St. Landry democrat., 1884-08-23
Arctic Exploration.


One important point in Arctic explor-
alton is emphasized by the history of
the Greedy party; that is, that the dan
gers of exploration have not been ma
terially diminished by modern improve
ments in navigation and equipment, or
modern knowledge of the peculiarities
Of the region TO be explored. 1t might
naturally be supposed that when steam
power had supplemented sails, iron
largely taken the place of wood, pre-
served food of all descriptions added to
the subsistence department, meteorO-
logical science REINFORCED the rude
guess-work Of former days, and the ac-
cumulated experience of many genera
tons of Arctic voyagers at the COM
mand of their latest successors, serious
disaster would be comparatively rare
at any rate, much more rare than when
Arctic YoYaging WAS in its infancy.
Yet the facts do not support this suppo-
sition. Making due allowance for the
larger number of persons engaged, there
has been a greater amount of suffering
and heavier loss of life in the last fifty
years than in the two hundred and fifty
preceding. The early explorers were
more fortunate than the latter have been.
Forbisher, Davis, Barentz, Hudson,
Behrirg, Baffin, and their associates,
paid less dearly for their discoveries
than those who have followed in their
tracks, from Franklin down to De Long
and Greedy. Yet the first venturers into
frozen seas had vessels far inferior in
size, quality and furnishings to the later
ones; and the inferiority in stores,
clothing. sanitary arrangements, sci
entifc knowledge and general col
lectiye experience, is simply incalcula-
bic. Ships which then were thought fit
to brave the worst Arctic perils would
hardly be trusted now for a trip from
New York to Newfoundland; while the
men who embarked in them had far
less protection against weather, disease
and accident of all sorts, than is now
deemed indispensable for trip around
Cape Horn. Yet ships and crew seem
to have accomplished more and Jared
better than those employed in the same
business at the present time. Ofcourse
later explorers have pushed farther
north than did the earlier, thereby in
creasing the hazard, but the difference
of few degrees of latitude will scarcely
balance or explain the difference in cost
that cost which money cannot meas
ure
A still more important point ought to
be sharpened by the sad outcome of the
Greedy expedition; which is that, now
adays at least, Arctic exploration is not
worth the price it demands, or the half
of that price. Perhaps the earlier ex-
plorers may have balanced the profit
and loss account, but the latter have
fallen far short of so doing. From
1S45, when Franklin sailed on his last
and fatal voyage, until 1884. when
Greedy and his five comrades escape to
tell tale of horror. the sum total OF
substantial results is insignificant. Of
really valuable knowledge we have no
more now than chen. The world is
very little wiser, and certainly no hap
pier or better, for all that has been
done in the Arctic basin in these last
forty years of almost uninterrupted
effort. The scientific data obtained are
of no consequence whatever to anybody
except those scientific cranks to whom
the height of Arctic icebergs and the
depth Of Arctic SHOWS, and the possible
locality of an open polar sea and the
possible finding of new bit of polar
land, are matters of supreme interest.
In short, we know now enough about
Arctic regions not to want to know any
more; and it is to be hoped that hereaf-
ter other nations may enjoy monopo-
iy of this miserable Quixotism. The
lesson of De Long and Greedy ought to
cpre Americans at least of all Arctic
ambition in the future. LOuSs Globe
Democrat.