The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-25 00:00:00

211 E SPITZBERGEN EXPEDITION.

The following particulars of the intended expe-
dition to the North, via Spitzbergen, appear in the
Field :—" Two vessels are freighted—a large one,
a r tther poor schooner ; and a sloop, a little smaller
than the schooner, clumsy and heavy, like a Dutch-
man. According to the plan arranged both the
vessels are to accompany each other to Klevenkiff,
at the north-western corner of Spitzbergen, or
some other place, convenient for the enterprise
of the expedition, as far north as can be at
first reached without being impeded by ice.
The intention is to get as near the Pole as possible
on the frozen Arctic Ocean. Much honour is
to be gained, and science may have indescribable
benefit from this undertaking, if all turns out as
wished. Three iceboats (English) will accom-
pany them, which, being furnished with sledges,
will be ab e to do good service both in sledging on
the ice and sailing in open water. No less than 40
dogs have been procured with much trouble, five of
the Esquimaux breed, the only ones remaining from
a great number which were brought home by Mr.
Torrell, the leader of the expedition, from his travels
in Greenland ; the others have been bought in
Namdal and in East Finmark. ' The town is
swarming,' says the letter from Tromso, ' with the
shabby-looking animals.' The crews of both the
vessels are to join in the first sledging tour for
carrying the provisions and other stores, only a
small part of which can be taken in the two dog-
sled ges which are to partake in the really bold' trip
to the Pole,' so that it is highly necessary to
be bave
stores laid up in some safe place that may de.
Whenone
pended upon for the journey
llslobinee.
tohrdessoounthetiir.ne
sloop will pre-
cs‘Nle,ecedsdtgeelsnoisu[hiedwt
point into the large fjord, and if possible push on
euarornfdestdh the to the
stlehaxneadvm, eginsoee round tthe fj
eastward through Thym Fjord towards Gillis Land
(this has been sought for in vain in the charts, and
has not been found again since the beginning of the
18th century, when it was discovered by a Dutch-
man, who called the place after him). The schooner
will wait for the travellers on the ice upon the
north side, and afterwards go as far as they can on
the eastern track, on through Henloopen-street,
which separates the mainland of Spitzbergen from
East Spitzbergen, in the same manner as the first
named island is separated from South-east Spitz-
bergen by Thym Fjord. Everything, however,
will depend upon the ice. The partakers in the
expedition will be distributed in both the vessels in
the following manner :—ln the schooner, under the
direction of Mr. Torell and Lieutenant Lilliehoof,
the latter of whom takes the maritime command,
Professor Nordenskjold (mineralogist), Magister
Chydenins (Nat. Philos.), Magister Malmgren
(botanist), and Petersen, the experienced North
Pole navigator, who will also be the conductor of
the expedition with the dogs on the ice, in which
Mr. Terrell and Professor Nordenskjold will also
will
partake. The scientific command in the snlogline-
be taken by Mr. Blomstrand (chYmistt aKuylenst-
ralogist),!the.maritime command by qaP tan•
.bo and
jerna ; they will be accompanied by
(astronomer), Mr. Goes (surgeon annlbovon. Duner
- travels in corn-
Mr. Smitt (a student in zootog.3
known as having made . zoologicalMr. von. 1 hien,
11ieborg to the countries
about the "White Sea,ee "
pany with Professor L.l,
wtiogether; afterwards he will
ace:inir.pai3n
Blomstrand)
math
ste
rs
al
no
do :
areas
draughtsmen.soa In this respect, therefore,
long as the vessels keep together;
apparatus, and at least tw
-,. Air. Goes will be supplied
Magister Duner,
Nfwpvrhroeaimcmc
hat
raitsay•ihentedeogt—r,hys'„eese examinations,highlatit
u d
e bothwif the
h (Mr. hicYhPlen and
Weittvherhyimgresaetvreersaullvtsa.luable instruments
o
wgotoitoehvr others
rhotot o
g therr apn
projected measurement s\uvireimi
who bra]
University of
eunntdoefrtake the
prepon the east and
west coast, for a
April 18, further degrees,
value. A letter fro T
Hbe of the utmost
m Tromso, dated Thursday,
get clear for sailingy this However, the
in-
terior arrangement of the vessels is so far tehind-
hand that the departure cannot be thought of
before the middle of next week. As a matter of
course, those who have to travel with the dogs are
hastening on the departure, as the winter must be
the best time for them, and will soonest give a
prospect of reaching the uncertain object--viz., of
getting nearer the Pole than any other person be-
fore. For the rest of us it is immaterial whether
we remain a few days longer ashore, especially as
we may be tolerably certain that during the present
severe winter season the ice will lie at Spitzbergen,
so that an earlier sailing would only cause a so
much longer detention at sea. We have here at
Trona:, the most complete winter, with excellent
sledging. The country is most beautiful, it being
covered with snow. The peak of Tromsdal is
nearly 5,000 feet high.'"

A large steam packet, with 200 passengers on
board, is said to have gone down in the Baltic. It was
called the Alexander 11., Bassi= !ag, and left Lubvek for
Cronaadt) but has Uotaktce Dean 604 or 1144 rd of,