WITH STEFANSSON

Southland Times, Issue 18105, 4 June 1919, Page 5

WITH STEFANSSON

NEW ZEALANDER’S EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION IN THE NORTH. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 3. Dr Diamond Jenness, a Wellington-bom New Zealander who has just returned from Canada, had thrilling experiences with the Canadian Government’s Arctic and the Stefansson expedition. Dr Jenness, after three years in the frozen wastes of the north, was a year with the Canadian troops in France. In the beginning of 1913 Dr Jenness, then in New Zealand, received a cable message from the Canadian Government asking him to join the expedition. He accepted, and the expedition left from Esquirnault in June, 1913, and proceeded via Nome mining centre on the Alaskan coast. At Nome two gasolene schooners and a vessel named the Karluk were purchased and equipped with Arctic paraphernalia. The expedition had a twofold purpose: To explore Beauford sea in search of new land, and to carry out detailed scientific work mapping the coastline, making a study of the zoology, biology, etc., in the almost unknown regions of Coronation Gulf. The expedition, therefore, divided into a northern party under Stefansson to explore the Beauford Sea and the southern party, of which Dr Jenness was a member and whose work was to make a special study of the Eskimos. Stefansson sailed north in the Karluk, leaving the schooners with the southern party for the time being. The Karluk, however, was fated not to return, for she was jamme 1 in the ice. Of the six scientists with that party, three perished during the terrible journey over the ice and two more succumbed to disease after the island had been gained. Of the crew of twenty-three, two men died on the ice and another on the island. The Karluk being lost, Stefansson resolved to carry on his’ exploration by sledge. Therefore, he organised a new party and set off for Beauford Sea, where he remained four years to the west and north of Prince Patrick Land. Meanwhile the remainder of the party, marooned on Wrangell Island, were experiencing terrible hardships. The food supply was scant at first and dwindled to practically hil. Captain Bartlett, one of the party who had been Peary’s captain when the American explored and reached the North Pole, set out across the ice to the shore and then made his way to an isolated Russian settlement, with the news of the terrible plight of the remainder of the party. Nothing could be done till the following summer, when the icefields broke up. Help was then despatched by sea and the shipwrecked men on the island were rescued. In the summer of 1914 the vessels went on their way to Coronation Bay, where says Dr Jenness, “We spent two fairly peaceable years, though a little cold at times.” There specimens of plants, animals and insects were collected and Dr Jenness took up the study of Eskimo life and Customs. The geologist with that party discovered enormous deposits of copper, not copper ore, but 99 per cent, pure copper, somewhat similar to the great Lake Superior deposits. Dr Jenness made a comprehensive collection of specimens in the Coronation Gulf region, taking back some eighty cases to Canada. No news was received that the war had commenced till November, 1916.