Evening star., 1926-10-10
CANADIAN VESSEL
BACK FROM ARCTIC
Veteran Captain Makes An
nuaI PiIgrimages to Far
Away Police Posts.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
TORONTO Ontario. October Al
most unheralded. the annual Canadian
Arctic expedition under George p.
Mackenzie OF the department of in.
terror. has returned from it's 1926
round of duty. The expedition estab-
lished on Bache Peninsula the most
northeriy police detachment in the
world. Previously established posts Of
the Royal Canadian mounted police
were visited with supplies and relief.
The new post on BaChe Peninsula is
in latitude 19 degrees minutes north.
To the ordinary reader this may con
vey only a vague idea Of its location.
Reference to a map shows Bache
Peninsula to be in the same longitude
as Boston and, as the crow flies, about
$500 miles due north. The signifi
canoe of this distance is indicated by
the fact that Boston is only some 500
miles farther north than New Orleans.
Bache is about 900 miles beyond the
Arctic Circle, 300 miles north Of
Hudson Strait and only 700 miles from
the Pole itself.
Is in Ellesmere Land.
Bache Peninsula is part of Files
mere Land. the most northerly land in
America, lying adjacent to Greenland
Only the tips of Ellesmere and of
Greenland lie between Bache and the
Polar Sea. Few vessels have ever
penetrated as far as Bache, and the
new Canadian police post was only
established after four efforts made q
successive years. Last year materials
and supplies for the new post had to
be left at Fran Haven, few miles
south of the desired objective.
This continued activity ON tba ra
If the Canadian government illustrates
the seriousness of it's effort to main
tain by actual occupation its exclusive
sovereignty over the great eXpanse
covered by the Arctic Archipelago. In
this Canada is looking to future posi-.
biiities which aerial routes and radio
may open up. At the same time she
is seeking present profit. For exam
pie, Elesmere Land is rich in blue fox
and other valuable furs which have
already suffered from the depredations
OF poacherS.
For 20 years the veteran Capt. Ber-
nier and his good ship Arctic have
been making pilgrimages into these
far northern waters. Bernier and the
Arctic are now superannuated. but
any one Of his routine trips or of the
Beothic. which is now on the job,
rival in adventure and achievement
most of the so.called Arctic eXplora-
ton trips.
Trip Ordinary Routine"
The Montreal Star says: The vivid
description published in New York
papers of how the Putnam expedition
prayed and searched for seven weeks
and finally shot Il polar bear makes
strange reading for Canadians. mas
much as Capt. Bernier. who has been
trading for a score of years in the Arc
tic, has brought out several hundred
polar bear skins and in his home at
Lewis are many magnificent speci-
mems. while the Hudson Bay Co.
has brought out hundreds Of walrus
hides. The Arctic expeditions by
United States citizens have only been
following the route taken year after
year by c. G. S. Arctic in its ordinary
routine"
Canadian posts visited this year by
Mr.. Mackenzie included those at Pond
Inlet. Baffin Island; Dundas Harbor,
Devon Island; Craig Harhor, Files
mere Land, and c. D. Pangnirtung,
Baffin Islands, points within the Arc.
tic Circle, and very much farther
north than any American expedition
has been, except Mcmillan, who flew
from Etah, on the Danish coast, across
to ElleSmere Land.
Ship Is Sealing Vessel.
The steamship Beothic, a sealing
vessel of 200 tons capacity. which is
larger and speedier than the Arctic,
was reconstructed last November at
Newcastle on-Tyne for the seal fish
cries. On her initial trip she returned
with a record catch of 4S.420 skins
before being chartered for the govern
ment's expedition. She is under COM
mand Of Capt. Falk. In addition TO
police personnel, the Beothic took
north a geological party. which will
explore the interior of Baffin Land.
returning next year.
The statement that a record for two.
way radio communication had been
made by the latest American expedi-
ton in Bafiin Bay is disputed here,
for in October, 1925, a two-hour two
way conversation by voice and code
was carried on with the c. G.. S. Arc
tic from KDKA. Pittsburgh, while the
boat was off northeast Baffin Land,
which is considerably north of the
location Of the Putnam expedition at
the time of its feat. There are quite
number of short-wave receiving sets
in the Arctic regions, as well as scores
of standard broadcast receivers. and
they receive government and personal
messages from Canada on a regular
schedule during the Winter months.