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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: The Open Polar Sea</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0;'>A narrative of a voyage of discovery towards the North pole, in the schooner "United States"</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Isaac Israel Hayes</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: August 14, 2021 [eBook #66063]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Tim Lindell, Tom Cosmas and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OPEN POLAR SEA ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter" id="cover" style="width: 276px;"> - <img src="images/cover.png" width="276" height="419" alt="The Open Polar Sea, by Dr. I. I. Hayes" /> -</div> - - -<div class="figcenter" id="frontispiece" style="width: 303px;"> - <img src="images/frontispiece.png" width="303" height="502" alt="Dr. I. I. Hayes" /> -</div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_i">- i -</span></p> - - -<h1>THE OPEN POLAR SEA:</h1> - -<p class="tdc">A</p> - -<p class="caption3nb">NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY<br /> -TOWARDS THE NORTH POLE,</p> - -<p class="tdc">IN THE</p> - -<p class="caption3nb">SCHOONER "UNITED STATES."</p> - - -<p class="tdc">BY</p> - -<h2 class="pmb4"><span class="smcap">Dr.</span> I. I. HAYES.</h2> - -<div class="figcenter" id="title" style="width: 193px;"> - <img src="images/title.png" width="193" height="109" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<p class="tdc">NEW YORK:<br /> - -PUBLISHED BY HURD AND HOUGHTON,<br /> - -1867.</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_ii">- ii -</span></p> - -<p class=" pmt4 pmb4 tdc"> -Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by<br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">I. I. Hayes</span>,<br /> -<br /> -in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York.</p> - -<p class="tdc pmt4 pmb4 smaller"> -RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE:<br /> -STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY<br /> -H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.<br /> -</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_iii">- iii -</span></p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<p class="antiqua pmt4 pmb4 tdc"> -<i>I HAD INTENDED TO DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO<br /> -<br /> -WILLIAM PARKER FOULKE,<br /> -Of Philadelphia,<br /> -<br /> -To whom I am indebted<br /> -for all that a powerful intellect and<br /> -a generous friendship could do, to give practical<br /> -shape to my plans, and to insure success to an enterprise<br /> -in which I had embarked, with the simple advantage of an aim,<br /> -and with no better guide than the impulse of youth: but<br /> -since it is denied me to pay that tribute of my<br /> -admiration to one of the noblest of men,<br /> -I now inscribe it to his<br /> -<br /> -MEMORY.</i><br /> -</p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_iv">- iv -</span></p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_v">- v -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</h2> - -<hr class="r10" /> -</div> - -<p>The design of this book may be briefly explained. -I have attempted little more than a personal narrative, -endeavoring to select from my abundant notes -such scenes and incidents of adventure as seemed -to me best calculated to bring before the mind of -the reader, not merely the history of our voyage, but -a general view of the Arctic regions,—its scenery -and its life, with a cursory glance at those physical -forces which, in their results, give characteristic expression -to that remote quarter of the world. A -day of months, followed by a night of months, where -the mean annual temperature rises but little above -zero, must necessarily clothe the air and the landscape -with a sentiment difficult to appreciate, or, I -might perhaps say, feel, without actual observation. -I shall be abundantly rewarded if I have succeeded -in impressing upon the reader's mind, with any degree -of vividness, the wonders and the grandeur of -Nature as unfolded to us under the Arctic sky.</p> - -<p>I know it is usually thought that a book of travels -should be simply a diary of events and incidents; -but this, of necessity, involves a ceaseless repetition, -and it seemed to me that I would do better to drop -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_vi">- vi -</span> -from my diary all that did not appear as immediately -relevant to the scene; and, indeed, where the -occasion appeared to require concentration, to abandon -the diary altogether, and use the more concise -form of descriptive narrative.</p> - -<p>The reader will observe that I have not attempted, -in any sense, to write a work of Science. True, -the purpose of the voyage was purely a scientific -one,—its chief object and aim being to explore the -boundaries of the Open Polar Sea; at least to determine -if such a sea did exist, as had been so often -asserted; but while I have given a general discussion -of the conditions of the Polar waters and the -Polar ice, and have recorded many new facts in various -departments of physical and natural science, yet -I have desired to treat the subject in a manner which, -as it seemed to me, would be most acceptable to the -general reader, rather than to the scientific student,—preferring -to direct the latter to those more strictly -scientific channels where my materials have been or -are about being published.</p> - -<p>Soon after returning from the North, my principal -records were placed at the disposal of the Smithsonian -Institution at Washington; and I have employed -such leisure as I could command in their elaboration -and discussion,—the principal labor, however, falling -upon Mr. Charles A. Schott, Assistant, United States -Coast Survey, who brought to the task the best faculties -of a well-stored mind, and unusual powers -of patient investigation; and papers, giving a full -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_vii">- vii -</span> -analysis of the <i>magnetic</i>, <i>meteorological</i>, <i>astronomical</i>, <i>geographical</i>, -<i>pendulum</i>, and <i>tidal</i> observations, were prepared, -and were accepted for publication in the Smithsonian -"Contributions to Knowledge." I regret to -say that the publication of these papers has been -much delayed. Deeming it desirable that some of -the general conclusions to which we had arrived in -our discussion of the observations should be given to -the world without further postponement, I proposed -to embody some leading facts in a short Appendix -to this volume. Upon submitting the matter to the -learned Secretary of the Institution, it was, however, -claimed by him that, since I had intrusted the materials -to his care, the Institution now possessed the -exclusive right to whatever advantage was to be derived -from their publication. To a proposition so -eminently reasonable I readily assented, especially as -I was informed that the papers were already in type -and were to be published immediately; and, considering -myself thus absolved from any further responsibility -to the scientific world for the long delay, I -accordingly abandoned the idea of the Appendix. -The Chart exhibiting the track and discoveries of -my voyage, and of my various sledge journeys, was -claimed, in like manner, as the exclusive property -of the Smithsonian Institution, and, like the papers, -was to be published immediately. Hence it is that -the small map which illustrates this volume is but a -copy (reduced ten diameters) of my field chart, projected -on the spot from my unrevised materials. It -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_viii">- viii -</span> -is perhaps needless for me to observe that entire -accuracy was not attainable in the field, inasmuch -as I had neither the leisure nor the facilities for reducing -the magnetic variation, nor for obtaining the -absolute time. I am happy to say, however, that -no greater discrepancy exists than the one which -places my highest latitude two minutes too far south -on the field chart; but the reductions having been -made, and a chart projected therefrom, I had confidently -relied upon this source for the correct information -which the Smithsonian Institution now alone -possessed. This failing me, I was obliged to fall back -upon my original resources, as the time was too short -for a new reduction. I am glad to say, however, -that the field chart is sufficiently accurate for every -practical purpose, and differs chiefly from the one -prepared, with greater carefulness, and of large size, -for the Smithsonian "Contributions to Knowledge," -in the unimportant feature of the names applied to -newly discovered places, some of which were changed -after my return. No list of these alterations having -been preserved, and being unable to get the more -accurate map again into my hands from the Secretary -of the scientific institution in whose care it -had been placed, as before observed, for publication, -I have simply adopted the original nomenclature, and -have used the names as they appear in my journal -and on my field chart. This explanation is made in -anticipation of the possible contingency of the Smithsonian -Institution publishing the map, for some years -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_ix">- ix -</span> -past in its possession,—an event which I think unlikely -to happen, and which will now be unnecessary, -the more especially as I am at present engaged in -a new reduction of my materials, and the projection -of a new map, the publication of which, in sufficiently -large form to give it topographical as well as geographical -value, has been proposed by my distinguished -and very kind friend, Dr. Augustus Petermann, -Gotha, in his Geographical Journal.</p> - -<p>Papers descriptive of the <i>botanical</i> collection, prepared -by Mr. Elias Durand; of the <i>algæ</i>, by Mr. Ashmead; -of the <i>lichens</i>, by Professor James; of the <i>birds</i>, -by Mr. John Cassin; of the <i>invertebrata</i>, by Dr. William -Stimpson; of the <i>mammalia</i>, by Dr. J. H. Slack; -of the <i>cetacea</i>, by Professor E. Cope; of the <i>infusoria</i>, -by Dr. F. W. Lewis; of the <i>fishes</i>, by Dr. Theodore -Gill; and of the <i>paleontology</i>, by Professor F. B. Meek, -have appeared from time to time in the "Proceedings -of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia," -excepting the last, which was published in the American -"Journal of Arts and Sciences." Dr. J. Atkin -Meigs has in preparation a monograph on <i>ethnology</i>, -based upon a collection of upward of one hundred -and forty specimens, and I shall soon have completed -a more elaborate discussion of the Greenland Glaciers -and other collateral topics than has been allowed -me by the limits and character of this work.</p> - -<p>I should do great injustice to my own feelings, -did I not here express the acknowledgment of my -obligation to those societies, associations, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_x">- x -</span> -individuals who united themselves with me in effecting -the organization of the Expedition, and who liberally -shared with me its expenses. My wishes were -always promptly met by them, to the extent of their -ability; and the enterprise was sustained with a zeal -and interest rarely accorded to a purely scientific -purpose. That I have not before published an account -of my voyage, or presented any detailed statement -of my discoveries to those who had a natural -right to expect it, has been entirely owing to the -circumstance that my time has been wholly occupied -in the public service, from the period of my return -until late last year; and they will, I trust, accept as -a sufficient excuse for my silence during that period, -the fact that the command of an army hospital, with -from three to five thousand inmates, which devolved -upon me during the greater part of the recent war, -allowed me little leisure for literary or scientific -work. It will also be understood that the temporary -abandonment of the exploration was due to the -same general cause.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -<i>October 23d, 1866.</i><br /> -</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xi">- xi -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="LIST_OF_SUBSCRIBERS">LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS</h2> -</div> - -<p class="tdc">TO THE</p> - -<p class="caption3nb">EXPEDITION.<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor smaller">[1]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> The author has reason to suppose that there are several persons to -whom the Expedition is indebted for support whose names, not having -been furnished him, do not appear in this list. Desiring to make it entirely -complete, he will feel personally obliged to any one whose name is -omitted to notify him of the fact, through the agency by which the subscription -was furnished.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" id="bar_diamond" style="width: 39px;"> - <img src="images/bar_diamond.png" width="39" height="13" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<div class="blockquot2"> - -<p>THROUGH A SPECIAL COMMITTEE OF THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL -AND STATISTICAL SOCIETY, NEW YORK. EGBERT L. VIELE, -<i>Chairman</i>; HENRY GRINNELL, <i>Treasurer</i>.</p> -</div> - -<table summary="list"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Henry Grinnell.<br /> - A. D. Bache.<br /> - George Folsom.<br /> - Henry E. Pierrepont.<br /> - Benjamin H. Field.<br /> - M. de LeRoquette.<br /> - The "American Journal of Arts and<br /> - Sciences"—Profs. Silliman and Dana.<br /> - Egbert L. Viele.<br /> - Cyrus W. Field.<br /> - J. L. Graham.<br /> - August Belmont.<br /> - Horace B. Clafflin.<br /> - George Opdyke.<br /> - Brown, Brothers & Co.<br /> - F. S. Stalknecht.<br /> - John Jay.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - C. Godfrey Gunther.<br /> - Peter Cooper.<br /> - Wm. Remsen.<br /> - J. Carson Brevoort.<br /> - Lewis Rutherford.<br /> - C. P. Daly.<br /> - Hugh N. Camp.<br /> - W. A. White.<br /> - John D. Clute.<br /> - Marshall Lefferts.<br /> - Wolcott Gibbs.<br /> - John D. Jones.<br /> - Joseph Harsen.<br /> - Alexander H. Stevens.<br /> - John C. Green.<br /> - Samuel E. Barlow.<br /> - A. H. Ward.<br /> - James T. Hall.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xii">- xii -</span><br /> - E. A. Stansbury.<br /> - W. T. Blodgett.<br /> - Dr. Samuel W. Francis.<br /> - Frank Moore.<br /> - H. M. Field.<br /> - Blakeman & Phinney.<br /> - Harpers Brothers.<br /> - John Austin Stevens.<br /> - George A. Woodward.<br /> - C. Detmold.<br /> - Z. T. Detmold.<br /> - Francis Lieber.<br /> - F. E. Church.<br /> - Bayard Taylor.<br /> - O. M. Mitchell.<br /> - Henrietta B. Haines.<br /> - Mary W. Talman.<br /> - Clarence A. Seward.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - F. L. Hawks.<br /> - Robert B. Winthrop.<br /> - G. P. Putnam.<br /> - A. W. White.<br /> - A. H. Wood.<br /> - George L. Samson.<br /> - Henry A. Robbins.<br /> - Wm. H. Allen.<br /> - Albert Clark.<br /> - Joseph W. Orvis.<br /> - John D. Wing.<br /> - Grinnell & Bibby.<br /> - Simeon Holton, Jun.<br /> - Sheldon, Blakeman & Co.<br /> - American Desiccating Co.<br /> - Ruxton, Barker & Co.<br /> - G. Tagliabue.<br /> - Messrs. Nequs.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<div class="blockquot2"> - -<p>THROUGH COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF TRADE AND ACADEMY -OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA. FRANCIS COPE, <i>Treasurer</i>.</p> -</div> - -<table summary="list"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Wm. Parker Foulke.<br /> - Joseph Harrison, Jun.<br /> - Henry Cope.<br /> - Alfred Cope.<br /> - Wm. Bucknell.<br /> - John Rice.<br /> - North American Life Insurance Co.<br /> - Delaware Mutual Ins. Co.<br /> - Corn Exchange.<br /> - Cope Brothers.<br /> - Isaac Lea.<br /> - R. Pearsall.<br /> - C. Macalister.<br /> - Henry C. Carey.<br /> - John C. Cresson.<br /> - Wm. R. Lejeé.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Childs & Peterson.<br /> - Samuel J. Reeves.<br /> - Edward Trotter.<br /> - J. T. Alburger & Co.<br /> - M. J. Wickersham.<br /> - Thomas Sparks.<br /> - E. J. Lewis.<br /> - Joseph Leidy.<br /> - R. E. Rogers.<br /> - Jacob P. Jones.<br /> - J. B. Lippincott & Co.<br /> - M. W. Baldwin.<br /> - Samuel E. Stokes.<br /> - Dr. T. B. Wilson.<br /> - James C. Hand.<br /> - Henry C. Townsend.<br /> - Richard Price. - </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiii">- xiii -</span><br /> - M. L. Dawson.<br /> - Samuel Coffin.<br /> - W. Haye.<br /> - Lodge 51, A. Y. M.<br /> - John Thompson.<br /> - John P. Crozer.<br /> - Joseph Jeanes.<br /> - E. J. Levis.<br /> - Edward A. Souder.<br /> - Geo. N. Tatham.<br /> - John A. Brown.<br /> - B. Marshall.<br /> - R. Marshall.<br /> - Thomas Richardson & Co.<br /> - D. Haddock, Jun.<br /> - J. B. Morris.<br /> - Israel Morris.<br /> - B. C. & R. A. Tilghman.<br /> - John W. Sexton.<br /> - John Grigg.<br /> - William Sellers & Co.<br /> - Tobias Wagner.<br /> - Warren Fisher.<br /> - Wm. S. Vaux.<br /> - Dr. James Bond.<br /> - Chas. Henry Fisher.<br /> - J. Edgar Thompson.<br /> - Charles E. Smith.<br /> - Frothingham, Wells & Co.<br /> - Fairman Rogers.<br /> - John L. Leconte.<br /> - J. C. Trautwine.<br /> - Edward Hayes.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Aubrey H. Smith.<br /> - C. Townsend.<br /> - E. C. Knight.<br /> - Buckman & Co.<br /> - E. Durar.<br /> - E. H. Butler.<br /> - Blair & Wyeth.<br /> - King & Baird.<br /> - Sharp & Brother.<br /> - Rowland & Irvin.<br /> - Henry Winsor.<br /> - David McConkey.<br /> - Wilson, Childs & Co.<br /> - A. Whitney & Son.<br /> - Townsend Sharpless.<br /> - David S. Brown.<br /> - Chas. Ellis.<br /> - Wm. M. Baird.<br /> - James H. Orne.<br /> - Joshua L. Bailey.<br /> - James Addicks.<br /> - Benj. Marsh.<br /> - Buzby & Co.<br /> - Weaver, Fitler & Co.<br /> - James Leslie & Co.<br /> - McAlister & Brother.<br /> - Bible Society.<br /> - John H. Cooper.<br /> - S. Hazard.<br /> - Isaac J. Williams.<br /> - Buckner & M'Connor.<br /> - Burley & Co.<br /> - Mrs. Dr. Bond.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<div class="blockquot2"> - -<p>THROUGH COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS, ALBANY, N. Y. D. V. N. RADCLIFFE, -<i>Treasurer</i>.</p> -</div> - -<table style="width: 100%;" summary="list"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - J. H. Armsby.<br /> - Thomas W. Olcott.<br /> - Eli Perry.<br /> - D. V. N. Radcliffe.<br /> - Erastus Corning.<br /> - R. C. Davis.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_xiv">- xiv -</span><br /> - Isaac W. Vosburg.<br /> - John T. Rathbone.<br /> - Alden Marsh.<br /> - A. B. Banks.<br /> - Charles L. Garfield.<br /> - David J. Boyd.<br /> - T. Rousell & Son.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - W. Frothingham.<br /> - G. J. H. Thatcher.<br /> - Samuel Anable.<br /> - S. H. Ransom.<br /> - R. H. Wakeman.<br /> - J. O. Souner.<br /> - James Kidd.<br /> - A. A. Dunlap.<br /> - Alanson Sumner.<br /> - James W. Cook.<br /> - E. Owens.<br /> - John Tracy.<br /> - Cook & Palmer.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<div class="blockquot2"> - -<p>THROUGH THE CITIZENS' COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE OF THE -ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, BOSTON. RICHARD BAKER, -<span class="smcap">Jun.</span>, <i>Treasurer</i>.</p> -</div> - -<table summary="list"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Richard Baker, Jun.<br /> - Warren Sawyer.<br /> - John Stetson.<br /> - J. D. W. Joy.<br /> - O. W. Peabody.<br /> - S. A. Dix.<br /> - Theodore Lyman.<br /> - Richard P. Pope.<br /> - David Sears.<br /> - Thomas Lee.<br /> - Philip H. Sears.<br /> - B. W. Taggard.<br /> - Amos A. Lawrence.<br /> - Jacob Bigelow, M. D.<br /> - James M. Beebe.<br /> - A. W. Spencer.<br /> - S. H. Walley.<br /> - Wm. Gray.<br /> - H. A. Whitney.<br /> - Geo. R. Russell.<br /> - L. Agassiz.<br /> - B. A. Gould.<br /> - C. C. Felton.<br /> - Prof. J. Lovering.<br /> - Prof. E. N. Horsford.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - James Lawrence.<br /> - Jonathan Phillips.<br /> - Nathan Appleton.<br /> - Joseph Whitney.<br /> - Abbott Lawrence.<br /> - George W. Lyman.<br /> - Edward Wigglesworth.<br /> - Francis Skinner.<br /> - George B. Blake.<br /> - Naylor & Co.<br /> - H. O. Houghton.<br /> - Columbia Lodge.<br /> - Woburn Lodge.<br /> - Mt. Lebanon Lodge.<br /> - Winslow Lewis Lodge.<br /> - Merchants' Insurance Co.<br /> - (through Capt. Smith.)<br /> - Manufacturers' Ins. Co.<br /> - J. Sawyer & Co.<br /> - Wm. H. Kennard.<br /> - E. Hammer (Danish Consul.)<br /> - D. N. Haskell.<br /> - Wm. Baker.<br /> - Daniel Paine.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xv">- xv -</span><br /> - H. Howard.<br /> - Wm. M. Parker.<br /> - Francis Kendall.<br /> - C. G. Kendall.<br /> - E. R. Mudge & Co.<br /> - Wilkinson, Stetson & Co.<br /> - Merrill & Co.<br /> - Allen, Whiting & Co.<br /> - Huntington, Wadsworth & Parks.<br /> - Fitchburg Woolen Co.<br /> - Macullum, Williams & Parker.<br /> - Edward Everett.<br /> - N. P. Banks.<br /> - Frederick W. Lincoln.<br /> - John Cummings, Jun.<br /> - John Clark.<br /> - James O. Safford.<br /> - S. S. Arnold.<br /> - Winslow Lewis, M. D.<br /> - Benj. French.<br /> - Black & Bacheller.<br /> - Wm. B. Boyd.<br /> - Wm. Furness, Jun.<br /> - John Paine.<br /> - James Sturgis.<br /> - Thornton K. Lothrop.<br /> - Caleb Curtis.<br /> - Chas. D. Homans, M. D.<br /> - George L. Pratt.<br /> - A. G. Smith.<br /> - Henry P. Kidder.<br /> - Henry Mulliken.<br /> - A. W. Stetson.<br /> - Chas. J. Sprague.<br /> - N. I. Bowditch.<br /> - Stone, Wood & Baldwin.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Messinger & Brothers.<br /> - Middlesex Co.<br /> - Oak Hall.<br /> - Fenno & Co.<br /> - F. A. Hawley & Co.<br /> - Andrew Pierce.<br /> - Burnham & Scott.<br /> - March Brothers.<br /> - William R. Lovejoy & Co.<br /> - Whiting, Galloupe & Co.<br /> - Kelley & Levin.<br /> - John A. Whipple.<br /> - Stetson, Kendall & Minot.<br /> - Isaac Fenno.<br /> - Charles E. Wiggin.<br /> - Joshua Blake.<br /> - Preston & Merrill.<br /> - Wm. Read & Son.<br /> - Richard Fay, Jun.<br /> - Redding & Co.<br /> - Hostetter & Smith, (Pittsburg, Pa.)<br /> - John Wilson.<br /> - Henry W. Poole.<br /> - Otis Norcross.<br /> - H. B. Walley.<br /> - Richard F. Bond.<br /> - L. Audenried & Co.<br /> - Noble, Hammott & Hall.<br /> - N. Sturtevant & Co.<br /> - Wm. F. Weld.<br /> - J. G. Bigelow.<br /> - Wm. D. Atkinson, Jun.<br /> - Jos. W. Wightman.<br /> - George H. Snelling.<br /> - J. C. Hoadley.<br /> - A. Loring.<br /> - H. Poor & Son.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xvi">- xvi -</span><br /> - Thomas Thompson.<br /> - Wm. Bond & Son.<br /> - Pierce & Co.<br /> - Joshua Stetson.<br /> - Chas. W. Freeland & Co.<br /> - Burrough, Bro. & Co.<br /> - Frost & Kimball.<br /> - Washington Mills.<br /> - Hunt & Goodwin.<br /> - Geo. W. Simmons.<br /> - Nevin, Sawyer & Co.<br /> - George Osgood.<br /> - Theodore H. Bell.<br /> - Brown & Taggard.<br /> - Winsor & Whitney.<br /> - Richard Morris Hunt.<br /> - Edward J. Thomas.<br /> - Wm. B. Hayden.<br /> - E. H. Blake.<br /> - Lewis R. Reynolds.<br /> - Swann, Brewer & Tileston.<br /> - E. B. Moore.<br /> - John E. Hayes.<br /> - Ballard & Prince.<br /> - Dana, Farrar & Hyde.<br /> - Solo. Piper.<br /> - Jacob Stanwood.<br /> - E. P. Tileston.<br /> - Isaac Rich.<br /> - Salem T. Lamb.<br /> - Daniel D. Kelley.<br /> - Wm. M. Jacobs & Son.<br /> - </td> - <td class="tdl" style="width: 340px;"> - Mrs. Pratt.<br /> - Mrs. E. Thompson.<br /> - W. Clafflin & Co.<br /> - Day, Wilcox & Co.<br /> - J. J. Adams & Co.<br /> - Alex. Williams & Co.<br /> - E. Paige & Co.<br /> - D. P. Ives & Co.<br /> - Max, White & Bartlett.<br /> - J. B. Kendall.<br /> - Sewall, Day & Co.<br /> - E. A. & W. Winchester.<br /> - Seth Adams.<br /> - J. & J. F. Samson & Co.<br /> - Wilder & Eastbrook.<br /> - Maynard & Noyes.<br /> - Winn, Eaton & Co.<br /> - J. H. Poole.<br /> - Fogg, Houghton & Co.<br /> - Brown & Stanley.<br /> - J. Childs, Jun.<br /> - Doan & Skilton.<br /> - Parker, Gannett & Osgood.<br /> - Denton & Wood.<br /> - Foster & Smith.<br /> - Wm. K. Lewis & Co.<br /> - Thomas W. Pierce.<br /> - Joseph B. Glover.<br /> - Addison Gage.<br /> - I. N. Brown.<br /> - New Bedford Cordage Co.<br /> - C. B. Bryant.<br /> - </td> -</tr> -</table> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xvii">- xvii -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 39px;"> - <img src="images/bar_diamond.png" width="39" height="13" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<table class="tblcont" summary="LOI"> -<tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">1.</td> - <td class="tdl">MAP OF THE POLAR REGIONS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by C. A. Schott. Engraved by J. Schedler.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr vtop">2.</td> - <td class="tdl">MAP OF SMITH SOUND, SHOWING DR. HAYES' TRACK AND DISCOVERIES</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by Dr. Hayes. Engraved by J. Schedler.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr vtop">3.</td> - <td class="tdl">MAP OF PORT FOULKE, THE WINTER QUARTERS OF THE EXPEDITION</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by Dr. Hayes. Engraved by J. Schedler.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">4.</td> - <td class="tdl">AN ARCTIC TEAM</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_104">104</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by G. G. White, from a Sketch by Dr. Hayes.<br /> - Engraved by J. A. Bogert.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">5.</td> - <td class="tdl">A BEAR-HUNT</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by Darley, from Description.<br /> - Engraved by J. A. Bogert.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">6.</td> - <td class="tdl">CROSSING THE HUMMOCKS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_322">322</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by G. G. White, from a Sketch by Dr. Hayes.<br /> - Engraved by J. A. Bogert.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">7.</td> - <td class="tdl">THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_346">346</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by H. Fenn, from a Sketch by Dr. Hayes.<br /> - Engraved by Fay & Cox.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">8.</td> - <td class="tdl">A WALRUS-HUNT</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_408">408</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by Darley, from Description.<br /> - Engraved by J. A. Bogert.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">9.</td> - <td class="tdl">TYNDALL GLACIER, WHALE SOUND</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_438">438</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl" colspan="3"> Drawn by H. Fenn, from a Photograph by Dr. Hayes.<br /> - Engraved by Kingdon & Boyd.</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xviii">- xviii -</span></p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="EXPLANATION_OF_TAIL-PIECES">EXPLANATION OF TAIL-PIECES.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 39px;"> - <img src="images/bar_diamond.png" width="39" height="13" alt="" /> -</div> - - -<p><i>Drawn on wood by G. G. White from Photographs and Sketches by Dr. Hayes. Engraved -mostly by J. A. Bogert.</i></p> - -<table class="tblcont" summary="LOI"> -<tr> - <td colspan="2"></td> - <td class="tdr smaller">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">1.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Anchor</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_15">15</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">2.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Arched Iceberg</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">3.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Greenlander in his Kayak</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_34">34</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">4.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Upernavik</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_43">43</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">5.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Snowflake</span> (magnified three diameters)</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">6.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Seal on Cake of Ice</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">7.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Head of a Reindeer</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">8.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Port Foulke</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_100">100</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">9.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Snowflake</span> (same as No. 5)</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_126">126</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">10.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Chester Valley, showing Alida Lake and the Glacier</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">11.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">"My Brother John's Glacier," from First Camp</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_148">148</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">12.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Group of Reindeer</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_164">164</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">13.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Schooner in Winter Quarters</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">14.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">The Esquimau Hut at Etah</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_235">235</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">15.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Head of Walrus</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_247">247</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">16.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Portrait of Birdie, the Arctic Fox</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_250">250</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">17.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Sonntag's Grave</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_276">276</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">18.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Snowflake</span> (same as No. 5)</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_296">296</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">19.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Camping in a Snow-Bank</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_306">306</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">20.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Polar Bear</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_314">314</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">21.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Dog Sledge</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_321">321</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">22.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Head of the Esquimau Dog Oosisoak</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_332">332</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">23.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Cape Union</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_352">352</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">24.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Sketch</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_362">362</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">25.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Observatory at Port Foulke</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_375">375</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">26.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Snowflake</span> (same as No. 5)</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_380">380</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">27.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Kalutunah and his Family</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_395">395</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">28.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Head of Arctic Hare</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_425">425</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">29.</td> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">A Sketch</span></td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_438">438</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">30.</td> - <td class="tdl">"<span class="smcap">End</span>"</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_454">454</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xix">- xix -</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> -</div> - -<hr class="r10" /> - -<h3><a href="#INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION</a>.</h3> - -<p class="tdr">PAGE</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Plan of the Expedition.—First Announcement.—Appeal to Scientific -Societies.—Aid solicited.—Public Lectures.—Liberality of -various Societies and Individuals.—Vessel purchased in Boston.—Interest -manifested in that City.—Difficulty in obtaining a proper -Crew.—Organization of the Party.—Scientific Outfit.—Abundant -Supplies</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#INTRODUCTION">1</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Leaving Boston.—At Anchor in Nantasket Roads.—At Sea</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">13</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Passage to the Greenland Coast.—Discipline.—The Decks at Sea.—Our -Quarters.—The First Iceberg.—Crossing the Arctic Circle.—The -Midnight Sun.—The Endless Day.—Making the -Land.—A Remarkable Scene among the Bergs.—At Anchor in -Pröven Harbor</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">16</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Colony of Pröven.—The Kayak of the Greenlander.—Scarcity -of Dogs.—Liberality of the Chief Trader.—Arctic Flora</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">28</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Upernavik.—Hospitality of the Inhabitants.—Death and Burial of -Gibson Caruthers.—A Lunch on Board.—Adieu</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">35</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Among the Icebergs.—Dangers of Arctic Navigation.—A Narrow -Escape from a Crumbling Berg.—Measurement of an Iceberg</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">44</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Entering Melville Bay.—The Middle Ice.—The Great Polar Current.—A -Snow-Storm.—Encounter with an Iceberg.—Making -Cape York.—Rescue of Hans</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">57</a></p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xx">- xx -</span></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Hans and his Family.—Petowak Glacier.—A Snow-Storm.—The -Ice-Pack.—Entering Smith Sound.—A Severe Gale.—Collision -with Icebergs.—Encounter with the Ice-Fields.—Retreat from the -Pack.—At Anchor in Hartstene Bay.—Entering Winter Quarters</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">68</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Our Winter Harbor.—Preparing for Winter.—Organization of Duties.—Scientific -Work.—The Observatory.—Schooner Driven -Ashore.—The Hunters.—Sawing a Dock.—Frozen up.—Sunset</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">92</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Sunset.—Winter Work.—My Dog-Teams.—"My Brother John's -Glacier."—Hunting.—Peat Beds.—Esquimau Graves.—Putrefaction -at Low Temperatures.—Sonntag climbs the Glacier.—Hans -and Peter.—My Esquimau People.—The Esquimau Dog.—Surveying -the Glacier.—The Sailing-Master.—His Birthday -Dinner</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">101</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Journey on the Glacier.—The First Camp.—Scaling the Glacier.—Character -of its Surface.—The Ascent.—Driven back by a Gale.—Low -Temperature.—Dangerous Situation of the Party.—A -Moonlight Scene</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">127</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Important Results of the recent Journey.—The Glacier System of -Greenland.—General Discussion of the Subject.—Illustrations -drawn from the Alpine Glaciers.—Glacier Movement.—Outline -of the Greenland <i>Mer de Glace</i></p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">137</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>My Cabin.—Surveying.—Castor and Pollux.—Concerning Scurvy.—Dangers -of eating Cold Snow.—Knorr and Starr.—Frost-Bites.—Hans, -Peter, and Jacob again.—Coal Account.—The Fires.—Comfort -of our Quarters.—The House on Deck.—Mild Weather.—Jensen.—Mrs. -Hans.—John Williams, the Cook.—A Cheerful -Evening</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">149</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Increasing Darkness.—Daily Routine.—The Journal.—Our Home.—Sunday.—Return -of Sonntag.—A Bear-Hunt.—The Open -Water.—Accident to Mr. Knorr.—A Thaw.—"The Port Foulke -Weekly News."—The Tide-Register.—The Fire-Hole.—Hunting -Foxes.—Peter</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">165</a></p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xxi">- xxi -</span></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Midwinter.—The Night of Months.—Brilliancy of the Moonlight.—Mild -Temperatures.—Remarkable Weather.—A Shower.—Depth -of Snow.—Snow Crystals.—An Epidemic among the Dogs.—Symptoms -of the Disorder.—Great Mortality.—Only one Team -left.—New Plans.—Schemes for reaching the Esquimaux in Whale -Sound</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">192</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Arctic Midnight.—Sonntag starts for Whale Sound.—Effects -of Darkness on the Spirits.—Routine of Duties.—Christmas Eve.—Christmas -Day.—The Christmas Dinner</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">200</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The New Year.—Looking for Sonntag.—The Aurora Borealis.—A -Remarkable Display.—Depth of Snow.—Strange Mildness of -the Weather.—The Open Sea.—Evaporation at Low Temperatures.—Looking -for the Twilight.—My Pet Fox</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">212</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Arctic Night.</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">222</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Prolonged Absence of Mr. Sonntag.—Preparing to look for him.—Arrival -of Esquimaux.—They report Sonntag dead.—Arrival of -Hans.—Condition of the Dogs.—Hans's Story of the Journey</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">227</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Sonntag.—Twilight increasing.—A Deer-Hunt.—The Arctic Foxes.—The -Polar Bear.—Adventures with Bears.—Our New Esquimaux.—Esquimau -Dress.—A Snow House.—Esquimau Implements.—A -Walrus Hunt</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">236</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Looking for the Sun.—The Open Sea.—Birds</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">248</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Sunrise.</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">251</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Spring Twilight.—Arrival of Esquimaux.—Obtaining Dogs.—Kalutunah, -Tattarat, Myouk, Amalatok and his Son.—An Arctic -Hospital.—Esquimau Gratitude</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">255</a></p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xxii">- xxii -</span></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Kalutunah returns.—An Esquimau Family.—The Family Property.—The -Family Wardrobe.—Myouk and his Wife.—Peter's -Dead Body found.