New-York tribune., 1915-03-21

70 the history of Arctic exploration Is
an interesting event. Seven books of
the manuscript sea journals c: Will
am Seofesby. ST., the noted English navigator,
have lust been brought to notice in this coun-
,-v where they have lain treasured, but known
only few, for nearly half century.
In pretty village in the mountains not a
s,.at many miles from New York City fine
old brick house Of quaint and interesting archi-
,,cture resembling the solid English homes,
rises amid tall, spreading trees that cover an
attire block. Its red walls and comfortable
s,bles. seen through the branches and foliage.
,r. inviting and following up the carriage
drive one finds ones self before the entrance,
s,uked on either side by black iron kedge-
,ochors. The sound of the sea re-echoes In
,b.m II is particularly the sound Of the
Greenland sea- with its cruel grinding ice, that
rs hear, for this is Scoresby House, and it
VA. the ancestors of its owners who for so
many years successfully breasted every form
II danger known to the Arctic navigator
Entering the broad hall, one finds on either
dds rooms filled with heirlooms of the Scores
~ family and in the drawing room and IL
hsry, both on the right, among other old Eng
s.h oil portraits, hang two that are of vast
Importance in the history Of Arctic navigation
CAPTAIN William Scoresby and his remarkable
uu. Captain and the Rev. DR.. William Scores
By.
THE PUBLISHED WORKS OF WILLIAM
SCORESBY, JUNIOR.
C aoo+ber I,aU
Sand several old-fashoned bookcases and in
On. Of these, containing the published works
Of William Scoresby, jr., and other volumes
,a Arctic exploration, the Scoresby log books
hay. rested these many years. while some are
stored in unremembered places. For more
han quarter Of century the writer knew
Il. portraits and other relics, but it was only
rc.nty, in conversation with member of
.. family that the log books happened to be
-.ntoned. The writer inspected the logs last
0aober in that upper hall, and then obtained
he consent Of his friends, the owners, to have
a.se priceless records reproduced, so that the
natter they contain can never be lost to the
agorian and the student 1t was something
Z. to allow such rare manuscripts to be taken
u
-anipulaton, but in the interest of history
md science they did it. The relics were
nought over from Whitby about forty years
lgo
Six Of them are in excellent condition, the
lk being legble and the paper clear; the sew
sth is not so perfect in some pages as Tar as
h, ink is concerned. These logs are OF
voyages made by William Scoresby, the elder,
Ion 1886 10 1922, and will be reproduced in
acsimie by the Explorers Club of New York
presentation to the important libraries and
geographical societies, in order that the rec
Tis Of early Arctic cruises may be perma-
nntly preserved for reference. They cover
L. senior Scoresby's voyages in the Henrietta
ron 1886 to 1875, in the Dundee, 1898, in the
Eas, 1917. the Fame, 1920, and the Fame,
22 The one Of odd size pertains to cruise
l8ol These are only part Of the thirty
'Yages which Scoresby made to the Arctic
i,gions but they are an important part.
The period from 1852 TO 1920 was the most
tospefous OF British whale fishing in Green
md and Spitzbergen waters, and consequent
]thsse Scoresby logs have an important bear
ag on the history OF that industry, as well as
that Of the Arctic region. The net profits
% all MS voyages amounted to something like
$4,000 sterling, estimated to have been more