Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-12-25
From the Courier des Etats Unis.l
GREAT POLAR CONTINENT.


The ship Cadmus has arrived at San
Francisco on its return voyage from
the Arctic Ocean, whittier It had
gone to collect the remnants Of the
shipwrecked whsling fleet. On the
2Sth ofSeptember the CAdmns receiv-
ed from the captain Of the whRler
George Robbins certain dispatches
addressed to the French Geographical
Society by our countryman, NJ. PRvy,
now on an expedition to the North
Pole. These dispatches are dated the
the 25th Of August, on the eastern
coast OF WrAngel Land. We present
an analysis Of the interesting docu-
ments which have been brought by
the Cadmus:
The expedition, composed Of NJ.
Octave Psvy, commander, Profs. Thos.
Heweomb and Henry Edwards, Of
San Francisco, NJ. Jean Bruil and
four seamen, landed on the 18th OF
June on the eastern coast OF Holy
uchin bay. On the 22d Of June the
explorers, reinforced by eleven ma
tives, started in the direction Of the
east, along the north bank Of the Slbe-
ria, having provided themselves with
sleds and dogs. On the 17th OF July
they reached the mouth Of the river
PetrolitZ. Near the mouth Of this
river they encountered
IMMENSE FIELDS OF ICE MOVING
in nOrth-easterly direction. They
trsversed one single plain Of ice sixty
miles in extent. Their bearings indi-
Gated q deviation of eighteen miles
from their intended course. This was
caused by the movement of the ice,
this fact going to confirm the theory
Of NJ. Pavy concerning the concen-
tration and augmentation Of the great
japanese current, known as the Ku-
Ra-Sirod, which flows through Beh-
ring Strait on the right, and thence
toward the east of the coast Of Sibe-
Tia.
The explorers reached the shores
Of Wrangel Land near the mouth Of
great river, running from the north
west, and which Is not set down on
any chart. This Mr.. NJ. PRyy con-
sidered as confirming another of his
theories that there exists great polar
continent, and Of which the tempsra-
ture is sufficiently warm to melt the
snow. The current OF this hitherto
AnOH II bLLCaA4 hOM6 IL al C11NCAAI
direction along the coast, with q "a.
pidity Of six knots an hour.
NJ Pavy and his party followed the
plain of this river toward the north
for about go miles. The plain is uni
formly level, its width varies from
forty to sixty miles, and il is bOrdered
by mountains Of great height, with
many perpendicular peaks. About
About eighty miles from the mouth
OF the river the travellers found upon
the plain
THE REMAINS OF 3IAsTODOSS,
and on clearing away the snow in q
in q place where tusks were visible,
they brought to light the enormous
body ofons Of the animals Of an ex-
tinct race, in perfect state Of pres
ervation. The skin was covered with
Dlaek and streaked hair, very long
and thick on the back. The tusks
measured eleven feet eight inches in
leagth, and were curved up 70 level
with the monsters eyes. The animal
was in kneeling posture, the front
legs being bent, while the hind parts
were deeply imbedded in the snow,
Indicating that the mAstodon had per-
ished in Struggling to get out Of q
mire hole or snow drift.
THE MAsToDoN IDENTICAL WITH THE
ELEPHANT.
Prof. EeHeOmb could not find any
special characteristics distinguishing
the extinct mastodOn from the ele-
phant of to-day. He took from the
stomach some specimens of bark and
herbs, the nature of which he could
not analyze on the spot. For the
space of many miles the plain was COW
cred with the remains of mastodons,
indicating that q numerous drove of
these gigantic animals had there per-
ished, owing to some sudden change
or convulsion of nature. This region
abounds In Polar bears, which devour
the remains Of the mastodons.
About one hundred and twenty
miles from the coast, and q half a
league from the river rises an ice
mountain abeut q thousand feet in
height, the base Of which is surroun-
ded by gravel and rocks deeply i'm
beded in the soil. The smOOthness Of
these rocks and their rounded form,
prove that they were at one time in
the bed Of q river, from which they
have been cast up by some strange
phenomenon. Arctic animals are;nu.
merous in the valley, and myraids Of
Arctic birds fly about the river and its
banks.
PREPARING TO DISCOVER A POLAR
SEA.
At the date of these dispatches NJ.
Pavy was preparing to winter under
the seventy.fifth degree OF latitude, in
the valley of the great river Polar
continent. He had begun to lay in
provisions and fuel Both he and his
companions were in good health and
courage, and were confident of arri-
wing. during the coming season, at
great Polar sea Of moderate tempera.
ture, at the extreme north Of the con-
tinent.