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IN THE FAR NORTH

TRIALS OF EARLY EXPLORERS. VANCOUVER, October 30. The patrols carried out by the North-west Mounted Police by dogtearn and boat in the Eastern and Western Canadian Arctic during the past year totalled approximately 25,000 miles —sufficient had the patrols been placed end to end, to circle the earth at lhe equator. These patrols are all a series of romantic adventures by flood and field or just plain simple duty, according to the viewpoint—the latter being that of the force. However, perhaps the most interesting to the public was that made by Inspector A. 11. Joy and Constable Taggart from Dundas Harbour, Devon Island, to Bache Peninsula, Ellesmere Island. This circuit involved travelling about 1800 miles, and occupied from 12th March to 30th -May. Besides the inspector and constable there were two Eskimos, and the supplies for the partj- were carried on two sleds drawn at the beginning by 12 dogs each. The course in the first piirt of the journey was almost due west along the southern shore of Devon, Cornwallis, Bathurst and Melville Islands. The aim was to pass along the shore ice, which meant in many cases going through a defile between the high cliffs of the island and a wall, from 20ft to 100 ft high, formed of great blocks of ice forced on the shore by the movement of the sea ice. At times the “pressure ice” was found close against the cliffs, which necessi tated climbing and dragging sleds over the hills of the interior. For the first two weeks travelling was made harder by heavy falls of soft snow. The labours of the party were increased by the inability to dry their wet clothing, which was alternately wet or frozen imtil they reached Melville Island.

Along this part of the route many old caches and cairns were passed, showing where either British or Canadian expeditions had landed in past years. These included the Franklin cenotaph and' the caches in Beechey Island; lhe cairn oh Cornwallis Island, erected in 1850 by Commander William Penny, of H.M.S. Lady Franklin and Sophia; the cache at Dealy Island, off Melville . Island, deposited by Commanders Kellett and McClintock in 1852-53, when on their search for Sir John Franklin; and the Canadian Government cache at Winter Harbour, Melville Island, deposited by Captain Bernier, of the * C.G.C. .Arctic, in 1908-09, and visited by Ste'fanson in 1917.

From the Dealy Island cache about 2001 b of canned meat, nearly 80 years old, but still well preserved, were taken. The cache at Winter Harbour and the greater part of the contents were in fair condition.

After reaching Winter Harbour Inspector Joy turned north and crossed Melville Island to Hecla and Griper Bay; he then followed a course roughly north-east to Gretha Bay, on the west shore of Ellesmere Island. It was his practice to go some distance inland on the islands visited. He noted that there was coal on the surface of Edmund Walker Island and that the vegetation was abundant. Cornwallis Island has hills from 800 ft to 1000 ft high. He found several good look-out points on Ellef Ringnes Is-, land. Belville Island he calls tfle “paradise of the Eastern Arctic,” and on Bathurst Island much good grazing ground, on which herds ■ of caribou were pasturing, was seen.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GEST19291210.2.17

Bibliographic details

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1929, Page 4

Word Count
551

IN THE FAR NORTH Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1929, Page 4

IN THE FAR NORTH Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1929, Page 4

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