The New York herald., 1877-03-16
ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

EXPEDITION 10 The NORTH POLE.
The following letter IS from Dr. John Rae. Of Lon
don Arctic explorer and dlscoverer OF the fate OF
Sir John FRANKLIN to the President of tho American
Geosrap,cal Society on the late English Arctic Expe-
dition -
am deig htod to see by the papers that there is
nrobaDnty of the United States government prose-
cutting Arctic research via smith sound line OF route
specally American, and made famous by the expora-
lions OF Kane hayes and Hall, whO with their
para,vey i'll equipped aud small expeditions, dd such
noble work. latter, indeed, having taken his vessel,
the Polaris, within lew miles oil as lar north as the
po,ut reached by English ship Alert in the expedi-
ton 1S75-6, which, Notwithstanding all It's bolster
inr up by some able writers, was taurc, II we
pare the work done with the programme laid down
ior It's accomplishment
Having had some experience OF sedgng on several
very long Journeys the Arctic coast, average
daily from eighteen TO twenty-Iour miles, and
great deal oil practice in snowshoe walking during
twenty years' residence tho HUDSON Bay Company's
Territories perhaps you Will permit me 10 offer few
remarks upon those points where l think the
Enush expedition made mistakes which, although APP
parently slight individually. amount TO good deal IN
the aggregate.
In tho nrst place, the men employed Oh the Mares
Expedition were. with few exceptions, habuated TO
having been doubled for ive months OF winter, while
The men had comparatively little work, except merely
walking up and down Tor few hours and hauling ice
for water which was not sufficient to keep their
muscles In proper condition Tor the laborious work OF
sledge hauling. They had regular allowance OF lime
iuicc on BOARD ship which was doubled III quantity
for some before the sedge travelling began, when
II was discontinued altogether. Their diet was SUD.
denly changed from the ship allowance OF preserved
meat corned beef and pork, with SIX ounces OF pre-
served vegetables, pickles and iru't and one ounce
lime JUICE with one gill rum to sledging ration of
pemcan cured bacon, two ounces preserved potatocs
one halt gill rum and no lime JUICE
OBJECTIONABLE sLEDGEs
The slcdges. with runners about eight inches high
and three broad used by the recent expediton
were very Objectionable, as they sank deep IN snow
when not very hard packed, and when descending
from hunmock OF ice the fore part dives deep into
the snow below, giving immense labor TO pull and t
II out-labor which the men say was IKE tearing their
arms OIL The sedge Is one resembling the Indian
toboggan but much larger SO as to carry SoO LOO or
1000 pounds required, with three runners rounded
al the edges, not more than two and nall or three
inches broad about threeq OF inch deep
consider the best size is sledac 10 hold about 500
pounds or load for four men; because II very dii-
cult ice IS 10 be got these much moro easily
handled and do not require to be unloaded SO often, II
at all.
The English TOOK chocolate or cocoa tor breakfast-a
very bad thing, tea being much better, as 1t keeps
IN the middle oil each day's journey to make tea,
mistake which should be avoided, as the men must
get chilled very much after perspiring freely | and
nv men never stopped longer than five minutes
al time, particularly II the weather was cou, during
the whole ten or more hours we were traveillne only
eating occasionally MOUTH ul OF pemcan or bit OF tat
If however, tins plan, which l have always found
bel docs not suit those who are accustomed 10 dine
about midday, extract OF tea, by which ut least
one nall the time OF soppage may be saved, because
the water need be boed but merely brought 70 u
sutliciout heat to be pleasant to drink The English
sicdgcmen used for bedang not only heavy coverid
but dunle bay Tor each man, and they
also put thick dulle Jumper before tong to
he'd thus the arms separa, ed from the body by
two folds OF tnIck non.conductor, ana encn man was
kept apart his neghbor by four folds OF this ma
terlal. SO that heat could not be communicated rom
ono 10 the other In my had one cover
ing Tor all five, vii strip of thin hairy deer skin be-
tween us ana the snow on whicn we lay. we LOOK on
our coats placing them either over or under u.s. accord
ing taste, lay close as we could comfortably
puck always being one oi the outsiders the cook tor
Inc time beng the other Ii one Of the 'outsders'
telt little cold the whole party put "aoout ship" as
sailor would say-lhat Is, turned over on the other
sdeand thus tho part OF the body that was previously
cold got the warm berth. l may say that never was
uncomortably cold but once, and that was when the
snow house was made TOO small anu we had 10 SHOVE
our legs outside Our whole bedding ior i've person
weighed between twenty iour and twenty-five pounds,
or less than i've pounds each
SNOW HUTs BEST SHELTER.
