Letter from J[eanne] C. C[arr] to John Muir, [1889] Jul 16.

• Main Author: Carr, Jeanne C.
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1889
• Subjects: Environmentalist; naturalist; travel; conservation; national parks; John Muir; history; correspondence; letters; Greenland; Ameralik; Swett; Great Point
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/muir-correspondence/1847; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/muir-correspondence/article/2846/viewcontent/muir06_0190_md_1.pdf

[4]snow shoes, rattled down the western slope until they reached the zone of iceless land on the west coast, on the 26, reaching the fjord called Ameralik. There they made a boat of their canvas tent, in which two of the party reached the Danish settlement Godthaab, arriving on Oct 3, and immediately sending a relief party in boats, for them left behind. X X X The expedition Dr N. believes has proved the whole interior of Greenland to be covered by an immense shield-shaped cap of ice and snow which in places must be 5000-6000 feet in thickness. A great point of interest was the comparatively low temperature of the interior. Dr. N though the best way of solving the problems of the great ice age was to examine the places where similar conditions now exist as the expedition had done in Greenland, which had many characteristics of Scotland and Scandinavia.Love to all in Strentzel-Muir families, & to the Swett family - congratulate JS. for us.J.C.C.[1] [1889]July 16,Dear John - Around the evening lamp I was skimming the London Times of June 28th reading aloud to the family - came across this - "Dr Nansen's journey across the Greenland inland ice." "At the Royal Geog Soc on Monday night, Dr. Fridtoff Nansen, the Greenland explorer, gave a description of his journey across the inland ice of Greenland from east to west. (Many Lords of high title, Sir Sam'l Baker, & others present) "Dr Nansen was rec'd with warm cheers. A great many fine colored sketches of Greenland scenes, and [2]the sledge upon which he made the journey were shown, with a fine map of the country. Dr Nansen remarked that since the discovery of Greenland 900 years ago its interior had remained a mystery, and successively sketched the explorations [Aefen?] 1869, when Edward Whymper & Dr Robert Brown tried it from the shores of Disco Bay, & failed. Then came the more fortunate Nordenskiold (1870) Jensen & others (78) Nordenskiold again in 1883; etc - All these [illegible] were made from the west coast; Dr Nansens plan was to start from ...