The New York Herald Newspaper, October 23, 1874, Page 3

THE FROST LAND. History of the Austro-Hunga- ‘ICE-LOCKED IN THE ARCTIC GLOOM. Two Years on an Ice-Bank—A Terrible Drift. FRANCIS JOSEPH LAND. Enormous Glaciers and Chaotic Heaps of Rock and Ice. SCURVY AND BRONCGITIS, Sixty-Seven White Bears Supply Fresh Meat to the Ice-Bound Explorers. Lieutenant Payer’s Thrill- ing Story. The following 1s @ translation of the report of Lieutenant Payer, giving a history of the Austro-Hungarian expedition to the North Pole, ‘Which was published in the Vienna Neue Free Presse:— ON BOARD THE STEAMSHIP or September, 1874, The real object of the Austro-Hungarian expe- dition tothe North Pole was, as is well known, to discover the Northeast Passage, and not at all to look for land to the northeast of Spitsbergen end Gillis’) Land, although the resulta of the previous expedition would, in many respects, justify the supposition that unknown lands ex- sted in that direction. Bat the expedition of 1872 to 1874 discovered land that it was not in Search of, and failed to discover the passage it sought to find. Here, then, is the acknowledg- ment that our plan, while vaunting the North- east Passage, was based on hypotheses that were enurely erroneous. The extraordinary high Javitude of 78 deg, 45 min., which the previous expedition (1871) had attained in the sea situated between Spitspergen and Nova Zembia, and the continually favorable reports of the Norwegian sailors, who frequent the latter isiand, as to the navigability of the sea of Kara, so much decried before, were the motives which Served as the basis of the Austrian expedition. But the belief in an “open polar sea’? had always deen foreign to us. The nautical part of the ex- pedition had already come to an end, under the peculiarly unfavorable influence of the summer of 1872, and that some weeks after having attained the limit of the ice felds and at an immense dis- tance from the final object of the projected voy- age. One thing is certain, that it is as impossible for ships of the present constraction to attain the Northeast Passage, or that of the Northwest, sto reach the Pole itself. More than that, it is equally impossibie for ships, as a general rule, to penetrate freely into the depths of the Polar re- @ions. This, of course, is only a personal opinion. As for us, if invincible obstacles have prevented Us from realizing our plan, @ propitious destiny bas spared us the cruel disenchantment, after years of hard fatigues and privations, of having to return to our country without having obtained Bome success, The following description of our expedition can naturally give but 8 superfictal idea of what we Baw and felt: and as it cannot at all include an exposition of the data so painfully acquired by MM. ‘Weyprecht, Orel and Brosch in the domain of me- teorology and of terrestrial magnetism, its princi- pal object will be, aside from secondary details, the recital of the discovery of the new country and ‘he excursions we made in it up to the highest possible lautade. The expedition, provisioned for about three years, left Bremerhaven on June 13, 1872, on board the Tegethof, a screw steamer of about 220 tons, with a crew of twenty-four men, and arrived at Tromsée after a voyage of twenty-one days. At Tromave the Norwegi@a Captain Carlsen was taken board in the capacity of harpooner and guide through the tee, being well known as sacb, famii- ar as he is with the diMculties of the navigation of Arctic regions, Having completed her outfit the Tegethoff left Tromste on the 14th July Qnd took the direction of Nova Zembia. Some Gays later we doubled the North Cape and toward the end of July the limit of the ice flelds was visi- ble about latitude 74 deg. 15 min. north. From this moment unlooked for aifficulties pre- sented themselves tous. Shut up for some days by the ice during the first week of August we suc- ceeded in disengaging ourselves, and drawing close to the coast of Nova Zembia (75 deg. north latitude) ‘we were able to ascertain the fact, by reason of the constantly low temperatures and the enor- mous accumujation of ice, that the summer of 1871 ormed & complete contrast with that of the pre- ceding year. We skirted the coast with much aiMculty, and it was only at the latitude of the William Isles that we found a free passage. A little to the south of these isies we were rejoined by the Norwegian yacht Isbjaern, having on board Oount Wilczek and Commodore Baron de Sterneck. ‘The yacht had made the dificult voyage from Spitz- bergen in order to establish for our use a depot of provisions at Cape Nassan. The two vessels sailed in company as iar as the lower islands of Barentz. ‘where compact masses of ice barred our further passage for a whole week. On the 16th of August Count Wilczek established the depot in the interior of @ narrow crevice of rock which was inaccessible to the white bears, and on the 18th we celebrated all together the na- tional festiva!, the birthday of the Emperor Fran- cis Joseph, on board the Tegethom. On the 22d of august, some favorable changes having taken Place in the state of the ice, we took leave of the Isbjaern and, in dark and gloomy weather, we took our course toward the north in pursuit of our object, distant 2,000 miles away. But with what ® vain hope we fed ourselves! The same evening we were caught in the ice and held captive for two long years! Our destiny seemed to be accomplished. Instead of being ex- Plorers on a voyage of discovery we were now but passengers on an ice bank, The excessive cold of the autumn of 1872 soon welded intp one solid mass the sheets of ice that surrounded us—a mass that neither saw nor mine could open a passage through. It was thus that during the months of September and October we were driven toward the northeast at the mercy of our icebank., All eign of land had disappeared. If this nituation was already sad enough it be- came frightiul after the 13th of October, when the forces of which we were the sport all on a sudden awoke from their