Tents were used the recent expedition, and are
the worst kind shelter Tor Arctic service, being not
only very cold, but having TINS disadvantage, that
nearly ali the condensed breath and vapor from the
hot adheres 70 them, not only making the tent
heavy unpleasant 10 handle, but the least shake
makes tins condensed vapor ial down upon the bed
ding into which, II great care IS not used, II gets I'M
pacted and aids materially In making II OF that sheet
iron" consistencc spoken Of by Captain Markham mt
the meeting OF our Geographca Society snow huls
are the shelter IN temperature from O degrees
below the freezing point TO ~ degrees oeow zero ana
II these cannot built either from men not knowing
how 10 do SC, because the snow Is not sufficiently
packed, snow walls should be run up, which is not
hard work If properly set about. These walls may be
OF any thickness convenient ana should slope IN
wards much possible; should be hvc or SIX leet
hign. dcpth space nollowcu out
by removal oi snow Tor the walls. piece Of sheeiing
has generally been used US rooL should prefer u
double od ol thin but strong linen, having between
the folds q thin layer OF birds down, winch would
make this kind Of shelter nearly as warm AS n true
snow hut, which l and my men never failed In
building.
Snowshoes should also be taken on every Arctic ex.
pcditioD ana would have been oI great use iu the
recent one although the officers not willing TO
allow much at least Sir George Mares has said tnat
heavily loaded Sledscs cannot be hauled by men with
nj. En,n 20
nothing about it, probably never having In his lie seen
a sledge so hauled, yet he gives his opinion with as
snowshoe best adapted Tor Arctic work should be
Short and broad In proportion Incre should be di-
iereni to suit the different weights OF tho men.
Should 1t be requisite 70 build boats to be hauled
over the they should be made much broader, in
proportion to thelr length, than those nave seen.
TIE sLEDGE JOURNEY
As regards the sledge journey pole ward can only
say that It Is wonder little progress made with
the ssary heavy loadss that were dragged by
state must have found great difficulty IN surmounung
obstacles which 10 healthy ana experienced men
would have been easy
DESTINATION OF THE IcEBERGs
There seems at least one weak polnt IN Sir George
Mares statements, TO the effect nat there get
ting n ship nearer the pole via Smith Sound than the
point reached by the Alert AS early US the 3lst OF
july ls7c strong southwest wind drcyc the cepaek
round Cape Rawson and. run ten miles south.
ward through iuirly open channel until stopped
bv a heavy foe (ioeberg) one and halt miles Ia
dn meter. which moved oil next day northward "w tn
the tide at the rate oi one and hall mics an hour.
isee Nature Nov 8, 1876 iolio ~ The question u
he asked 49, Whore did all this ten or twelve miles OF
ice and great ocbcrg 20 tor As they went northw
the immense fields OF ice, 100 Icct or more thck to
the north must also have been moving IN that dircc
lion to make room, otherwise we cannot account ior
so large space OF open water appearing SO suddenly.
probabIy day or two of southeriy wind might, few
weeks later have driven the immense piles OF paico
cr,sc ice many miles away and LETT clear passage To
the nortn even for ships At Repulsc Bay, latitude
GO deg 81 MIN NORTH IN lSI7, the ice did not clear
away sufficiently to allow my boats 10 &c, along shore
great ridges OF ice that looked formidable and were
SO ntable to scurvy stricken men, Win thcl
heavily laden sedgcs ala not extend very lar hort
wa, beyond the latitude So deg 20 min. 20 Sec norti
reached or only twentyhvo north oil the Land At Cape
Hecla
NO GROG
| should recommend that no grog bc given as an nj
lowance either Oh board ship on the sledgng; Una
men should be chosen who had not been accustome'
10 n regular ration daily Of grog; that tew me'