THE UNDISCOVERED BOURNE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3525, 15 June 1872, Page 3

THE UNDISCOVERED BOURNE.

(San Francisco News Letter.) The marvelous, unseen world beyond the North Pole may be likened unto tbe Kingdom of Death — that mysterious bourne from which no traveller ever returns. Heroic souls. have attempted to discover the new and solemn continents believed to exist over the fabled regions of eternal snow and ice, but the intrepidity, daring and genius of those heroic souls yielded to the monsters of hunger, pestilence and climate, which like the three-headed Cerberus garding the gates of hell, ever grapple with and devour the bold spirits that would invade their awful mysteries. The immortal mengods, Kane and Franklin, perished at | the gates that led to the undiscovered world. Hoary Neptune, god of the sea, buried one of them ; the nerieds, nj'mphs of the sea, chanted his funeral hymn. Is it not an impressive and awful thing to lie down at those gates exhausted in body and sick in soul, without the sympathy of man or the love of woman, while the spirit flies from its emaciated prison to meet that universal soul called God ? What a sublime faith has man in the vast resources locked up with himself ! Those who go before him iv perilous adventure, meeting with defeat, disaster, death, are but as it were immortal shadows, who emblazon on their banners the magic, facinating watchwords, " Onward— Eureka." And onward the successors of those immortal shadows go, ever longing, ever hoping to cry out I to admiring mankind, "Eureka! Eureka !" — I have found it ! The memorable expeditions of Sir John Ross and of Sir Edward Parry, as early as 1817, while adding to our knowledge of' the polar world, did not achieve the desired result. In 1801 Dr Kane finished his explorations, but himself and his companion, Dr Hays, left the mystery unexplored. Dr. Piiterman was sent out by the German Government, making his way by Spitzbergen, which the adventurous explorerer believed to bo the surest route ; but this, like other expeditions, did not solve the problem. Last year the American Government lilted out the Polaris, with instructions for her commander to proceed towards the Pole via Greenland. At last accounts this expedition was somewhere along the coast of Melvillo Bay. Heretofore all explorers have sought to discover the new continents beyond the Arctic world from the Atlantic, never once creaming that the Pacific might be the dnly avenue through which accesß oould be had to those regions of mystery. But finally, and in confirma-

Hon of the theory of man's sublime faith in his own resources, comes M. Octave Pavy, who has unbounded confidence in the belief that this grand problem will be solved by the Pacific route. M. Pavy is. now in this city, having reached here a few days ago, for the purpose of equipping and fitting out an expedition for the North Pole via Behving's Sea and Wrangell's Island. This gentleman :makes the exploration principally on his own account and his own expense, but he is warmly supported by all scientific societies, and the Russian, English, French, and American Governments. He will depart from here about the first of May, accompanied by only five brave, intelligent men, who will with him attempt to penetrate a flrorld where the white man has never yet touched. The parly sails in a chartered vessel, and arriving at the point of land in latitude 7l deg. 83 mm., discovered by Captain Long, a New Bedford whaler, the explorers will move north in a novel and ingenious slooprigged rubber raft. It is constructed alter the style of the faunas Nonpareil, the tiny vessel which crossed the Atlantic during heavy weather in fortythree days. The raft is composed of four keel-shaped cylinders, with all the necessary masts and rigging. In addition to the crew, this miniature rubber ship will carry ten thousand pounds weight of provision and necessary equipments. It scarcely occupies more than an ordinary bedstead. We have this to say in conclusion : Having had j the honor of meeting M. Pavy, we confess that he looks like man of genius, and has that about him that air which inspires confidence and bespeaks the accomplished gentleman. He is onJy I 28 years of age, and looks even younger, but has the mien and bearing of a resolute spirit. Although born in New Orleans, he is a French citizen, and if successful in his discoveries, will plant ihe French flag on the new world's soil. Like all men of genius, he is fascinated with the Mws Letter, and being a journalist prominent in his profession, as well as a distinguished scientist, he has courteously consented to contribute to its columns the earliest intelligence from the world now beyond the realms of mystery.