The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-08


OF Okotsk into the Pacific Ocean, not
more than six hundred miles north of
the Japanese group Of islands.
BY this means the hitherto unex-
plored regions OF Siberia are made
known. Captain Virgins describes
those regions as abounding in resources,
! ard maintaining an immense trade with
China and Manchuria. The country
abouuds in timber, grain, furs, and min
erals. Seven tons Of gold, be says,
were taken from one Siberian mine the
present year. Wheat is raised there
equal to the best American, and sold at
| % cents per bushel. Beef is fattened
there and sold at cent per pound. He
graphs and ready communication every
where established by the Russian Gov
ernment, aud the people exhibit spirit
and enterprise in the cultivation and de-
velopment Of that far-of region of the
globe.
These are wonderful ard important
statements to be made to the world. In
stead of a frozen waste, as generally
now said to present beautiful fields and
| fertile plains on which grain and fruits
grow and ripeu in abundance, and
where herds of fat cattle are found in
great numbers, and towns and cities are
ispringiug to promote manufactures
and trade with The interior of Asia.
| The Yenessi River at its junction with
the Arctic Ocean is only half months
sail from the ports of England and Rus
sia; and already steps have been taken
to utilize this commerce, bordering on
that Polar Sea, by steamship lines con-
meeting the northern coasts OF Siberia
with European ports. BY this means it
is thought that q quicker and cheaper
route may be opened to reach the trade
of Northern and Central Asia than by
any other possible way. If so, Russia
will begin to reap advantages from er
patient and persevering plan of ooIoniz-
ing her remote provinces of Siber a,
which stretch across the whole northern
extremity OF the Asiatic continent.
The observations and discoveries of
this Captain Virgins go, furthermore,
to confirm the opinions heretofore main-
tanned by Vordenskiold, Atkinson, and
Collins, that through this Polar Sea,
washing the coasts of Russian Siberia,
will be found feasible passage to the
Pole. That this view may be correct is
sustained by all the material facts of
physical geography.
The expeditions for reaching the Pole
have uniformly proceeded northward
along the coasts Of the American Con-
tinent. But it is fact well known to
physical geography that through the re-
gion OF the sea between this continent
and Greenland there sets a constant
Arctic current running from the Polar
Sea soulhward down our coasts even to
: Cape Hatteras. BY this cold current
f the course Of the gulf stream with
, its vast sea of warm waters is
northeastward across the Atlantic
. running between the Scottish Isles and
| Iceland, and still on in the same direc
4 tion between North Cape and the Island
3 of spitzbergen, and still on beyond
= Nova zembla into the open Arctic
, Ocean to Cape Senero Vostochnoi, thu
; most extreme northern limit OF the Asi
attic Continent, at latitude 7S deg. north
Bsyond this point, just 100 deg, cas-
: longitude from Greenwich, the Atlantic
Gulf Stream is not traceab!e.
But just there it is supplemented BY
!, the Pacific Gulf Stream, flowing GU
from the Gulf of Tonquing, through thu
China Sea, among the Lu Chu and Jap
anese Isles, the Aleutian Isles, through
Behring's Straits, and which there DE-
= fleeted to the northwestward,a and passe
D also into the Arctic Ocean on the north
+ east coast of Siberia, to meet the AT
u lantic Cult Stream just about where it
e ultimate limit is traced.
= The union Of these two great oceani
+ currents, both 1)wing from the equato
rial regions and bearing whole seas o
G warm waters into the Arctic Ocean, AM
l. meeting on that Siberian coast at les
+ than one thousand miles from the pole
would indicate that as the most feasible
Q route by which to reach that axis Of th
e globe, and thereby solve the problem O
l. an open Polar Sea.
Moreover, This voyage of Captain Wig
gins, by showing the Arctic Ocean to b.
readily navigable from North Cape t.
8 the Pacific, demonstrates that the Con
j. tinents of Europe and Asia are now Gil
= cumnayigable. A vessel may 60 froI
e London, through the Mediterranean, tn
IL Suez Canal to China, and from Chin,
u through Behring's Straits, by the Arcti
Ocean and the North Sea, back again t,
its own dock on the Thames. Thes
+ discoveries in navigation may result il
= new era of marked Importance to tn
II comm erce of the world.
=
o Southern and Central California, say,
. Mr.. Samuel Parnell, are becoming drye
: and dryer year by year. The rain fall Il