The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-01

this part, however important, can be fortu-
nately disposed of in the brief but strong
statement that no better commander could
probably be found. Baron Won Nordens-
kiold's past polar successes are such as
ought to create complete confidence tina:
all that human intelligence, tempered by .
wide experience can do. will certainly be
done to make the enterprise success.
As to the geographical results. think it
can be said that probably nothing Of any
great practical value (which is polite way
of saying there is no direct money in it,
will be accomplished beyond outlining
some unknown coasts and rectifying few
immaterial mistakes of previous explorers
made in bad weather or under other disad-
vantageous circumstances. In the Arctic,
Parry, Of the Royal navy, sailed over the
Croker mountains as mapped by Ross q
few years before, but Ross nephew turned
around and sunk his lead in 600 fatboms
of Antarctic water where the American
Admiral Wilkes had jotted down q
mountain few seasons before. Still later
Mares again sailed over some mythical
Antarctic coast lines, and probably Nord-
enskiold may 60 near the same places
only to find mountain ranges where
climb high hills where others had
harpooned huge whales. The dense
fog banks or water sky of the open
lanes of water in the ice packs. look singu-
larly like mountain ranges at distance,
while astronomical observations to deter
mine position are often taken under such
unfavorable circumstances of weather that
a mountain, bay or other geographical
feature may slip cog or two of latitude
and longitude when mapped accordingly.
The so-called Antarctic Continent"
which we see so often upon maps and
globes, has for q real outline only dis
jointed or discontinuous coast line that
may be the ocean facing sides of an archi-
pelago connected with each other by
cement, SO to speak, of ice, or it may be-
long to true continent buried beneath a
huge ice-cap that overspreads 1t to depth
unequaled in any other part of the world.
There is the coast called Victoria Land,
of Sir James Clarke Ross, British navy,
stretching roughly between the l6Oth me-
ridian east and west. There is no doubt
as to this coast, for he landed upon it .
couple of times, but made no extended
land survey from it. Admiral Wilkes
traced 20 degrees of longitude from about
Tooth meridian east to the 10th east, but
this coast line seems to have bad luck, for
subsequent explorers could not find it.
Then the bold Frenchman, D'Urville, fol-
lowed shore line from 1876 degrees to 142
degrees east longitude. Euderby's and
Kemp's Land are about the 9th parallel
and between the 45th and 46th meridian
east, while south of Cape Horn is some in
distinctly mapped land. So there is no
lack of material for Nordenskiold to inves-
tigate if the expedition is even fairly sue
cessful.
have already limited at the enormous
ice cap which covers the Antarctic conti-
great ner-de-giace of Greenland-whicht the
popular mind usually conceives to be the
largest known glacial mass-is but q mere
boreal bagatelle. Calculations, based on
known glacial phenomena, vary between
three and twelve miles for the depth of the
center of this great south polar ice cap;
while the terminal fronts of the maps de-
bouching on the coasts OF the great south
ern sea by ice cliffs many hundreds of feet
in depth as seen by Antarctic navigators
are thrust forward at rate OF speed some
where between 1000 and l. 500 feet yearly.
The study of glacial physics can nowhere
be studied with so much material at hand
for the purpose and to such an advantage
as in the known and unknown ice fields
ana Ice mountains Oh TIE AutarCtlC re-
gions. Nordenskiold is technical SCI
enlist and original investigator in just such
spheres of research, and his forthcoming
expedition ought to be prolific of valuable
results therein.
The geology of the region will no doubt
be pivotal upon glacial functions. Even
the volcanoes of the region, those mount
aims ..belching forth lava. smoke and
fire" according to our old-time school
Biographies, are, singularly enough, sup
posed To be built up as much by snow and
ice in this region as they are by scorie,
lava and volcanic ashes, although at first
glance one could hardly see how the two
incongruous elements could possibly mix
To form anything. Sir James Clark Ross,
sailing by Victoria Land in his ships, the
Erebus and Terror, saw two volcanoes far
inland, which he named after his vessels,
and which he places among the highest
mountains of the world. Mount Erebus
was in a state of eruption, although its
sides were covered with ice and snow.
Mr.. G. s. Grifiiths, commenting on these
very peculiar features, says: Volcanoes
are built up as contradistinguished from
other mountains, which result from
elevation or erosion. They consist of de-
his niied around q vent. Lava and ashes