lethargy, and our ship became exposed to the dreadiul pressure of the ice, which lasted all the winter, Many a time we were ealled on deck to prepare to quit the ahip im case she foundered, and to launch ourselves into the unknown in the middle of the Polar night. Bat the ship, far irom foundering, rose more and More above her water mark: but that did not make her less 8 source of constant disquietude to "us on account of the dangerous nature of her sur- Youndings. Ali our preparations for wintering had been made beforehand. The ship had only been stripped of a part of her rigging. Soon the deck became encumbered with snow, while the body of the ship, embedded in a rampart of ice, required continual repairs. A tent made of salis ‘was erected in front of the Tegethoff and another behind, a suMcient space being left clear for Work continually necessary in the midst of an NEW YORK HERALD, FRIDAY, OUTOBER 23, 1874.—TRIPLE SHEET. slert recurring from Bour to hour. It was fortunate for us that we were not amiicted with those terrible snow storms from which we had Suffered so mach in 1869. and 1870 0n the coast’ of Greenland at the time of the second German ex- Pedition tothe North Pole. The dogs—we haa seven on board—had been installed on deck in large boxes furnished with straw a regaiar See a ee mNed etresen of Lieuten- ant Broson; Ensign Orel, Captain Carlsen, the boatswain Lasifa, and the engineer Krisch. The men on wate Were relieved every two hours, The uncertainty of our situation required the constant presence of & guard on deck—who was also charged to notify us of the approach of the white beers, aixty-seven of which we killed and ate in the course of the expedition. Notwithstandmg this welcome source of nourishment, the sanitary situation left much to be desired during the first winter and gave plenty of work to our excellent doctor, the army surgeon Képes. In spite of a solicitude that never flagged ‘there were some cases of scurvy and bronebitis, The scurvy, re- sulting partly from the moral depreasion caused by our situation, did not disappear till things be- gan to mend a little, and particularly when the arduous work on the ice commenced in summer. ‘The sun bad disappeared on the 28th of Octover for 109 days. We haa constructed for ourselves a charcoal hut near the ship, in order to have a shelter provided in case our vessel should sac- cumb to the almost daily assaults of the ice. But on Christmas Eves movement otf the ice destroyed this future shelter, and we considered ourselves fortunate that the accident went no turtner, and to be able, safe apd sound, to pass those hours together which, no matter in what part of the globe we may find ourselves, are consecrated to the,souvenir of the fatherland. ‘The first day of 1873 arrived, but 1t was without hope that we awaited the course of thts new year. We were still pushed more and more toward the north and toward the east amd had almost attained the 78th degree of north latitude, after having passed the 78rd degree of east longitude, We had already reason to snp- pose that we were going to get clear of the east- ern coast of Stberia. It was fated, however, to turn out differently, for the winds commenced to push us toward the northwest. On the 16th of Feb- ruary the sun reappeared for the first time on the horizon, and on the 25th of the same month the tor- ture of the pressure ofthe ice diminished all on a sudden, and continued to grow more feeble, al- though it had formed a veritable circular rampart of reefs round our vessel, which was considerably elevated and inclined over to larboard. The cold continued to increase and did not attain its maxi- mam (37 deg, Réaumor) till the end of February. ‘The aurora borealis, which had given us light up to that time with incomparable splendor, dimin- ished little by little tn intensity in proportion as the days grew long. In the first days of the summer of 1873 we had good hopes that our ice bank would soon dissolve and that our liberation would soon come. We put everything in Operation to hasten this event, but the months of July ana August were passed at the onerous task of sawing the ice arcund the shtp. Alas, all our efforts were vain! The ice had a thickness of as much as forty-nine feet, and the middle of the vessel lay immobile and unmoved on ita bed of ice. ‘The level of the snow and the ice having lowered from twe to three fathoms tn the course of the summer, the Tegethom found her- self seven feet above her ordinary water mark and ran the risk of capsizing, a thing we endeav- ored to prevent by solidly propping the masts, ‘The northerly winds which prevailed tn July had brought us back a little toward the south (belew the 70th deg. of north latitude), but the south winds, which commenced to blow during the month of August, carried us again to the north. Each day our hope of seeing the ice break up grew Jess and less, although we often heard at a short @istance from our icebank the crackling noise which is the characteristic precursor of the break- tag up, and we could perceive in the distance bluish lines, which revealed the presence of crev- ices and small chanwels of water; but we were destined not to reach them, Sadly resigned, we were preparing to confront the horrors of & second wintering, with the terr- bie pressure of the ice and without daring to hope for &@ more fortunate result at the end of this second winter, when our situation became suddenly modified entirety im our favor. For @ long time we had been floating with our icebank in quarters where man had never before penetrated; but it was always in vain that our eyes had sought the trace of some unknown iand. Therefore it was a great surprise and quite an tm- portant event for the expedition when, on the sist of August, we suddenly perceived at a distance of about fourteen geographical miles portions of Jand emerging from a stratum of fog on the north. The southern limit of the principal piece of lana appeared to le about the cightieth degree. At the same time we saw around