New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-07
GREENLAND STILL UNCONQUERED.

| The result OF Dr. Frthiof Nanscns Greenland
exploring expedition Is distinctly disappointing
and dscouraging. That he and his brave com
rides accomplished their journey In safety is of
course cause for rejoicing But 1t is evident that
their toll has added scarcely anything to the
worlds knowledge OF Greenland, while the diff
cuties they encountered will probably deter 9th
ers from seeking further to penetrate the mys-
terics of that frozen continent. We must wait
until their return to Bergen, next summer, for a
detailed account of their observations but the
brief report already received from DR.. Nansen at
Godthaab, where they are spending the winter,
shows to what small and unimportant district
their explorations were limited
As has already been related, the adventures
were put ashore by the Norwegian sealer the
Jason on July II last. In fact, they were put
into boats several miles from the shore, as close
in, however, as the ship could go on account Of
the ice They expected to reach the shore the
next day, probably near Kioge Bay, below Cape
Dan. But in this they were sorely disappointed.
Screwing ice and maelstroms and impossible ice
kept them off, while resistless current bore
them seward and southwark. Often they were
in the greatest peril of being wrecked in the
breakers or crushed in the ice. After twelve
days Of drifting they made landing at AneretoIS
Fiord, near the southern extremity Of Greenland,
in about 81 degrees north latitude They made
their way along the coast little further north,
TO Umnk and from that point struck inland on
their snowshoes, abandoning their boats alto
gethcr. Sllirting the northeast slopes Of Mount
Niviar, they at first directed their course toward
Christianshaab, the western coast Such
were the difficulties of travel, however, and so
slow was their progress, that they saw it would
be impossible to reach that port before the de-
parture of the last ship of the season for Europe
They consequently turned toward Godthaab, O
point much further south
After altering their course, they tramped over
miles of icc-felds hitherto untrodden by man.
But they were exactly like the ice-felds nearer
the coast, which have often been explored. The
highest altitude attained was 100 900 feet at
which point the temperature was So degrees be-
low Zero Fahrenheit For several weeks they
struggled across a plateau moro than 5000 feet
high, over loose snow and amid terrible storms
In the latter part Of September they reached the
west coast, little above Godthaab, and on Octo-
Der they reached that port, just too late to get
aboard the last ship of the year for home In
all this journey they appear to have discovered
nothing new and to have gained no data on
which 10 base a more substantial theory as to
the character Of the Greenland Continent or or
chipelago or whatever it may be.
They endured great hardships, praved great
perils and put forth great exertons; for whnt3
Merely TO cross the narrow southern point OF
Greenland from King Frederick WIS Land through
the Southern Inspectorate to the shore of Davis
Strait. On the map they do not appear to have
tra> elled more than $50 miles nor at any point
TO have gone more than hundred miles from the
coast That is not exploring Greenland, any more
than a tramp across Cape Colony would be ex-
ploring Africa. Their highest latitude was be-
low the 65th parallel and far south Of the Arctic
Circle He who thoroughly explores Greenland
must land or the Liverpool Coast or King Will
Jams Land, and make his way past Mount Peter
mann through the heart Of the country to Uper-
nayik. or at least to Disco Island That may
never be done. The difficulties met with by Dr.
Nanscn are sufficient to discourage the boldest
from attempting it. But until it is done the
Sahara of the North" will remain sealed book
to mankind.