THE SECRET OF THE NORTH POLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 436, 7 October 1869, Page 3

THE SECRET OF THE NORTH POLE.

*. — -» — - — - * {From St Paul's Magazine.) The most remarkable feature of Parry's I expedition is not the high latitude which the party attained, but the strange circumstance which led to their discomfiture. What opinion are we to form of an ocean at once wide and deep enough to float an ice-field ] which must have been thirty or forty thousand Square miles in : extent ? Parry has travelled upwards of three hundred miles across the field, and we may fairly suppose that he might have travelled .forty or fifty mile 3 farther without reaching open water ; also that the field extended fully fifty miles on each side of Parry's northerly track. That the whole of so enormous a field should have floated freely before the arctic winds is indeed an astonishing circumstance. On every side of this floating ice-island there must have been seas comparatively free from ice; and could a stout ship have forced its way through these seas, the latitudes to which it could have reached would have been far higher than those to which Parry's party was able to attain. For a moment's consideration will show that the part of the great ice-field where Parry was compelled to turn back must have been floating in far higher latitudes when he first set out. He reckoned that he had lost more- than a hundred miles through the southerly motion of the ice-field, and by just this amount, of course, the point he reached had been nearer the pole. It is not assuming too much to say that a ship which could have forced its way round the great ice-field would certainly have been able to get within four degrees of the pole. It Beenis to us highly probable that she would even have been able to sail upon open water to and beyond the pole itself. And when .we remember the directions in which Dr Kane saw an open sea— namely, towards the very region where Parry's iceship had floated a quarter of a century before — it seems reasonable to conclude that there is open water communication between the seas which lie to the north of Spitzbergen and those which lave the north-western shores of Greenland. If this be so, we at once obtain an explanation of the tidal waves which Kane watched day after day in 1855. These had, no doubt, swept along the valley of the Atlantic, and thence around the northern, coast «f Greenland. It follows that, densely as the ice may be packed at times in the seas by which Hudson, Scoresby, and other captains have attempted to reach the North Pole, the frozen masses must in reality be floating freely, and there must therefore exist channels through which an adventurous seaman might manage to penetrate the dangerous barriers surrounding the polar ocean. In such an expedition chance unfortunately plays a large part. Whalers tell us that there is great uncertainty as to the winds which may blow during an arctic summer. The icebergs may be crowded by easterly winds upon the shores of Greenland, or by westerly winds upon the shores of Spitzbergen, or lastly, the central passago may be the most encumbered, through, the : effects of winds blowing now from the east and now from the west. Thus the arctic voyager has not merely to take his chance as to the route along which he shall adventure north wards,but often, after forcing his way successfully for a considerable distance, he finds the ice-fields suddenly closing in upon him on every side, and threatening to crush his ship into fragments. The irresistible power with which, under such circumstances, the masses of ice bear down upon the stoutest ship has been evidenced again and again ; though fortunately, it not unfrequently happens that some irregularity along one side or the other of the closing channel serves a3 a sort of natural dock, within which the vessel may remain in comparative safety until a change of wind sets her free. Instances have been known in which a ship has had so narrow an escape in this way, and has been subjected to such an enormous pressure, that when the channel has opened out again the impress of the ship's side has been seen distinctly marked upon the massive blocks of ice which have pressed against her. Notwithstanding the dangers and difficulties of the attempt, and the circumstance that no material gains can reward the explorer, it seems not unlikely that before many months are passed the North Pole will have been reached. Last year two bold attempts were made, one by the Swedes, the other by German men of science. In each casse the result was so far successful as to give good promise for future attempts. This year both these nations will renew their attack upon the interesting problem. The German expedition will consist of two vessels, the Germania and the Greenland. The former is a screw-steamer of 126 tons, and well adapted to encounter the buffets of the : ice-masses which are borne upon the arctic . seas. The other is a sailing yacht of 80 tons, ' and is intended to act as a transport-ship by ;

means of which communication may be kept up with Europe. The Gennania willpro? bably winter in high northern latitudes ; and we should not be much surprised if before her return she should have been carried to the very pole. Nor can the prospects of the Swedish expedition be considered less promising, when we remember that last year, though hampered by the lateness of the season and other difficulties, they succeeded in approaching the. pole within a distance only a few miles greater than that which separated Parry from the pole in 1829. Certainly England has reason to fear that before the year 1870 has closed she will no longer be able to claim that her flag has approached both poles more nearly than the flag of any other nation. There are considerations which make the recent supineness of our country in the matter of arctic travel much to be regretted. In the winter of 1874 there will occur one of those interesting phenomena, by which Nature occasionally teaches men useful lessons respecting her economy. We refer to the transit of Venus on December 8 in that year. One of the most effective modes of observing this transit will require that a party of scientific men j should penetrate far within the recesses of { the desolate antarctic circle. Where are the trained arctic seamen to be found who will venture upon . this service ? Most of our noted arctic voyagers have earned their rest ; and, as commander Davis said at a recent meeting of the Geographical Society, those who go for the first time into the arctic or antarctic solitudes are too much tried by the effects of the new experience to be fit to undertake important scientific labours* He spoke with special reference tp the transit of 1882, before the occurrence of which there is fully time to traiii a new school of arctic voyagers. It is just possible that for the transit of 1874 trained explorers belonging to the old school of arctic travel may still be found. But if not, no time should be lost in supplying the deficiency. It has only been discovered within the last few months that journeys to the antarctic will be required as much for this transit as for the other. The Astronomer Royal has expressed his desire that the discovery may be rendered available by suitable expeditions. " Every series of observations," he remarks, " which can really be brought to bear upon this important determination will be valuable." ' Therefore,' for this reason alone, and even if the reputation of England in the matter of arctic travel were altogether worthless, it would be well that efforts should quickly be made to prepare, crews and commanders for the work of 1874, by "sending them to sbbdbl?' as 'Commander Davis expressed it, "in the arctic recess."