Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-21

as that barrier is always laid down as extending
from the northeastern coast of Nova Zembla TO
the northern extremity of Spitzbergen, and
thence enthusiastically to Jan Mayen isaad
and the coast of Greenland. Consequently,
Barentz must have crossed that barrier going
and coming at two different points, and naviga-
ted for week within it, actually making his
way through the Spizbcrgen group feat only
once or twice performed since that period.
The belief in AN open Polar sea survived its
firmness promulgator Barentz, who died a
martyr to his faith in its existence in 1897, and
his consciousness of the navigableness of the
Arctic seas appears to haze animated the great
body of his coeva conntrymen, for, within the
next twenty years, we find the seas around
Greenland and Spitzbergen alive with Dutch
whaleships, whose captains, a general thing,
reported much better weather in high northern
latitudes than we find recorded in the narratives
OF our more recent Arctic navigators.
For instance, Poole, who visited Spitzbergen
in 1910, set down the air of Spitzbegen as mil
der than that Of Bear Island two degrees furth-
er south, and even than that he had experienced
at the same season off the North Cape four de-
grees still further southwark. In fact he re-
cords his aslonishment at the warmth of the
summer season at the extreme north and it is
admitted that it he had thought less of gain
and more of science, he might have pushed on
to the Pole. Unfortunately, he was so success
ful in fishing, that he gave up all thoughts of
discovery.
We now come 10 those voyages which the
Hon. DANES Darlington considered sufficiently
well authenticated to lay before the Royal So
cety, as reliable data to govern their delibera-
tions in regard to an open Polar Sea.
In l75l Captain McCallam sailed within a
few minutes of eighty-four degrees north saw
the sea open to the northward; met not a speck
OF ice between eighty-one degrees and eighty
four degrees had temperate weather and a
most pleasant navigation. He and his subordi-
nate, MIR. James Watt, believed that if the mate
OF the ship had not been fainthearted they
might have reached the Pole.
In the early part of the eighteenth century
the Dutch naval Captain afterwards Admira6
Roggewein, while commanding a ship of war,
experimenting and protecting his nations
Greenland fisheries, penetrated as far as So deg
north in warm weather, over a sea perfectly
free of ice, and waves rolling like those in the
Bay of Biscay. His surgeon, Dallie, pressed
the captain to proceed, but the latter fearing
reproof for having left his cruising ground so
long, would not riske longer stay at the far
north. Dallie believes that he could have sailed
on the Pole without difficulty. This Roggewein
afterwards penetrated to 81 l-2 deg. SOUTH and
while circumnavigating the globe, discovered, on
Easter day. 1922, the island called by him the
Paassen (by the English the Easter) Islands.
1t would not be out OF place here to state that
descendant of one of the first Dutch settlers
of New Amsterdam. now New York. discovered
while on similar voyage, the group named af-
ter him the DE Peyster Islands. This gentle
man is still living, and is now President of the
| Relief Fire Insurance COMPANY.
In or about 1865 Dutch whaling captain,
produced his ships log or journal, accurately
kept, and swore that he had been to SO 1-2 deg
north, and found an open, iceless sea.
In 1866 Captain Thomas Robinson reached
| 81 l-2 deg north and found the sea so omen
that he might at least have sailed on to SO deg
In 1873, the same shpmaster attained 81 10
deg north in pursuit of whales. and saw the
sea open to the west and east-northeast as far
as he could distinguish from the mast head.
Captains Cheyne and Thew, about this date.
reached in two instances so 1-2 deg north
According to Gueudevilles Atlas Historioue
Mappe-monde, volume L. still greater honor
than Roggwein's adventure is credited to the
Hollanders. He places a IL at the intersec-
ton of the so deg. north and l4O deg. east,
with the remark, "the Dutch peneu ated thus
far in 1870" This is an almost miraculous
achievement, and must have carried the Dutch
ship-master 30 deg. eastward of the Northeast
cape, On to the meridian of the Liakhov Islands,
north of Central Eastern Siberia. In corrobo-
ration Of this, map of the northern hemisphere,
published at Berlin, Prussia, under the direction
oil the Academy OF Sciences and Bellies Letters,
depicts ship at the Pole, to indicate the Dutch
had attained that point
Mons DANES Darlington nobly admits that
it is very probable that the Dutch had accom-
plished further and more satisfactory explora-
tions than the English at a time when the most
intrepid attempts were made to reach the Arctic
Pole.
Wood and Gouden, English shipmasters,
likewise Mr.. Grey, mention that two Dutch
ships sailed about the middle of the seventeenth
century, 1915, in an open, celess sea to SO deg.
north that another 'Dutchman attained the
same latitude, and that still another reached
50 l-2 deg. north, to within thirty miles of the
North Pole Goulden related his story to King
Charles H. as an incon,estible exploit. and at
this time the Dutch wore, without question, the
crown of having sailed over an open sea to the
North Pole. This is not more wonderful than
that no one has ever penetrated so far to the
northwest as Davis, who bored up the straits
called after him to SO deg. north. Moreover.
one of these captans came 70 Iondon. and laid