On 21 December 1874 he was promoted to Staff-Surgeon Second Class. In May 1875 he was appointed to HMS Discovery, one of two ships—the other HMS Alert—which comprised the British Arctic Expedition, led by Captain Sir George Nares. The expedition aimed to be the first to reach the North Pole, pushing north through Smith Sound, between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.
On December 21, 1874, he advanced to the rank of Second Class Staff Surgeon. In May 1875, he joined HMS Discovery, one of two ships—HMS Alert being the other—one of which was part of the British Arctic Expedition led by Captain Sir George Nares. The expedition's objective was to be the first to reach the North Pole, traveling north through Smith Sound between Ellesmere Island and Greenland.