Year: 1875

safe arrival in England OF the Pandora; and would
take leave congratulate you for this evidence OF
journalistic enterprise the part OF the Herald
feel disposed to write few observations touching this
subject in which you have always manifested SO great
interest do this partly because would correct
slight in the transmission OF the telegram which
might be confusing to the general reader and partly be-
there results which are interesting in
connection with the English expedition the North
Pole under Captain Mares.


The Pandora has made very gallant dash into the
Arctic seas, and as summer adventure reminding
Of the bold attempts Of Bafn, Ross and Ingefeld
To be sure, tho Northwest passage was not accom-
pished but the Pandora came about as near to it
any expedition, save that OF Sir John Franklin with
the Erebus and Terror That this should have been
done inside OF four months without serious accident
it is to the great journal which took large a share
in the bold enterprise


MELVILLE BAY


Up to the time Of reaching Melville Bay all to





Bay is the great terror Of Arctic navigators. The
winds and the discharge of cebergs
from the Greenland glaciers block up such an ex-
that navigation is always dangerous and some
times impossible The bay in itself is but broad
curve of the Greenland coast, extending in north
westerly direction from little above Upernavik in
lat IS deg. to Cape York, in lat. 76 deg But this
bay has come TO be regarded comprising
the whole of Bafln's Bay lying to the
westward, in which quarter there is slow, circular
movement Of the waters caused by the northery set
Of the current the Greenland side and a southcrly
the American side, the result being that great
bodies Of ice held there, constructing what is
known as "The Middle Ice" on Melville Bay Pack
To the northward Of this the generally free up
to Smith Sound, and also to the westward
into Lancaster Sound Westerly winds drive
this pack upon the Greenland coast while casterly
winds drive it in the opposite direction and leave the
must hold in direction the other, for if once
caught in the 'packn his ship liable be crushed
as an cggshcll in the hand The Pandora, with good
Judgment seems to have held well to the and
same course after succession Of westerly
gales, l once passed, under sail, through Mel
vile Bay in forty-eght hours, and again
IN fifty -hve without encountering much ice The open
sea above this bay is known as the 'North Water" in
which lie the Carey Islands, and to which point the
course Of the Pandora identical with that Of the
Alert Discovery under Captain Mares and the
as that of Sir John Franklin and Of all the discovery
and search expeditions Of recent times Thence how
ever, the course or the Alert and Discovery
north to Smith Sound on the track Of Bafln
in 1918; Ross, in 1915 Ingeaeld, in 1852 Kane, in
1858; Hayes, in 1850; Hail. in 1872 and in which drec.
ton the northernmost known land has been discovered
and whercj lies tho "open Polar Sea- which Kane
first discovered, winch / subsequently and traced
still further north latitude 81 degrees-tnat is, to
within 4sO miles Of the Pole-whch Hall after
ward reached / believe, in the steamer Poaris
and which Captains Mares and Markham viii, /
am equally confident navigate.


THE COURSE or PANDORA


From Carey Island the course Of the Pandora was
little to the south of west and Lancaster Sound
directly on the track Of Franklin; then into Barrow
Straits to Boechy Island which lies at the entrance
to Wellington Channel, and where Franklin passed the
winter Of ls45-46 and where three Of his party lie
buried Their graves we're drst discovered in 1850 but
here all traces OF the missing expedition were lost
IN, ~. ~ ,1c
northern part Of Hudson's Bay, in a northwesterly
direction, fell in with party Or Esquimaux in whose
possession he found relics and learned Of the
destruction Of the entire party


FRANKLS's FATE


But he was utterly unable 10 locate the position Of
their misfortune or to learn OF the cause thereof fur
thor than that small body Of men, dragging boat,
reached Montreal Island at the mouth Of Backs Or
Great Fish River where in the shelter Of tho boat they
all lay down and died. though he learned from the
natives not until some Of them had the
rlbe alternative ofcannibalsm Hero the rested
until Captain McClutock, In the steamer Fox in 1885,
approached the locality from the north Captain
Young commander Of the Pandora was with McClin
took on this voyage


After a search Of ten years the locality Of Frapkn's
ships was nxed within certain limits, and all that
McCntock and Young had to do was 20 push south
from Barrow Straits by ship far possible and there
wintering to search ii the spring for traces Three
routes were open to them. In the nrst place they
might 30 down Prince Regents Inlet To tho west.
ward Of this inlet lies the large island OF North soer
set Then comes Peel Sound, then Prince Of Vases
Land then McCnntocks Channel discovered by Captain
Young while sledge journey in the spring of 1850
McCntock went down Prince Regent Inlet, where
Parry and Ross had previously gone and finally
brought up by the ice in Boot Strait which separates
Somerset Island from Bootha Peninsula tho northern
most point OF tbs mainland of the American Continent
This is nj latitude ~ dogs Thence to the south lies