Mysteries of the Poles.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5272, 31 May 1895, Page 1

Mysteries of the Poles.

(Lyttelton Times.)

bourue^scientist; who b was inclined to ibelieve *a fold by an . "obsenrd "paper of a r TesßeF(nevOT hearii'bf by reached tne Nprth Pole,- has npw beeuvsatisfied; that the 'report- was a hoax; uAparti from; the suspicion* nature ■of the! source of the report, and the' name ;df .the exploring vessel, the statements made had an. air of verir similitude which might readily deceive an eager mind: More correctly^ perhaps, the 1 given „bf the' open water in 'the Polar region was flo corroborative of scientific speculations that the average scientist might be pardoned for' rather hastily accepting a statement that could not endure the test of criticism. The expectation of finding an open sea at the Pole does not seem to be based on any scientific truth, but it is held with great tenacity by many of thotie interested in the question. Therefore the, minute details as to "tha abundance of bird and fish life at the North Pole were likely to be accepted as truthful particulars, and they might have been generally accepted as such had they been tacked on to the Figaro report of Dr Nansen having reached that region in his speciallyconstructed ship, the Pram. The theory that open water and a comparatively high temperature will be found at the Poles receives some colour from circumstances that have been observed in connection with Antarctic regions by Captain 3?airchild, of the Government steamer Hinemoa. That gentleman, who has often visited the Antipodes, Auckland and other islands to the far south of New Zealand, stateß that the albatrosses and other birds that frequent, these islands have a habit of hibernating somewhere further south, and in the spring they return in ! splendid condition, and show cvi- ! dences of having spent the winter in j a place where abundance of food was available. No doubt, in course of time, science will wrest from the Polar regions all the secrets which are .now so jealously guarded by icy barriers. Six different schemes for reaching the North Pole were propounded last year, and three or four of these, have been put to the test, though the results are not yet known. The South Pole is also becoming an object of scientific curiosity, and in addition to a project by Dr Cook, an American, who proposes to embark on an Antarctic exploring expedition in September next, there is an agitation in "England for the Government to undertake explorations in South Polar Beas. So little is known of the land and sea lying within the Antarctic Circle that no one can deny that very valuable results to the world,' and great fame to the explorers, might flow from researches

there.