, 1877-12-26
Prof. Mordenskiold's Proposition
to the Swedish Govern.
tnent.
Scheme to Explore tho Siberian and
poiar SeaR and Return vta
the Suez Canal.
Rich Fields for Science "A Programme
Riraling Verne's Imaginary
Flights.

efnEncfk concerning lla proposed voyage TO tl16
polar regions next 3car. lie begins BY tieclnr-
lug that the exploring expeditions to tho Arctic
Seas sent ont from swes!cn during the last ccn-
tNry have long azo acquires! q real natsona! sig
niacanee. The Swedish people, in common
With all other civilized nations, ,'nvo taken u
deep interest in the researches. Governments
and individuals, aware OF tho grand scientific
results, the vast fncreaec Ut the general knowt.
cdgc Of geography, the wealth of Arctic bro
ducts, hare spcnt large satns Of money 10 ut out
Vessels for tho far north. To tic discoveries uf
tho past the explorer Of the future may add
Efest practical advantages. Meteofo!og-
fcal aml hydrographical information las
been obtained; inquiry has lRcu
tnade into tho seal and walrus trado
and tho conditions for hunting them; immense
supplies Of lsh have been discovered near tho
slu'rcs Of sp'tsbergeni on Decrcn extensive
strata of coal and phosphate have been foun,l,
which may somo day lie of great value, aud,
finally, the great problem OF navigating cren 10
tho frontiers Of China Yin she Siberian rtTers
Obj and JenfsoS has been solved to tho eom-
ptctc satisfaction OF cartogranhers.
NEW FIELDS or EXPLORATION.
But the results already obtained should en-
courage Us to further Efforts, especially Is the
aAat INV ~ k&H t-iuCi lAH tNNft HAfG
opened up new field Of exploration, which, he
ventures to asacrt, promftcs 10 ndd much 10
onr scientific knowledae. Ito says: ~ mean
TINT part Of the Polar Sea situated cast Of the
the sra Of telegraph an! steam, tliere
ID Sill M area scientifically new and
SIN unc1plorel. THU entlre immense
ocean, extending oyer 90 deg. OF longitude from
The mouth OF Tho Jcnissy; part Cape Tschc'Jl~
phers-to Wrangul's Land, II VIC EXCEPT boat
Voyages along the coast, las neycr been fur
rowcd by tho keel q q vessel nor seen the
smoke Of steamer. There circumstances have
Induced me to cnieasor to ontain tile means for
1aut!callY rs completely as possible, the object
uf which would be to study tho geography, tho
photography and natnrnl history ut the Polar
sca osso9d theme ,hc o" Of The snscy TO tbs
safely. 10 asserted that n more promls..
Ing ilcl.l Of observation has not appeared
etnrc Cooks celebrated VOYAGE IN tho
Pacific, II the leg Will permit su'table
lon, In this respect It might be well to glahce
back upon tho attempts which tlaYc been Enado
10 press forward un the route our intended ex.
petition would try to follow.
:" Gothcnbur1: Will .Srobably b. tho swedish
port Of lepartslro antrthc tln'e the beginning
otJu1y, 187s. The route wilt Mt first follow tho
west soast Vi Sorwny, tl;en passing North Cnpo
a1yt the tnoatll q the Whlto ssa 70 Aiatots;
navigation between tho rest of Europe and
these rv.lofs, through Sit 1IucI, N'lllouglbY
md Richard Chancellor IN 1859, Hns thu result
uf the first ,'arul expedition from Enatntl,
ssnt m out for pnrpo,c. Of discovery, Their soiy'
Gust passage to Ch!nn. Thls object they 'lti
not attain, but tl1pr established the fact of
nayi.able route between England Aud the
f1iItF urtH
the world. Il was not acco',ni!-led without
knrrittc. IS Str Hugh, With n' hts crew. per-
lshcd willis wlnsarinE on tte fetlns',la Of kula
Thoasnnds OF F!ns arc now sailing In safety
posscse of the Ice In the atuzsnan spa fun Old
ilapa tho kca between Kola a.ul NoyaIa SemlIa
n ealteti}, tt,ere Is t,u dill)cnlty during tho
luttcr part * snMtnCr IN sailing fr,tn tho Whfto
Srl 10 AfutnLschktts 2n'lEd without ttndrancc
from ise. This va. not the case R,'nc Thirty or
forty years ago, IA uppcats trufi' tho narrative
uf tlG difficulties a'li dangers which lctct tho
celebrated 1lussinn Navigator, Count l.ntkc, IN
Ills Voyages along tile wcst cuast Ut Morn Hemlla.
during i,,tr consecutive s1ln,n,crs-162l-1So2i
4 EUUsl iislingyessel ran HOW, In 5iLgiu s,!l-
Intr. sail further abuut In theie seas THAI thu
most completely appointed ina.Uf.War could
formerly du tn tp,ir ttNlca no long period.
