The Arctic.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7066, 19 January 1891, Page 2

The Arctic.

By the way, Dr Hansen, we see, lias made up his mind to get to the North Pole. Hie method is daring and ingenious. Hiß equipment is to be a ship, built sloping inwards towards the water-line, unlike all other ships, which slope outwards; well found with boatß, tents, Bledges and the reßt of the Arctic neoesßaries. A captive balloon completes the outfit. His plan is to sail through Behring Straits, expected to be open every year about June, follow the Siberian coast as far as the islands of New Siberia, where the ilUfated Jeannette (of Gordon Bennett's equipping) spent so much time, say about 140 East and 15 North. Then the Polar current is met with, running over or near the Pole, along the line of the 140 th parallel say, and coming out into water or drift ice, somewhere between the Greenland Coast and the Island of Spitzbergen. When he meets the Polar current, the intrepid explorer is to steer straight for the North, puß-iug his way into every clear Bpace of Bummer water, regardless of all chance of return. It is the opposite process to burning his Bhipß behind him it is freezing his path; but it is equally heroic. When he can sail no farther he lets the ice close round him, and waits for it to " pinch his craft," and then we shall see the advantage of her wedgeshaped build. Instead of being pinched she is to be squeezed upwards until she rests on the ice, as on a patent slip or gridiron. The journey on the current Polewards thus begun, the rest is a mere matter of

patience and good clothes. If the ship has fared badly and been "pinched" in spite of her wedge shape, the boats will be safe, and the tents and sleeping bagß which Dr Nansen found too hot on his Greenland tour will enable the crew to live in comfort on the ice. On reaching open water on the back of Jack Frost, the ship or the boats, whichever has proved fittest by survival, will take the adventurers to the nearest land. Will the current carry them through? Will it Btrand them on Borne inhospitable unexpected rock in mid-Polar ocean ? Will the ice keep calm P Will it break up all around with terrible murmurings " like noises in a Bwound ? " Theße are questions to make the blood run cold. Dr Nanßen calmly says there is no surf in the Polar sea to contend with, as under " Greenland's icy mountains;" which means that when he gets among the surf at the other end of his journey he will be in "Queer street" rather. It iB a desperate venture. The Doctor gets to Behring Strait, he hopes, in June, 1892.