Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-07-13
NORTH POLAR RESEARCHES.

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Ramartxabre Discoveries by the Nor-
wegian Explorers. Smysh ana 1--WE
From the New York Herald, July z.
From the repofts of various Norwegian,
Swedish and other Arctic voyages recently
nnblisbed in Germany by DIR. PeternIannj
and soon to be republished by the Hydro
graphic Office at Washington, we give the
following interesting items:
/ The expedition undertaken by an Engnsn
gentleman, Mr.. Leigh Smyth, and COM
handed by the we'll known Norwegian sea-
man. Can't. Tive; left Tromso about the
same time WITH that of Messrs. Payer and
Weyprecht, of which TIC public has already
heard. After quick passage the latitude
of the South Cape of SpitzbeFgen was made
or The 9Th of July. The highest temper
ature Of the surface of the seat degrees
| Fahrenheit-was observed in latitude "a
north. and the water was considerably ABOVE
the freezing point beyond the northwestern
extremity of Spitzbergen, ranging from A
to SO degrees Fahrenheit. Throughout tbs
time foes p9AVatled. and the temperature CT
the air was found to be generally one degree
lower than that of the water.
There was no ice seen from July l, (When
south of Bear island) to the 4th,' Yhen Inc
vessel had reached within two miles o.
Amsterdam island. Now, however, it lay
10 the west, east and north as far as could
be seen from the top of the highest noun
tain of that island with the exception OF
strip of navigable water along the coast
through which the vessel penetrated from
the nth to the 2Sth Of July, with short IN
terruptions, to ShCal point latitude 50 deg.
II min. north, longitude II Gee. 4e MN
east. }, when thicker Ice compelled her 20
enter Serge bay.
The Temperature of tie air along the
north coast of Spitzbergen, from the 18th to
the 18th of July, had been with prevailing
easterly winds; in the mean SO deg min,
and that of the surface of the sea "a deg. .
min. In Serge bay, With calm weather and
sunshine, the temperature of the air rose or
the 10Th and 30th to So deg, the mean OF
the two days being so deg, while that
of the sea remained at 81 deg, thus illus
trating the power of isolation in bays and
near the land. On the 10th of July, in
Kobbe bay, the temperature of the air
had risen to Al deg, In the
Hinlopen strait, into which the YES
| sci proceeded southwark on the 3lst of July,
| both the temperature of the air and sea fell
to 80 deg. In Lomme bay, where she lay
| at anchor on the 1st and I'd of August, the
air showed in the mean ago g, the water
500 q, the bay being, like Serge bay, en-
| tirely tree from ice. Here one of the glass
balls was found which is used IN the Nor
way fisheries, proving that the Gulf stream,
| following the north coast of Spltzbergen,
| extends also into Lomme bay. Capt. Ulve
penetrated in this region, four degrees
| further east than the Swedish expedition OF
| 1864, and further than any other explorer.
! At their easternmost point latitude oO 0
~ north, longitude 27o 25' east) there
was, on Sept. 6, "open water before them,
to the eastward and southwark, as far as
! they could see," and that there must have
been also considerable open water beyond
| their horizon, to the southeast, would ap-
pear from the abundant rain, with south
| easterly winds, experienced during the fol
| lowing two days, the 9th and 18th of Sep
| TENDER.
| That eastermost point of Smyth and Ulve
is distant less than two hundred miles, OF
| only about days run of good steam YES
sci, from the northermost point reached by
| Wtyprecht and Payer only five days pre-,
1 yious, on the 1st of September. 1t is Of es
! peciai interest as regards the solution OF the
/ polar question, that the navigability OF this
part of the Arctic Ocean, proven by the lat
ter to latitude 7Ss deg. north, was thus
shown by Smyth and UlVe to extend two
degrees higher north and little father to
the westward, nearly three degrees, TO 81
deg. "a min. north.
The results of Capt. Ulye's exploration:
confirm those of Payer and Weyprecht, anC
throw much light on the probable success
in the summer of 1872, of the second Nortl
Polar expedition.
Some have Ventured the opinion that the
sea explored by Weyprecht and Payer Wa'
only accidentally or for the time open an(
free from ice, the firm border having recede'
| somewhat to the North or melted OF; blu
in the above statements we have the proc
that there is no permanent ice even in latl
| tude SO5 North, in the very throat OF til
polar current, on a coast against which al
the year the icy masses of the Central Pc
lar basin press. Ii might be said that thes
observations are only for two years, 1S6
and 1871; but for the latter We have NOR
| observations than for any previous yea
from the beginning of explorations in th
| Arctic. There was no firm, impeDetrabl
ice off Eastern Greenland, none aroun
Spitzbergen in the Nova Zembla sea, aroun'
Nova Zembla and in the Kara sea, AM
even as far in the Siberian Arctic sea q
longitude so East no indication of ice wa
encountered by Mack.
| live and Smyth met loose drift ice il
the very Polar stream north of Spitzberger
not lower than latitude 81 deg. "A min
north, on the 18th Of September. All tn
ice, against which they had to battle som
weeks before, on the parallel OF latitude Z
deg. so min. north, extending then as far a
the eye reached, had completely disappeared
and at that highest point the temperatur
of the air was 80 deg, and of the sea it wa
SO deg, while Kane observed at Rennselae
harbor, (his winter quarters), in latitud
rs deg. 81 min, north, nearly 3 degree
more south, a mean daily temperature o.
Sept. IL, 1858, of 1871 deg. (highest 10.
deg, lowest 14.2 deg.), and on Sept. II
1854, respectively 1O.4 deg, 1910 deg. an
2.S deg.
These results are additionally strength
ened by reports from several British whaleI
which have been forwarded to DR.. Pete
man and also translated by Mr.. E. I
Knoor for the photographic office. Anon
these are the reports of Mr.. James Lamon
! in the steam yacht Diana; Capt. Christia
A Johansen, in the yacht Lydianna; Cap
: Scren Johansen, in the yacht Cecilia; Cap
Toblesen, yacht Freya; Rosenthal's exp
dition in the steamer Germania, and lastl,
Il y. l..