392 J^ANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



Mr. Williams' statistics on the mineral production of the United States for 

 the year 1883 will be published, together with those of 1884, in a volume to 

 appear in the spring of 1885, 



Mr.-McGee and Prof. Hitchcock have been at work upon a prehminary map 

 of the United States, on which will be represented the present status of knowl- 

 edge relating to areal geology. In this connection a thesaurus of American geol- 

 ogic promotions has been projected, and much work done thereon. With this 

 thesaurus a second map, embracing New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, 

 has been projected. Much work has also been accomplished in the preparation 

 of a bibliography of North American geology. — National Republican. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



ARCTIC EXPLORATION. 



Editor Review : — In the August number of the Kansas City Review of 

 Science, under the title of "Arctic Corps of Explorers," I advocated a plan of 

 Arctic exploration, which will doubtless save very much of the loss of life and 

 money which has been entailed on the world, by a hundred expeditions, for the 

 last eight hundred years. This plan of employing the Innuits has been in my 

 mind a long time, but as it was, as far as I know, new to the world, I put it forth 

 with hesitation, simply as a germ, for the consideration of practical explorers. 



While attending the British Association of Science at Montreal, I fortunately 

 met the Arctic explorer Lieut. P. H. Ray, U. S. A., at the brilliant reception 

 given by Sir William Dawson, and learned from him that he had been using the 

 Innuits in his work of exploration for two years, with the most satisfactory results. 

 It will be remembered that Lieut. Ray led a polar expedition up the western coast 

 of North America about the time that Lieut. Greely departed on his expedi- 

 tion, to plant colonies, on Captain Howgate's plan. Lieutenant Ray employed 

 Innuits on his expedition, during which he never lost a man, but brought back 

 his whole party alive, and in good condition. This very success probably led to 

 very litde being said about his expedition, which was evidently conducted on 

 common sense principles, and showed that Lieut. Ray has the personal qualities 

 and practical knowledge of a successful Arctic explorer. 



Lieutenant Ray has very kindly sent me the following correspondence, 

 which I take great pleasure in publishing, as he has had a wide experience in 

 Arctic exploration, and has put the plan of employing the Innuits to a practical 

 test : 



"Chaplain Parker, U. S. A., in advocating the organization of a corps of Arc- 

 tic explorers, and in suggesting that the Inu be utilized in the work, takes a step 



