The sun., 1879-01-12
A New Base for Arctic Exploration.

are exposed to a cruel risl; Of developing
some form Of mental derangement
A New Base for Arctic Exploration.
There is no doubt that most persons
Interested in the exploration Of the
unknown region about the North
Pole really experienced much di-appoinl-
mcnt at the results of the last British Arctic
expedition. 1t will be remembered that its
progress northward was checked 10y the for
midable ice which covered the ocean north
OF Greenland, into which Smiths Sound
leads The conclusion announced by Capt.
MARES, on his return, that no attempt to
reach the Pole over the ice OF this palrocry7-
tic sea could ever succeed, dctracted greatly
from the hopeful antcpations which might
otherwise have been inspired by the success
ofCOmmondcr A. II. MARKHAM in making his
way over the Ice huminocks OF that very
sea to the highest latitude ever known to
have been attained by man.
Whatever reasons may be most promi-
nenty put forward in urging Arctic explo-
ration upon the favorable consideration OF n
Govcrnmcnt. the real incentive is n desire
10 reach the North Pole. This was rccog-
nized 10y Capt. NA1Es himself in his first
despatch to England, containing the words,
"polc impracticable." But his expedition
left little to b. said in behalf of the Smiths
Sound route which English urvigators aud
gcographers had previously regarded a. the
most promising highway to the Pole; and
the relative advantages of other routes are
now being considered by students Of the
subject.
At the December meeting OF the Royal
/ Geographical Society OF England, when Lord
DUFFEkIS was installed "a President a new
base for future Polar discovery was pro-
posed by the wcll-kuown secretary, Mr.
/ CLEMENTS II. MARKHAM, +. i. s, brother
Of the officer who was second IN command
under Capt. MARES, and who led the -lcige
party that Went iurthest north. For the
present Mr.. MARKHAM would abandon all
attempts to proceed by Smiths Sound or the
Spitzbergen route, and would attack the
/ Pole from a point much further east. lie
recommends that the next systematic and
determined effort TO attain higher latitude
/ than has yet been reached be- made through
/ Franz-Ioseph Land, the new land north Of
/ Nova Zcmtla, which was discovered 10y the
/ Austro-uuuearian expedition Of 1924, under
Lieuts PAYER and WEYpHlcnr
The southern boundary Of Franz-Joseph
/ Land is close to the oJth parallel OF north
latitude. The country has been traced
thence northward, along sound which ap-
pears 10 separate 1t into two great dvis-
ions, Wiclek Land on the east and Zchy
Land ON the west. as tar as latitude SO
How much further II extends or whether it
Is Polar continent. or merely an agsrega-
| tiou Of large islands, we do not yet know.
. But the experience Of the Austro-Hungari-
ans indicates the possibility Of successful
navigation northward under the shelter Of
the western coast. The marine fauna OBJ
tanned IN this region aud the observed tenn
pcraturc OF the sea there tend To show that
tine adjacent waters are by no means al
ways ice bound. aud in a favorable season a
vessel pursuing the route proposed could
probably ind winter quarters in high
latitude. From that point slcige expo
ditons might bc sont ont in the directions
promising the best results.
Sevcgaldistiuguishcd Arctic explorers who
were present at the meeting expressed their
approval OF the views submitted by Mr.
MARKHAM Among them was Admiral Sir
LLoroLD McCLETocK, the discoverer Of the
fate Of Sir JouS FRANKLIN.
On the same occasion Mr.. MARKHAM
called the attention OF the Royal Geograph-
ical Society TO what is certainly the most
notable Arctic achievement OF the year 1878.
About the middle Of August last for the
first time In the history OF the world, ves-
sci doubled the most northcrly point OF
Asia. In the year 1872 this cape was reached
in sledges hy Lieut. CHELYCsKIN Of the Rus
sian service, whose name it st.ll bears. lie
doubled il on the ice but no vessel has ever
sailed around it until now. This success
was achieved by the Scandinavian cxpe-
diton from Europe TO Siberia under Prof
NoHDrNsEJOLD, the well-known naturalist
The diminished quantity OF ice encountered
along the coast OF Siberia is attributed 10
the high temperature Of the waters which
the northward flowing Siberian rivers pour
into the Arctic Ocean during the summer.