The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-09-01

u,
q | Ba1u Land-just about now he is
saying good-by to civilization away up
B on the coast of Labrador And what
@&H7% does the veteran explorer expect to
s--u--$-=1 find? Probably he himself doesn't
| i know. But Baftin Land offers that
- strongest of lures-the lure of the
~1-S unknown. And if Macmillan reaches
its interior its west coast and gets back TO tell
the tale, two three years from now may be
hearing something new-and seeing it, for he in
tends TO bring back moving pictures Anyway, he
and his schooner the Bowdon, are off for Bafin
Land.
The truth is that Bafin Land is an undiscov-
cred country. 1t discovered" away back in
the Seventeenth century Q5S41622) by William
Batin-that is, that hardy English explorer dis
covered and charted Bafin bay which lies be-
tween Greenland and Bafin Land. SO he neces-
sarily discovered the east coast of Bafiin Land.
But no man has ever sailed around Bafin Land.
And no white man has ever penetrated to its in
terror
Macmillan therefore does not know what's
ahead Of him. But the Eskimo who live on the
big island have told him wondrous tales of tower
ing mountains with great glaciers vast lakes;
birds to science and of great size beautiful
flowers; herds of reindeer. The island, it is es-
tmated, is about 1000 miles from north to south
from Lancaster sound TO the Gulf Of Boothia. 1t
is anywhere from 200 to 500 miles wide east to
west. Its east coast line is an ce-capped plateau
with an altitude of from 5000 to 5000 feet The
interior is supposed to be largely of rock covered
with ice. The western coast, vaguely indicated
the maps, is drawn from statements made by
Eskimo.
This western coast according TO stories told
Macmillan by Eskimo, is inhabited by people who
have never seen a white man. SO, one of the re-
suits of the expedition may be moving pictures of
a primitive people untouched by civilization.
Macmillan thinks there is coal, oil and mineral
wealth of various kinds the island Then
there is terrestrial magnetism TO be studied from
observations taken near the magnetic pole Also
the aurora boreas is TO be photographed.
Macmillan is a veteran in Arctic exploration
He was born in Provincetown, Mass. in 1874, and
was a '9S track and grdron star at Bowdon.
In early life he taught the young idea how to
shoot. He was in the Peary Arctic Club North
Polar Expedition of 190S-09; frozen feet put him
out of consideration for Peary's final dash to the
pole, He was a member Of the Cabot Labrador
party in 1910 and did chronological work among
the Eskimo of Labrador In 1911 and 1912. He
headed the Croker Land exploring expedition in
1913. After four years during which time two re-
lief parties were dispatched in search of him and
a third was formed, word came through that the
little party safe at Etah, Greenland. He
had learned that Croker Land was largely
myth
fhe Bafin Land Arctic Exploration-the official
title of the little company that Macmillan will
commands being financed by group of
Bowdoin men, The plans provide for an alb
sence Of two years. The plans do not provide
for a relief expedition. If the Bowdoin is crushed
I'm the ice, the party will retreat by sledge to Fort
Churchill the trading post at the foot of Hudson
bay, and return to civilization by way of North
ern Canada
Macmillan has carefully selected his compan.
ions, The members Of the expedition in most
instances he has known for years and several Of
them have been his shpmates on previous voy-
ages His mate IS Jonathan Small C'Jot') of
Provincetown, Mass, who was with him for four
years on the Croker Land expedition and whom
the explorer describes as Observation-Disclosures
sailor, and the best story teller | ever met" An
other former shipmate is Thomas McCue Of Bri-
gus. Newfoundland, the cook who was with the
explorer on a trip through Hudson bay last year.
Harold Whitehouse Of BoOthbay harbor, another
experienced sailor, Is engineer.
Ralph =. Robinson Of Hayerh, Mass will be
the explorers general assistant during the expe-