The New York herald., 1875-07-17

OF Novaya Zemya and tue Siberian coast The
Tegethon sailed July IA, 1872, but she had hardly
got round the northern coast OF that island before
she was beset with Ice. Lieutenant Payer read a
most interesting account OF the expedition before
the Royal Geographical Society, November 10,
1874 which will be found in ertenSo In the Journal
From this description 1T appears that on October
2s the sun disappeared, not 10 rise again for 100
! days. The ship drited with the ice toward the
! northeast ana on August H. 1878. land was seen
! fourteen miles TO the north. AT the end or Octo-
! ber they reached 1t %, and named 1t Wlczek
Land On the 22d OF that month the sun again
left them. but on March TO- 1874, a party left the
ship for the exploration OF the newly discovered
land. "Tbe land before us appeared 10 be utterly
devoid OF life, immense glaciers looked down upon
us from between the desolate mountains. The
cold during this journey was very great. and
amounted on one occasion TO So deg. Fahrenheit.
On March "a we started Ior the north. The newly
discovered country equals Spitzhergen In extent,
ana consists OF several large masses OF land
WicZek Land In the east, ZichY Lana In the
west which arc intersected by numerous 1ords.
wiae sound-Austria sound-separates these
masses or land" Raised beaches along the shores
OF thar sound gave evidences OF upheaval. the
whole country was called Franz josef Land. The
highest latitude reached was 81 deg. 81 min. az.
qnese intrepid explorers abandoned their snip
May 20, but southerly winds drove the ice TO the
north, so that by reason OF this drift two months
OF labor only carried them eight miles from the
vessel. They were fortunately able to cross the
open sea in their boats In the direction OF Novaya
Zemlya. They skirted that island, and on August
"a reached the bay OF Downs. and were picked up
by the Russfan schooner Nikolai, and arrived In
Norway september after one or the most sue
cessfnl expeditions ever known.
CAPTAIN MARKHAM.
| On NAV 8. 1879. CaDtain Markham sailed IN the
whaler Arctic Captain Adams), to acquire a
knowledge OF whaling details aud ice navigation.
| He lacky In his choice OF a vessel, for
in that year The Arctic was the first
whaler which penetrated to the Gulf of
| BoothIa going beyond Sir e. Parry In 1924 and
Sir ]. Ross in 1S4S. She steamed through Melville
! Bay in sixty hours Q3), which formerly occupied
| sailing vessels several weeks. u4). Melville Bay
is open TO the south, and ships there cut OF
! the way OF drifting pack. Whalers used to
dread southerly wind in that bay, for the then
! drifting pack might nip their vessels between 1t
and the land foe. In 1880 nineteen ships were
thus destroyed, with fl42 900; ali hands saved Tor
men have generally time to get on to the ice.
THE LATEST EXPEDITION.
We have vhue endeavored to briefly describe the
chief expeditions from the sixteenth century'to
the present time, and have now to refer TO the
/ 1875 expedition and the work before It..
THE WORK BEFORE
The agitation for the appointment of tnfs expe-
dtion commenced ten years ago, when, on jan
nary %, 1865. Admiral Sherard Osborn read a
paper on Arctic exploration before the Royal
Geographical Society Q0. Seven years after he
read another paper, and the society appointed
an Arctic committee, whose report was adopted
April 20, 1872. A deputation waited on the Chan
cellor Of the Exchequer In December. but the
government declined to send out another expe-
Off fha n
enger. Early IN 1873, as we have mentioned,
Commander Markham went to Bafin's Bay, and
the ROYAL and Geographical societies drew up a
statement OF the results TO be expected from
fresh Arctic exploration, but the government
again declined. In 1874 Mr.. Disraell Gang into
once and the government decided, November IT,
10 send the expedition.
EQUIPMENT.
The Alert is steam sioop of ISL tons register,
! and the Discovery whaling steamer. pIilt in
1878 by Stepnen & Son, of dundee. The latter
vessel was formerly known as the Bloodhound,
and is a fine ship of $40 tons. Captain Mares, who
commands the expedition, was mate on the
Resolute in the expedition or 1874, ana COM
manded the challenger from 1872 to 1874 Cap
tain Markham is second in command OF the ad-
vance ship, the Alert. The Discovery is com-
manded by Captain ii. Il. Stephenson, formerly
of the royal yacht. The other officers OF both
quirements In reference TO Arctic discovery. Each
Ship including officers and men, carries o compile
ment OF about sixty.
Great attention has been paid to the sledge
equipments, and the thirty five sledges taken by
the snips constructed under the directions
of Sir L. McCintock. The largest OF these is TO be
drawn py twelve men, and will contain provisions
for seven weeks. All are made OF polished elm,
with steel runners. BY q very ingenious arrange
taut when each takes his proper share OF
the burden Q6)
| ORDERS.
This year the Alert anu Discovery Will push up
Smith sound, the latter finding winter quarters
in such position tnat she will be within easy dis
tance OF third ship, which will prob
! ably sail In 1877. The Alert will go on but
the Arctic Committee In their memorandum
! DO not advise winter quarters being selected at
greater distance than 200 miles from the Discov-
! cry. That document states:-'It IS quite clear
that the dangers OF The Arctic region are, in most
instances, the direct consequences OF despatchIng
nl-equipped and inadequately supplied vessels
with undscupned crews. The really unavoid-
able dangers are thoroughly understood, and most
OF them can be obvIated by modern appliances
| and experience. TWO vessels stationed at suit
able distances could keep up communication with
| eacn other, and with the wnaers which annually
frequent the North Water OF Baiin's Bay, while
under the most unforeseen and improbable con-
tngency a safe retreat would always be kept
| open.n This IS reassuring
THE sLEDGE EXPEDITION IN
for the North Pole will be despatched in the
spring Of 1876. 1t must be noted that in conse-
uuence OF the unknown nature OF the circumpoar
region boat or boats will be taken by the sledge
parties, so that they can be used II necessary. II
tho season OF 1876 prove unfavorabe 1t win be
within the province OF The commander to decide
whether second winter should be passed or not.
A third contingency arises-vlZ, whether the ice
will allow the ships TO extrcate themselves even
In 1877. In the event OF 1t not doing so-whch is
very improbaple--the vessels Will be abandoned
and the crews retreat to the relief ship.
"KNowLEDGE Is PowER.n