New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-01

REGIONS. BY OTTO Sverdrup Translated from
the Norwegian by Ethel Harriet Hearn. Illus
trated. Two volumes. Svo, PIP xvi 495: xii 5Oi
LonSlnans, Green < Co
Captain Otto Sverdrup, the leader of the Nor
wegian polar expedition here described. gained
wide reputation navigator CT the Fran on the
occasion OF Nanseas historic drift with Arctic
currents. This experience whetted his appetite
ior polar exploration, and when it was suggest
ed that funds would be forthcoming to enable
the Fran TO make second voyage. If he would
assume command, he eagerly accepted the pro-
posaL This in 1896. not long after his re-
turn with Nansen, but IL was nearly two years
before the Fran, renodelied to meet more ex-
actly the requirements of Arctic navigation.
started from Norway In the mean time. the
publication Of Captain SverdrIp's plans had
aroused some misgivings. He proposed to sail
up Smith Sound and Kane Basin, and thence
through Kennedy and Robson channels, before
going into winter quarters off the coast OF
Greenland. Then he intended to make sledge
expeditions to the northernmost point OF Green
land and to follow the eastern coast as far as
possible. This locality had been selected by
Peary as the scene Of his projected expedition.
and unpleasant controversy developed TO
which Captain Sverdrup makes no alusion other
than an explicit statement that there was no
question Of trying to reach the pole"
1t SO happened that circumstances compelled
did not succeed in entering Kane Basin before
the onset Of winter. and with the breakup Of
the ice in the following spring the Nor
wegian found his way north still barred,
and he obliged to head south. Mean
time he and his associates had accomplished
much in the way OF inland exploration Of Files
mere Land. The winter OF 1899 1900 found the
Fran icebound in a ford Of Jones Sound and
the two remaining winters spent in the Arctic
~
sledge expeditions were dispatched IN all direc-
tiOns, with distinct gains TO science. In all.
area of about one hundred thousand square
miles was traversed and Gin the name Of the
Norwegian King taken possession Of The
territory explored and mapped included the
western coast of Ellesmere Land the shore
lines of lands whose existence had hitherto
been only matter Of conjecture. and the north
ern coast of North Devon. The "furthest north"
reached Lands Lokk, Lands End, In
Grant Land 81 degrees Al minutes north lati-
tude, while the ''furthest west a point at
80 degrees 30 minutes north latitude and JOG
degrees west longitude, on one Of the new ISL
ands, called Isaachsen Land. after a member OF
the expedition. Geological, botanical and ZOO
logical discoveries of Importance were rsade,
notably the finding of beds OF coal in King Os
car Land; these are fully described by the scien-
tifc members OF the party. the descriptions be-
ing included in the form OF appendices.
Captain Sverdrup has proceeded on the theory
that the tales the thing" Obviously. the I'M
folding Of the adventures. trials and achieve
rnents of the exDlorers contains the essen
tials Of interesting narrative. but. unfortu-
nately, the interest is by no means evenly sus-
tanned. The author too frequently forgets that
he is addressing those who cannot be expected
to have anything approaching his knowledge OF
the territory visited. and the reader. II he does
not follow the text map in hand, may easily
feel that the various sledging parties journeyed
at haphazard and attained indefinite results.
Again, the accounts Of exploration proper are
burdened with variety of details in themselves
OF interest, but becoming wearisone by dint Of
repetition We cannot here follow the different
sledging parties attempt to estimate the COM
parative value Of their results. The most in
terestng. If not the most noteworthy were
those undertaken early IN 1901 by Sverdrup and
schei and by Baumann and Stolz. The former
resulted 'n the mapping Of a great expanse Of
territory. including the intricate system Of lords
now known to be feature OF the western shore
line OF Ellesrnere Land; the finding of some inn
portant fossils and the discovery Of large tracts
alive with several species OF game. Captain
Sverdrup's revelations Of the nature OF the
new land" a game preserve are sensa-
tional. Even had the Fran not been thoroughly
equipped for the long exile, her complement
need never have feared death by starvation so
abundant and varied was the animal life of
nearly every district visited. The hunters
paradise was not found, however. until the
long journey of 1901 was begun-the examina-
ton OF the country from Baumann TO Greedy
fords. At one place Sverdrup and Schei en-
countered a herd OF sixty musk oxen. or,
the author prefers to call them, polar oxen,
while hares and ptarmigan We're everywhere.
<.And such haresi The latest ever saw" de-
clares the enthusiastic Norwegian. Vegetation
was luxuriant, beasts OF prey were few. and the
hares hourished accordingly. Nor We're they OF
any ordinary stamp. They had acquired trick
of propelling themselves. from time to time on
two legs. instead Of four, a trait that naturally
excited the establishment OF the behOlders. Cap
tain Sverdrup hazards the conjecture that
perhaps somebody coming here a thousand
years hence viii find them with rudimentary
forelegs. and only their hindlegs for use"
e----------------.-