The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-16
BAFFIN LAND SECRETS
MACMILLANS OBJECT
Party of Explorers Plans to Leave
Boston About July 1, 1921, and,
with Good Luck, Reach
Baffin Land in
Month.

Boston. Feb. l6--Secrets of Bafin
Land. one OF the portions Of the Arctic
still unexplored, will be the objective
OF the Macmillan expedition which Is
in preparation now for departure in
the summer Of 1921 Although the re-
gion was visited several times before
the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic 20
Cape Cod, Baffin Land from the point
of view of explorers and scientists Is
still one of the richest and most al
Turing fields of research in the north.
It's whole western shore. more than
900 miles in length. is but vaguely
defined on the charts. Esklmos have
told wonderful tales of vast lakes and
towering mountains in the interior but
white men have never visited that sec
ton. Its fora and fauna have never
been studied little is known OF the
movements of the tidal currents along
It's ashore; and facts of geology, min
eralogy and meteorology await the
coming of scientific observers.
The party headed by Donald MacMil-
Ian peary's lieutenant on the expedi-
ton that reached the North Pole, plans
to leave Boston about July !, 1921, and
TO reach Baffin Land in less than a
month. with good luck. The follow
ing winter will be spent on the western
shore in latitude 80. The camp will
probably be Just south of the entrance
Of the dangerous Fury and Heela strait
where the ships of Captains Parry and
LYON. seekers of a northwestern pas
sage, were blocked a century ago. That
is 100 miles north Of the Arctic circle,
and 200 miles south of Etah on the
shore Of northwestern Greenland, where
MacMillan's Crockerland expedition
passed four winters.
During the winter attempts will be
made by dog teams to explore the
coast northward and in the following
summer the interior OF the island viii
be penetrated. The plans for the ex-
petition call for an absence of two
years from this country. In case a
longer stay is necessary, no relief eX-
petition viii be sent, according to
present arrangements. II the ship Is
crushed in the ice. the party plans TO
retreat by dog teams to Fort Churchill,
the trading post at the foot of Hud-
son bay and 10 return to civilization
by way of northwestern Canada.
The schooner Bowdoin. named for dhe
college OF which Macmillan is a grad
uate and present faculty member,
will carry the expedition. II Is expect
ed that the vessels which has been es-
pccially designed for the work required
Of il will be launched at East Booth
bay. Me, the coming summer. II i
to be of the Gloucester fisherman
knockabout type. Of 10 tons displace
ment. Of unusually strong construction
and sheathed on the outside with iron
wood TO resist the grip of the ice a.
far as possible. II viii be approx
mately 81 feet in length with q draught
Of ois feet. and will be equipped with
crude oil engines capable Of develop
ing 80 horse power. In addition to 1000
gallons Of crude oil. 500 gallons Of kero-
sene and 20 tons of coal. the Bowdoin
will carry in her hold stores and sup
plies for six men for two years.
The Macmillan Arctic association
lust organized with Lieutenant Peary
a. president. viii back the expedition
II j. composed Of Bowdoin college
alumni and other friends Of the eN-
plorer.