Editing HMS Discovery (1874) (section)

==Royal Navy==
===British Arctic Expedition===
In 1874, the Admiralty were seeking a suitable exploration vessel for the 1875 [[British Arctic Expedition]], and considered ''Bloodhound'' ideally suited. She was purchased on 5 December 1874<ref name=RW/> and converted for exploration, commissioning as HMS ''Discovery'' on 13 April 1875.
Captain [[George Strong Nares]] was placed in command of the 1875 [[British Arctic Expedition]], which aimed to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound, the sea passage between [[Greenland]] and Canada's northernmost island, [[Ellesmere Island]]. Contemporary geographers proposed that there could be an [[Open Polar Sea]], and that if the thick layer of ice surrounding it were overcome, access to the North Pole by sea might be possible. Ever since [[Edward Augustus Inglefield]] had penetrated Smith Sound in 1852, it had been a likely route to the North. Nares commanded the converted [[sloop-of-war|sloop]] [[HMS Alert (1856)|HMS ''Alert'']], and with him went ''Discovery'', commanded by Captain [[Henry Frederick Stephenson]].<ref name=WL>{{cite web|url=http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2544|title=HMS ''Discovery'' at William Looney website|access-date=2008-11-26}}</ref> [[HMS Valorous (1851)|HMS ''Valorous'']] carried extra stores and accompanied the expedition as far as [[Qeqertarsuaq|Godhavn]].<ref name=PF/>

Despite finding heavier-than-expected ice, the expedition pressed on.<ref name="cc">{{cite web|url=http://www.cavillconnections.co.uk/discovery.htm|title=1875–76 Arctic Expedition at Richard Cavill's website|access-date=2008-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722135433/http://www.cavillconnections.co.uk/discovery.htm|archive-date=22 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> Leaving ''Discovery'' to winter at [[Lady Franklin Bay]], ''Alert'' carried on a further {{convert|50|nmi}} through the [[Robeson Channel]], establishing her winter quarters at [[Floeberg Beach]].<ref name=cc/> Spring 1876 saw considerable activity by sledge charting the coasts of Ellesmere Island and Greenland, but [[scurvy]] had begun to take hold, with ''Alert'' suffering the greatest burden.<ref name=cc/> On 3 April, the second-in-command of ''Alert'', [[Albert Hastings Markham]], took a party north to attempt the Pole. By 11 May, having made slow progress, they reached their greatest latitude at 83° 20' 26"N.<ref name=NMM>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/archive/catalogue/record.cfm?ID=MRK|title=Biography of Albert Markham at the National Maritime Museum|access-date=2008-11-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110609001603/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/archive/catalogue/record.cfm?ID=MRK|archive-date=2011-06-09}}</ref>  Suffering from snow blindness, scurvy and exhaustion, they turned back.  
   
The expedition returned to the UK in Autumn 1876 and was well rewarded; Nares was knighted, Markham was promoted to captain.<ref name=CCG>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/USQUE_Alert|title=HMS ''Alert'' at the Canadian Coastguard website|access-date=2008-11-16}}</ref> The geography of northern Canada and Greenland is littered with the names of those connected with the expedition; Cape Discovery ({{coord|83|01|N|77|29|W|format=dms|name=Cape Discovery}}) on the northern edge of Ellesmere Island is named for the ship.

===Storeship at Portsmouth===
The ''Discovery'' saw no further seagoing service after her return from the Arctic. She was employed as a storeship in Portsmouth Harbour from 1880,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/D/01406.html|title=HMS ''Discovery'' at Naval Database website|access-date=2008-11-28}}</ref> probably up until the time of her final disposal.