NEWS FROM ARCTIC.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 18 November 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEWS FROM ARCTIC.

NEWS OF PEARY'S EXPEDITION.

Lieut. Peary's steamer* the Win^j ward, arrived at Brigus, New Foundland, on September 10, from West Greenland, having wintered in the fat north. She brought a story of mingle^ achievement and disaster.

Peary's chief work consisted in get* ting the Windward fifty miles farther north than Sverdrup got the Fram; His disaster took the form of his har« • ing his feet badly frost-bitten and los* ing seven toes, four off the left loot and three off the right. This occurred on January 6, the very night Mrs Peary's second baby was born.

Peary had set out four days beforfe from Fort Conger, pushing- toward Cape Columbia, in the northern extremity of Grinnell Land. The party met a series of accidents and then had to retreat to Conger. ' They could not find the Greely house in the night and had to take shelter in a cave in an ice» berg. Here Peary's exertions caused a reaction and his feet became frozen," He had to be hauled on a sledge back to the Windward 100 miles south; where Dr. Diedrick amputated the frozen members.

Thus crippled Peary conld do little this spring and summer in advancing north. He made one trip in Aprilj but two daj's' travel showed that his feet could not stand the rough usage and "he had to abandon further effort/ He, therefore, made some exploring trips round Grinnell Land, delimiting its western coast and finding that. Buchanan Strait was really a closedbay. Briefly stated, the expedition's V work is as follows:— WORK OF THE EXPEDITION!

On Aug. 13; 1898, the Windward part-V ed from the Hope at Etah, Whale Sound, and spend six days working to. Cape Durville, eighty miles nortH.'■•, Here she was frozen in for the wintet, about a quarter, of a miie from t'lia" shore, when she was made snug. Peary immediately began his preparations towork north. He landed stores, and i with his five Esquimaux families be*^ gan a series of journeys northward,.; making - four trips in all and cacheing' > 4000 pounds of provisions and dog,v meat at all prominent headlands aloiljj; • the west side of the channel separat;-:v ing Greenland froni. Grinnell Land*

At Fort Conger, Greely's old headquarters, in Lady Franklin Bay, Peary, 1 found a Greely house and its contents just as it was left by his predecessor fifteen years ago, with the table set for the last meal. He also found all the property left by Gfreely's people, jj including rejigs of the previous e'xpedi-. tions, all of which "he removed with] care and transported to the Windward," whence they will go to the United States by the auxiliary steamer Diana V.l

Peary made one trip from Conger.;^ north to Beeehy Cape, on the confines . of the Polar sea. He and his men are ; thoroughly familiar with the coast J track, and can make splendid tiiiife? with it. After spending April ift , crossing Ellsmere land, Peary Worked .• south in May and June, hunting- wal-." rus and musk oxen, securing 100 of the: v former and sixteen of the latter.

In July the ice showed signs of open-1 ing. The ship got free on Aug. 2, this year. She steamed south and oh; Aug. 12, just a year from parting w|#' the Hope, she met the Diana at EtftK. ,' All the supplies landed by the latter; were stored arid Peary went to Cape^ York in her, gathering dogs, skinj^ and sleds for his expedition nestf spring.

WILL GO NORTH. IN FEBEtJAKY.

He will remain at Etah this fall and ' winter, and nextFebf uaryy wheii ttie•"". light serves, he will start north, the: whole tribe of arctic Highlanders gupporting him. He will thus be enabled.'" to advance large quantities of Supplies T to Fort Conger. When the Windward "' comes up in July she xvtll conic pf6- -• Visioned for1 three years, and hi will „ push her as far north as he can get' her. She will remain there Until his ■ work is completed. He Will ifiake trip ' after trip over the Polar basin iee > toward the north until he 'has reacted.^ J the pole, or finds that to be impossible^: ; Last winter was the cpldest in the"! I arctics in his experience. The= th&r-' 1 mometer dropped to 70 below zero, | though t'hefe was nt* snow or. storms.- ---: Kaile basin did not empty of ice this ' i seasoil. .- ; . .:•■;•>.,. \^p.v ! Sverdrup, in the Fram, was .frozett-" lin at Cocked Hat Island, fifty;Mniles'; south of Peary, but the. two eSpedk ; tions did not communicate until Peary "' j started south on'a hunting trip this.' ! spring. Then he found that Sverdrup ■■ j'had crossed Ellesmere land also, butl--j had done little else. .Dh SvenSdki * | surgeon on the Fram, died during the winter. Sverdrup proposes to push north this -> summer, land on the Greenland coast, sledge round its northern extremity," ■>'■ and down its xmehartered east coast, ■ ! being picked up by the Fram in a year or two, which would go soutih fouiid., Cape Farewell and up the east-coast , !to meet him. The Frani left Etfllw I Aug.,l2 this year, bound north,..but;-. ion Aug. IS had made only fiye-;iniies ) \;i I so it is not likely she will accomplish,V ! much this season. ' .. ■',<-■

The Diana had a good trip north. She landed the Stein party Ht:Cape Sabine Aug. 5, and met the windward at Etah Aug. 12. The WihdWattl started homeward Aug' 21, aad'fhe Diana was to follow Aug 26; Sis-ve for the death of Dr. Svensori of the Fr^am! and the accident to Peary, there was not a case of injury or illness on any ; of the three ships. ,; ,; ; ' '."