The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-04

London. Sent 3.-The British steamer
Windward having on board the Jack
eon-F 5arnsworth expedition, which has
spent three winters near Cape Flora,
Franz Josef Land, arrived here today
from Franz Josef Land, with Jackson
and his colleagues. All the members of
the expedition are in good health
They report having explored Franz
Josef Land thoroughly. with the excep-
ton of some odd corners.
Before the Windward sailed the
quarters of the expedition at Elmwood
were fastened up, but Mr.. Jackson left
there a quantity of supplies Tin case the
place should be visited by Professor
Andree or other explorers He also es-
tablished a depot at Belle Island
Talking over his experience with a rep
resentatiVe of the Associated Press, MI.
jackson said that since the Wfndward
left Franz Josef Land last year with
Dr.. Nansen the winter had been less
severe and less windy than usual.
MIR. Jackson and Albert Arnitage,
nautical astronomers of the expedition,
started on March 16 with q pony and
dog sleds to explore the western part
OF Franz Josef Land. They. encounter
ed boisterous weather and at the end
dogs and pony succumbed and the ex-
plorers were compelled to abandon all
but the most essential part of their
equipment. The party followed the
coast line sometimes on a sea. OF ice
and sometimes along glaciated land.
The constant niStS which prevailed
made the journey very hard. They
shot a bear. the only one seen, ahd
having preserved meat and biupbeI
they returned to Elmwood in the mid
die of May after meeting q party en-
route to look for them.
The result of the explorations, it is
claimed, completely revolutionize the
old idea of Franz Josef Land ano
proves that the much discussed GillieS
land does not lie where Arctic ge-
ographers have been in the habit OF
placing it, and therefore it may be
considered non-eXistent. The whole
continental mass of land is replaced
by a vast number of small islands and
the lofty mountains by long ridges
hummocks and ice packs, While north
of those had been found an open sea
which is the most open north sea II
the whole world. The most valuable
magnetic, meteorological and geologi-
cal observations were made and very
valuable botanical and geological col
lections were brought to England
The winter life of the explorers was
uneventful The members of the eX-
petition killed 1,400 loon Ia web-footed
bird found in the northern regfons) il
autumn, which provided ample fresh
meat. During the winter they caugh'
10 loon and % kitty-wacks Ga bird OF
the gull species), to which they fast
ened labels initiated y. H. and liber-
ated them. The cold sometime:
reached 10 degrees below zero. Tit
members of the expedition failed tt
see King Oscar Land and are convinced
that there is no great land north o
Franz Josef Land. They add that tbs
existence of Petermann Land is doubt
full, and that at most it must be small
These alterations in the map render
the prospect of reaching the north pole
from Franz Josef Land more doubtful
as the returned explorers are satisfied
there is no land north of 80 degrees
They did not see anything of Professor
Andree, who started on July II from
the island of Tromshoe in an attemp
to cross the north pole by balloon.
Mr.. jackson announces his intention
of heading an Arctic expedition, thii
time on his own account.