Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-01
Arctic Explorations.

From an interesting, address lately
delivered by DR.. Hayes before the
Cooper Institute, New York, we give the
following and concluding portion. Hav-
ing given at considerable length his
torical account of preceding efforts to
explore the polar seas, and discussed
the obstacles and physical conditions
belonging to the subject, he said
1t would almost seem certain, from
casual observation of these physical con-
ditions, that the line of the Gulf Stream
should be the most feasible route to the
North Pole, and yet experience proves
the ice barrier to be more compacted
there than in any other quarter. For q
time it was indeed more favorably re-
garded than the route by the northwest;
In this direction lay the Cape Tabin'
of Pliny-the northern cape OF ASIA,
the northern cape of Good Hope; and
here it was thought must surely lie the
northern Magellan Strait. But the dis
astrous voyage of Willoughby caused
the English to abandon the effort to
psnetrate in that quarter, and the Dutch
who succeeded them. in the unhappy,
death of Barentz and the destruction OF
his ship, lost the bright hopes with
which they had assumed the undertaking.
| On the other hand, the sea Immediately
to the west of Spitzbergen became gen
eral favorite. Here they would lind the
strait. Here they penetrated to higher
latitudes than in any other quarter:
Here sailed many of the most noted
mariners of their time, confident OF ind
| ing the passage. Here Hudson reached
to latitude so dgrees and 30 minutes, and
Scoresby to 80 deg. and 80 min: Here
Phipps, Cavering, Sabine and Buchan,
and Franklin, have gone and fought
against hard fortune; and here Parry,
with, as has bsen well said, "a daring
unequaled in the history of personal ad'
venture" boldly struck out upon the
Polar sea with boat-sledges. But the ice
becoming loosened with the advancing
season, be was carried south by the Polar
current two miles day faster than he
was travelling north. He was then in
latitude s2o 45|, nearer to the pole than,
according to any well-authenticated
record. any one had reached before,
although many whale fishers have de-
clared that they have sailed on and on
without meeting ice, even to the very
Pole itself. One stated that be had sailed
two degrees beyond it, as recorded by
DANES Darlington. 1t was into the
Spitzbereen sea that the German and
Swedish expeditions made their way
during the past summer; but their ior-
tune does not appear to have been mate
rally different from that of their prede-
cessors. The details of their voyages
have not yet reached us, although the
cable has announced that the former pen.
etrated to latitude 800, thirty miles beyond
the farthest limit of Scoresby. We await
their last Published reports with much
interest The attempts which have been
made 10 6nd q passage from the Pacific
into the Atlantic by following the course
of the Japanese current, have been at
tended with the same fortune as those by
the Gulf Stream. Prior to the time Of
BebrinQ, some vague knowledge of the
north coast of Asia was obtained. The
Cossacks, fighting up in this direction,
came upon the ocean in the year 1910.
Finally, the Lens and the entire coast Of
Northern Asia was explored.
On the American side, Hearne was the
first 10 reach the sea. Following the
Coppermine river, he looked out upon
the great polar water in ITO, and opened
the way for Mackenzie, Franklin, Kich-
srdson, Back, Rae, and others, y hose ex-
plorations. finally delinesied the shore
line from Behrirg Strait TO the Atlannc
| Ne than ralafsd The sforv of the Vice Ad-
mirsl La Perouse finding Hesrnes re-
port 10 q pigeon hole at Fort York, 10
the Hudson Bay Company's territory,
which be bad conquered, who gave back
the port TO the English commander on
the condition that be would put poor
Hearne in print This condition vas, Of
course, instantly subscribed. Several
voyages and discoveries of insiEnihcant
import we're then referred to till he came
40 tkose Of Ross and Party and Franklin,