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

ginning of September"
Endorsed by the Great Explorer.
In the opinion of Prof. Nordenskiold this
plan contains nothing that is impractical
ble AS a rule, Ellesmere Land can be
reached without difficulty, nor would there
be any great obstacle TO an advance into
the interior, though. perhaps, not as far as
Bjorling intended. Bjorling was no novice
i'm Arctic travel. In 1890 he visited the
fiords on the west coast of SpitZbergen and
the northwestern part of that island At
that time he was still student, but had
been trained for such work by excursions
in the mountains of Scandinavia. His next
voyage was made to the west coast OF
Greenland. With trading vessel he
reached the northernmost of the Danish col
onies and thence in a boat rowed by Eski-
mos he penetrated northward as far as
Devils Thumb
Then came his last voyage. In the spring
of 1892 he went to St. Johns by way OF
Liverpool. Whereas in his first Greenland
voyage he had been alone. he was now
accompanied by young zoologist, Evald
Kallstenius Bjorling himself being by pro-
fession a botanist. The means at his dis
posal mostly private contributions, were
very slender, but it was known that he mad
knack of making most out or small funds.
Thus his first Greenland voyage cost In
all not more than a round trip ticket from
Stockholm to New York. Arrived at St.
Johns, he found that he was too late 10
take any whaling steamer. The sum at
his disposal for the purchase or hire OF
vessel was only $500 to 500. Finding no
owner willing to hire out his vessel, he
finally decided to purchase for S6.o the
schooner Ripple of thirty-seven tons. The
vessel being generally regarded as unsea-
worthy. and the pay he offered being small,
he found it almost impossible to get
crew. Finally he succeeded in securing a
Danish helmsman. Karl kann, as captain.
TN VI 10 N
newspaper, the rest of the crew consisted
only of two men, an Englishman, Gilbert
Dunn. acting as helmsman, and Herbert
Mcdonald. from Prince Edward Island. as
cook More accurate details concerning
the reh cannot be obtained the papers
relating thereto having been destroyed by
the great fire which visited st. Johns. In
his last letter, Bjorlng states that his crew
consisted of three men, all from Europe.
His letter is as follows:
In spite of Discouragements.
"On June ]. l reached Newfoundland.
where 1 purchased a vessel. / did not Sc
cure a crew till the ODD of June. for the
reason that everybody told the sailors that
my vessel was altogether unseaworthy
and would founder in sight of Newfound-
land. AS 4 consequence, l did not get more
than three men, all from Europe. That
was not mistaken in the quality of my
vessel appears from the fact that in ten
days l penetrated through the extremely
difficult West Greenland pack ice. which.
for the first time in one hundred years. had
iilled the lower part of Davis strait, and
left only very narrow lead along Baffin
Land. l was told that it had taken the
Greenland trading vessels months to get
through. In Godthaab and Upernivik the
winter had been uncommony mild the
temperature at the former place not de-
scending below ~ degrees, so that it is
thought that the northern part of Baffin
bay is free from ice. Near Cape Walsing-
ham on Baffin Land, which l sighted on
July ~, | did not find a trace of ice This
is mos. unusual and I shall thereby be
enabled. on my voyage to Smith Sound. to
go straight over to Lancaster Sound and
thence steer northward. If obliged to win
ter / shall take refuge with the Eskimos
In NORTH Greenland or with the Danes
on the west coast. If cannot
return this year I request that the