310 



GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES IN 1873. 



to determine the true latitude and longitude 

 of points in each State and Territory ut tho 

 central belt. Chief-Justice Daly gave the fol- 

 lowing retume of the Coast .Survey work for 

 the year 1873 before the American Geographi- 

 cal Society, in January, 1874: 



It liu embraced operations upon the Atlantic and 

 Pacific ooaaU, which in tho summer have been car- 

 ried on on the northern coast*, and during the win- 

 ter on the southern. Tim Atlantic portion has em- 

 braced surveys amund tho coast of Maine, Massa- 

 chusetts, Rhode Island, Now York, and Now Jersey, 

 particularly on the coast of Maine and adjacent isl- 

 ands, with which have been connected hydrpirraphi- 

 cal labors, especially with reference to the tides and 

 currents. The harbors between Portland and New 

 York, and tho harbors in the Chesapeake, have boon 

 examined for tho preparation of sailing directions. 

 On the coast of Virginia, North Carolina. Georgia, 

 and Florida, the surveys of rivers, inlets, bays, etc., 

 have either been begun or continued, and many ob- 

 servations have been made at different stations for 

 latitude and longitude. Special observations have 

 been made near North Adams, Mass., for tho .1. ti-i- 

 mination of terrestrial gravity; at Port Jervis, 

 N. Y., for tho magnetic elements; and, in tho sreo- 

 il-.-tic connection between tho Atlantic and 

 ern coasts, point* have boon occupied as fur as 

 Colorado ; so that now every State and Territory of 

 the Union along the bolt including the thirty-ninth 

 parallel has at least one point accurately determined 

 in latitude and longitude. The same kind of general 

 labors has been carried on upon the Pacific coast. 

 It has consisted of field and liydrographio work on 

 the coast of California and the neighboring islands 

 and bays; the continuation of tho important surveys 

 of Columbia River, Puget Sound, and the adjacent 

 bays and inlets, deep-sea soundings, the geographi- 

 cal recognizance of the coast, and special surveys of 

 the harbors of Alaska. The expedition under the di- 

 rection of William II. Dull to the Aleutian Islands 

 and vicinity for observations is especially interesting. 

 It baa embraced observation* upon the meteorology, 

 specific gravity, and temperature of the sea-water, 

 both at the surface and at various depths, and of tho 

 nature and direction of the oceanic currents of tho 

 North Pacific, as well as of the tides of the Aleutian 

 Islands, which have been found to be of a compound 

 and very complex character. The climate of the 

 island* is found to be mild and uniform, not as cold 

 as Philadelphia, but tho barometer is subject to many 

 and extreme fluctuations. Surveys have been made 

 of several harbors, especially of the harbor of Kyska, 

 with reference to its feasibility as tho landing-station 

 of the Japanese cable, which after tho examination 

 of the other harbors appears to be the only one that 

 meet* all tho requirement*. Islands were ascertained 

 to be erroneously located, and reefs assumed as con- 

 necting islands were found not to nxist. Deep-sea 

 soundings were taken, and no current appears to ex- 

 ist In the eastern part of Bearing Sea. Collections 

 were made of prehistoric crania from caves, and of 

 Hone and stone implements and c .irvin-.'s. It was 

 found that the fauna and flora do not exhibit Asiatic 

 influences in a westerly direction, but, on the cnn- 

 trary, become more arctic and meagre in their rhar- 

 acter until at last, on the westernmost island, tiny 

 an nearly wholly arctic. An important survey of 

 the Mexican portion of the Ou!f coast has, under the 

 direction of the NSVT Department, been made by 

 Commander F. II. Raker, U. I 



The appronching transit of Venn*, winch 

 will be bent observed in the Southern Hniii- 

 phere, and in its higher latitudes, has given a 

 new impulse, though not a very powerful one, 

 to ANTAHCTIO exploration*, having mainly in 

 view the selection of a place or places on or 



near tho Antarctic Continent, which should ho 

 adapted for taking tin- necessary observations. 



But the interest in oceanic geography lias 

 mainly centred in ARCTIC discoveries and ex- 

 plorations. First among tliesc is the American 

 expedition of the Polaris under the direction 

 of Captain Charles F. Hall. The detailed ac- 

 count of the events of tins expedition, tho 

 death of Captain Hall, the exposure of nine- 

 teen of the crew for nearly six months on a 

 floating field of ice; and the rescue of tho 

 remainder of the crew by Scottish whalers, 

 is given in full in the article NAVY, U. 8., 

 in this volume. The results of their ex- 

 plorations were rather negative than positive, 

 hut nevertheless of considerable importance. 

 The open Polar Sea of Drs. Kane and Hayes 

 was found to bo only a broad sound terminat- 

 ing in Robeson's Channel. There may bo still 

 farther north an open Polar Sea, but as yet 

 there is no proof of its existence. There were, 

 of course, observations of temperature, and of 

 botanical and zoological productions, as well 

 as of coast lines and soundings, and a higher 

 latitude was attained by fifty miles or there- 

 abouts on tho water, and by more than that 

 amount on land, than has ever been recorded. 

 II:i:l Captain Hall's life been spared, it was his 

 intention to have pushed his explorations by 

 land to the pole. He was convinced that there 

 was no water-passage practicable to a point 

 much above that ho had already reached. But 

 his death so far disorganized tho expedition 

 that very little was done subsequently in tho 

 way of exploration, and that little was not 

 productive of any beneficial result.". 



The Swedish expedition under Prof. Nor- 

 donskiold accomplished even less than that 

 of Captain Hall; for, bavin-; failed in their at- 

 tempt to reach Parry Island, they went into 

 Mossel Harbor in Spitzbergen, and in tlireo 

 days were inextricably shut in by the ice. 

 This had scarcely occurred when the startling 

 news reached them that six Norwegian fishing- 

 vessels, with an aggregate of fifty-eight men, 

 were frozen in near a neighboring promontory. 

 Nordenskiold's own resources were limited, as 

 one of his vessels was to return to Sweden 

 when they were all frozen in. He said, how- 

 ever, to tho Swedish fishermen, that if they 

 would conform strictly to discipline he would 

 share his food with them, and advised them 

 of an abandoned house at Ice Fiord, to which 

 eighteen of tho Norwegians went. Two of the 

 Norwegian vessels were relieved by a storm in 

 November, 1872, and thirty -eight men readied 

 homo after vainly attempting to rescue their 

 countrymen at Ice Fiord. In the spring of 

 1**7.1 Captain Mack went to their rescue and 

 found them nil dead. A diary had been kept 

 from October 7 to March !), 187.'t, the perusal 

 of which showed beyond doubt that, they lost 

 their lives from want of experience, having 

 practised no bodily exercise nor busied t' 

 selves in any employment. The preservation 

 of the Swedes, who returned safely last August, 



