New-York tribune., 1873-06-14
colnIEYTs on In ARCrIC OTFIeER.


An Arctic Officer" writes Letter to TIE
London Times, from which we quote the following Grill
ci5m:
Way the party leil the Poars or were permitted to
leave her on the Is A OF .Obtr, except t tlty We're
mat those on BOARD 1gollI have permitted themselves TO
be left without their boats Ii thcy c)ud nave Pre-
~: and there be doubt that they might m have
let together had tIey been minded. NJ dJubt crow
are SAFER on the De, with their Dolts and prJy-iJn
than oU board vessel likely 10 break uD; IA the former
case indeed there ls always good prospect OF 5lety.
In the present Instance the parry app lr 10 nave ptel
six and half months on the 1Je without suffering any
very unusual pryuuons, and ul to have DE 10 IN tO!er
able health after few days rest on board ;hc Iigre5'
In why have se parated from tho vessel Size does not
apueir to have boon damaged, and wheu llst seen was
herapd IslapI Assuming the reports we now have 10
m correct then there is every reason hupo that tue
POars Will be released toward the close Oh SUMNER ana
will make her way 10 ID SEQ aud home.
Now, SIR hope l need not say that nothing can be
further from my object than 10 cast any rcH-t0us on
t nd euterprising lelder and crew OF tle
Polrs bu, the interest OF Arctic exploration, Which
,rfi,,c r1ti,us-ltn SO much hope and anxiety. the
trun must he withheld and venture 20 say that no
i,n Ia tuIs y0y.ge tnau that which, I'D !tr az We
know has occurred WHAT would have Ucon said IN
England II tine Government had granted Largo sum OF
money and ted out an Arc,.c tAi5'llJA "I0 VH,u
pointed as the leader not only Oue WhO Nas uo- ma 81
otuer but who by profession was nater seaman OF q
uavIga or who possessed no qualifications Tor SUCH
culrge beyond courage and enterprise, ana whose o
distinction that he had lived Oh the shores of Hu
son's Bay years with the natives aid l0uhl
. N
Under sucn that tue crew, ayJdt 80 az!
told were under KIND OF u5cp plne beyond tdit J De
found ian an American merchant vessel not surprising;
nor indeed would 10 have mattCIcd Cltuer HdY
~, t1,r, elT,uiy could moi have hauDelei I'm this
country and probably m other country but America.
IL lis quite Impossible to suppose that there were not
many W. oquahel DaYal officers IN the Ohtted States
who wout gladly bayc accepted 6uch comm M. ana
with crew under naval discipline such sea el as tue
present would nj any rae have been aNercu; but the
iact h, success could have been looked Tor under
any conceivable circumstances snort Ot nauug open
uavgabe waters to the Pole itself. IL Is wtn this
knowledge that every Arctic authority of any eN
uerIruce IN this country has usted on the eulOvmeu
between them; for without such numerical f1rco no
sled uZ operations of such magnitude can De under
taken WLu the most remote proDaoiuty or success.
NOW, POldlIS reached the ldLitllc OF c- 10 m
geptember OF the year she sailed rom nome we ,u ely
mgbt have expected 10 have done the SAME with Two
E-gsl ships anl, II So success, 50 tIr rs reag hus
the Pole and ApOrlng very large area h ls neShbo
hood would have been assured; ana, a. tit PJs was
able 20 leave Winter quarters 50 hl-h Latitude iu
August o the following year 10 appears 10 me That the
arguments which TINS disastrous voyage furnishes are
remarkably in our favor, instead Of otherwise,
ii more than half OF crew deliberately take their
provisions ana stores and boats ana 80 with them uu an
Ice Oe no gale OF wind most ctl lnly J4,y run FISK
OF separating from their vessel But To tell any ArcJc
man that such thing possible unless done prom il
mdrkdUe fact Is certainly proved, FiL thlt IL mon may
live on an ice foe for than six months, ana Ia the
depth OF Winter and that tley hLd COmparduNcly an
easy time OF IT, anu were IN good he-1n a1.cr wee
sOiOurn on board whdler.
NV object in writing this letter is not 20 advocate
Arctic discoyery-tuUugh no one can Oc more Ia favor o.
It than am-but TO put tho tgutn before tle pubic and
10 snow that the disastrous termination Oi voyage
which should never have been undertaken - 10 more
tlAu nj suJ have been reasonably expected