The true northerner., 1875-08-27


What is the polel A point without
maonitude. one extremity of the axis on
which the Terrestrial sphere revolves,
without length, breadth, or thickness.
The interest which attaches toitis not SO
much geographical rs scientific. A por-
ton of the earth's surface, exceptionally
situated, will, if the expedition which
recently sailed from England should be
successful, for the first time IN the his
tory of mankind be viewed under certain
extreme and very singular aspects. The
phenomena which will be there observed
must be of an altogether special charac-
ter, and may possess an important re-
lation not only TO the present condition
but to the past history of our planet.
Whether the area around the north pole
consists of an open sea, as some have
plausibly conjectrlred, or of thrilling
regions of thick-ribbed ice, no one can,
on any certain data, venture to affirm.
One thing only is indisputable the sun,
in its apparent course through the heav-
ems. will be Sc en- to revolve with n uni
form altitude above the horizon from the
day on which it comes north of the equa-
tor until it returns:
" Still round and round his spiral course he winds,
And, as he nearly dips his flaming orb,
Wheels up again and re-ascends the sky"
The sun Mt the poles illumines day of
six months duration, to be succeeded by
an equal period of total darkness,
"when, for relentless months continual night
Holds DER the glittering waste her starry reign"
The problem to be solved, orat least at
tempted, possesses rare fascination for
more than one class of II inds. The great
continents of the world, Europe, Asia,
and America, which differ in SO many re-
spects, have each it's northern boundary
at about the seventieth degree of lati-
tude, penetrating the artic circle, and
there stopping, where the struggle for
life becomes too severe. But man, as his
tory informs us, loves to trespass upon
forbidden ground That great circle
which has the north pole for its center,
and l 200 miles of more or less icy sea
for its radius, has for nearly three cen
turies attracted the enterprising spirits
of surrounding nations. Commerce and
adventure have led their respective fol
lowers into its ice-bound interior from
every portion of the circumference. The
whale-iishery originated in the discoveries
of Barentz md Hudson, and familiariZed
the minds of sailors with the nature of
the arctic dangers and the means of over
coming them. Holland, England, Nor
way, Russia, the United States, and
more recently Austria, have played their
respective parts in the invasion of the
unknown region. The islands of Green
land, Iceland, Spitzbergen, and New ST
IBERIA have been visited and mapped by
the efforts of several nations. England,
in the search for q northwest passage,
has explored and surveyed the great
arctic archipelago which lies TO the north
ward of North America, extends for / 900
miles from east to west, and reaches
nearly halfway to the northern pole. 1t
has been established by numerous ex-
periments that the eightieth degree of
north latitude may be reached in a few
weeks, in various directions, almost any
year and several explorers, English and
American, have managed, on sledges or
ahoat, to get still nearer the pole by 100
or 200 miles. The English expedition is
we'll equipped with the means for MAX
ing long journeys over the ice.-Harp-
ey.'S R0z0y