Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-22

10 winter there. But, after reaching North
cumberland Island, was obliged by several
circumstances to return to the Cary Islands.
Having been obliged by bad weather to
spend some time on this island. / am now
starting to meet the Eskimos at Clarence
head or Cape Faraday on Ellesmere Land.
In the hope that a whaler will next year
visit the Cary Islands to relieve me and my
men, 1 shall try to reach those islands be-
lore the LIST of July. IL no whaler appears
before the 18th of July i shall be obliged, *
possible, TO 20 to the Danish colonies.
Hence. If you visit this island later than
July and do not find any information re-
garding my departure for the Danish colo
MES 1 shall be greatly obliged to you IL you
will 90 TO Clarence head Cifty miles from
here), where i will erect 'cairn' the
easternmost point and in IL deposit informal
ton regarding the fortunes of myself and
my men during the winter. Finally, / re-
quest that YOU send all information concern
ing myself TO Prof. Nordenskiold I'm Stock
holm, or to the nearest Swedish consul to-
gether with statement TO time when
and place where " was found. Unless 1
reach the Eskimos provisions will not
last longer than tine LIST of January, suppos-
ing that do not succeed i'm increasing them
from some depot OF provisions. We are now
hve men, one Of whom is dying" Here the
letter closes. 1t is dated October L. 1892.
Capt. Mckay at once headed for Ellesnere
Land, but the ice prevented his approach In
the limited time at his disposal No further
news has been received. The first feeling
produced by the reading of this account ID
establishment ar the yourg explorers in
credible holiness AMI tenacity OF purpose.
With vessel which every one else regarded
| as unseaworthy, he pushes into the ice OF
Davis strait and the still more dreaded Mel
Vile bay, till, having entered the north
water" which is nearly always free from
| ice, he seems to be on the point of browning
/ his work with the nos; brilliant success.
All at once his vessel is lost by accident
such as happens occasionally in the busiest
| of ports. One would think that thereupon
his only endeayor wuulc be TO save his life.
| Instead of this. ii seems nearly certain that
his main object still to continue the
expedition In this way only can il be ex-
planned why he turned back from the Green
land shore where he knew he should meet
| Eskimos. and why he made for Clarence
head, concerning which he had but the
vaguest reports. The reason was that Clar-
ence head was on Elesmere Land. and Elles-
mere Land was the object of his exploration.
| To hold on to ones purpose in the face OF
| death argues = courage which, however IL
| may SAVIOR cs rashness, cannot but call
forth the highest admiration.
| There is surprising resemblance be-
| tween this exploit and the career OF an
/ other Swede Charles MI. In both cases Q
/ youth hardly beyond boys age is seen all
I at once TO display the full attributes OF q
/ superb manhood. There is the same keen
, insight into the problem II be solved. the
4 same care and sagacity In planning. the
same fertility of resource. the same grasp
! of detail the same rapidity of action, the
| same contempt of obstacles; but also the
same overweening self-conadence which
I scorns to count enemies and prompts the
undertaking Of the most gigantic tasks
/ with the slenderest means. The result 10
/ at first almost miraculous success. and In
the end disastrous catastrophe. Let IL
be hoped that the latest counterpart OF
Sweden's great king may not yet have
| found his Fnederikshaid.
Are the Explorers AIfves
The question now arises: Is there any
ground for hope that the daring explorers
may still be alive? Looking at all the facts
calmly, one must conclude that the chances
of their surviving are decidedly good. They
had two rifles. a shotgun, and considerable
ammunition. With these. a man of B5or-
lings indomitable courage and fertility OF
expedients would almost certainly be able
to maintain himself in a land which. ac-
cording to all accounts. is rich In animal
life. As far back 1916 Bafin reported
multitude of wairus near the entrance
! of Jones sound. The western part of that
sound is stated by Eskimos to remain open
I all the year round. and to abound i'm seals
and walrus. a statement which is confirmed
| by Belchers discovery OF open water on
/ May ~, a few miles farther west The
Eskimo name for Ellesmere Land is Musk.
OK Land. these animals, together with REIN
deer. being reported very abundant there.
by the concurrent testimony of the Eski-.
mos on the south and con the east The
west coast is said 10 be infested with
polar bears that the Eskimos do not vent
of seals which the bears feed. That
there are Eskimos living on Ellesmere
Land is almost certain from the reports OF
the Polaris expedition
The gravest cause of apprehension lieo
in the fact that none of the whalers who
hunted near the mouth Of Jones sound in
1893 found any trace of the expedition
later than the letters referred to. II BJor-
ling was near Clarence Head. knowing that
the whalers Were within few miles or
him. he would certainly have made an eff
! pfa.f rn-ffl fhar,a be N
explanation OF his silence is that he NAV
have lost his boat, and that the Eskimo
boats were not large or stout enough TO
leave the shore. Or might IL be possiblo
that the daring son of the Vikings. having
at last. despite the deadliest peril. set loot
on the land he came TO explore. was not
content to leave il without having traced
it's uttermost confines and that he is actu-
ally fighting his way through cold and
storm and ice along the western shore?
BE that as il may. il is a comfort 70
know that a party OF Americans under tho
leadership of Mr.. Robert Stein OF the
United States geological survey are pre-
, pairing to do all that human power can do
to rescue the unfortunate Swedes. ana az
| the same time to establish at the mouth OF
.ones sound permanent station winch
will render the recurrence OF a similar dis
aster to whalers and TO explorers practice
ally impossible. No amount of risk or OBJ
loquy will ever stop arctic exploration TIL
all the remaining mysteries are solved
, Though the world may call the explorers
rash Adventures. yet its pity will invari-
ably be aroused by their misfortunes. for
there is nothing so fascinating as bravery.
| Humanity will breathe more freely there
fore. when IL is known that at the main
gateway Of the arctic. at the vestibule OF
, the mysterious unknown area, there is .
well-proyisioned permanent camp. which
can Ice reached by any shipwrecked party
: within a radius of At least zoo miles. To
! maintain this camp Will probably cost hess
than sl.e0 year.
, The wonder is says Lieut.. Brainard.
/, that so simple and inexpensive a measure
: was not thought OF long ago" More fortu-
. nate than Bjorling. Mr.. Stein has already
! obtained from one whaling firm the promise
OF TRANSPORTATION to the mouth Of Jones
sound. Sufficient funds have already been
, subscribed TO start the expedition on .
small scale. In order. however. TO make
, the search for the lost party as thorough
! as possible. a larger organization Will b
> needed. requiring at least $1,000. OBJECTS
: so practical those named above-the
, rescue OF four human beings. the establish
ment of a permanent station TO prevent
any future disaster, and series OF obser-
[ vations on meteorology, magnetism. gravity,
I tides and currents. all of the highest I'M
portance to the navigator and surveyor
{ these, it is thought. ought TO suffice TO Sc
Q cure such support will render IL certain
= that the expedition viii lack nothing thae
: can insure its success.