—My New Teams.—The Situation.—Hunting.—Subsistence -of Arctic Animals.—Pursuit of Science under -Difficulties.—Kalutunah at Home.—An Esquimau Feast.—Kalutunah -in Service.—Recovering the Body of Mr. Sonntag.—The -Funeral.—The Tomb</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">265</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Starting on my First Journey.—Object of the Journey.—A Mishap.—A -Fresh Start.—The First Camp.—Hartstene's Cairn.—Exploring -a Track.—A New Style of Snow-Hut.—An Uncomfortable -Night.—Low Temperature.—Effect of Temperature on the -Snow.—Among the Hummocks.—Sighting Humboldt Glacier.—The -Track impracticable to the Main Party.—Van Rensselaer -Harbor.—Fate of the <i>Advance</i>.—A Drive in a Gale</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">277</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Sending forward Supplies.—Kalutunah as a Driver.—Kalutunah -civilized.—Mr. Knorr.—Plan of my Proposed Journey.—Preparing -to set out.—Industrious Esquimau Women.—Death and Burial -of Kablunet.—The Start</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">290</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The First Day's Journey.—A Fall of Temperature.—Its Effect -upon the Men.—Camped in a Snow-Hut.—The Second Day's -Journey.—At Cairn Point.—Character of the Ice.—The Prospect.—Storm-stayed.—The -Cooks in Difficulty.—Snow-Drift.—Violence -of the Gale.—Our Snow-Hut</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">297</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Storm continues.—At Work.—Among the Hummocks.—Difficulties -of the Track.—The Snow-Drifts.—Slow Progress.—The -Smith Sound Ice.—Formation of the Hummocks.—The Old Ice-Fields.—Growth -of Ice-Fields.—Thickness of Ice.—The Prospect</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">307</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Difficulties multiplying.—Sledge broken.—Reflections on the -Prospect.—The Men breaking down.—Worse and Worse.—The -Situation.—Defeat of Main Party.—Resolve to send the Party -back and continue the Journey with Dogs</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">315</a></p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xxiii">- xxiii -</span></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Main Party sent back.—Plunging into the Hummocks again.—Advantages -of Dogs.—Camp in an Ice-Cave.—Nursing the Dogs.—Snow-Blindness.—A -Chapter of Accidents.—Cape Hawks.—Cape -Napoleon.—Storm-stayed.—Grinnell Land looming up.—Discovering -a Sound.—Ravenous Disposition of Dogs.—A Cheerless -Supper.—Camping in the Open Air.—Prostration of Men -and Dogs.—Making the Land at last</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">322</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Prospect Ahead.—To Cape Napoleon.—To Cape Frazer.—Traces -of Esquimaux.—Rotten Ice.—Kennedy Channel.—Mildness -of Temperature.—Appearance of Birds.—Geological Features -of Coast.—Vegetation.—Accident to Jensen</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">333</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A New Start.—Speculations.—In a Fog.—Polar Scenery.—Stopped -by Rotten Ice.—Looking Ahead.—Conclusions.—The -Open Sea.—Climax of the Journey.—Returning South</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">343</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Open Polar Sea.—Width of the Polar Basin.—Boundaries of -the Polar Basin.—Polar Currents.—Polar Ice.—The Ice-Belt.—Arctic -Navigation and Discovery.—The Russian Sledge Explorations.—Wrangel's -Open Sea.—Parry's Boat Expedition.—Dr. -Kane's Discoveries.—Expansion of Smith Sound.—General Conclusions -drawn from my own Discoveries and those of my Predecessors</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">353</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>On Board the Schooner.—Review of the Journey.—The Return -down Kennedy Channel.—A Severe March in a Snow-Storm.—Rotten -Ice.—Effects of a Gale.—Returning through the Hummocks.—The -Dogs breaking down.—Adrift on a Floe at Cairn -Point.—The Open Water compels us to take to the Land.—Reaching -the Schooner.—Projecting a Chart.—The New Sound.—My -Northern Discoveries</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">363</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Inspection of the Schooner.—Method of Repairing.—The Serious -Nature of the Injury.—The Schooner unfit for any further Ice-Encounters.—Examination -of my Resources.—Plans for the Future</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV">376</a></p> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xxiv">- xxiv -</span></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Arctic Spring.—Snow disappearing.—Plants show Signs of -Life.—Return of the Birds.—Change in the Sea.—Refitting the -Schooner.—The Esquimaux.—Visit to Kalutunah.—Kalutunah's -Account of the Esquimau Traditions.—Hunting-Grounds contracted -by the Accumulation of Ice.—Hardships of their Life.—Their -Subsistence.—The Race dwindling away.—Visit to the Glacier.—Re-survey -of the Glacier.—Kalutunah catching Birds.—A -Snow-Storm and a Gale.—The Mid-day of the Arctic Summer</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV">381</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>The Arctic Summer.—The Flora.—The Ice dissolving.— A Summer -Storm of Rain, Hail, and Snow.—The Terraces.—Ice Action.—Upheaval -of the Coast.—Geological Interest of Icebergs and -the Land-Ice.—A Walrus Hunt.—The "Fourth."—Visit to Littleton -Island.—Great Numbers of Eider-Ducks and Gulls.—The -Ice breaking up.—Critical Situation of the Schooner.—Taking -Leave of the Esquimaux.—Adieu to Port Foulke</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI">396</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Leaving Port Foulke.—Effort to reach Cape Isabella.—Meet the -Pack and take Shelter at Littleton Island.—Hunting.—Abundance -of Birds and Walrus.—Visit to Cairn Point.—Reaching -the West Coast.—View from Cape Isabella.—Plans for the Future.—Our -Results.—Chances of reaching the Polar Sea discussed.—The -Glaciers of Ellesmere Land</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII">416</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Leaving Smith Sound.—Crossing the North Water.—Meeting the -Pack.—The Sea and Air teeming with Life.—Remarkable Refraction.—Reaching -Whale Sound.—Surveying in a Boat.—The -Sound traced to its Termination.—Meeting Esquimaux at Iteplik.—Habits -of the Esquimaux.—Marriage Ceremony.—The Decay -of the Tribe.—View of Barden Bay.—Tyndall Glacier</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII">426</a></p> - - -<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIX">CHAPTER XXXIX</a></h3> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>Homeward Bound.—Entering Melville Bay.—Encounter with a -Bear.—Meeting the Pack.—Making the "South Water."—Reaching -Upernavik.—The News.—To Goodhaven.—Liberality -of the Danish Government and the Greenland Officials.—Driven -out of Baffin Bay by a Gale.—Crippled by the Storm and forced -to take Shelter in Halifax.—Hospitable Reception.—Arrival in -Boston.—Realize the State of the Country.—The Determination.—Conclusion</p> -</div> - -<p class="tdr"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIX">439</a></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xxvi">- xxvi -</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="map_fpg1" style="width: 423px;"> - <a href="images/map_fpg1_lg.png"><img src="images/map_fpg1.png" width="423" height="686" alt="MAP OF THE POLAR REGIONS" /></a> - <div class="smaller tdc"><img src="images/magnifier2.png" alt="" /> Click on image to view larger sized</div> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">- 1 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="INTRODUCTION">INTRODUCTION.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>PLAN OF THE EXPEDITION.—FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT.—APPEAL TO SCIENTIFIC -SOCIETIES.—AID SOLICITED.—PUBLIC LECTURES.—LIBERALITY -OF VARIOUS SOCIETIES AND INDIVIDUALS.—VESSEL PURCHASED -IN BOSTON.—INTEREST MANIFESTED IN THAT CITY.—DIFFICULTY -IN OBTAINING A PROPER CREW.—ORGANIZATION OF THE -PARTY.—SCIENTIFIC OUTFIT.—ABUNDANT SUPPLIES.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I purpose to record in this Book the events of the -Expedition which I conducted to the Arctic Seas.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PLAN OF THE EXPEDITION.</div> - -<p>The plan of the enterprise first suggested itself to -me while acting as Surgeon of the Expedition commanded -by the late Dr. E. K. Kane, of the United -States Navy. Although its execution did not appear -feasible at the period of my return from that voyage -in October, 1855, yet I did not at any time abandon -the design. It comprehended an extensive scheme -of discovery. The proposed route was that by Smith's -Sound. My object was to complete the survey of the -north coasts of Greenland and Grinnell Land, and to -make such explorations as I might find practicable in -the direction of the North Pole.</p> - -<p>My proposed base of operations was Grinnell Land, -which I had discovered on my former voyage, and had -personally traced beyond lat. 80°, far enough to satisfy -me that it was available for my design.</p> - -<p>Accepting the deductions of many learned physicists -that the sea about the North Pole cannot be -frozen, that an open area of varying extent must be -found within the Ice-belt which is known to invest it, -I desired to add to the proofs which had already been -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">- 2 -</span> -accumulated by the early Dutch and English voyagers, -and, more recently, by the researches of Scoresby, -Wrangel, and Parry, and still later by Dr. Kane's -expedition.</p> - -<p>It is well known that the great difficulty which -has been encountered, in the various attempts that -have been made to solve this important physical -problem, has been the inability of the explorer to -penetrate the Ice-belt with his ship, or to travel over -it with sledges sufficiently far to obtain indisputable -proof. My former experience led me to the conclusion -that the chances of success were greater by Smith's -Sound than by any other route, and my hopes of success -were based upon the expectation which I entertained -of being able to push a vessel into the Ice-belt, -to about the 80th parallel of latitude, and thence to -transport a boat over the ice to the open sea which -I hoped to find beyond. Reaching this open sea, if -such fortune awaited me, I proposed to launch my -boat and to push off northward. For the ice-transportation -I expected to rely, mainly, upon the dog of the -Esquimaux.</p> - -<p>How far I was able to execute my design these -pages will show.</p> - -<p>It will be remembered that the highest point -reached by Dr. Kane with his vessels was Van Rensselaer -Harbor, latitude 78° 37´, where he wintered. -This was on the eastern side of Smith's Sound. It -seemed to me that a more favorable position could -be attained on the western side; and from personal -observations made in 1854, while on a sledge journey -from Van Rensselaer Harbor, it appeared to me -probable that the degree of latitude already indicated -might be secured for a winter station and a centre of -observation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">- 3 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ANTICIPATED RESULTS.</div> - -<p>It would be needless for me to attempt to illustrate -the value of such a centre for the purpose of scientific -inquiry. It was not alone the prospect of the satisfaction -to be achieved by completing our geographical -knowledge of that portion of the globe, nor that -of solving definitely the problem of an Open Polar -Sea, that encouraged me in the task which I had -undertaken. There were many questions of physical -science to be settled, and I hoped to take with me a -corps of well-instructed observers. The movements -of the currents of the air and water, the temperature -of these elements, the pressure of the former and the -tides of the latter, the variations of gravity, the direction -and intensity of the "magnetic force," the Aurora -Borealis, the formation and movement of the -glaciers, and many important features of Natural History -remained to be solved by observations about the -centre indicated. Years of profitable labor might indeed -be expended in that locality by an enterprising -force of skilled workers.</p> - -<p>With these objects in view, I applied with great -confidence to the scientific men of the world and -to the enlightened public sentiment of my country-men.</p> - -<p>The response, although in the end highly gratifying, -was more tardy in its coming than had been at -first anticipated. There were indeed many circumstances -of discouragement, not the least of which was -an impression which then had possession of the public -judgment, that any further efforts toward the North -Pole must be fruitless, and must involve an unjustifiable -loss of life. It was only after many endeavors -that here and there the influences favorable to the -design began to affect the community. The most -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">- 4 -</span> -important of these was, of course, the sanction given to -the project by those associations whose opinions govern -the mass of men in relation to scientific matters.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT.</div> - -<p>The first public announcement of it was made to -the American Geographical and Statistical Society, -before which body I read a paper in December, 1857, -setting forth the plan, and the means proposed for its -accomplishment. It was on this occasion that I first -experienced the discouragement to which I have already -referred, and it became evident to all who had -thus far interested themselves in the subject, that it -would be necessary to instruct the public mind in -relation to the practicability of the proposed exploration, -and its comparative freedom from danger, before -any earnest support could be anticipated.</p> - -<p>To this task I at once addressed myself, although, -indeed, I might with some show of reason have abandoned -the undertaking altogether; but at twenty-five -one is not easily discouraged. In concert with the -friends of the enterprise, I caused it to be understood -that I was open to invitations from any of the numerous -literary societies and clubs who were organizing -popular courses of lectures for the winter. Such lectures -were at that time quite the fashion, and almost -every little town in the country could boast of its -"course." The invitations which reached me were -very numerous, and I availed myself of them to the -full limit of my time. The scientific and literary journals -and the press, ever ready to aid in the advancement -of liberal and enlightened purposes, gave very -cordial support; and, when the spring of 1858 opened, -we had the satisfaction to perceive that we had dispelled -some of the popular illusions respecting the -dangers of Arctic exploration. Among the most -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">- 5 -</span> -important of the lectures given at this period was a -course which I delivered at the instance of Professor -Joseph Henry, in the fine lecture-room of the Smithsonian -Institution at Washington. These lectures were -the more important, in that they secured to the undertaking -the friendship and support of Professor -A. D. Bache, the learned and efficient chief of the -United States Coast Survey.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SCIENTIFIC INTEREST.</div> - -<p>In April, 1858, I brought the subject before the -American Association for the Advancement of Science, -at its annual meeting held in Baltimore; and -that body of representative men, at the suggestion -of Professor Bache, appointed sixteen of its leading -members a committee on "Arctic Exploration."</p> - -<p>It remained now only to secure the necessary material -aid. With this object in view, committees were -promptly appointed by the American Philosophical -Society, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, -the American Geographical Society, the Lyceum -of Natural History of New York, the American Academy -of Arts and Sciences, and the Boston Society of -Natural History.</p> - -<p>Subscription lists were at once opened by these several -committees, and Professor Bache, at all times foremost -to promote scientific discovery, headed the list -with his powerful name.</p> - -<p>The learned Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, -Professor Joseph Henry, further strengthened the -cause by the proffer of scientific instruments, and this -was followed by the earnest support of Mr. Henry -Grinnell, whose zealous efforts and sacrifices in behalf -of Arctic exploration are too well known to gain any -thing from my commendation.</p> - -<p>At a subsequent period I addressed the Chamber -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">- 6 -</span> -of Commerce in New York, and the Board of Trade -in Philadelphia. The latter promptly appointed a -committee with the same objects as those previously -appointed by the scientific societies. Still later I -spoke to a large audience in the lecture-room of the -Lowell Institute, Boston, assembled under the auspices -of the committee of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, -on which occasion, after eloquent addresses by -the chairman, the late Hon. Edward Everett, and Professors -Agassiz and W. B. Rogers, a committee of citizens -was appointed to coöperate with the committees -already named.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PUBLIC LECTURES.</div> - -<p>The system of public lecturing which had been -improved with such satisfactory advantage in the -beginning, was continued, and, in addition to the -increased public interest which the lectures created, -they proved a source of more substantial benefit. -Two of them were delivered under the auspices of -the American Geographical Society. The value of -these last was derived from the circumstance that -public support was given to the project by Dr. Francis -Lieber, the late Rev. Dr. Bethune, Rev. J. P. Thompson, -the late Professor (afterward Major-General) O. M. -Mitchel, and Mr. (now Brigadier-General) Egbert L. -Viele, who spoke on the occasion. The principal address -was made by Dr. Lieber, and it was characteristic -of that able and learned writer.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FOREIGN SUPPORT.</div> - -<p>The interest manifested among geographers abroad -was scarcely less than that shown by scientific men at -home. The eminent President of the Geographical -Society of London, Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, in -announcing the proposed renewal of Arctic discovery -to that distinguished body, expressed the earnest desire -of the society for the success of the undertaking; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">- 7 -</span> -and the enlightened Vice-President of the Geographical -Society of Paris, M. de la Roquette, promptly -offered, as an earnest of his good will, a liberal contribution -to the fund.</p> - -<p>The Masonic Fraternity in New York, Boston, and -Philadelphia also gave their assistance, and it was not -the less appreciated that it was spontaneous and unexpected.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the unceasing efforts which were -thus made in every quarter, and the almost universal -interest which the undertaking at length excited, it -was not until the beginning of June, 1860, that I was -able to commence my preparations. My plans of exploration -had been based upon the expectation of -being able to start with two vessels,—one a small -steamer, to be taken out under sails, and the steam-power -only to be used when actually among the ice;—the -other a sailing vessel, to be employed as a tender -or store-ship.</p> - -<p>It now became evident to us that if my departure -was deferred to another year, the chances of my sailing -at all would be diminished rather than increased; -and we therefore determined to do the best we could -with the means at hand. These means would enable -us to fit out and man only one small sailing vessel.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">VESSEL PURCHASED.</div> - -<p>To Mr. Richard Baker, Jr., the energetic chairman -of the Boston Committee, (aided by a sub-committee -consisting of Mr. Warren Sawyer, Mr. John Stetson, -Mr. O. W. Peabody, and Mr. J. D. W. Joy,) was intrusted -the selection and purchase of such a craft -as would best compromise between the services to -be performed and the state of our finances; and the -duty was accomplished with characteristic sagacity. -When I reached Boston, a few days after the purchase -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">- 8 -</span> -had been made, I found the vessel lying at a wharf, -heavily laden with a cargo brought from the West -Indies. She was a strong, snug, jaunty looking craft, -and appeared to be well adapted for the peculiar -service to which she was destined. Her "register" -quaintly set forth that she was "A 1," that she measured -one hundred and thirty-three tons burden, that -she was a fore-and-aft schooner, drew eight feet of -water, and was named <i>Spring Hill</i>. For this name -we at once substituted <i>United States</i>, which change -was, upon my memorial, subsequently confirmed by -act of Congress.</p> - -<p>The season was now growing very late. Before -the vessel had been purchased it was fully time that -I should have been upon my voyage, and every day's -delay added to my anxiety lest I should be unable to -penetrate the Baffin's Bay ice, and secure a harbor -before the winter had shut out all access to the land. -It was therefore with no small degree of satisfaction -that I saw the schooner on the ways in the shipyard -of Mr. Kelly in East Boston, and the work of -refitting her going rapidly forward.</p> - -<p>As a protection against the wear and pressure of the -ice, a strong sheathing of two and a half inch oak -planking was spiked to her sides, and the bows were -cased with thick iron plates as far aft as the fore-chains. -Internally she was strengthened with heavy -beams, crossing at intervals of twelve feet a little -below the water-line, which, as well as the deck-timbers, -were supported by additional knees and diagonal -braces. For convenience of working; among the ice, -her rig was changed from a fore-and-aft to a foretop-sail -schooner.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PREPARATION.</div> - -<p>Owing to many unavoidable delays, the month of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">- 9 -</span> -June had almost passed before the schooner was -brought to the wharf in Boston to receive her cargo. -Much of this cargo was made up of voluntary gift -offerings, "in the cause of science," and came from -various places, and, as these "offerings" arrived irregularly, -there was naturally much confusion in the -storage. It will not therefore appear surprising that -our departure was several days delayed. One month -was indeed a short time, even under the most favorable -circumstances, to fit a vessel, purchase and store a -complicated cargo, construct and get together sledges, -boats, and other equipments for travelling, obtain instruments -and all the requisite materials for scientific -exploration,—in short, to accumulate the various -odds and ends necessary for so unusual and protracted -a voyage. It was a busy month, and into no equal -period of my life did I ever crowd so much labor and -anxiety.</p> - -<p>The selection of my ship's company gave me not -a little concern. Of material from which to choose -there was quite an ample supply. In numbers there -were indeed enough to have fitted out a respectable -squadron; but it was not easy to find those whose -constitutions and habits of life fitted them for the -service. The greater number of the volunteers had -never been to sea, and most of them were eager -"to serve in any capacity,"—a declaration which, too -often on this, as on other occasions, I have found to -signify the absence of any capacity at all.</p> - -<p>I esteemed myself fortunate in securing the services -of my former companion and friend in the Grinnell -Expedition, Mr. August Sonntag, who early volunteered -to join me from Mexico, in which country he -was engaged in conducting some important scientific -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">- 10 -</span> -explorations. He even proposed to me that he should -abandon the work upon which he was then employed, -in order to aid me in the preliminary preparations. -Returning to the United States in 1859, he was appointed -to the Dudley Observatory, Albany, and, to -accompany me, he sacrificed the fine position of Associate -Director of that institution.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">OFFICERS AND CREW.</div> - -<p>My party, when at length completed, numbered -fourteen persons all told, as follows:—</p> - -<table summary="names/position"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">August Sonntag</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Astronomer, and second in command.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">S. J. <span class="smcap">McCormick</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Sailing Master.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Henry W. Dodge</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Mate.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Henry G. Radcliffe</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Assistant Astronomer.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">George F. Knorr</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Commander's Secretary.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Collin C. Starr</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Master's Mate.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Gibson Caruthers</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Boatswain and Carpenter.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Francis L. Harris</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Volunteer.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Harvey Heywood</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Volunteer.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">John McDonald</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Seaman.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Thomas Barnum</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Seaman.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Charles McCormick</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Seaman.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">William Miller</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Seaman.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">John Williams</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Seaman.</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<div class="sidenote">SCIENTIFIC OUTFIT.</div> - -<p>Our equipment for scientific observations was reasonably -perfect. The Smithsonian Institution furnished -a good supply of barometers and thermometers, -besides other apparatus not less important, and also -spirits, cans, and other materials for the collection -and preservation of specimens of Natural History. -In this latter department I owe especial obligations to -the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and -also to the Cambridge Museum. From the skilful -maker, Mr. John Tagliabeau, of New York, I had a -handsome present of spirit thermometers. From the -Topographical Bureau at Washington, through the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">- 11 -</span> -courtesy of its chief, I was supplied with two pocket-sextants, -instruments which could not have been obtained -either by purchase or loan elsewhere. I had -hoped to secure from the National Observatory the -use of a deep-sea sounding apparatus, until it was -made known to me that the concession was not provided -for by act of Congress. Outside of the limits -of nautical routine I fared better. The Chief of the -Coast Survey furnished me with a vertical circle, which -contained the double advantage of a transit and theodolite, -a well-tested unifilar magnetometer, a reflecting -circle, a Wurdeman compass, and several other -valuable instruments. We had five chronometers,—three -box and two pocket, which last were intended -for use in sledge travelling. We had an excellent telescope, -with a four and a half inch object-glass; and, -under the joint superintendence of the late Professor -Bond, of Cambridge, and Mr. Sonntag, I caused to be -constructed a pendulum apparatus after the plan of -Foster's instrument.</p> - -<p>I lacked not instruments, but men. My only well-instructed -associate was Mr. Sonntag.</p> - -<p>Our outfit was altogether of the very best description, -and our larder contained every thing that could -reasonably be desired. An abundant supply of canned -meats, vegetables, and fruits insured us against scurvy, -and a large stock of desiccated beef, beef soup, (a -mixture of meat, carrots, onions, &c.,) and potatoes, -prepared expressly for me by the American Desiccating -Company of New York, gave us a light and portable -food for the sledge journeys. I preferred the -food in this form to the ordinary pemican. We were -amply provided with good warm woollen clothing, and -four large bales of buffalo-skins promised each of us -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">- 12 -</span> -the materials for a coat and protection against the -Arctic winds. A good stock of rifles and guns, and a -plentiful supply of ammunition, finished our guarantees -against want. We had forty tons of coal and -wood in the hold, and a quantity of pine boards, intended -for housing over the upper deck when in winter -quarters.</p> - -<p>Our sledges were constructed after a pattern furnished -by myself, and the tents, cooking-lamps, and -other camp fixtures, were manufactured under my -personal supervision. From numerous friends, whose -names I cannot here mention without violating the -obligations of confidence, we received books and a -great quantity of "small stores" which were afterward -greatly appreciated during our winter imprisonment -in the ice.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">READY TO SAIL.</div> - -<p>We had expected to sail on the 4th of July, and -the friends of the Expedition were invited by the -Boston Committee, through its secretary, Mr. O. W. -Peabody, to see us off. Although the day was dark -and drizzly many hundreds of persons were present. -Through some unavoidable accident we did not get -away. The guests, however, made us the recipients -of their best wishes, and when the members of my -little command (assembled together on that day for -the first time) found themselves addressed in turn by -the Governor of the State, the Mayor of the City, -and the President of Harvard, and by renowned -statesmen, orators, divines and merchants of Boston, -and by <i>savans</i> of Cambridge, the measure of their -happiness was full. Inspired by the interest thus so -conspicuously manifested in their fortunes, they felt -ready for any emergency.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">- 13 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="THE_OPEN_POLAR_SEA">THE OPEN POLAR SEA.</h2> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - -<p>LEAVING BOSTON.—AT ANCHOR IN NANTASKET ROADS.—AT SEA.</p> - - -<p>Late in the evening of July 6th, 1860, the schooner -<i>United States</i> was hauled into the stream, prepared -to leave port the following morning.</p> - -<p>The morning dawned clear and auspicious. Upon -going on board, I found that a number of friends -whom I had invited to accompany us down the bay -had preceded me by half an hour. Among them were -His Excellency the Governor of the State, and representatives -of the Boston, New York and Philadelphia -committees.</p> - -<p>The fine, large steam-tug <i>R. B. Forbes</i> soon came -alongside, alive with a gay party of well-wishers, and, -taking the end of our hawser, started us from our anchorage. -As we passed Long Wharf we were honored -with a salute from a battery which the Mayor of the -city had sent down for that purpose, and numerous -parting cheers greeted us as we steamed down the -bay.</p> - -<p>The wind being unfavorable, we dropped anchor -for the night in Nantasket Roads. The tug took -most of our friends back to Boston, and I was left in -my cabin with the official representatives of the promoters -of the enterprise, engaged in the last of our -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">- 14 -</span> -numerous consultations. A handful of papers were -put into my possession, and I became the sole owner -of the schooner <i>United States</i> and the property on -board of her. The sun had set before our conference -ended, and the wind promising to hold from the eastward -during the night, I returned to Boston with Mr. -Baker, in his yacht.</p> - -<p>Upon arriving at the schooner next morning, I -found that the executive officer had availed himself -of the delay to break out the ship's hold and effect a -better stowage of the deck cargo. Indeed, we were -in no condition for going to sea. Many of the stores -were hurried on board at the last moment, and the -deck was literally covered with boxes and bales, -which, in the haste of departure, could not be stowed -away. It was long after nightfall when the hatches -were closed and every thing secured; but as the pilot -did not come on board, we were compelled to wait -until daylight.</p> - -<p>I passed the night on Mr. Baker's yacht, which lay -near by, with some kind friends who would not quit us -until they saw us fairly off. The pretty yachts <i>Stella</i> -and <i>Howard</i>, to whose gentlemanly owners I was indebted -for courteous attentions, also kept us company.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LEAVING BOSTON.</div> - -<p>With the first gray streak of the dawning day, this -little fleet tripped their anchors and glided home, -bearing our last good-byes, while we, with a fair wind, -stood out to sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FIRST NIGHT AT SEA.</div> - -<p>Before the night closed in, the coast had sunk out -of sight, and I was once more tossing on the waves -of the broad Atlantic. Again I saw the sun sink beneath -the line of waters, and I watched the changing -clouds which hung over the land I had left behind me, -until the last faint flush of gold and crimson had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">- 15 -</span> -melted away into the soft twilight. Creeping then -into my damp, narrow bunk, I slept the first long, unbroken -sleep I had had for weeks. The expedition -which had absorbed so much of my attention during -the past five years was now fairly on its way. Trusting -in Providence and my own energy, I had faith in -the future.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page15" style="width: 191px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Anchor"> - <img src="images/page15.png" width="191" height="121" alt="Anchor" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">- 16 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>PASSAGE TO THE GREENLAND COAST.—DISCIPLINE.—THE DECKS AT SEA.—OUR -QUARTERS.—THE FIRST ICEBERG.—CROSSING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.—THE -MIDNIGHT SUN.—THE ENDLESS DAY.—MAKING THE LAND.—A REMARKABLE -SCENE AMONG THE BERGS.—AT ANCHOR IN PRÖVEN HARBOR.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I will not long detain the reader with the details -of our passage to the Greenland coast. It was mainly -devoid of interest.</p> - -<p>My first concern was to regulate the domestic affairs -of my little company; my second, to make the -schooner as tidy and comfortable as possible. The -former was much more easily managed than the latter. -Calling the officers and crew together, I explained -to them that, inasmuch as we would for a long -time constitute our own little world, we must all recognize -the obligations of a mutual dependence and -the ties of mutual safety, interest, and ambition. -Keeping this in view, we would find no hardship in -making all selfish considerations subordinate to the -necessities of a mutual accommodation. The response -was highly gratifying to me, and I had afterward -abundant reason to congratulate myself upon having -at the outset established the relations of the crew with -myself upon such a satisfactory footing. To say nothing -of its advantages to our convenience, this course -saved much trouble. From the beginning to the end -of the cruise I had no occasion to record a breach of -discipline; and I did not find it necessary to establish -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">- 17 -</span> -any other rules than those which are usual in all well -disciplined ships.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE DECKS.</div> - -<p>To make the schooner comfortable was impracticable, -and to make her tidy equally so. I found myself -rocking about on the Atlantic with decks in a -condition to have sorely tried the patience of the -most practised sailor. Barrels, boxes, boards, boats, -and other articles were spiked or lashed to the bulwarks -and masts, until all available space was covered, -and there was left only a narrow, winding pathway -from the quarter to the forecastle deck, and no place -whatever for exercise but the top of the trunk cabin, -which was just twelve feet by ten; and even this was -partly covered, and that too with articles which, if -they have existence, should at least never be in sight -on a well-regulated craft. But this was not to be -helped,—there was no room for any thing more below -hatches; every nook and cranny in the vessel -was full, and we had no alternative but to allow the -decks to be "lumbered up" until some friendly sea -should come and wash the incumbrance overboard. -(We were entirely too prudent to throw any thing -away.) That such an event would happen seemed -likely enough, for we were loaded down until the -deck, in the waist, was only a foot and a half above -the water; and, standing in the gangway, you could -at any time lean over the monkey-rail and touch the -sea with your fingers. The galley filled up the entire -space between the fore hatch and the mainmast; and -the water, coming in over the gangway, poured -through it frequently without restraint. The cook -and the fire were often put out together, and the -regularity of our meals was a little disturbed in consequence.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">- 18 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE CABIN.</div> - -<p>My cabin occupied the after-half of the "trunk," -(which extended two feet above the quarter-deck,) -and was six feet by ten. Two "bull's-eyes" gave me -a feeble light by day, and a kerosene lamp, which -creaked uneasily in its gimbals, by night. Two berths -let, one into either side, furnished commodious receptacles -for ship's stores. The carpenter, however, fixed -up a narrow bunk for me; and when I had covered -this with a brilliant afghan, and enclosed it with a pair -of crimson curtains, I was astonished at the amount -of comfort which I had manufactured for myself.</p> - -<p>The narrow space in front of my cabin contained -the companion ladder, the steward's pantry, the stove-pipe, -a barrel of flour, and a "room" for Mr. Sonntag. -Forward of this, two steps down in the hold, was the -officers' cabin, which was exactly twelve feet square -by six feet high. It was oak-panelled, and had eight -bunks, happily not all occupied. It was not a commodious -apartment. The men's quarters were under -the forecastle deck, close against the "dead-wood" of -the "ship's eyes." They, too, were necessarily crowded -for room.</p> - -<p>Our course from Boston lay directly for the outer -capes of Newfoundland, inside of Sable Island. Every -one who has sailed down the coast of Nova Scotia -knows the nature of the fogs which hang over the -banks, especially during the warm season of the year; -and we had our full measure of the embarrassing -fortune which usually befalls the navigator of those -waters.</p> - -<p>We ran into a fog bank on the second day out from -Boston, and for seven days thereafter were enveloped -in an atmosphere so dense as completely to -obscure the sun and horizon. We could, of course, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">- 19 -</span> -obtain no "sights," and, during that period, were -obliged in consequence to rely for our position upon -the lead line and our dead reckoning. Uncertain currents -made this last a method of doubtful dependence.