A POLAR CONTINENT DISCOVERED.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 149, 22 April 1873, Page 2

A POLAR CONTINENT DISCOVERED.

Jf i:\vs of a deeply interestina; nature is giren in a despatch from San Francisco in the No a- York papers, regarding M. Pavy's expedition to Wrangel Land, the name given to the range of peaks lighted by Peterman to the north of theeastern extremity of Siberia, but of which beyond this nothing lias hitherto been known : — The barque Cadmus, sent out tx> recover property from the wrecked whalers in the Arctic Sca r has returned to San Francisco with despatches frnaFfyiL. Pavy's expedition, received from the master of the > *■, lg, ship George Robbina on September 28, ami bearing. uJftc of August 23, from the east coast of Wrangcl Land, in latitude 74 38, 176 18 W. The following sjnopsis is translated from, the original despatches addressed to the French Geographical Society : — The expedition, consisting of M. Octave Pavy, commander ; Professor Tliomns Newcomb, Henry Edwards,, of San Francisco, Jean Brull, and four seamen, landed on th« east shore of KulvuphinsKa Bay, in about lot. 67 N., long, 1715 W., from the brig Albatross on the 18th of June. The party started eastward on tlio northern shore of Siberia on tlio kind, augmented by 11 natives, and provided with dogs an 1 slcl^e* The outlets of tho sever.il large stream") were cro»«e<l, and on the 17th of July the mouth of the Petrolitz liiver was reached. From this point tiie ico existed in unmeuso detached ffelds, liuving a stendr movement to tho X IS. The party set out due north for "the south shore of Wraugcl Land, crossing a single icefloe of 60 miles in breadth. In this distance tho observations showed thiU. tho party had been carried eighteen miles out of their bearings by the icefloe. M. Pavy determined the accuracy of his theory of the concentration and inrreased velocity of tho branch of the great " Ku Ro Sirod " (Japanese current) setting through. Uohring Straits and winding eastward off the Siberian coast. The ice-raft, constructed of inflated bags of prepared rubber, was launched at intervals', and open stretches of water were crimed of varying widths from thirty to sixty miles. The coa-t of "VVrangel Land was reached at tho mouth of u lnrge -stream flowing from the north-west, not laid. down in any of the charts. This discovery establishes the theory of the existence of a large Polar continent reaching far to tho north, and having a niimnu'r temperature sufficiently warm to melt the snow». The current of the river turns eastward, and sweeps along the open coast. M. Pavy decided uponfollovt^ ing the course of the sticam noitlnvard, and the expedition had penetrated 200 miles. Its course was uniformly through a level valley, varying from fire to sixty miles m- breadth, skirted by mountain ranges of great height, and at different points rising in perpendicular clifl's and exposing faces of bare rock. Eighty miles from the mouth of this river, on t lie open plain, the party discorered tract", of the remains of flic extinct mastodon, and on excavating where the tusks of one prol i urted' above tue snon, the immense body was found in a, perfect state of preservation The- liidtj was covered -with a thin grow tli of black, vur} bristles, becoming morethick and long along the ridge of the back. The tusks measiirrd lift 8m from point to base, and curve to the elevation of the annual's cjes. Tho forelegs were kneeling, and theroar part deeply embedded in the snow, the posture indicating that the animal was endeavouring to emerge from mow or water when overtaken by death. Professor Now comb was unable to determine differences amounting to a distinct ordor from the elephant of the present period. The contents of tlio animal's stomach were examined, and exhibited specimens of bark and grasses which have not yet been subjected to satisfactory tests. The plain for rnnny mile* bore traces of these remains, and indicated that a vast herd of these enormous hearts had been overwhelmed by some great natural convulsion at a former period. In this region the polar bear abounded, and feasted upon this anciently preserred food. One hundred and twenty miles from tho coast a solid cliff of ice, 1000 feet in height, approaches within half a league of the river, winch is surrounded with a layer of gravol and large boulders thirty feet in depth where it crops out beneath the snow. The stones were smooth and rounded, | having evidently been raised by some inexplicable course of nature from beneath a water surface. Arctic animals nro found along this valley in great abundance, and myriads of bird* follow the course of the stream. M. Pavey expected) to w inter in latitude 75, in the valley of the great river of tho polar continent, and was about to commenco the collection of animal materials for food and fuel, which were readdy attainable. Tlio party were in good health and ipirits, and fully confident of retching an open polar sea and a moderate temperature on the northern limits of this continent, at an early period noxt season, and will thence proceed eastward to the Atlantic through Melville Sound. The despatches contain reports of some extent, detailing tho scientific observations of the expedition, which are withheld from inspection before reaching their destination. — English Paper.