The New York herald., 1878-03-15
How the Last Great Geographical
Problem Is To Be Solved.
)R. HAYES VIEW S.
No Real Difficulty South Of
Smiths Sound.
4 BOLD DASH WILL WIN.

Dr. l. I. Hayes whom I found Ia his room last
midnight after the adjournment OF the Assembly,
wrestling with pile OF correspondence shoulder high
had still time TO turn away moment from the Affairs
canals ana cities and revert to the old and ito him)
iamtliar problems OF the Pole The conversation
was as ollows:-
"a want 10 ask you, Doctor, what you think of the
proposed Howgato expedition, and what your views
with regard to the results likely to como from its"
'rne Howgate plan is essentially my own, and in
its general features meets with my cordial approval
You know that have been there, and ought TO be ac
quainted somewhat with the difficulties attending
Arctic exploration. Twas two winters with DR. Kane,
and, in command OF an expedition OF my own In
lS60-'61, wintered in Smith Sound and reached with
ileds the northernmost point Of land then known
apon the earth, which was my own discovery, and
within 4SO miles OF the Pole. Anerward IN 1872
Captain Hail. in the Poars, followed me and went
sixteen miles furthor north. Then, in the
non, went Captain Mares with British expedition,
WITH the two ships Alert and Discovery. My
vessel was n schooner, OF l3O tons burden.
| failed Tor lack of steam TO penetrate tho Smiths
Sound ice and forced into Winter Harbor, at the
mouth OF Smiths Sound, and winered at Port Foulkc,
from which port made my journeys Of exploration.
Hail. with steam, and Mares, with steam aso pushed
through the sound which / with smiling vessel
ailed 10 penetrate Hall reached the open water
In the spring OF 1851, ana Mares reached what ho
called the 'paleocrystic sea- something which in my
opinion Is q simple absurdity, have already more
than once said in the columns Of the HERALD."
"As 10 tho Howgate expedition"
"That Is what am coming to. Captain Howgate
proposes follow upon the track first by
Or. Kane, then followed by myself then by Hall,
then BY Captain Mares"
"Do you think his plan feasible?"
dn Ao hauA tnA I,afnv AHA
own. In this, that proposed my return In 1861,
10 found colony at the to Smiths Sound and
lthore build up permanent basis OF exploration
PLENTY
"On what could such a colony subsist?"
"lhe sea and air tcem in summer with animal life.
Waterfowl there great abundance during the
breeding season. In the valleys grow and grass
In protusion and reindeer are numerous. We shot
more than two hundred In ten months while
Imprisoned the ico, and in addition thcreto caught
and shot any number OF walruses and seals and q
great number Of polar bears, which you know arc
only found on tho ice and are easily captured with
dogs, or, in summer time, with boats"
"You had, therefore, no trouble in obtaining suf-
hccnt fresh food for your party9"
"None whatever"
"You had nothing to contend with such rs most
Arctic expeditions have had in the way OF scurvy?"
'No, sir; we had not sick man on board during
the whole voyage
'You think, therefore, that colony could be main
tained at Port Foulke?"
81 have no doubt OF It; and this have said on
many occasions to the American Geographical Society
and in tho paper which you represent. Tho whole
secret OF the matter Of Arctic exploration that d.
rection lies in ths-you must either mako q bold
dash for the North Pole with stout steamer or you
must mako up your mind to settle down in some
quiet place within reach of the Polo, and, having
sufficient support, bide your time"
suppose you bide your time, what. then, are tho
chances, say in the case OF the Howgate expedtong"
1.-The chances that II will succeed If conducted
with skill ana intelligence. But Captain Howgate
proposes to found colony at Lady Franklin Bay
which lies in latitude SO deg, where l looked out
npon the open Polar think this q mistake and
Tor very simple reason. In order to found colony
anywhere the locality must be within certain reach OF
the civilized world, and that within a given space of
lime not to exceed year. Notwithstanding the hor-
rid Ideas people have OF the icebcrgs and ice-pack
ihere Is precious little difficulty in getting to
Smiths Sound than there Is in getting from New York
Into st. Georges Channel The dangers OF Arctic
navigation have been wildly exaggerated by travel
iers poets and that the Arctic seems
even now TO DO region OF terror 1t IS nothing OF
the KIND. There Is no moro danger In sailing the
Arctic seas than In sailing any other seas. You may
be wrecked In tho midst of leo or wrecked upon
shore, and upon my word believe your chances are
best In the ice."
SMITHS SOUND ICE.
''If this be true why Is the point selected for the
Howgate colony a mistaken Why Is It not within
certain roach of the civilized worIds What are the
difficulties, the dangers, that interveneS"
''The ice-pack in Smiths Sound IS very uncertain
quantity, while the ice-pack below there Is always
navigable, with skill ana judgment at tho helm. 1
viii undertake at any time to put ship into the
mouth OF Smiths Sound, to get to Lady Franklin
Bay Is an uncertain venture. l would undertake TO
90 Port Fouke with little thought of danger as
would have when starting for Liverpool; but to 20
TO Lady Franklin Bay 10 to plunge into uncertainties
similar those which bcsct Stanley when dropped
down tho Lualaba from Nyangwo into the Congo and
took his chances tho rapids and tails that led
him to the sea-"
'Tnen you would not favor q primary colony at
Lady Franklin Bay?"
al would not for the reason already cited that if
colony 10 70 be the base of operations Tor attack
on the North Pole you must have certain communi-.
cations with civilization
DANGER FROM NOSTALGIA
"But supposng the colony to DO established and to
MAINTAIN itself, keeping communications with civil
iza,ion In its rear, what would be prospect
from the base Of Lady Franklin Bay, reaching the
PoleY"
ain the event Of its being able to bring up supplies
and new recruits every year believe success would
DO assured. But, again, l 10 not think Lady
Franklin Bay would have that certainty Of access
essential to success, IN this, that II you
detained moro than year without relief
from homo your men become dcmoraIized and
are utterly worthless. Man Is q social creature.
Without new ccmpanionship, now aspirations, he Is
without courage He longs for the great world behind
hun, and hie is miserable without It. Lie Is WORTH
less because has nothing, to him. that has relation
to the world bc loves II he cannot the fruits of
his toll ana energy ne ceases to struggle He cares
not for that which brings no social approval, no
apparent reward Tor his earnestness and energy He
gets homosck, and nostalgia Is moro wasting to his
energ ges than the scurvy."
SECURING CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS WITH HONE
s.rLen What rnollye have men seek such naIds of