Simultaneously with the return of the Peary expedi- maps. In the matter of reaching the North Pole, the record of the year 1902 has been unmarked by advance, and the highest latitudes reached as yet are 86° 14'. which was Dr. Nansen's northing in 1895; 86° 33', attained by the Abruzzi expedition in 1900. Commander Peary, however, has returned feeling confident that the Pole can be reached by any man with a proper outfit, who can make his Winter headquarters in a latitude of 83°, north. He estimates that the sum of $200,000 For this sum, he says, he would cover the expense. could keep a party north ten years, if necessary, and follow his original plan for reaching the pole by stages. He feels confident that there is no land at the pole. As to how the objective point is to be reached he believes that under favorable conditions it can be done from He holds that the fact of having Winter headquarters so Franz Josef's Land and also from Grant Land. far north does not in reality add to the difficulty of maintaining existence through the Winter's cold; but that with proper preparations for the local conditions one can live at Hecla as well as in South Greenland, Game is plenty in the shape of musk oxen and Arctic hares, the flesh of at Labrador or even in New York. the latter being very palatable. William Ziegler. Evelyn B. Baldwin. It is by no means improbable that Commander Peary may lead another expedition in search of the North William Ziegler, undismayed by the Baldwin-Ziegler expedition, has planned a Pole during the year 1904. new expedition for the Spring of that year, and there is a strong sentiment among members of the Peary Arctic Club to follow up its own successful work in that direction. The organization is well pleased with the report made to it by Commander Peary, and if it should decide to continue the work an effort will undoubtedly be made to have him follow up what he has thus far accomplished. Of incidental interest in connection with his last expedition the club possesses relics of one of the many former expeditions in the shape of a written record and self-registering thermometer brought by Mr. Peary from a cairn on Lockwood Island, Surgeon Dedrick's Quarters in Greenland. built in 1882 by Colonel D. L. Brainerd and Lieutenant J. B. Lockwood. This cairn was for thirteen years Although the record and thermometer had been in the cairn the mark of the world's "farthest north." nearly a score of years, both are in perfect condition. In regard to the general estimate of value placed upon Mr. Peary's explorations it may be noted that Sir Clements Markham, president of the Royal Geographical Society of England, in a letter written to the Peary Arctic Club, described him as standing in the first rank of Arctic explorers. Antarctic Expeditions.-There are at the present time four expeditions exploring the Antarctic region. The latest to sail was under the lead of W. S. Bruce, F. R. S. S., and sailed from the Clyde, in Scotland, Mr. Bruce, who is accompanied by a large staff of scientific on November 4, 1902, on the steamship Scotia. men as assistants, has already been on four similar expeditions, visiting the Arctic as well as the Antarctic Mr. Bruce's intention was to go straight circle. In his present voyage it is the intention to proceed south as far as possible without being frozen in the ice. The aim is to investigate oceanography and meteorology. for the Falkland Islands; thence 1,000 miles east from Port Stanley, touching the Sandwich group, and then steering due south. Commander Peary's Daughter Marie. There is a German party, under Drygalski, engaged in exploring south of the Indian Ocean, with a view to reaching the South Pole. Dr. Nordenkskjold's Swedish expedition, on the steamer Antarctic, sailed from Gothenburg, Sweden, on October 17, 1901. A British Antarctic expedition was organized in 1901 by the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Great Britain, the British Government co-operating with a subsidy of $225,000. A steamer named The Discovery was especially built for the voyage, and sailed in August, 1901, under command of Commander Robert Scott, R. N. Owing to The Discovery becoming disabled a relief party was sent out on the steamer Morgenen, in August, 1902 under command of Lieutenant William Colbeck, R. N. R. Exploration of the south polar region has been made at intervals during more than a century and a quarter past, but less is known concerning them than has been learned in relation to those adjacent to the North Pole. Captain Cook visited them in 1772 and 1773, and of subsequent Antarctic explorers the most famous was Admiral Sir James Clark Ross, nephew of Sir John Ross, another great Arctic explorer, under whom he had sailed, but whose fame he eclipsed by reaching the latitude of 78° 10' South, during his expedition of 1839-43. This remained the farthest point south ever