Evening star., 1896-08-15
MET IN THE FAR NORTH
Explorer jackson Describes His Encounte,
With Nansen.

"A copyrighted dispatch to the Associated
Press from Vardo, Norway, dated yester.
day, says:
Inc captain of the Windward. the British
steamer which has just returned frym
franz Josef land after taking supplies to
the British north pole expedition. COM
mahaed by Jackson, and known as the
'acAsoh-harH sworth expedition, filed a tel
esraphic message here yesterday, descrfu-
ing the accidental meeting between Jark
son and DIR. Nansen and forming one OF
the most remarkable incidents I'm the his
tory Of arctic exploration. for il arnaars
,nat the Norwegian explorers had been
nVlng In hut quite close to one OF fha
1hsi.sh explorers stations for long time
previous to the meeting of the two men
yet neither of them was aware OF the oth
er s presence in that vicinity
In this message jackson describes his ac-
cidental meeting with Or. Nansen while the
latter W2s traversing the ice pack and IL
appears that il was lucky meeting for
the Norwegian explorer, as the latter was
misied owing to Inaccuracies in the man
drawn by Payer, the discoyerer Of Franz
JOSEF land, and also because Dr. Nansen's
two chronometers and his watch having
stopped, he was quite unable to establish
ris position, and was consequently trying
10 march westward to Spitzbergen over the
ice pack, which was not only highly danger
GUS, but probably impossible.
jackson. after meeting Nansen, conducted
the latter to Elmwood, the headquarters OF
the British expedition. where the doctor
awaited the arrival OF the Windward which
left the Thames on June 10 and Vardo on
June 2S. to take supplies TO the Jackson ex-
pedition, and not to bring them back AZ
currently reported.
The Meeting.
Jackson. In the dispatch filed by the cap-
tain OF the Windward. said: 'On June IL
met DR.. Nansen three miles out on a noe,
s. 8. E. of Cape Flora and under most ex-
traordfnary circumstances. He had win
tered in q rough hut within a mile or two
of our northern limit in 1895, and this
spring We came within a few miles OF his
winter quarters.
"Dr. Nansen left the Fran with one COM
panion, Lieut.. Sigard Scott Hansen. a leu
tenant In the Norwegian navy, and direc-
tor OF the astronomical meteorological and
magnetic observations, and reached latitude
Sol travelling northeast from where he
left the Fran, which was In 81 north, 1g2
east
DIR. Nansen expressed the greatest sur
prise and the Gveiest satisfaction at meet
ing with us. You understand how greatly
the meeting affected me and my pleasure at
| the extraordinary chance which had thrown
| Ii in my way to render him service and re-
store him to his friends
Jackson then describes his own expert
enceS on exploring the western parts of
Franz Josef land. telling now ne has drawn
extensive and accurate maps and has dis
covered new regions. adding:
when the Windward left in 1895 we
were out on a months expedition to the
northwest in little boat the Mary HARMS
worth, and discovered a large tract of land
to the westward of hitherto unknown linn
| Its and a magnificent headland. composed
of ice from its summit to its foot. snd
having at its base a huge, Unacceptable
rampant of ice. We named il Harmsworth
cape. and only approached the base of the
headland with the greatest difficulty. ow-
| ing to the surging masses Of heavy ice
Gal Anrin u-bf foh l,na
was upon several occasions nearly smash
ed to atoms.
I'VE landed on the coast as often as pos
sible and avoided the highest peaks, end
made numerous geological and botanical
collections.
Far up Cambridge bay we discovered
another lofty ice headland and named it
Cape Fridttof Nansen. There our boat
| was nearly lost owing to her anchor
| having been carried away and a huge
block of ice. which was swerving round,
stove in several of her planks. BUT we
| managed to bale her out. and then rigging
| another anchor. with oars. we had alto
gether a very exciting voyage.
stopped by Open Water.
This spring had been phenomenally
mild. Although we marched north a great
distance, using sixteen dogs and a pony,
We me, after a fortnight open water
reaching from the face of a huge glacier
east TO the precipitous end OF another huge
glacier west. Advance by sledges was thus
cut off. We then struck southeast, down
Markham sound. and added greatly to our
discoveries of 1888 But we were again
stopped by open water, reaching entirely
across the sound, so we were turned vest
ward, succeeding in exploring the entire
western shores.
During April terrific snow storms
coupled with rises in the temperature. en-
| tirely broke up the ice and prevented
marching: but took a number of valu-
able photographs"
1t is believed here that the Fran may
turn up here or at Bergen shortly, as she
stood the ice very well, has plenty of pro-
visions on board, and there was sick
ness among her crew when DIR. Nansen
left her on March IA. 1895.
Prof Mohn says that the scientific re-
suits of DIR. Nansen's observations are
magnificent, and that several islands have
been discovered.
Nansen's Experience.
Dr. Nansrn, IN describing their life dur
ing the winter of 1886 said:
when the bears flesh had been exhaust
ed we were obliged to kill the weakest
dogs to feed the others. and continue thus
Until the whole pack had been slaughtered.
the direction of Spitzbergen on May 10.
After that we occupied six weeks on snow
shoes, dragging sledges and kayaks Uhe
arctic canoe) loaded on sledges after us.
We went partly over land and partly over
sea ice.
I'VE reached Jackson's winter quarters.
where we found all in good health. We
remained there about six weeks, III the
steamer Windward arrived. 1 eft the
FRAN in good condition and drifting lock-
ed In the ice.