</p> - -<p>On the sixth day of this seemingly endless fog I -grew rather more than usually uneasy; but the sailing-master -assured me that he was certain of our -position; and, with the map before us on the table, -he <i>proved</i> it by the soundings. We would clear Cape -Race in the morning watch.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">"BREAKERS AHEAD."</div> - -<p>The morning watch found me on deck, and, as before, -our position was shown by the record of the lead. -The lead was a false prophet, for instead of running -outside we were rushing squarely upon the cape. -Satisfied, however, by the assurances which I had received, -I went below to breakfast, and had scarcely -been seated when that most disagreeable of all cries,—once -heard, never to be forgotten,—"Breakers -ahead!" startled us. Upon reaching the deck, I found -the sails shivering in the wind, and almost within pistol-shot -rose a great black wall, against which the sea -was breaking in a most threatening manner. Fortunately -the schooner came quickly to the wind and -held in stays, otherwise we must have struck in a -very few minutes. As it was, we settled close upon -the rocks before the sails filled and we began to crawl -slowly off. The spray, thrown back from the sullen -cliff, actually fell upon the deck, and it seemed as if I -could almost touch the rocks with my hand. We -were soon relieved by seeing the dark fog-veil drawn -between us and danger. But the danger was, apparently, -not yet passed. In half an hour the wind died -away almost to a calm, leaving us a heavy sea to fight -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">- 20 -</span> -with, while out of the blackness came the wail of the -angry surf bemoaning the loss of its prey.</p> - -<p>The wind increased toward noon, and freed us from -suspense. Resolved this time to give Cape Race a -wide berth, we ran off E. S. E., and not until I was -sure, by the color of the water, that Newfoundland -was at a safe distance, did I let the schooner fill away -on her course toward Cape Farewell. By this time -a stiff breeze was blowing from the south, and as the -night closed in we were running before the wind under -a close-reefed topsail.</p> - -<p>A succession of southerly gales now chased us -northward, and we hauled in our latitude with gratifying -rapidity. In a few days we were ploughing the -waters which bathe the rock-bound coasts of Greenland.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ACROSS THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.</div> - -<p>On the 30th of July I had the satisfaction of being -once more within the Arctic Circle. That imaginary -line was crossed at eight o'clock in the evening, and -the event was celebrated by a salute from our signal-gun -and a display of bunting.</p> - -<p>We now felt that we had fairly entered upon our -career.</p> - -<p>We were twenty days out from Boston, and had -made throughout an average run of a hundred miles -a day. The schooner had proved herself an excellent -sea-boat. The coast of Greenland was about -ten leagues away, obscured by a cloud; we had -Cape Walsingham on the port beam, and the lofty -Suckertoppen would have been visible over the starboard -quarter had the air been clear. We had not -yet, however, sighted the land, but we had made our -first iceberg, we had seen the "midnight sun," and -we had come into the endless day. When the hour-hand -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">- 21 -</span> -of the Yankee clock which ticked above my -head pointed to XII., the sunlight still flooded the -cabin. Accustomed to this strange life in former -years, the change had to me little of novelty; but -the officers complained of sleeplessness, and were -lounging about as if waiting for the old-fashioned -darkness which suggests bed-time.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIRST ICEBERG.</div> - -<p>The first iceberg was made the day before we -passed the Arctic Circle. The dead white mass broke -upon us out of a dense fog, and was mistaken by the -lookout for land when he first caught the sound of -breakers beating upon it. It was floating directly in -our course, but we had time enough to clear it. Its -form was that of an irregular pyramid, about three -hundred feet at its base, and perhaps half as high. Its -summit was at first obscured, but at length the mist -broke away, disclosing the peak of a glittering spire, -around which the white clouds were curling and dancing -in the sunlight. There was something very impressive -in the stern indifference with which it received -the lashings of the sea. The waves threw their -liquid arms about it caressingly, but it deigned not -even a nod of recognition, and sent them reeling backward, -moaning and lamenting.</p> - -<p>We had some rough handling in Davis' Strait. -Once I thought we had surely come ingloriously to -grief. We were running before the wind and fighting -a wretched cross-sea under reefed fore and mainsail -and jib, when the fore fife-rail was carried away;—down -came every thing to the deck, and there was left -not a stitch of canvas on the schooner but the lumbering -mainsail. It was a miracle that we did not -broach to and go to the bottom. Nothing saved us -but a steady hand at the helm.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">- 22 -</span></p> - -<p>The following entry in my journal, made at this -period, will exhibit our condition and the temper of -the crew:—</p> - -<p>"Notwithstanding all this knocking about, every -body seems to take it for granted that this sort of -thing is very natural and proper, and a part of the -engagement for the cruise. It is at least gratifying -to see that they take kindly to discomfort, and receive -every freak of fortune with manly good nature. I -really believe that were affairs otherwise ordered they -would be sadly disappointed. They are 'the small -band of brave and spirited men' they read about in -the newspapers, and they mean to show it. The sailors -are sometimes literally drowned out of the forecastle. -The cabin is flooded at least a dozen times a -day. The skylight has been knocked to pieces by the -head of a sea, and the table, standing directly under -it, has been more than once cleared of crockery and -eatables without the aid of the steward. My own -cabin gets washed out at irregular intervals, and my -books are half of them spoiled by tumbling from their -shelves in spite of all I can do to the contrary. Once -I caught the whole library tacking about the deck -after an unusually ambitious dive of the schooner, and -the advent of a more than ordinarily heavy rush of -water through the 'companion-way.'"</p> - -<p>It had been my intention to stop at Egedesmindie, -or some other of the lower Danish stations, on the -Greenland coast, to obtain a stock of furs, and at the -upper settlements to procure the needful supply of -dogs for sledge travelling; but, the wind being fair, I -resolved to hold on and trust to obtaining every thing -required at Pröven and Upernavik.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A LAND-FALL.</div> - -<p>We made our first land-fall on the 31st. It proved -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">- 23 -</span> -to be the southern extremity of Disco Island. The -lofty mountains broke suddenly through the thick -mist, and exposed their hoary heads, not a little to -our astonishment; but they vanished again as quickly -as they had appeared. But we had got a clutch upon -the land, and found that, befogged though we were, -we had calculated our position to a nicety. From this -moment the interest of our cruise was doubled.</p> - -<p>The next day we were abreast the Nord Fiord of -Disco, in latitude 70°, and, gliding on with a light -wind, the Waigat and Oominak Fiord were soon behind -us; and on the evening of August 2d we were -approaching the bold promontory of Svarte Huk, -which is only forty miles from Pröven, whither we -were bound.</p> - -<p>"A man's heart deviseth his way, but the Lord -directeth his steps." Just as we were congratulating -ourselves upon the prospect of getting an appetite for -breakfast among the Greenland hills, the wind began -to show decided symptoms of weakness; and, after a -succession of spasmodic efforts to recover itself, prolonged -through the next four and twenty hours, it at -length died away completely, and left us lying on the -still waters, impatient and ill at ease. We were sadly -disappointed; but the sun scattered the vapors which -had hung so long about us, and, in the scene which -broke out of the dissolving mist, we buried our vexation.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">VIEW OF GREENLAND.</div> - -<p>Greenland had been for some time regarded by my -companions as a sort of myth; for, although frequently -only a few miles from its coast, so thick and -constant had been the clouds and fogs, that, except -for a few brief minutes, it had been wholly hidden -from our view. Here, however, it was at last, shaking -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">- 24 -</span> -off its cloud mantle, and standing squarely out before -us in austere magnificence,—its broad valleys, its -deep ravines, its noble mountains, its black, beetling -cliffs, its frowning desolation.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AMONG THE ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>As the fog lifted and rolled itself up like a scroll -over the sea to the westward, iceberg after iceberg -burst into view, like castles in a fairy tale. It seemed, -indeed, as if we had been drawn by some unseen hand -into a land of enchantment, rather than that we had -come of our own free will into a region of stern realities, -in pursuit of stern purposes;—as if the elves -of the North had, in sportive playfulness, thrown a -veil about our eyes, and enticed us to the very "seat -eternal of the gods." Here was the Valhalla of the -sturdy Vikings; here the city of the sun-god Freyer,—Alfheim, -with its elfin caves,—and Glitner, with its -walls of gold and roofs of silver, and Gimle, more -brilliant than the sun,—the home of the happy; and -there, piercing the clouds, was Himinborg, the Celestial -Mount, where the bridge of the gods touches -Heaven.</p> - -<p>It would be difficult to imagine a scene more solemnly -impressive than that which was disclosed to us -by the sudden change in the clouded atmosphere. -From my diary I copy the following brief description -of it:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Midnight.</span>—I have just come below, lost in the -wondrous beauty of the night. The sea is smooth as -glass; not a ripple breaks its dead surface, not a -breath of air stirring. The sun hangs close upon the -northern horizon; the fog has broken up into light -clouds; the icebergs lie thick about us; the dark -headlands stand boldly out against the sky; and the -clouds and sea and bergs and mountains are bathed in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">- 25 -</span> -an atmosphere of crimson and gold and purple most -singularly beautiful."</p> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">BEAUTY OF THE ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>In all my former experience in this region of startling -novelties I had never seen any thing to equal -what I witnessed that night. The air was warm almost -as a summer's night at home, and yet there were -the icebergs and the bleak mountains, with which the -fancy, in this land of green hills and waving forests, -can associate nothing but cold repulsiveness. The -sky was bright and soft and strangely inspiring as the -skies of Italy. The bergs had wholly lost their chilly -aspect, and, glittering in the blaze of the brilliant -heavens, seemed, in the distance, like masses of burnished -metal or solid flame. Nearer at hand they -were huge blocks of Parian marble, inlaid with mammoth -gems of pearl and opal. One in particular exhibited -the perfection of the grand. Its form was not -unlike that of the Coliseum, and it lay so far away -that half its height was buried beneath the line of -blood-red waters. The sun, slowly rolling along the -horizon, passed behind it, and it seemed as if the old -Roman ruin had suddenly taken fire.</p> - -<p>Nothing indeed but the pencil of the artist could -depict the wonderful richness of this sparkling fragment -of Nature. Church, in his great picture of "The -Icebergs," has grandly exhibited a scene not unlike -that which I would in vain describe.</p> - -<p>In the shadows of the bergs the water was a rich -green, and nothing could be more soft and tender -than the gradations of color made by the sea shoaling -on the sloping tongue of a berg close beside us. The -tint increased in intensity where the ice overhung -the water, and a deep cavern near by exhibited the -solid color of the malachite mingled with the transparency -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">- 26 -</span> -of the emerald; while, in strange contrast, a -broad streak of cobalt blue ran diagonally through -its body.</p> - -<p>The bewitching character of the scene was heightened -by a thousand little cascades which leaped into -the sea from these floating masses,—the water being -discharged from lakes of melted snow and ice which -reposed in quietude far up in the valleys separating -the high icy hills of their upper surface. From other -bergs large pieces were now and then detached,—plunging -down into the water with deafening noise, -while the slow moving swell of the ocean resounded -through their broken archways.</p> - -<p>I had been watching this scene for hours, lost in -reverie and forgetfulness, when I was brought suddenly -to my senses by the master's mate, who came -to report, "Ice close aboard, sir." We were drifting -slowly upon a berg about the height of our topmasts. -The boats were quickly lowered to pull us off, and, -the schooner once more in safety, I went to bed.</p> - -<p>I awoke after a few hours, shivering with the cold. -The "bull's-eye" above my head was open, and a -chilly fog was pouring in upon me. Hurrying on -deck, I found the whole scene changed. A dense -gray mist had settled over the waters and icebergs -and mountains, blending them all in chaotic gloom.</p> - -<p>Twenty-four days at sea had brought the water -very low in our casks, and I took advantage of the -delay to send off to a neighboring iceberg for a fresh -supply. The water of these bergs is pure and clear -as crystal.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">NEARING HARBOR.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AT PRÖVEN.</div> - -<p>Getting at last a slant of the wind, we ran in among -the low islands which line the coast above Svarte -Huk; and Sonntag, who had gone ahead in a boat to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">- 27 -</span> -Pröven, having sent off to us a swarthy-looking pilot, -we wound our way slowly through the tortuous passage, -and at a little after midnight of August 6th we -dropped anchor in the snuggest of little harbors. -The loud baying of dogs, and an odor, baffling description,—"a -very ancient and fish-like smell,"—first -warned us of our approach to a Greenland settlement.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page27" style="width: 183px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Arched Iceberg"> - <img src="images/page27.png" width="183" height="113" alt="Arched Iceberg" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">- 28 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE COLONY OF PRÖVEN.—THE KAYAK OF THE GREENLANDER.—SCARCITY -OF DOGS.—LIBERALITY OF THE CHIEF TRADER.—ARCTIC FLORA.</p> -</div> - - -<p>We were escorted into the harbor of Pröven by the -strangest fleet of boats and the strangest-looking boatmen -that ever convoyed a ship. They were the far-famed -kayakers of Greenland, and they deserve a -passing notice.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE KAYAK OF THE GREENLANDER.</div> - -<p>The <i>kayak</i> of the Greenlander is the frailest specimen -of marine architecture that ever carried human -freight. It is eighteen feet long and as many inches -wide at its middle, and tapers, with an upward curving -line, to a point at either end. The skeleton of -the boat is made of light wood; the covering is of -tanned seal-skin, sewed together by the native women -with sinew thread, and with a strength and dexterity -quite astonishing. Not a drop of water finds its way -through their seams, and the skin itself is perfectly -water-proof. The boat is about nine inches deep, and -the top is covered like the bottom. There is no -opening into it except a round hole in the centre, -which admits the hunter as far as his hips. This -hole is surrounded with a wooden rim, over which the -kayaker laces the lower edge of his water-tight jacket, -and thus fastens himself in and keeps the water out. -He propels himself with a single oar about six feet -long, which terminates in a blade or paddle at either -end. This instrument of locomotion is grasped in the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">- 29 -</span> -centre, and is dipped in the water alternately to right -and left. The boat is graceful as a duck and light as -a feather. It has no ballast and no keel, and it rides -almost on the surface of the water. It is therefore -necessarily top-heavy. Long practice is required to -manage it, and no tight-rope dancer ever needed -more steady nerve and skill of balance than this same -savage kayaker. Yet, in this frail craft, he does not -hesitate to ride seas which would swamp an ordinary -boat, or to break through surf which may sweep completely -over him. But he is used to hard battles, -and, in spite of every fortune, he keeps himself upright.</p> - -<p>I watched their movements with much interest as -they collected about the schooner. Among the benefits -which they had derived from civilization was an -appreciation of the value of rum, coffee, and tobacco; -and they were not overly modest in their demands -for these articles. Most of them had, however, something -to trade, and went home with their reward. -One old fellow who had managed to pick up a few -words of English, without being particularly clear as -to their meaning, was loud in his demands for a -"pound rum, bottle sugar," offering in exchange a -fine salmon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SCARCITY OF DOGS.</div> - -<p>I had intended to remain at Pröven only a single -day, and then to hasten on with all possible speed; -but our stay was prolonged by circumstances to which -I was forced to submit with as good a grace as possible. -It was idle for me to leave without a supply of dogs, for -my plans and preparations were entirely based upon -them; and the prospect of accomplishing my design -in this respect appeared, from the first, very feeble. -In order to save time, Sonntag had gone to the village -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">- 30 -</span> -when we lay becalmed off Svarte Huk, and he -returned on board with the most discouraging accounts -of the poverty of the settlements in that -which was such an essential addition to our equipment. -A disease which had prevailed among the -teams, during the past year, had diminished the stock -to less than half of what was required for the prosperity -of the people; and all our offers to purchase, -either with money or provisions, were at first flatly -refused, and were in the end only partially successful.</p> - -<p>Mr. Sonntag had called upon the Assistant Trader -immediately after his arrival, and was at once informed -by that official of the unfortunate state of affairs. He -would, however, personally interest himself in the -matter, and advised that we should await the arrival -of the Chief Trader, Mr. Hansen, who resided at -Upernavik, which is forty miles to the north, and -would be in Pröven in a day or so. It was evident -that nothing could be done without the aid of this -all-powerful public functionary, for whose arrival we -had no alternative but to wait. If we went on to -Upernavik we ran the hazard of missing him; and, -by not seeing him until his return to that settlement -from his southern tour, of losing the advantage of his -prompt coöperation.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hansen arrived the following day, and assured -me that he would do what was in his power; but he -feared that he should have little success. As an earnest -of his good-will, he informed me, with a delicate -courtesy which made me for the moment wonder if a -lordly son of Castile had not wandered to this land of -ice, and disguised himself in a seal-skin coat, that his -own teams were at my disposal. Beyond this, however, -he could neither advise nor command. There -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">- 31 -</span> -was no public stock from which to supply my wants; -and so great and universal had been the ravages of -disease among the animals, that many hunters were -wholly destitute, and none were in possession of their -usual number. He however at once dispatched a courier -to Upernavik, and others to various small settlements, -and thus heralded the news that any hunter -who had an extra dog would find a market for it by -bringing it forthwith to Pröven or Upernavik.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LIBERALITY OF THE CHIEF TRADER.</div> - -<p>This action of the Chief Trader was the more appreciated -that it was disinterested, and was uncalled -for either by any official demands which were laid -upon him, or by any special show of dignity or importance -with which the insignificant schooner lying -in the harbor could back up my claims. The State -Department at Washington had, at my solicitation, -requested from the Danish Government such recognition -for me as had been hitherto accorded to the -American and English naval expeditions; but the -courteous response which came in the form of a command -to the Greenland officials to furnish me with -every thing in their power did not reach the settlements -until the following year. The commands of his -Majesty the King could not, however, have stood me -in better stead than the gentlemanly instincts of Mr. -Hansen.</p> - -<p>There is little in the history of Pröven, either past -or present, that will interest the readers of this narrative. -What there is of it stands on the southern -slope of a gneissoid spur which forms the terminus of -one of the numerous islands of the vast archipelago -lying between the peninsula of Svarte Huk and Melville -Bay. A government-house, one story high and -plastered over with pitch and tar, is the most conspicuous -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">- 32 -</span> -building in the place. A shop and a lodging-house -for a few Danish employees stands next in importance. -Two or three less imposing structures of -the pitch and tar description, inhabited by Danes who -have married native women; a few huts of stone and -turf, roofed with boards and overgrown with grass; -about an equal number of like description, but without -the board roof, and a dozen seal-skin tents, all -pitched about promiscuously among the rocks, make -up the town. There is a blubber-house down by the -beach, and a stunted flag-staff on the hill, from which -the Danish Flag gracefully waving in the wind, gave -the place a show of dignity. The dignity of civilization -was further preserved by an old cannon which -lay on the grass under the flag, and whose rusty -throat made the welkin ring as our anchor touched -the Greenland rocks.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SETTLEMENT.</div> - -<p>The settlement, or <i>Colonien</i>, as the Danes distinguish -it, dates back almost to the days of good old Hans -Egede, and its name, as nearly as can be interpreted, -signifies "Experiment;" and, after the Greenland -fashion, a successful experiment it has been. Its people -live, chiefly, by hunting the seal; and, of all the -northern colonies, few have been as prosperous. The -collections of oil and skins during some years are sufficient -to freight a brig of three hundred tons.</p> - -<p>The place bears ample evidence of the nature of -its business. Carcasses of seals and seal's offal lay -strewn along the beach, and over the rocks, and -among the huts, in every stage of decomposition; and -this, added to every other conceivable accumulation -that could exhibit a barbarous contempt for the human -nose, made the first few hours of our stay there -any thing but comfortable.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">- 33 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARCTIC FLORA.</div> - -<p>A better prospect, however, greeted us behind the -town. A beautiful valley lay there, nestling between -the cliffs, and rich in Arctic vegetation. It -was covered with a thick turf of moss and grasses, -among which the <i>Poa Arctica</i>, <i>Glyceria Arctica</i>, and <i>Alopecurus -Alpinus</i> were most abundant. In places it was, -indeed, a perfect marsh. Little streams of melted -snow meandered through it, gurgling among the -stones, or dashing wildly over the rocks. Myriads of -little golden petaled poppies (<i>Papaver nudicaule</i>) fluttered -over the green. The dandelion (<i>Leontodon palustre</i>), -close kindred of the wild flower so well known -at home, kept it company; the buttercup (<i>Ranunculus -nivalis</i>), with its smiling, well-remembered face, was -sometimes seen; and the less familiar <i>Potentilla</i> and -the purple <i>Pedicularis</i> were dotted about here and -there. The saxifrages, purple, white, and yellow, -were also very numerous. I captured not less than -seven varieties. The birch and crowberry, and the -beautiful <i>Andromeda</i>, the heather of Greenland, grew -matted together in a sheltered nook among the rocks; -and, in strange mimicry of Southern richness, the willows -feebly struggled for existence on the spongy turf. -With my cap I covered a whole forest of them.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">VALUE OF DOGS</div> - -<p>I had been in Pröven in 1853, and the place had -not changed in the interval. The old ex-trader Christiansen -was there, a little older, but not less frugal -than before. He complained bitterly of Dr. Kane -not having kept his promises to him, and I endeavored -to mollify his wrath by assuring him that Dr. -Kane had lost his vessel and could not return; but -his life had been made unhappy during seven long -years by visions of a barrel of American flour, and -he would not be comforted. He was scarcely able to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">- 34 -</span> -crawl about; but, when I sent ashore to him the coveted -treasure, he found strength to break the head out -of the cask, to feast his eyes on the long-expected -gratuity. His sons, each with a brood of Esquimaux -visaged, though flaxen-haired children, crowded around -the present. My diary records that they were the -best hunters in the settlement, and that they had the -best teams of dogs; and it also mentions, with a little -chagrin, that they would not sell one of them. I attributed -this obstinacy, at the time, to their cross old -paternal relative; but there were better reasons than -this. They knew by bitter experience the risks of -going into the long winter without an ample supply -of dogs to carry them over the ice upon the seal hunt, -and to part with their animals was to risk starvation. -I offered to give them pork and beef and canned -meats, and flour and beans; but they preferred the -seal and the excitement of the hunt, and refused to -trade.</p> - -<p>At last the couriers had all come in, bringing unwelcome -news. A half-dozen old dogs and a less number -of good ones were all that I had to console myself -for the delay; but the Chief Trader had returned to -Upernavik, from which place I had received more encouraging -accounts than from the lower stations.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page34" style="width: 197px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Greenlander in his Kayak"> - <img src="images/page34.png" width="197" height="91" alt="Greenlander in his Kayak" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">- 35 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>UPERNAVIK.—HOSPITALITY OF THE INHABITANTS.—DEATH AND BURIAL OF -GIBSON CARUTHERS.—A LUNCH ON BOARD.—ADIEU.</p> -</div> - - -<p>We put to sea early in the morning of the 12th, -and in the evening of the same day were at Upernavik. -The entrance to the harbor is somewhat unsafe, -owing to a reef which lies outside the anchorage; but -we were fortunate in obtaining a native pilot at Pröven, -and ran in without accident. This pilot was a -character in his way. It seems that he had been converted -from his heathen ways, and rejoiced in the -benefits of baptism and the name of Adam. Dressed -in a well-worn suit of seal-skins, Adam had about him -little of the sailor trigness; yet, though not a Palinurus, -no pilot in all the world had ever a higher appreciation -of his personal importance. His appearance, -however, was not calculated to inspire any great degree -of confidence in his skill; and the sailing-master -plied him so incessantly with questions that he at -length grew impatient; and, concentrating his vanity -and knowledge into one short sentence, which signified -plainly, "I am master of the situation," he informed -that officer that there was "plenty water all -de times, no rocks altogeder," and retired with every -mark of offended dignity. He was correct in his information, -if not in his English.</p> - -<p>We found the Danish brig <i>Thialfe</i> lying snugly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">- 36 -</span> -moored in the harbor, and we anchored close beside -her. This was the first vessel we had seen since leaving -the fishing-smacks off Cape Cod. She was taking -in oil and skins for Copenhagen, and her commander, -Mr. Bordolf, informed me that he expected to sail in a -few days,—a chance, at last, for letters to the anxious -ones at home.</p> - -<p>The people of the Colony were already much excited -over the arrival of the "Danske skip," and two -vessels in the port at once was a sight which they had -not for a long time witnessed. The moss-covered hill -which slopes from the town to the beach was covered -with a motley-group of men, women, and children, -presenting quite a picturesque appearance as we approached -the anchorage.</p> - -<p>Mr. Hansen received me with true Scandinavian -heartiness; and, escorting me to the government-house, -introduced me to the retiring Chief Trader, -Dr. Rudolph, a very gentlemanly representative of -the Danish Army, who was about returning home in -the <i>Thialfe</i>. Over a jug of home-brewed beer and a -Dutch pipe, we were soon discussing the prospect of -obtaining dogs and the state of the ice to the northward.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">UPERNAVIK</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE PARSONAGE</div> - -<p>Upernavik differs but little in its general appearance -from Pröven. There are a few more huts and a -few more inhabitants; and, from being the residence -of the Chief Trader for the "Upernavik district," -which includes Pröven and its dependencies, it has -attached to it something more of importance. Perhaps -this is, in a measure, due to a quaint little church -and a parsonage. To the parsonage I quickly found -my way, for I fancied that from behind the neat muslin -curtains of its odd little windows I detected a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">- 37 -</span> -female face. I tapped at the door, and was ushered -into a cosy little apartment, (the fastidious neatness of -which left no doubt as to the sex of its occupants,) by -the oddest specimen of woman-kind that ever answered -bell. She was a full-blown Esquimau, with coppery -complexion and black hair, which was twisted into a -knot on the top of her head. She wore a jacket -which extended to her waist, seal-skin pantaloons, and -boots reaching above the knees, dyed scarlet and embroidered -in a manner that would astonish the girls -of Dresden. The room was redolent of the fragrant -rose and mignonette and heliotrope, which nestled in -the sunlight under the snow-white curtains. A canary -chirped on its perch above the door, a cat was purring -on the hearth-rug, and an unmistakable gentleman -put out a soft white hand to give me welcome. It -was the Rev. Mr. Anton, missionary of the place. -Mrs. Anton soon emerged from a snug little chamber -adjoining. Her sister came in immediately afterward, -and we were soon grouped about a home-like table; -a genuine bottle of Lafitte, choice coffee, Danish fare, -and Danish heartiness, quickly made us forget the -hardships of our cramped life in the little tempest-tossed -schooner.</p> - -<p>My visit to Mr. Anton had, however, an association -of much sadness. A valued member of my party, -Mr. Gibson Caruthers, had died during the previous -night, and I called to ask the missionary to officiate at -the funeral service. His consent was promptly given, -and the hour of burial was fixed for the following -day.</p> - -<p>The burial of a companion, at any time painful, was -doubly so to us, isolated as we were from the world. -The deceased had endeared himself to all on board by -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">- 38 -</span> -his excellent qualities of head and heart; and the -suddenness of his death made the impression upon his -late associates all the more keenly felt. He had retired -the night before in perfect health, and was found -dead in his berth next morning. To the expedition -he was a serious loss. Besides Mr. Sonntag, he was -the only member of my party who had been in the -Arctic seas, and I had counted much upon his knowledge -and intelligence. He had served under De Haven -in the First Grinnell Expedition of 1850-51, and had -brought home an excellent record for fortitude and -daring.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ARCTIC SEPULCHRE.</div> - -<p>The burial-ground at Upernavik is a sad place for -human sepulchre. It lies on the hill-side above the -town, and is dreary and desolate past description. -It is made up of a series of rocky steps, on which lie, -covered over with piles of stones, (for there is no -earth,) a few rude coffins,—mournful resting-place -for those who sleep here their last sleep in the everlasting -winter. The body of poor Caruthers lies upon a -ledge overlooking the sea, which he loved so well, and -the beating surf will sing for him an eternal requiem.</p> - -<p>We were detained four days at Upernavik, collecting -dogs and accumulating the elements of an Arctic -wardrobe. This last consisted of reindeer, seal, and -dog skins, a quantity of which had been obtained at -Pröven, and placed in the hands of the native women, -to be converted into suitable garments. The boots -required the longest time to manufacture. They are -made of tanned seal-skin, sewed with sinew, and are -"crimped" and fitted to the foot in a very ingenious -manner. When properly made they are perfectly -water-proof. The boot worn by the half-civilized native -women is really a pretty as well as serviceable -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">- 39 -</span> -piece of cunning needlework. The tanned seal-skin, -by alternate freezing and thawing, and exposure to -the sun, becomes perfectly bleached, and in that condition -is readily stained with any color which woman's -caprice may suggest, or the Chief Trader may happen -to have in his store-room. The women of Greenland -are not exempt from the graceful vanities of other -lands. They are fond of gay colors, and do not disdain -admiration. Red boots, or white, trimmed with -red, seemed to be most in vogue, though, indeed, there -is no more an end to the variety than there is to the -strangeness of the fancy which suggests it. It would -be difficult to imagine a more ludicrous sight than -was presented by the crowd of red and yellow and -white and purple and blue legged women who crowded -along the beach as we entered the harbor.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">POPULATION OF UPERNAVIK.</div> - -<p>The population of Upernavik numbers about two -hundred souls, comprising about twenty Danes, and a -larger number of half-breeds, the remainder being native -Greenlanders, that is, Esquimaux. I shall have -more to say of them hereafter, my purpose now being -to carry the reader as rapidly as possible to the scene -of our explorations. He may indeed have as much -anxiety to get away from Upernavik as I had.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">NEW RECRUITS.</div> - -<p>Through the kindness of Mr. Hansen, I obtained -here three native hunters, and also an interpreter. -This latter had taken passage by the <i>Thialfe</i> for Copenhagen, -but he could not withstand the tempting -offer which I made him, and he quickly transferred -himself from the Danish brig to our crowded cabin. -He was a hearty, strong man, had lived in Greenland -for ten years; and, being more than usually intelligent, -had picked up on board the English whale-ships -a sufficient knowledge of the English language -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">- 40 -</span> -to insure his being a very useful member of my party -in the event of our falling in with Esquimaux, with -whose language he was perfectly familiar. Besides, -he was an excellent hunter and dog-driver; and, by -joining me, I secured his team of dogs, the finest in -all North Greenland. But unfortunately this involved -another halt, for they were sixty miles up the coast, -at Tessuissak, a small hunting station of which he was -Trader at the time of obtaining his leave of absence -to go home for the year. I also shipped two Danish -sailors, thus increasing my party to twenty souls. As -the new recruits will figure frequently in these pages, -I give their names:—</p> - -<table summary="recruits"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Peter Jensen</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Interpreter and dog-manager.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Carl Emil Olswig</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Sailor.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Carl Christian Petersen</span>,</td> - <td class="tdl">Sailor and Carpenter.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Peter</span> (converted Esquimau),</td> - <td class="tdl">Hunter and dog-driver.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Marcus</span>, " "</td> - <td class="tdl"> " "</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl"><span class="smcap">Jacob</span>, " "</td> - <td class="tdl"> " "</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>I owe much to the kindly disposition of the inhabitants -of Upernavik. Their simple though cordial -hospitality was a refreshing incident of our cruise; -and the constant desire to supply my wants, and the -pains which they took to furnish what I so much -needed, is gratefully remembered. If those in authority -had allowed me to shift for myself I should have -been badly off indeed. I mention it to their credit -that they refused compensation of every kind; and it -was not without great effort that I could prevail upon -any of them to accept so much as a barrel of flour or -a box of canned food. "You will want them more -than we," was the uniform answer. The Chief Trader -actually sent aboard a present I had made him in return -for the fine team of dogs which I owed to his -generosity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">- 41 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">A LUNCH ON BOARD.</div> - -<p>It was in some measure to show my appreciation -of the spirit which prompted these warm-hearted people -that I resolved to signalize our departure with a -<i>lunch</i> to the representatives of King Frederick the -Seventh, at this most northern outpost of Christian -settlement. Accordingly I sent my secretary, Mr. -Knorr, out with some formal-looking invitations, gotten -up in all the dignity of Parisian paper and rose-scented -wax. He came back in a few hours with -three couples. Two of the ladies were from the parsonage; -the other was the wife of the Chief Trader. -Dr. Rudolph, Mr. Hansen, and the missionary, were -their escorts. The master of the <i>Thialfe</i> was already -on board.