us, for the first time, numerous floating mountains of ice. We all precipitated ourselves involantarily toward this unknown land, but our ardor was soon to receive curb, at the end even of our own icebank, at the distance of a single mile from the ship, for innu- merabie crevices cut off from us the way tothe promised land. It was a torture of Tantalus to have before the eyes for months a vast unknown country; to have succeeded in making a rare discovery in the annals of arctic explorations, and not to be able to attain the end so much desired. Our vessel continued to float here and there at the mercy of the icebank, and whoever would quit the latter would be cut off from his companions and probably lost. At last, in the last days of October, we ap- proached within three geographical miles of an isle situated in advance of our unknown land. ‘Then all hesitation ceased, We threw ourselves on the ice, which was creviced in a thonssnd Places, gained the heap of blocks and set our feet on terra Arma—iatitude 79 deg. 54 min. north, A bed of ice, a single foot in thickness, mear the coast, pointed out tous the presence of water coming from the land. But it is impossible to @reani of an isle more sad, more utterly desolate | than that on which wenad just landed, The snow and the ice cover only immense piies of ruins. However, such as it was, the isle bad none the less importance for us, for which reason we gave it the name of Count Wilczek, the promo‘er of our expedition, while waiting for further discoveries, On the 224 of October the sun had left us for a second time. In the meantime, profiting by the few hours of twilight during the following week, we undertook some excursions as far as ten miles from the ship, but without being able to form an idea of the configuration of the country. Was it an archipelago of little isleta like that before us ? Was it @ continent? And these white spaces, Which we could perceive between the summits, were they glaciers? All was conjecture. Yur efforts should naturally be directed to tne solution of these questions, Unfortunately the polar night which had enveloped us during the interval took away from us ali possitulity of ex- Ploring the country, and before the spring of 1874 the north winds might nave long since caused us to lose sight of our discovery. However, fortune continued to favor us, The polar night, which this time lasted 125 days, passed without causing us the same terrors as the preceding one. We had not to suffer the pressure of the ice, and our ship remained unmoved, always chained to the ice- bank, within view of the unknown coast. This turn which things took had the effect of bringing about @ decided success for tne expedi- tion, It revived confidence, to a certain degree, rendered existenee less painful ana facilitated the Magnetic observations which\were pursued very conscientiously during the whole winter by MM. Weyprecht, Brosch andOrel, The latver estab- lished finally, by means of quite a series of local determinations, the longitude and latitade of the point where we wintered, which was found to be 59 deg. east lon, and 79 deg. 61 min. north lat. With regard to the experiences of spectral analysis ap- plied to the aurora borealis, the brightness of which was very intense both winters, a prepara- tion that we brought from Munich snowed itself somewhat weak. During the winter of 1873-74 an enormous guan- tity of snow fell more than the winter previous. The north winds, winch were very frequent, brought vs snow storms which tasted forentire days, When the longpolar night had attained inq maximum it became tmposaible to distinguiah by any means the day from the night. An ab- solate darkness ehveloped us during several weeks. We celebrated, without any impediment, the festival of Christmas in a house of ice con- structed on the icebank. Afier this the cold be- come more intense and, as in the previous winter, |; the mercury remained frosen during whole weeks. SPAS POPP a roe quent than dai ‘The animals came to the immediate proximity of vessel, so that we could kill them by firing f: she top of the deck. The stxty-seven white bears that we killed gave us 1,200 pounds of fresh meat—that is, the most efficacious means to com- bat the scurvy. More than tnat, the care of our doctor, a worthy representative of Hungary in every respect, and principally the benign influence of the returned sun (24th of February) Preserved the greater number of our mck men from the danger of prolonged suffering. But that did not prevent the using up of several modica- ments from creating serious fears for the sanitary condition of the expedition if we ‘should be con- demned to a third wintering on the ice. This con- sideration, and also the sad certainty that our ship would float ‘again during the whole summer on her indissoluble bank of toe, and, in fine, the more than ever to be admitted probability that the Tegethoff, raised as it was, would capsize on the melting of the snow, brought us to take the resolution to abandon the vessel at the end of May, and to attempt our return to Surope by means of the boats and sleighs, But in the mean- time we were decided to make long excuraions for the purpose of exploring the country, The success of these excursions depended nasurally on chance, If the anip should be carried away be- fore the return of the exour#tonists the latter would be lost, and the crew that remained on board would find itself eensibly diminished. But the exploration and the general study of the mys- terious country which stretched itself out before us were of such importance to the expedition that ‘we regolved to attempt the adventure. We were in the month of March, The weather was bad, the cold very sharp, the heat of the sun feeble even at midday; but circumstances forced us to nasten our departure. Consequently, on the 10th of March the Tyrolese, Haller and Klotz (who had been attached to the expedition with an ex- press view to eventual ascensions), the sailors Cottarnich, Lettis, Pospischel, Lukinovitoh and