The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-04

ancient ruins in Central America, Ameri-
can citizens who have the progress of geo.
graphical discovery at heart can use money
to advantage by subscribing in their indi-
vidual capacity.
The Nansen expedition, which will start
sometime in 1892, proposes to enter the
Arctic Ocean through Behring Straits, ana
to make for San Josef Land and SpltZoer-
gen. 1t is understood that the explorers
will sail in one small steam vessel. SO built
that it cannot be crushed by the Ice as the
Jeanette was, and yet CAPABLE OF contain
ing five years provisions for the crew. She
will not rely upon her steam except on &C.
casions of extreme peril. 1t would be I'M
possible to carry fuel enough for the pur-
nose. But Dr. Nansen is satisfied that by
hugging the shore he will strike the famous
Arctic current which enters the Arctic
through Behring Straits, and flows round
the north coasts of America on the one
hand and Siberia on the other, and Is
finally lost in Baffns Bay. The exist
ence of this current was known at the
beginning of this century; it was the
chief inducement to the persevering search
for a northwest passage. which cost so
many valuable lives. Its source is first the
Japan current and next the large rivers OF
North America and Siberia, which empty
into the Arctic Ocean. These discharge
vast bodies of water much higher in tenn
| perature that the ocean itself.
| Until lately it was not universally ad-
mitted that the current circumnavigated
| the northern boundaries of Asia and Amer
! lea. But the discovery on the coast of
| Greenland Of wreckage from the Jeanette
! proved that IL extended round the whole
| circle, while the capture in BaffinS Bay of
whales IN whose bodies were found bar
| poons which had been driven into them off
| Cape Barrow, confirmed the theory. 1t
made it plain that the Arctic Ocean is
vast whirlpool, in which the water inces-
! sanity revoVes, like the water in glass
| which is turned round and round, and that
| floating objects in that whirlpool are likely,
| sooner or later, to turn up, either on Mel
| vile Island, the Parry Islands or North
| Devon. off the North American coast, or on
| Prince Josef Land, off Siberia, or on Spltz-
/ bergen, off Archangel. To explore this
whirlpool successfully, nothing is required
except the capacity to keep afloat. That
Dr. Nansen thinks he can do in his tiny boat
which can neither be sunk nor crushed
In point of Importance TO geographical
discovery, his expedition will not compare
with the Antarctic expedition. We know
good deal about the Arctic world; per-
haps as much as it is useful to know. But
we know nothing whatever about the Ant
arctic continent, except til at it bears on its
! bosom volcanoes and mountains of ice. 1t
| appears, from the reports of the few trav-
| elers who have seen its inhospitable shores,
to be uninhabited. If it is, it is the only
uninhabted land on the globe. If it is inhab-
| tied, the inhabitants must be a race so diff
ferent from us that we can scarcely con-
ceive the conditions on which they live. 1t
is not to the credit of the nineteenth CEN
tury that the small sum required for the
| exploration of this unknown continent
should not have been sooner forthcoming;
especially as the gallant sailors and trav-
elers who offer to risk their lives in the
work of exploration and discovery are so
numerous.