ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. 289 



and De Long — all testify to the heavy and formidable character of the 

 ice, and unite in their views regarding- the difficulties that must be 

 overcome before success in this direction can be attained. 



Casual exploration by single ships, without proper support and with- 

 out taking the necessary precautions which I think all Arctic authori- 

 ties are unanimous in advocating, should be deprecated as much as 

 possible. With proper care, and the establishment of depots of pro- 

 visions and boats in previously arranged positions, no danger need be 

 apprehended to those who form part of an efficiently equipped expedi- 

 tion, dispatched for the exploration of this portion of the Arctic 

 regions. 



The next portion of the unknown with which I will deal is that large 

 tract of land called Greenland, and seas adjacent. It is in this direc- 

 tion that the highest latitude has so far been reached, and this has 

 been accomplished solely in consequence of the extension of land in a 

 northerly direction. Although much has been done in this region, 

 much yet remains to be accomplished. 



The connection of Cape Bismarck on the east coast with Cape Kane 

 (Lockwood's Farthest) on the north coast is of the greatest importance, 

 as setting at rest the question of the boundaries of Greenland and the 

 determination of its insularity. The amount of coast line to be explored 

 and the distance to be traveled in order to solve this geographical prob- 

 lem is not very great, probably not more than 450 or 500 miles, but of 

 course much time and trouble must be expended in reaching either of the 

 above-mentioned positions before starting on new ground. Civil En- 

 gineer R. E. Peary of the United States Navy has shown us what can 

 be done in the way of traveling in the interior of Greenland by an 

 energetic and persevering explorer. He, it will be remembered, estab- 

 lished himself during the summer of 1891 in McCormick Bay, in 78° 

 north latitude, at the entrance to Smith Sound. During the following 

 year he traveled across the entire breadth of Greenland, from his 

 headquarters in Murchison Sound to a large bay which he reached on 

 the northeast coast of Greenland, which he named Independence Bay, 

 on about the thirty-fourth meridian of west longitude. During this 

 somewhat remarkable journey the explorers reached an altitude of over 

 8,000 feet above the sea level. Departing from the usual method of 

 carrying out exploration in the arctic regions, namely, adhering to a 

 coast line, they pushed boldly into the interior, utilizing the inland ice 

 as the roadway on which their sledges were drawn by dogs. It is sig- 

 nificant, as illustrating the severe nature of the traveling experienced, 

 that although they started with 25 dogs, only 14 were alive when they 

 reached their most northern position, and only 5 survived the whole 

 journey, the remainder having succumbed to the hardships of the work 

 in dragging the sledge or had been killed in order to supply the party 

 with food. During the outward journey Peary estimated the distance 

 he traveled at about 050 miles, at an average rate of 10,[ miles for each 

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