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile our old Swedish cook had gone half -crazy, and the steward kept him company. To prepare -a lunch for ladies in these high latitudes was not -within their conception of the hard-fisted requirements -of exploration dignity. They "could <i>not</i> understand -it." The steward contrived, however, to -stow away in the bunks the seal-skins which encumbered -the cabin, and thus got rid of all our Greenland -rubbish but the odor. But it was not until the clean -white table-cloth, which he produced from some out-of-the-way -locker, was covered with the smoking dishes -which his ingenuity had contrived, that his face was -lit up with any thing approaching the kindly. Being, -however, in a general way a mild-mannered man, his -ferocious looks did not materially affect the progress -of the preparations; and the solemn face with which -he predicted, in great confidence, to the cook that -"such folly would bring us all to ruin, indeed it -would," at length wore a ghastly smile, and finally -exhibited decided manifestations of a forgiving disposition. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">- 42 -</span> -Indeed, he was in the end very proud of his -"spread."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A LUNCH ON BOARD.</div> - -<p>In truth, the spread was a very creditable affair. -The contents of our hermetically sealed cans furnished -a welcome variety to these dwellers in the land of -seals; the lakes of Greenland supplied some noble -salmon, and my lockers contributed something from -sunny France and golden Italy, and the materials for -an excellent punch from Santa Cruz. At first we got -on badly with the conversation, but by and by English, -Danish, German, and bad Latin became mixed -harmoniously together like the ingredients of the -punch; healths were drunk,—to the King, to the -President, to all good fortune, to ourselves, and -speeches were made, in which were duly set forth -the glorious memories of the children of Odin. The -merriment was waxing warm. Some one, stimulated -perhaps by a recent tribute of praise to the valiant -Harold and the Russian Maiden, and the fights and -loves of the vikings generally, had just proposed that -best toast of the sailor, "sweethearts and wives," and -obtained a fitting response, when the heavy thump -of a pair of mammoth sea-boots was heard on the -companion-ladder, and the master's mate broke in -upon us like the ghost of Banquo.</p> - -<p>"The officer of the deck directs me to report, sir, -that the dogs are all aboard, sir, and that he is hove -short on the anchor, as ordered, sir."</p> - -<p>"How's the wind?"</p> - -<p>"Light, and southerly, sir."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FAREWELL TO UPERNAVIK.</div> - -<p>There was no help for it. The guests must be got -away. The ladies' "things" were hunted up; the ladies -themselves were hurried over the gangway into -the boat; Dr. Rudolph took charge of our letters, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">- 43 -</span> -promising to deliver them to the American consul at -Copenhagen; "click, click," went the windlass; up -went our white wings, and the last link which bound -us to the world—the world of love and warm skies -and green meadows—was fairly broken, when we -caught from the hill-top the last glimpse of a gay -ribbon and the last flutter of a white handkerchief.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page43" style="width: 208px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Upernavik"> - <img src="images/page43.png" width="208" height="121" alt="Upernavik" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">- 44 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>AMONG THE ICEBERGS.—DANGERS OF ARCTIC NAVIGATION.—A NARROW -ESCAPE FROM A CRUMBLING BERG.—MEASUREMENT OF AN ICEBERG.</p> -</div> - - -<div class="sidenote">AMONG THE ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>Upernavik is not less the limit of safe navigation -than the remotest boundary of civilized existence. -The real hardships of our career commenced before its -little white gabled church was fairly lost against the -dark hills behind it. A heavy line of icebergs was discovered -to lie across our course; and, having no alternative, -we shot in among them. Some of them proved -to be of enormous size, upwards of two hundred feet -in height and a mile long; others were not larger -than the schooner. Their forms were as various as -their dimensions, from solid wall-sided masses of dead -whiteness, with waterfalls tumbling from them, to an -old weather-worn accumulation of Gothic spires, whose -crystal peaks and sharp angles melted into the blue -sky. They seemed to be endless and numberless, and -so close together that at a little distance they appeared -to form upon the sea an unbroken canopy of -ice; and when fairly in among them the horizon was -completely obliterated. Had we been in the centre -of the Black Forest, we could not have been more absolutely -cut off from "seeing daylight." As the last -streak of the horizon faded from view between the -lofty bergs behind us, the steward (who was of a poetical -turn of mind) came from the galley, and halting -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">- 45 -</span> -for an instant, cast one lingering look at the opening, -and then dropped through the companion scuttle, repeating -from the "Inferno":—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"They who enter here leave hope behind."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The officers were calling from below for their coffee, -and it was never discovered whether the steward was -thinking of the cabin or the icebergs.</p> - -<p>During four days we continued threading our way -through this apparently interminable labyrinth. The -days passed wearily away, for the wind, at best but a -"cat's paw," often died away to a dead calm, leaving -us to lounge through the hours in a chilly fog or in -the broad blaze of the constant daylight. If this state -of things had its novelty, it had too its dangers and -anxieties.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PHOTOGRAPHING.</div> - -<p>The bergs, influenced only by the under-currents, -were, to us, practically stationary; and the surface -flow of the water which drifted us to and fro, when -we lost our steerage-way, rendered our situation any -thing but safe. They soon came to be looked upon -as our natural enemies, and were eyed with suspicion. -We were often drifted upon them, and escaped not -without difficulty and alarm; and many times more -we saved ourselves from collision by the timely lowering -of the boats and taking the schooner in tow, or -by planting an ice-anchor in another berg and warping -ourselves into greater security. Sometimes we -tied up to a berg and waited for the wind. We had -hard work, and made little progress. I found consolation, -however, in my sketch-book, which was in -constant use; and one fine day I got out my photographic -apparatus. Landing on a neighboring island, -with the aid of my two young assistants, Radcliffe and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">- 46 -</span> -Knorr, I made my first trial at this new business. It -was altogether unsatisfactory, except to convince me -that, with perseverance, we might succeed in obtaining -at least fair pictures.</p> - -<p>Practically I knew nothing whatever of the art. It -was a great disappointment to me that I could not -secure for the expedition the services of a professional -photographer; but this deficiency did not, I am happy -to say, prevent me, in the end, from obtaining some -views characteristic of the rugged beauties of the Arctic -landscape. We had, however, only books to guide -us. With our want of knowledge and an uncomfortable -temperature to contend with, we labored under -serious disadvantages.</p> - -<p>Sonntag went ashore with me, and obtained good -sextant sights for our position, and some useful results -with the magnetometer. Knorr added to my collection -some fine specimens of birds. The gulls, mollimuks -and burgomeisters, the chattering kittiwake -and the graceful tern were very numerous. They -fairly swarmed upon the bergs. The hunters were -often out after eider-ducks, large flocks of which congregate -upon the islands, and sweep over us in long -undulating lines. Seals, too, were sporting about the -vessel, bobbing their intelligent, almost human-looking -faces up and down in the still water, marks for the -fatal rifles of our sportsmen. They looked so curiously -innocent while making their inspections of us -that I would not have had the heart to kill them, -were it not that they were badly needed for the dogs.</p> - -<p>We led a strange weird sort of life,—a spice of -danger, with much of beauty and a world of magnificence. -I should have found pleasure in the lazy hours, -but that each hour thus spent was one taken from my -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">- 47 -</span> -more serious purposes, and this reflection made the -days irksome to me.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN DANGER.</div> - -<p>Four days of almost constant calm would tax the -patience of even Job-like resignation. We had a -breath of wind now and then to tantalize us, treacherous -currents to keep us ever anxious, icebergs always -threatening us; now at anchor, then moored to -a berg, and again keeping free from danger through a -hard struggle with the oars. We had many narrow -escapes, one of which, as illustrating a peculiar feature -of Arctic navigation, is perhaps worthy of more particular -record.</p> - -<p>We had made a little progress during the night, -but soon after breakfast the wind died away, and the -schooner lay like a log upon the water. Giving too -little heed to the currents, we were eagerly watching -the indications of wind which appeared at the south, -and hoping for a breeze, when it was discovered that -the tide had changed, and was stealthily setting us -upon a nest of bergs which lay to leeward. One -of them was of that description known among the -crew by the significant title of "Touch me not," and -presented that jagged, honey-combed appearance indicative -of great age. They are unpleasant neighbors. -The least disturbance of their equilibrium may -cause the whole mass to crumble to pieces, and woe -be unto the unlucky vessel that is caught in the dissolution.</p> - -<p>In such a trap it seemed, however, that we stood a -fair chance of being ensnared. The current was carrying -us along at an uncomfortably rapid rate. A -boat was lowered as quickly as possible, to run out a -line to a berg which lay grounded about a hundred -yards from us. While this was being done, we grazed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">- 48 -</span> -the side of a berg which rose a hundred feet above -our topmasts, then slipped past another of smaller -dimensions. By pushing against them with our ice-poles -we changed somewhat the course of the schooner; -but when we thought that we were steering clear -of the mass which we so much dreaded, an eddy -changed the direction of our drift, and carried us almost -broadside upon it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FIGHTING AN ICEBERG.</div> - -<p>The schooner struck on the starboard quarter, and -the shock, slight though it was, disengaged some fragments -of ice that were large enough to have crushed -the vessel had they struck her, and also many little -lumps which rattled about us; but fortunately no person -was hit. The quarter-deck was quickly cleared, -and all hands, crowding forward, anxiously watched -the boat. The berg now began to revolve, and was -settling slowly over us; the little lumps fell thicker -and faster upon the after-deck, and the forecastle was -the only place where there was the least chance of -safety.</p> - -<p>At length the berg itself saved us from destruction. -An immense mass broke off from that part which was -beneath the surface of the sea, and this, a dozen times -larger than the schooner, came rushing up within a few -yards of us, sending a vast volume of foam and water -flying from its sides. This rupture arrested the revolution, -and the berg began to settle in the opposite -direction. And now came another danger. A long -tongue was protruding immediately underneath the -schooner; already the keel was slipping and grinding -upon it, and it seemed probable that we should be -knocked up into the air like a foot-ball, or at least -capsized. The side of our enemy soon leaned from us, -and we were in no danger from the worse than hail-stone-showers -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">- 49 -</span> -which had driven us forward; so we -sprang to the ice-poles, and exerted our strength in -endeavoring to push the vessel off. There were no -idle hands. Danger respects not the dignity of the -quarter-deck.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PULLING FOR LIFE.</div> - -<p>After we had fatigued ourselves at this hard labor -without any useful result, the berg came again to our -relief. A loud report first startled us; another and -another followed in quick succession, until the noise -grew deafening, and the whole air seemed a reservoir -of frightful sound. The opposite side of the berg had -split off, piece after piece, tumbling a vast volume of -ice into the sea, and sending the berg revolving back -upon us. This time the movement was quicker; fragments -began again to fall; and, already sufficiently -startled by the alarming dissolution which had taken -place, we were in momentary expectation of seeing -the whole side nearest to us break loose and crash -bodily upon the schooner, in which event she would -inevitably be carried down beneath it; as hopelessly -doomed as a shepherd's hut beneath an Alpine avalanche.</p> - -<p>By this time Dodge, who had charge of the boat, -had succeeded in planting an ice-anchor and attaching -his rope, and greeted us with the welcome signal, -"<i>Haul in</i>." We pulled for our lives, long and steadily. -Seconds seemed minutes, and minutes hours. At -length we began to move off. Slowly and steadily -sank the berg behind us, carrying away the main-boom, -and grazing hard against the quarter. But we -were safe. Twenty yards away, and the disruption -occurred which we had all so much dreaded. The side -nearest to us now split off, and came plunging wildly -down into the sea, sending over us a shower of spray, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">- 50 -</span> -raising a swell which set us rocking to and fro as if in -a gale of wind, and left us grinding in the <i>débris</i> of the -crumbling ruin.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CRUMBLING ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>At last we succeeded in extricating ourselves, and -were far enough away to look back calmly upon the -object of our terror. It was still rocking and rolling -like a thing of life. At each revolution fresh masses -were disengaged; and, as its sides came up in long -sweeps, great cascades tumbled and leaped from them -hissing into the foaming sea. After several hours it -settled down into quietude, a mere fragment of its former -greatness, while the pieces that were broken from -it floated quietly away with the tide.</p> - -<p>Whether it was the waves created by the dissolution -which I have just described, or the sun's warm -rays, or both combined, I cannot pretend to say, but -the day was filled with one prolonged series of reports -of crumbling icebergs. Scarcely had we been moored -in safety when a very large one about two miles distant -from us, resembling in its general appearance the -British House of Parliament, began to go to pieces. -First a lofty tower came plunging into the water, -starting from their inhospitable perch an immense -flock of gulls, that went screaming up into the air; -over went another; then a whole side settled squarely -down; then the wreck capsized, and at length after -five hours of rolling and crashing, there remained of -this splendid mass of congelation not a fragment that -rose fifty feet above the water. Another, which appeared -to be a mile in length and upwards of a hundred -feet in height, split in two with a quick, sharp, -and at length long rumbling report, which could -hardly have been exceeded by a thousand pieces of -artillery simultaneously discharged, and the two fragments -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">- 51 -</span> -kept wallowing in the sea for hours before -they came to rest. Even the berg to which we were -moored chimed in with the infernal concert, and discharged -a corner larger than St. Paul's Cathedral.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">EFFECTS OF DISSOLUTION.</div> - -<p>No words of mine can adequately describe the din -and noise which filled our ears during the few hours -succeeding the encounter which I have narrated, and -therefore I borrow from the "Ancient Mariner":—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"The ice was here,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The ice was there,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">The ice was all around;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">It creaked and growled,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And roared and howled</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Like demons in a swound."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It seemed, indeed, as if old Thor himself had taken -a holiday, and had come away from his kingdom of -Thrudwanger and his Winding Palace of five hundred -and forty halls, and had crossed the mountains -with his chariot and he-goats, armed with his mace -of strength, and girt about with his belt of prowess, -and wearing his gauntlets of iron, for the purpose -of knocking these Giants of the frost to right and -left for his own special amusement.</p> - -<p>It is, however, only at this season of the year that -the bergs are so unneighborly. They are rarely -known to break up except in the months of July and -August. It must be then owing to an unevenly -heated condition of the interior and exterior, caused -by the sun's warm rays playing upon them. From -the sunny side of a berg I have not unfrequently seen -pieces discharged in a line almost horizontal, with -great force, and with an explosive report like a quarryman's -blast. These explosions and the crumbling -of the ice are always attended with a cloud of vapor, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">- 52 -</span> -no doubt caused by the colder ice of the interior being -brought suddenly in contact with the warmer air. -The effect is often very remarkable as well as beautiful, -especially when the cloud reflects the rays of the -sun.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BEAUTIES OF THE ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>If, however, my pen cannot convey a picture of -these icebergs in their more terrible aspects, it will, I -fear, be equally impotent to portray their wondrous -beauties. I have tried it once before, and was much -dissatisfied with the result. I had then, however, a -soft sky, when the whole heavens were a mass of rich, -warm color, the sea a dissolved rainbow, and the bergs -great floating monoliths of malachite and marble -bathed in flame. Now the sky was gray, the air clear, -and the ice everywhere a dead white or a cold transparent -blue.</p> - -<p>I clambered up the sloping side of the berg to -which we were tied, and, from an elevation of nearly -two hundred feet, obtained a view which well repaid -me for the trouble of the venture. I am glad to say, -however, that I came down again before St. Paul's -Cathedral tumbled from its corner; an event which -sent us drifting away to a less uncomfortable neighborhood, -at the expense of an ice-anchor and eighty -fathoms of manilla line.</p> - -<p>As I approached the berg, I was struck with the -remarkable transparency of the water. Looking over -the gunwale of the boat, I could trace the ice stretching -downward apparently to an interminable distance. -Looking back at the schooner, its reflection was a perfect -image of itself, and it required only the separation -of it from the surrounding objects to give to the mind -the impression that two vessels, keel to keel, were floating -in mid-air. This singular transparency of the water -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">- 53 -</span> -was further shown when I had reached the top of the -berg. Off to the southeast a high rocky bluff threw -its dark shadow upon the water, and the dividing line -between sunlight and shade was so marked that it required -an effort to dispel the illusion that the margin -of sunlight was not the edge of a fathomless abyss.</p> - - -<div class="sidenote">VIEW FROM AN ICEBERG.</div> - -<p>It is difficult for the mind to comprehend the immense -quantity of ice which floated upon the sea -around me. To enumerate the separate bergs was -impossible. I counted five hundred, and gave up in -despair. Near by they stood out in all the rugged -harshness of their sharp outlines; and from this, softening -with the distance, they melted away into the -clear gray sky; and there, far off upon the sea of -liquid silver, the imagination conjured up effigies both -strange and wonderful. Birds and beasts and human -forms and architectural designs took shape in the distant -masses of blue and white. The dome of St. Peter's -loomed above the spire of Old Trinity; and under -the shadow of the Pyramids nestled a Byzantine tower -and a Grecian temple.</p> - -<p>To the eastward the sea was dotted with little islets,—dark -specks upon a brilliant surface. Icebergs, -great and small, crowded through the channels which -divided them, until in the far distance they appeared -massed together, terminating against a snow-covered -plain that sloped upward until it was lost in a dim -line of bluish whiteness. This line could be traced -behind the serrated coast as far to the north and -south as the eye would carry. It was the great <i>mer -de glace</i> which covers the length and breadth of the -Greenland Continent. The snow-covered slope was a -glacier descending therefrom,—the parent stem from -which had been discharged, at irregular intervals, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">- 54 -</span> -many of the icebergs which troubled us so much, and -which have supplied materials for this too long description.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TESSUISSAK.</div> - -<p>At length a strong breeze came moaning among -the bergs, and sent us on our way rejoicing. In the -evening; of August 21st we were moored in a little -harbor scarcely large enough for the schooner to turn -round. We lay abreast of a rocky slope on which -were pitched a few seal-skin tents, inhabited by a set -of well-to-do-looking Esquimaux. I noticed two or -three native huts, overgrown with moss and grass, and -one, better looking than the rest, in which Jensen, my -interpreter, informed me that he had resided. The -place is called Tessuissak, which means "the place -where there is a bay." Sonntag went ashore with his -sextant and "horizon," to find out its exact position -in the world, an event which had not before come to -pass in its history, and which I fear was not duly appreciated -by its inhabitants.</p> - -<p>We should have been away in a couple of hours; -but Jensen discovered that his team was scattered, -and many of the animals could not be found until -after much searching. Meanwhile some ice drifted -across the mouth of the harbor, and hermetically -sealed us up.</p> - -<p>At last the dogs were all aboard, something over -thirty in number. The poor ones I had either given -away or exchanged, and we had four superb teams. -Thirty wild beasts on the deck of a little schooner! -Think of it, ye who love a quiet life and a tidy ship! -Some of them were in cages arranged along the bulwarks; -others running about the deck; all of them -badly frightened, and most of them fighting. They -made day and night hideous with their incessant -howling.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">- 55 -</span></p> - -<p>We were all ready for sea, and impatient to be off. -Our Arctic wardrobe was complete with a few purchases -made of the natives in exchange for pork and -beans. We were thoroughly prepared for the ice encounters. -The lines were all neatly and carefully -coiled; the ice-anchors and ice-hooks and ice-saws and -ice-chisels and ice-poles were all so placed that they -were within easy reach when wanted. The capstan -and windlass were free, and Dodge, who had not -forgotten his naval experience, reported "the decks -cleared for action." Would the tide float away the ice -and let us out?</p> - -<p>I was growing very restless. The season was moving -on; already ice began to form; the temperature -was below freezing. The nights made a decided scum -on the fresh-water pools. I could count upon only -fifteen days of open season. The <i>Fox</i> was frozen up -in the "pack" on the 26th of August, 1857, only four -days later, notwithstanding her advantage of steam-power.</p> - -<p>I did every thing I could to while away the tedium -of this detention. I tried the photographic apparatus, -and with less satisfactory results than before. I -tried dredging, without much to show for it; botanizing, -and found nothing which I had not already in -my Pröven and Upernavik collections. The flowers -warned me of the approach of winter. The petals -had begun to fall, and their drooping heads wore a -melancholy look. They seemed to be pleading with -the chilly air for a little longer lease of life.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MEASUREMENT OF AN ICEBERG.</div> - -<p>One thing only was satisfactorily done. An immense -iceberg lay off the harbor, and I had the measurement -of it in my note-book, and a sketch of it in -my portfolio. The square wall which faced toward my -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">- 56 -</span> -base of measurement was three hundred and fifteen feet -high, and a fraction over three quarters of a mile long. -The natives told me that it had been grounded for -two years. Being almost square-sided above the sea, -the same shape must have extended beneath it; and -since, by measurements made two days before, I had -discovered that fresh-water ice floating in salt water -has above the surface to below it the proportion of -one to seven, this crystalized piece of Eric's Greenland -had stranded in a depth of nearly half a mile. A rude -estimate of this monster, made on the spot, gave me -in cubical contents about twenty-seven thousand millions -of feet, and in weight something like two thousand -millions of tons. I leave the reader to calculate -for himself its equivalent in dollars and cents, were -it transported to the region of ice-creams and sherry-cobblers, -and how much of it would be required to -pay off the national debt, and how much more than -half a century it would withstand the attacks of the -whole civilized world upon it, for all those uses to -which luxury-loving man puts the skimmings of the -Boston ponds.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HEADING FOR MELVILLE BAY.</div> - -<p>The tide at length carried off the ice which imprisoned -us, and in the evening of the 22d we were again -threading our way among the bergs and islands. -Cape Shackleton and the Horse's Head lay off the -starboard bow, and we were shaping our course for -Melville Bay.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="Snowflake" style="width: 79px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Snowflake"> - <img src="images/page56.png" width="79" height="66" alt="Snowflake (magnified three diameters)" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">- 57 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>ENTERING MELVILLE BAY.—THE MIDDLE ICE.—THE GREAT POLAR CURRENT—A -SNOW STORM.—ENCOUNTER WITH AN ICEBERG.—MAKING CAPE YORK—RESCUE -OF HANS.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The sun was now no longer above the horizon at -midnight, and the nights were growing gloomy, a circumstance -which warned us to additional carefulness.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding our precautions, we narrowly escaped -running upon a sunken reef which lies off the -Horse's Head, and is not laid down on the chart. We -came also among some ice-fields, the first that we had -yet encountered. The waves were rolling in threateningly -from the southwest, and the ice, tossing madly -upon them, gave us an uncomfortable sense of insecurity; -but we escaped into clear water after receiving -a few thumps which did no material damage to our -solid bows.</p> - -<p>By eight o'clock in the morning we had Wilcox -Point clearly in view, and the Devil's Thumb loomed -above a light cloud which floated along its base. Before -us lay Melville Bay. Climbing to the fore-yard, -I swept the horizon with my glass;—there was no -ice in sight except here and there a vagrant berg. -To the westward an "ice-blink" showed us that the -"pack" lay there; but before us all was clear,—nothing -in sight but the "swelling and limitless billows."</p> - -<p>No discovery of my life ever gave me greater gratification. -The fortunes of the expedition were, at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">- 58 -</span> -least for the present year, dependent upon an open -season, and my most sanguine anticipations did not -equal the apparent reality.</p> - -<p>In order that the reader may appreciate, in some -measure, the satisfaction which I took in the prospect -that opened before me, it is necessary that I should -here pause to give a general description of the region -we were about to traverse, and an explanation of -the physical conditions which made this portion of -the Greenland waters of such conspicuous importance -in the destinies of our voyage.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MELVILLE BAY.</div> - -<p>The shores of Melville Bay, as laid down on the -maps, appear as a simple curved line of the Greenland -coast; but the Melville Bay of the geographer comprehends -much less than that of the mariner. The -whalers have long called by that name the expansion -of Baffin Bay which begins at the south with the -"middle ice," and terminates at the north with the -"North Water." The North Water is sometimes -reached near Cape York, in latitude 76°, but more -frequently higher up; and the "middle ice," which -is more generally known as "the pack," sometimes -stretches down to the Arctic Circle. This pack is -made up of drifting ice-floes, varying in extent from -feet to miles, and in thickness from inches to fathoms. -These masses are sometimes pressed close together, -having but little or no open space between them; -and sometimes they are widely separated, depending -upon the conditions of the wind and tide. They are -always more or less in motion, drifting to the north, -south, east, or west, with the winds and currents. The -penetration of this barrier is usually an undertaking -of weeks or months, and is ordinarily attended with -much risk.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">- 59 -</span></p> - -<p>Since the days when Baffin first penetrated these -waters, in the <i>Discovery</i>, a vessel of fifty-eight tons burden, -(it was in the year 1616,) a fleet of whale-ships -has annually run this gauntlet. The fleet was once -large, numbering upwards of a hundred sail; but of -latter years it has been reduced to less than one tenth -of its former magnitude. Great though the danger, it -has always been a favorite route of the whale fishers. -Many a stout ship has gone down with her sides mercilessly -crushed in by the "thick-ribbed ice;" but -those vessels which escape disaster almost uniformly -return home with holds well filled with the blubber -and oil of unlucky whales whose evil destiny led them -to frequent the waters about Lancaster Sound, Pond's -Bay, and the coasts below.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MIDDLE ICE.</div> - -<p>The "middle ice" is always more or less in motion, -and is never tightly closed up, even in midwinter. -Of this we have abundant proof in the fate of the -Steamer <i>Fox</i>, which was caught towards the close of -the autumn, and released in the spring, after a perilous -winter drift, down near the Arctic Circle.</p> - -<p>As the summer advances, it becomes more and more -broken up; and, little by little, the solid land-belt, which -is known as the "fast" or "land-ice," is encroached -upon. Of this, however, there usually remains a narrow -strip up to the close of the season. To it the -whalers cling most tenaciously, and the exploring vessels -have usually followed their example, taking always -the last crack that has opened, or, as they call -it, the "in-shore lead." They have naturally a great -horror of being caught in the "pack." The "fast" -gives them security if the wind brings the ice down -upon them from the westward, for they can always -saw a dock for their ships in the solid ice, or find a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">- 60 -</span> -bight in which to moor the vessel. They have always, -too, the advantage of being able, when the ice is loose -and there is no wind, to tow their vessel along its -margin with the crew, steam being rarely used by the -whalers.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE GREAT POLAR CURRENT.</div> - -<p>The currents have much to do with the formation -of this barrier. The great Polar Current coming down -through the Spitzbergen Sea along the eastern coast -of Greenland, laden with its heavy freight of ice, and -bringing from the rivers of Siberia a meagre supply -of drift-wood to the Greenlanders, sweeps around Cape -Farewell and flows northward as far as Cape York, -where it is deflected to the westward. Joining here -the ice-encumbered current which comes from the -Arctic Ocean through Smith, Jones, and Lancaster -Sounds, it flows thence southward, past Labrador and -Newfoundland, receives on its way an accession of -strength from Hudson Strait, wedges itself in between -the Gulf Stream and the shore, gives cool, refreshing -waters to the bathers of Newport and Long Branch, -and is finally lost off the Capes of Florida.</p> - -<p>Now it will readily be seen, by the most casual -glance at any map of Baffin Bay, that this movement -of the current forms, where the middle ice is found, a -sort of slow-moving whirlpool, and this it is which -locks up the ice and prevents its more rapid movement -southward. It will also be readily understood -that, by the end of August, the pack has been very -materially shorn of its dimensions. The sun above -and the waters beneath have both eaten it away, until -much of it has disappeared altogether, and all of it -has become more or less rotten. The month of August -is necessarily the most favorable period of the -year for the navigation of this sea, so far as concerns -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">- 61 -</span> -the ice; but the winter is then near at hand, and presents -a serious source of danger; for if the ice once -closes around you, the first fall of temperature may -glue you fast for the next ten months to come. The -whalers usually take the pack in May or June, and -even sometimes earlier, when the ice is hard and is -just beginning to break up.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SNOW-STORM.</div> - -<p>When we entered Melville Bay there were but -eight days remaining to us of the month of August. -I had to regret the loss of time at the settlements; -but this was unavoidable. Before leaving Upernavik I -had resolved upon the course which I would pursue,—to -take the pack whenever we should find it, enter it -at the most favorable opening, and, without looking -for the land ice, to make the most direct line for Cape -York. It was much in our favor that the wind had -prevailed for many days from the eastward, and had -apparently pushed the whole pack over toward the -American side, opening for us a clear, broad expanse -of water. Would it so remain, and give us a free -passage to Cape York? I have already said that -I saw its reflection over the clouds,—the "ice-blink" -to the westward. It was not far away. Would it -remain so?</p> - -<p>While reflecting upon the chances ahead the wind -rose, and blew half a gale. A heavy sea was getting -up behind us. A dark cloud, which had hung upon -the southern horizon for some time, came climbing up -the sky, and at length spreading itself out in flying -fragments, it shook over us a shower of frozen vapor, -and then settled into a regular snow storm. Unable -to see fifty yards on either side, I came down from my -uncomfortable perch on the fore-yard.</p> - -<p>It became now a subject for serious consideration -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">- 62 -</span> -whether we should continue on in our course, or heave -to and wait for better weather. In either case we -were exposed to much risk. By heaving to, the vessel -would not be under command; and, drifting -through the gloom, we stood a fair chance of settling -upon a stray berg or upon the ice-fields which we had -every reason to suppose would, sooner or later, obstruct -our progress; besides, and it was not an unimportant -consideration, we lost a fine wind. On the -other hand, by holding on, although we had the vessel -under control, there was an even chance that, in -the event of ice lying in our course, we would not be -able to see it through the thick atmosphere in time to -avoid it. The question was, however, quickly decided. -Preferring that danger which had some energy in it, -I reefed every thing down, pointed the schooner's -head for Cape York, and went at it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ANXIOUS NIGHT.</div> - -<p>I paced the deck in much anxiety of mind. We -were traversing a sea which no keel had ever plowed -before without meeting ice, and why should better fortune -be in store for our little craft. The air was so -thick that I could sometimes barely see the lookout -on the forecastle; then again it would lighten up, and, -underneath the broad canopy of dark vapors, which -seemed to be supported by the icebergs that here and -there appeared, I could see a distance of several miles. -Then again the air became thick with the falling snow -and rattling hail; the wind whistled through the rigging, -and all the while the heavy waves were rolling -up behind us, deluging the decks, and threatening to -swallow us up. I shall not soon forget our first ten -hours in Melville Bay.</p> - -<p>At length, after a few hours of this wild running, -my ear, which was keenly alive to every impression, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">- 63 -</span> -caught the sound of breakers. The lookout gave the -alarm a moment afterward.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ENCOUNTER WITH AN ICEBERG.</div> - -<p>"Where away?"</p> - -<p>"I can't make out, sir."</p> - -<p>The sound came from an object which was evidently -near at hand, but no one could tell where. A few moments -more, and the loom of an iceberg appeared in -our course. There was no time for reflection, and it -was too late for action. To haul the schooner by the -wind was to insure our plunging broadside upon it; -and so indistinct was the object that we knew not -which way to steer. We could not see either end of -it or its top,—nothing but a white shimmer and a -line of angry surf.</p> - -<p>I have always found inaction to be a safe course -when one does not know what to do; and in the present -case that course saved us. Had I obeyed my first -impulse, and put the helm up, we should have gone -straight to ruin; as it was, we slipped past the ugly -monster, barely escaping a collision which, had it occurred, -would have been instantly fatal to the vessel, -and of course to every one on board. The fore-yard -actually grazed its side, and the surf was thrown back -upon us from the white wall. In a few moments the -berg was swallowed up in the gloom from which it -had so suddenly emerged.</p> - -<p>"A close shave, that!" said cool-headed Dodge.</p> - -<p>"Ver—very close," answered Starr, much as if -he had just received the first shock of a shower-bath.</p> - -<p>The old cook was called out of his galley to lend a -hand, and in the midst of the excitement he was heard -to growl out, "I don't see how I's to get de gentlemens' -dinner ready if I's to be called out of my galley -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">- 64 -</span> -in dis way to pull and haul on de ropes." He did not -seem to have a thought that there was, a moment -before, very little expectation on the part of "de -gentlemens" that any of them would have further -occasion for his services.