, 1876-10-14
FROM THE ARCTIC REGIONS.

fhUH 4n0 A1kV14O 4kEWkVNCs
Tic Era's Important Misalon-Probahlo
GREAT Success Of tho Enterprlao-The
Schooner Soon to Iteach Philadelphia
Laden with Hare Minerals.
r, vii, Ft iore z 1ns, n;tto;a.,i;,. o'f: II t., tox
days from The Arctic regions a vessel wlloso cx-
petition Possesses n peculiar interest. Hereto
foro the Invasion Of TINT quarter OF the globe
Inns contemplated eitl,ur sclentisl1 exploration,
tho w',ale for oil. =. but tho topsail schooner
Era, which lett New, London, Conn, on
tho 9Th Of last Junc for Cumberland Inlet,
and whel, touched Mt St. Johns, Nowfound-
entirely different purpose; and tho SUCCESS Of
tile enterprise, the extent OF which Is concealed
BY the protectors to the best OF tllclr hbllty,
encourages tho bel!cit TINT It will open up now,
that tiesolate rcgion For, II tho gucsscs Of cur
tain partially Informed un1 sllrcwd persona 10
correct, tue Era comes back laden With miner
ais Of raro value wortl, nn iintneFsD fortunu TO
those who sent her on this expedition; and
when tho whole case IL known. there will doubt
less be more thnN one sfmflnr enterprise pro-
tcctcl.. Tic large. quantities In which these
minerals arc found, and thc lnescasen @ SUPPLY
affect thc!r yn1ucs, yet probably not enough to
prevent ticir importation from being highly re-
muncrattyc.
that more than twu years aEo intelligence wns
received that tho polaris expedition had been
an unfortunate one, part Of the crew under
P' sSp and iG seIr a eopanon sS' hrsins oned @
days OIL a cake OF Ice, undergoing meantime the
ntely OH receipt of this news tho United States
seareh Of the rolaris and the rest Of Capt. 1ai's
party. Among those who went on this GRAND
was ono Lieut.. W. a. Mtntzer, Of tho United
States Navy, q skilled naval! cngi-
sssea iaa IL s 'nsPetss' gesss ser.es %s tss fs
Government Lieut.. Aiutzcs found slgns Of rich
deposits Of mica and graphite along tho shores
| Of Cumberland 1nlct. Other persons were par
alive a to ts aignilcance md vaue. 10 this gc-
tletnan's Imagination, however, there wcrc I'LL.
tloubtcdty some such visions Of wcaltl, present.
cd rs to Aladdin In the cave; for, upon his re-
turn, llo interested some capitalists IN phila-
lclphta in thc matter, md was sent by them on
4 special exploration. Accordingly he chartered
small steam vessel at Newfoundland last year,
and went Up to the precfons storehuuRc, making
his journey and is examination, however, with
last summer wns projected.
Last sprng negotiations wcro completed BY
hackers, with the Arm OF Short Brothers, In New
London, fnr the purchase and Hitting out OF
vessel for m expedition to the polar regions:
Tho work 'Sas Immediately undertaken and
possible. The little topsalil schooner Era, which
had br4lycd tho danger OF that pnrt Of the world
more than once before, under command Of Capt.
George Tyson, In the whaling tsa!llc, was p,r-
chased, and made ready for voyage. On sail.
ors, who were familiar with the necessities OF
| Arctic expeditions, noted with surprise tho
small store, Of provisions taken aboard,
and naturally inferred that q long al',
nearly thirty men was secured., anu the
services of Esquimaux Joe, who Ead been with
Capt Hall on tho Polarts, and to whom, VIVA duo
IN largc n.casuro the pEc.eIyation of llie IN
dfngton, Conn, an old wllaler, well acquaLrtcd
with Arctic navigation, and lce-pilot Of tl'o
T!greas we're scc1trs1; tue latter aa Sailing
represented us hayiug sailed with the ra1tdo.a,
from London, last May, undcr the auspices uf the
New York Hs,aid md London. TeIegraph. Tie
Era took ahoarl, rs part OF her equipment,
anS asSt pGsT 1t az a1spsy st u A
questions Of tho curious Wcro met with evnslyc
answers On the part Of thosc engaged III these
preparations ard the sntsst publicity given
Al lcugtG, on thu 5th VI June, without having
attracted much notice, tho expedition sailed
from New Lolllon under co1nniand Of Lieut..
Mtntzcr, who, t. Ia said, Ind obtained ak
purpose. Tho Impression was giyeu out In New
lontlou that he wins going after spccimcus OF
Arctic fauna, fora, md minerals for tho
Smithsonian lnasitute; but this evidently was y
tho principal atni Of tho expedtlon., Between
two and three weeks ago tile Era touched al St.
Jphn's, Newfoundland, on her return. Lieut..
Mfltzer lett her ut that point, she coil.
aadcr Capt. t,uddlngton, and ho TAX:
Ing mora speedy modes Of trims.
purtatton III the sumo direction. Ho was In New
London Inst week, md has slnec gone OH phil
Nal, md other speclmens brought for tho Smith
sonan IIstitute, but absolutely refused To give
4. uny Information regarding tic SITE and charRc
ter Of shs Era's y;a.go, q regarding tho oeeupa
Inlet. But tleso facts, togethor with the reeol
lection VI old New Loadon sailors who wcrc OF
the Tigress Of graphlte md mica fields, lead tlls
more Intelligent and best-informcu to believe
minerals fs now On route to Philadelphia. I'll,
exact truth will psobably bs known, however, II
IL few days.
Mica, which Is used moro. for stoves mi
quality III tut very fuW lufles II, the world. Thu
hest comes from Siberia, Sweden, and Norway
though s9n,c ,.,t a. found H. canada, New tlamp
1hte a eiS%hsgs a sg In ged stes , for staT Mn
lcad:'@ucis arc made, Ia still more raro IN,
precious. IL Is found liz small quantities, bu
very pure, tn Ceylun. Thu most famous min
was n cumeer.n EnEtan.d; i wfre It ocsarre
or smaller In trajrrock. 30 valuable VIA Til
mineral o,, It's lrst discovery that III, act u
Parliament was passed to protect It fru1
pllndo5, mud tho utmost .prcrautlou was take
10 save every particle Of 1t yielded. Thts auppl
has s!uve given out altogether, and uutil Til
discovery III tho Arctic rugIons nothing lku
l.as anywhere been found, although poe
ID article q nlInod ut 6turbrllge Alass, Brandon
Vt, Tlconteroga, N. T., Wake, N, e., Vt. job,
N. H., mud elsewhere. Frou, this may h
gathered I'LL Idea Of the Importance of the Era
expedition,
ARRIVAL or TIN ERA At NEW LONDON.
D!sRa&cA Ia Ns.g t1rk TiH!ts,
not being eiual tu bringing her Into port, Oh
put into New London lDout O'Clock this aftcl
fpw days. T1e officers and sailors preser,
strict retecnce, but u few facts have nevertIi
less BEEN ascertatncd. Sue was forty.tllrce ia,
lamd lIlct, having been delayed eleven days
tbs irc, On Ieaehing Y, point know. to wtal
tnen Us Ntaltic Valley, tho erew were put
work layiM9 tramway, building shui.tics, m
mining. Tho mtMcrs worked fu two gaut
IN different luarrlcs, about 1,sa)0 feet ubo,
vi tho level Of tbs sea. Tho traMwny u