New-York tribune., 1915-09-18
STEFANSSON SAFE;
FINDS NEW LAND
Continued from page !

waters as the North Star, and for that
reason / directed that after she got
through with her freighting for the
Alaska she should proceed to Banks
Island to winter, preferably near Cape
Kellett, to form there a base upon
which We could retreat in case of the
loss Of the Star further north.
Baked in His Plans.
The ice party this year consisted Of
Storkenscn. Andreasen and Thomson.
all Norwegians except myself. We LETT
The base at Cape KellOtt in the first
part of February with nine others. On
February 2l, through the accidental
spilling Of fuel oil, had to send a sled
from Cane Alfred back 10 kellett for
more oil. and waited for them there
until April g.
We finally left Cape Alfred much too
late in the season on account of our too
southerly base. 200 miles within the
area explored last year, and proceeded
in a direction between the north and
northwest. On account of sore-foOted
dogs, thick fogs and soft snow among
the pressure ice and much open water
We had reached by April 26 only north
latitude rs degrees from point eight
miles from the shore. Here the sea
depth ranged from 300 to 400 metres.
We travelled much on ice about 1--WE
inches thick, and once would have lost
one of our two slcds and the better dog
team had the ice broken ten feet sooner
than it did. The sled went down after
our last dog reached the strong ice on
The far side of the lead. and we finally
got the sled and the load, although they
were soaking wet.
Journeyed on Thin Ice.
On one day we crossed a twenty le
expanse of ice, none of 1t over elght
inches thick. but safe so long as no
wind or current moved the ice or broke
il in small pieces. At north latitude 16
degrees 20 minutes, between May l and
6. we drifted eleven miles south and
thirteen miles west, and theere was so
much open water that we could make
little progress, for it took us three
hours TO ferry across a 500-yard wide
lead. We made the journey on RATS
improvised by passing tarpaullns under
the sleds and lashing them upon the
sides.
Such raft carries thousand
pounds when the water Is not rough
and less if there is a rough wind. The
thirteen dogs were especially trouble
some. The weather was getting warm
cr fast. and the ice was broken into
small pieces with water or mashed up
ice between. l, therefore, gave up fur
ther attempts of going west, and trav-
elled parallel to the west coast OF
Prince Patrick Island.
Some scventy-five miles off shore
near 76 degrees 30 minutes north, we
were forced to realize that we could
hope for no great northering at so late
a season on broken ice drifting rapidly
southwest. We therefore tried 20
make the shQre-fast ice off Prince Pat
rick Island in that latitude, but were
carried fifty miles south before we
finally made land, about ten miles south
of the land which we had seen on
June !.
Discovers New Land.
On the morning of June 49, from a
forty-foOt high ice cake near the camp
that we had Just pitched. Storkensen
sighted new land TO the northeast. This
camp was pitched at II degrees 90 min
utes, and we landed next day on the
land al a point distant about fourteen
miles, near rs north and III west. The
trend of the coast here was northwest
erly, but thick weather prevented us
seeing far On account OF me lateness
OF the season we followed The coast east
for three days only.
Thick weather prevented scX,aHt OBJ
servations, except one day, wn.,a cave
II degrees 43 minutes north and 80
degrees 80 minutes west. We actual.y
saw only about one hundred miles Of
coast line, running somewhat south OF
81 nf hut
tains were seen for at least fifty miles
further east. and from height Of 1000
feet twenty miles inland still higher
hills were seen in all directions from
north 20 east a; a distance estimated
at more than fifty miles.
OF Considerable Size.
The land, therefore, is Of consider
able size. II is low where we first
landed, but becomes higher and more
rugged as one proceeds eastward.
Caribou and other Arctic animals are
abundant, except bears. As summer
was now coming on RAPIDLY, we turned
toward home. On June % geese and
other birds had arrived, and the rivers
were breaking out. We discovered
some small islands between Melville
Island and the new land, took formal
RNoHNHnAOlA VI Nitct lohNot anu wv "a
record Of discovery.
We followed the west coast Of Mel
willie Island south. crossed TO the Bay
Of Mercy, and stayed there from July
IL TO July 20. to rate pocket chronom-
eterS, and provide new packs for the
dogs. We caught the sled at Nc
Clure's wintering place, and travelled
diagonally across Banks Island TO
Ill .
20 find everything well.
Trip Void of Accident.
On this trip VIC had no accident
more serious than the wetting of one
sled load. We had no sickness. and
brought home in good flesh every dog
we started with. We were all Of us
in our ordinary health and strength.
We used the ordinary Esquimau bee
hive snowhouse. Besides the provisions
brought from home we used about
10000 pounds of meat and fat for
food and fuel. Seals furnished most
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