ARCTIC EXPLORATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3258, 23 August 1916, Page 5

ARCTIC EXPLORATION

THE STEFANSSON EXPEDITION. GREAT COPPER-FIELD MAPPED. NEW YORK, August 17. Part of the Stefansson expedition has returned to Nome, Alaska, including Jenness, a New Zealander. The schooner Alaska left Bernard Harbour on July 13, and reached Herschel Island on July 28, 1915. During 1915 a detailed survey of the coast line was completed, the ( '! Mackenzie) River was explored for 75 miles, and the geology of the country was examined. Surveys were made east from Cape Barrow around Morebalp and the Arctic Sound by launch and canoe, the party returning by sled. As a result of this survey the Bathurst Island charts have been rectified, and over 150 islands have been charted.

The geological results were encouraging. A great copper field has been mapped. Jenness spent from April to November, 1915, in sledging and packing with primitive Eskimos in the interior of Victoria Island. He has made an extensive ethnological and archaeological collection, and has secured phonograph records of the folk lore of the Eskimos. No official news is to hand of the northern section of the expedition, but Wilkins reported that one schooner had been beached at Cape Relief, and another schooner was unable to proceed further north than the unnamed island west of Banks Island.

The ship.-Polar Bear, under Captain Stefansson, unsuccessfully attempted a

voyage to the west of Banks Island in 1915, being forced to return, and she wintered between Banks Island and Victoria Island.

Plans were made to spend 1916 in obtaining more information of the hind discovered by Captain Stefansson in 1915. The Stefansson party started off on the exploration trip in May, and intend to remain as long as possible, and spend the summer in the northern islands, rejoining the Polar Bear at Melville Island in the fall. It is expected that the Polar Bear will spend the winter of 1916-17 at Melville Island. The northern party intended to retm-n in 1916, but it is hardly anticipated that that will be possible, owing to- the scattering of the parties.

The explorers are well supplied for two years. The scientist of the southern party brought many tons of specimens. The remapping of the Bathurst Island region corrects the errors of Sir John Franklin. Dr Andersen reports thai Siefansson may not return until 1913. After remaining with the Stefansson party, \Vil-

kins made a trip over the ice and joined the southerners. Stefansson told him of a new land he had discovered, which might be described as another Greenland. Dr Andersen reports that over 150 islands were charted in the region heretofore mapped as Chapman, Lewis, and Maicet •Islands, in Bathurst Inlet. A great field was investigated where native copper is widely distributed in extensive quantities. Valuable ethnological and archaeological collections were made, including o\er 1000 specimens of birds and mammals. DR JENNESS SAFE. WELLINGTON, August 18. Mr G. L. Jenness, of Lower Hutt, has received a cable message stating that hi 9 son (Dr Diamond Jenness) is safe. Dr Jenness is a New Zcalancler. He was bom at Wellington, and educated at Wellington College, where ho graduated with honours in classics and gained mimeroiis scholarships. In 1908 he went to Oxford, entering Balliol College and taking up the study of literce humaniores and anthropology. In the latter he obtained his diploma in 1910. His work attracted such notice that in 1911 he was selected by the Oxford University Committee of Anthropology to lead an anthropological expedition to NewGuinea. The adventures of this expedition amongst the 'primitive peoples of Papua and the valuable work done by it are yet fresh in the memory of scientists.