The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-26
The Geography OF she Arctic Regions.

The subjoined very interesting communication
from Augustus Petermann, dated Nov 10, on the
subject Of DR.. Kane's recent voyage is extracted
from the London Atheneum Of the Oath ult.:-
The recent return Of DR.. Kane has made the world
ring with the announcement OF his discovery OF o
vast open iceless Polar Sea-" The chief result Of his
voyage may be stated in q few words thus:-Hay-
ng reached Smith Sound, he found further progress
by vessel impossible owing to body Of pack ice OF
the heaviest description blocking up the strait.
He therefore put his brig into winter quar-
Sound, in latitude rs deg. A min: North lpro-
badly the indentation between Pelham Point
ard Stafford Head Of Ingle6eld). and from
this peint explored the region eastward and north
ward in aledges. The reports hitherto published in
the American papers are not quite clear as to the
precise position Of the region discovered; u APP
pears however, that the arm of the sea forming the
cont inuation Of Smith Sound extends almost due
east ~ far as SO deg w. long; whence tits defect
ed in NJ N. w. direction until, in latitude 81 deg
N it expands into an extensive sea, "entirely free
from ice' at the time when DR.. Kane beheld it.
1t further appears that the region between 70 deg
and 50 deg Of latitude is quite akin in character TO
the ice bound laby rinth forming the chief scene OF
the Franklin search further south. In proceeding
over this extensive and barren region DR.. kane's
party not little astonished in noticing gra-
dual increase OF temperature the further they went
to the northward, until at last their progress was
arrested by that vast already mentioned, extend
ing further than the eye could reach teeming with
animal life, great number OF herbivoros and other
animals, and birds feeding on its shores or roaming
in fearless Indifference in the neighborhood. "a
north wind, ffty-two hours in duration, failed to
bring any drift ice into this area"
Those conversant with the geography of the
Arctic regions will probably agree with me, if in
the first place, venture to suggest that the term
"open" Polar Sea applied to latitudes Of 81 degs
and IS degs- N. can have only mere relative and
vague uncertain meaning, because in those ATTITUDES
any part of the sea, however narrow and ice bound
msy be open at times, and no part OF It, however
extensive and deep, can be entirely and always free
from ice. The tenn Is more in its place when used
in comparative or circumgCribed sense, as, for in
stance when saying that Bafins Bay is an open Cor
more open) sea us compared to Wellington Channel;
and the latter again. with its northerly outlets, an
open (Or more open) channel than Banks Strait or
Prince of Wales Channel. The term "open Polar
Sea- no doubt, will he rightly understood in it's
hearing and import in each individual case 80 used
by persons accustomed to critical view OF such
subjects; but for general use it leads to much mis-
conception, and is altogether superfiuous when, as
In speaking Of DR.. kanes open sea, the epthet
"iceless is added To it. There can be no doubt
about the precise meaning OF the latter, Tor II I'm
plies sea entirely free from ice, whereas the term
"open" sea by no means excludes the existence OF
vast quantities Of that frigid article.
As to the term iceess'' sea, it conveys, in this
instance, altogether an erroneous meaning, such as
DIR. Kane probably did not intend to mpart to IT, Tor
in speaking of that Northern under this denomi-
nation, he and his companions describe ~ nature Of
that sea at the particular time when II. saw H. aud
these statements have not the slightest ground or
wish to doubt or disbelievc. But do most decidedly
doubt it to be q permanently ictless sea, notwith
standing the extraordinary fact Of continued north
wind having failed to bring. any ice into IT, Such
an occurrence only shows how efectually the ice
formed during the previous winter may be swept
away by the currents out of situated even under
the most Northern attitudes find similar obser-
walton recorded by that great Arctic navigator
and acute observer, Sir Edward Parry, in his
Narrative, 1927" p. 1877. It relates to the
<,,ha Eopt In hinru
had previously found an impenetrable barrier Of
boundess pack ice as seen after his return 70 tnat
country from his adventurous boat voyage toward
the North Pole about the latter end OF August
was in momentary expectation of seeing some ice
come in; but we were agreeably surprised 70 nnd
that none appeared. This circumstance appeared
to Us the more remarkable from the extraordinary
liehtest air from the Westward brought the drift ice
in upon the land rendering their shores quite mac
cessibe in the course Of few hours"
have entered into these remarks on the meaning
of the terms "open and "iceless as 1t seems to me
that great deal Of confusion, doubt and miscon-
ception has arisen in Arctic geography from differ
ent interpretations Of these terms. but while ex-
pressing the foregoing objections TO their ambiguous
and unrestricted use, am bound to own myself at
q loss for another word which, in my humble
opinion, would form q precise denomination for
sea such as that discovered by DR.. Kane. The Rus
sian word "Polynia" means spaces OF open water
the English "lane"-lanes OF open water Unfrozen
sea would really be nearer the mark-namely, sea
that never freezes entirely over. -,
Reading the reports OF DIR. kanes voyage with
due regard to the restrictive meaning OF the terms
in which they framed it il beyond all doubt that
he discovered an extensive Polar Sea whichissrnver
entirely frozen over 4
This evidence Of an unfrozen sea and compa, a
lively mild climate with kindred phenomena, In lat
tudes ranging from So degs. northward, is full cor
roboration Of the discovery of similar sea further
to the eastward, by Parry, WInngel, and Others
but It is still more decisive IN its bearing than etner
OF these, because DR.. Kanes sea lies in close cont
guilty and on the northern side OF the most northern
land yet discovered, and land, be it remembered,
OF the most dismal description, whereas the sea
reached by Sir Edward Parry in latitude S2l degs.
N is simply the continuation of the Atlantic swept
by powerful polar currents with the influence of tt
warm Gull Stream in its flank, while WrangeL's Sea
lies In latitude six degrees further south. Dr.
Kane Polar Sea il the most interesting as it seems
pretty evident that it cannot be connected with the
great Arctic Sea, or what would call the real polar
basin--namely,. the sea between spitzbergen and
Siberia. And here / may be permitted TO refer
briefly to Capt. 1nelefeld's voyage to Smith Sound
three years ago. The view that gentleman took at
the time in announcing that, by entering Whale
Sound and Smith Sound, he believed ne had
discovered and entered the Polar Sea-" through
which, he thought, he would have been
able to push in the direction of Behring's Strait
had nota gale arisen" &C., was strongly combatted
by me then lsee Afhen. Nos. 800 and 3iI, and
1endeavored to show that such a view was falla-
cious, and based upon no tenable grounds. I con-
Guided my remarks in the following words no.
1871 r. $500 :"Thus it appears that the reasons
assigned for the theory Of communication between
Bafins Bay and the Polar Basin are slight in COM
parson with those which tell against it. Greenland
may, and very likely does, contract about the s0th
parallel 1t may there become only narrow neck
of land; but that land there is reason to conjecture
extends great way in northerly direction to.
wards Behring's Strait and it Is my firm convic.
ton that entering the sea to the north
Of Bafin's Bay, in the hope Of reaching the Polar
Basin, would lind mere cuLde-sac, not even corr
nected with the sea TO the north of Wellington
Channel" These views have, think, been pretty
closely corroborated by DIR. KaDe's voyage; he hi
found that Smith Sound terminates In gulf
The reasons against Captain Inglefeld's theory
hold just az good now then; and therefore, anf
clined to think that II stronger ground be adduced
to establish the insularity of Greenland by channel
under the s0th parallel, than the existence In that
direction ola mighty glacier, II Is open to much
doubt. That glacier, In all probability, rests
ON land, and no channel has ever been In that To-
- Al