reached until the year 1900, when Captain Egeberg Borchgrevink, a Norwegian, in command of an expedition sent out by Sir George Newnes, of London, England, succeeded in pushing farther south more than half a degree, making the latitude of 78° 50' south. Captain Borchgrevink claimed to have located the south magnetic pole, an honor which, in relation to the north magnetic pole, is generally credited to Sir James Clark Ross. Antarctic exploration is attended by difficulties which are not encountered in the north polar regions, the conditions at the two extremes of the earth's axis being very different. Captain Borchgrevink, for instance, was able to advance only about seventeen statute miles south from his ship at the time when he made his "farthest south," owing to the glaciated volcanic mountains of the region, which rise from 5,000 to 14,000 feet above the sea level and are so steep that ascent with sledges was well nigh impossible. The experience of all expeditions has been that the land, or supposed land, surrounding the South Pole is practically unexplorable, because of the precipitous nature of the shores. Most of them have returned with the theory that there is a vast Antarctic continent, but exploration of lands, or supposed lands, discovered and at first regarded as forming part of such a continent, has shown them to be islands. So far as the existence of waterways may lead to a "farther south" than has yet been reached, Ross's Bay is the deepest indentation discovered in the mass of land or ice which explorers encounter. This bay, according to Captain Borchgrevink's record, extends to latitude 78° 32' south, and his "farthest south" was made from that point by means of sledges. His advance brought him within 770%1⁄2 miles of the South Pole. The story of Antarctic exploration dates back to the year 1598, and the first one to discover land there was Dirk Gerritz, who was carried to the far southern latitudes by a storm. It is supposed that the land which he discovered was what is now known as the South Shetland, at latitude 64. south. The famous Captain Cook was in the Antarctic region on two Voyages of exploration, and discovered many islands. His "farthest north" was 71° 10'. During one of his voyages he made a complete circuit of the globe in the high southern latitudes. Bellinghausen, commanding a Russian expedition in 1819-21, discovered the two islands named for Peter I. and Alexander I. John Biscoe discovered Enderly Land in 1831; and in 1841 Sir James Ross discovered Victoria Land. This last discovery was made during the same voyage, which was made notable by the advance of the explorer to latitude 78° 11', south, the "farthest south" reached until Borchgrevinck's exploration of 1898-1900. Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, U. S. N., who subsequently became a rear admiral, commanded an Antarctic expedition in 1838-42, and it is upon his claim of discovery that the theory of an Antarctic continent was based. No later explorer, however, has found any confirmation for the Wilkes theory. Later expeditions have made valuable observations and added considerable to geographical knowledge. Among the facts established is that certain lands, supposed to be continental, actually insular, thus bringing the theory of an Antaretic continent into doubt. are The theory of Wilkes concerning the existence of an Antarctic continent may have been an original conception in his mind, based upon his observation of conditions at the southern extreme of the globe, so far as he was able to advance in that direction. Yet it is possible that it was an acceptance of that very ancient theory, held by geopraphers as early as the time of the Greek Ptolemy, who believed that there is a continent near the South Pole, and extending to a great distance around it. This theory held with geographers through many centuries, and up to the middle of the eighteenth century nearly all maps presented the supposed continent vaguely outlined, and designated as Terra Australis Incognita. Captain Cook was the first to throw practical doubt upon this theory, his second voyage failing to reveal any land in the high southern latitudes. There are some facts which would seem to indicate that no such large bodies of land as have been discovered in the Arctic regions exist at the Antarctic circle. For instance, no mammals are known to inhabit the islands of the far south, which thus afford a strong contrast to the north polar regions, where large animals have been observed in great numbers almost as far north as the explorers have gone. How an Esquimau Eats. Argentine Capital: BUENOS AIRES. In 1516, twenty-four years after Columbus made his first landing at San Salvador, Juan Diaz de Solis, pilot-in-chief of the King of Spain, discovered the Rio de la Plata (River of Silver). Nineteen years elapsed before a colony was established where Buenos