The morning call., 1891-11-03
NORTHERN EXPLORATION.

Professor Israel Russell. whose safe re-
turn from journey of exploration in the
st. Elias Alps THE CALL had lately the
pleasure of recording, was only one of sew
eral explorers who spent last summer in
endeavors to extend our knowledge of the
frozen country of the Northwest, and now
the Eastern papers report the return of two
other exploring expeditions, which under
took last spring to perform like service
for the Northeast The Pacific Coast par
ties devoted their attention to Southern
Alaska; one only. that which was led by
Mr.. Turner. followed the meridian Of 14lo,
which is the international, boundary, to the
Arctic Ocean. The Atlantic Coast travel
ers concentrated their attention on Southern
Labrador, and more particularly on the
country which is drained by the great Ham,
ilton River Both parties accomplished their
objects, at least in part. Though Professor
Russell failed, as Schwatka had done in
1856. to scale Mount st. Elias, he has brought
back much valuable Information respecting
the range, whose top constitutes the inter
national boundary as far as the one hun
bred and forty-first meridian, and Professor
kenarton has seen and photographed the
hamilton Falls, which are twice as high as
Niagara, and are said to constitute the only
rival in the world to the cataract of the
Zambesi.
In such inhOspitabe regions, where the
earth refuses TO render its increase, though
its surface is almost impenetrable to the
traveller. the march of exploration is neces-
sarly slow. Since Schwatka first descended
the Yukon many yeaA have elapsed, but
our knowledge of the interior of Alaska is
but little wider than it was then. The re-
cent expeditions, of which there have been
dozen, more or less, have introduced us to
the rivers south of the YukOn-tbe Stkine,
the Copper, the kustokwin, and a few
others; explorers have broken down the
barrier which the Chilcat Indians interposed
to the penetration of the interior Of the
southern portion of the territory. There is
no difficulty now in ascending the Yukon to
its junction with the Porcupine and the
Pelly; but, after all, the territory opened
up by these travels bears very small pro-
portion to the whole area of Alaska.
All that vast tract lying north of the
Yukon and west of 1912 of longitude
is an unknown country, and has
never been trodden by the foot of white
men. 1t was only from Mr. Turner's re-
port that we learned of the Davidson
Range crossing the Territory from east to
west, about 100 miles from the Arctic
Ocean, and Of the ever-frozen swamps be-
tween those mountains and the ocean,
which are a continuation of the tundra of
Siberia. All this country is virgin field
for the explorer.
Labrador, which is very nearly as large
as Alaska, is equally unknown. A few ex-
petitions into the interior, conducted BY
HudsUn's Bay Company voyagers. are al
most the only attempts that have been
made to penetrate its solitudes. 1t is only
five years since Lake Mistassini, which is
the largest body of fresh water north of the
great lakes, was surveyed; last summer Tor
the first time boats navigated Hamilton
River
III autilitarian point of view these explora-
tons are not likely to yield profitable re-
suits. Neither Alaska nor Labrador is
actually destitute Of resources; both pos
sesS fisheries. mines and forests of valu-
able timber; the cost and difficulty of ex-
plotting those resources will, however, prob
ably prevent any serious attempts to turn
them 10 account. But in scientific point
of view both wildernesses may be studied
with profit. Like Greenland on the one
side and kamchatka on the other these icy
wastes contain the only remaining yestiges
of the glacial period Here was the last
home of the vast glaciers which once
covered this and other continents. How
recently these tremendous ice masses
shrouded the earth in these latitudes the
absence OF aluyial deposit proves. The
rocks are bare; it is only in the few val
eys that any trace of alluvial soil is found.
The rivers still continue to discharge into
the ocean water which was derived from
the melting OF glaciers; there is so much of
il that in Behring Sea. ten miles from the
mouth Of the Yukon, the passing whaler is
surprised to find that the water is fresh.
In both territories the soil is profusely
strewed with powders which the glaciers
picked up in their northward march and
deposited in melting. 1t is not at all un-
reasonable to indulge hope that study of
Labrador and Alaska may shed upon The
theory of the Ice Age light which it sorely