ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XX, Issue 56, 8 March 1886, Page 4

ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

At a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, held at tho London University on Dec. 24, Mnjor Greely of the United States Army, gave some interesting information about " Arctic Exploration with reference to Grinnell Land." Grinnell Land resembled very much a rather badly shaped figure 8. It had been known only some thirty ye&rs, aud the knowledge of ifc grew oub of a voyage made not for discovery, bub in the interests of humanity — fche summer v.ynge of Admiral Sir E. Inglefield, the then Oaptain Inglefield, in search of John Franklin. After recounting the histoiy of the work of exploration which had since added to the knowledge of Grinnell Land, Major Greely went on to say that he sailed northwards in 1881 in command of an expedition, the work of whioh was purely scientific, at least so read the orders, bufc he would scarcely have been a man, or an American at least-, if, going northwards for scientific purposes, he had nofc done his best to extend the knowledge of the geography of the Arctic regions. And so, sending forward a party under Lieutenant Lockwood, it was his pleasant lot oue day to reach Lockwood Island. Meanwhile his attention was taken up in seeing that the expedition he sent forward were properly supplied, and that everything was done to secure their safety and success ; but when thafc was done he felt that he must do his part of the work. Although doga failed him, he turned inland with three other men, and fchey succeeded in making perhaps one of the most remarkable inland voyages of Arctic exploration, a trip of 250 miles ia 12 days. Tneg succeeded in outlining or making known the pecnlar physical configurations of Grinnell Land. Ifc showed to him a large river entering into an expansive fiord. Thafc fiord led him up to fche river, aad as he followed np the latter, he eventually came to its source, finding there, afc the end of an Arctic winter of unparalleled severity, an open river which was fed from a glacial lake of great extent, fed by glaciers from the northward, and situated some 500ft above tbe sea. During the summer time he was able fco make a second voyage into thafc country, Tbeir trip then covered some 350 or 400 miles, it being quite impossible to tell wifch any degree of accuracy how far they travelled in an Arctic country ; fche path waa such a very winding one, and fche v/ay was so rough. He had no doubt that many of those assembled there fchafc night pictured every placa within the Arctic circle as being a very desolate region, fchafc there was nought there but rock, and ice and snow; bufc in Grinnell Land he found something different. He found there, extending along thafc glacial lake, a large number of valleys which, leading to the westward, led him to the summit of a mountain, from which fche whole of Grinnell Land lay stretched out before him as on a map. High in fche valleys which he had mentioned game abounded in very considerable quantities They killed during their two years' life in Grinnell Land over 200 musk oxen, and aleo saw some 200 more, and he had no doubt thab to-day ther. were nofc far from 300 head of musk oxen roaming about thafc district of Grinnell Land, and living on the pasturage which covered the fertile valleys. In summer the country presented scenes of remarkable beauty ; the mosses of the Arctic uegions put on a color and a luxuriousness which were never to be seen in the temperate climes ; the browns, the yellows, the reds, and greens so mingled as to give to the landscape a peculiar beauty. He had seen the creeping Arctic willow, which scarcely rises an inch above the soil, covering many acres of the ground so closely that the foot of man could not touch*it. During the summer time the scenery was not entirely devoid of animal life apart from the musk oxen, which remained there the whole year. Ofcher life was to be seen; it. was unnecessary to say that the Arctic wolf, the fox, the hare, and the ermine remained all the year. In addition there came a large number of birds, some 30 or more varieties, and among them one known as the snow bunting was, perhaps, not unknown in England ; it was seen as far north as the foot of man had trodden. Among others were the king duck, the eider duck, and the long-tailed duck. The waders and gulls were with them every summer for six or seven weeks, during which time the waters ran freely and the snow melted rapidly. The Arctic summer was, therefore, not quite so dreary as many people thought it was. He had no doubt that Grinnell Land within moderately recent ages had risen from the sea ; and his view was borne out by the discovery of shells of existing speeies in the rocks. He had also found in one of the lakes about five or six mile3 from the sea shore two trees embedded in one of the banks of the shore in such a state of preservation that he was able to use a considerable part of them for fuel. Major Greely then went on to discuss the various theories as to the formation of Arctic ice floes, and stated his own views on the subject. Referring to the spirit which animated the men who accompanied him, Major Greely said he would tell a little story of their experiences whieh had not been told before. It was, that when they found it necessary to drop everything which was not absolutely essential to them, he felt a great desire to hold on to a pendulum —an instrument thafc had been made specially for him. Desirous as he was for scientific work, he did not feel that that instrument had any right to weigh down the men — to take away any chance of their lives. The men were rather rough men, recruited from the army — men without much culture or high moral sentiments— and he said thafc when any of them should speak the word the pendulum should go, and then afterwards such other instruments as they might think it desirable to part with. But no one said the word, and some of the men spoke out and said, " Hold on to the pendulum, and if it goes to fche bottom of the sea we'll go with it." And when the relief squadron came on June 22, it stood there as an indication that they had come to the place to which they had promised to come, and that their work should live after them even if they died.— s hipping Gazette and Lloyd's Register. Dec 24.