The New York herald., 1876-12-02

leadng into the Polar basin that Is 200 miles wide.
doubt, Judging from the nature oftho drift, II
there any opening half wide. To this land the ice
clings. 1t forms belt that is continuous about IT,
No ship has ever yet sailed through 1t into the ocean
beyond unless may except the accounts OF the old
Dutch ana English whalcrs, more than one OF whom
Iaid claim to having reached tho Pole, and many or
them to having gone within 100, 200 or 800 miles OF
it. One, indeed, two degrees beyond it,
cording to his own assertion.
LARGE SEAS NEVER ENTIRELY
Tho idea OF a land-clinging belt and vast ocean
within it. less free from ice. is by means
new. 1t believed in centuries ago. The hypo-
thesis borne ont by numerous observations nota-
BILE among them beng the open OF Baron Wrangcl,
.'illimtable TO human VISION" have never believed
that any extensive body OF water be permanently
frozen over As we have there Is limit TO the
thickness as there Is TO the extent of the ice. II
forms first against the land and the belt widcns with
the advance of winter, partly by freezing and partly
by the drifting in under pressure OF old foes that
the previous summer has not dissolved. This OBJ.
serve comparatively small bodies OF water, such
Hudson and Bafn's Bay which are never frozen cn
tirely over in winter, as remarked in my former
letter. and almost entirely free from in
The Arctic Ocean must have, from land to land,
an average width OF 1000 miles It's surface is
tatcd does freeze. NY view has always been that
the land -cllngng belt OF this inland al the
term is adm.ssble) would not bo found TO change
above 6ny ora hundred miles. IL Is shifting belt.
Thus far 1t has proved mpassablo to ships Is /, i'm
passabc TO slods?
PROOF.
Tho British expedition says 1t is. They certainly
made n most heroic effort Their harGships wcro
great aud their courage OF the loitiest character.
But they justified in saying that this ice belt
tnucd to the Pole that there open Polar Sea
In effect, Hdrper's Weekly puts II, they have shown
"ihc orcn Polar Sea OF Kane and Hayes TO be a
my,nr Yet they found open water where we found it,;
they steamed through thus proving tho accuracy Of
our conclusions TAR; they noticed nn ice barrier
beyond our iur,hest points Of vsion by this they
were arrested; but when, in the spring they
they do not appear to have ventnrel at any
time above twenty miles from land. submit that
this is not enough prove the xistcncc OF an
open sea within the land icc belt and about the Pole
nor ~ II enough TO prove that that very cc bell,
which bailcd thcm, has not by this time been wholly
scattered and driven away irto the vast watery
OF the further North tho fragments there perhaps
fnd in their vagrant wanderngs, new anchorage by
some unknown islands OF the dreaded sea ! will
yield to no Que in admiration for Captain Mares, CON-
OF tho British expedition Hts superior talen
ana inc culture hisoy personal qualities, MS energy
and skill well known, and the splendid reputation
he acquired while in command of the Challenger OK
pcdtion around the world, too widely hcraldcd and
applaudcd 10 need comment or to gain anything from
my praises The British navy may well be proud OF him.
His officers and appear to have done their utmost,
aud have no doubt ihat Nature says truly, "that
wncn all the tals is told IL will be quito thrilling
full OF dangers and bravery any previous narra-
ton Of Arctic exploration"
INSUFFICIENT PREMISES.
This Is, however, not tho question. Must the scicn-
tnc world accept their conclusions after short an