The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-06-23
EXPLORATION OF GREENLAND.

Lieutenant Robert Peary OF the United
States navy, with the assistance OF the
Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, the
American Geographical Society and the
National Academy OF Sciences, proposes
to explore part of the world which, so
| far as is known, has never been trodden
! by the foot of man-namely, the north
end of Greenland. Twice within few
wears Southern Greenland has been
crossed by daring travellers, who marched
on foot from point near Cape Hide
| brandt, on the east coast, to the neigh
| borhood of Frederikshaab, on the west.
They reported a sea of ice of unknown
depth, which covered the face of the
land and never melted. Except as rec
ords of human endurance their journeys
were unfruitful of result. Southern
Greenland has often been circumnavi-
gated, and exploration of the interior
added nothing to the knowledge which
had been acquired by observations from
the decks of ships.
But the northern point OF the island,
or peninsula, or whatever 1t may be, Is
an unrayeled mystery. From Cape Bis
marck, on the east coast, to Cape Lin
coin, in So deg. "a min., in the Arctic
Sea, no map marks definite coast line.
Rows of dots indicate an unexplored
region Greenland may be an island
with north boundary about the eighty
third parallel. 1t may be peninsula
jutting out from Siberia and embracing
Franz Josef land as one of its promon-
tories. Or it may be an Arctic conti-
nent spreading up to and beyond the
Pole. Nothing but actual observation
can determine the question. To con-
tribute his share to the extension of
geographical knowledge on this subject
Lieutenant Peary proposes to take pas
sage on board Dundee whaler that will
land him at Whale Sound, few miles
south of the spot which was reached by
Lockwood and Brainard of the Greedy
party, and to which they gave the name
of Cape Lincoln. There he will winter
and accumulate such stores as he may
find against his long tramp into the I'M
known world. Early in the spring of
1892 he will start on foot, drawing a
sledge after him, along the north coast of
Greenland. He says himself that he
does not know how or when he will re- |
turn. If Greenland turns out to be an |
island with a north coast running along |
the line OF SD deg. or Whereabouts, and |
an east coast running along the line of |
Goth deg. of longitude, he may find his /
way to some settlement in King Will |
liams Land. But it is more likely that |
when he has determined the north coast
line for certain distance he will return |
to his base OF operations.
He will have the glory of being the
only man who ever willingly undertook
a journey in the latitude of SD deg.
north. DR.. Kane, and many others
since his day, reached the S0th deg. The
north coast OF Spitzbergen and the south
coast OF Franz Josef Land are in that
meridian. The north beach OF Grant
Land crosses the line of SD deg. Lock
wood and Brainard just touched SD
deg. But that has been the extreme
limit of Polar exploration. 1t evidently
get nearer to the North Pole than any of
his predecessors in Arctic adventure.
The Importance OF geographical ex-
ploration in Greenland arises from the
TACT that some men of science regard it
as the last remaining vestige OF the ice
ase. At q short distance from the shore
It is one vast unbroken mass OF Ice, IN
places, according to Lieutenant Peary, a
mile thick. This ice is covered in winter
and spring with a coating of snow. In
summer the snow melts and forms lakes,
DR., where the conformation OF the ground
avors, streams, which flow down into
he fords and assist in launching ice
Dergs. 1t presents the appearance which
he northern countries of the world must
nave presented during the last great ice
lrift. As the coast is reached the eli
nate grows milder and patches of soil
Ire exposed, on which few vegetables
ire raised, and as the coast line is under
,oing a process of depression-some
places which were once inhabited having
already sunk below the surface of the
iea-the theory has been started that
he whole country will some day be sub
merged, and so pass out of the ice age.
This and other problems it will be the
privilege of Lieutent Peary to help deter
nine. The civilized world will wish
lin good fortune on his daring voyage.
-[Call.
D1oufoffor, ohar Ar-;,-a1