</p> - -<p>This adventure inspired the crew with greater -confidence. I suppose they thought that, as two -cannon-balls never strike in the same spot, another -iceberg would not very likely lay in our course; and -so it fell out. The cry of "breakers" was often heard -from the forecastle-deck, but in the end the sound -proved to come from off the bow, and we passed on -unharmed.</p> - -<p>At length the wind blew itself out, the snow ceased -falling, the clouds broke, the sun shone out brightly, -and we lay becalmed not far from the centre of Melville -Bay. The snow and ice were shovelled from the -deck and beaten from the rigging. I went aloft again -with my glass. There were no ice-fields in sight, but -the reflection of them was still visible in the sky to -the westward.</p> - -<p>The sea was dotted over with icebergs, and it -seemed wonderful that we should have passed safely -between them. One near by particularly excited my -admiration. It was a perfect "triumphal arch," -through which the schooner might have passed with -perfect ease.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CAPE YORK IN SIGHT.</div> - -<p>The schooner lay motionless during the night, but -early in the morning a fair wind sent us again upon our -course, and this wind held steadily through the day. -Icebergs rose before us and set behind us in solemn -procession. My journal designates them as "mile-stones -of the ocean." The lofty, snow-crowned highlands -behind Cape York rose at length above the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">- 65 -</span> -horizon, and the bold, dark-sided cape itself was, after -a while, seen "advancing in the bosom of the sea."</p> - -<p>We did not meet any field-ice until near noon of -the 25th. I had been aloft in anxious watching during -almost all of the whole preceding day and night; -but when I had made up my mind that we should -clear Melville Bay without a single brush with the -enemy, a line of whiteness revealed itself in the distance. -We were not long in reaching it, and, selecting -the most conspicuous opening, forced our way -through. It proved to be only a loose "pack" about -fifteen miles wide, and, under a full pressure of canvas, -we experienced little difficulty in "boring" it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN THE NORTH WATER.</div> - -<p>And now we were in the "North Water." We had -passed Melville Bay in fifty-five hours.</p> - -<p>Standing close in under Cape York, I kept a careful -lookout for natives. The readers of the narrative of -Dr. Kane may remember that that navigator took -with him from one of the southern settlements of -Greenland a native hunter, who, after adhering to the -fortunes of the expedition through nearly two years, -abandoned it, (as reported,) for a native bride, to live -with the wild Esquimaux who inhabit the shores of -the headwaters of Baffin Bay. This boy was named -Hans. Anticipating that, growing tired of his self-imposed -banishment, he would take up his residence -at Cape York, with the hope of being picked up by -some friendly ship, I ran in to seek him. Passing -along the coast at rifle-shot I soon discovered a group -of human beings making signs to attract attention. -Heaving the vessel to, I went ashore in a boat, and -there, sure enough, was the object of my search. He -quickly recognized Sonntag and myself, and called us -by name.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">- 66 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ESQUIMAU FAMILY.</div> - -<p>Six years' experience among the wild men of this -barren coast had brought him to their level of filthy -ugliness. His companions were his wife, who carried -her first-born in a hood upon her back; her brother, a -bright-eyed boy of twelve years, and "an ancient -dame with voluble and flippant tongue," her mother. -They were all dressed in skins, and, being the first -Esquimaux we had seen whose habits remained wholly -uninfluenced by contact with civilization, they were, -naturally, objects of much interest to us all.</p> - -<p>Hans led us up the hill-side, over rough rocks and -through deep snow-drifts, to his tent. It was pitched -about two hundred feet above the level of the sea, in -a most inconvenient position for a hunter; but it was -his "lookout." Wearily he had watched, year after -year, for the hoped-for vessel; but summer after summer -passed and the vessel came not, and he still sighed -for his southern home and the friends of his youth.</p> - -<p>His tent was a sorry habitation. It was made after -the Esquimau fashion, of seal-skins, and was barely -large enough to hold the little family who were -grouped about us.</p> - -<p>I asked Hans if he would go with us.</p> - -<p>"Yes!"</p> - -<p>Would he take his wife and baby.</p> - -<p>"Yes!"</p> - -<p>Would he go without them.</p> - -<p>"Yes!"</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RESCUE OF HANS.</div> - -<p>Having no leisure to examine critically into the -state of his mind, and having an impression that the -permanent separation of husband and wife is regarded -as a painful event, I gave the Esquimau mother the -benefit of this conventional suspicion, and brought -them both aboard, with their baby and their tent and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">- 67 -</span> -all their household goods. The old woman and bright-eyed -boy cried to be taken along; but I had no further -room, and we had to leave them to the care of -the remainder of the tribe, who, about twenty in -number, had discovered the vessel, and came shouting -gleefully over the hill. After distributing to them -some useful presents, we pushed off for the schooner.</p> - -<p>Hans was the only unconcerned person in the -party. I subsequently thought that he would have -been quite as well pleased had I left his wife and child -to the protection of their savage kin; and had I -known him as well then as, with good reason, I knew -him afterward, I would not have gone out of my way -to disturb his barbarous existence.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page67" style="width: 226px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Seal on Cake of Ice"> - <img src="images/page67.png" width="226" height="131" alt="Seal on Cake of Ice" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">- 68 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>HANS AND HIS FAMILY.—PETOWAK GLACIER.—A SNOW-STORM.—THE ICE-PACK.—ENTERING -SMITH'S SOUND.—A SEVERE GALE.—COLLISION WITH -ICEBERGS.—ENCOUNTER WITH THE ICE-FIELDS.—RETREAT FROM THE -PACK.—AT ANCHOR IN HARTSTENE BAY.—ENTERING WINTER QUARTERS.</p> -</div> - - -<p>It was five o'clock in the evening when I reached -the schooner. The wind had freshened during our -absence; and, unwilling to lose so favorable an opportunity -for pushing on, I had hastened on board. -Otherwise I should gladly have given some time to -an examination of the native village which lies a few -miles to the eastward of the cape, on the northern -side of a conspicuous bay, near a place called Kíkertait,—"The -Place of Islands."</p> - -<p>In anticipation of a heavy blow and a dirty night, -McCormick had, during my absence, taken a reef in -the sails, and the little schooner, with her canvas shivering -in the wind, seemed impatient as a hound in the -leash. When the helm went up, she wheeled round -to the north with a graceful toss of her head, and, -after steadying herself for an instant, as if for a good -start, she shot off before the wind at ten knots an -hour. Capes, bays, islands, glaciers, and icebergs sank -rapidly behind us; and, rejoicing over their extraordinary -fortune, the ship's company were in the best of -spirits. As we dashed on through nest after nest of -icebergs, it was curious to observe the evidences of -reckless daring which inspired their thoughts. Dodge -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">- 69 -</span> -had the deck, and Charley, as dare-devil an old sailor -as ever followed the fortunes of the sea, had the helm; -and it seemed to me, as I sat upon the fore-yard, that -there was some quiet understanding between the two -to see how near they could come to the icebergs without -hitting them. We passed through many narrow -places; but instead of finding the schooner in the -middle of the channel, she generally managed to fall -off to one side or the other at the critical moment (of -course, by mere accident); and when I shouted a remonstrance -at the lubberly steering, I was answered -with the assurance that the schooner would not obey -her helm with so much after-sail on, when running before -the wind; so I accordingly hove the schooner to, -and close-reefed the mainsail; and now, either from -the want of a reasonable excuse for doing otherwise, -or from a real difficulty being overcome, the vessel -was made to keep somewhat nearer to a straight -course; and we dashed on through the waveless -waters with a celerity which, in view of our surroundings, -fairly made one's head swim.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A HAZARDOUS PASSAGE.</div> - -<p>I was once not a little alarmed. Before us lay what -appeared to be two icebergs separated by a distance -of about twenty fathoms. To go around them was to -deviate from our course, and I called to Dodge to -know if he could steady the schooner through the -narrow passage. Ever ready when there was a spice -of danger, he willingly assumed the responsibility of -the schooner's behavior, and we approached the entrance; -but, when it was too late to turn either to the -right or left, I discovered, much to my amazement, -that the objects which I had supposed to be two bergs -were in fact but portions of the same mass, connected -together by a link which was only a few feet below -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">- 70 -</span> -the surface of the water. The depth of water proved, -however, to be greater than at first appeared, but the -keel actually touched twice as we shot through the -opening; and while the schooner was, with some hesitancy -and evident reluctance, doing this sledge duty, -I must own that I wished myself anywhere else than -on her fore-yard.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HANS AND HIS FAMILY.</div> - -<p>The officers and men amused themselves with our -new allies. Hans was delighted, and he expressed -himself with as much enthusiasm as was consistent -with his stolid temperament. His wife exhibited a -mixture of bewilderment and pride; and, apparently -overwhelmed with the novelty of the situation in -which she so suddenly found herself, seemed to have -contracted a chronic grin; while her baby laughed -and crowed and cried as all other babies do.</p> - -<p>The sailors set to work at once with tubs of warm -water and with soap, scissors, and comb, to prepare -them for red shirts and other similar luxuries of civilization. -At this latter they were overjoyed, and strutted -about the deck with much the same air of exalted -consequence as that of a boy who has been freshly promoted -from frock and shoes to pantaloons and boots; -but it must be owned that the soap-and-water arrangement -was not so highly appreciated; and well they -might object, for they were not used to it. At first -the whole procedure seemed to be great sport, but at -length the wife began to cry, and demanded of her -husband to know whether this was a white man's religious -rite, with an expression of countenance which -appeared to indicate that it was regarded by her as a -refined method of Christian torture. The family were -finally stowed away for the night down among the -ropes and sails in the "ship's eyes;" and one of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">- 71 -</span> -sailors who played chamberlain on the occasion, and -who appeared to be not overly partial to this increase -of our family, remarked that, "If good for nothing -else, they are at least good lumber for strengthening -the schooner's bows against the ice."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PETOWAK GLACIER.</div> - -<p>The coast which we were passing greatly interested -me. The trap formation of Disco Island reappears -at Cape York, and the land presents a lofty, ragged -front, broken by deep gorges which have a very picturesque -appearance, and the effect was much heightened -by numerous streams of ice which burst through -the openings. One of these figures on the chart as -Petowak Glacier. Measuring it as we passed with -log-line and chronometer, it proved to be four miles -across. The igneous rocks are interrupted at Cape -Athol, on the southern side of Wolstenholme Sound, -and the lines of calcareous sandstone and greenstone -which meet the eye there and at Saunders Island and -the coast above, toward Cape Parry, brought to my -recollection many a hard struggle of former years. -They were familiar landmarks.</p> - -<p>At eight o'clock in the evening we were abreast of -Booth Bay, the winter quarters in my boat journey -of 1854. I could distinguish through my glass the -rocks among which we had built our hut. They were -suggestive of many unpleasant memories.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MEETING THE ICE PACK.</div> - -<p>Soon afterward the sky became overcast, and a -heavy snow began to fall. The wind dying away to -a light breeze, we jogged on through the day, and, -passing Whale Sound, outside of Hakluyt Island, were, -at five o'clock in the evening, within thirty miles of -Smith's Sound. Here we came upon an ice-pack which -appeared to be very heavy and to stretch off to the -southwest; but the air being too thick to warrant us -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">- 72 -</span> -in approaching near enough to inspect its character, -we began to beat to windward with the hope of reaching -the lee side of Northumberland Island, there to -await better weather. In this purpose we were, however, -defeated, for, the wind falling almost to calm, we -were forced to grope about in the gloom, seeking an -iceberg for a mooring; but the waves proved to be -running too high to admit of our landing from a boat, -and we passed the night in much uneasiness, drifting -northward. Fortunately the pack was moving in the -same direction, otherwise we should have been carried -upon it. The breakers could be distinctly heard all -the time, and on several occasions we caught sight of -them; but, by availing ourselves of every puff of -wind to crawl off, we escaped without collision. Once -I was satisfied that we had no alternative but to wear -round and plunge head foremost into the danger, -rather than await the apparent certainty of drifting -broadside upon it; but at the critical moment the -wind freshened, and, continuing for a few hours, we -held our own while the pack glided slowly away -from us.</p> - -<p>Our dogs had made a heavy drain upon our water-casks, -and the watch was engaged during the night in -melting the snow which had fallen upon the deck. -We also fished up from the sea some small fragments -of fresh ice with a net. By these means we obtained -a supply of water sufficient to last us for several days.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="map_fpg72" style="width: 355px;"> - <a href="images/map_fpg72_lg.png"><img src="images/map_fpg72.png" width="355" height="602" alt="MAP OF SMITH SOUND, SHOWING DR. HAYES' TRACK AND DISCOVERIES" /></a> - <div class="tdc smaller"><img src="images/magnifier2.png" alt="" /> Click on image to view larger sized</div> -</div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">- 73 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ENTERING SMITH'S SOUND.</div> - -<p>The wind hauled to the northeast as the morning -dawned, and the clouds broke away, disclosing the -land. Cape Alexander, whose lofty walls guard the -entrance to Smith's Sound, appeared to be about -twenty miles away, and Cape Isabella, thirty-five miles -distant from it, was visible on the opposite side. Holding -to the eastward toward Cape Saumarez, we found -a passage through the pack near the shore, but afterward -the greater part of the day was passed in a provoking -calm, during which, being embarrassed by a -strong tidal-current that set us alternately up and -down the coast, we were obliged almost constantly to -use the boats to keep ourselves clear of the bergs, -which were very numerous, and many of them of immense -size. We were, however, at length gratified to -find ourselves passing with a fair wind into Smith's -Sound, the field of our explorations. Standing over -toward Cape Isabella, we had for a time every prospect -of good fortune before us, but a heavy pack was, -after a while, discovered from the mast-head, and this -we were not long in reaching.</p> - -<p>This pack was composed of the heaviest ice-fields -that I had hitherto seen, and its margin, trending -to the northeast and southwest, arrested our further -progress toward the western shore. Many of the -floes were from two to ten feet above the water, thus -indicating a thickness of from twenty to a hundred -feet. Had they been widely separated, I should have -attempted to force a passage; but they were too -closely impacted to allow of this being done with any -chance of safety to the schooner.</p> - -<p>The ice appeared to be interminable. No open -water could be discovered in the direction of Cape -Isabella. The wind, being from the northeast, did not -permit of an exploration in that direction; so we ran -down to the southwest, anxiously looking for a lead, -but without discovering any thing to give us encouragement.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">STOPPED BY THE PACK.</div> - -<p>We were not, however, permitted to come to any -conclusions of our own as to what course we should -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">- 74 -</span> -pursue, for the most furious gale that it has ever -been my fortune to encounter broke suddenly upon -us, and left us no alternative but to seek shelter under -the coast. Our position was now one of great danger. -The heavy pack which we had passed the night previous -lay to leeward of us, and was even visible from -the mast-head, thus shutting off retreat in that direction, -even should our necessities give us no choice but -to run before the wind.</p> - -<p>The entries of my diary will perhaps best exhibit -the ineffectual struggle which followed:—</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -<i>August 28th, 3 o'clock, P. M.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p>Blowing frightfully. We have run in under the -coast, and are partly sheltered by it, and trying hard -to find an anchorage. But for the protection of the -land we could not show a stitch of canvas. We are -about three miles from Sutherland Island, which lies -close to Cape Alexander, on its south side, but we -have ceased to gain any thing upon it. We can carry -so little sail that the schooner will not work to windward; -besides, here under the coast, the wind comes -only in squalls. If we can only get in between the -island and the mainland we shall be all right. I have -not been in bed since the day before leaving Tessuissak, -and during these six days I have snatched only -now and then a little sleep. If our anchor once gets -a clutch on the bottom I shall make up for lost time.</p> - -<p>I ought to have been more cautious, and sought -shelter sooner. A heavy white cloud hanging over -Cape Alexander (Jensen calls it a "table-cloth") -warned me of the approaching gale, but then I did -not think it would come upon us with such fury.</p> - -<p>It is a perfect hurricane. My chief fear is that we -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">- 75 -</span> -will be driven out to sea, which is everywhere filled -with heavy ice.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -August 29th, 12 o'clock, M.<br /> -</p> - -<p>There has been a dead calm under the coast for an -hour. The "table-cloth" has lifted from the cape, and -there is a decided change in the northern sky. The -light windy clouds are disappearing, and stratus clouds -are taking their place. The neck of the gale appears -to be broken.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -2 o'clock, P. M.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SEVERE GALE.</div> - -<p>My calculations of the morning were quite wrong. -The gale howls more furiously than ever. We are -lying off Cape Saumarez, about two miles from shore. -Failing to reach Sutherland Island, we were forced to -run down the coast with the hope of finding shelter -in the deep bay below; but the wind, sweeping round -the cape, drove us back, and we are now trying to -crawl in shore and get an anchor down in a little -cove near by, and there repair our torn sails. We -are a very uncomfortable party. The spray flies -over the vessel, sheathing her in ice. Long icicles -hang from the rigging and the bulwarks. The bob-stays -and other head-gear are the thickness of a man's -body; and, most unseamanlike procedure, we have to -throw ashes on the deck to get about.</p> - -<p>I can now readily understand how Inglefield was -forced to fly from Smith's Sound. If the gale which -he encountered resembled this one, he could not, with -double the steam-power of the <i>Isabella</i>, have made -headway against it. Were I to leave the shelter of -these friendly cliffs I should have to run with even -greater celerity;—and, very likely, to destruction.</p> - -<p>The squalls which strike us are perfectly terrific, -and the calms which follow them are suggestive of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">- 76 -</span> -gathering strength for another stroke. Fortunately -the blows are of short duration, else our already damaged -canvas, which is reduced to the smallest possible -dimensions, would fly into ribbons.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SEEKING SHELTER.</div> - -<p>The coast which gives us this spasmodic protection -is bleak enough. The cliffs are about twelve hundred -feet high, and their tops and the hills behind -them are covered with the recent snows. The wind -blows a cloud of drift over the lofty wall, and, after -whirling it about in the air, in a manner which, under -other circumstances, would no doubt be pretty enough, -drops it upon us in great showers. The winter is setting -in early. At this time of the season in 1853-54 -these same hills were free from snow, and so remained -until two weeks later.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -10 o'clock, P. M.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A WILD SCENE.</div> - -<p>We have gained nothing upon the land, and are almost -where we were at noon. The gale continues as -before, and hits us now and then as hard as ever. -The view from the deck is magnificent beyond description. -The imagination cannot conceive of a -scene more wild. A dark cloud hangs to the northward, -bringing the white slopes of Cape Alexander -into bold relief. Over the cliffs roll great sheets of -drifting snow, and streams of it pour down every ravine -and gorge. Whirlwinds shoot it up from the hill-tops, -and spin it through the air. The streams which -pour through the ravines resemble the spray of mammoth -waterfalls, and here and there through the fickle -cloud the dark rocks protrude and disappear and protrude -again. A glacier which descends through a valley -to the bay below is covered with a broad cloak -of revolving whiteness. The sun is setting in a black -and ominous horizon. But the wildest scene is upon -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">- 77 -</span> -the sea. Off the cape it is one mass of foam. The -water, carried along by the wind, flies through the air -and breaches over the lofty icebergs. It is a most -wonderful exhibition. I have tried in vain to illustrate -it with my pencil. My pen is equally powerless. -It is impossible for me to convey to this page a picture -of that vast volume of foam which flutters over -the sea, and, rising and falling with each pulsation of -the inconstant wind, stands out against the dark sky, -or of the clouds which fly overhead, rushing, wild and -fearful, across the heavens, on the howling storm. -Earth and sea are charged with bellowing sounds. -Upon the air are borne shrieks and wailings, loud and -dismal as those of the infernal blast which, down in -the second circle of the damned, appalled the Italian -bard; and the clouds of snow and vapor are tossed -upon the angry gusts,—now up, now down,—as -spirits, condemned of Minos, wheel their unhappy -flight in endless squadrons,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Swept by the dreadful hurricane along."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>In striking contrast to the cold and confusion above -is the warmth and quiet here below. I write in the -officers' cabin. The stove is red-hot, the tea-kettle -sings a home-like song. Jensen is reading. McCormick, -thoroughly worn out with work and anxiety, -sleeps soundly, and Knorr and Radcliffe keep him -company. Dodge has the deck; and here comes the -cook staggering along with his pot of coffee. I will -fortify myself with a cup of it, and send Dodge below -for a little comfort.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>The cook had no easy task in reaching the cabin -over the slippery decks.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">- 78 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">A CABIN SCENE.</div> - -<p>"I falls down once, but de Commander see I keeps -de coffee. It's good an' hot, and very strong, and go -right down into de boots."</p> - -<p>"Bad night on deck, cook."</p> - -<p>"Oh, it's awful, sar! I never see it blow so hard -in all my life, an' I's followed de sea morn 'n forty -year. And den it's so cold. My galley is full of ice, -and de water it freeze on my stove."</p> - -<p>"Here, cook, is a guernsey for you; that will keep -you warm."</p> - -<p>"Tank you, sar!"—and he starts off with his prize; -but, encouraged by his reception, he stops to ask, -"Would de Commander be so good as to tell me where -we is? De gentlemens fool me."</p> - -<p>"Certainly, cook. The land over there is Greenland. -That big cape is Cape Alexander; beyond that -is Smith's Sound, and we are only about eight hundred -miles from the North Pole."</p> - -<p>"De Nort' Pole, vere's dat?"</p> - -<p>I explained the best I could.</p> - -<p>"Tank you, sar. Vat for we come—to fish?"</p> - -<p>"No, not to fish, cook; for science."</p> - -<p>"Oh, dat it? Dey tell me we come to fish. Tank -you, sar." And he pulls his greasy cap over his bald -head, and does not appear to be much wiser as he -tumbles up the companion-ladder into the storm. -Somebody has hoaxed the old man into the belief that -we have come out to catch seals.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -August 30th, 1 o'clock, A. M.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The wind is hauling to the eastward, and the -squalls come thicker and faster. We are drifting both -up and from the coast, and I fear that if we recede -much further we shall be sent howling to sea under -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">- 79 -</span> -bare poles. It is not a pleasing reflection—a "pack" -and a thousand icebergs to leeward, and an unmanageable -vessel under foot. McCormick is struggling -manfully for the shore.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -10 o'clock, A. M.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT ANCHOR.</div> - -<p>We reached the shore this morning at 3 o'clock, -and anchored in four fathoms water. The stern of the -schooner was swung round and moored with our stoutest -hawser to a rock; but a squall fell upon us soon -afterward with such violence that, although the sails -were all snugly stowed, the hawser was parted like -a whip-cord; and we now lie to our "bower" and -"kedge," with thirty fathoms chain.</p> - -<p>And now, in apparent security, the ship's company -abandon themselves to repose. Weary and worn with -the hard struggle and exposure, we were all badly in -need of rest. An abundant supply of hot coffee was -our first refreshment. But, notwithstanding their fatigue, -some of the more enthusiastic members of the -party went ashore, so anxious were they to touch this -far-north land.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -8 o'clock, P. M.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have just returned from a tedious climb to the -top of the cliffs. At an elevation of twelve hundred -feet I had a good view. The sea is free from ice -along the shore apparently up to Littleton Island, -from which the pack stretches out over the North -Water as far as the eye will carry. There appears -to be much open water about Cape Isabella, but I -could not of course see the shore line. Above the -cape the ice appeared to be solid. Although the prospect -is discouraging, I have determined to attempt a -passage with the first favorable wind.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">VIEW FROM THE CLIFFS.</div> - -<p>The journey was a very difficult one, and when I -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">- 80 -</span> -had reached the summit of the cliff I was almost -blown over it. The force of the wind was so great -that I was obliged to steady myself against a rock -while making my observations. Knorr, who accompanied -me, lost his cap, and it went sailing out over -the sea as if a mere feather. The scene was but a -broader panorama of that which I described in this -journal yesterday. It was a grand, wild confusion of -the elements. The little schooner, far down beneath -me, was writhing and reeling with the fitful gusts, -and straining at her cables like a chained wild beast. -The clouds of drifting snow which whirled through -the gorges beneath me, now and then hid her and -the icebergs beyond from view; and when the air fell -calm again the cloud dropped upon the sea, and the -schooner, after a short interval of unrest, lay quietly -on the still water, nestling in sunshine under the protecting -cliffs.</p> - -<p>There are yet some lingering traces of the summer. -Some patches of green moss and grass were -seen in the valleys, where the snow had drifted away; -and I plucked a little nosegay of my old friends the -poppies and the curling spider-legged <i>Saxifraga flagelaris</i>. -The frost and snow and wind had not robbed -them of their loveliness and beauty. The cliffs are -of the same sandstone, interstratified with greenstone, -which I have before remarked of the coast -below.</p> - -<p>McCormick has replaced the old foresail which -was split down the centre, with the new one, and has -patched up the mainsail and jib, both of which were -much torn.</p> - -<p>An immense amount of ice has drifted past us, but -we are too far in-shore for any masses of considerable -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">- 81 -</span> -size to reach the vessel. Three small bergs have, -however, grounded in a cluster right astern of us, -and if we drag our anchors we shall bring up against -them. A perfect avalanche of wind tumbles upon us -from the cliffs; and instead of coming in squalls, as -heretofore, it is now almost constant. The temperature -is 27°.</p> - -<p>I made a trial to-day with the dredge, but nothing -was brought up from the bottom except a couple of -echinoderms (<i>Asterias Grœnlandica</i> and <i>A. Albula</i>). The -sea is alive with little shrimps, among which the <i>Crangon -Boreas</i> is most abundant. The full-grown ones are -an inch long, and their tinted backs give a purplish -hue to the water.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -August 31st, 8 o'clock, P. M.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DRIVEN FROM SHELTER.</div> - -<p>Night closes upon a day of disaster,—a day, I -fear, of evil omen. My poor little schooner is terribly -cut up.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BACK IN SMITH'S SOUND.</div> - -<p>Soon after making my last entry yesterday I lay -down for a little rest, but was soon aroused with the -unwelcome announcement that we were dragging our -anchors. McCormick managed to save the bower, -but the hedge was lost. It caught a rock at a critical -moment, and, the hawser parting, we were driven -upon the bergs, which, as before stated, had grounded -astern of us. The collision was a perfect crash. The -stern boat flew into splinters, the bulwarks over the -starboard-quarter were stove in, and, the schooner's -head swinging round with great violence, the jib-boom -was carried away, and the bow-sprit and foretop-mast -were both sprung. In this crippled condition -we at length escaped most miraculously, and under -bare poles scudded before the wind. A vast number -of icebergs and the "pack" coming in view, we were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">- 82 -</span> -forced to make sail. The mainsail went to pieces as -soon as it was set, and we were once more in great -jeopardy; but fortunately the storm abated, and we -have since been threshing to windward, and are once -more within Smith's Sound. Again the gale appears -to have broken; the northern sky is clear. Our spars -will not allow us to carry jib and topsail;—bad for -entering the pack.</p> - -<p>The temperature is 22°, and the decks are again -slippery with ice. Forward, the ropes, blocks, stays, -halyards, and every thing else, are covered with a -solid coating, and icicles a foot long hang from the -monkey-rail and rigging. If they look pretty enough -in the sunlight, they have a very wintry aspect, and -are not at all becoming to a ship.</p> - -<p>I tried this morning to reach Cape Isabella, but met -the pack where it had obstructed us before. Some -patches of open water were observed in the midst of -it; but we found it impossible to penetrate the intervening -ice. My only chance now is to work up the -Greenland coast, get hold of the fast ice, and, through -such leads as must have been opened by the wind -higher up the Sound, endeavor to effect a passage to -the opposite shore. Of reaching that shore I do not -yet despair, although the wind has apparently packed -the ice upon it to such a degree that it looks like a -hopeless undertaking. I have already an eye upon -Fog Inlet, twenty miles above Cape Alexander on -the Greenland coast, and I shall now try to reach that -point for a new start.</p> - -<p>While I write the wind is freshening, and under -close-reefed sails we are making a little progress. My -poor sailors have a sorry time of it, with the stiffened -ropes. The schooner, everywhere above the water, is -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">- 83 -</span> -coated with ice. The dogs are perishing with cold -and wet. Three of them have already died.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -September 1st, 8 o'clock, P. M.<br /> -</p> - -<p>We have once more been driven out of the Sound. -The gale set in again with great violence, and in the -act of wearing the schooner, to avoid an iceberg, the -fore-gaff parted in the middle; and, unable to carry -any thing but a close-reefed staysail, we were forced -again to seek shelter behind our old protector, Cape -Alexander. McCormick is patching up the wreck and -preparing for another struggle.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">ENTERING THE PACK</div> - -<p>The next two days were filled with dangerous adventure. -The broken spar being repaired, we had -another fight for the Sound, and got again inside. The -pack still lay where it was before, and again headed us -off. There was a good deal of open water between -Littleton Island and Cape Hatherton, and apparently -to the northwest of that cape; but there was much -heavy ice off the island, with tortuous leads separating -the floes. I determined, however, to enter the pack -and try to reach the open water above. Taking the -first fair opening, we made a northwest course for -about ten miles, when, finding that we were unable to -penetrate any further in that direction, we tacked -ship, hoping to reach the clear water that lay above -the island.</p> - -<p>We were now fairly in the fight. The current was -found to be setting strongly against us, and it was soon -discovered that the ice was coming rapidly down the -Sound, and that the leads were already slowly closing -up. We worked vigorously, crowding on all the sail -we could; but we did not make our point, and soon -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">- 84 -</span> -had to go about again; or rather, we tried to; for the -schooner, never reliable without her topsail, which we -could not carry owing to the accident to the topmast, -missed in stays; and, fearful of being nipped between -the fields which were rapidly reducing the open water -about us, we wore round; and, there not being sufficient -room, we were on the eve of striking with the -starboard-bow a solid ice-field a mile in width. There -was little hope for the schooner if this collision should -happen with our full headway; and being unable to -avoid it, I thought it clearly safest to take the shock -squarely on the fore-foot; so I ordered the helm up, -and went at it in true battering-ram style. To me -the prospect was doubly disagreeable. For the greater -facility of observation I had taken my station on the -foretop-yard; and the mast being already sprung and -swinging with my weight, I had little other expectation -than that, when the shock came, it would snap -off and land me with the wreck on the ice ahead. -Luckily for me the spar held firm, but the cut-water -flew in splinters with the collision, and the iron sheathing -was torn from the bows as if it had been brown -paper.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN THE PACK.</div> - -<p>And now came a series of desperate struggles. No -topsail-schooner was ever put through such a set of -gymnastic feats. I had been so much annoyed by the -detentions and embarrassments of the last few days -that I was determined to risk every thing rather than -go back. As long as the schooner would float I should -hope still to get a clutch on Cape Hatherton.</p> - -<p>Getting clear of the floe, the schooner came again -to the wind, and, gliding into a narrow lead, we soon -emerged into a broad space of open water. Had this -continued we should soon have been rewarded with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">- 85 -</span> -success, but in half an hour the navigation became so -tortuous that we were compelled again to go about -and stand in-shore. And thus we continued for many -hours, tacking to and fro,—sometimes gaining a little, -then losing ground by being forced to go to leeward -of a floe, which we could not weather.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BESET.</div> - -<p>The space in which we could manœuvre the schooner -became gradually more and more contracted; the collisions -with the ice became more frequent. We were -losing ground. The ice was closing in with the land, -and we were finally brought to bay. There was no -longer a lead. And it was now too late to retreat, -had we been even so inclined. The ice was as closely -unpacked behind us as before us. With marvelous -celerity the scene had shifted. An hour later, and -there was scarcely a patch of open water in sight from -the deck, and the floes were closing upon the schooner -like a vice. Utterly powerless within its jaws, we had -no alternative but to await the issue with what calmness -we could.</p> - -<p>The scene around us was as imposing as it was -alarming. Except the earthquake and volcano, there -is not in nature an exhibition of force comparable -with that of the ice-fields of the Arctic Seas. They -close together, when driven by the wind or by currents -against the land or other resisting object, with -the pressure of millions of moving tons, and the crash -and noise and confusion are truly terrific.</p> - -<p>We were now in the midst of one of the most thrilling -of these exhibitions of Polar dynamics, and we became -uncomfortably conscious that the schooner was to -become a sort of dynamometer. Vast ridges were -thrown up wherever the floes came together, to be -submerged again when the pressure was exerted in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">- 86 -</span> -another quarter; and over the sea around us these -pulsating lines of uplift, which in some cases reached -an altitude of not less than sixty feet,—higher than -our mast-head,—told of the strength and power of -the enemy which was threatening us.