Aires now stands. But it was sixty-four years later, in 1580, that Buenos Aires was definitely founded by Don Juan de Guaray, with sixty followers, who were left there to form the nucleus of a European settlement, and of a population which numbers over 600,000. In 1661 the King of Spain established a High Court at Buenos Aires, with a Governor for the Provinces of the Rio de la Plata. In 1773 these colonies were raised to the rank of a vice-royalty and the first viceroy Don Pedro de Cavallas, was appointed. now In 1816, England, then at war with Spain, decided to take possession of Buenos Aires, and for this purpose sent a small army of 2,000 or 3,000, under command of Lord Beresford. The city, having then some 40,000 inhabitants without military experience, was easily taken, but was not so easily kept. Two months later Beresford was compelled to give up the town, with a loss of about half his men, by General Siniers, who commanded the natives. This was the first step toward independence. In 1808 England sent an army of 10,000 men to retake the city, but they were completely routed. It was about this time that the natives began to whisper about ridding themselves of the Spanish, as they had done of the English, and on the 25th day of May, 1810, the first cry of independence was raised. The people demanded and obtained the resignation of the viceroy, who was replaced by a junta of nine members. The task of achieving independence was, however, not an easy one. The Juata found itself surrounded by enemies, and with small means of defence at its disposal. Up to 1817 several battles were fought with the Spanish, nearly all of which resulted in victories for the latter. But in 1814 the Spanish citadel of Montevideo was taken by the Argentines, and this important capture inspired the people with confidence. A new General-in-Chief. Don Jose de San Martin, was appointed, from whom great things were expected. Although born in the Argentine he was educated in Spain, where he joined the army and distinguished himself. He conceived the idea of crossing the Andes and liberating Chili and Peru from the Spanish yoke. In this, with an army of only 5,000, he was completely successful. In Santiago, Chili, and Lima, Peru, statues have been erected in his honor. Then bgan a series of wars and internal troubles, which lasted nearly thirty years. In 1850 the existing Constitution of the Republic, which is substantially the same as that of the United States, was promulgated, and since then, with one exception, the country has lived in peace and prosperity. During this time material development has received a great impetus. Railroads have been opened in all directions, and vast acres of land opened to population. The President holds office for six years, and cannot be successively re-elected. All his decrees must be countersigned by a Cabinet Minister or they are valueless. Senators hold office for nine years and Repre sentatives for four. The Republic has an area of 1.118.000 square miles and a population of about 5,000,000. Except for the northern and Andrine provinces, which are mountainous, the country is an unbroken plain, extending from the foot of the Andes to the Atlantic. The Rio de la Plata and its chief tributaries are navigable in ail their courses. Many other streams of less importance run through the different sections, constituting a natural system of irrigation. The educational facilities are excellent, there being one school for every thousand inhabitants. There are two universities, and there are also a military and a naval academy. There are in round numbers 100,000,000 sheep and 30,000,000 cattle in the Argentine. In 1891 the "saladeros" of the River Platte slaughtered 1,521,100 head of cattle, of which 369,300 were used to make extract of beef and 1,151,100 to make jerked beef, which was exported to Spain, Cuba and Brazil. At the last report there were 8,200,000 acres of land under cultivation, the principal products being sugar cane and cereals. The commerce for the port of Buenos Aires for the first six months of 1902 amounted to 52,243,230 gold pesos of imports and 105,203,721 of exports, compared with 56,619,775 and 97,776,764, respectively, for a like period of 1901. France received the largest amount in exports both years, and the United States stood sixth. A company was organized in May, 1902, with a capital of $1,500,000 gold, for the purpose of engaging in the business of frozen meats. The company will also traffic in live cattle and will establish a large slaughter house. In November, 1901, a final treaty was entered into between Argentine and Japan for the interests of amity, commerce and navigation between the two countries. Within the limits of the city of Buenos Aires alone there are 7,619 industrial establishments, the most important being those for preparing hides, for timber and for spinning. The shipment