The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-03

tile Discovery, two newly commissioned
vessels Of the royal navy Of England,
| sailed from Portsmouth on Saturday. en-
route for the North Pole. The vessels
have been fitted out with the greatest
care, and the 112 officers and men who
go out upon them were chosen with
especlal reference to the arluous duty
they Will be called on to perform. The
commander of the expedition is Captain
Mares, late Of the Challenger, IN officer
or great experience, who distinguished
hlihsei; by his extraordinary sledge jour.
neHs during the Polar expedition OF
1152-5 for which he volunteered NJ
tiatr of the Rrsolute. The second
officer of the Alert, Commander MarI,.
ham, has also had some experience in
Arctic exploration. The Discovery is
commanded by Captain Stevenson, an.
other good sailor, and most of the subor.
tlnnte officers are men who have made
themselves notable in some way. It is
expected that the vessels cnn reach 50
degrees North latitude before wintcrinr.
and every cxertion will be made to ac-
compllsh That task. From this point
to the goal of the enterprise is com
puted to be in the near neighbor-
hood of six hundred miles, md in
traversinS that distance dog sledges will
be employed. The outfit and prepnra-
tions for this portion Of the frigid tnsk
are most costly md minute, and nothing
~ omitted that experience or science
could suggest. The failures of other
parties In this department of Polar dis
covery were examined with great care
and clrcunlspcction, and all the weak
spots strengthened in the best possible
manner. The plans and movements of
SIR John franklin, Capt. McClintock,
Dr. hnne, Dr. Hayes and other laborcrs
IN the frozen fields Of the North were
CLEANED by competent hnrvesters, and
each grain of wheat collected and used
to the advantage of the present attempt
to pierce the mysteries that surround
the North Pole. 1t can thus be seen TINT
the present British Plonr expedition
starts upon its mission fully equipped in
nll respects The vessels are firm and
staunch, the officers competent, the crew
able for the work required, the outfit
ample. Will the Alert and the Disco
very solve the question rs to the North
Pole and the sea by which it is sur
rounded? Will they breast those waves,
winch up to this time have never foated
keel of ship? That is the point.
IL Is well settled that the barrier to be
overcome is not cold. That Gun be pro-
In TINT portion of the globe Immediately
surrounding the pole at the North. That
IS the real work to be done Thus far in
the matter of Arctic explorations, the
Americans hold m even hand with NIL
other nations. Dr.. Kane, Dr. Hayes and
other Americans pushed ahead on the
Icy path, until nature had put IN insur-
mountablc obstacle in their way. Nor
ton and his companions declared they
had sight of m open water, which they
believed to be the real Polar Sea. 1t may
have been, the location and the latitude
all favor the Morton programme. Thus
matters stand at present And now the
British have entered the field for an
other effort. The operntions of the Alert
and the Discovery will be watched with
great interest in I'LL parts of the world,
and in no country will their success be
hailed with greater demonstrations of
real pleasure than in the United States
The interests and advancements of sci
ence are of too cosmopolitan character,
to admit of national Jealousy. They
only stimulate national ambition in the
proper direction. Good fortune attend
the Alert and the Discovery in their wan
derlngs toward the Pole.
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