The English at the North Pole

In the year 1861, the crew of the recently constructed ship Forward embarks on an unspecified mission. They don't know their path or the name of their skipper, but they assume they're traveling to the Arctic and perhaps the North Pole. Their commander only comes into view to them after they have planned their course and run into obstacles that cause them to consider turning around. He kept his identity a secret until it was too late for the team to reconsider their decision because his previous missions had failed. As their predicament worsens and they become stranded with little gasoline, Captain Hatteras embarks on a risky expedition with three other crew members to reach a location where records from previous ships' failed attempts to reach that location have specified fuel stocks. Will they make it? Will they succeed in their search? Will they return to the Forward in time? What has been going on while they were away on board?