Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/186

 west reaches the waters of Jones Sound in their northern extensions.

The importance of the northern work is not confined, as many think, to the mere planting of the American flag a few miles nearer the northern axis of the globe than has floated the standard of any other nation. Lockwood’s journey has gone very far towards settling the much-vexed geographical question, the configuration and northern extension of Greenland. The farthest point seen is scarcely three hundred miles from the land of Lambert, sighted on the east coast in 1670, and less than four hundred and twenty-five from the most northern point of Koldeway and Payer. Of the forty-seven degrees of longitude between Fort Conger and Cape Bismarck, but twenty remain unknown. I venture the opinion that future voyages will confirm the indications growing out of our discoveries, that Arthur Land is separated from Grinnell Land by a fiord or channel connecting the western polar ocean with Hayes Sound. I also think that the northern coast-lines of the Parry Archipelago will be found trending gradually in a north-easterly direction, and terminating in Arthur Land. On these points, as well as on the remarkably fertile belt of iceless country found by me in the interior of Grinnell Land, such as Nordenskiöld hoped to find in Greenland, I trust soon to dwell at length in a forthcoming narrative.

A. W., ''Lieut. U.S. army.''

discoveries of the Greely expedition on the west shore of Grinnell Land are most valuable and important, as there was a vast field for conjecture concerning the configuration of the coast-line of this large island. The exploration of the north shore by Lieut. Aldrich of Nares’ expedition proved the improbability of any great extension to the west. The discovery of the west shore at so short a distance as Lieut. Lockwood found it, was, however, quite unexpected. From the description of Hayes Sound, obtained by Dr. Bessels from the Smith-Sound natives, and from information and drawings I received last summer during my stay on Davis Strait from natives who had crossed Lancaster and Jones Sound, and lived on Ellesmere Land, it is possible to learn something more about this long and unexplored coast.

The most exact descriptiou I received was from an Eskimo woman whom I met at Cape Kater. She was born at Igluling in Fury and Hecla Strait, had lived some time in Repulse Bay, returned to Igluling, and afterwards crossed the land to Admiralty Inlet, which the natives call ‘Tudnunirossirn.’ There she lived for a number of years; and about fifteen years ago she started with a party to North Devon, which the Eskimo call ‘Tudjan.’ There is little intercourse between Baffin Land and North Devon, Lancaster Sound being seldom covered by a solid ice-floe. The north shore of Baffin Land (‘Weevang’ of the natives) is generally washed by water during the whole winter.

Crossing the sound on sledges, these Eskimo passed a very small island, most probably the rock seen by Capt. Adams in 1871, and in two or three days reached the opposite shore. They did not follow the shores of North Devon, but crossed the ice-covered island on sledges. In four days they reached the north shore, whence a long and narrow peniusula, Nedlung, stretches to Eilesmere Land (their ‘Oomingmam nuna,’ i.e., musk-ox land). Through the narrow passage dividing Tudjan from Nedlung runs a very strong tidal current, which keeps open a waterhole throughout the winter. All around this place the ice wastes quickly in the spring, and forms a large basin of water abounding with seals. Only that part of the peninsula which lies nearest to North Devon is high and steep, and forms a bold face: farther north it is very low. The length of Nedlung may be about forty miles; its width, three or four miles. West of it there are numerous small islands, called ‘Kikkertakdjuin:’ to the east there are no islands.

Having reached Oomingmam nuna, the Eskimo fell in with a small tribe residing on this shore. Here they lived for some time, as an abundance of seals was found during the whole year. Farther north-west there is a large fiord, called ‘Kangirtuksiak,’ off which an island is found, Kikkertakadlinang. The Eskimo did not go to the land on the other side of the fiord, as polar bears are said to be very numerous and large there.

I obtained this information by most careful and minute investigation on every point. I also heard some less detailed descriptions of the journey to Oomingmam nuna by natives of Ponds Bay, who had not been there themselves, but had heard about it from their ancestors; and I may here state that all their traditions and descriptions which I had a chance to verify proved accurate and reliable.

There can be no doubt about the identity of Tudjan and North Devon, as they say that