A Polar Continent Discovered.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 179, 15 April 1873, Page 7

A Polar Continent Discovered.

News of a deeply interesting nature is given in a dispatch from San Francisco in the New York papers, regarding M. Pavy's expedition to Wrangel Land, the name given to the range of peaks sighted by Peterman to the north of the eastern extremity of Siberia, but of which nothing further lias hitherto been known : The barque Cadmus, sent out to recover proj ( £i'ty from the wrecked whalers in the Arctic Sea, has returned to San Francisco with despatches from M, Pavy's expedition, received from the master of the whaling ship George Bobbins on September 28, and bearing date of August 23, from the east coast of Wrangel Land, in latitude 74"35, 17(H8W. The following synopsis is translated from the original despatches addressed to the French Geographical Society : —The expedition, consisting of M. Octave Pavy, commander ; Professor Thomas Newcomb, Henry Edwards, of San Francisco ; Jean Brull, and four seamen, landed on the east shore of Kulyuehinska Bay, in about hit. 67 N., long. 17G W., from the brig Albatross, on the 18th June. The party started eastward on the northern shore of Siberia on the 22nd, augmented by eleven natives, and provided with dogs and sledges. The outlets of several large streams were crossed, and on the 17 th of July the mouth of the Petrolitz River.was reached. From this point, the ice existed in immense detached fields, having a steady movement to the N.E. The party sei out due north for the south shore of Wrangel. Land, crossing a single ice-floe of sixty miles in breadth. In this distance the observations showed that the party had lieen carried eighteen miles out of their Hearings by the movement of the ics floe. M. Pavy determined the accuracy of his tlieory of the concentration and increased velocity of the branch of the great" Ku Ko Sirod " (Japanese current) setting through Behring 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 crossed of varying widths from thirty to sixty miles. The coast of Wrangel Land was reached at the mouth of a large 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 the north, and having a summer temperature sufficiently warm to melt the snows. The current of the river turns eastward, and sweeps along the open coast. M. Pavy decided upon following the course of the stream northward, and the expedition had penetrated 200 miles. Its course was uniformly through a level valley, varying from five to sixty miles in breadth, skirted by mountain ranges of great height, and at different points rising in perpendicular cliffs and exposing face ■ of bare rock. Eighty miles from the month of this river, on the open plain, the party discovered traces of the remains of the extinct mastodon, and on excavating where the tusks of one protruded atiove the snow, the immense body was found in a perfect state of preservation. The hide was covered with a thin growth of black, wiry bristles, becoming more thick and long along the ridge of the back. The trunks measured lift. Bin. from point .|o base, and curve to the elevation of the raimal's eyes. The forelegs were kneeling, and the rear part deeply imbedded in the snow, the posture indicating that the animal was endeavouring to emerge from snow or water when overtaken by death. Professor Newcomb was unable to determine differences amounting to a distinct order from the elephant of the present period. The contents of the animal's stomach were examined, and exhibited specimens of barks and grasses which have not yet been subjected to satisfactory tests. The plain for many miles bore traces of these remains, and indicated that a vast herd of these enormous beasts had been overwhelmed by some great natural convulsion at a former period. In this region the polar bear abounded, and feasted upon this anciently-preserved food. One hundred and twenty miles from the coast a solid cliff of ice," 1000 feet in height, approaches within half-a-league of the river, which is surrounded with a layer of gravel 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 are found along this valley in great abundance, and myriads ° f birds follow the course of the stream. M. Pavy expected to winter in latitude jMn the valley of the great river of the ™lar continent, and was about to convince the collection of animal materials °P food and fuel, which were readily obauuible. Tho party were in good health

and spirits, and fully confident, of reaching an open polar sea and a moderate temperature on the northern limits of this cc>nti nent at an early period nexc season, and will thence proceed eastward to the Atlantic through Melville Sound. The despatches contain reports of some extent, detailing the scientific observations of tho expedition, which are withheld from inspection before reaching their destination.