The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-29
THE ARCTIC REGION.

Ice Encountered-The Graves of Frank
Inns Men Preserved.
The Arctic exploring steamer Pandora
has returned to Portsmouth, England,
after an adventurous and eventful voy-
age in the Arctic seas. The cable fur
nishes the following interesting particu-
lars of her voyage
The Pandora arrived safely at Disco,
Greenland, and left that port on the 7th
of August, reaching Upernavik in time
to leave there on the 18th. After sailing
from the port of Upernavik, Greenland,
the Pandora crossed the dreadful Mel
vile Bay without any mishap, for, con-
trary to previous expectation, the usual
fields of pack-ice were not visible, and
almost clear sheet of water was found.
Consequently the passage was made in
good time and in smooth water.
In due time the expedition reached
Carey Islands, where Commander Young
anticipated finding dispatches that might
have been left there by Capt. Mares to
be taken to the British Admiralty. In
this he was disappointed, as no signs of
the government exploring expedition
were visible. There being nothing
further to be done at the island, Capt.
Young decided TO steer for Lancaster
Sound, the northwest corner of Baffin's
Bay, ana, on reaching that point, en-
countered for the first time ice-hoes. So
great was the pressure of the floating
ice that it was with great difficulty that
the Pandora was forced on her way.
Despite the ice and the difficulty of
passage, Capt. Young succeeded in
traversing the entire length of Barrow
Strait, making the passage in good time.
The Pandora's progress WAS then i'm
peded by n dense and binding fog,
which was SO thick and impenetrable'that
men few feetfrom each other were in
visible.
AS soon as the steamer Pandora arrived
ut an anchorage off BECKY Island, several
of the officers and crew went ashore and
made an examination of the buildings.
They found the storehouse built for the
benefit of sailors or castaways of ice
bound vessels broken into. On entering
the building the visitors found the cloth
ing and the provisions left there to be
in state of terrible confusion. Every
thing of a movable nature was scattered
about in the most singular manner. At
first it seemed to be an act of human
beings, but, on further investigation, the
Pandora people were satisfied that the
destruction of stores had been accom-
plished by Polar bears, as the tracks
of those animals were visible in every
direction, both inside and outside the
building.
One of the discoveries made by the
Pandora officers was that the headboards
| IL SO tt !, Il.
men, who were lying buried there, were
still standing upright and in good pres
ervation. On the Goth of August the
Pandora steamed away from BECKY
Island for Peel Strait, and then ensued
the most critical period of the entire
voyage, for the steamer encountered vast
fields of pack-ice, which made the pass
age of the vessel a most difficult and Ia
borious one. Struggling through the
pack of ice, the Pandora steadily worked
her way onward, and despite the diff
Guilty, soon passed the farthest point
reached by the Fox when McClintoch
was in search of Sir John Frlnklin's
relics. Soon after reaching that point
the Pandora neared the island known as
King Williams Land, thus navigating {
sea where no ship was ever before ex
cept, perhaps, that of Sir JOIN
Franklin.
At this time the most intense excite
ment prevailed among the officers anC
members of the expedition, as it was
expected that some important results
were at hand. Many believed thai
they would be sure Co discover traces OF
the Franklin expedition, and some were
sanguine that even Sir Johns papers
would be found, and of eventually max
ing Behring's Straits In this, however
they were disappointed. Roquette's
Island was discovered ahead. 1t was
then considered probable that the vesse
would be able TO reach Bellot's Straits.
AS the steamer moved forward, all hands
were gazing eagerly ahead to the south
ward, but, on reaching Roquette's Island
officers and men saw the edge of the
solid pack of ice which stretched across
the strait from side to side in one un.
broken expanse of hummock-ice. This
pack blocked the entrance to Bellot's
Straits. 1t was the same pack of ice that
stopped Capt. McClintock on the Fox.
So there was no hope of q speedy move
ment of the icy barrier. The Pandora
stayed at this point until the 18th of Sep
tember, when, finding that no further
progress was possible, Capt. Young and
his officers saw that they must decide
either to remain through the winter in
the ice or return. After mature DELHI
Grafton, it was decided to be useless to
remain in winter quarters, and that it
would be far better to return next year.
The return journey was full of Difficult
ties, as the ice was rapidly forming, and
the passage of the Pandora was con-
slant series of exciting scenes and narrow
escapes from moving ice-hoes. Finally
escaping through Peel Strait, the ice still
rapidly forming and accommodating, the
steamer at length reached Carey Islands
in safety. There Capt. Young found the
long-looked-for dispatches from Capt.
Mares for the British Admiralty. The
voyage was almost uneventful. The
dreaded bay once safely passed UNI
harmed, the Pandora steamed directly
for England, and arrived safely in port.
Capt. Young reports that from the
prevalence of north winds there is abun-
dant promise that Capt. Mares will pro.
coed to the highest latitude possible.