88 
GEOGRAPHIC NOTES 
winter vers' comfortabl}' in a wooden house erected at cape Flora. Tlie 
ship’s crew wintered on the vessel and lost one man, the health of others 
being unfavorably ’affected. About sixty polar bears were killed, four 
being females. An autumnal depot was laid down at cape Barents and a 
spring one, in March, 1895, by a trip of six days, at Peter head, entrance 
of iNIarkham sound. 
The long journey, in which four ponies were used with great advantage, 
occupied from Aj)ril 16 to May 13. Softening sea-floes and signs of open 
water constrained a return from the farthest north, 81° 20' X., 54° 53' *E. 
Payer’s map of 1874 is said to be inaccurate and misleading. Zichy, 
Alexandra, and Oscar lands resolve themselves into groujis of islands, 
and Richthofen peak, of Payer, could not be located. 
Mr Montefiore, it is said, declares that Jackson’s success in his first 
year is unprecedented. If such reiiort be correct, this will not be the 
first cai)able exjdorer who may ask protection from injudicious friends 
who seek to aid him by unfounded aspersions of others. European ex- 
jilorersare able to refute on tlieir own account 5Iontefiore’s claim, e.spe- 
cially Payer, who, starting from a more southerly point, surpassed Jack- 
son’s latitude by 37 miles. 
For America, it is indisputable that Hall, in 1870-’71, far exceeded Jack- 
son’s latitude and opened up a new route and region, surpassing in im- 
l)ortance ’and extent anything that Jackson has done ; this with the 
loss of one man — himself. Greely in his first year, 1881-’82, explored 
4,0iX) square miles of new land and surpas.sed the highest latitude, made 
before or since, without the loss of a man. Peary, in 189l-’92, made the 
most remarkable inland ice journey on record, crossed Greenland to a 
j)oint far beyond his predecessors on the east Greenland coast, with the 
loss of a single man, V)y accident. Against this is Jackson’s northing of 
some 80 miles, with a loss of three men, one at cape Flora and two on 
the return voyage of the Windward. 
Auvsk.k. Congress is to appropriate 875,000 to mark the Alaskan 
boundary along the 141st meridian of west longitude, on which meridian 
have been determined three important points— Mount St. Elias, Forty- 
mile creek, and Porcupine river. By independent surveys, bj'^ United 
States and Canadian engineers, the points established differ onh' six feet 
at ]\Iount St. Elias and 400 feet at Porcupine river. Canada desires to 
e.stablish the meridian astronomically by joint scientific survey, which 
would require several years. The United States fiivors, as a less difficult 
and more speedy plan, a survey based on the points already established. 
Mexico. According to the last message of President Diaz, 566 miles of 
new telegraph lines have been built, the most important uniting Taco- 
talpa, Chiapas, with Penosique, Tobasco, opening a new route with 
Guatemala, and making a total mileage of 56,442 miles. Among impor- 
tant railway extensions is tliat from Monclova to the Pacific, of which 
292 miles have been approved. The surveys of the road from Merida to 
Campeche are progre.ssing and the plans of the lines from ^leiida to 
Progre.so have been adojited. The drainage works of the vallej' of Mex- 
ico are almost concluded, the excavations have amounted to 53,160,000 
