, 1882-11-18
International C~irCumpOIar
Exploration.
from the Tunes. J

have had considerable difficulty in taking
up the position assigned to them. On
her second attempt to reach Jan Mayen
the Pola sighted the island on the 9th OF
June, but it was surrounded by q belt OF
ice from Is to 30 miles broad, and it was
not until the 18th of July that anchorage
was at last found between two grounded
lcebergs in Mary Bay. The building and
stores of the expedition were landed with
all possible despatch, but the Pola was
three times obliged to stand out to sea TO
avoid the drifting masses OF ice. The sta-
ton is situated on the a~o-called lsthmus
which connects the north and south parts
of the island, forming q valley, through
which runs q glacier stream. Its approx
innate position is in II deg. n, lat. 90
E. long. The valley has been named alter
Count Wilczek. Regular observations COM
menced on the 7th August. FOgs and rain
prevailed from the beginning OF July to the
middle of August, and the thermometer sell
dom rose above 3 deg. Celsius, and occasional
ly fell below freezing point. Before the PoIa
sailed, an attempt was made to ascend the
remarkable volcanic peak of Beeren berg,
but after nine hours hard toll, the party
were compelled to give 1t M, having only
attained on altitude of 5,000ft. Hot sui
phnrous steam was Issuing from assures
in the sides of the mountain, and extensive
LAYERS of lava were found, while some OF
the party maintain that they heard
So bterraneous rumblings at Brlelle Tow
er some ruined huts were seen, and ludg'
ing from the remains found in them, it Is pos
sible that they were huilt by the untortu-
nate Dutch cOlOnists who attempted to form
a whaling settlement on the island in 1880.
The Po!a left Jan Maver on the 10th OF
August and arrived ut Leith on the gath
of the same month. Count WlIczek IN
tends to go with her next year to bring
the expedition home. Captain Palander
states, in the detailed report OF his proceed
ingo. that after landing the Swedish eX'
petition and the dsp0t Of provisions sent
by Mr.. Oscar Dickson for the relief OF Mr..
Leigh Smith and his crew, in the event OF
their coming out by Spitzbergen, he pro
ceeipd to Green Harbour, where ne pick
ed up the Captain and three men belong
inc to a Norwegian sloop which had been
crushed by the Ice and sunk in Stor Flord'
The captain OF the Danish steamer Vito,
WnlCn TOOK y parry Va to"' Sc ~ ~
bergen, informed Captain Palander that be
had also made several attempts to reach
Mossel Bay, but could not get beyond the
Norway islands. On the 9Th OF August
the ice was in the same condition as on
the ooh July, when the Swedish gun
boat made q foaI effort to pass Amster-
dam Island before it was decided to land
the expedition at Cape Thordsen. News
was received from the United States cir
cumpoIar station ut Point Barrow in AIMS
ka as late as July 30. The staff, wh" had
passed the previous winter there, was re-
ported all safe, and working we'll.
Coal Al TIE CAPE.-A correspondent
writes: &c From the explorations set on
foot by the Cape Government, and recent
" reported upon, it would seem os though
the great SjOrmberg range OF mountains
contained an ind, finite amount OF coal,
and if it Proves to be of fairly good quail
ity aud obtainable uuder reasonable con
di,lous, the Cape Colony will not only be-
come Independent of imported supplies,
but will prubsbly deveIope a large field
of miuiug and metallic industries That
the Stormberg possessed coal beds has
long been known, and, indeed, they have