TIE KAKfAN sKA.
"Tho HARLAN sca .nay be entered IN four
different wars namely, tho jugar Sound, the
Ftetnn Nassayfcum VI tho oil untcsl, betwtrn
tho Island Of Wujgatsch and tho conilpcnt; tho
hasap f.saa q sass sxsf ssi 1 az son 1S
whisl, between 73 and n tlrc. north lutt.
tltlc cuts ID two NORA Zembla, and she route
north u this islan4. Thls latter routu IL Msu-
ally clear Of iec, arst In the beginning Of srt.
scleeted Gy an expedition proroslrsg to sal!
further east into these feas. Jnt0rs1trr antl
the KRrian Sea Bre tarly tres from aoll.. icc,
hut tor long, time encountered BY large
tor,h In the bays on both sides of .itc Sound By
thp currents changing with tho tides. There
aru 10 go,d ports, at lenst III Jugursllnf, III
consequence OF which the drifting Ito might bu
to approach tho kurtan sea by these routes.
.Matotsrl'k,D Snunu forma q channel nearly ono
hundred Kilometres long, narrow, but deep aud
clear, with tl1a exceptions vi two shallow places.
thc positions OF which aro perfectly wclI KNOWN
Inter part Ut July, and IL less i1npcdel ly lrft:
lea tl,an tho southern sounds In consequence oi
tho formation of tlls eoast. tiooA ports exist Ut
Its easlern uneuing. IN 1915 aud 161ti thu sounds,
aa well ~ the sea outside, wero completely freq
fson ire IN the latter l,aft u August; but THU
Ice was earlier 81, broken up, anu alho on the
raat side. that y vessel !oui Without danger
tnd it, why between tlle drifting plsscs. That
part ul Nova XsMbia thai tho fishermen tirst satl
for In ihe surfng u the west coast outside thu
Mat0tsttkln.
An E4HLT START TO p,cKsoa's ,roRr.
"lf unusual weAthcr should not prc7all IN
thesa regions during tho earller part OF tho
sumner VI 1875, surh as continual southern
wlnls, which would carry tho DRIFT lt1 FUR frnul
the cont nf the continent, consider that Ma.
totschkln Bound would be the shtcst route fol
the expedition t0 cllo4Mc. An open sua straight
oa to Dfckknu's Purt, Ut the mouth 0f tfln Jel..
hey, IL, however. not to bu expected IN tl!c be
! p!nning of Augutt. 4 considerable circuit
toward the south may, therefore. hsTe to b.
t,n!e 10 that tho lie, wilfth drifts uroull III the
[ karlan bea until tho begtnulDg OF September,
! maf Le avoided. THO few tluys' delay
which the iec Hay cause Will besides give thu
| expedition All opportunity of studr1ng the
natura! history and by!irograpyh Of thcchanne',
| which h a1u tatnoms deep Alo,1 tue east coast
Of Nora zea0ia., Thc Harlan Sea u uniformly
ghailow item to tlirtT fatl,umsl Inl nut talger-
Gus hy reason of hidden t,ara and rocks. Tue
richest animal tfo ls found tn tho deep channel
along the east coast, And II Il trum that spot pul
tmo preceding expeditions hare tArr!ed nome
| many pyeulfaF aud interesting anilual specIea.
Tho algm sre here abunIunt rlosc ~ th.
shore. Tue expedition next rear ought, there
fore, to enteaYor to arrive atMatntscikju 50 EARL
that scientific work. for few laye at least
May bs CARRIED IN !n this region. Thu voyage
itscEt fEuu4 The kariah Sea to lItelsoh's Port
I With the experience We nDw hayc, will lnccl
with III difficulties. 1t IL, however, best not t.
couus uEA'n reaching Dickson'A Port before th
1oth Or l5th OF August. On tho l5t!