The New York herald., 1874-11-13

and at the same time most scientific
naval officers that ever lived, ex-
pressed himself in 1881 to the eject
tRat he considered navigation on
tLeeoasts OF the Arctic region every
where possible"
The American Captain Long, who
discovered the LAID north OF Behring
STRAIT, SAID IN 1868 that he was as
hrmly convinced OF the possibility OF
enccllDg passage from Benring
Strait TO the Atlantic Ocean as OF
sowing any problem OF the future,
and more so than he was fifteen years
ago OF the possibility OF laying an At
lahtlc cable. This route might not
prove OF great Importance to the
commerce between the two oceans,
but II the passage could only be made
10 IT. 1t would be OF great advantage
IN the development and utilization OF
the natural resources OF northern
Siberia. ave entirely concur IN the
views Of Captain Long,n SAYS the
English Nautical Journal.
TIE POLE ACCESSIBLE.
The Scotch Captain David Gray, one
OF tue most experienced men IN Arc.
tic navigation that ever lived, says IN
1865 tand even now :--"Aner having
gone whaling for many years on the
eastern coast OF Greenland, and, after
having observed the tides oi the sea
and the conditions Of the ice at vari-
GUS seasons, the conviction grew upon
me that there would be little or no
diilculty IN reaching very high lati-
tude-lf not the Pole itsei--With .
snip, II one were TO advance upon the
ice somewhere under rs deg, where
there Is usually deep inward bend,
pointing for 100 miles toward Snan-
non Island IN nortnwesterly direc-
tion; thence We're TO pursue the
course OF Greenland as long as IL
leads 10 the point IN view, and then
to advance northward through the
loose icefieids, which may be expected
In that guarter.n &C.. &c.
Will not proceed any further in
these quotations Ol the opinions or
the most distinguished Of Arctic sea.
farers, opinions supported by their
own experience, and viii only sug-
gest the important query, Is the cx-
perience OF the Austrian expedition
as regards the conditions OF the ice in
tins newly discovered Arctic Sea the
rule or IS 1t but the exceptiunY Is
the totally opposite result oi the pre-
vlous expedition OF Weyprecht and
Payer in 1871 oi no weight Is IL no
PROOF that since 1867 numberless Nor
weglan fishermen were able to sail
W-tAs NhSA oaaAhS VVoSSio AOahu NONh
Zembla year after year. that they
could penetrate lar into the Siberian
Sea, and still had before them navi-
gable ocean 'ree from Ice L? Is 1t no
proof that at the very time when
Payer and Weyprecht found near
Nova 2embla the unusual accumula.
tlon OF Ice the entire western nall OF
the great sea was, contrary to the
general rule, free from ice, so that
the Norwegian fishermen were for
the first time able to easily reacI the
mysterious Gllls Land tnameiy, King
Charles Land)
Under certain unfavorable condi-
tlons OF the weather the north side OF
Nova Zembla Is, perhaps. as difficult
Tor navigation as the north SIDE OF
Spitzbergen, or Cape Horn, or Cape
OF Good Hope, or the English Channel,
or the mouth OF the Weser. But, In
spite Of the experience OF the Aus
trian expedition, it seems 10 me that
the one ice-driit can no more disprove
this navlgabillty IN the lace OF the IN
nummerable Norwegian voyages (De-
sides Barents) than the navIgability
Of Baflin's Bay can be disprOved by
the three ice-drifts or Dc Haven, Nc
Clintock and the Polaris crew.
DRAWBACKS IN RECENT EXPEDITIONS.
or course great deal depends
upon the ship. The Tegetnoff has
proved an excellent ship. However,
as her capacity was but 220 tons, she
Is only to be regarded as weak
steamer who could carry but small
quantity or coal for the three years
which the expedition was to last. In
order TO save coal steam was got up
but three times during the first three
weeks OF the Arctic voyage TO Cape
Nassau, and In each case Tor Dut
twelve hours. This Is lust as though
one engaged In hunt In the tropics
who had b0tn bow and breecl-loader
were 70 use the latter only In case
rhinoceros or elephant came in hts
way and he had no other help.
The direct and straight voyage via
Cape Nassau was impossible IN the
summer OF 1872, but Count Wilczek's
voyage In the sailing vessel IsoJ0rn
has proven that il ls noSelDle TO meme.