National Republican., 1884-04-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.


AMERICAN EXPLORATIONS IN THE ICE
ZONES. BY PRoF j. Il. NoURsE 4. S. n. Bos.
ton ID. lothrop Co.
No more entertaining book has been issued
from the press these many months than Prof.
j. Il. NOurse's American Explorations in
the Ice Zones" 1t was tho primary object
Of the author to present in o convenient and
condensed form tho history of the various
expeditions that have been made to the
circumpolar regions by officers of the United
States navy, but in doing this he has
covered the whole field of Arctic oxplora-
tion and has dono full justice to the
adventurous navigators of other nationalities
| who have sought to penetrate the mystery
that hangs over tho frozen zones. These
voyages of discovery cover o period Of more
than three hundred years, and many intelli-
| gent Americans will be surprised to learn
that an expedition to discover the
northwest passage sailed from Boston
as early as 1899. Benjamin Franklin,
whose philosophic and practical mind took In
almost every department of human effort, and
human activity was tho chief promoter of an
expedition which sailed in tho schooner Argo
from Philadelphia carly in 1853 with intent
to reach the Pacific ocean by way of the Arc
tic seas. The Argo never got much above
latitude 63o north. She made second voy-
age the following year with no better success
The schooner Diligence, which was fitted out
by Virginians, sailed from tho Chesapeake in
1772 to search for the northwest passage, and
got as far north as go IL.
Prof. Nourse goes back to tho great com.
mercial cause in which the dream of north
west passage had its origin. The discovery
of America made the Spanish and tho Portu-
guese masters of tho seas. They not only
claimed the newly.discovored lands, but ar
rogated to themselves the exclusive right to
navigate the oceans which washed thoirshores.
English ships which ventured to go to India by
sailing around the Cape of Good Hope were
liable to be captured. Tho science of 60.
ography was in its infancy thon, but the bold
navigators Of the northern maritime nations
readily came to the conclusion that the
higher the latitude tho shorter the
distance around the world. If they could
reach "Cathay" without crossing the equator
! they would not only escape tho Spanish
cruisers but would save great deal of time
in making the voyage. Martin Frobishei
was seized with mighty ambition to dis
|
wrote that he regarded this rs 'the only
, thing left undono i'll the world whereby
notable mind might bc made famous and for
tunate." We are accustomed to look bach
upon Frobsher's time as only few genera
! tions removed from the dark ages
, nevertheless he thought that nearl.
,, all tho possibilities of discover!
and invention had been exhausted
Coming down to our times, Prof. Nours
i gives an admirable sketch of Sir John Frank
/, Inns expedition, and of the successive OK
] pedtions that went in search of the lost ex
! plorer 1t is thirty years or more since Dl
J; Kane's account of his two voyages (the frs
as surgeon of the Grnnell expedition unde
Lieut.. De Haven, and the second as com
2 mander Of the Advance) was published, an
/. although the books made a great sensation a
I. the time they appeared, they have be
r como quite rare, and the generatio
that is fast crowding OFF the on
! to which Kane belonged knows bu
l little about his heroic achievements. Th
condensed narrative of the voyage of tn
, Advance in Prof Nourses book will reviy
:. interest in story which is peculiarly fasc
Q mating in all its details. Scarcely less inte
g. esting is the story of Capt. @. +. Halls tw
. expeditions in search of relics of the Franl
J, lin expedition. This narrative is particular
# rich in sketches Of the manners and custom
). of the people who manage to maintain exis
}, ence on the borders of the frozen land.
/; Greater portion of the book is devoted
i tho later expeditions to tho northern II
J. zone by officers of the United States nav
! which are still fresh in the public recole
&; tion, including tho Jeanette and the vesse
u u of the marine revenue service and the nav
9 which went in search of her-the Corwi
= , the Rodgers, and the Alliance. A chapter
i, given to Lieut.. SGhwatka's sledge journey
8 5000 miles across King William Land, an
!, also chapter to the cruise of the late Az
= miral Wilkes in the Antarctic circumpoli
d seas. The officers of the navy have done
/ great deal for the advancement of science /
i, their expeditions to tho frozen zones, and IL
IT story of their heroism and their achievement
a. a. is very pleasantly told in Prof. Nourse's boo
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