Norwich bulletin., 1919-04-19
AN EXPLORATION IN THE j tf5ss AMERICAN ARCTiC REGIONS

Until recently only the larger fea-
 lures of the northern part of the
 American Arctic region have been
 known. The coast of this region
 has now been explored for more than
 300 miles westward from Herschel Island to Point Barrow. and in all
 this distance, except at these two places, practically no permanent 'hu- man habitation can be found. The sea
 is visited only by an occasional whaler or by United States revenue cutter, and the land back from the shore
 tempts few to its wastes except geo. graphers or geologists, who will not be i content until they have explored and
 mapped all parts of the world. The | results of long g-continued travel and study in this far-off land by one of these explorers, Ernest deK. Lefdng- well, have recently been published by the United States Geoiogical Survey, Department of the Interior. m a report l entitled The Canning River Region, | Northern Alaska"
 | MT. 'Leffingwell spent nine summers
 and six winters on the Arctic Coast,
 made thirty -one trips, covering about 1 4,500 miles. by sled and small boat, and traversed the coast ten times by ship. Nearly all other parties that
 have made explorations in Alaska have
 been large enough to permit division
 of the scientific observations and the l physical labor incident to travel among
 several men, but during most of the time he devoted to these explorations
 MT. Lefhngwell had only ore white
 man to help nina man who could | take no part in the scientific observa- tions. In many of his journeys he had | only one or two eskimo companions,
 and in some he travelled entirely alone.
 He chose his own field and made his
 explorations at his own initiative and
 expense, and the results he sets forth 1 in the report just published are there fore in every sense of the word entirely I his own contribution to science and to ia better understanding of Arctic Alaska
 | The Canning River Region, which is ti the principal subject of the report, lies
 one-t third of the distance between the international boundary and Point Bar
 row
 The southern part of the Canning
 River region lies in the Endicott Mountains, whose high, rugged, snow clad peaks rise to elevations of 9,CO( feet. Many large streams head 1T
 these mountains and flow northward transverse to the trend of lower ridges
 which extend east and west. At { distance of 15 to 50 miles south of the coast these ridges disappear and the country has gently sloping, almost i unbroken, surface. This Shoreward, re glon IS simply fiat tundra plain dot
 ted with shallow ponds and fakes Many of the larger rivers flow through : this plain in cuts so shallow that thei1 existence might not be suspected at distance of half mile.
 Although the report relates mainl, to the Canning River region, it give: much interesting information concern
 ing the whole of northern Alaska. : contains. for instance, an abstract 0 ] the narratives of all the other ex
 plorers of the Arctic coast of Nortl America and gives notes regarding tn 5 natives descriptions of the best mod n els for habitations, suggestions as t proper food, clothing. and field equip e ment, and the results of observation | Of the climate. animals, birds, and ifs V A notable feature of the report is tn series of maps showing accurately tn Q configuration of the coast and the out
 lying islands from Martins Point to tn s mouth of Colville River, a distance c 3 more than 160 miles. About 1,50 n soundings were made of the water e off the coast. and the depths thu c measured are indicated on these map: t The report includes also a very flu $ description of the ground ice, an in q teresting formation which lies only
 few feet under a cover of moss an n other vegetation. The mode of origi Il of this ice has long been subject y study, and the detailed observation d made by Mir. Leffingwell form valu ., able contribution to this study. H e presents a review of the literature o d ground ice. which includes an accouI Il of terrific reports'' made by th e bursting ice, and brief statements l. the several theories proposed to ae d count for it's formation. ..---. -