New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-06
der, and torn asunder irremediably by dissen-
sions over the spells Of Office.
TIE NORTHEAST PASSAGE.

The practicabilty of the Northeast Passage
has been demonstrated by Professor Noro-
enski0ds arrival at Yokohama. The voyage
Of the Vega in high attitudes began on the
4tb of July, 1873, in the Swedish port or
Gothenlmrg. North Cape was doubled and
thc Kara Sea traversed without difficulty, and
when the Vega was imprisoned In the ice
late in September, East Cape and Behrlng
Strait were almost in sight. The next nine
months were passed in pack ice mile
from shore, under circumstances peculiarly
favorable for scientific observation. Ihe VII
layers on the mainland were kindly diepoSeu
there was no lack of provisions during the
Winter and in the Spring game was plentl-
full: and the health and spirits OF the ships
company were excellent. So admirable wereth
appointmentf of the vessel and so comfortable
were the Winter quarters. that notwitnstand-
ING the prolonged confinement the expedition
was something like holiday excursion III
the Arctic regions. The ice fields broke mp
about the middle of July, and within forty
eight hours the Vega had passed Bchrlng
Strait. She now lies at anchor of the coast
of Japan, the first and only vessel that has
skrted the northern edge OF Europe ana
Asia and sighted the American continent.
The success of the expedition has been com
plete. The Northeast Passage was The primary
object and tins has been accomplished, not
without DELAY but with unexpected facility.
In the Professors Judgment, as communicated
to a correspondent of The Herald, the fact has
been established that with very little more
experience of navigation in the Northern seas,
the voyage from Europe to Eastern Asia by
a., - al A
rently the log of the Vega confirms this decla-
ration The voyage was weli-nign ended when
the vessel was embedded in the ice. If The cx-
petition had started few weeks sooner
and il less time had been wasted in the
earlier and smoother stages, the exploring
party would have been spared lone Winter
in the ice so close to the journeys end.
When he speaks of the commercial re-
suits of this experimental voyage the en-
thIsiastc explorer Is undoubtedly over
sanguine. His assertion that from Japan To
the mouth of the Lena, where large pros
pectiye trade with Central Siberia can De
developed. there are no difficulties in the
proper season for experienced sailors, requires
serious qualification. While the Northeast
Passape must be regarded from this time forth
rs entirely practicable high ATTITUDES are no
lower than they have been, and the Northern
seas are closed for all time against vessels III me
coasiing trade. The scientific results OF this
voyage nay be of the highest importance,
but human credulity is 0verstrained when II
is called upon to accept the commercial adj
vantages TO be derived from Tn, venture
some undertaking. 1t may be taken Tor
granted that until the ingenuity OF man can
devise some method of changing the angle OF
the earth's axis, the profits OF Arctic naviga-
ton and the commercial importance Of our
ice-bound Northwest possessions can best be
calculated by the Man in the Moon.