The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-05
A PERILOUS JOURNEY
HARRY DE wINDr To START FROM
NEW YORK FOR PARIS BY LAND.
VIII Gross Bering Straits on the Ice
and BE Lost TO Civilization for
Six Months at Least.
London Telegraph.

| London Telegraph.
| Nowadays, when you lunch IN New York
on Saturday and dine in London on that
day week, 1t is strange that anybody-even
| Mr.. Harry De Windt-should map our a
journey from America 70 Europe costing
$500 an5 occupying over two years. Bus
Mr.. De Windfs desire for the curious in
trips is Unsuitable: so, ere he could have
rested from his Siberian march, he has
started on an expedition more protracted
and more hazardous than any of his former
achievements. The young explorer was
| found, just before he sailed for America,
In his chambers in Jermyn street. London.
| porting over maps and plans, and surround
| ed by piles OF books written by travellers
in some OF the regions he purposes to
| visit.
You see." he said. pointing to the piles
around him, that do not embark on this
| Journey without studying It. Why, Il has
taken me over a year to work out the
details"
The traveller was over thirty when he
started on his first, great journey from
Pekin to Calais by land Partially OF
French descent. his mother having been a
French woman and his father an English
man. he was born near Paris In 1856, and
received his education In France. None o.
his family were conspicuous for travel; his
passion for globe trotting is not hereditary.
His sister married Rajah Brooke. OF Sara
wax. and De windt, the eminent painter.
was q member OF his family.
ORIGIN OF TIE IDEA
How did the idea Of this Journey of yours
originator
"Well." he replied. between the puffs OF
his cigarette. 'it came about in this way:
Last year. after my inspection Of the ST.
berian prisons. I landed at Nikolaiefsk. I
could not get away. as there was no ship,
and had perforce to wait five dreary weeks
on mud bank One day a sealing schoon-
er came in flying the American flag. Eager
TO talk to some one who was not Russian.
ran down and boarded the vessel Her
skipper, Capt. James Adair, a CHEEKY soul,
confided In me with an accent redolent OF
the land OF the stars and stripes, that he
had named his ship Ada after himseif-it
Is something Of jump from Ada 10 Adair.
He had knocked about lot In the even-
ings we discussed my former journeys, and
when conversation turned on what was the
greatest land journey possible he remarked:
have crossed the Berdng straits seven
times on the ice-for our purpose let Us oalt
York to London or Paris by that route you
you could find The idea struck me as
novel, and I asked: Can you show me the
way? Yes he replied with alacrfty. L
viii you y from fs nu as Tar
home and then return We shook hands
over the bargain and the thing was set
tied. That's how 1t came about"
$50 you will not be alone?'
''No, Captain Adair will join me at VAN
couver and accompany me across the Be-
VIII VIII be with me- at San FRANCISCO. whittier
he will proceed by sea. taking with him all
my stores and other impedimenta- He has
eled with me in Siberia in 1887 and 1880, and
on my Pekin-Calais journey. This will be
All the others are insignificant compared Ia
it. shall have to cover not less than ls.-
what are the chief dangers you are like
ly to encounterr'
"Quite apart from the climate difficulties.
which are no joke. the miners Of Alaska
attack from the natives Ny expedition-L
forgot to mention this-wfll form at VAN
I Adair' II will will number some thirty Indians
and half-breeds. all well armed. As 4 said.
the chief danger of attack will be met in
called Cooks inlet. where we shall be spe-
cially watchfu. Once i get into Siberia
shall be in clover, as far as the natives are
concerned, and have nothing 70 lear from
the Tchuktchui tribe. which is kind to trav-
elers.
THE TRAVELLERS ITINERARY.
What is your itinerary, and when do you
expect to get back?'
Ny host shrugged his shoulders and gazed
thoughtfully into the fire as he replied:
Seeing this journey has never been made
by white man. the dates must be vague.
My plan, roughly, Is to reach New York
about Dec. s; to make may way slowly
across America, delivering lectures and vis-
iting friends: to reach the Pacific coast,
and while waiting for favorable weather to
complete my party. i shall stay In VAN
couver for three weeks; be joined there by
eo r;ebt awaV bv the end of March. Leav-
ing Sitka and passing Mount st. Elias.
shall penetrate the unknown portions OF
Alaska and after reaching Nulato. three
hundred miles from Prince OF Wales cape
(the most westerly point OF America) MOTH
ing can possibly be heard OF me for eight
ersed Alaska, " crossed the Bering straits
on the ice TO East cape (the most easterly
point Of Asia) and reached Yakoutsk in
eastern Siberia-a distance OF not less than
five thousand miles. During a great portion
of this section of the journey i shall have
to live under ground The wiad storms
because while they last there is chance
of the traveller being buried. The cold. too.
will be terrible. i shall have four months
OF darkness at Anadyrsk. in eastern ST.
IBERIA, point two months journey from
Boring straits. / leave civilization at Sitka
British Columbial and return TO IT at Ir-
straits and within three hundred miles or
the Chinese frontier"
HOW 90 you cross the f3eTlflk StTdllS-
"Oh, on dog sleds This will take te0
days or so, as the going Is difficult. many
of the ice hummocks being three hundred
was in ST. Petersburg, the other day, Q
French friend at the Russian Geographical
Society told me that this part OF the
journey 1 should meet NJ. Andree, who
would by that time be crossing Boring
straits in the balloon, en- route for the
north pole. This may be possible. but
that is all one can say on that source"
Since Mr. De Windt had but few hours
TO pack his heaps OF furs and other need
ments into one or two small boxes, i felt
dared not detain him longer.
lone word more" ! said. What will
this journey cost. and when may hope
to see you back?"
at will cost about f5coo." he answered,
"and IL all goes well shall reach England
In the autumn or 1891
NINE. RECAMIER AND NAPOLEON.