</p> - -<p>We had worked ourselves into a triangular space -formed by the contact of three fields. At first there -was plenty of room to turn round, though no chance -to escape. We were nicely docked, and vainly hoped -that we were safe; but the corners of the protecting -floes were slowly crushed off, the space narrowed little -by little, and we listened to the crackling and crunching -of the ice, and watched its progress with consternation.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FORCE OF THE ICE-FIELDS.</div> - -<p>At length the ice touched the schooner, and it appeared -as if her destiny was sealed. She groaned like -a conscious thing in pain, and writhed and twisted as -if to escape her adversary, trembling in every timber -from truck to kelson. Her sides seemed to be giving -way. Her deck timbers were bowed up, and the -seams of the deck planks were opened. I gave up -for lost the little craft which had gallantly carried us -through so many scenes of peril; but her sides were -solid and her ribs strong; and the ice on the port -side, working gradually under the bilge, at length, -with a jerk which sent us all reeling, lifted her out of -the water; and the floes, still pressing on and breaking, -as they were crowded together, a vast ridge was -piling up beneath and around us; and, as if with the -elevating power of a thousand jack-screws, we found -ourselves going slowly up into the air.</p> - -<p>My fear now was that the schooner would fall over -on her side, or that the masses which rose above the -bulwarks would topple over upon the deck, and bury -us beneath them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">- 87 -</span></p> - -<p>We lay in this position during eight anxious hours.</p> - -<p>At length the crash ceased with a change of wind -and tide. The ice exhibited signs of relaxing. The -course of the monster floes which were crowding down -the Sound was changed more to the westward. We -beheld the prospect of release with joy.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SCHOONER IN DANGER.</div> - -<p>Small patches of open water were here and there -exhibited among the hitherto closely impacted ice. -The change of scene, though less fearful, was not less -magical than before. By and by the movement extended -to the floes which bound us so uncomfortably, -and with the first cessation of the pressure the blocks -of ice which supported the forward part of the schooner -gave way, and, the bows following them, left the stern -high in the air. Here we rested for a few moments -quietly, and then the old scene was renewed. The -further edge of the outer floe which held us was -caught by another moving field of greater size, when -the jam returned, and we appeared to be in as great -danger as before; but this attack was of short duration. -The floe revolved, and, the pressure being -almost instantly removed, we fell into the water, reeling -forward and backward and from side to side, as -the ice, seeking its own equilibrium, settled headlong -and in wild confusion beneath us from its forced elevation.</p> - -<p>Freed from this novel and alarming situation, we -used every available means to disengage ourselves -from the ruins of the frightful battle which we had -encountered; and, as speedily as possible, got into a -position of greater safety. Meanwhile an inspection -was made to ascertain what damage had been done to -the schooner. The hold was rapidly filling with water, -the rudder was split, two of its pintles were broken off, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">- 88 -</span> -the stern-post was started, fragments of the cut-water -and keel were floating alongside of us in the sea, and, -to all appearances, we were in a sinking condition.</p> - -<p>Our first duty was to man the pumps.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SCHOONER CRIPPLED.</div> - -<p>We were many hours among the ice, tortured with -doubt and uncertainty. We had to move with great -caution. The crippled condition of the schooner -warned us to use her gently. She would bear no -more thumps. Forward we could not go, because -of the ice; retreat we must, for it was absolutely -necessary that we should get to the land and find -shelter somewhere. The rudder was no longer available, -and we were obliged to steer with a long "sweep."</p> - -<p>The wind hauled more and more to the eastward, -and spread the ice. Although at times closely beset -and once severely "nipped," yet, by watching our opportunity, -we crept slowly out of the pack, and, after -twenty anxious hours, got at last into comparatively -clear water, and headed for Hartstene Bay, where we -found an anchorage.</p> - -<p>The damage to the schooner was less than we had -feared. A more careful examination showed that no -timbers were broken, and the seams in a measure -closed of themselves. Once at anchor, and finding -that we were in no danger of sinking, I allowed all -hands to take a rest, except such as were needed at -the pumps. They were all thoroughly worn out.</p> - -<p>On the following day a still further inspection of -the vessel was made; and, although apparently unfit -for any more ice-encounters, she could still float with -a little assistance from the pumps. One hour out of -every four kept the hold clear.</p> - -<p>Such repairs as it was in our power to make were -at once begun. We could do very little without -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">- 89 -</span> -beaching the vessel, and this, in the uncertain state -of the ice and weather, was not practicable. The rudder -hung by one pintle, and after being mended was -still unreliable.</p> - -<p>While McCormick was making these repairs I pulled -up to Littleton Island in a whale-boat, to see what the -ice had been doing in our absence. The wind was -dead ahead, and we had a hard struggle to reach our -destination; but, once there, I found some encouragement. -There was much open water along the coast -up to Cape Hatherton, but the pack was even more -heavy at the west and southwest than it had been before. -To enter it would be folly, even with a fair -wind and a sound ship. There was clearly no chance -of getting to the west coast, except by the course -which I had attempted with such unhappy results two -days previous.</p> - -<p>We were not a little surprised to discover on Littleton -Island a reindeer. He was sound asleep, coiled -up on a bed of snow. Dodge's rifle secured him for -our larder and deprived the desolate island of its only -inhabitant.</p> - -<p>During our absence, Jensen had been out with -Hans, and had also discovered deer. They had found -a herd numbering something like a dozen. Two of -them were captured, but the rest, taking alarm, escaped -to the mountains.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ANOTHER TRIAL.</div> - -<p>The wind falling away to calm, we got to sea next -day under oars, and again entered the pack. More -ice had come down upon the island, and all our efforts -to push up the coast were unavailing. The air had -become alarmingly quiet, considering that the temperature -was within twelve degrees of zero, and there -was much fear that we should be frozen up at sea. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">- 90 -</span> -A snow-storm came to add to this danger; but still -we kept on at the cold and risky work of "warping" -with capstan and windlass, whale-line and hawser, -sometimes making and sometimes losing, and often -pretty severely nipped.</p> - -<p>At length we were once more completely "beset." -The young ice was making rapidly, and I was -forced reluctantly to admit that the navigable season -was over. To stay longer in the pack was now to insure -of being frozen up there for the winter, and accordingly, -after having exhausted two more days of -fruitless labor, we made what haste we could to get -back again into clear water. This was not, however, -an affair to be quickly accomplished. He who navigates -these polar seas must learn patience.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RETREAT FROM THE PACK.</div> - -<p>Our purpose was, however, in the end safely accomplished, -and, a breeze springing up, we put back into -Hartstene Bay; and, steering for a cluster of ragged-looking -islands which lay near the coast at its head, -we came upon a snug little harbor behind them, and -dropped our anchors. Next morning I had the -schooner hauled further in-shore, and moored her to -the rocks.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the crew were working with anxious -uncertainty; and when I finally announced my intention -to winter in that place they received the intelligence -with evident satisfaction. Their exposure had -been great, and they needed rest; but, notwithstanding -this, had there been the least prospect of serviceable -result following any further attempt to cross the -Sound, they would, with their customary energy and -cheerfulness, have rejoiced in continuing the struggle. -But they saw, as their faces clearly told, even before I -was willing to own it, that the season was over. I -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">- 91 -</span> -record it to their credit, that throughout a voyage of unusual -peril and exposure they had never quailed in the -presence of danger, and they had to a man exhibited the -most satisfactory evidence of manly endurance.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ENTERING WINTER HARBOR.</div> - -<p>The reader will readily understand that to me the -failure to cross the Sound was a serious disappointment. -Hoping, as heretofore stated, to reach the west -coast, and there secure a harbor in some convenient -place between latitude 79° and 80°, it was evident to -me that in failing to do this my chances of success -with sledges during the following spring were greatly -jeopardized. Besides—and this to me was the most -painful reflection—my vessel was, apparently, so badly -injured as to be unfit for any renewal of the attempt -the next year.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page91" style="width: 127px;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Head of a Reindeer"> - <img src="images/page91.png" width="127" height="138" alt="Head of a Reindeer" /> - </span> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">- 92 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>OUR WINTER HARBOR.—PREPARING FOR WINTER.—ORGANIZATION OF DUTIES.—SCIENTIFIC -WORK.—THE OBSERVATORY.—SCHOONER DRIVEN ASHORE.—THE -HUNTERS.—SAWING A DOCK.—FROZEN UP.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I named our harbor Port Foulke, in honor of my -friend, the late William Parker Foulke, of Philadelphia, -who was one of the earliest, and continued to -be throughout one of the most constant advocates -of the expedition.</p> - -<p>It was well sheltered except from the southwest, -toward which quarter it was quite exposed; but, -judging from our recent experience, we had little -reason to fear wind from that direction; and we were -protected from the drift-ice by a cluster of bergs which -lay grounded off the mouth of the harbor.</p> - -<p>Our position was, even for the Greenland coast, not -so satisfactory as I could have wished. Had I reached -Fog Inlet we should have gained some advantages -over our present location, and would have been indeed -better situated than was Dr. Kane at Van Rensselaer -Harbor; and we would then be as sure of an -early liberation as we were likely to be at Port -Foulke. In truth, the principal advantage which it -possessed was that we would not be held very late the -next summer, and there was no possible risk of my -vessel being caught in a trap like that of the <i>Advance</i>. -Besides this prospect of a speedy liberation to recommend -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">- 93 -</span> -it, there seemed to be a fair chance of an abundant -supply of game.</p> - -<p>From Dr. Kane's winter quarters we were not -very remote, the distance being about twenty miles in -latitude, and about eighty by the coast. We were -eight nautical miles in a northeasterly direction from -Cape Alexander, and lay deep within the recesses of a -craggy, cliff-lined bight of dark, reddish-brown sienitic -rock, which looked gloomy enough. This bight is -prolonged by three small islands which figure in my -journal as "The Youngsters," and which bear on my -chart the names of Radcliffe, Knorr, and Starr. At -the head of the bight there is a series of terraced -beaches composed of loose shingle.</p> - -<p>The ice soon closed around us.</p> - -<p>My chief concern now was to prepare for the winter, -in such a manner as to insure safety to the -schooner and comfort to my party. While this was -being done I did not, however, lose sight of the scientific -labors; but, for the time, these had to be made -subordinate to more serious concerns. There was -much to do, but my former experience greatly simplified -my cares.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">OUR WINTER HARBOR.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">PREPARING FOR WINTER.</div> - -<p>Mr. Sonntag, with Radcliffe, Knorr, and Starr to assist -him, took general charge of such scientific work -as we found ourselves able to manage; and Jensen, -with Hans and Peter, were detailed as an organized -hunting force. Mr. Dodge, with the body of the crew, -discharged the cargo, and, carrying it to the shore, -swung it with a derrick up on the lower terrace, which -was thirty feet above the tide, and there deposited it -in a store-house made of stones and roofed with our -old sails. This was a very laborious operation. The -beach was shallow, the bank sloping, and the ice not -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">- 94 -</span> -being strong enough to bear a sledge, a channel had -to be kept open for the boats between the ship and -the shore. The duty of preparing the schooner for -our winter home devolved upon Mr. McCormick, with -the carpenter and such other assistance as he required. -After the sails had been unbent, the yards sent down, -and the topmasts housed, the upper deck was roofed -in,—making a house eight feet high at the ridge and -six and a half at the side. A coating of tarred paper -closed the cracks, and four windows let in the light -while it lasted, and ventilated our quarters. Between -decks there was much to do. The hold, after being -floored, scrubbed, and whitewashed, was converted -into a room for the crew; the cook-stove was brought -down from the galley and placed in the centre of it -under the main hatch, in which hung our simple apparatus -for melting water from the snow or ice. This -was a funnel-shaped double cylinder of galvanized -iron connecting with the stove-pipe, and was called -the "snow melter." A constant stream poured from -it into a large cask, and we had always a supply of -the purest water, fully ample for every purpose.</p> - -<p>Into these quarters the crew moved on the first of -October, and the out-door work of preparation being -mainly completed, we entered then, with the ceremony -of a holiday dinner, upon our winter life. And -the dinner was by no means to be despised. Our soup -was followed by an Upernavik salmon, and the table -groaned under a mammoth haunch of venison, which -was flanked by a ragout of rabbit and a venison -pasty.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">OUR COMMISSARIAT.</div> - -<p>Indeed, we went into the winter with a most encouraging -prospect for an abundant commissariat. -The carcasses of more than a dozen reindeer were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">- 95 -</span> -hanging in the shrouds, rabbits and foxes were suspended -in clusters from the rigging, and the hearty -appetites and vigorous digestions which a bracing air -and hard work had given us, were not only amply provided -for in the present, but seemed likely to be supplied -in the future. The hunters rarely came home -empty-handed. Reindeer in herds of tens and fifties -were reported upon every return of the sportsmen. -Jensen, who had camped out several days on the -hunting-grounds, had already cached the flesh of about -twenty animals, besides those which had been brought -on board. In a single hour I had killed three with -my own hands. Both men and dogs were well provided. -The dogs, which, according to Esquimau custom, -were only fed every second day, often received -an entire reindeer at a single meal. They were very -ravenous, and, having been much reduced by their -hard life at sea, they caused an immense drain upon -our resources.</p> - -<p>My journal mentions, with daily increasing impatience, -the almost constant prevalence of strong northeast -winds, which embarrassed us during this period; -but at length the wind set in from the opposite direction, -and, breaking up the young ice about us, jammed -us upon the rocks. If there was little consolation in -the circumstance of our situation being thus altered -for the worse, there was at least novelty in the caprice -of the weather. For once, at least, the uniform -"N. E." had been changed in the proper column of the -log-book. It was not without difficulty that we succeeded -in relieving the schooner from the unpleasant -predicament.</p> - -<p>While these preparations for the winter were being -made, I must not forget the astronomer and his little -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">- 96 -</span> -corps. Between him and the executive officer there -sprung up quite a rivalry of interest. While the one -desired a clean ship moored in safety and a well-fed -crew, he was naturally jealous of any detail of men -for the other; and it must be owned that the men -worked with much greater alacrity for the follower of -Epicurus than the disciple of Copernicus. An appeal -to head-quarters, however, speedily settled the question -as to where the work was most needed; and, by -a judicious discrimination as to what was due to science -and what to personal convenience, we managed, -while the daylight lasted, to lay the foundation of a -very clever series of observations, while at the same -time our comfort was secured.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE OBSERVATORY.</div> - -<p>A neat little observatory was erected on the lower -terrace, not far from the store-house, and it was -promptly put to use; and an accurate survey of the -harbor and bay, with soundings, was made as soon as -the ice was strong enough to bear our weight. The -observatory was a frame structure eight feet square -and seven high, covered first with canvas and then -with snow, and was lined throughout with bear and -reindeer skins. In it our fine pendulum apparatus -was first mounted, and Sonntag and Radcliffe were -engaged for nearly a month in counting its vibrations. -It was found to work admirably. Upon removing this -instrument, the magnetometer was substituted in its -place, upon a pedestal which was not less simple than -original. It was made of two headless kegs, placed -end to end upon the solid rock beneath the floor, and -the cylinder thus formed was filled with the only materials -upon which the frost had not laid hold, namely, -beans. Water being poured over these, we had soon, -at ten degrees below zero, a neat and perfectly solid -column; and it remained serviceable throughout the -winter, as no fire of any kind was allowed in this -abode of science.<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> It is proper to mention here that the pendulum and magnetic observations, -as well indeed as all others in physical science, were, upon my return, -sent to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, and were placed in the -very competent hands of Mr. Charles A. Schott, Assistant in the United -States Coast Survey, to whom I am indebted for most able and efficient -coöperation, in the elaboration and discussion of my materials, preparatory -to their publication in the "Smithsonian Contributions," to which source I -beg to refer the reader for details.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" id="map_fpg96" style="width: 662px;"> - <a href="images/map_fpg96_lg.png"><img src="images/map_fpg96.png" width="662" height="447" alt="PORT FOULKE AND VICINITY" /></a> - <div class="tdc smaller"><img src="images/magnifier2.png" alt="" /> Click on image to view larger sized</div> -</div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">- 97 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">SCIENTIFIC WORK.</div> - -<p>In order to obtain an accurate record of temperature, -we erected near the Observatory a suitable shelter -for the thermometers. In this were placed a number -of instruments, mostly spirit, which were read -hourly every seventh day, and three times daily in -the interval.<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> In addition to this, we noted the temperature -every second hour with a thermometer suspended -to a post on the ice. Mr. Dodge undertook -for me a set of ice measurements, and the telescope -was mounted alongside the vessel, in a dome made -with blocks of ice and snow.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> These instruments were carefully compared at every ten degrees of -temperature down to -40°, and the records were subsequently referred to -our "standard," a fine instrument which I had from G. Tagliabue.</p> - -</div> - -<p>But the wind would still give us no rest, and, setting -in again from a southerly direction, the ice was -once more broken up, and we were again driven upon -the rocks, and a second time compelled to saw a dock -for the schooner and haul her off-shore. This operation -was both laborious and disagreeable, even more -so than it had been on the former occasion. The ice -was rotten, and so tangled up with the pressure that -it was not easy to find secure footing; and the result -was that few of the party escaped with less than one -good ducking. These accidents were, however, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">- 98 -</span> -uncomfortable rather than dangerous, as there was always -help at hand.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DRIVEN ASHORE BY THE ICE.</div> - -<p>The schooner was, for a time, in rather an alarming -situation, and there were many doubts as to whether -we should get her off; but not even the consciousness -of this circumstance, nor the repeated plunges into -the water by the giving way and tilting of the ice, -could destroy the inexhaustible fund of good-humor -of the ship's company. From this happy disposition -I must, however, except two individuals, who were -always apt to be possessed of a sort of ludicrous gravity -when there was least occasion for it, and, as is -usual with such persons, they were not very serviceably -employed. One of them, with great seriousness -and an immense amount of misdirected energy, commenced -chopping into my best nine-inch hawser, that -was in nobody's way; and the other, with equal solemnity, -began vigorously to break up my oars in -pushing off pieces of ice which were doing nobody -any harm. He even tried to push the schooner off -the rocks, alone and unaided, with the tide-pole, an instrument -which had cost McCormick two days to manufacture. -Of course, the instrument was broken; but -the poor man was saved from the sailing-master's just -indignation by following the fragments into the sea, -where he was consoled, in the place of prompt assistance, -with assurances that if he did not make haste -the shrimps would be after him, and leave nothing of -him but a skeleton for the Commander's collection. -The temperature was not below zero, and no worse -results followed our exposure than a slight pleurisy -to the mate and a few twitches of rheumatism to the -destroyer of my oars.</p> - -<p>Our efforts were, however, finally rewarded with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">- 99 -</span> -success, and the schooner was once more in safety. -The air falling calm, and the temperature going down -to 10° below zero, we were now soon firmly frozen up, -and were protected against any further accidents of -this nature, and were rejoiced to find ourselves able -to run over the bay in security. In anticipation of -this event, I had set Jensen and Peter to work making -harness for the dog's, and on that day I took the -first drive with one of my teams. The animals had -picked up finely, and were in excellent condition, and -I had satisfied myself both as to their qualities and -those of their driver, Jensen. The day was indeed a -lively one to all hands. The ice having closed up -firmly with the land, the necessity no longer existed -for keeping a channel open for the boats; and the -hunters, being able now to get ashore with ease, set -off early in the morning, in great glee, after reindeer.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FROZEN UP.</div> - -<p>On the day following, the hawsers by which we had -thus far been moored to the rocks were cut out of the -ice and elevated on blocks of the same material. We -also made a stairway of slabs of this same cheap Arctic -alabaster, from the upper deck down to the frozen -sea; and, a deep snow falling soon afterward, we -banked this up against the schooner's sides as a further -protection against the cold.</p> - -<p>During the next few days the teams were employed -in collecting the reindeer which had been cached in -various places, and when this labor was completed our -inventory of fresh supplies was calculated to inspire -very agreeable sensations.</p> - -<p>The schooner being now snugly cradled in the ice, -we had no longer occasion for the nautical routine, so -I adopted a landsman's watch, with one officer and -one sailor; the sea day, which commences at noon, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">- 100 -</span> -was changed to the home day, which begins at midnight; -and, conscious that we had reached the dividing -line between the summer sunlight and the winter -darkness, we settled ourselves for the struggle which -was to come, resolved to get through it with the cheerfulness -becoming resolute men, and to make ourselves -as comfortable as possible. And the personal characteristics -of my associates augured well for the future. -While there was sufficient variety of disposition to -insure a continuance of some novelty in our social intercourse, -there was enough <i>esprit</i> to satisfy me as to -the continuance of harmony in the performance of -individual duty.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE DAY ENDED.</div> - -<p>The sun sank out of sight behind the southern hills -on the 15th of October, not to be seen again for four -long months. The circumstance furnished the subject -of our conversation in the evening, and I could easily -read on the faces of my companions that their thoughts -followed him as he wandered south; and a shade of -sadness fell for a moment over the table about which -we were grouped. We had all been so intent upon -our cares and duties, during the past five weeks, that -we had scarcely noticed the decline of day. It had -vanished slowly and as if by stealth; and the gloom -of night following its lengthening shadow made us -feel now, for the first time, how truly alone we were -in the Arctic desert.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page100" style="max-width: 10.375em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Port Foulke"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page100.png" alt="Port Foulke" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">- 101 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SUNSET.—WINTER WORK.—MY DOG-TEAMS.—"MY BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER."—HUNTING.—PEAT -BEDS.—ESQUIMAU GRAVES.—PUTREFACTION AT LOW -TEMPERATURES.—SONNTAG CLIMBS THE GLACIER.—HANS AND PETER.—MY -ESQUIMAU PEOPLE.—THE ESQUIMAU DOG.—SURVEYING THE GLACIER.—THE -SAILING-MASTER.—HIS BIRTHDAY DINNER.</p> -</div> - - -<p>My diary thus records the advent of winter:—</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 16th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The fair-haired god of light reposes beneath the -Southern Cross. His pathway is no longer above the -silent hills; but his golden locks stream over the -mountains, and day lingers as a lover departing from -the abode of his mistress. The cold-faced regent of -the darkness treads her majestic circle through the -solemn night; and the soft-eyed stars pale at her approach. -Her silver tresses sweep the sea, and the -wild waves are stilled like a laughing face touched -by the hand of death.</p> - -<p>Although winter and darkness are slowly settling -over us, yet we have still nine hours of twilight daily, -wherein to perform our out-door duties. I have completed -my arrangements for the health and comfort of -my little household, and have perfected my system of -domestic discipline and economy, and I feel sure that -the wheels of the little world which revolves around -this ice-locked schooner will now move on smoothly. -This done, I am at liberty to seek greater freedom of -action than I have hitherto enjoyed. I have desired to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">- 102 -</span> -make some short journeys of exploration while the -scrap of twilight yet remains to me, and as soon as the -men were free I set them to work preparing some -conveniences for camping out. I have been ready for -several days, but the weather has been unfavorable for -any thing more than a few hours' absence; and so our -life runs on smoothly into the night.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY DOG-TEAMS.</div> - -<p>I had to-day a most exhilarating ride, and a very -satisfactory day's work. I drove up the Fiord in the -morning, and have returned only a short time since. -This Fiord lies directly north of the harbor, and it -forms the termination of Hartstene Bay. It is about -six miles deep by from two to four wide. Jensen was -my driver, and I have a superb turn-out,—twelve -dogs and a fine sledge. The animals are in most -excellent condition,—every one of them strong and -healthy; and they are very fleet. They whirl my -Greenland sledge over the ice with a celerity not calculated -for weak nerves. I have actually ridden behind -them over six measured miles in twenty-eight -minutes; and, without stopping to blow the team, -have returned over the track in thirty-three. Sonntag -and I had a race, and I beat him by four minutes. -I should like to have some of my friends of Saratoga -and Point Breeze up here, to show them a new style -of speeding animals. Our racers do not require any -blanketing after the heats, nor sponging either. We -harness them each with a single trace, and these traces -are of a length to suit the fancy of the driver—the -longer the better, for they are then not so easily tangled, -the draft of the outside dogs is more direct, and, -if the team comes upon thin ice, and breaks through, -your chances of escape from immersion are in proportion -to their distance from you. The traces are all of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">- 103 -</span> -the same length, and hence the dogs run side by side, -and, when properly harnessed, their heads are in a -line. My traces are so measured that the shoulders -of the dogs are just twenty feet from the forward -part of the runners.</p> - -<p>The team is guided solely by the whip and voice. -The strongest dogs are placed on the outside, and the -whole team is swayed to right and left according as -the whip falls on the snow to the one side or the other, -or as it touches the leading dogs, as it is sure to do if -they do not obey the gentle hint with sufficient alacrity. -The voice aids the whip, but in all emergencies the whip -is the only real reliance. Your control over the team -is exactly in proportion to your skill in the use of it. -The lash is about four feet longer than the traces, and -is tipped with a "cracker" of hard sinew, with which -a skilful driver can draw blood if so inclined; and he -can touch either one of his animals on any particular -spot that may suit his purpose. Jensen had to-day a -young refractory dog in the team, and, having had his -patience quite exhausted, he resolved upon extreme -measures. "You see dat beast?" said he. "I takes -a piece out of his ear;"—and sure enough, crack -went the whip, the hard sinew wound round the tip -of the ear and snipped it off as nicely as with a knife.</p> - -<p>This long lash, which is but a thin tapering strip of -raw seal-hide, is swung with a whip-stock only two -and a half feet long. It is very light and is consequently -hard to handle. The peculiar turn of the -wrist necessary to get it rolled out to its destination -is a most difficult undertaking. It requires long and -patient practice. I have persevered, and my perseverance -has been rewarded; and if I am obliged to -turn driver on emergency, I feel equal to the task; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">- 104 -</span> -but I fervently hope that the emergency may not -arise which requires me to exhibit my skill.</p> - -<p>It is the very hardest kind of hard work. That -merciless lash must be going continually; and it must -be merciless or it is of no avail. The dogs are quick -to detect the least weakness of the driver, and measure -him on the instant. If not thoroughly convinced -that the soundness of their skins is quite at his -mercy, they go where they please. If they see a -fox crossing the ice, or come upon a bear track, or -"wind" a seal, or sight a bird, away they dash over -snow-drifts and hummocks, pricking up their short -ears and curling up their long bushy tails for a wild, -wolfish race after the game. If the whip-lash goes -out with a fierce snap, the ears and the tails drop, -and they go on about their proper business; but woe -be unto you if they get the control. I have seen my -own driver only to-day sorely put to his metal, and -not until he had brought a yell of pain from almost -every dog in the team did he conquer their obstinacy. -They were running after a fox, and were taking us -toward what appeared to be unsafe ice. The wind -was blowing hard, and the lash was sometimes driven -back into the driver's face,—hence the difficulty. -The whip, however, finally brought them to reason, -and in full view of the game, and within a few yards -of the treacherous ice, they came first down into a -limping trot and then stopped, most unwillingly. Of -course this made them very cross, and a general fight—fierce -and angry—now followed, which was not -quieted until the driver had sailed in among them and -knocked them to right and left with his hard hickory -whip-stock. I have had an adventure with the same -team, and know to my cost what an unruly set they -are, and how hard it is to get the mastery of them; -but once mastered, like a spirited horse, they are obedient -enough; but also, like that noble animal, they -require now and then to have a very positive reminder -as to whom the obedience is owing.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="page104f" style="width: 709px;"> - <img src="images/page104f.png" width="709" height="412" alt="" /> - <div> - <p class="caption3">AN ARCTIC TEAM.</p> - <p class="tdc">(FROM A SKETCH BY DR. HAYES.)</p> - </div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">- 105 -</span></p> - -<p>Wishing to try my hand, I set out to take a turn -round the harbor. The wind was blowing at my back, -and when I had gone far enough, and wanted to wheel -round and return, the dogs were not so minded. -There is nothing they dislike so much as to face the -wind; and, feeling very fresh, they were evidently -ready for some sport. Moreover, they may, perhaps, -have wanted to see what manner of man this new -driver was. They were very familiar with him personally, -for he had petted them often enough; but -they had not before felt the strength of his arm.</p> - -<p>After much difficulty I brought them at last up to -the course, but I could keep them there only by constant -use of the lash; and since this was three times -out of four blown back into my face, it was evident -that I could not long hold out; besides, my face was -freezing in the wind. My arm, not used to such violent -exercise, soon fell almost paralyzed, and the whip-lash -trailed behind me on the snow. The doors were -not slow to discover that something was wrong. They -looked back over their shoulders inquiringly, and, discovering -that the lash was not coming, they ventured -to diverge gently to the right. Finding the effort -not resisted, they gained courage and increased their -speed and at length they wheeled short round, -turned their tails to the wind, and dashed off on their -own course, as happy as a parcel of boys freed from -the restraints of the school-room, and with the wild -rush of a dozen wolves. And how they danced along -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">- 106 -</span> -and barked and rejoiced in their short-lived liberty!</p> - -<p>If the reader has ever chanced to drive a pair of -unruly horses for a few hours, and has had occasion -to find rest for his aching arms on a long, steep hill, he -will understand the satisfaction which I took in finding -the power returning to mine. I could again use -the whip, and managed to turn the intractable team -among a cluster of hummocks and snow-drifts, which -somewhat impeded their progress. Springing suddenly -off, I caught the upstander and capsized the -sledge. The points of the runners were driven deeply -into the snow, and my runaways were anchored. A -vigorous application of my sinew-tipped lash soon convinced -them of the advantages of obedience, and when -I turned up the sledge and gave them the signal to -start they trotted off in the meekest manner possible, -facing the wind without rebelling, and giving me no -further trouble. I think they will remember the lesson—and -so shall I.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ALIDA LAKE.</div> - -<p>But I set out to record my journey up the Fiord. -Reaching the head of it after a most exhilarating ride, -we managed, with some difficulty, to cross the tide-cracks, -and scrambled over the ice-foot to the land. -Here we came upon a broad and picturesque valley, -bounded on either side by lofty cliffs—at its further -end lay a glacier, with a pool of water a mile long -occupying the middle distance. This pool is fed from -the glacier and the hill-sides, down which pour the -waters of the melting snows of summer. The discharge -from it into the sea is made through a rugged -gorge which bears evidence of being filled with a -gushing stream in the thaw season. Its banks are -lined in places with beds of turf, (dried and hardened -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">- 107 -</span> -layers of moss,) a sort of peat, with which we can -readily eke out our supply of fuel. A specimen of it -brought on board burns quite freely with the addition -of a little grease. This pool of water, in accordance -with Sonntag's wish, bears the name of Alida Lake.</p> - -<p>The valley, which I have named "Chester," in remembrance -of a spot which I hope to see again, is two -miles long by one broad, and is covered in many places, -especially along the borders of the lake, with a fine -sod of grass, from which the wind has driven the snow -and made the locality tempting to the deer. Several -herds, amounting in the aggregate to something like -a hundred animals, were browsing upon the dead grass -of the late summer; and, forgetting for the time the -object of my journey, I could not resist the temptation -to try my rifle upon them. I was rewarded with -two large fat bucks, while Jensen secured an equal -number.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER.</div> - -<p>The glacier was discovered by Dr. Kane in 1855, -and, being subsequently visited by his brother, who -was an assistant surgeon in the United States Expedition -of Search under Captain Hartstene in 1855, was -named by the former, "My Brother John's Glacier." -It has been christened a shorter name by the crew, -and is known as "Brother John." It has frequently -been seen from the hill-tops and bay by all of us, but -not visited until to-day. We reached home in time -for dinner, weary enough and very cold, for the temperature -was several degrees below zero, and the wind -was blowing sharply.</p> - -<p>During my absence McCormick has employed the -crew in securing the boats, one of which was blown -ashore and its side stove in by the violence of the -gale, and in sawing out and unshipping the rudder. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">- 108 -</span> -Hans and Peter have been setting fox-traps and shooting -rabbits. The foxes, both the white and blue varieties, -appear to be quite numerous, and there are also -many rabbits, or rather I should say hares. These -latter are covered with a long heavy pelt which is a -pure white, and are very large. One caught to-day -weighed eight pounds.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 17th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SURVEYOR'S CHAIN.</div> - -<p>McCormick, who is general tinker and the very embodiment -of ingenuity, has been making for me a surveyor's -chain out of some iron rods; and a party, consisting -of Sonntag, McCormick, Dodge, Radcliffe, and -Starr, have been surveying the bay and harbor with -this chain and the theodolite. They seem to have -made quite a frolic of it, which, considering the depressed -state of the thermometer, is, I think, a very -commendable circumstance. Barnum and McDonald -have been given a holiday, and they went out with -shot-guns after reindeer. They report having seen -forty-six, all of which they succeeded in badly frightening, -and they also started many foxes. Charley -also had a holiday, but, disdaining the huntsman's -weapons, he started on a "voyage of discovery," as he -styled it. Strolling down into the bay above Crystal -Palace Cliffs,<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> he came upon an old Esquimau settlement, -and, finding a grave, robbed it of its bony contents, -and brought them to me wrapped up in his coat. -It makes a very valuable addition to my ethnological -collection, and a glass of grog and the promise of -other holidays have secured the coöperation of Charley -in this branch of science. Charley, by the way, -is one of my most reliable men, and gives promise of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">- 109 -</span> -great usefulness. Indeed, everybody in the vessel -seems desirous of adding to my collections; but this -zeal has to-day led me into a rather unpleasant embarrassment. -Jensen, whose long residence among the -Esquimaux of Southern Greenland has brought him -to look upon that people as little better than the dogs -which drag their sledges, discovered a couple of graves -and brought away the two skin-robed mummies which -they enclosed, thinking they would make fine museum -specimens; and in this surmise he was quite right; -but, unfortunately for the museum, Mrs. Hans was -prowling about when Jensen arrived on board, and, -recognizing one of them by some article of its fur -clothing as a relative, she made a terrible ado, and -could not be quieted even by Jensen's assurance that -I was a magician, and would restore them to life when -in my own country; so, when I learned the circumstances, -I thought it right, in respect to humanity if -not to science, to restore them to their stony graves, -and had it done accordingly.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> Discovered and so named by Captain Inglefield, R. N., in August, -1852.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU GRAVES.</div> - -<p>The Esquimau graves appear to be numerous about -the harbor, giving evidence of quite an extensive settlement -at no very remote period. These graves -are merely piles of stones arranged without respect -to direction, and in the size of the pile and its location -nothing has been consulted but the convenience -of the living. The bodies are sometimes barely hidden. -Tombs of the dead, they are, too, the mournful -evidences of a fast dwindling race.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 18th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have been well repaid for my course in re-interring -the mummies; for I have won the gratitude of my -Esquimau people, and Hans has brought me in their -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">- 110 -</span> -places two typical skulls which he found tossed among -the rocks. The little shrimps are also doing me good -service. They have prepared for me several skeletons -of all varieties of the animals which we have captured. -I first have the bulk of the flesh removed from the -bones, then, placing them in a net, they are lowered -into the fire-hole, and these lively little scavengers of -the sea immediately light within the net, in immense -swarms, and in a day or so I have a skeleton more -nicely cleaned than could be done by the most skillful -of human workmen.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PUTREFACTION AT LOW TEMPERATURES.</div> - -<p>A party brought in to-day the carcass of a reindeer -which I mortally wounded yesterday, but was too -much fatigued to follow. They found its tracks, and, -after pursuing them for about a mile, they came upon -the animal lying in the snow, dead. It is now discovered -that putrefaction has rendered it unfit for use, a -circumstance which seems very singular with the temperature -at ten degrees below zero. A similar case is -mentioned by Dr. Kane as having occurred within his -own observation, and Jensen tells me that it is well -known that such an event is not uncommon at Upernavik. -Indeed, when the Greenlanders capture a deer -they immediately eviscerate it. Puzzling as the phenomenon -appears at first sight, it seems to me, however, -that it admits of ready explanation. The dead -animal is immediately frozen on the outside; and -there being thus formed a layer of non-conducting -ice, as well as the pores being closed, the warmth of -the stomach is retained long enough for decomposition -to take place, and to generate gas which permeates -the tissues, and renders the flesh unfit for food; and -this view of the case would seem to be confirmed by -the fact that decomposition occurs more readily in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">- 111 -</span> -the cold weather of midwinter than in the warmer -weather of midsummer.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 19th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>A lively party visited Chester Valley to-day. They -started early with two sledges—Sonntag, with Jensen -on one, Knorr and Hans on the other. Sonntag -carried out the theodolite and chain to make a survey -of the glacier. The others, of course, took their rifles. -They saw numerous reindeer, but shot only three. -One of these was a trophy of Mr. Knorr's, and had -like to have cost him dearly. The poor animal had -been badly wounded in the valley, and on three legs -tried to climb the steep hill. Knorr, following it, -reached at length within twenty yards, and brought it -down with a well-directed shot; but the hunter and -the victim being, unfortunately for the former, in a -line, the hunter was carried off his legs, and the two -together went tumbling over the rocks in a manner -which, to those below, looked rather alarming. Report -does not say how the boy extricated himself. It -is lucky, however, that, instead of broken bones, he -has only a few bruises to show for his adventure.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SONNTAG CLIMBS THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Sonntag, too, had his story to tell. Reaching the -glacier, he ascended to its surface, after travelling two -miles along the gorge made by the glacier on the one -side and the sloping mountain on the other. The -ascent was made by means of steps cut with a hatchet -in the solid ice. The glacier was found to be crossed -in places by deep narrow fissures, bridged with a crust -of snow, and so completely covered as to defy detection. -Into one of these, fortunately a very narrow -one, the astronomer was precipitated by the giving -way of the bridge, and it is probable that he would -have lost his life but for a barometer which he carried -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">- 112 -</span> -in his hand, and which, crossing the crack, broke the -fall. The barometer was my best one, and is of course -a hopeless wreck.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SEAL-HUNTING.—ESQUIMAU VILLAGE.</div> - -<p>Carl and Christian, my two Danish recruits from -Upernavik, have been setting nets for seal. These -nets are made in the Greenland fashion, of seal-skin -thongs, with large meshes. They are kept in a vertical -position under the ice by stones attached to their -lower margin; and the unsuspecting seal, swimming -along in pursuit of a school of shrimps for a meal, or -seeking a crack or hole in the ice to catch a breath of -air, strikes it and becomes entangled in it, and is soon -drowned. Most of the winter seal-fishing of Greenland -is done in this manner; and it is in this that the -dogs are most serviceable, in carrying the hunter rapidly -from place to place in his inspection of the nets, -and in taking home the captured animals upon the -sledge. This species of hunting is attended with -much risk, as the hunter is obliged to run out on the -newly-formed ice. Jensen has enlivened many of my -evenings with descriptions of his adventures upon the -ice-fields while looking after his nets. On one occasion -the ice broke up, and he was set adrift, and would -have been lost had not his crystal raft caught on a -small island, to which he escaped, and where he was -forced to remain without shelter until the frost built -for him a bridge to the main land. The hardihood and -courage of these Greenland hunters is astonishing.</p> - -<p>Although the wind has been blowing hard, I have -strolled over to the north side of the Fiord on a visit -to the Esquimau village of Etah, which is about four -miles away in a northeasterly direction. The hut -there, as I had already surmised, was uninhabited, but -bore evidence of having been abandoned only a short -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">- 113 -</span> -time previous. This is the first time that I have seen -the place since the night I passed there in December, -1854,—a night long to be remembered.</p> - -<p>Near by the hut I discovered a splendid buck leisurely -pawing away the snow and turning up the dried -grass and moss, of which he was making a well-earned -if not inviting meal. Approaching him on the leeward -side, I had no difficulty in coming within easy range; -but I felt reluctant to fire upon him. He was so intent -upon his work, and seemed so little to suspect -that these solitudes, through which he had so long -roamed unmolested, contained an enemy, that I almost -relented; and I did not pull trigger until I had aimed -a third time. But, notwithstanding this irresolution, -his splendid haunch now hangs in the rigging, and is -set apart for some future feast; and I have no doubt -that I shall then eat my share of him without once -thinking that I had done a deed of cruelty.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 20th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HANS AND PETER.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">MY ESQUIMAU PEOPLE.</div> - -<p>I have observed for some days past decided symptoms -of a rivalry existing between my two Esquimau -hunters, Hans and Peter, both of whom are very serviceable -to me. Peter is a very clever little fellow, -and withal honest; and he has quite taken my fancy. -He is a thorough-bred Esquimau, with very dark complexion, -jet-black hair, which he cuts in native fashion, -square across his forehead; but he keeps himself clean -and neat, and is on all occasions very well behaved. -Not only is he a fine hunter, but he possesses great -ingenuity, and has wonderful skill with his fingers. I -have before me several specimens of his handiwork -in the shape of salt-spoons, paper-cutters, and other -little trinkets which, with an old file, a knife, and a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">- 114 -</span> -piece of sand-paper, he has carved for me out of a walrus -tusk. They are cut with great accuracy and -taste. He is always eager to serve my wishes in every -thing; and since I never allow zeal to go unrewarded, -he is the richer by several red-flannel shirts, and a suit -of pilot-cloth clothes. Of course, Hans is jealous. -Indeed, it is impossible for me to exhibit any kindness -of this sort to any of my Esquimau people without -making Hans unhappy. He avoids showing his temper -openly in my presence, but he gets sulky, and -does not hunt, or, if ordered out, he comes home without -game. He is a type of the worst phase of the -Esquimau character. The Esquimaux are indeed a -very strange kind of people, and are an interesting -study, even more so than my dogs, although they are -not so useful; and then the dog can be controlled -with a long whip and resolution, while the human animal -cannot be controlled with any thing. They might -very properly be called a negative people, in every -thing except their unreliability, which is entirely positive; -and yet among themselves they exhibit the semblance -of virtuous conduct, at least in this: that while -in sickness or want or distress they never render voluntary -assistance to each other, yet they do not deny -it; indeed, the active exhibition of service is perhaps -wholly unknown or unthought of amongst them; but -they do the next best thing—they never withhold it. -From the rude hut of the hardy inhabitant of these -frozen deserts the unfortunate hunter who has lost his -team and has been unsuccessful in the hunt, the unprotected -family who have lost their head, even the -idle and thriftless, are never turned away; but they -are never invited. They may come, they may use -what they find as if they were members of the family, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">- 115 -</span> -taking it as a matter of course; but if it were known -that they were starving, at a distance, there is no one -who would ever think of going to them with supplies. -They are the most self-reliant people in the world. It -does not appear ever to occur to them to expect assistance, -and they never think of offering it.</p> - -<p>The food and shelter which the needy are allowed -to take is not a charity bestowed; the aid which the -hunter gives to the dogless man who jumps upon his -sledge for a lift on a journey is not a kindness. He -would drop him or give him the slip if occasion offered, -even if in a place from whence he could not reach his -home. He would drive off and leave him with the -greatest unconcern, never so much as giving him a -thought. If he should change his abode, the family -that had sought his protection would not be invited to -accompany him. They might come if able, he could -not and would not drive them away; indeed, his language -contains no word that would suit the act; but, -if not able to travel, they would be left to starve with -as much unconcern as if they were decrepit dogs -which the hunt had rendered useless.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU TRAITS.</div> - -<p>They neither beg, borrow, nor steal. They do not -make presents, and they never rob each other; though -this does not hold good of their disposition toward the -white man, for from him they make it a habit to filch -all they can.</p> - -<p>I cannot imagine any living thing so utterly callous -as they. Why, even my Esquimau dogs exhibit more -sympathetic interest in each other's welfare. They at -least hang together for a common object; sometimes -fighting, it is true, but they make friends again after -the contest is over. But these Esquimaux never fight, -by any chance. They stealthily harpoon a troublesome -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">- 116 -</span> -rival in the hunt, or an old decrepit man or -woman who are a burden; or a person who is supposed -to be bewitched, or a lazy fellow who has no -dogs, and lives off his more industrious neighbors. -They even destroy their own offspring when there -happen to be too many of them brought into the -world, or one should chance to be born with some deformity -which will make it incapable of self-support; -but they never meet in open combat; at least, such -are the habits of the tribes who have not yet been -reached in some degree by the influences of Christian -civilization, or who have not had ingrafted upon them -some of the aggressive customs of the old Norsemen, -who, from the ninth to the fourteenth centuries, lived -and fought in Southern Greenland.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU TRAITS.</div> - -<p>With such traits of character they are naturally disinclined -to be amiable toward any one who is particularly -fortunate, and it is not surprising, therefore, that -Hans should be envious of Peter. Even had I given -the latter no more clothing than was sufficient to -cover his nakedness, it would have been all the same. -Had I crowded upon Hans the best of every thing in -the vessel, without respect to quantity or usefulness, -it would not be more than he covets. But the fellow -is especially jealous of my personal kind attentions to -Peter, for he sees in that the guaranty of still further -gifts.</p> - -<p>Hans, by the way, keeps up an establishment of -his own; and, having a piece of feminine humanity, -he can claim the dignity of systematic housekeeping. -Within the house on the upper deck he has pitched -his Esquimau tent, and, with his wife and baby, half -buried in reindeer-skins, he lives the life of a true -native. His wife bears the name of Merkut, but is -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">- 117 -</span> -better known as Mrs. Hans. She is a little chubby -specimen of woman-kind, and, for an Esquimau, not -ill-looking. In truth she is, I will not say the prettiest, -but the least ugly thorough-breed that I have -seen. Her complexion is unusually fair, so much so -that a flush of red is visible on her cheeks when she -can be induced to use a little soap and water to remove -the thick plaster of oily soot which covers it. -This, however, rarely happens; and as for undergoing -another such soaking and scrubbing as the sailors -gave her on the way up from Cape York, she cannot -be induced to think of it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HANS AND HIS FAMILY.</div> - -<p>The baby is a lively specimen of unwashed humanity. -It is about ten months old, and rejoices in the -name of Pingasuk—"The Pretty One." It appears -to take as naturally to the cold as ducklings to water, -and may be seen almost any day crawling through the -open slit of the tent, and then out over the deck, quite -innocent of clothing; and its mother, equally regardless -of temperature or what, in civilized phrase and -conventional usage we designate as modesty, does not -hesitate to wander about in the same exposed manner. -The temperature, however, of the house is never -very low, mostly above freezing.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MARCUS AND JACOB.</div> - -<p>My other two Esquimau hunters, Marcus and Jacob, -are lodgers with the Hans family. They are a pair -of droll fellows, very different from Hans and Peter. -Marcus will not work, and Jacob has grown like the -Prince of Denmark, "fat and scant of breath," and -cannot. As for hunters, they are that only in name. -They have been tried at every thing for which it -was thought possible that they could be of any use -and it is now agreed on all sides that they can only -be serviceable in amusing the crew and in cutting up -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">- 118 -</span> -our game; and these things they do well and cheerfully, -for out of these pursuits grows an endless opportunity -to feed; and as for feeding, I have never seen -man nor beast that could rival them, especially Jacob. -The stacks of meat that this boy disposes of seem -quite fabulous; and it matters not to him whether it -is boiled or raw. The cook declares that "he can eat -heself in three meals," meaning, of course, his own -weight; but I need hardly say that this is an exaggeration. -The steward quotes Shakespeare, and thinks -that he has hit the boy very hard when he proclaims -him to be a savage "of an unbounded stomach." -The sailors tease him about his likeness to the animals -which he so ruthlessly devours. A pair of antlers -are growing from his forehead, rabbit's hair is -sprouting on his distended abdomen, and birds' feathers -are appearing on his back; his arms and legs are -shortening into flippers, his teeth are lengthening -into tusks, and they mean to get a cask of walrus -blubber out of him before the spring; all of which he -takes good-naturedly; but there is a roguish leer in -his eye, and if I mistake not he will yet be even with -his tormentors. So much for my Esquimau subjects.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 21st.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have had another lively race to the glacier, and -have had a day of useful work. Hans drove Sonntag, -and Jensen was, as usual, my "whip." We took Carl -and Peter along to help us with our surveying; and, -although there were three persons and some instruments -on each sledge, yet this did not much interfere -with our progress. We were at the foot of the glacier -in forty minutes.</p> - -<p>The dogs are getting a little toned down with use, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">- 119 -</span> -and I have directed that their rations shall not be -quite as heavy as they were. They are lively enough -still, but not so hard to keep in hand.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HABITS OF DOGS.</div> - -<p>My teams greatly interest me, and no proprietor of -a stud of horses ever took greater satisfaction in the -occupants of his stables than I do in those of my kennels. -Mine, however, are not housed very grandly, -said kennels being nothing more than certain walls -of hard snow built up alongside the vessel, into which -the teams, however, rarely chose to go, preferring the -open ice-plain, where they sleep, wound up in a knot -like worms in a fish-basket, and are often almost -buried out of sight by the drifting snow. It is only -when the temperature is very low and the wind unusually -fierce that they seek the protection of the -snow-walls.</p> - -<p>These dogs are singular animals, and are a curious -study. They have their leader and their sub-leaders—the -rulers and the ruled—like any other community -desiring good government. The governed get -what rights they can, and the governors bully them -continually in order that they may enjoy security -against rebellion, and live in peace. And a community -of dogs is really organized on the basis of correct -principles. As an illustration,—my teams are under -the control of a big aggressive brute, who sports a -dirty red uniform with snuff-colored facings, and has -sharp teeth. He possesses immense strength, and his -every movement shows that he is perfectly conscious -of it. In the twinkling of an eye he can trounce any -dog in the whole herd; and he seems to possess the -faculty of destroying conspiracies, cabals, and all evil -designings against his stern rule. None of the other -dogs like him, but they cannot help themselves; they -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">- 120 -</span> -are afraid to turn against him, for when they do so -there is no end to the chastisements which they receive. -Now Oosisoak (for that is his name) has a -rival, a huge, burly fellow with black uniform and -white collar. This dog is called Karsuk, which expresses -the complexion of his coat. He is larger than -Oosisoak, but not so active nor so intelligent. Occasionally -he has a set-to with his master; but he always -comes off second best, and his unfortunate followers -are afterwards flogged in detail by the merciless red-coat. -The place of Oosisoak, when harnessed to the -sledge, is on the left of the line, and that of Karsuk -on the right.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE LEADER OF THE PACK.</div> - -<p>There is another powerful animal which we call -Erebus, who governs Sonntag's team as Oosisoak governs -mine, and he can whip Karsuk, but he never has -a bout with my leader except at his peril and that of -his followers. And thus they go along, fighting to -preserve the peace, and chawing each other up to -maintain the balance of power; and this is all to my -advantage; for if the present relations of things were -disturbed, my community of dogs would be in a state -of anarchy. Oosisoak would go into exile, and would -die of laziness and a broken heart, and great and -bloody would be the feuds between the rival interests, -led by Karsuk and Erebus, before it was decided -which is the better team.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE QUEEN OF THE KENNEL.</div> - -<p>Oosisoak has other traits befitting greatness. He -has sentiment. He has chosen one to share the glory -of his reign, to console his sorrows, and to lick his -wounds when fresh from the bloody field. Oosisoak -has a queen; and this object of his affection, this idol -of his heart, is never absent from his side. She runs -beside him in the team, and she fights for him harder -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">- 121 -</span> -than any one of his male subjects. In return for this -devotion he allows her to do pretty much as she -pleases. She may steal the bone out of his mouth, -and he gives it up to her with a sentimental grimace -that is quite instructive. But it happens sometimes -that he is himself hungry, and he trots after her, and -when he thinks that she has got her share he growls -significantly; whereupon she drops the bone without -even a murmur. If the old fellow happens to be particularly -cross when a reindeer is thrown to the pack, -he gets upon it with his forefeet, begins to gnaw -away at the flank, growling a wolfish growl all the -while, and no dog dare come near until he has had -his fill except Queen Arkadik, (for by that name is -she known,) nor can she approach except in one direction. -She must come alongside of him, and crawl -between his fore-legs and eat lovingly from the spot -where he is eating.</p> - -<p>So much for my dogs. I shall doubtless have more -to say about them hereafter, but there is only a small -scrap of the evening left, and I must go back to -"My Brother John's Glacier."</p> - -<p>Halting our teams near the glacier front, we proceeded -to prepare ourselves for ascending to its surface. -Its face, looking down the valley, exhibits a -somewhat convex lateral line, and is about a mile in -extent, and a hundred feet high. It presents the -same fractured surfaces of the iceberg, the same lines -of vertical decay caused by the waters trickling from -it in the summer,—the same occasional horizontal -lines, which, though not well marked, seemed to conform -to the curve of the valley in which the glacier -rests. The slope backward from this mural face is -quite abrupt for several hundred feet, after which the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">- 122 -</span> -ascent becomes gradual, decreasing to six degrees, -where it finally blends with the <i>mer de glace</i> which -appears to cover the land to the eastward.</p> - -<p>At the foot of the glacier front there is a pile of -broken fragments which have been detached from -time to time. Some of them are very large—solid -lumps of clear crystal ice many feet in diameter. One -such mass, with an immense shower of smaller pieces, -cracked off while we were looking at it, and came -crashing down into the plain below.</p> - -<p>The surface of the glacier curves gently upward -from side to side. It does not blend with the slope -of the mountain, but, breaking off abruptly, forms, as -I have before observed, a deep gorge between the -land and the ice. This gorge is interrupted in places -by immense boulders which have fallen from the cliffs, -or by equally large masses of ice which have broken -from the glacier. Sometimes, however, these interruptions -are of a different character, when the ice, -moving bodily forward, has pushed the rocks up the -hill-side in a confused wave.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CLIMBING THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>The traveling along this winding gorge was laborious, -especially as the snow-crusts sometimes gave way -and let one's legs down between the sharp stones, or -equally sharp ice; but a couple of miles brought us -to a place where we could mount by using our axe in -cutting steps, as Sonntag had done before.</p> - -<p>We were now fairly on the glacier's back, and -moved cautiously toward its centre, fearful at every -step that a fissure might open under our feet, and let -us down between its hard ribs. But no such accident -happened, and we reached our destination, where the -surface was perfectly smooth—an inclined plain of -clear, transparent ice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">- 123 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">SURVEYING THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Our object in this journey was chiefly to determine -whether the glacier had movement; and for this purpose -we followed the very simple and efficient plan -of Professor Agassiz in his Alpine surveys. First we -placed two stakes in the axis of the glacier, and carefully -measured the distance between them; then we -planted two other stakes nearly midway between -these and the sides of the glacier; and then we set -the theodolite over each of these stakes in succession, -and connected them by angles with each other and -with fixed objects on the mountain-side. These angles -will be repeated next spring, and I shall by this -means know whether the glacier is moving down the -valley, and at what rate.</p> - -<p>On this, as on every other occasion when we have -attempted to do any thing requiring carefulness and -deliberation, the wind came to embarrass us. The -temperature alone gives us little concern. Although -it may be any number of degrees below zero, we do -not mind it, for we have become accustomed to it; -but the wind is a serious inconvenience, especially -when our occupations, as in the present instance, do -not admit of active exercise. It is rather cold work -handling the instrument; but the tangent screws -have been covered with buckskin, and we thus save -our fingers from being "burnt," as our little freezings -are quite significantly called.</p> - -<p>I purpose making a still further exploration of this -glacier to-morrow, and will defer until then any further -description of it.</p> - -<p>During my absence the hunters have not been idle. -Barnum has killed six deer; Jensen shot two and -Hans nine; but the great event has been the sailing-master's -birthday dinner; and I returned on board -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">- 124 -</span> -finding all hands eagerly awaiting my arrival to sit -down to a sumptuous banquet.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SOCIAL RULE.</div> - -<p>I have inaugurated the rule that all birthdays shall -be celebrated in this manner; and, when his birthday -comes round, each individual is at liberty to call for -the very best that my lockers and the steward's store-room -can furnish; and in this I take credit for some -wisdom. I know by experience what the dark cloud -is under which we are slowly drifting, and I know -that my ingenuity will be fully taxed to pass through -it with a cheerful household; and I know still further, -that, whether men live under the Pole Star or under -the Equator, they can be made happy if they can be -made full; and furthermore, at some hour of the day, -be it twelve or be it six, all men must "dine;" for -are they not</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent8">"——a carnivorous production,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">Requiring meals,—at least one meal a day?</div> - <div class="verse indent0">They cannot live, like woodcock, upon suction;</div> - <div class="verse indent2">But, like the shark and tiger, must have prey."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>And hence they take kindly to venison and such like -things, and they remember with satisfaction the advice -of St. Paul to the gentle Timothy, to "use a little -wine for the stomach's sake."</p> - -<p>McCormick was not only the subject to be honored -on this occasion, but to do honor to himself. He has -actually cooked his own dinner, and has done it well. -My sailing-master is a very extraordinary person, and -there seems to be no end to his accomplishments. -Possessing a bright intellect, a good education, and a -perfect magazine of nervous energy, he has, while -knocking about the world, picked up a smattering of -almost every thing known under the sun, from astronomy -to cooking, and from seamanship to gold-digging. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">- 125 -</span> -And he is something of a philosopher, for he declares -that he will have all the comfort he can get when off -duty, while he does not seem to regard any sort of -exposure, and is quite careless of himself, when on -duty; and besides, he appears to possess that highly -useful faculty of being able to do for himself any thing -that he may require to be done by others. He can -handle a marline-spike as well as a sextant, and can -play sailor, carpenter, blacksmith, cook, or gentleman -with equal facility. So much for the man; now for -his feast.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SAILING-MASTER</div> - -<p>A day or so ago I found lying on my cabin-table a -neat little missive which politely set forth, that "Mr. -McCormick presents the compliments of the officers' -mess to the Commander, and requests the honor of -his company to dinner in their cabin, on the 21st instant, -at six o'clock." And I have answered the summons, -and have got back again into my own den -overwhelmed with astonishment at the skill of my -sailing-master in that art, the cultivation of which has -made Lucullus immortal and Soyer famous, and highly -gratified to see both officers and men so well pleased. -The bill of fare, "with some original illustrations by -Radcliffe," set forth a very tempting invitation to a -hungry man, and its provisions were generally fulfilled. -There was a capital soup—<i>jardinière</i>—nicely flavored, -a boiled salmon wrapped in the daintiest of -napkins, a roast haunch of venison weighing thirty -pounds, and a brace of roast eider-ducks, with currant-jelly -and apple-sauce, and a good variety of fresh vegetables; -and after this a huge plum-pudding, imported -from Boston, which came in with the flames of <i>Otard</i> -flickering all around its rotund lusciousness; and then -there was mince-pie and blanc-mange and nuts and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">- 126 -</span> -raisins and olives and Yankee cheese and Boston -crackers and coffee and cigars, and I don't know what -else besides. There were a couple of carefully-treasured -bottles of Moselle produced from the little receptacle -under my bunk, and some madeira and sherry -from the same place.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A BIRTHDAY DINNER.</div> - -<p>The only dish that was purely local in its character -was a <i>mayonnaise</i> of frozen venison (raw) thinly sliced -and dressed in the open air. It was very crisp, but -its merits were not duly appreciated. The "Bill" -wound up thus:—"Music on the fiddle by Knorr. -Song, 'We won't go home till mornin',' by the mess. -Original 'yarns' always in order, but 'Joe Millers' -forbidden on penalty of clearing out the 'fire-hole' -for the balance of the night."</p> - -<p>I left the party two hours ago in unrestrained enjoyment -of the evening. And right good use do they -appear to be making of the occasion. The whole -ship's company seem to be like Tam O'Shanter,—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"O'er a' the ills o' life victorious,"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>without, however, so far as I can discover, any thing -of the cause which led to that renowned individual's -satisfactory state of mind. The sailors are following -up their feast with a lively dance, into which they -have forced Marcus and Jacob; while the officers, like -true-born Americans, are making speeches. At this -moment I hear some one proposing the health of -"The Great Polar Bear."</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="snowflake1" style="max-width: 4.5em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Snowflake"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page126.png" alt="Snowflake (same as #5)" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">- 127 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>JOURNEY ON THE GLACIER.—THE FIRST CAMP.—SCALING THE GLACIER.—CHARACTER -OF ITS SURFACE.—THE ASCENT.—DRIVEN BACK BY A GALE.—LOW -TEMPERATURE.—DANGEROUS SITUATION OF THE PARTY.—A MOONLIGHT -SCENE.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Notwithstanding that we had no actual daylight -even at noontime, yet it was light enough for traveling; -and the moon being full, and adding its brightness -to that of the retiring sun, I felt no hesitation -in carrying into execution my contemplated journey -upon the glacier. The severe gales appeared to have -subsided, and I thought that the undertaking might -be made with safety.</p> - -<p>I could do nothing at this period that would bear -directly upon my plans of exploration toward the -north, and I desired to employ my time to the best -advantage. The sea immediately outside of the harbor -still remained unfrozen, and we were kept close -prisoners within Hartstene Bay—being unable to -pass around the capes which bounded it to the north -and south. Both Cape Alexander and Cape Ohlsen -were still lashed by the troubled sea. There was evidently -a large open area in the mouth of the Sound, -extending down into the "North Water." When the -wind set in from that direction the ice was broken up -far within the bay, to be drifted off when it changed -to the eastward.</p> - -<p>Besides this, even if the ice had closed up, so little -faith had I in the autumn as a season for sledge traveling -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">- 128 -</span> -upon the sea, that I doubt if I should have -attempted a journey in that quarter. In those positions -most favorable to early freezing the ice does not -unite firmly until the darkness has fully set in; and -traveling is not only attended with much risk, but -with great loss of that physical strength so necessary -to resist the insidious influences of the malady, hitherto -so often fatal to sojourners in the Arctic darkness. -And it has been the general judgment of my predecessors -in this region, that the late spring and early -summer are alone calculated for successful sledge traveling. -I recall but two commanders who have sent -parties into the field in the autumn, and in both of -these cases the attempt was, apparently, not only useless, -but prejudicial. The men were broken down by -the severity of the exposure—having been almost -constantly wet and always cold—and when the darkness -set in they were laid up with the scurvy; and in -the spring it was discovered that the depots which -they had established were, for the most part, either -destroyed by bears or were otherwise unavailable.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">JOURNEY ON THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>With inland traveling the case is different. There -is then no risk of getting wet, and I have not ordinarily -experienced serious difficulty in traveling at any -temperature, however severe, provided I could keep -my party dry. Some dampness is, however, almost -unavoidable even on land journeys, and this is, in -truth, one of the most embarrassing obstacles with -which the Arctic traveler has to contend. Even at -low temperatures he cannot wholly avoid some moisture -to his clothes and fur bedding, caused by the -warmth of his own person melting the snow beneath -him while he sleeps.</p> - -<p>This being our first journey, of course everybody -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">- 129 -</span> -was eager to go. I had at first intended to take the -dogs, with Jensen as my only companion and driver; -but upon talking the matter over with that individual, -(in whose judgment with respect to such things I had -much confidence), I yielded to his opinion that the -dogs were not available for that kind of work. I had -reason afterwards to regret the decision, for it was -found that they might have been used during some -parts of the journey with great advantage. It occurred -to me, upon subsequent reflection, that for -Jensen's aspersions of the dogs an ample apology -might be found in Sonntag's broken barometer.