New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-02

ice foes toward the Asian coast, one Wrecheu
and the other abandoned There is still good
ground for believing that the Jeanette reached
Wrangel Land. The COrwin, following her
course so far as the records ran, approached
that mysterious coast a year ago without catch
ing glimpse of her, and now the news comes
that the attempt has been repeated and land
ing elected, but that no traces of the missing
steamer have been found. The coast was too
extensive to be thoroughly explored, and the
COrwn too fragile a craft to be detained IN
such dangerous waters, so that the evidence
that the Jeanette did not reach her first
destination is by no means conclusive She
may have wintered there and then headed
northward The presumption that she was
compelled to look elsewhere for winter quar-
tiers is, however, greatly strengthened by the
Corwin's fruitless search
While it was Lieutenant De Longs expecta-
ton that he would he able to skirt the eastern
edge of Wrangcl Land and winter there, it was
also his fixed determination to take advantage
of open water and to push northward. The
Corwin has deserted on this latest voyage an
open sea leading no one knows whittier, save in
the direction of the Pole. 1t is possible that the
Jeannette's commander was tempted by the
clear water to push ahead and to search for
harbOr in the unknown seas nearer to the Pole
If he succeeded in forcing an entrance and in
finding an anchorage beyond the horizon which
closes in apon Wrangcl Land, he would have
had the opportunities for exploration OF which
he was in quest SO open a season rs the pre-
sent one would. however, have enabled him to
set his face hOmcward and the CorwIn would
naturally have seen traces Of the Jeanette in
the vicinity of Herald Island. The safest conjec
ture that can be made under the circumstances
is that the little vessel was carried by the ice
toward the east, and that her commander, find
ing that it would be impossible to push north
has directed his energies 10 making his way to
the Atlantic. The fact that the Siberian coast
has been tolerably well explored this season
diininshcS the chance that the Jeanette was
swept away with the whllcrs and wrecked in
the quarter where they have been found. 1t is
certainly premature TO assume that the fate of
the Jcannrttr is already sealed by the Cor
wins disclosures.
Wrangcll Land, it must be borne in mind, is
n coast line Of undetermined extent The adj
miral whose name it bears never caught a
glimpse of il, but merely reported its existence
from statements made to him by natives Of
the mainland. Captain Hooper, of the Corwin,
who was so fortunate year ago as To APP
prolch It on very clear day, described it in
his official report a covering at "A distance OF
twenty five miles an arc of the horizon
of about fifty degrees. At the southern
extremity were three mountains appar-
rcntly 5000 feet high and entirely covered
with snow, while northward was chain Of
rounded hills gradually approaching the sea
level. II was Captain lIoopcr's opinion that
Wraugcll Land was a large island, and posi-
bly, one of a chain of islands passing entirely
through the Polar regions to Greenland. That
there are other islands lying north of it in the
direction Of the open water which he has
himself deserted this season there can
be- little doubt. 1t is possible, there
fore, that the Jeanette, while unable
to land in the quarter which has
been visited 10y Captain Hooper, wen, forward
beyond the reach of any relief ship, and that
she will yet rcappcar bearing tidngs of re-
markablc discoveries. The expedition under
Payer and Wcyprccht returned a few years
ago from the Far North after its existence had
been dc,paircd of. and although the ship had |
been lost very hiyh ATTITUDES had been reached, !
and an entirely new group OF islands and
stretch Of coast line explored.