myself (Payer), quitted the ship, accompanied by three dogs, Furnished with a large sleigh, we proceeded in the direction of the northwest (close to the western part of our unknown land, making the ascension of the mountainous capes Tegetthof and McOlintock, 2,600 feet), and traversed the picturesque Nordenskjolo-Ftord, closed py an enormous coat of ice, the edge of the glacier Sonklar. The country is deprived of all trace of life. On all sides gigantic glaciers jutout from the pro- found solitudes of the mountains, the masses of which rise up in abrupt cones and high plateaus. ‘The prevailing rock ta the dolerite. Everything ts of a dazsiing whiteness. The symmetrical stages of the mountains produce the effect of colossal crystallizations, spperimposed and forming a series of colonnades. Nowhere, just as ts also seen in Greenland, Spitsbergen and Nova Zembis, does the rock show itself in its natural color, which is to be attributed to the condensation of the humidity of the airon the coats of the rocks. This humidity also interferes with our apprecia- tion of distances. Strange to say, the aky 1s per- fectly serene, The excessively low temperature which existed daring our excursion necessitated incessant meas- ures of precaution on our part, The thermometer descended to 40 deg., Réaumur, and at the same time it marked 87 deg., Réaumaur, on board the ship. The cold was particularly felt during the night. We also suffered moch on getting to the top of the glacier Sonklar, although there was only a feeble blast of wind, ll our clothes were stiffened on our bodies, and very strong ram that we had with ua seemed to have mot only lost its strength but to be no ionger quid. Returning to our ship On the 16th of March, we tmmediately made preparations for @ second ex- cursion which should last thirty days and heve for its object the exploration of the stretch of country tothe north, Three days later we lost one of our companions, the engineer Krisch, why fell a victim toan attack of consumption with which he nad been for some time afllicted, and which was com- plicated by an attack of scurvy. The burial took place during @ violent snow storm. We deposited tbe body between colamns of basalt, and sur- mounted the tomb by a siinpie cross. Un the 2ist of March, in the morning, we again set outenrowe for the north. The expedition ‘was composed of M. Orel, the Tyrolese Haller and Klotz, the sailors Zaninovitch, Soussich and Lukinoviteh, and myself. Unfortunately oar team of dogs became disjointed. We could only take three of these faithfal animals with us to help us to draw our large sleigh, the load on which weighed sixteen quintals; ali the others were dead or unfit for this service. Contrary to all ex- pectation, the temperature did not fall below 26 degrees Réaumur during the whole excur- sion, but the downfall of snow and, the humidity, ag well as the nomber of crevices we met. with, and the water that sub merged our path, made the journey very ardu- ons and painiul for us. The resuits of this ex- pedition can only be seen superficially, except by the ald of charts and of sketches made on the voyage, and that is peculiarly true from a topo- graphical point of view. It will suMice, then, without anticipating the detailed account, to say that the whole of the lands discovered have about the same extent as the isles of Spitsbergen, and that these lands are composed of several con- siderable agglomerations, cut up by numerous Jords and surrounaed by a number of islets, One of these lands, situated to the east, has received the name of Wilezek Land, and that situated to the west the name of Zichy. An immense strait, Austria Sound, separates these masses along their length. It commences at Cape Hansa, and directing itself toward the north, becomes bifurcated at 82 deg. north latitude, below Prince Rudoiph’s Land, into two armas, of which we have been able to follow the one running to the north east, and which is very large, as far ag Cape Pesth, at the extreme north, The dolerite 1s everywhere the prevailing rock. The horizontal layers of rock, the mountains, which rise brusquely in the form of truncated cones, vividly recall the mountains of Abyssinia and give to the country a pecultar aspect. In a geological point of view its analogy with the northeastern part of Greenland | is evident. The average height of the sum- mits is from 2,000 to 3,000 feet; it ts only in the southwest that summits attain to 5,000 feet, All the enormous depressions between the chains of mountains are filled with glacters of colossal dimensions and such as the arctic world can alone present. Wo have only been able to appreciate in a few cases by direct measurement the dally advancement of the glaciers. Rubbles of from 100 to 200 feet in height generally orm the extreme limit of the coast. The glacier Dove, in Wilczek Land, yielas in no respect to the Humboldt glacier in Ken- nedy Canal. The vegetation is infinitely below that of Greenland, of Spitabergen and of Nova Zembla, and in this respect there cannot be amore miserable land in the world. We fre- quently met with foating wood, the greater part of old date, but nowbere in any noticeable quan- tity. The country, aa may well be supposed, is uninhabited, and has not, even in the south, with the exception of the white bear, a trace, s0 to speak, of animal life, Many sites in the new land are of great beauty, but always, as is natural, bearing the character of the high arotic regions, I may cite among the number Stemeck Sound, Mount Witilerstof, Oape Klagenfurt, Capes Peter- sen and Kjerulf and the Bay of Lamont. ‘The excursions in sleighe that we have made since have convinced us of the diMouities to be encountered by {uture expeditions in finding ports for wintering, for we remarked nowhere any ap- Propriate pointe for such @ purpose, The atmos- phere, which is usually misty above the ice, had rendered ali observation on our part impossible during our voyage directly toward the north— toward Austria Sound—and we had not made the ascent