The Portland daily press., 1897-07-09
PEARY's PARTY.
They VIII Set Sail from Boston Next
Week.

Iieut Robert w. Pearys chartered
steamer Hope, will probably arrive In
Boston Tuesday ednesday, and start
north with the Peary expedition probably
not later than the following Friday. She
will sail direct for Sydney, the trip tax
ing three DAYS, and will there take on
C oal for the long cruise to Greenland.
Lieut.. Peary will return with his party
to Boston between September ~ and 10
in time for several members OF the expe-
dition to return to the colleges.
THE Baffin Land expedition, under the
direction of Mr.. R. W. Porter, will be
landed by Lieut.. Peary about the 10Th
inst, at the American whaling station at
Sigunia Point, at the north entrance OF
Frobisher BAY. The station at this point
is the only whaling haven on the Athntlc
coast owned by Americans, and there the
party will make it's headquarters for une
fishing and hunting expeditions IN the
su surrounding country.
During the summer Baffin Land has
mild cool climate, and there is enough
vegetation, mainly grasses, to support
large game in the interior.
When Lieut.. Peary calls at Baffin Land,
between Sept. 10 and IS, on his return
from the north. all of Mr.. Porter's party
will sail home on the Hope except Mr.
Porter AMI his comrade, Mr.. Alfred V.
Shaw of Newton. The latter will spend
the winter in Baffin Land, and will not
return to civilization for 16 months.
Mr.. Porter has already enrolled in his
party seven men, including himself and
Mr.. Shaw. He does not expect to take
more than eight, as a greater number
would be hard to manage and provide Tor.
The other members of the Baffin Land
expedition are:
DIR. Delano Fitzgerald, Baltimore
physician, and his son. Charles IT, Fltz-
gerald, who is Harvard student in the
class of 1900; ". A. Bowal of Chicago,
also Harvard student; f. G. Goodrich
of New York, Igraduate this year at
Harvard, and j. Nelson Carpenter OF
New Brunswick, N. j., a member OF this
years class in Rutgers College.
Only one more member W i'll be admit
ted toithe expedition.
Mr.. Porter will spend the long winter
mainly in studying the people of Baffin
Land, who are Esouimaux, and in col
Letting materials for chronological muse
ums in the United States. Mr.. Shaw,
who is graduate of the Institute of
Technology in the class Of '96 will study
the zoology of the country and collect
specimens for museums.
Mr.. Porter and Mr.. Shaw will. during
next winter, make their headquarters at
the American whaling station. In the
summer of 1898, they will push to the
northward, and make various trips into
which is one of the few portions of the
earth little known to geographical science.
In the fall of 1898, Mr.. Porter and Mr..
Shaw will travel to the Scotch whaling
station which is at Black Lead island, in
Cumberland sound, and which is 200
miles north from the American station.
From Cumberland sound they will sail
Scotland, on Scotch whaler, arriving.
probably, some time in November.
Their stay in Baffin Land, making a
scientific exploration of the country, dur
ing more than a year, will be unprece-
dented in the history of that place. The
country is rich IN game, and unusually
interesting to zoologist or hunter.
Along the coast, the big game includes
the polar bear, the. walrus and the seal,
and in the interior the Arctic caribou,
wrongly known as the reindeer, are found
in large herds. There is an abundance
of small game and animals valuable for
their furs in the interior, and of marine
birds along the coast
The people OF the country are well
worth the study of an ethnologist. They
are probably the best examples of the
Esquimaux race, who have not come into
intimate contact with Teutonic civiliza-
ton. The natives are deeply interested
in civilized men, but at the American
whaling station they are not demoralized
by rum, as in other northern localities,
as the Americans have exercised special
care in their dealings with them.
One of the passengers on the Hope will
be the Danish mate, Jay Jensen, who
will resume charge of the American
whaling station in Frobisher bay.
Received Paralytic Shock.