The Difficulties multiplying.--Sledge broken.--Reflections on the Prospect.--The Men breaking down.--Worse and Worse.--The Situation.--Defeat of Main Party.--Resolve to send the Party back and continue the Journey with Dogs 315 CHAPTER XXIX. The Main Party sent back.--Plunging into the Hummocks again.--Advantages of Dogs.--Camp in an Ice-Cave.--Nursing the Dogs.--Snow-Blindness.--A Chapter of Accidents.--Cape Hawks.--Cape Napoleon.--Storm-stayed.--Grinnell Land looming up.--Discovering a Sound.--Ravenous Disposition of Dogs.--A Cheerless Supper.--Camping in the Open Air.--Prostration of Men and Dogs.--Making the Land at last 322 CHAPTER XXX. The Prospect Ahead.--To Cape Napoleon.--To Cape Frazer.--Traces of Esquimaux.--Rotten Ice.--Kennedy Channel.--Mildness of Temperature.--Appearance of Birds.--Geological Features of Coast.--Vegetation.--Accident to Jensen 333 CHAPTER XXXI. A New Start.--Speculations.--In a Fog.--Polar Scenery.--Stopped by Rotten Ice.--Looking Ahead.--Conclusions.--The Open Sea.--Climax of the Journey.--Returning South 343 CHAPTER XXXII. The Open Polar Sea.--Width of the Polar Basin.--Boundaries of the Polar Basin.--Polar Currents.--Polar Ice.--The Ice-Belt.--Arctic Navigation and Discovery.--The Russian Sledge Explorations.--Wrangel's Open Sea.--Parry's Boat Expedition.--Dr. Kane's Discoveries.--Expansion of Smith Sound.--General Conclusions drawn from my own Discoveries and those of my Predecessors 353 CHAPTER XXXIII. On Board the Schooner.--Review of the Journey.--The Return down Kennedy Channel.--A Severe March in a Snow-Storm.--Rotten Ice.--Effects of a Gale.--Returning through the Hummocks.--The Dogs breaking down.--Adrift on a Floe at Cairn Point.--The Open Water compels us to take to the Land.--Reaching the Schooner.--Projecting a Chart.--The New Sound.--My Northern Discoveries 363 CHAPTER XXXIV. Inspection of the Schooner.--Method of Repairing.--The Serious Nature of the Injury.--The Schooner unfit for any further Ice-Encounters.--Examination of my Resources.--Plans for the Future 376 CHAPTER XXXV.