of the high mountains, which was for us ‘the only means of attaining the highest latitude, Alsg 12 many doubtial cases the choice of our route was in many cases facilitated by the suc- coamive escalsding of Cape Kolkiewey (80 deg. 15 min), Oape Franctort (80 deg. 25 min.), Ospe Rister (80 deg. 45 min), Cape Kane (81 deg. 10 min.), nd Cape Fligely (82 deg. 6 min.) 4 compact bed of ice, interspersed with in- Bumerable blocks of ice, generally stretched from one piece of land to another. Is was visibly of recent date and cut up from distance to distance by crevices and large barriers of broken frag- ments that we could only cross after painful efforts ang great losa of time, After pass ing’ Oape Franefort, thé port of etitratice mito this immense opening, our roate was buried among solitudes of the existence of which our'previous excursion had not made us sware. Omit- ‘mg details, it will suffice to say that, going along the immense Isle Salm, we passed the 80rh degree of latitude on the 26th March and the sist the 8d of April, and that, finding ourselves five days later at 81 deg. 37 min., we had the certainty of having arrived by land nearer the North Pole than any one had ever done before us. To the southeast of Prince Rudolph’s Land we entered a strait of gigantio dimensions and which seemed to open to usin the distance the route to the north. But we fell into a chaos of débris of ice, across which we took several days to cut our way, after unheard of efforts. The feeble horizon- tal intensity of the needle in these high latitudes glao caused us sometimes to fall into error, In fine the heaps of ice blocks becoming more and more impassable, we changed our direction and retarned to Austria Sound. As everywhere, we encountered numbers of white bears, which we struck down witha dexterity due to our daily Practice, But our provistons were running out and the time allotted to our excursion was passing away, 60 that we determined to divide the task, that is, to separate ourselves and to pursue the exploration with forced marches, each one on hisown side, The large sleigh and one part of the expedition, under the Tyrolese, Haller, remained at 81 deg. 88 mm., under the shelter of a sheet of rocks (Cape Sonratter), while Orel, Zanmovich and I pushed further on, accom- panned by the sleigh with a yoke of dogs, Ourim- Mediate object was to traverse, in the exact direc- tion of the north, Prince Rudolph’s Land, which spread itself out before us, But that could only be done by crossing the enormous glacier Mitten- dorf, which we saw would be very dificult to ac- complish, Notwithstanding this we undertook this march without delay. © After a fatiguing journey across a marling of several miles in length we arrtyed on the surface of the glacier. But we had scarcely made a hon- dred paces when Zarinovich, the dogs and the sleigh disappeared tn acrevice! We succeeded, however, in drawing them out of their ugly post- tion, thanks to one of those chances which, well known to mountain explorers, often accompany the greatest dangers. In brief, we were very happy to be able to continue our route the next day. A long detour (in doubling Cape Habermann) bronght us to the coast west of Prince Rudoiph’s Land, whence for the third time we steered to- ward the north, As change took place m nature, On the north side the heavens were threatening and of dark blue color. Vapors of a dirty yellow were heaped up under the action of the sun. The temperature rose. ‘rhe snow softened under our Jeet, and if the flocks of birds coming from the north had before surprised us, wo Were still more astonished to see the aides of the Tocks of Prince Ruadolph’s Land literally covered with birds, Innumerable swarms rose suddenly ‘and filled the air with cries and joyous clapping of wings, It was the retarn of brooding time. Everywhere the tracks of white bears, bares ana foxes were visible. Seals were stretched on the ice. However certain was our thoaght of being in the neighborhood of an open sea our sad expe- rience had none the less warned us against all the seductions of an open Polar Sea. Betting eut from this point our route was no Yongersure. We were not crossing the winter's ice, but a thin layer, quite new, one or two inches thick, dangerously flexible and covered with dépria, the result of previous vreakings op. We thed ourselves to esch other, each one carrying his own burden, and opened a way by the aid of our hatchets by sounding at every step the thick- ness of the ice. After doubling Cape Alken we ar- Tived at the two solitary columns of Cape Saulen. Here the open sea began, ‘The scene was of sublime beauty. From the height of @ hill a sea sombre blue and dotted witn mountains of ice, resembling white pearls, opened twoview. Heavy clouds foated, illuminated from time to time by the ardent beams of the sun, which made the waters glisten. Then above the sun a second sun, less bright than the frst, and in the distance the glaciers of Prince Rodolph Land ap- Peared through the fog to rise to an enormous height, bathed in white. The 12th of April we ceased to advance further toward the north, Tne day was brighter than the preceding ones. The thermometer marked 11 deg. Réaumur, Our route by the layer of fresh ice had become impracticable, 80 that we were obliged to lollow the slope of the mountains. Wishing to explore s fleld of snow, we placed our effects in a crevice in the rocks, where the bears could not reach them, and set out, When we arrived at a jotting rook (Cape Germania, 81 deg. 67 min.) we left the sleigh behind, and, still tled together by the cord, followed the direction of the coast toward the northeast, passing over the fleld of snow and ice, The crevices rendered our march excessively perilous, So after a march o! five hours, and being certain that at midday we had reached latitude 82 deg. 06 min., we brought the excursion to @M end at apoint we called Cape Pngoley. The view which we enjoyed from this height be- longed to @ class that, judged with a certain