The Placer herald., 1873-01-11

4 VALLEY Ut MASIUDONS.
Discovery of Great Polar Continent -Ex-
ploring Mine of Iv.r3---A Mountain
CT Ice One Thousand Feet High.

Discovery of Great Polar Coniincnt- -Ex-
piorin& "a Mime of Iv.r3---A Mountain
CT Ice One Thousand Feet High.
The ship Cadmus has arrived at San
Francisco on its return voyage fom the
Arctic ocean, whittier it had gone to collect
the remnants of the shipwrecked whaling
fleet. On the 2Slh of Sep ember the cat
mus received from the captain Of the whaer
george Robbins certain dispatches addressed
10 the French Geographical Society by ou
conntryman, M. Pavy, now on an expedition
to the North Pole These dispatches aie
dated the 23d Of August, on The eastern
coast OF Mransel Land. We present an
anays Of the mteres ing documents which
have been brought by the Cadmas:
The expedition, composed Of NJ. Octav
Pavy, commaLder; Prois. lhos. Newcomb
aud Henry Edwards, Of San Francisco; NJ .
jean Brull, and four seamen, landed On the
18th Of June on the eastern coast Of Holy
uchn Bay. On The 22d of June the ex-
plorers, reinforced by eleven natives, started
IN the direction OF the east, along the north
bank Ct the Siberia, having provided them
selves with the seds aud dogs. On
the l7ih of July they reached the mouth of
The river Pelroliz. Near the mouth Of this
Ghey encountered immense fields Of ice NOV
ng IN Il norlhea>terly direction. They trav-
ereed one single plan Of ice sixty miles III
extent. Their bearings indicated IA deviatio !
OF eighteen miles lrom their intended course.
his was caused by the movement Of the ice,
thIs fact going 10 prove the theory Of NJ.
IaNy concerning the concentration and aug
menlatlon Of the great japanese current,
known as the Ku-Ri- Smod, which flows
through the Behrmg Strait on the right, and
thence toward the cast off the coast Of IL
Deria.
The explorers reached the shores near the
mouth OF great river running from the
northwest, aud which is not set down on any
chart. This, NJ. pavy considered as con
iirming another Of his theories, that there ex-
lists great polar continent, and Of which
Ihe temperature is sufficiently warm to nell
the snow. The current Of This Hitherto I'M
known stream flows in an eastery direction
along the coast, with rapdity OF six knots
an hour
Nj. pavy and his party followed the plain
Of This river toward the north for about $50
niles. The plain is uniformly level, its
width varies from fifty to sixty miles and it is
bordered by mountains Of great heigbt, with
many perpendicular peaks. About eighty
miles from the mouth Of the river the travel
ers found upon the plain The remains Of mas
todons, and on clearing away The snow in a
place where lusks were visible, brought to
.isht the enormous body of one Of these ami
mails OF an extinct race, in II perfect state OF
preservation. The skin was covered with
olack and streaked hair, very long and thick
on the back The Iusks measured eleven
feet eight inches in length, and were curved
up to II level with the monsters eyes. The
animal was in a knecling posture, lie from
legs being bent, while the hindparis were
deeply imbeddcd in the snow, Indicating that
the mastodon had persisted in struggling to
go; out Of a mre-h hole or suow-drft.
Prof. Newcomb could not find any special
characteristics Distinguishing the extinct mas
lodon from the elephant oflo-day. lie took
from the stomach some specimens Of bark
and herbs, the nature of which he could not
analyse on the spot. For The space of many
miles the plain was covered with The remains
Of masiodons, indicating that a numerous
drove Of these gigantic animals had there
perished, owing to some sudden change OF
convuIslon of nature. The region abounds
m polar bears, which devour the rem ins oil
the mastodons.
About 120 miles from the coast, and half
league from the river, rises an ice-moun-
tain about thousand feet in height, the
base of which is surrounded by gravel and
rocks deeply imbedded in the soil. The
smooihness Of these rocks and their rounded
form p.ove that they were at one time III the
bed OF Il river, from which they have been
cast up by some strange phenomenon Arctic
animals are numerous in the valley, AMI
myriads of Arctic birds fly about the riyel
nd its banks.
AT The date of these dispatches NJ, Pavy
WIS preparing to winter under the seventy
fifth degree OF latitude, in the valley of tic
great river of tie polar continent. lie hao
begun TO lay in provisions and fuel. Boil
he and his complnions We're in good heaIt
aud courage, and were confident Of arriving.
Turing the coming season, at u great polai
sea OF moderate temperature, at the eXlrem
norlh Of the continent. nt.-COayicr des Efaks
Cais.