NEWS OF THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 5, 6 January 1876, Page 4

NEWS OF THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The following letters hive been received from Commander Mark ham, of H.M.S. Alert :— "Off Cape Dudley Diggea, July 25, 1875. "I think our passage from Upernivik to Cape Yak is quite without precedent. ; Captain Narea adhered to his original determination of giving up Melville Bay. and trying the Middle Passage. We left Upernivik at eight o'clock last Thursday evening ; and on the following. mornioe, on account of a .dense fog, attempted to anchor in a small bay near the island of Kingitok, arid within a mile or two of the settlement — a man in a kayah from that place actually piloting us in ; but he was evidently ignorant of the pilotage, for we speedily ran on to a rock an remained immovable for five hours — getting off, however, without any difficulty at high water. The fog having cleared up, we shaped a course^ due West (true), and at one o'clock yester-. day morning made the edge of the icepack, into which we went. : I never saw such light ice, no (bicker than about 12 inches, and very soft and brashy — we could easily have steamed through it; that, however; was quite . unnecessary, as the pack was quite loose, with innumerable leads through it. Having beautiful v calm weather, .we progressed rapidly, both ships steaming full speed ; and at 11 o'clock this forenoon emerged into the North water, with Capes Tak and Dudley Digges in Bight ahead— having been in the pack only 36 hours. It is certainly a wonderful Passage. Of course the weather favored -us a good deal ; and I have no doubt we should have been; able, had we gona that w&y> to get through Melville Ba^. with* as much easei What astonished me was the ice.. I doi not believe ; we encountered any of last year's ioe, all that we came through having, in my mind, been formed] this 'springs .Then what has become of the b'e&v-y-ice ? It must all have been blown far south byifche late prevailing northerly winds. That this indicates an open season for us to the northward I have vefy little doubt. In a week's. time, we oughit to^beon the_ 1 threfehold of the Uuknown Region,' ; when opr real work will commenoe ;-r---hitherto it has all been child's play. I wish you could be with us now. We have sent the 'Discovery ' in to. Cape Yak] to attempt to communicate with the natives there, and, if possible, to induce one of them (Han's brothtr-in-law) to accompany us. We are now steaming on towards Carey Islands, which we shall reach to-morrciw fore-, noon; and where we Bhall land Depot A and the whaleboat obtained from, the ' .Yalorous,' ,_ I shall have a look for /your; record, and, if successful in finding i!t, will send it to you. We shall tbongo on to Lyttelton Island, where^ the 'Discovery' is ordered to rejoin us. I hope we are not going to have aa early winter.; but all last, night. and this (orenoon • bay ice ' was making, and ihe temperature of the water' waß os lojw as 29. deg. , We nave,, I hope,. six good weeks of the navigable season, befor/e us, \ and in that time we may do 'much|. 'It; isindeied lucky our getting into ;the North water: eo easily Vand so speedily , as we have begjji able, to -eoo-, nomine bur fuel to a great degree ; we shall j enter Smith's Sound with very little: coal, out. of our bunkers. We shall Jin all probability take 15' or &0 tons i of, coal from the 'Discovery' when! we leave her in her widter-quar-ters, iwhich wijl quite set us up again She.jhas only had to steam coming through the ice ; up to the edge of the pack {we were towing her. If Allen Youn-g doesn't come up to 'the. .Qai^ey rlßlan|is, you will not, of course, get this letter until next year; I hope that he will come. I wish we could' have met him before and got our letterjs."