The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-11 00:00:00

NORTH POLAR EXPLORATION.

At the Royal Geographical Society, yesterday
e►w the subject of the proposed exploration of the
North Polo wee resumed. Sir RODIN= MOICHIBOII pre•
sided..

The foot pater read was by Mr. Ificccost, on the
climate of the North Pole. In his opinion the route to the
North Pole by Spitsbergen was more feasible than the
route by Smith's Sound.
Mr. MARKHAM thea read a paper in which he advocated
the roiM projected by Captain Sherard Osborn.

Sir Ro6ziicc lltiactrison stated the grounds which
induced him to consider the Spitsbergen route preferable
to the route by Smith's Sound. lie emosived that there
was great probability of an opts ma being found, and he
stated at some length the »moos which induced him to
consider that there was not land at the North Pole. One
of those trams was that the ioe which Boated southwards
during rummer near Spit/harps was bOtifo/4/0 fresh water,
like the icebergs launched into the ma Trom the glaciers al
Greenland. but pack ice, consisting of frozen sea water. The
opinion of Mr. Hickman that the temperature became
warmer on approaching the Pole was to some degree con.
Armed by the temperature at the extreme north of Siberia,
which was warmer thaw it was farther south. Sir Roderick
Murchison also read a letter from Lady Franklin from
Madrid, dated April 6, in which she expound much sym-
pathy op behalf of the proposed polar exploration, and ex-
pressed the hope that the sad fate which had attended the
expedition is which her buthaed bad been engaged would
not deter others from persevering to explore the Antic
region.
Captain lactrrixtm strongly advocated the route by
Spitibergm. He said that the distance of the North Pole
by that rout* did not exceed the distance of New York,
while by Smith's Sound it we, 4,000 miles. The compara-
tive nearness of the route was strongly in its !avow ; and
there was on doubt that Spitsbergen might be reached
without any difficulty, whereas the practicability of arriv-
ing during the same year at Smith's Sound depended on
the mildness of the summer. By on. route the expedition
to the North Pole and back might be accomplished in two
months, while by the other three summers and two
winters would be occupied. The only difficulty would be
the want of dogs, if sledging became seesseary, because,
as Spitsbergen was entirely uniatiabited by man, there
were of course no dogs.
. . . _ .

A isatlocoan who lad spent two summers at Spit:beers
said that, from his experience of the state of the ice, he
was not inclined to favour the opinion that an open sea
would be found in that direction. He spoke, however, of
the great abundance of animal food to be procured at
Spitzbergeo, should the shire be obliged to winter there.
Captain Dative, who bad aooowpsnied Sir James Hoes
on his Antarctic exploration, described the nature of the
pack bra they had to encounter, and exhibited drawings
representing the state of the ice when collected together in
• mar, when met in isolated rasesea and the fresh ice when
beginning to form. In one of the diswiegs Victoria Land
was represented rising in a mountain mass apparently many
thousand feet high.

After some obietratioas,from Admiral FITZSOT and Capt.
Youxo, a commudeation was reed train the council of the
Lineman Society, *spearing their desire to unite with the
Geographical Society in moommeuding the goyernareit to
genetion au expedition to explore the North Pole. The
Linomm Society pointed out many objects cionneoted wit►
their branch of science which rendered it very desirable that
ens:animation of the flora end fauna of the Arctic regioss
should be undertaken, from which it wee anticipated mach
♦aluable light would aloe be thrown an geology.
The mesa= then adjourned.

irrEMPTED MUSD= AND Soictus. —ln the
parish of Khmer, not far from Hayward's-heath stance,
en Sunday, a man named flobden, aged 73, a farm labourer,
made a savage attack on Ids wife, aged 70, and afterwards
drowned himself. Oo Sunday ruoroing a neighbour, a
widow, who residencies& by with her two boys, was alarmed
ay the screaming of the wife and the sound of heavy blows.
Lem ran into the house, where she found the old man
savagely attacking his wife with a sharp and heavy hand-
-2411. The woman was covered with blood, and endeavoured
to ward oM the blows se she lay ea the Door. The widow,
with the assistance of her boys, dragged the worn., not of
Ibis reach, and he left the boom declaring be would drown
himself. The widow followed him sad induced him to re-
turn, whoa she bad the adders to look him into a room sad
give the alarm. But armed with the handbill be forced
sat the commas% sad jumped out of the window. He
made his way to • mill-pond, into which he plunged head
foremost with sure Wee that his head was buried is the
and. He was Tithe dead when got out. Mr. Noy,
wargeon, of Bargerbill, was meat for sad &Intoned the old
woman, who wee most seriosaly wounded. flu under jaw
was fractured, her tongue out matides, sad her loft band
very Pearly powered at the add, Up to Mosday evesiag
am was MeV anew, brit bit recovery is °moldered 'hood
hopeless.:
A geddittan who tweets with his eyes open has
just returned from Indians and Northern Illinois. Be re-
ports wheat as coming oat ol the winter looking dasly,
while an ~semi breadth has been sows, pargenbuty la
lodises. The fruit bads are gaimally soon& —Eno York
Soca