of wheat from the Argentine Republic has decreased rapidly in the last few years, the acreage of wheat also showing a decrease in the early part of 1902. In the week ending January 5, 1902, 520,000 bushels were shipped, against 760,000 bushels for the corresponding week of 1901. The dairy industry has increased in several provinces, and a new butter factory, erected in 1901, has a capacity of 30 tons a day. In a relatively short time the production of cattle has increased about 33 per cent. The first railroad line was laid in 1857, and there are now something like 10,000 miles of railway in operation. There are also lines of steamships in operation to principal ports of other countries. The imports of the Republic for 1901 were valued at $109,971,158, and the exports $161,846,038. was a notable increase in the value of imports from the United States. There In 1901 there were 125,951 immigrants, the greater number of whom were Italians, their occupations being mostly agricultural. The Argentine Republic is essentially an agricultural and cattle raising country. Its extensive plains, the fertility of its soil, and its moderate climate, favorable to the raising of cereals and cattle, offer to the labor of the colonist and farmer exceptionally advantageous conditions and cause the Argentine to stand among the larger grain and meat exporting countries of the world. Argentine crops of wheat and Indian corn represent a per capita production of 42.33 bushels, against 42 for the United States and Denmark, 30 for Canada, 23 for Sweden, 20 for Russia, 19 for France and 8 for Great Britain. The standing army consists of 190 superior officers and 1,150 subaltern officers, while the rank and file numbers 7,297. The total effective army, according to a statement presented to the Argentine Congress, should be about 29,500 officers and men. There are about 800,000 in the National Guard, the majority of whom receive military training, those twenty years of age being mobilized every year and given two months' drill in camp. The others of the guard are drilled every Sunday for two months. In 1901 an act was passed making military service obligatory. The navy consists of four coast defence armorclads, five armored cruisers, three second-class cruisers and seven modern smaller cruisers and gunboats, with a number of older vessels, together with four destroyers, 12 first-class and 10 second-class torpedo boats. There are 327 executive and 295 engineer officers, 34 torpedo, electrical and other officers, with 7,760 seamen, a battalion of marine infantry and a battalion of four batteries of artillery, included in the navy. One of the most remarkable newspaper plants in the world is located at Buenos Aires. Besides the facilities for publishing an excellent paper, La Prensa, the establishment contains many public apartments for the benefit of the people. The President of the Republic is Jullo A. Roca, and his Cabinet is composed of the following, instituted In September, 1902: Minister of Interior, Dr. Joaquin V. Gonzales; Minister of Foreign Relations and Worship, Dr. Luis M. Drago; Minister of Hacienda, Marco Avellaneda; Minister of Justice and Public Instruction, Dr. Juan A. Fernandez: Minister of War, Colonel Pablo Riccheri; Minister of Marine, Captain Onofre Betbeder; Minister of Public Works, Dr. Emilo Civit; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Wenceslao Escalante. Arizona. Capital: Of Arizona is a Territory of the United States, Up to the last few years Arizona has been since the extension of irrigation it is beginning to take rank as an agricultural country. Copper smelting and refining may be considered the chief industry, the census of 1900 giving the total value of the copper industry as $17.286.517, or nearly one-half of the total industrial value of the Territory. Other lines of manufacture are handicapped by the high price of coal, though the Governor in his report for 1901 speaks hopefully of the possibility of oil discoveries in some sections of the country. It is probable that in the near future beet sugar and fruit canning factories will be established. During the past two years railroad building has been especially active. The Arizona & Southeastern Railway Company has made long extensions toward the south and several shorter lines have been projected and built. Rapid strides have been made in the construction of irrigation canals and storage reservoirs, and in 1901, 4,210 of the 5,809 farms in the Territory and Indian reservation were under irrigation. These irrigated farms average 175 acres and the total number of acres is about 558,821. The work of irrigation has been handicapped by lack of encouragement to capital and appropriations on the part of Congress. There are relatively but two river systems in Arizona-the Colorado and the Gila, the Salt River being included in the Gila. The Colorado yons, and the