The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-10-29
ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS.
safe Return OF the British steamer Pam
dora from thc Arctic seas An Eventual
Voyage.

4 special dispatch 10 the New York
4 Hcraid from London, Oct. rs, is rs fol-
lows:
The Pandora arrived safe and sound
az Portsmouth this afternoon, after an
adventurous and cycntiul VOYAGE con- the
Arctic Seas. The Pandora arrived safe
" at Disco, and left that port on the
I eth of August, reaching lpcrnayik in
/ time 10 leave there ON the 18th. After
sailing from the port Of pernayik. the
Pandora crossed the dreaded Melville
Bay without any mishap. for, contrary
20 previous expectation. the usual fields
ui packed ice were not visible, and al
most a clear sheet OF water was found.
Consequently, the passage was made in
good time. and i'm smooth water. In
due time, the expedition reached earns
Island, where Commander Young anti
cipated the finding of dispatches that
might have been left there by Captain
Mares 10 be taken To the British Adj
miralty. In this he was disappointed,
a no signs Of the Government En-
ploring Expedition were visible. There
being nothing further To be done 1T
the island, Captain Young decided To
reaching that point he encountered
for the first time ice Hoes. So great was
the pressure Of floating ice that il was
with great difficulty that the Pandora
was forced on her way. Despite the
difficulty Of passage, Captain Young
succeeded in traVerSing the entire length
of Barrow Strait. making the passage
IN good time. The Pandora's progress
was then impeded 10y dense and blind
ing fog, which was sothick and impene-
trable that men few feet from each
other were invisible.
As soon as the steamer Pandora ar
rived at anchorage of Beach Island sew
eral Of the officers and crew went ashore
and made an examination Of the build
ings They found store-hOuso built
for the benefit OF sailors or castaways Of
ice-bound vessels. On entering the
building they found the clothing and
provisions left there 20 be- in "a state of
terrible confusion. Every thing Of a
movable nature was scattered about in
the most strange manner. AZ first 1t
seemed To be the act Of human beings,
but on further investigation the Pam
dora people felt satisfied the destuc-
ton of stores had been accom-
plished by Polar bears. rs the tracks
Of these animals were visible i'm
every direction. both inside and outside
the building. One Of the discoScries
made by the randora's officers was that
the head-boards over The graves Of Sir
John Frankln's men who were lying
buried there were still standing up
right, and in good preservation.
ON the 2Gth Of August the Pandora
steamed away from Becchy Island for
Peel Strait. and then ensued the most
critical period Of the entire voyage, for
the steamer encountcd vast fields of
pack-ice which made the passage OF the
vessel most difficult and laboriuus. ON
struggling through the pack-ice the
Pandora steadily worked her way on
ward. and despite the difficulty. soon
passed the fariheSt point reached by the
Fox when McClintock was in search Of
Sir John Franklin relics. Soon after
reaching this point the Pandora moved
slowly % a territory known a, King
Williams Land. thus navigating a sea
where no ship WAS ever before,
except that Of Sir John
Franklin. At this time most
intense excitement prevailed among
the officers and men Of the expedition.
a. II was expected something important
was at hand. Many believed that they
would be- sure 10 discover traces Of the
Franklin expedition, and some were
sanguine that even Sir Johns papers
would be found, and that eventually
they would make Behring's Strait. I'm
this, however. they were disappointed
Rouueite's Island was discovered ahead
II was then considered probable that the
vessel would be able 10 reach BellOt's
Strait A. the steamer moved forward.
40 hands were gazing eagerly ahead 10
the southwark. but onreaching Roqucttc
Island. officers and men saw the edge
Of solid pack Of ice, which stretched
across the strait. from side 10 side, in
an unbroken eXpansc Of hummock ice.
This pack blocked the entrance to Bel
lot. straits Ii was this same pack
that stopped Captain McClintock in the
Fox. so there was no hope Of a speedy
movement of the iceberg.
The Pandora stad AT this point until
the 9Th Of September, when, finding that
no further progress was possible, Cap
tain Young and officers saw that they
must decide either To remain through
I the winter in the ice or return. After
mature consideration it was decided TO
I be useless to remain in winter quarters,
and that il would be far better to re-
turn next year.
The return journey was full of diff
cultics, as ice was rapidly forming and
the passage Of the Pandora was 4 con
slant series of exciting scenes and mar
row escapes from moving ice foes.
Finally, escaping through Peel Strait,
the ice still rapidly forming and accu-
i mnlnfinr the steamer nj lcnoth