Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-10-10
THE NORDENsKJOLD EXPEDITION.
Through the Arctic to India-A Great Ge-
osraphical Problem Solved.

D6en SOIN6u. Even DtIOIe OOluluDuS
set out to reach India by sailing west
ward, the thought of discovering pass
age around Europe and Asia, by sailing
to the north and east, had inspired more
than one navigator to make attempts in
this direction.
While iubilant Americans were cele-
brating the Fourth of July, 1878, Prof.
Nordenskiold weighed anchor at
Gothenburg, and set forth to reach
Behring straits, and finally India, by
sailing through the Arctic. The dis
patch from Yatutsk received from st.
Petersburg last week, assures us that
the Vega, with the expedition all in
good health, had then arrived in Behr-
ing straits, and that after brief stay
Prof. Nordenskiold would sail for Japan,
China and India, and return to Europe
via the Suez canal.
Some of the most thrilling narratives
in the history of maritime adventure
record the struggles of Prof. Nor
denskjold's predecessors in attempts to
find this passage Many of them per-
sisted in their daring endeavors.
There is evidence that as early as 800
of our era, bold Norway navigator
named Ochter sailed around the North
cape of Europe and eastward as far as
the mouth of the River Kola. The last
great expedition planned by Sebastian
Cabot, after he had skirted North and
South America in two vain attempts to
find a passage to the East Indies, was
one directed to the same object by Cir
COMMUNICATING Europe and Asia. He
was too old to accompany the expedi-
ton, but it set forth, and ended in dis
aster.
Sir Hugh Willoughby and Richard
Chancellor, under the auspices of the
Muscovy Company, of London, in 1853,
sailed no further than Nova Zembla.
Willoughby's vessel was lost with all on
board. Chancellor and his vessel barely
escaped back to Europe.
In 1856 the same company dispatched
Stephen Burroughs, who pushed east
ward to the Kara sea, lying east OF Nova
Zembla.
Three vessels were sent out by the
Dutch in 1894, one of which crossed the
Kara sea to the mouth of the great 81.
berian river Obi.
In the latter part of the sixteenth
century Russian navigators explored
the northern coast of Russia in Europe
and Asia, sailing from Archangel to the
Obi river and thence eastward to the
river Yenesei. 1t was not until 1880
that party reached the mouth of the
Lena, and then not by sea, but by
sledges overland. By similar means
the river Kolima was reached in 1914.
Then the spirit of discovery slum-
bered until it revived under Peter the
Great. Under this energetic sovereign
the celebrated Dane, Vitas Behring,
entered the Russian service. He made
several Arctic voyages with but trifiing
results, but in 1928 he began an over
land survey of the northeast coast of
Siberia, in which he penetrated to the
eastern extremity Of Asia, East cape,
and looked eastward over the broad
straits that now bear his name.
Through such means as these the
general outline of the Arctic shores of
Europe and Asia became tolerably well
known to geographers before Nordens-
kiold set out, but no voyager had ever
sailed the length of this entire coast,
and many disbelieved that such O feat
was possible, until now the triumph of
this renowned scientist and navigator
puts an end to doubt and ranks him
with the immortal Columbus and Vasco
de CANA.
In June, 1875, Prof. Nordenskjold,
under the aus ices of that enterprising
merchant, Oscar Dickson, of Gothen-
burg, made an exploring and trading
voyage to the mouth of the Yenesei
Such were the results of this able nav1-
gators previous experience and study
of the seasons and currents of these
seas, that he astonished all Europe by
making the voyage from North cape to
Nova Zembla in six days: halted to
make three explorations of the interior
of that island; crossed the dreadful Sea
of Kara with comparative ease, and an
chored in the mouth Of the Yenesei
Aug Is. On the return his vessel made
the voyage from that distant, hyper
borean river to Hammerfest, Norway, in
only ten days.
Again, in 1876, leaving Tromsoe on
the 25th of July, he reached Nova
Zembla in less than five days, and, af-
ter some delay in the Karasea, anchored
at the mouth of the Yenesei on the an
niversary of the day he had reac he'd
there in the year before; this time only
twenty days from Tromsoe. He dis
posed of his cargo at fair profit, and,
after eighteen days in harbor, returned
to Hammerfest within seven weeks OF
his setting forth.
Emboldened by success, he applied
to King Oscar, of Sweden and Norway
himself one of the greatest geographers
of the age, for assistance to make @
more extended voyage. The King and
Mr.. Alexander Sibiriakoff contributed
$4,000, to which his old patron, Mr.
Dickson, added 912,000, and, on July
4, 1878, the gallant explorer turned his
prov into the fierce face of the Arctic
to win, if possible, for this nineteenth
century the honor sought in vain by
the centuries gone by. This time he
was provided with a steam whaling yes
sci, the Vega, and accompanied by 6
large staff of navy and scientific officers
detached from the service of various
European countries, all eager to have 8
share in the discoveries of this remark
able Captain. They left Tromsoe July
%; reached the Yenesei Aug. 6; rested
there three days, then boldly ventured
around the dreaded North cape of Asia
never rounded by sailing craft before
and came to anchor in the mouth of the
far-off Lena on Aug 27. The goot
news filed the heart of every geogra
pher in all lands with rejoicings, and con
gratulations to King Oscar and Mr.
Dickson poured in from every cour
and scientific academy in Europe ant
America.