ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4206, 12 September 1874, Page 3

ARCTIC EXPLORATION.

(From the Dundee Advertiser, June 4.) Yesterday the steamer Diana, which was recently chartered by Captain Wiggins, of Sunderland, for the purpose of proceeding on an exploring expedition in the Arctic Seas, sailed from Dundee. The vessel has been thoroughly equipped for the voyage, which it is expected will occupy about ' four months. Captain Brown, of Peterhead, who has had much experience in Greenland, has been engaged as ice master, and there will be a crew of fourteen hands. Captain Wiggins will himself control the operations, and the voyage will be undertaken by way of Nova Zembla. One object of it will be to make a search for the missing Austrian expedition which went out some two years ago, aud regarding which no report has yet been received. It appears that the Austrian ship Tegetthoff had been fitted out by private enterprise ; and from a circular which has been issued by Baron Wilezek to those who have friends on board, or who were in any way concerned in the vessel, we leam that the belief is that the state of affairs, on the 21st August, 1872 (on which day the Tegetthoff was lying near the Northern Baront’slsle),hadnot changed. Those who were with the expedition knew they would have to encounter dangers of all kinds, but were prepared to meet them. 'What those dangers had been no one could tell, as it was impossible to say what kind of weather had been experienced. Meteorological observations had shown that the heavy storms which occurred in the North aud Baltic Seas in 'November, 1872, did not prevail in the White Sea or in Lapland. The summer and autumn of that year were very mild in Norway, Lapland, and the North of Kusaia, whereas in the Arctic Ocean tho summer was very unfavorable. Yet, although these were facts, no one could say what sort of weather the Tegetthoff had encountered; but, assuming that the weather had been unsatisfactory, that was no reason for discouragement. The Tegetthoff was well able to bravo dangers. They had succeeded in traversing the stormy, icebound sea between Spitzbergen aud Nova Zembla in twenty-seven days, with the small ship Isbjoem, which neither sailed nor steered well. The Tegetthoff,on the other hand,had been specially built for the expedition, and behaved admirably under either steam or canvas. She was provided with coals and provisions for three years. In Weyprecht, an eminent seaman, the crew had a splendid guide, aud he was assisted by tho experienced Peycr and five other officers, each of whom was capable of commanding a ship —among them being the well-known Carlseu,who had been forty times in the midst of icebergs. When the Tegetthoff was last seen she steered to the north, and in the event of being overtaken by bad weather would likely have entered some harbor on Nova Zembla to pass the winter. In order to get information about this point the Baron had offered a prize of 1000 florins to any person who would discover traces of the Tegetthoff, and advertised in the Swedish, Norwegian and Eussian papers. The past summer had been favorable, many ships passing round Nova Zembla to Kara Sea, and the report from them was that tho Tegetthoff did not spend tho winter in Nova Zembla. It is presumed that tho Tegetthoff found open water, and, taking advantage of this circumstance, Weyprecht would have sailed towards the east and would have been able to advance as far as Peeiua Land. Weyprecht’s plau was to reach Cape Tschelynuskiu. If he had been obliged to pass two winters there it would have been impossible to receive any information from him, the coasts being quite uninhabited. The Samojedos seldom pass so far north as Cape Tschelymiskin, and are, besides, very bad postmen. Then Beyer was not likely to travel to such an extent to the southward with his sledges as to get into contact with some of tho Samojede tribes ; as his task was to travel as far east and north on the ice as possible, for the purpose of investigating and drawing maps of tho unknown coasts and islands in that part of tho Arctic Ocean. It was also likely that the Tegetthoff might advance still more to tho east, and in that event the difficulty of obtaining information would be increased. Tho letter concludes with this statement : “ Weyprecht and Boyer themselves will bring us the first news next October or November, and ns Hammorfest is the first port which the Tegetthoff will enter, we may expect from that town by telegraph the first nows of their happy return.”

Captain Wiggins has received from Mr. Leigh Smith, who went a voyage of exploration in the Diana last year, a quantity of provisions for the use of the Austrian expedition should it be discovered. He has also obtained from Dr. Petterman, of Gotha, a great variety of valuable charts, hints, and suggestions, and communications have passed between him and the Doctor up to the moment of the vessel leaving. '