The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1921-09-02
sv JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN.

@O NALD B. MACMILLAN is off for
| Baffin Land--iust about now he is
81 saying good-by to civilization away up
| on the coast of Labrador. And what
/ - does the veteran explorer expect TO
find? Probably he himself doesn't
know But Baffn Land offers that
- strongest of lures-the lure of the
unknown. And If Macmillan reaches
it's interior its west coast and gets back to tell
the tale two or three years from now we may be
hearing something new-and seeing 1t, for he IN
tends to bring back moving pictures Anyway, he
and his schooner the Bowd0in, are off for Baffn
Land.
The truth is that Bafin Land is an undiscov-
cred country 1t was discovered" away back in
the Seventeenth century (15S4-1622) by William
Bafin-that is, that hardy English explorer dis
covered and charted Baffn bay, which lies be-
tween Greenland and Bafin Land. So he neces-
sarily discovered the east coast of Bafin Land.
But no man has ever sailed around Baffin Land.
And no white man has ever penetrated to its In
terror
Macmillan therefore does not know what's
Id OF him. But the Eskimo who live on the
ISLAND have told him wOndrOus tales of tower
mountains with great glaciers; vast lakes;
slrds new to science and of great size; beautiful
bowers; herds of reindeer. The island it is es-
flnated is about 600 miles from north to south
from Lancaster sound to the Gulf of Boothia. 1t
rs anywhere from 200 TO 500 miles wide east to
west It's east coast line is an ice-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
on 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 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 on the island Then
there is terrestrial magnetism to be studied from
observations taken near the magnetic pole, Also
the aurora borealis Is to be photographed.
Macmillan is a veteran in Arctic exploration
He was born In Provincetown, Mass, in 1872, and
was 98 track and gridron star at Bowdoin
In early life he taught the young idea how to
shoot He was in the Peary Arctic Club North
Polar Expedition of 19O8-O9; 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
q third was formed. word came through that the
little party was safe at Etah Greenland. He
had learned that Crocher Land was largely a
myth.
The Bafin Land Arctic Exploration-the official
title Of the little company that Macmillan will
commands being financed by a group Of
Bowdoin The plans provide for an alb
eence OF two years. The plans do not provide
for relief expedition. II the Bowdoln is crushed
I'm the Ice the party will retreat by sedge 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 shipmates on previous vOy-
ages. His mate Is Jonathan Small ("Jot'') Of
Provncetown Mass. who was with him for four
years on the Croker Land expedition and whom
the explorer describes as 'through-and through
sailor, and the best story teller ever met An
ether former shpmate is Thomas McCue Of Bril-
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 r. Robinson Of Haverhil Mass. will be
the explorers general assistant during the cxpe-