The New York herald., 1875-09-24
THE NORTH POLE.
News from the English Expedition
to the Arctic Seas.
TERR0RS OF THE EXPLORATION.
Travel Among Esquimauz, Icebergs,
Glaciers and Polar Bears.
TERRORS OF THE EXPLORATION.
HOW TO REACH THE POLE.

The latest topic OF interest the British mind is the
Arctic expedition, from which highly satisfactory
tdings have just been received here, Her Majestys
steamer vaorous which sailed hence the Arctic
expedition, having just returned home with intelli-
gence of the explorers.
1t will be remembered that the valorous accom-
panied by the Alert and the Discovery left Bantry
Bay the I'd of June The vaorous parted with
them three days afterward, it being determined that
she should proceed alone to Disco The companion
steamers turned northwestward toward the most
dangerous region of the Atlantic. The storms which
howl perpetuay the nftieth parallel
tered fortnight afterward and the pers to which the
bold navigators exposed about the middle of June
may be imagined from few blood chilling illustrations
that are to appear in several pctorials at the
close OF this week. The vessels were ter
rbly tossed about in cyclone, and two
whaleboats lost overheard. Fortune, how
ever, smiled again the mariners, so that by the
9th both vessels rounded Cape Farewell, in a sea
cogged at intervals with immense masses of ice Next
day the grim coast of Cape Desolaton oomed up
to view, and presented the wild, dreary and
gloomy aspect which won for 1t its name nearly 800
years ago That it continues to deserve It's is
shown by the accounts given of it by the crew. In
some places the coast rises precpitously from the
waters edge to height of 700 yards while others
the mountain slopes gently backward unfolding i'm
SNOW AND GIGANTIC GLACIERS,
which constantly augmented by drifts from the
summit From time to time the frozen mass project
ing into the ocean is broken off with crash which may
be heard for miles, and forms miniature island which
floats at random around the entrance to the Polar Seas
The sound of crumblng bergs heard every side
the steamers plough their way through the pack
Several times the vessels dangerous proximity
to those toterng piles On the day subsequent to tho
appearance Of Cape Desolaon che Alert encountered
sea of broken ice and colded with frequent bcrgs
which at time crushed heavily against both sides of
her The EEgshmen found consolng prospect
amid those weird scenes of elemental changeaEd strife
The snow that capped the floating mounds wrought
itself into exquisite variety OF fantastic shapes
There wore miniature j1nges Of ice tigers allgators
castles and groves studded with icy trees that
with blossoms the frozen snow Picturesque
landscapes and shadewy COLLINS gladdened the admrng
eyes ef the Britshers in the desoate sea Night fell
too the prospect The Alert and the Discovery
sighted each other on the lst of July and steamed
together past Sukertopen the Sd and HoIstenbourg
the 4th. Two days afterward they to anchor
in the harbor of Godhavn short distance southwest
OF Disco the principal Danish settlement the Green
land coast Brushing the shores of the island floating
ice is pepetualy TO be seen, and the bordering cliffs
acres of ice glaciers and piles discerni-
bic. Not far from the place known as the
Rttenbcnk Coal Cliffs the sailors startled at night
by the incessant roaring of distant artillery booming
'on stormy night, which, they subsequently dscov-
cred, occasloncd by the crash of crumbling ice
bergs in the ofing, their breaking among the waves
against the shore and by the rushing down
the slopes of the hills. From the
STORY TOLD OF GopHAvy
it seems to be one-horse settlement after all The
population reaches the startling total of ninety-sx,
most Of whom arc of Danish or Dutch descent, a few
only being unadulterated Esquimaux. The place is ia
the residence of Governor Ebourg and Mr..
Krarup Smith, the Inspector of all the Danish posses
sons The architectural genius displayed in tho build
ings moderate The houses of boards
and turf few of which possess the luxury of glass
windows and separate apartments Some of the dwell.
ings built with turf alone, and accessible only
through a narrow passage, which the natives crawl
through on all fours. The walls punctured with
couth apertures, set with spices the
brane Of the whale, which serve as win
dows. The cruel climate does not admit of
anything ostontatous in feminine apparel
than red yellow boots of dressed skin, which reach
to the knee; colored jacket fitting closely about the
neck attached the waist to white pantaoons In
the winter seal skins universally Soap
is not in high demand but grizzly sedgo dogs with
spiral tails abundant While the mariners were
contemplating the characteristics the place they were
apprsed of the arrival of the Vaorous which touched
Disco two days previously. The Valorous reg
uar store house From the 9th to the 18th of July the
kept busy transferring coal and provisions
from her the Alert and Discovery OF sledge
dogs and whale net also taken board. The
dog driver employed was Frederick Dane thlrty-nve
years Of age, who went Dr. Hayes expedition in
1860 The captain Of the Discovery engage
Hans, the same Esqumaux who accompanied The three
American expeditions up Smith Sound. The workmen
owing to the temperature (1yn five dcgrecs), their
jerseys suits of box cloth. The officers
occupied themselves in scientific explorations
observing the flora and fauna of the district. The
ground covered with vegetation which chiefly con-
sisted OF club moss, dwarf willows and brches and the
'vaccnium. The achemias, the angeicas, the whor-
tleberry and the holly fern abundant in those
regions south Of Godhavn Photographs of the sur
gounding country were freely taken. One Of the
IMPORTANT SUBJECTS FOR INVESTIGATION
wos the crimson snow, which, under microscopic OBJ
servation, was found to contain vegetable germ, the
essential principle of the color Additional expert
mants made with the compass and magnetic
needle to perfect the tables Of variation and dip and
the geographical position Of Godhavn predetermined.
During the leisure hours the sailors they danced with
the Esquimaux The remained above the
horizon for more than twenty hours each day,
and in the depth OF midnight there
considerable twilight Rittenbenk, on the opposite
shore OF DISCO Bay was the next destined maven OF the
expedition and thither they turned their prows on tho
18th Of July, the Alert taking the lead with the Dis
covery in tow and the vaorous having on board Mr.
X Smith steamng slowly behind. Many OF the huge
cebcrgs passed during this passage covered with
nocks Of Arctic birds which invariably flew northward
on the approach of the ships The weather was calm
and the water unrippled. berg over 200 feet high
was encountered toward sundown and the spectacle Of
sunset viewed through the crystal projections Of the
floating MACS described grand in the extreme. The
sun sank in the northwest ngng the sky with bright
rsseao hue while his rays were flashed back in rrls
matte spendor by the sparkling and glowing ice mound
The Disco rocks on the left the Wagat Bay crowded
with bcrgs the mountains Of the Eoursoak PENN