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National Geographic : 1896 Feb
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GEOGRAPHIC NOTES winter very comfortably in a wooden house erected at cape Flora. The 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 Markham sound. The long journey, in which four ponies were used with great advantage, occupied from April 16 to May 13. Softening sea-floes and signs of open water constrained a return from the farthest north, 810 20 / N., 540 53/ E. Payer's map of 1874 is said to be inaccurate and misleading. Zichy, Alexandra, and Oscar lands resolve themselves into groups 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 report be correct, this will not be the first capable explorer who may ask protection from injudicious friends who seek to aid him by unfounded aspersions of others. European ex plorers are able to refute on their own account Montefiore's claim, espe 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 portance and extent anything that Jackson has done; this with the loss of one man-himself. Greely in his first year, 1881-'82, explored 4,090 square miles of new land and surpassed the highest latitude, made before or since, without the loss of a man. Peary, in 1891-'92, made the most remarkable inland ice journey on record, crossed Greenland to a point far beyond his predecessors on the east Greenland coast, with the loss of a single man, by 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. ALASKA. Congress is to appropriate $75,000 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, by United States and Canadian engineers, the points established differ only six feet at Mount St. Elias and 400 feet at Porcupine river. Canada desires to establish the meridian astronomically by joint scientific survey, which would require several years. The United States favors, 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 that from Monclova to the Pacific, of which 292 miles have been approved. The surveys of the road from Merida to Campeche are progressing and the plans of the lines from Meiida to Progreso have been adopted. The drainage works of the valley of Mex ico are almost concluded, the excavations have amounted to 53,160,000
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