river and its branches purposes except in the southeru the area of the Gila water shed lie Arizona, and this section resembles any other portion of the United takes place during two plainly and in July, August and September. and the storage supply is inade dry seasons. Those basins which sufficiently extensive to provide porary droughts, and are provided for the not unusual torrential rain Gov. Alex. O. Brodie. flows through deeply erroded canare rarely available for irrigation portions of the water shed. Within the principal irrigated portions of Southern California more than does States. The precipitation of rains marked rainy seasons, in December But few reservoirs have been built. quate even for the canals in the are being established are being made water that will last through temwith enormous wasteways to care storms of the Summer. the increasing of the present water now carry a deficient supply during ply sufficiently large and constant areas of so-called desert lands, or agriculture under the present irrimuch capital has been invested in land under the canals from the that the water supply is still must remain uncultivated for some that has been attempted in some sian wells. These wells have been and the water pumped into the cameuntain streams too far away to evidences that irrigation was pracof Arizona, who vanished before ent canals and ditches in many centuries ago. When the country Another method of irrigation small sections depends upon arte sunk in some parts of the desert nals by electricity, generated by be of use themselves. There are tised by the prehistoric inhabitants the advent of the white man. Pres cases follow the lines laid down was settled by white men they found the agricultural Indians practising irrigation on a small scale. The staple crops of the territory are alfalfa, corn. 'wheat, barley, root crops and vegetables and fruits. Experimental work on sugar beet cultivation was discontinued by the experiment station in 1901, the results of the work showing conclusively that sugar beets could be raised to advantage in the irrigated sections of Arizona. The per cent of sugar is nearly as high as that found in the beets of the coast and the possibility of irrigation makes the crop more sure. The cultivation of the date palm has been tried in Southern Arizona, but the experiments have not been carried far enough to make a statement of the results possible. Trees planted in 1900 are expected to bear in 1904, and three imported trees at the experiment station ten years old bore over 500 pounds of dates in 1901. Stock raising has been entirely successful during 1901 and 1902, heavy rains making the grazing better than ever before. The health of the cattle has been generally good and contagious diseases common in other countries are seldom met with. Arizona claims one of the best public school systems in the United States. The attendance is compulsory and the standard of education as high as that of any State in the country. The Indian Office has been generous in appropriations for the Indian schools and there are now a number of excellent institutions for these people, including the Phoenix Indian School for Industrial Training. In 1901 there were 2,340 Indians in the day schools. According to the report of the Governor the most pressing need of Arizona is for Statehood. It is claimed that the material interests of the country are placed at a disadvantage by the present territorial form of government, that capital for the development of the natural resources will not come to Arizona so long as the people are not assured of the self-government Statehood gives. A bill to admit Arizona. Oklahoma and New Mexico to Statehood was taken up by the National House of Representatives in May, 1902, and was passed. Delegate Mark Smith, of Arizona, made the concluding speech of the debate, which was one of the warmest of the session in the House, and at the end was stricken with apoplexy. When the bill went to the Senate it was shelved for the session. At the last meeting of the Territorial Legislature acts were passed authorizing the appointment of a water storage commission and exempting from taxation for ten years all railroads, the construction of which shall be begun within one year. Thirty-five thousand dollars were appropriated to cover the expenses of a representative at the St. Louis Exposition in 1903. Major Alexander O. Brodie, the new Governor of Arizona, who was installed in office in July, 1902, is a man well versed in affairs of the Territory. He became distinguished in the war with the Apaches and served for several years at Fort Walla Walla, Washington. From 1878 to 1882 he engaged in the cattle trade in Kansas, and from 1882 to 1887 in mining operations in Dakota and Arizona. During the war with Spain he enlisted with the Rough Riders, was made major, and was wounded in the advance on Santiago. |