ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 253, 24 March 1914, Page 7

ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

LETTER FROM MR D. JEXXESS. A highly interesting comunication regarding the .Stefansson expedition to the Arctic has been received by Mr. H. F. Ayson, from Mr. Dianion Jc'nness, of ;Lo\ver il.utt, anthropologist, of this expedition says the Auckland Herald. The letter is headed "Point Barrow, Alaska, October 21st 11)13." It is the lirst authentic information to reach Xew Zealand on the subject, and reads: "Jt has been a very bud year for ice conditions up here. Almost every vessel has been caught. We bad three vessels—The Karluk, Alaska, and Mary Fash, the last two being auxiliary schooners. I was on the Karluk when she became jammed in about longtitude 145deg.. about August 1 ltli. The Alaska and Mary Fasl| were close inshore, and reached Collision Point, near to the Alaskan and Canadian boundary. Ice prevented them jgoing and wintering there. After the Karluk became jammed in the ice she drifted westward for about a month. We remained stationary for a week. It appeared as if we would spend the rest of the winter in this place, so one day (October 20th) tliree of us, with two Esquimaux, left the ship, with tents, sledges and dog teams, to go ashore and hunt carilrju. We got to a small island where we had to stay a week because the strong wind opened up great cracks in the ice. The same wind carried oil' the Karluk. From here we made wesl coming finally to an Ksijiiimaux settlement. X 0 one' knows what has become of the Karluk. We are having a belter outlif made here for travelling east to the Mary Fash and the Alaska. I am going only as far as Cape llalkett, and there stay with an Esquimaux family all the winter and early spring. In the spring a sledge will come and take rile along with the others. As soon as the ice sets them free they will proceed to Victor's land, where we should have been this winter."