The Washington herald., 1913-07-20
Crocker Land Expedition,
Well on Its Way to the
Far North, Feels Sure Of
Success.

Sydney. n. s., July 1s-when the little
whaler Diana left this port for Flag
Ter Bay. with the Borup Memorial Ex-
pedition to Crocker Land on board, the
exploration party bid farewell to the
haunts of the white man for two years.
The next stop of the hardy vessel VIII
be Etah, the Eskimo colony, where
a party of natives will be taken on
board. and the ship will then proceed
into the Kane Basin and headquarters
will be established in the westerly end
of the basin at what is known as Flag
Ter Bay.
Here the supplies will be unloaded and
winter quarters established. Should no
mishap occur, this work should be ac-
complished some time in August or Sep
tember, when the Diana will return to
this port, leaving the small band of
intrepid explorers and their Eskimo
friends and companions on their own
= resources.
The chief object of the expedition is
To explore an unknown land or chain
of islands first sighted by Peary in 1906.
Again in 1908 Peary had another view
of this land. but was unable to set foot
upon ii. So far as is known. no man.
at least no white man, has ever visited
this mysterious place. Haul out your
latest map OF the arctic regions. In
about longitude %. latitude 70 You will
find the Kane Basin and Flagler Bay.
the winter quarters of the party. Trace
your way along the 18th degree of lati-
tude through the water passage which
separates Ellsmere Land from Grinnel
Land until you reach Seth longitude
meridian. Here turn North in the chan
mel which separated Axel-Haigerg Land
on the west, from King Oscar Land and
Grant land on the east. gradually push
ing to the northwest until YOU reach
the northernmost tip of Axel-Heigerg
Land known as Cape Thomas Hubbard.
slightly above the S1st parallel and in
longitude SO.
Jumping on Place.
This is really the jumping off place
OF North America. This is the point
from which Peary saw Crocker Land in
the distant northwest. 1t is from this
point that the present expedition will
set out for the unexplored region.
Crocker Land may be just a few is
lands or il may be a huge arctic conti-
nent. That is what DR.. Donald Mac
MILAN and his party are going to find
out The work of establishing supply
stations between Flagler Bay and Cape
Hubbard is expected to be finished by
February of next year.
WIN ldTst DdSe Vi SuppHts dt Alit
cape. the little party will set out across
the frozen ice to Crocker Land hundred
miles away Once there geological and
botanical specimens will be obtained. the
coast line will be surveyed. and every
scientific fact about the land will be
obtained so that when the party returns
we shall know for a certainty what
Cruaker land really is.
With the summer of 1914 will come the
a., h..st a.a.ta
Crocker Land and Cape Hubbard. This
means that in all probability the party
will be compelled to remain in this bar
rem region and wait for the winter TO
freeze the ice and afford them passage
way TO their base of supplies. This is
where the dangerous part of the expedi-
ton comes in.
Will these men be able to subsist in
this region for several months on the
meagre supplies they can carry with
them and the game they may find there
The tragedies of the arctic may be
summed up in the one word 'starva-
ton" Everything depends upon supplies,
without them the party is doomed to
one of the most horrible deaths ever
suffered by mankind. The pains OF
hunger the freezing of the body when
the blood is no longer able to supply the
necessary warmth, the knowledge that
there is absolutely no hope. the thoughts
of the loved ones waiting for the return.
these and many more sufferings which
We are unable to realize or imagine fall
TO the lot of the members of an arctic
party without provisions.
Macmillan Is Confident.
The possibility of such catastrophe
Detailing his party was mentioned to
DR. Macmillan before he sailed from
this port He turned his clear eyes to
his questioner and in the firm tones
of a man who has implicit faith in his
own ability said. But We won't fail
The equipment we have, the experience
of the Eskimo which We will take with
us many of whom were with Peary
on his successful Polar expedition, the
trained dogs and the determination to
succeed will bring us back safely"
And any one who knows this young
man. imbued with the spirit of adven-
ture and love for the frozen North can
not doubt that he will succeed. Such
men as Anthony Fiala, Sir Ernest
Shackleton, and Robert E. Peary have
the utmost faith in Macmillan to ac-
complish any task to which he turns.
DR.. Macmillan accompanied Peary as
far as the eighty-third parallel, when the
latter finally succeeded in reaching the
goal, which explorers of all nations had
striven so hard to attain. Macmillan
knows the arctic. he loves the country
and the hardships. The crack of the
dog drivers whip, the crunch Of the
frozen snow under the runners of the
sledges, the singing of the gales which