The New York herald., 1879-11-16
THE ARCTIC MYSTERY.
What the Ancients Knew of
the Frozen North.
THE IIALOES OF THE GODS


steadily to the West and the North. Tho westward
line of activity and discovery has now become .
circle. betting the earth. All mundane questions are
answered or in hand for solution along the three
central zones. The poles alono now reserve their
mysteries for the greatest OF all physical endeavor
to reach and reveal. Every high quality in mans
constitution is demanded in the work that shall
complete our knowledge OF the world We live on.
The polar regions now, as Tor ages past. tho
hcld of unfinished research and adventure Will the
indomitable energy and effort OF our age conquer
the terrible difficulties and break through the
obstacles barring complete knowledge OF the
North lands and Antarctic regions of the world?
glance at some Of the ancient voyages and later
discoveries toward the North Pole. such may not
be generally well known. will doubtless be of inter-
est. The sea does not begin where we. standing
upon the shore. seem first to behold ships faint
and partial appearance at the distant horizon. The
hlmy and almost ipdistingushabo trace Of tho far
away sails and then the blur of the rising hull
the eye the myths and traditions of the worlds
prehistoric period to the observers mind.
- ANCIENT IDEAS OF THE ARCTIC. fa
There il period with underlined beginning
crowned by the Aomeric age, when the people about
the sasery parts Of the Mediterranean possessed
considerable knowledge of the northern seas and
lands Of Europe That age is semi mi-historic and Is
Immediately Succeeded by one atfording clearer
corded expressions Of geographical know wledge some
recorded by poet relate especially the norherly
parts Of the world. Fragments Of the carly accounts
are clearly authentic These and later statements
by other writer's will be noticed In the Hebrew
Scriptures usaiah xiv) the idea is expressed that
heaven, the mount Of the Lord is situated in the
North. The Greeks believed the Internal regions
were located in the remotest North Men have
thought they found both there-heaven in the sub
lime scenery and the glory and beauty Of the Arctic
summer and the very gates Of the pit in the dark
moss and storm and bitterness Of the polar winter
The Ph9nioans who founded Tyre and Sidon on the
eastern shore Of the Mediterranean were the boldest
known nsvigstors Of ancient times. They were the
founders OF Carthage. where many remarkable mari
time enterprises were projected. Cadiz. in Spain,
was the seat of Of their colonies about thou
sand years before the Christian At that time
the Phenicisns had attained vast opuence by their
commercial enterprise. They overran much Of the
world by land and for trade land in piracy) as
the Northmen in later ages overran Europe for the
plundering Of cities. Ph1ncians the pilots of
all Egyptian ships and taught the Greeks the art of
extended navigation. That tho Phenician sailors
were semi-pirates may be inferred from Homer's
declaration OF their doing all iniquiy to
men," These explorers were probably the nrst dis
eoverers OF Great Britain. Their policy was gon-
orally of secrecy to the locality Of the most
profitable islands and countries. Homer both poet
and geographer. gives some very marked points of
khewledRe Of the condition Of the Arctic sens and
lands. This knowledge probably derived in great
part from the Phnnicians He considered the ocean
river. and 1t is not unlikely. from report of the
great currents that sweep through parts then known
10 the PhUnicians and 1t may be. tho Greeks. Ho-
mers relation Of the ends OF the Ocean, where
the Cmmerians lived in gloom. where the sun was
not to set rise (the sun during the
Arctic summer appears to sweep around above the
horizon). indicates the possession of knowledge of
the long nights Of very high stitudes. The parcte
or wandering rocks of the that he mentions
were simply lcebergs. That Homer should rate the
polar the internal regions seem excusabe to
many Northern explorer. Superficial critics of the
Homeric voyages should remember the length of the
Arctic day. The old bard understood something of
the geographical truths told in his story of Ulysses
though the facts were clothed In such poetic gar
mcnts to be unacceptable by most people in
lister times.
THE ARooNAUTs.
The ancient tale OF the Argonauts. of possibly
later date than the age of Homer. and bearing the
name of Orpheus, affords some striking evidence of
the possession by the writer of considerable knowl
edge of the northern and lands. Few scholars
doubt the reality Of the Argonautic expedition.
Many Of the statements made in the relation geo.
hits Of imagnation-they too peculiar to be
truths reached by guessing. The Araonauts (who
probably used boats of hides and carried their light
and portable craft interrupting land spaces
arp said to have reached gulf (the Baltic).
extending to the Cronian Ocean. Thoy passed
forth by rowing nine days and nights to tho Cronan
Sea the at tho west Of Norway which stretched
along beyond the Riphesn Mountains. (These were
probably the great range between Norway and
Sweden.) They visited tho Macrobians, u people
noted for longevity. The inhabitants Of Central
Norway are famous for longevity in the present
age. and have been from time immemorial accord
ing TO Gothic history. The expedition next reached
the "Poople of Dreams" Many Of the lap
lsnders have from the earliest times been
vision Some singular instances are re-
listed by travellers there in the sixteenth GEN.
tury. The Cimmerians lived beyond tho dream.
ers, and the approach to the internal regions was
near Ut hand. The polar ice. snow and darkness
were naturally supposed to be pretty near tho point
where extremes meet. Turning away from this
awful country. the Argonauts. with favoring winds.
ssiled into tho of tho west. passing Iorne
(Hibernia). their way to tho Pillars OF Hercules
tthe Straits of dibratar). The strange darkness OF
the far North believed to be caused somehow by
the peculiar shadows OF great mountains. Tho
darkness of tho Arctic night. hovcring
the North, led the voyagcrs OF ancient
ttmes to believe that all the farthest parts
OF the ocean shrouded in gloom; hence the old
notion that the Atlantic ut tho west of the Pillars of
Hercules far away u OF darkness. Even into
the latter part of the Middle Ages this idea OF the
western Sea Of Darkness prevailed among geog-
graphers and navigators. Herodotus. called tho
"Father Of History" hearing at least four hundred
and forty-6ve years before the Christian of the
long nights at the Polo. could not believe that the
people there could sloep for six months.
THULE
Pytheas, q distinguished Greek navigator. who
lived at Marscies. in France. when 1t was the seat
Of aourishing Greek colony. about 800 Il. e., was
perhaps tho earliest known navigator OF the North
seas whose voyage is now generally accepted
mainly genuine. Pythcas sailed to Ai.aonn tAlbion,
tho White Land from its chalk clfs) and six days
sail beyond the farthcst part thereof he reached