Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-10
Scientific Expeditions.

1t spite OF the hard times there seems 10
be no difficulty it starting forth expeditions
for purely scientific purposes. Thus, the
Howgate Arctic expedition, it is said, will
dispatch its irst vessel from New London
about the Goth of this month. 1t will be
commanded by The Captain Tyson who
brought back, by iceberg and otherwise,
the survivors of the Polaris crew-a feat of
heroism which ought TO make him as IA
nous as Xenophon for managing the re-
treat OF the ten thousand. He goes in
a sailing vessel, which has been bought by
the aid of number of wealthy gentlemen,
under the authority Of Capt. Howgate, to
reach Hudson on Frobisher's straits, there
TO collect Esquimaux dogs, sledges, rein
deer skins, guides and interpreters. Capt.
Howgate himself expects 10 go early next
spring in a steamer, and then begin more
systematic exploration Of the Arctic seas
than has ever been attempted hitherto. The
feature of his plan, as is well known, is to
form a colony at some convenient point,
both for dispatching sledge expeditions
northward and for communicating sonth-
ward with the commercial world, so that
there will always be base of supply and
all favorable seasons and circumstances
can be made the most OF.
THIS is undoubtedly the best plan of Are
tic exploration that has ever been devised,
and it has received the approval of the
great majority of those whose opinions
have weight on this subject. Whether, af-
ter all, the game is worth the candle, for q
fearful number of lives have been snufled
out and great deal of money spent in
these Arctic expeditions, is another ques-
tion. To most people, these invasions into
the realm Of eternal ice seem too much like
Capt. Crapo's expedition across the Allan
tic-merely efforts to show what can be
done. He, with his wife, undertakes to sail
1000 miles in twenty foot and less than
two ton schooner and the Arctic explor-
ers try to see how near they can get to the
North Pole-boih, whether they fail or sue
ceed, seem TO give the world about the
same practical results. The scientific men,
however, take a different view of the mat
ter. They maintain that these extreme
northern explorations are of great import
ance in accumulating mass of informa-
ton, valuable, as all information is ulti-
mately sure TO- be, TO mankind in their
most practical interests. We must accept
that judgment, and can only hope that these
results may be purchased at as slight cost
as possible. AS that is the promise pecul-
iarly held out by this Howgate expedition,
everybody will wish 1t well.
Another expedition Of similar objects but
beset with less dangers-one which had the
honor the other day of being discussed in
a Cabinet meeting in connection with the
Howgate expedllion-is the Woodruff Sci
entific expedition around tue world. 1t
takes lis name from the director, If not the
originator of the enterprise, Mr.. James o.
Woodruff of Indianapolis, Indiana. 1t is
stated that the members of the expedition
will each pay five thousand dollars. They
W II sail from New York on the first of Oc-
tober next in the "City of Merida" screw
steamship of the Havana and Mexico line,
under the command of navy officers, and
be absent two years. A nong the passen-
gers will be a scientific faculty Of eighteen
gentlemen, including Professor b. G. Wild
er, the eminent naturalist of Cornell Uni
versity. This will enable the voyagers to
pursue regular course of studies in con-
neclion with the splendid opportunities for
exploration and research which will be
opened TO them" boston Journal