New-York tribune., 1881-11-20

the interior commanding broad prospect
porthward he saw nothing but Ice ID thaC Ill
rection. and on resuming his voyage III the
supposed track of the Jeanette, he loullu
dense, impenetrable pack, with SMOOTH uh-
broken field ice beyond as far as the eye
could reach.n Instead of tragersing an open
Goa north of Wrangell Island he met with
masses of solid ice which effectually Diockeo
his passage in latitude 730 AS. he0uin-
ing to the island and steering in a nortn-
westerly direction, he reached nearly as hiEn
latitude on q meridian about eight degrees "es'
of his previous longitude, and nowhere was
there any break in the outer edge OF the SIeaV
mack. He describes the ice as beng tWo or
three feet out of the water, and as forlolng uh-
broken fields miles in extent There were no
signs of land, the water invariably deepening
as he went north aud the lee formed an III
superable barrier, shutting off approach 10 the
Pole.
What then. are the bearings Of Lieutenant
Berrys recent experience upon the Dr0DaDle 'ate
of the ,Jeanrette7 The Rodgers encountered
the pack on September IS, after completing
the exploration of Wrangel island. The
Jeanette was last seen heading for the same
shore on September 9, 1879 TIE two yes
sells were i'm the same waters during CORE
spending months of the year, the Rodgers hay
inc the advantage of an exceedingly open sea-
son. Consequently, the natural inference would
be that the Jeannette did not find open water
north Of Herald Island, but the same dense pack
which blocked the course of the Rodgers.
There is no reason 10 think that she was eX-
ceptionally favored by the condition OF the
ice or by any "leaGs Of open water. Inc
fact that she did not effect landing at either
Wrangel or Herald Island indicates that those
shores were wholly inaccessible during that sea-
son. If they could have been approached with
only the same difficulty then they have been this
wear. the Rodgers would certainly have found
traces of Lieutenant De Longs expedition,
for it was his determination to ez-
plore those unknown coasts The inherent
probabilities of the case point TO the conclu-
sion that the Jeanette, finding it impossible
TO pat a boats crew on shore, pushed ahead
until she met the pack. The chance Of her
having forced her way throu gh and found open
water further north has been senslbly dlmin-
ished by the experience Of the Rodgers.
If the Jeanette was shut ina fate which
the Rodgers at one time narrowly escaped
she would have been at Che mercy oil the
Arctic currents Lieutenant Berry is unwilling
to hazard conjecture in regard TO the dlrec-
ton in which she would have drfted. There
Is, however. a strong probability that the ice
woull have moved toward the Arctic archl-
pelago north Of the American Continent. Let
Ms suppose, however, that the Jeanette had an
experience similar to than of the Rodgcrs-tAat
being unable to 20 through, she skirted tie
edge of the paci, for long distance west OF
the Bchlinc strait meridian, and returning TO
WrugcH Island again found it impossible to
effect a landing. What woull have been
her commanders natural course Fooled
in tie attempt to winter Ola that mo
Iidiau or 50 push directly north, would
ne not have headed for the pack again.
and following it eastward, have looked for
winter quarters among the Parry Islands
From that quarter he might have hoped to
reach higher attitudes another season, or in
amy event T. force his way iut0 Bailin's Bay
m exploit brilliant enough to fire any ex-
,lorel's ambition. Lieutenant Berry report,
therefore. only confirms Our suspicious that
the Jeannrttc may be in Melville Sound. \
daring Dundee whalrr easily approached the
head of that Sound during the last season, en-
tcriug Lancaster Sound from Bdilin'S Bay very
early in the season. 4 relic. expedition should,
therefore, be prepared to make rs early Il start
nc.t year.