Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-12-19
ruE ARCTIC CONTINENT, AND
POLAR SEA.

-
During the past season, considerable
information Of an interesting nature,
especially in a geographical point OF
view, has been elected, relative to the
land which has long been known to ex-
is. in the midst of the Arctic ocean, near
the north pole. On most charts of the
Arctic region, it is simply marked, and
indefinitely laid down as Z" extensive
high land" its existence being first
made known to the world by Admiral
Wrangell, q Russian explorer of consid-
cradle note, who learned of it through
the Siberian Indians.
1t is estimated to be only about sew
snty miles from the Siberian coast, and
wrsngcll was of the opinion that it was
inhabited, from the Indians telling him
that herds of reindeer had formerly been
known to come across the ice from that
direction, in support Of which idea We
have the testimony Of several navigators
who during the past season sailed with
in a few miles Of the coast, and speak
Of the lower lands near the sea as being
free from snow, and of a green color, as
though covered with grass and vegeta-
ton. Capt. Thomas Long, of the bark
Nile, cruisei along its entire northern
coast, it being first seen by one OF his
seamen, named Thomas, and after whom
he named the most westerly point, Cape
Thomas, which is in latitude seventy de-
grees, forty-six minutes north, and lon
gitude one hundred and seventy-eigh'
degrees thirty minutes cast. The south
east point he named Capc Hawaii, and
4 the now continent itself, he named
wwrangell's land" after tho Russian
explorer.
The southern shore extends q distance
of o hundred miles east and west, and
Captain Long describes the country as
quite elevated, with a prominent noun.
tain near the center, which he estimates
to be ALSO feet high, having the appear
ance of an extinct volcano. How far
the land extended northward he could
not say, but as far as the eye could
reach, ranges of mountains were visible
until lost in the far distance. It would
appear a little singular that none Of the
navigators sailing so near did not land
upon the shores, yet it should be borne
in mind that tho temperate season in
that high latitude is extremely short
and they did very well even to ascertain
what they did relative to the general
character and extent of the new discov.
cry, without risking the shoals, rocks
reefs and other dangers probable with Q
nearer acquaintance. At last accounts
however, the Government Mt Washing
ton was about to send an expedition t.
land upon the new continent and TAXI
possession of it in the name of the
United States, although of what par
ticular advantage the acquisition woult
DO to us does not clearly appear.
The past season was tho most favor
able one for many a year in regard t
northern explorations, and ships sailed
farther north during the summer thar
ever before, some reaching as high q:
se~veuty-three degrees, thirty minutes
The broad warm current of air,sweepini
across the blue Pacific, upon the ives
tern shores of America watts its genia
influence along the coast, far away
towards the frosty north, amelioratine
to a great extent the rigors Of the Arctic
climate. Thus it is that navigatori
from this side of the continent are
enabled to penetrate much farther north
than any expedition however deliberately
planned from the Atlantic coast OF
Europe.
The open Polar sea, seen and des'
cribed by tho latest eastern and Euro
pean explorers, was probably the same
on which our ships sailed last Summer,
those explorers having travelled far
enough to the northwest over the ice to
reach its borders. Had they been
possessed Of the requisite boats or ships
they might perhaps have embarked
on that open polar sea, and sailed down
through Behring's straits, onward to the
Pacific ; thus passing completely around
the extreme northern end Of the Amer.
lean continent.