Year: 1875

within less than two hundred miles OF where Franklins
party had perished Afterward, by sedge over the
ice he reached within forty miles Of that spot without
however having the least idea that he
solving the mystery All these straits including even
some portions Of Victoria Strait have been naygaed
time to time by such inveterate explorers
as Franklin himself In his younger days, by
Dease and simpson, by Richardson and Rae and Book,
and ii has long known that during every summer
there Is broad belt Of open water all the way along
the north coast OF the American Continent This is
due in large measure, to the comparatively warm
water which is poured into the Arctic Ocean from the
great northern shed through such rivers as the
Mckenzie Coppermne and Backs rivers, II was
for this annual belt of water that Franklin
making and would have reached but
for his unfortunate entanglement among The
Ice. No doubt this most unexpected. In all
probability the air had fallen suddenly cold while re-
naming calm, and very likely in a single night the
progress Of the expedition forever arrested With
the aid Of steam have not the least doubt that Franklin
would have gone through the strait which Conson
subsequently found navgabe and thus the Northwest
passage would have been accomplished.


THE PANDORA


fell short of Franklin $50 miles Notwithstanding her
steam power and being thus far behind doubtless
had influence upon Captain Young and his officers in
forming their determination not to winter. Yet the
season hardly be said TO have ended and had the
Pandora wntered in safe harbor it is not at all
likely the same conditions would have prevailed the
following year; and who knows but that Captain
Young might have announced his triumph TO the
world from British port of Columbia, from the
city of San Franciscop


THE BETTER WAY,


1 think, would however, be the and
come in, as Collinson did, from the Pacific. Yet |
ar hntV,rx
made IN this direction from either side almost any year.
provided only that steam is used a motive power


To be sure the accomplishment of this undertaking
would be attended with serious difficulty and danger
probably rendering the passage entirely unavailable
for commerce. yet 1t would be- after these centuries OF
effort a glorious achievement We know already that
there is a water communication between the Atlantic
and Pacific, but no man made keel OF ship has yet
passed from ocean to ocean, But in the effort TO ac-
complish this ship should go without ample prepa-
ration for passing at least winter The risk of be-
ing thus caught would of course, in these times OF
rapid transit, be rather discouraging to the
enterprisng merchant but when his foreiathers
first conceived of route in that direction, II must be
borne in mind that steam and telegraphy and even
clipper ships were not dreamed Of and that, assuming,
as Columbus did that the world round, was In
the beginning that the route by the North was



Indies are brought by the suez Canal and
by rail and steamship westward from New York that
the North may be safely counted out The passage
therefore, if made through Dolphin Union, Dease
Victoria and Peel Straits will only in all likelihood
remain record achievement that exhibited
and daring without producing practical results


FRANKLrN's PATE.


for discovering any further records Of the fate Of
Sir John Franklin think very doubtful These certainly
can never be found from ship following the coast
for the best Of times the coast is evidently unap
proachabe by any vessel on account of the ice and
shoal places and the exact spot where the records
are deposited being only vaguely defined by the
tves who have the best of times great difficulty in
telling the truth, it is clear that minute search is
necessary. This must Of necessity take place in the
months or March, April and May, when the Ice and
snow are both firm and solid. To do this Of course
wnterng absolutely necessary, and for the travelling
either the Greenland dog may be used or the men might
drag their own camp equipage and provisions.


CAPTAIN YoUSG's HoPR.


see IL stated that Captain Young has some hope OF
returning to the attack again next spring. greatly
hope that he may do So and win the high honor OF
sailing all the way through. There is another route
besides that of Peel Strait, &c, which may be prac
ticable mean Smith Strait Now, the ice barrier
the west side OF Greenland extends very far down





il in getting into Lancaster Sound and south
through It again to get Victoria and Dease Straits
on the other hand, by continuing on north into
Smith Sound the barrier is broken through when the
open Polar Sea is reached. This may probably be
easily navigated during August and September and by
crossing directly the North Pole have no doubt
that favorable opening might be found in the barrier
on the Asatic side, and ship brought through into
Behring Strait and the Pacific Il of the Asatic
coast beyond a belt OF ice, varying from twenty TO
$50 miles that the Russian officers first discovered open
water more than Atty years ago And the water which
Wrangel saw on the one side and Kane, Hall
and myself saw beyond Smith Sound the other,
are as have always believed, only the margin OF a
great central watery area, kept more or less
omen al all times by the agitation of the
surface caused by the winds and currents. Into this
water believe the English will penetrate in the two
fine ships Alert and Discovery, and imagine moth
ing serious as standing the way of their achieving
brilliant victory. And as for the season,


THE CHARMING LETTERS


OF your able correspondent Mr.. MacGahan, who ac-
mpaned the Pandora convince us that the season is
exceptionally favorable If did not have proofs
from number OF quarters However it does not do
to count too generally upon what has been seen Local
influences often operate in the mos: unexpected man
ner to create obstacles Yet, knowing Smith Sound as
do can but think of Captain Mares and his gallant
party now enjoying the delights of an Arctic night Of
five dark months under the blazing Aurora, some
where near latitude 50 deg, where they are patiently
awaiting the and the break up. that they may
push ahead again l. HAYES.


pTYMOITTH PRAYER MEETING.