preju- dice, have grven rise to so many controversies about the real nature of the high Polar regions, A vast baain of clear water extended along the coast. it was, indeed, covered here and there with layers of fresh ice, while icebergs of small dimensions were visible on the horizon from the west to the northeast, However, we must take into consideration the slightly advanced pe- Tiod of the season and the fact that at thia moment the wind was blowing from the west. There was no reason to think that this basin should be less navigable in the heart of the winter than those large seas considered as the characteristic sign of the Polar Ocean. But the testimony of one hour oes not suffice to overvurn objections born of so many experiences and proof of the contrary. From the resistance of fresh ice, all that could be proved was that a vesee) finding itself at the north point of the land of Ziehy could advance trom ten to twenty miles toward the north—thas is to say, a8 faras we conla observe passages through the floating biocks of ice; put no vessel could have advanced 100 miles from Australia Sound, or, had it done so by miracle, would have found nothing beyond but solid ice. Notwithstanaing the briefnees of my descrip- tions, I have dwelt at length on this observation, becanse Of 4B extreme importance. Nothing could inflict greater injury on the ulterior explora tion of the Arctic regions than assertions lightly made, because they might have the effect of lead- ing too credulous explorers into error, More im- portant for us than the tiresome question of the mavigability of 4 distant part of the Arctic Ocean was the certain fact of having discovered new countries which, covered with. mountains and traversed by the sound, could be traced from the northwest to the northeast, even beyond the 63d degree of north latitude. An im- posing promontory is situated under this latituae. It ts Cape Vienna, the moss northerly point of jand known. it belongs to that territory which Jostice and gratitude impelled us to name Peter- mann Land, ‘Without wishing to advance a theory relative to the distribution of jands near the pole or the con- tiguisy of Gillis’ Land toward the southwest with the newly discovered country, the developement Of the coast and of the glaciers give the impres- ston of @ vast agglomeration of lands, and jastifiy, up to ® certain point, the hypothesis of Dr. Petermann on the subjects of an interarctio @rohipeiago, Only in ita geological formation the Rew country exhibits little analogy with the @piteqnberg group of islands. showing much more with the western parts of Greenland. iid’ jires @n0e of innumerable teebergs in all the sound is remarkable, while they are not seen to the south im the sea of Nova Zembie. The absence of ice- bergs in this sea justifies the belief that they move towards the north. In this peacerul struggle to increase our knowl edge of the earth she different nations habitually set up their flags at the point whicn is the cap non plus ultra of the moment, We did so. At the ex- treme point of our voyage toward the north the Austro-Ht flag has been set nearer to the ‘pole than that df ny cther natiom: After this cer- emony we deposited tn the crevice of a rock @ doc- ument attesting our presence, and thought of Teturning to our ships, 160 miles to the south, Thanks to forced marches and the absence of every burden except the tent and Provisions, we soon rejoined our companions who had remaimea behind and who were watching anxiously for our return, Alter passing the glaciers of the large and beautiful Island of Landenbourg and doubled Oape Ritter 80 deg. 45 min. on the 5th of April, we remarked, with concern, ‘that the sea water everywhere impregnated the lower layers of enow and that the weather appeared menacing. We found ourselves above the embouchure of the great Markham Sound. At the moment of going to sleep we heard distinctly tne cracking caused by pressure of ice foes. Next morning we pushed for- ward and, when near Hayes’ Island, found ourselves in face of an immense sheet of water, which barred further progress, and which flowed toward the north, We had no boat. All south of Austria Sound had been transformed into. an open sea, and at thirty paces from us the Waves dashed against the ice. To complete our misfortune s dreadful snow storm came on, We retreated, and at the ena of two days of a most diMicult and painfml march we succeeded in passing around the abyss by skirting enormous giaciers, We were saved, At length. on the 21st of April, we arrived at Cape Franciort, and found the ice road which should conduct us to our ship intact. But did the Tegethof still exist? The ice bank to which she had been chained, nad it not been carried further away ? But the ship was there, We foundit exactly at the point where we had left it, on the south of Wilezek Island. In the beginning of May M. Brosel, the Tyrolese, Haller and myself made @ third excursion with the object of exploring the west, We took tne sleigh and dogs. When forty miles from the ship, having climbed a high mountain, Cape Brunn, we could judge that the country extended very far toward the east, Our view extended as far as the 46th deg. of east longitude. The country ts cut up with numerous fldrds, t ¢ mountains assuming a conical form, the summit culminating at Point Humbold at 6,000 feet. On the south side the sea Was vovered with compost ice extending as far as the horizon—sad prospect tor our return home- ward. ‘rhis excursion ended, and Lieutenant Weyprecht having finished taking observations, our mission, under given conditions, might he considered as fulfilled, and from this moment our whole atten- tion was directed toward one object, our resurn to Europe. On the evening of the 20th of May the flags were nailed to the ship and we began our return voyage. Our equipment was very slight, because circum- stances compelled us to give up every comfort. Each one carried in addition to this clothing only one blanket to shield him from the rigors of the nights. Uur