Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-10-30
TIE NORDENsKJOLD EXPEDITION.
Through the Arctic to India--A Great Ge-
ographioaI Problem Solved.

the Chicago Journal, has at length
been solved Even before Columbus
set out to reach India by sailing west
ward, the thought Of discovering pass
aQe around Europe aud Asia, by sailing
to the north and east, had inspired moro
than one navigator 10 make attempts in
this direction.
While jubilant Americans were cele-
brating the Fourth of July, 1878, Prof,
Nordenskjold weighed anchor at
Gothenbnrg, and set forth 10 reach
Bchring 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 sll in
good health, had then arrived in Behr-
ing straits, and that after a brief stay
Prof Nordcnskiold would sail for Japan,
CHM and India, and return 10 Europe
win tho 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 endcavors.
There is evidence that Ms early as 800
of our era, bold Norway navigator
named Ochter sailed around the North
cape OF Europe aud eastward as far rs
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
End passage TO the East Indies, was
one directed to the same object by cir
COMMUNICATING Europe and Asia. He
was too old to accompany tho expcdi-
| ton, but il set forth, and ended in dis.
astcr.
Sir Hugh willoughby and Richard
/ Chancellor, under the auspices OF the
Muscoyy 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
I Stephen Burroughs, who pushed east
ward to the Kara sea, lying east Of Nova
/ Zcmbla.
Three vessels were sent ont by the
| Dutch in 1894. one Of which crossed the
/ Kara Ecn 10 the mouth OF the great 81.
| bcrian river Obi.
In the hitter part Of the sixteenth
century Russian navigators explored
! the northern coast Of Russia in1surope
| and Asia, sailing from Archangcl to the
/ Obi river, and thence eastward to the
! river Ycncsci. II was not until 1880
! that party reached the mouth of the
Lena, and then not by sea, but by
/ sledgcs overland. BY similar means
| the river Kolima was reached in 1914.
Then the spirit Of discovery slum.
bcred until il revived under Peter tho
Great. Under this energetic sovereign
/ the celebrated Dane, NitAs Behring,
entered the Russian service. lie 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, Las; cape,
and looked eastward over the broad
straits that now bear his name.
Through such means as these tho
| general outline of the Arctic shores Of
! Europe and Asia became tolcrably well
known 10 geographeTs before NordenE-
/ kjold set out, but no yoyaRer had ever
/ sailed the length Of this entire coast
and many disbclicvcd that such a iea,
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 Nasco
/ de Cana.
In June, 1875. Prof Norlcnshjold,
under the ans ices Of that enterprising
/ merchant, Oscar Dickson. Of GoiLcu-
/ burg. made an exploring and trading
I voyage t. the mouth Of the Ycnesei.
/ Such were the results Of this able nnvi.
/ gators previous experience and study
/ Of tho seasons aud currents of these
scas that he astonishcd oil Europe by
making the voyage from North cape 20
Nova Zembla in six days: halted 10
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 Iencsei
Aug. 10. On the return his vessel made
the voyage from that distant, hyper.
borean river TO Hammerfes,, Norway, in
only ten days.
Again, in 1876. leaving Tromsoc 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 Yenesci on the an.
niversary Of the day he had rcaS he'd
there in The year before; this time only
twenty days from Tromsoc. 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.
Emboldcned hv 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 SibiriakofT contributed
es,000, TO which his old patron, Mr..
Dickson, added e12,00O, and, on July
4, 1873, the gallant explorer turned his
prov into the fierce face Of the Arctic,
10 win, il possible, for this nineteenth
century the honor sought in vain hg
the centuries gone by. This time he
was provided with n steam whaling YES.