Farthest North.

Manawatu Herald, 1 July 1897, Page 2

Farthest North.

These are two immensely interesting volumes to those who admire pluck and endurance, besides being interested in facts about unknown regions. Dr Hansen's " Farthest North" should be read by young and old as every word breathes of the necessity of patience under what appeared at times, hopeless circumstances. The explorer started forth into the wastes of the Artie ocean not to exactly reach the North pole, though he would have been pleased had be been able to do bo, but to proceed as far north as possible and there make numerous observations. Years before starting Dr Nansen laid bis scheme before the pnblic at meetings of geographical and other learned societies, and it is satisfactory to note that all his suppositions were verified. From observation] on the . Greenland coast he arrived at the conclusion that the driftwood on its shores came from Siberia and thus there must be a westerly current in the Artie ocean. With a ship capable of resisting the ice pressure Dr Nansen proposed to get to the north coast of Siberia as early in the summer as the ice would permit. Wben the right time arrived he purposed to plough into the ice as far as possible, and then to choose a fitting place and moor the ship firmly between suitable ice floes, and then let the current be the motive power until the open water between Spitzbergen and Greenland was reached. This he accomplished and within the time he predicted, and brought the ship back sound and the erew # in a perfect 'state of health. The Fram reached a higher point north, than any person had previously reached by sledge work, and Dr Nansen and Lieutenant Johansen on April 7th, 1895, reached latitude 86deg. 14.

All that was needed for such an expedition Dr Nansen eaid were good clothing and plenty of food, and it seemed to him an overwhelm" ing probability of such an expedition being successful.

The expedition left Vardo 25th July, 1893, and coasted along the north of Russia until the New Siberian Islands were met. The vessel then went north to the 80th degree* of latitude and then westerly and northerly until they got free of the ice. the coast line. - Not much of the main land was visible until the Jugor Straits were neared. This piece of water separates Nova Zembla from Russia, and is on the boundary line of Russia in Europe. Dr. Nansen says " soon we sight more of it (land), abaft the beam, then too the mainland on the souih eide of the strait. More and more of it comes in sight, it increases rapidly. All low and level land, no heights, no variety, no apparent opening for the straight ahead. Thence it stretches away to the north and south in a soft low curve. This is tbe threshold of Asia's boundless platos;so different from all we have been used to. We now glided into the strait with its low rocky shores on either side. The strata of the rocks lie endways, and are crumpled and broken, but on the surface everything is level and smooth. No one who travels over the flat green plains and tundras would have any idea of tbe mysteries and upheavals that lie hidden beneath the sward. Here once upon a time were mountains and valleys, now all worn away and washed out." Further on they landed on the Yalmal coast near to the mouth of the river Kara, and found a flat, bare country on every hand. This is the land of the Samoyedes and it is " desolate and mournful." About a fortnight afterwards with Dickson's Island ahead the mainland was again sighted which was quite different from Yalmal. Though not very high, it was a hilly country, with patches and even large drifts of snow here and there, some of tbem lying close down by the shore. Next morning the southernmost of ihe Kamenni Islands was sighted. The island rose evenly from, the sea at all points with steep shores. The most noticeable feature of the island was its marked _hore lines, which had been formed by the action of the sea, and more especially of the ice. These marks show that the land has risen or the sea sunk 3ince the time they were formed. Dr. Nansen says •• Like Scandinavia, the whole of the north coast of Siberia has undergone these changes of level since the Great Ice Age."

(To be continued.)