Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/185

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��shortly after, two mmn exploriBg-partiea left the Btation.

The iMrty under Acting asaiatant surgeon ,0. Pai-y, U. S. array, wbich attempted a nortb- direct from Cape -Toaepli Henry, Tailed even each the 83d parallel, owing to disruption the polar pack north of Grinnell Land, 'lieiit. James B. I^Aicktrood was ordered to iplorc the north coast of Greenland. Leav- ing Fort Conger, April 3, 1882. ho crossed Robeson's Channel from Cape Beechy to Cape Situiier, where the main depot of provisions had been established. From that point across Brevoort Peninsula to Ilepulse Harbor, and thence along the shores of the polar ocean to Cape Bryant, he was supported by three par- ties of mea hanling Hudaon-Bay sledges. From Cnpe Brj'ant, Lieut. Lockwoocl and Sergeant Brainard, with Eskimo Christiansen and dog- team, travelled direct across Hherard Osborn Fiord to Cape Britannia. Midway between these capes a sounding was made, but no bot- tom reached at eight hundred feet. Rounding Cape Britannia Island, which was the farthest point seen even by their English predecessors, they pushed on to the eastward, and later to the north-east, until, on May \5, 1882, Lock- wood Island was reached. Its assigned lati- tude, 83" ii' north, was the mean of sets of circum-meridian and snb-polar observations. Its longitude was 40° 43' west. To the north- eastward, land was yet seen, the farthest point being about 83° 35' north. 38° west. To the south and eiLst, only a confused mass of rounded, snow-covered mountains was vbible. The CDtire coast was ru^ed and precipitous in the extreme. Strangely enough, but one gla- cier was observeil, although the interior of the country was wholly snow-clad or ice-capped. Along the coast, stretching from headland to headland, was found a tid.tl crack, which ap- peared to mark the line of sepai-ation between the embayed ice and the paleocrystic pack. In the deep fiords along the coast were seen only level expanses of deep snow, devoid of heavy hummocks or marked ice-foot. In re- turning, the same route was followed: ami on June 3 the party reached Fort Conger in good condition, with the exception of snow-blind- nesa contracted in the last two days' travel.

In April, 1882, with three men, dragging a Hudson- Bay sledge, I succeeded in penetrating into the interior of Grinnell Land. Starting from Fort Conger, wc travelled south-westward to Sun Bay, and, passing Miller Island, dis- covered that we were in a fiord (Chandler ifd) which terminated to the south-west- bay. Passing up the north arm of

��the fiord, a river was reached, having its source in a glacial lake of great extent. Crossing the lake (Lake Hazen), the farthest point reached was Henrietta Nesmith glacier. The party ro- turned by the same route.

In June, with a party of four men, I suc- ceeded in reaching the east end of Lake Hazen by an overland route. Following that lake to the west. Very River was reached; and fol- lowing up that valley with one man, I alone attained the aummit of Mount Arthur on July 4. From the top of that mountain North Grinnell Land stretched out before me. An enormous ice-cap covered the smooth-topped mountains to the northwartl of the GarSeld and Conger ranges, thi-ough the gorges of which numerous and magnifleent glaciers pushed southward. To the noith -westward the trend of the mountain range indicated its connection with Challenger Mountains of Aldrich, and that the western i>olar ocean was not far distant.

In 188:} Lieut. Ix>ckwood's attempt to reach the northern point of Greenland was unsuc- cessful, owing to oijcn water at Black-Horn Cliffs. In consequence, I sent bim. ou his return, to attempt the crossing of Grinnell Land to the western sea. Accompanied by Sergeant Brainard and a dog-team, he travelled down Archer Fioi'd. and thence westward via Beatrix Bay. They succeeded in reaching Greely Fionl, and tbllowed it some distance westward. From a high mountain, the north- ern shore appeared to terminate in Cape Brai- nard. while to the south-west very high land was seen at Cape Lockwood. This land, ap- parently separated from GrinQell Land, was named Arthur Land. The remarkable feature of this trip was the appearance of the southern ice-cap of Grinnell Land. It presented an average perpendicular front of one hundred and fifty feet.'

As regards Grinnell Land, the southerly trend of coast at Aldrich'a farthest, the position of Cape Brainard, and the general trend of the land seen by mo from Mount Arthur, indicate that the western coast runs quite directly from Cape Alfred Ernest to Ca|>e Brainard.

It is to be noted that Cape Lockwood of Arthur Land is nearer to Lindsay Island and North Cornwall of Belcher than to Fort Conger, our own station.

The considerable extension of Hayes Sound to the westward, by Sergeant Long's journey from Sabine, leaves but a scant inindred milea between its north-westerly point and Cape Lockwood, and but a little farther to the south-

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