National Republican., 1881-10-29
rowARp rnE noRrH POLE.
A Washington Boy's Experience In the
Arctic Regions.

Very interesting letters have been re-
ceived here from Sergeant William II. Cross, Signal
Corps, United States army, who is n member OF the
Arctic observing expedition, which went to Lady
franklin Bay, Smiths Sound, under command Of
Lieutenant Adolphus w. Greedy, Filth Cavalry,
from which the following extracts are taken;
Under date Of July II he writes from Godhaven,
Leively harbor, Island of Disko, Greenland as fol-
lows; ave arrived here at half-past nine p m.
yesterday, well and in good spirits, We left 81.
Johns, Newfoundland, July 7, and
HAD STORMY PASSAGE
OF over nine days without mishaps or sickness
other than seasickness. This is small place.
having but few whites among the population OF
about two hundred and these are the Danish Of
fcials, chief Of whom is Herr Karup smidt who is
the iefinspector Of all the Danish settlements
Tor Esquimaux) and halfb breeds. We leave mere
in few days for the North. This is the last place
we will see civilized human beings except our,
selves. There Is no darkness now here, as the sun
is below the northern horizon only about half an
hour each night, but the time II is hidden IN.
creases about fifteen minutes each night We VII VIII
tinuousy in sight, and if we reach Lady FRANKLIN
Bay this season continual day will last until Octo;
Der, after which the days will grow shorter until
total night set In for four months"
A LATE LETTER IL DATED AUGUST 4,
ten p. m, in Smiths Sound, and says: I'VE arc
now just twenty miles from Lady Franklin Bay,
and IL i does not get foggy We Will reach Sh our
left Upernavik, Greenland, which is the most
northerly point inhabitnted in the world" THE
Sergeant Is in error in this, us there Is u Danish
further north than Upernavik, at the southern end
OF Melville Bay.-Ed
ON JULY so WE KILLED
large Polar bear, which we found ON an iceberg,
and which weighed between eight hundred ana
nine hundred pounds. The next day we killed n
very large harp seal that was on some noe lce.
thrnnS she usy & ~ was very y iPIesy Ie mgw T W. we
stopped at the Carey Islands, aud examined o
cache Of provisions and u whale-b boat which was
left there In 1876 by Captain Mares, the British e&.
plorer. The provisions and boat were IN good
condition, but nothing was disturbed. While on
shore we killed n number of fine ducks. August .
we passed Littleton Island, aud Just north OF u
anchored aud put on shore eight tons of coal. we
found and examined the cache left here by Cap
tain Mares, rs also that
LEFT ny THE PoLARis PEOPLE,
Of articles they could not bring away III 1878, and
which was not found by the Tigrcss In August Of
that year. Everything OF the POlufis was brought
on board. The articles comprised machinery
navigation Instruments books &c. While OH LIT
Teton Island we secured large supply of ducks
August we stopped at Cape Walker, Washington
Irving Island, and took on board boat ana soin'
supplies cached by Captain Mares in 1876. Ih'
fog was very heavy all the afternoon aud night
August we made cache OF provisions q
Caledonia Bay in case we should have 10 retreat II
our small boats i'll 1888.
WE HAVE SEEM PLENTY OF IcEBERGs,
some Of them very large the size of the Capitol
and plenty of shore and houting ice, but have ~
yet run into no solid Ice; yet they say that smith
Sound WIS never known before 10 be so free IRON
obstruction, and take 1t all IN all, we have don't
much better than we expected. IL y. M, Angus
4-Great excitement IL shown on board. We ar
now only tilecn miles from our destination III Lad!
Franklin Bay, and pretty clear field (of ice) Il
run through. All hands arc well and In goot
spirits AT midnight we struck an ice field abou
eight miles from where
WE WILL BUILD Our HOUSE
The ice extends rs far We can see, and Is from
seven to fifteen feet thick. We butted at II with
out success for several hours. August 5-Dl!
opened cold and foggy. The ice began TO breal
up and move Off to the southwark, taking the Pro
teus with IL, and we had hard work TO keep tn
ship from getting npped. From that time TO th
night of August 10 we foated about thirty iiv
miles TO the southwark. August II passed clea
and cold, with heavy gale blowing from tn
| southeast. At nine II. m channel opene'
| through the foe, and we steamed for Lady Frank
| lin Bay again, and at three p. m. got within tel
| miles OF the beach in Discovery Harbor. w
| will build one house here,
AND OPERATE FURTHER NORTH
by sledges. A hunting party went on shore here
and succeeded in killing fourteen musk oxei
weighing on an average about five hundre
pounds. We found the winter quarters of ii. ]
| Stephens, of the Discovery, in 1876, and twenty
II to IS were engaged in unloading ship and build
the Proteus sailed for St. Johns, Newfoundland