Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-28

GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIoN-THE UNKNOWN
BLANK AROUND THE PoLE-soLvrNG THE ARCTIC
The departure OF the American expedition
from San Francisco for the Arctic regions, which
takes place In q few days, gives local interest
10 the subject OF geographicalexploration The
area OF the earths surface remaining unex-
plered Is not great Summed up, IT embraces
portion of Central Africa. Central and North
ern Australia, New Guinea and the vicinity OF
me Poles. The explorations OF Livingstone and
STANLEY have narrowed down the area of the
uneAplored region In Central Africa to a very
small compass, and what was less than half a
century ago supposed to be In great measure
an ard aud unproductive desert we now know
10 De wen watered fertile and densely popu-
ia.ed: Inc absence Of water and vegetation
mas baflied all attempts thus far made to ex-
plore the interior OF Australia That region is
Just about as little known now as it was at the
time OF the discovery OF gold ia Victoria and
New South Wales But little progress has been
made during the last half century In Arctic ex-
ploration. Latitude SO deg. 26 min is the north
ernmost point reached thus far by any ex-
plorer. This leaves an unknown blank sur
rounding the North Pole, which at the mar.
roweSt point is about eight hundred miles
across The mission OF the Jeanette expedf-
tion, like that OF similar expeditions which
have preceded 1t, Is TO ascertain. IL possible.
what this unknown region is. One OF the most
satisfactory OF all recent Polar expeditions has
been that sent out by the Swedish government
In charge OF Professor Nordensjold The steam
ship Vega, In which the expedition sailed. was
few days ago reported to have finished the
"
and Asia; and she is now ploughing her way
through the China seas homeward bound to
complete the clrcumnavigation of the two con-
t1nentS. But the highest latitude reached by
the Vega was only u deg. 40 min.
The Jeanette win carry the first strictly
Polar expedition, setting out from the Pacific
and attempting to push forward to the North
Pole by the way OF Behrtng Strait. According
to Lieutenant De Long no vessel has penetrated
further north through Behring Strait than lati-
tude Il deg. Beyond that parallel the explorers
Will encounter an unknown region. A branch
OF the Kur0 Shiwo, or japanese Warm Stream
Is known TO enter the Arctic Sea through Behr-
Ing Strait, and 1t Is believed that IL emerges on
the other side OF the continent through Baff1us
Bay. The drift OF ice Is consequently north
ward on this side, while 1t sets to the south on
the other side. Whether this will be an ele-
ment Of danger to the expedition or whether it
Will help 1t In the solution OF the Arctic problem
remains to be seen. 1t has been regarded by
Arctic explorers hitherto as an element of dan
ger, as 1t practically cuts on the retreat in case
OF any accident to the ship which may compel
the party to take TO the ice.
The California Academy OF Sciences last even
ing held meeting for the consideration OF the
Arctic problem, at which Lieutenant De Long.
commander OF the Jeanette, and other men,
bers OF the expedition were present as invited
guests. The academy expected these gentle
men would unfold their plans, but In this re-
spect it was disappointed. Whatever these
plans are circumstances may arise necessitating
material revision of them or even their total
aoanoonment. The expedition starts, however
with the beneht OF the experience OF all other
expeditions In the Polar regions to guide II,
| abundance Of money to back It and the PRESTIGE
OF government direction. Even II the expedi-
ton fall to reach the North Pole-the goal OF
| every Arctic explorers ambit1on-it win no
doubt add something to geographical lore and
tory for future geographical exploratlon.-[San
| Francisco Bulletin, June IL