The Next Voyage of the Fram.

Hastings Standard, Issue 424, 13 September 1897, Page 4

The Next Voyage of the Fram.

It has been briefly announced that next year Captain Sverdrup proposes to take the Fram up Smith Sound to the north-west coast of Greenland for the purpose of prosecuting exploration in that direction. Though Dr. Nansen will not accompany the expedition there is reason to believe that he is taking an active part in the direction of the expedition. The object will be to penetrate north through Smith Sound and Robeson Channel as far north as possible along the north-west coast of Greenland. An attempt will ">■ be made to discover how far Greenland extends northward, and to survey the north - west, north, and north - east coasts. In short, one prime object will be to complete the exploration of the Greenland coast, a considerable extent of which is still quite unknown. It will be remembered that Lieutenant Peary carried exploration further eastward than had been previously done, though his actual addition to our knowledge of the coast did not amount to much. The task will be a most difficult one, even if Captain Sverdrup succeeds in taking the Fram through the difficult ice navigation which is generally found between the Greenland and American shores. Still, as we know from Hall's experience, there are years when the passage is quite clear, and if the conditions are favorable the Fram may succeed in reaching 28deg N. without difficulty. Dr. Nansen is also anxious that Captain Sverdrup should examine what has been called the " paheo-crystic ice," about which there has been so much discussion, and as to the origin and real character of which there is considerable doubt. An attempt will be made to discover how far one must travel from land with dogs and sledges before meeting with ice more like that in which the Fram drifted. Is the palseo-chrystic ice really due to the accumulation caused by the land obstruction on each side of the narrow channel which separates Greenland from the islands on the north of America ? Thus it may be that Captain Sverdup will succeed in breaking the highest records in this direction those of Markham and Lockwood. If he does this and completes the coast of Greenland he will have done a splendid piece of work. As to the route of the return voyage, that, no doubt, will depend on circumstances.