means of transport. consisted of four boats on wheels and three large sleigh, with loads Of seventeen quintals and a half each, provisions, munitions, &0., for three or tour months. The mounds of snow forced us at first to make the same journey three times over, because we were obliged to leave a part of the convoy behind and unite im sufficient numbers to transport the remainder. Then, arrived at the limit of the solid ice, it required unheard of efforts to transport the boats and sleighs from teebank to icebank. By misfortune, persistent winds from the south redaced to nearly nothing our feebie progress, 80 that atthe end of two months we were only two German miles from our ship. We were even in- clined to abandon @ useless struggle sgainat in- vincible obstacles and return to the ship fora third winter, giving up all hope. In the interval the ice became pertiectly compact, and on many Oocasions we were obliged to pass a whole week on @ fragment, waiting for a canal to open. At length, in the second half of the month of July, the wind surned toward the north, and pools and canals were formed in the ice. Heavy rains also feil and softened the ice, so that in twenty days we succeeded in passing over sixty miles, sometimes freeing 4 passage with the axe | or the harpoon, sometimes rowing and at others making use of the sail. During the voyage we acquired the certainty that no ship could have | penetrated this summer to the newly discovered | Jand. In the beginning of August the state of the ice warned us that we were approaching the open sea, which suddenly reanimated our hopes, It is true POLITICAL ANENFIES, An Evening Scene at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. “BIG CHIEFS” IN “WAR PAINTS How Morrissey and Creamer Came Nean Having a “Scalp Dance.” THE HATCHET NOT YET BURIED, The corridors of the Fifth Avenue Hotel ap) to be the favored Rialto of the New York poli cians, Night after night the haliway ts crow: with men who more or less rule or desire to rul the affairs of State. Among these on Wed! evening was the giadiatorial politician of th period, Mr. John Morrissey. He pushed herculean form along until he reache the bar, and then, standing by the side o one of the pillars, ne puffed vigorously at cigar while he calmly surveyed the constantlyt moving crowd. Presently he saw Mr. Thom Creamer glide along the hallway. Mr. Morriese speedily left his post of observation and overtoo! the chief of the Tammany bolters: Greek had me! Greek, and there was a tug of war, It was, No’ ever, only a war of words. Mr. Oreamer was wary to be caught in # personal encounter with gentleman who bas made “tne noble art ot self- defence’ specialty. Omitting certain little bellishments, with whfch it ts eatd Mr. Morrisse; very freely garnished his language, the followin; is the substance of the conversation which en: sned :— MoRBIasRY (assuming & defiant and & 4 attitude).—I should like to know, Mr, Creamer, what right you hadto use my neme at pabl meetings? You went and used my name an vilifed my character and my reputation. That’ what you 4id, and I want to know what right yor had to do so? CREAMER.—Mr. Morrissey, Ididinot. Mr. M ey, I criticised you as a political leader, witch I aright todo. I don’t think you’re a proper perso! to lead @ political party. Ihad nothing to 8a against you, otherwise than as @ public man, ant in that relation I had a right to criticise you. This answer did not turn sway Mr. Morr wrath. Its very quietude seemed to choke him, [ ‘wag not what he bad expected. He was evident!; m the humor for the exercise of his “specialty.” He insisted with much indignation that Mr. Creamer had done so, but Mr. Creamer ans Mr. Creamer thought the Tammany leader gone tosuMclent length, he turned around an: left the hotel. In political circles yesterday the difficulty tween these leaders of opposite factions was th all-abaorbing topic of conversation and discussio: Opinions were freely given as to which of the ties was most to blame, according to the polit inclination and bias of those by whom the matte: was discussed. There appeared, however, to but few who were fully conversant with all th facts of the case, and they based their views opinions, as tt seémed, upon the reports and mors which were mM circulation. After some dim. culty, fuowever, the names of some ofthe wi nesses to the fracas were obtained, when, as fa as possible, their veraions were sought with th following result :— ; Alderman Flanagan's Version. Alderman Richard Fianagan, who was one o the witnesses of the rencontre between M Morrissey and Creamer, was questioned last nigh: by @ Hzmatp reporter, tm order that a corre version of the affair might be had. The Alderma! at first seemed greatly disinclined to even admit that the two gentiemen above referred to had hi any words at all, buton being closely pressed hi at last admitted that there had been “some littl troubie petween them,” but that it was quite trifling affair from beginning toend. He stated that so far as he Knew the origin of the matteg was in @ bet reported to have been offeréd ; Creamer at the Manhattan Club against the ele: tion of Hayes, for Register. This was reported, thi | Alderman said, to John Morrissey, who upon seein: Creamer come into the Filth Avenue Hotel, accos' him and asked bim if he was willing to put up money against Hayes. To this Creamer made reply, when Morrissey immediately taxed with making a too free use of his name and vility. ing him before the meeting at Cooper Institu' and told him farther that he did not propose that immediately afterward we eaw ourselves im- prisoned for five days. Our liberation took place | on the 13th of August, and the day aiter we arrived &t the limits of the ice in the astomishingly | high latitude of 17 deg. 40 min, From | this moment we looked on our salety’) as assured, and, indeed, we owe our safe return | chiefly to the favorable state of the ice in this lati- | tude. Our escape from the ice was then the last | act of a series of happy conjunctures to whicn