Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-11-27

them% I mention this not to prove
that Wrangle Land is not inhabited, but
to show if the arctic exploring steamer
Jeanette has been fortunate enough to
reach that country, as we have reason tO
suppose and to hope, she is the first to
do so, and her brave officers and crew
should have credit for it. Wrangle him
self did not even see this land. He made
his report of its existence from in
formation obtained from the natives at
Cape JOchan that on very clear days the
tops of high mountains could be seen
to the nOrthward. | am of the opinion
that Wrangell Land is a large island
possibly one of the chain that passes en-.
tirely through the polar reginS to Green.
land. That there is other land to the
nOrthward there can be no doubt.
| A CONTINENT IN THE ARCTIC.
Large number of geese and other
aquatic birds pass Point Barrow going
north in spring and returning i'm Aug.
ust and September with their young. As
it is well known that these birds breed
on land this fact must alone be regard
ed as proof positive of the eXistance OF
land in the north. Another reason fol
suppOsing that there is either CONT.
nent or chain Of islands passing through
the polar regions is the fact that not
withstanding the vast amount of heat
diffused by the warm current passing
through Behring's Straits the icy bar.
rier is from 615 to 8 degrees further
south on this side than on the Green.
land side of the Arctic Ocean, where the
temperature is much lower. The Tchu
ckchiet have a number of legends in re-
gard to some of these people having left
the mainland and crossed over the ice tC
a great land" further north; also OF
herds of reindeer having crossed Ovel
from the north. There may or may not
be foundation for these legends. AS al
ready stated, the nearest point of this
land was fully twenty-five miles within
the ice-pack, and as the pew ice had al
ready commenced to form and there
appeared no possibility of reaching it
even to remain in sight of it was to eX.
pose the vessel to great danger of becOm
ing embayed in the ice, as the large
quantity of drift ice which lay outside
of us was likely to close in at any time
and compel us to remain in the pack al
winter We therefore worked out tC
clear water and headed to eastward un-
der steam and sail.
| THE MISSING WHALERS.
Having visited every part of the arctic
that was possible for vessel to reach
penetrating the icy regions in all direc
tiOns fifty to one hundred miles further
than any vessel succeeded in doing last
year, without. being able to find the
slightest trace or gain the last tidlngs
of the missing whalers, we were forced
to the conclusion that they had beer
crushed and carried north i'm the pack
and that their crews had perished. Had
any of them survived the winter it seems
almost certain that they would have been
found, either by the ''COrwin" or by some
lof tsie whalers, all of whom were OH tht
lookout for them during the summer. Ii
was thought possible that crews might
have escaped over the ice and reached
Herald Island. but sight of the per
pendicular sides of that most inhOspit-
able looking place soon banished even
this small hope.
The report goes on to argue that the
Jeannette, although not heard from, is
safe, and expresses no fear for the safety
of the crew, as they could easily reach
the main land should they abandon the
vessel.