Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-10-24
Nordonsk.jold's Discoveries.
boston Traveller,

The discoveries OF Professor Eorden-
skiold in the Arctic regions are full OF
interest from n geographical and COM
meroial point OF view. Tho explorer In
u recent letter states that the coast oil
Siberia west of tho Lena river il a vast,
treeless plain. There are no islands To
prevent the wind from driving tho ice
Hoes down upon the shore, and the
points where rivers empty into tho
Polar Ocean, and with their warmer cur
rents maintaining open spaces, are sep
arated usually by enormous distances.
For several hundred miles IN tho vicini-
~ OF the Lena, however, there are sew
oral great rivers, and u chain Of islands
acts m n barrier to the Ice. Toward
Behring Strai. tho frozen foes crowd
closer TO the shore, and are liable, In the
autumn and winter, to bar the way to
shipping. The most important OF Pro-
fessor Nordonskold's discoveries from a
scientific standpoint IL that Of group
Of islands of tho Siberian coast. These
islands, the New Siberian, open the book
OF the history Of the world ut n new
place. The ground there il strewn with
wonderful fossils. Whole hills arc COW
cred with the bones Of tho mammoth,
the rhinoeeros, horses, uri, bison, oxen,
sheep, etc. Tho sea washes up ivory
upon the shores. In this group is pos
sibly To be found tho Dolution of the
ancestry of the Indian elephant, and
important facts with regard TO the ver-
tebrates which existed nj the time Iof
mana first appearance on earth. How
came horses and sheep In region now
locked in the letters Of an eternal win
ter, unnnabited by man, not now sup
porting animal life in any form, and al
most impossible Of access Professor
Nordonskjold was unable to solve the
question himself, and he suggests that
il is Of tho utmost importance 10 science
to send II high-draught steel steamer 10
those Islands for u thorough explora-
tis The natives seen along the coast
belong TO hardy, joyial race, dressing
in furs, keen nj barter, but ignorant OF
the value Of money. They live in
double tents and expose themselves to
clothing. There Is great resemblance
between the people and the Esqnimaux
or the North American Indians. Though
armed with stone and bone weapons,
and though wild and itinerant, they ev-
idenlly have history. They drove of
the original inhabitants OF tho region
200 yeard ago, the 0nkilons, whose
houses, places OF sacrifices, circles OF
moss-grown bear skulls and weapons
are still to be found almost everywhere
on the coast.
There is no trace Of any religious be-
lief in their customs. East OF the Lean
the explorers found scattered blocks.of
stone, bearing evidence of glacial action
and pointing plainly TO the presence Of
land 70 the north. Another popularity
OF the Siberian coast is the gradual ele-
yation Of the land above the level of the
sea, 40 that tho inhabitants have been
obliged 10 shift their villages nearer TO
the waters edge, which Is gradually re-
ceding. Professor Nordenskjold's explo-
rations when published IN full will
undoubtedly excite much interest and
lead to the anticipation Of perhaps more
valuable discoveries on the part Of the
Jeanette.s