we owe our escape irom the dangers that menaced | us, apd to which we must attribute our success. When we entered the open sea and coasted along the western shore of Nova Zembia, the | weather wasdelghtful. On the 18th of August | we again set foot on land in the penmsula of the Admiralty; onthe 24th (after nimety-six days of travel), we ound in the Daneu-Bai the Russian | echooner Nicotai, Captain Feodor Varornine, who | recelved us shipwrecked ones with the bospitality which distinguishes the Russian people. A short Voyage brought us soon to Wardoe, in | Norway, where we landed September 3, 1874. It | was three o'clock in the afternoon when we set foot on this hospitable sotl, with all the satistac- tion natural at our delivery, after so many anu so | great sufferings and privationa. UTAH, The Indictment of George Q. Cannon. SaLt Laks Cry, Oct, 22, 1874. As regards the indictment of George Q. Cannon, | the Congressional Delegate, for lascivious cohab- itation, under the ‘erritorial stavute, it is claimed that the Court dare not indiothim under the Polygamy act of Congress passed in 1862, because the United States stavute of limitations bars ail such "prosecutions, and the Poland bill wou allow a writ of error to a superior court, where: the Territorial law w appeal. No more arrests A UTAH OBIEF JUSTICE ¢ ON THE LIBEL LAW. cial Tel to the Oni Intei | Pree a aaa RTO | Soon after the opening of the Court this morn- ing, His Honor Judge McKean made the Jollowing charge in she ate - IRN 0) RAND JURY:— jay the 8 Salt Lake Daily Herald published {n ite editorial colamns the following articie :. “When such broad insinuations and ane at. | tacks are made on our Chief Justice, the ae, thas it camnot defend nim. That is, the regrets that Utah has a Cniet Justice who ia detenaibie when such attacks are made. The | annexed fea subtoga” 1s from the Virginia New 3 In nis recent oh: to the Grand | Jury of the Third district of U Ohlef Justice | McKean directed them to inquire into the disposal made by the Territorial lature of the vast tracts of public lands, of the many streams otf | 4 water, and the vast fore: i of timber, What will done with them after they have been inquired into we do not know; un- bog indeed, with the accommodatin; epirie| whion the Chief Justice of bo remai he appropriate them to his own te and , as he did the Silver Shield and a couple er mines. While we rejoice that a day of atonement has at last come for the extra loyal and semi-barbarous practuces of the Mormons, we cannot help wishing that the instrument em- ployed to bring it about were worthier the work than McKean. 1 charge you to taquire into the truth of these accusations and lana na fy if you re son even to 6 © ry plea oss rarer ere an vat nere, offense. indies. him, “But, gentlemen, ii you 100 a to be jalse indict the editors tne this m paper tor era x te epee Biron nt hed ty one of the amndiess | prevented, | to obtain a statement from him he deelined, h allow any such liberty to be taken, especially by man of his (Creamers) stamp. To this Creame! made some reply, which appeared to anger Mo: rissey, Mutual recrimination ensued in load an: threatening tones, when Moprissey finally said Cream: “Well, you have no right to speak of m you did. It is @ well known fact tha: yn record for being concerned in eve! corrupt bill that has passed the Legislature durin, | the pastseven yeara.” Creamer here turned oi his heel and walked out of the hotel, said Aide: man Flanigan, and thus any farther trouble w: It, however, looked at one time though things might have become more serious, Two Other Witnesses Refuse to Speake Edw ard Gilmore, one of the attachés of the De. partment of Public Works, and James Everard, th contractor, were atso poth present at the Fifti Avenue Hotel during the Morrissey-Creamer “‘w: of words,” but both exhibited a singular degr of reticence when questioned about it. The firs named admitied witnessing the whole affair fro: | beginning to end, but would say nothing mor than that there was a good deal of loud and angr: talk, When asked if the report was true that Morrissey had made an attempt to strike Creamer, he replied, ‘I ¢on’t want to say anything. 1 fact, itis no use talking to me; go and see Mo) rissey.” Further questioning failed to draw fro! him any other reply, so the HERALD reporter wen iu search of James Everard. That gentleman deq nied being present in the hotel at the time’ re~ ferred to, although he says he went in jus' as Creamer haa left. He could, he said, give no information about the row, fo he knew nothing about it He pb however, that there had been a great deal of lou talk and insulting language used on both sid but now it originated he knew not. A fight been prevented, he thought, by Mr. Oreamer leav. Ing the hotel, so far as he could gather from what other people had told him. He did not know eve: ‘who was present at the time the controversy curred, except Mr. Gilmore. John Morrissey Silent. John Morrissey was also called on last even: by @ HERALD reporter, but when informed of nature of the business upon which it was sough' said, to say anything further than that there had been a little diMicuity betwee: himself and Mr. Creamer in regard to th way in which his name had been at the Cooper Institute meeting, but that nothin; more than @ little plain talk had occurred, Mr. Morrtsaey said he did not desire to appear tn t! Papers in this matter, but that if the whole trot! ‘Was not told in any account that might appear should deem it his duty to meke a clear and Statement, which would be supported by wi! neases, Who these witnesses are he to say. Mr. Creamer Refases to Speak. Mr, Thomas Creamer, who was one of the prin cipals in the affair above described, was Called upon yesterday, but he declined to refer the dimoulty becween himself and Mr. farther than to say, that he nad not sought Conversation with Mr. Morrissey and that he done all to his power to prevent any disgrace: scone which might under tne circumstances ha very natarally occurred,