreadful disaster seemed imminent, but thanks to the foresight and energy of Rawson, Coppinger, and the Eskimo, Hans Hendrik, it was averted. They pushed forward to the rescue, and when they reached Polaris Bay only the officers were able to drag. Here there was a long rest, while the stricken men were revived on fresh seal meat. On August 8th Beaumont and Coppinger started to cross the channel to the _Discovery_ with the now convalescent men, in a 15-ft. ice boat. After a most arduous and perilous voyage over the drifting ice, the ship was reached on the 15th. Beaumont had been away 132 days. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Archer had discovered and surveyed a long and narrow fjord running south from Lady Franklin Bay. This was an admirable piece of work, but the most important discovery was that of a deposit of coal of the Miocene period, with many impressions of plants, near the winter quarters of the _Discovery_. The outbreak of scurvy led Captain Nares to return to England, and although the geographical work fell far short of what would have been achieved had they escaped the disease, it was still of great interest and value, while the other scientific results were of the highest importance. The ships reached Portsmouth 2nd November, 1876. The geographical results were the discovery of 300 miles of coast-line facing the polar ocean, valuable observations on the structure of the ice in this region, and, through the tidal observations, the discovery of the insularity of Greenland[152]. The important magnetic, meteorological, and tidal observations were under the immediate superintendence of Captain Nares. The great value of the other scientific results was mainly due to that very able naturalist, Captain Feilden. This officer had seen much service in India during the Mutiny, in China, and during the Civil War in North America on the Confederate side. His special study was ornithology, but he had a sound knowledge of other branches of natural history and of geology, and was indefatigable as an observer and collector.