The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-11-08
CAPT. MARKHAM.
An English Polar Explorer in st.
Louis.
81. Loud RspnbIIcan. oel. 3.

" -~reto Nv lNhHNuNf wv Nos
Capt. A. II. Mark ham, OF England,
the second in command under Sir
George Mares in the last Polar ex
pedition, arrived last night and is
stopping at the Lindell. The expo.
dition, it will be remembered, re-
turned TO England last November
after an absence OF eighteen months.
Capt. Markham commanded the nd
vance ship the Alert, and the other
ship, the Discovery, was command
ed by Capt. Stephenson. The ships
went up by the Smiths Sound
route to the SD degree and IL min
utes, north latitude, and there win
tered.
From this point Capt. Markham
made an extended expedition Per.
sonally over the frozen ocean. to
within four hundred miles OF the
pole, having approached nearer to
the object of so many previous eff.
forts than any other mortal man.
Capt. Markham started with one
officer and fifteen men. They did
not use dogs, but
DRAGGED THEIR sLEDGEs,
containing tents, provisions and the
necessary outfit. Dogs, were not
employed, because they eat as much
provisions as understanding
about a pound of meat per day.
In order To have the transportation
as light as possible ii was necessary
therefore 10 forego the use Of dog
power. Amer Incredible difficulties
Capt. Markham reached SO degrees,
20 minutes, 26 seconds, over The
frozen sea, a higher latitude than
ever attained before. Capt. Hall
reached 81 degrees, III minutes. so
Capt. Markham went
SEVENTY MILES FURTHER
On the return journey OF Capt.
Markham's sledge party to the ships
they suffered, in addition 10 the ex
treme privations and cold, the af-
Fiction Of scurvy, and had IL not
been for relief sent from the ship
they would never have got back.
As it was, Capt Markham and
three men were the only ones Of
the party on their legs, dragging
the remainder of the party, having
buried one. They were absent soy
enty-three days from the ships.
Capt Markham, speaking in ref
erence to the open Polar sea seen by
Morton, the companion of DIR.
Kane, remarked that where Morton
saw the open Polar sea, they found
a channel thirty miles wide aud
went through IL.
Capt. Markham knew Morton, he
having been ont four years ago--in
I573-on the ship which picked up
the Polaris' men, among whom was
Morton.
The minimum temperature regis
tered during tho winter by Sir Geo.
Mares expedition was "a degrees
below zero. or LOG degrees below
freezing point Of Fahrenheit. The
coolest day was about the 4th Of
March. 1876, being the coolest Of
which we have any authentic nc
count The sun was absent 142
days during the winter. They had
little twilight at both extremes OF
the winter season, lasting about n
week or so. and only at noon. In
mid-winter IL was a scene OF
TOTAL DARKNESS.
Capt. Mares was presented by the
Royal Geographical Society Of Lon
don with a gold medal, for the abil-
ity he displayed in conducting the
expedition, and Capt. Markham
was, at the same time, presented
with a gold watch for, as stated in
the inscription, having planted the
Union Jack in higher northern
latitude than ever before attained.
Capt. Markham is still compara-
lively a young man, OF gallant bear
ing, and eyinces the possession OF
true pluck, united with a most
courteous bearing.