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">JOURNEY ON THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Having concluded to make the journey with men -alone, my choice fell upon Mr. Knorr, John McDonald, -Harvey Heywood, Christian Petersen, and the Esquimau -Peter. McDonald was one of my very best sailors—a -short, well-knit fellow, always ready for work. -Christian was not unlike him in make, disposition, and -endurance, and, although a carpenter, was yet something -of a sailor. He had lived during several years -in Greenland, and had become inured to a life of exposure. -Heywood was a landsman from the far-West, -and had joined me from pure enthusiasm. He was -full of courage and energy, and, although occupying -a position in the ship's company much inferior to his -deserts, yet nothing better could be done for him. -He was bent upon accompanying the expedition, no -matter in what capacity.<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> With Peter the reader is -already acquainted.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> It affords me great satisfaction to learn recently that Harvey Heywood -has served during the late war, in the Southwest, with great gallantry, -winning for himself a commission, being attached to the engineers, -on the general staff. I found him to be an excellent draughtsman.</p> - -</div> - -<p>We set out on the 22d of October, the day following -the celebration which closes the last chapter. Our -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">- 130 -</span> -sledge was lightly laden with a small canvas tent, two -buffalo-skins for bedding, a cooking-lamp, and provisions -for eight days. Our personal equipment needs -but a brief description. An extra pair of fur stockings, -a tin cup, and an iron spoon, per man, was the -whole of it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIRST CAMP.</div> - -<p>Our first camp was made at the foot of the glacier. -The first camp of a journey anywhere in the world -is usually uncomfortable enough, notwithstanding it -may perhaps have its bright side; but this one, to my -little party, did not appear to have any bright side at -all. The temperature was -11°, and we had no -other fire than what was needed in our furnace-lamp -for cooking our hash and coffee. I believe no -one slept. Our tent was pitched, of necessity, on a -sloping hill-side, and on the smoothest bed of stones -that we could find. We turned out in the moonlight -and went to work.</p> - -<p>The next journey carried us to the top of the glacier, -and it was a very serious day's business. I have -already described, in the last chapter, the rugged character -of the gorge through which we were obliged to -travel, in order to reach a point where we could scale -the glacier. The laden sledge could not be dragged -over the rocks and blocks of ice, and the men were -therefore compelled to carry our equipments, piece by -piece, on their shoulders. Reaching the spot where, -with Mr. Sonntag, I had before made an ascent, we -prepared to hoist the sledge.</p> - -<p>The scenery was here quite picturesque. We were -standing in a little triangular valley, with a lake in -its centre. At our left rose the great glacier, and -at our right a small stream of ice poured through -a deep gorge. Before us stood a massive pillar of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">- 131 -</span> -red-sandstone rock, behind which these two streams -uniting, wholly surrounded it, making it truly an -island—an island in a sea of ice. The little lake -exhibited a phenomenon which I found quite instructive -in connection with my present journey. It had -been well filled with water at the close of the thaw -season, and the ice was formed upon it before the -water had subsided. When the lake had drained -off under the glacier the ice was left with no other -support than the rocks. In many places it had bent -down with its own weight, and in one instance I observed -that, the pressure being finally exerted on the -corners of the remaining slab, this ice, in a temperature -below zero, and six inches thick, had been twisted -into a shape resembling the mold-board of a farmer's -plow.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SCALING THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>The first attempt to scale the glacier was attended -with an incident which looked rather serious at the -moment. The foremost member of the party missed -his footing as he was clambering up the rude steps, -and, sliding down the steep side, scattered those who -were below him to right and left, and sent them rolling -into the valley beneath. The adventure might have -been attended with serious consequences, for there -were many rocks projecting above the snow and ice at -the foot of the slope. The next effort was more successful, -and the end of a rope being carried over the -side of the glacier, the sledge was drawn up the inclined -plane, and we started off upon our journey. -The ice was here very rough and much broken, and -was almost wholly free from snow.</p> - -<p>We had not traveled long before an accident happened -to me similar to that which had before occurred -to Mr. Sonntag. Walking in advance of the party, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">- 132 -</span> -who were dragging the sledge, I found myself, without -any warning, suddenly sinking through the snow, -and was only saved by holding firmly to a wooden -staff which I carried over my shoulder, fearful that -such a misadventure might befall me. The staff -spanned the opening and supported me until I could -scramble out. The crack may not have been very -deep, but, not having found any support for my feet, -I felt glad to have been able to postpone the solution -of the interesting scientific question, as to whether -these fissures extend entirely through the body of the -glacier, to some future occasion.</p> - -<p>As we neared the centre of the glacier the surface -became more smooth, and gave evidence of greater -security. The great roughness of the sides was no -doubt due to an uneven conformation of that portion -of the valley upon which the ice rested.</p> - -<p>Journeying then about five miles, we pitched our -tent upon the ice, and, turning into it, after a hearty -supper of hash, bread, and coffee, we slept soundly,—being -too much fatigued to give thought to the temperature, -which had fallen several degrees lower than -during the previous night.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ASCENT.</div> - -<p>On the following day we traveled thirty miles; and -the ascent, which, during the last march, had been at -an angle of about 6°, diminished gradually to about -one third of that angle of elevation; and from a surface -of hard ice we had come upon an even plain of -compacted snow, through which no true ice could be -found after digging down to the depth of three feet. -At that depth, however, the snow assumed a more -gelid condition, and, although not actually ice, we -could not penetrate further into it with our shovel -without great difficulty. The snow was covered with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">- 133 -</span> -a crust through which the foot broke at every step, -thus making the traveling very laborious.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">EXCESSIVE COLD.</div> - -<p>About twenty-five miles were made during the following -day, the track being of the same character as -the day before, and at about the same elevation; but -the condition of my party warned me against the -hazard of continuing the journey. The temperature -had fallen to 30° below zero, and a fierce gale of wind -meeting us in the face, drove us into our tent for shelter, -and, after resting there for a few hours, compelled -our return. I had, however, accomplished the principal -purpose of my journey, and had not in any case -intended to proceed more than one day further, at -this critical period of the year.</p> - -<p>My party had not yet become sufficiently inured to -exposure at such low temperatures to enable them -to bear it without risk. They were all more or less -touched with the frost, and the faces of two of them -had been so often frozen that they had become very -painful and much swollen, and their feet being constantly -cold, I was fearful of some serious accident -if we did not speedily seek safety at a lower level. -The temperature fell to 34° below zero during the -night, and it is a circumstance worthy of mention -that the lowest record of the thermometer at Port -Foulke, during our absence, was 22° higher. The men -complained bitterly, and could not sleep. One of -them seemed likely to give up altogether, and I was -compelled to send him into the open air to save himself -from perishing by a vigorous walk.</p> - -<p>The storm steadily increased in force, and, the temperature -falling lower and lower, we were all at length -forced to quit the tent, and in active exercise strive to -prevent ourselves from freezing. To face the wind -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">- 134 -</span> -was not possible, and shelter was nowhere to be found -upon the unbroken plain. There was but one direction -in which we could move, and that was with our -backs to the gale. Much as I should have liked to -continue the journey one day more, it was clear to -me that longer delay would not alone endanger the -lives of one or two members of my party, but would -wholly defeat the purposes of the expedition by the -destruction of all of us.</p> - -<p>It was not without much difficulty that the tent -was taken down and bundled upon the sledge. The -wind blew so fiercely that we could scarcely roll it up -with our stiffened hands. The men were suffering -with pain, and could only for a few moments hold on -to the hardened canvas. Their fingers, freezing continually, -required active pounding to keep them upon -the flickering verge of life. We did not wait for neat -stowage or an orderly start. Danger suggests prompt -expedients.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A DANGEROUS SITUATION.</div> - -<p>Our situation at this camp was as sublime as it was -dangerous. We had attained an altitude of five thousand -feet above the level of the sea, and we were seventy -miles from the coast, in the midst of a vast frozen -sahara, immeasurable to the human eye. There was -neither hill, mountain, nor gorge anywhere in view. -We had completely sunk the strip of land which lies -between the <i>mer de glace</i> and the sea; and no object -met the eye but our feeble tent, which bent to the -storm. Fitful clouds swept over the face of the full-orbed -moon, which, descending toward the horizon, -glimmered through the drifting snow that whirled out -of the illimitable distance, and scudded over the icy -plain;—to the eye, in undulating lines of downy softness; -to the flesh, in showers of piercing darts.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">- 135 -</span></p> - -<p>Our only safety was in flight; and like a ship driven -before a tempest which she cannot withstand, and -which has threatened her ruin, we turned our backs -to the gale; and, hastening down the slope, we ran to -save our lives.</p> - -<p>We traveled upwards of forty miles, and had descended -about three thousand feet before we ventured -to halt. The wind was much less severe at this point -than at the higher level, and the temperature had -risen twelve degrees. Although we reposed without -risk, yet our canvas shelter was very cold; and, notwithstanding -the reduced force of the gale, there was -some difficulty in keeping the tent from being blown -away.</p> - -<p>We reached Port Foulke the next evening, after a -toilsome march, without having suffered any serious -accident.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">JOURNEYING BY MOONLIGHT.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE.</div> - -<p>The latter part of the journey was made wholly by -moonlight. The air was found to be quite calm when -we reached the base of the glacier; and the journey -down its lower face, and through the gorge, and over -the valley, and across Alida Lake and the Fiord, was -made in the presence of a scene which was very impressive. -Sheets of drifting snow swept over the -white-crested hills like insubstantial spirits flitting -wildly through the night. These told that the gale -yet howled above; but in our lowly shelter the air -was still as a cave in the midst of winds. No cloud -obscured the broad archway of the skies. The gentle -stars, robed in the drapery of night, rejoiced to behold -their forms in the smooth mirror of the lake. The -glacier threw back the chilly moonbeams. The shadows -of the dark cliffs stole into the flood of light -which filled the valley. The white Fiord, dotted with -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">- 136 -</span> -islands, wound between the rugged capes, and its -ice-clad waters spread out into the bay and then -merged with the broad sea. In the dim distance -loomed up the lofty snow-clad mountains of the west -coast. Upon the sea floated a heavy bank of mist, -which, slowly changing when moved by the wind, disclosed -within its dark bosom the ghostly form of an -iceberg; and a feeble auroral light fringed this sombre -cloak of the waves. Angry flashes darted from behind -this mass of impenetrable blackness, and, rushing -fiercely among the constellations, seemed like -fiery arrows shot up by evil spirits of another world.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page136" style="max-width: 10.125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Chester Valley, showing Alida Lake and the Glacier"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page136.png" alt="Chester Valley, showing Alida Lake and the Glacier" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">- 137 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE RECENT JOURNEY.—THE GLACIER SYSTEM OF -GREENLAND.—GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT.—ILLUSTRATIONS -DRAWN FROM THE ALPINE GLACIERS.—GLACIER MOVEMENT.—OUTLINE -OF THE GREENLAND <i>MER DE GLACE</i>.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The results of the journey recorded in the last -chapter gave me great satisfaction. They furnished -an important addition to the observations which I had -made in former years; and I was glad to have an -opportunity to form a more clear conception of the -glacier system of Greenland. The journey possesses -the greater value, that it was the first successful -attempt which had been made to penetrate into the -interior over the <i>mer de glace</i>.</p> - -<p>Although I had, in my overland journey from Van -Rensselaer Harbor with Mr. Wilson, in 1853, reached -the face of the <i>mer de glace</i>, where it rested behind the -lofty chain of hills which runs parallel with the axis -of the continent, yet this was the first time that I had -actually been upon it; and its vastness did not on the -former occasion impress me as now. Even the description -of the great Humboldt Glacier which I had -from Mr. Bonsall, and the knowledge that I had acquired -of the immense glacier discharges of the region -further south, failed to inspire me with a full comprehension -of the immensity of ice which lies in the valleys -and upon the sides of the Greenland mountains.</p> - -<p>Greenland may indeed be regarded as a vast reservoir -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">- 138 -</span> -of ice. Upon the slopes of its lofty hills the downy -snow-flake has become the hardened crystal; and, increasing -little by little from year to year and from -century to century, a broad cloak of frozen vapor has -at length completely overspread the land, and along -its wide border there pour a thousand crystal streams -into the sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE GLACIER SYSTEM.</div> - -<p>The manner of this glacier growth, beginning in -some remote epoch, when Greenland, nursed in -warmth and sunshine, was clothed with vegetation, -is a subject of much interest to the student of physical -geography. The explanation of the phenomena -is, however, greatly simplified by the knowledge which -various explorers have contributed from the Alps,—a -quarter having all the value of the Greenland mountains, -as illustrating the laws which govern the formation -and movements of mountain ice, and which -possesses the important advantage of greater accessibility.</p> - -<p>It would be foreign to the scope and design of this -book to enter into any general discussion of the various -theories which have been put forth in explanation -of the sublime phenomena, which, as witnessed in the -Alpine regions, have furnished a fruitful source of -widely different conclusions. It was, however, easy -to perceive in the grand old bed of ice over which I -had traveled, those same physical markings which had -arrested the attention of Agassiz and Forbes and Tyndall, -and other less illustrious explorers of Alpine glaciers; -and it was a satisfaction to have confirmed by -actual experiment in the field the reflections of the -study. The subject had long been to me one of great -interest; and I was much gratified to be able to make -a comparison between the Alpine and Greenland ice. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">- 139 -</span> -It was not difficult to read in the immense deposit -over which I had walked whence came the suggestion -of <i>dilatation</i> to Scheuchzer, or of <i>sliding</i> to De Saussure; -or, in the steady progress of knowledge and discovery, -the principles of action that are illustrated by the -terms <i>vitrious</i> and <i>viscous</i> and <i>differential motion</i>, as applied -to the Alpine ice by eminent explorers of later -date.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GLACIERS.</div> - -<p>The subject of Greenland ice is one about which -there exists much popular misapprehension. As before -stated, I do not here propose to enter into a -minute discussion of the manner of its formation and -movement, but will content myself with simply recognizing -the fact, and with drawing such comparison as -may be needful between the mountain ice of Greenland -and similar deposits in other quarters of the -world. Under this head I trust that the reader may -find sufficient interest in the line of argument to follow -me through a few pages, in a general review of -the whole field. At a later period I will recur to some -more specific details of information and discussion, as -the narrative carries us to other objects of inquiry.</p> - -<p>In order to make the subject clear, I cannot do -better than to cite my illustrations from the region -of the Alps, where, through a long period, earnest -explorers have laboriously pursued their inquiries. -One of the most important and gifted of these was -M. Le Chanonie Rendu, Bishop of Annecy. This excellent -and worthy man, and sincere devotee as well -of science as of religion, died some seven years ago. -A lifetime spent among the rugged crags and ice-cliffs -of the Alpine Mountains had familiarized him with -every phase of Nature in that region of sublimity and -home of the wonderful. Professor Tyndall says truly -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">- 140 -</span> -of him, that "his knowledge was extensive, his reasoning -close and accurate, and his faculty of observation -extraordinary;" and he early brought his splendid -faculties of mind and his energy of body and -profound love of truth to bear upon the elucidation -of those natural phenomena which were constantly -exhibited in his presence. After many years of conscientious -toil, he gave to the world the results of his -systematic investigations in an essay which was published -in the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences -of Savoy, entitled, "<i>Théorie des Glaciers de la -Savoie</i>."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ORIGIN OF GLACIERS.</div> - -<p>I will use the information acquired from this source -as the basis of my present argument,—to demonstrate, -by the law as interpreted to us from the Alps -by this learned priest of Annecy, how the Arctic continent -receives its cloak of crystals, and how it discharges -the superabundant accumulation.</p> - -<p>Rendu first observes the piling up of the mountain -snows. The snow falling upon the mountains is partly -converted into water, which runs away to the river, -and through the river to the sea; and is partly converted -into ice. The ice thus formed Rendu estimates -to equal, in the Alps, fifty-eight inches annually,—"which -would make Mont Blanc four hundred feet -higher in a century, and four thousand feet higher in -a thousand years."</p> - -<p>"Now it is evident," observes he, "that nothing -like this can occur in Nature."</p> - -<p>This ice must be removed by the operation of some -natural cause; and observation having shown that -this actually takes place, Rendu occupies himself with -methods to discover how Nature has performed the -task; and he comes to this very rational conclusion: -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">- 141 -</span> -That the glacier and the river are in effect the same; -that between them there is a resemblance so complete -that it is impossible to find in the latter a circumstance -which does not exist in the former; and -as the river drains the <i>waters</i> which fall upon the hill-sides -to the ocean, so the glacier drains the <i>ice</i> which -forms from the snows on the mountain-sides down to -the same level:</p> - -<p>And he closes his argument with declaring the -Law:—</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE LAW OF CIRCULATION.</div> - -<p>"The conserving will of the Creator has employed -for the permanence of His work the great Law of <i>Circulation</i>, -which, strictly examined, is found to reproduce -itself in all parts of Nature."</p> - -<p>And, in illustration of this law, we see that the -waters circulate from the ocean to the air by evaporation, -from the air again to the earth in the form of -dews and rains and snows, and from the earth back -again to the ocean through the great rivers which -have gathered up the little streams from every hill-side -and valley.</p> - -<p>Now this law of Circulation is, in the icy regions of -the Alps, of the lofty Himalayas, of the Andes, of the -mountains of Norway and of Greenland, the same as -in the lower and warmer regions of the earth, where -the rivers drain the surface-water to the sea.</p> - -<p>A glacier is in effect but a flowing stream of frozen -water; and the <i>river systems</i> of the Temperate and -Equatorial Zones become the <i>glacier systems</i> of the -Arctic and Antarctic.</p> - -<p>We have now seen that a part of the snow which -falls upon the mountains is converted into ice, and -this ice, strange though it seems, is movable. By -what exact principle of movement has not yet been -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">- 142 -</span> -decided to the mutual satisfaction of the learned, but -it is nevertheless true. Rendu truly remarks:—</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MOVEMENT OF THE GLACIERS.</div> - -<p>"There is a multitude of facts which would seem -to necessitate the belief that the substance of glaciers -enjoys a kind of ductility, which permits it to mould -itself to the locality which it occupies, to grow thin, -to swell and to narrow itself like a soft paste."</p> - -<p>And this, true of the Alpine passes, is true also of -the Greenland valleys. A great frozen flood is pouring -down the east and west slopes of the Greenland -continent; and, as in the Alps, what is gained in -height by one year's freezing is lost by the downward -flow of the mobile mass.</p> - -<p>And this movement is not embarrassed by any obstacle. -The lower chains of hills do not arrest it, for -it moulds itself to their form, sweeps through every -opening between them, or overtops them. Valleys -do not interfere with its onward march, for the frozen -stream enters them, and levels them with the highest -hills. It heeds not the precipice, for it leaps over it -into the plain below,—a giant, frozen waterfall. -Winter and summer are to it alike the same. It -moves ever forward in its irresistible career,—a vast, -frozen tide swelling to the ocean. It pours through -every outlet of the coast ranges, down every ravine -and valley, overriding every impediment, grinding -and crushing over the rocks; and at length it comes -upon the sea. But here it does not stop. Pushing -back the water, it makes its own coast line; and, -moving still onward, accommodating itself to every -inequality of the bed of the sea, as it had before done -to the surface of the land, filling up the wide bay or -fiord, expanding where it expands, narrowing where -it narrows, swallowing up the islands in its slow and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">- 143 -</span> -steady course, it finally reaches many miles beyond -the original shore-line.</p> - -<p>And now it has attained the climax of its progress.</p> - -<p>When, long ages ago, after pouring over the sloping -land, it finally reached the coast and looked down the -bay which it was ultimately to fill up, its face was -many hundreds of feet high. Gradually it sank below -the line of waters as it moved outward, and finally its -front has almost wholly disappeared.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FORMATION OF ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>In a former chapter I have mentioned that a block -of fresh-water ice floating in sea water rises above the -surface to the extent of one eighth of its weight and -bulk, while seven eighths of it are below the surface. -The cause of this is too well known to need more than -a passing explanation. Every school-boy is aware -that water, in the act of freezing, expands, and that in -the crystal condition fresh water occupies about one -tenth more space than when in a fluid state; and -hence, when ice floats in the fresh water from which it -was formed, one tenth of it is exposed above, while the -remaining nine tenths are beneath the surface. When -this same fresh-water ice (which it will be remembered -is the composition of the glacier) is thrown into the -sea, the proportion of that above to that below being -changed from <i>one</i> and <i>nine</i> to <i>one</i> and <i>seven</i>, is due to -the greater density of the sea-water, caused by the -salt which it holds in solution.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FORMATION OF ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>Now it will be obvious that, as the glacier continues -to press further and further into the sea, the natural -equilibrium of the ice must ultimately become disturbed,—that -is, the end of the glacier is forced further -down into the water than it would be were it -free from restraint, and at liberty to float according to -the properties acquired by congelation. The moment -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">- 144 -</span> -that more than seven eighths of its front are below -the water line, the glacier will, like an apple pressed -down by the hand in a pail of water, have a tendency -to rise, until it assumes its natural equilibrium. Now -it will be remembered that the glacier is a long stream -of ice, many miles in extent, and, although the end -may have this tendency to rise, yet it is, for a time, -held down firmly by the continuity of the whole mass. -At length, however, as the end of the glacier buries -itself more and more in the water, the tendency to rise -becomes stronger and stronger, and finally the force -thus generated is sufficient to break off a fragment, -which, once free, is buoyed up to the level that is natural -to it. This fragment may be a solid cube half a -mile through, or even of much greater dimensions. -The disruption is attended with a great disturbance -of the waters, and with violent sounds which may be -heard for many miles; but, floating now free in the -water, the oscillations which the sudden change imparted -to it gradually subside; and, after acquiring its -natural equilibrium, the crystal mass drifts slowly out -to sea with the current, and is called an <span class="smcap">Iceberg</span>.<a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> It was formerly supposed that the icebergs were discharged by the -force of gravity, but this error, as well as the true theory of berg discharge, -was pointed out by Dr. H. Rink, now Royal Inspector of South Greenland. -Some fragments are, however, detached from the face of the glacier and -fall into the water, but these are always necessarily of comparatively small -dimensions, and can scarcely be called bergs.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE LAW OF CIRCULATION.</div> - -<p>And thus the glacier has fulfilled its part in the -great law of <i>Circulation</i> and change.</p> - -<p>The dew-drop, distilled upon the tropic palm-leaf, -falling to the earth, has reappeared in the gurgling -spring of the primeval forest, has flown with the rivulet -to the river, and with the river to the ocean; has -then vanished into the air, and, wafted northward by -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">- 145 -</span> -the unseen wind, has fallen as a downy snow-flake upon -the lofty mountain, where, penetrated by a solar ray, -it has become again a little globule of water, and the -chilly wind, following the sun, has converted this globule -into a crystal; and the crystal takes up its wandering -course again, seeking the ocean.</p> - -<p>But where its movement was once rapid, it is now -slow; where it then flowed with the river miles in -an hour, it will now flow with the glacier not more in -centuries; and where it once entered calmly into the -sea, it will now join the world of waters in the midst -of a violent convulsion.</p> - -<p>We have thus seen that the iceberg is the <i>discharge</i> -of the Arctic river, that the Arctic river is the glacier, -and that the glacier is the accumulation of the frozen -vapors of the air. We have watched this river, moving -on in its slow and steady course from the distant -hills, until at length it has reached the sea; and we -have seen the sea tear from the slothful stream a -monstrous fragment, and take back to itself its own -again. Freed from the shackles which it has borne in -silence through unnumbered centuries, this new-born -child of the ocean rushes with a wild bound into the -arms of the parent water, where it is caressed by the -surf and nursed into life again; and the crystal drops -receive their long-lost freedom, and fly away on the -laughing waves to catch once more the sunbeam, and -to run again their course through the long cycle of -the ages.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BEAUTY AND GRANDEUR OF ICEBERGS.</div> - -<p>And this <i>iceberg</i> has more significance than the -great flood which the glacier's southern sister, the -broad Amazon, pours into the ocean from the slopes -of the Andes and the mountains of Brazil. Solemn, -stately, and erect, in tempest and in calm, it rides the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">- 146 -</span> -deep. The restless waves resound through its broken -archways and thunder against its adamantean walls. -Clouds, impenetrable as those which shielded the -graceful form of Arethusa, clothe it in the morning; -under the bright blaze of the noonday sun it is armored -in glittering silver; it robes itself in the gorgeous -colors of evening; and in the silent night the -heavenly orbs are mirrored in its glassy surface. -Drifting snows whirl over it in the winter, and the -sea-gulls swarm round it in the summer. The last -rays of departing day linger upon its lofty spires; and -when the long darkness is past it catches the first -gleam of the returning light, and its gilded dome heralds -the coming morn. The Elements combine to -render tribute to its matchless beauty. Its loud voice -is wafted to the shore, and the earth rolls it from crag -to crag among the echoing hills. The sun steals -through the veil of radiant fountains which flutter -over it in the summer winds, and the rainbow on its -pallid cheek betrays the warm kiss. The air crowns -it with wreaths of soft vapor, and the waters around -it take the hues of the emerald and the sapphire. In -fulfillment of its destiny it moves steadily onward in -its blue pathway, through the varying seasons and -under the changeful skies. Slowly, as in ages long -gone by it arose from the broad waters, so does it sink -back into them. It is indeed a noble symbol of the -Law,—a monument of Time's slow changes, more ancient -than the Egyptian Pyramids or the obelisk of -Heliopolis. Its crystals were dew-drops and snow-flakes -long before the human race was born in Eden.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MER DE GLACE.</div> - -<p>The glacier by which I had ascended to the <i>mer de -glace</i> furnishes a fine illustration of growth and movement -as I have described it. Coming down from the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">- 147 -</span> -<i>mer de glace</i> in a steadily flowing stream, it has at -length filled up the entire valley in which it rests for -a distance of ten miles; and its terminal face, which, -as heretofore stated, is one mile across, is now two -miles from the sea. The angles and measurements -of October, 1860, were repeated in July, 1861, as I -shall have occasion hereafter to illustrate, and the result -showed the rate of progress of the glacier to be -upwards of one hundred feet annually. It will thus be -seen that more than a century will elapse before the -front of the glacier arrives at the sea; and since six -miles must be traveled over before it reaches deep -water, at least five hundred years will transpire before -it discharges an iceberg of any considerable magnitude. -The movement of this glacier is much more -rapid than others which I have explored. From "My -Brother John's Glacier" the margin of the <i>mer de -glace</i> sweeps around behind the lofty hills back of -Port Foulke, and comes down to the sea in a discharging -glacier above Cape Alexander. This has a face -of two miles, and some small icebergs are disengaged -from it. Thence, after surrounding Cape Alexander, -embracing it as with the arm of a mighty giant, it -comes again into the water on its south side; and, -continuing thence southward in a succession of broad -and irregular curves, a frozen river is poured out from -this great inland sea of ice through every valley of -the Greenland coast from Smith's Sound to Cape Farewell, -and from Cape Farewell on the Spitzbergen side -northward to the remotest boundary of the explored. -Northward from "My Brother John's Glacier" it -makes a broad curve in the rear of the hills hitherto -mentioned, and opposite Van Rensselaer Harbor it is -between fifty and sixty miles from the sea, where -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">- 148 -</span> -it was reached by Mr. Wilson and myself, as before -stated. Its first appearance upon the coast in that -direction is at the head of Smith's Sound, in the -great Humboldt Glacier, which is reputed to be sixty -miles across. Beyond this it presses upon Washington -Land, and thence stretches away into the region -of the unknown.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page148" style="max-width: 10.125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="My Brother John's Glacier from First Camp"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page148.png" alt=""My Brother John's Glacier," from First Camp" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">- 149 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>MY CABIN.—SURVEYING.—CASTOR AND POLLUX.—CONCERNING SCURVY.—DANGERS -OF EATING COLD SNOW.—KNORR AND STARR.—FROST-BITES.—HANS, -PETER, AND JACOB AGAIN.—COAL ACCOUNT.—THE FIRES.—COMFORT -OF OUR QUARTERS.—THE HOUSE ON DECK.—MILD WEATHER.—JENSEN.—MRS. -HANS.—JOHN WILLIAMS, THE COOK.—A CHEERFUL EVENING.</p> -</div> - - -<p>After a sound sleep had in some measure worn off -the fatigues of the journey on the glacier, I returned -to my diary:—</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 28th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY CABIN.</div> - -<p>I am not sorry to get back again into my cosy little -cabin. I never knew before what a snug home I have -in the midst of this Arctic wilderness. A few days on -the ice and a few nights in a tent were required to -give me a proper appreciation of its comforts. Once -I had begun to regard it as a dingy, musty cell, fit -only for a convict. Now it is a real "weary man's -rest," an oasis in a desert, a port in a storm. The -bright rays of the "fine-eyed Ull-Erin" were not a -more cheering guide to the love-bound Ossian than -was the glimmer of this cabin-lamp as I came in last -night from the cold,—trudging across the waste of -snows.</p> - -<p>The curtains which inclose what is my lounge by -day and my bed by night have taken on a brighter -crimson. The wolf and bear skins which cover the -lounge and the floor, protecting my feet against the -frost which strikes up from below, are positively luxurious; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">- 150 -</span> -the lamp, which I thought burned with a sickly -sort of flame, is a very Drummond light compared -with what it was; the clock, which used to annoy me -with its ceaseless ticking, now makes grateful music; -the books, which are stuck about in all available -places, seem to be lost friends found again; and the -little pictures, which hang around wherever there is -room, seem to smile upon me with a sort of sympathetic -cheerfulness. Rolls of maps, unfinished sketches, -scraps of paper, all sorts of books, including stray volumes -of the "Penny Cyclopædia" and Soyer's "Principles -of Cooking," drawing implements, barometer -cases, copies of Admiralty Blue Books, containing reports -of the Arctic Search, track charts of all those -British worthies, from Ross to Rae, who have gone in -search of Sir John Franklin, litter the floor; and, instead -of annoying me with their presence, as they used -to do, they seem to possess an air of quiet and refreshing -comfort. My little pocket-sextant and compass, -hanging on their particular peg, my rifle and gun and -flask and pouch on theirs, with my traveling kit between -them, break the blank space on the bulk-head -before me, and seem to speak a language of their own. -My good and faithful friend Sonntag sits opposite to -me at the table, reading. I write nestling among my -furs, with my journal in my lap; and when I contrast -this night with the night on the glacier summit, and -listen now to the fierce wind which howls over the -deck and through the rigging, and think how dark -and gloomy every thing is outside and how light and -cheerful every thing is here below, I believe that I -have as much occasion to write myself down a thankful -man, as I am very sure I do, for once at least, a -contented one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">- 151 -</span></p> - -<p>Sonntag has given me a report of work done during -my absence, and so has McCormick. With Jensen I -have had a talk about the hunt. I have dined with -the officers, and all goes "merry as a marriage bell." -My companions on the journey have recovered from -their fatigue, and they seem none the worse for the -tramp, except such of them as have been touched by -the frost; and these look sorry enough. They get -little consolation from their shipmates.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SURVEYING.</div> - -<p>I am much gratified to find that every thing has -gone on so smoothly while I was away. Sonntag has -been twice to the glacier, and has finished the survey -and made some spirited sketches. He has also done -some valuable work on a base line, accurately measured -upon the ice of the outer bay. This base line -is 9100 feet long, and his triangulations give the following -distances from the western point of Starr -Island:—</p> - -<table summary="distances"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">To Cape</td> - <td class="tdl">Alexander,</td> - <td class="tdl"> 8</td> - <td class="tdl">nautical miles.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc">" "</td> - <td class="tdl">Isabella,</td> - <td class="tdl">31</td> - <td class="tdc">" "</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc">" "</td> - <td class="tdl">Sabine,</td> - <td class="tdl">42</td> - <td class="tdc">" "</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<div class="sidenote">CONCERNING SCURVY.</div> - -<p>My commands respecting the hunt have been carefully -observed, and numerous additions have been -made to our rapidly accumulating stock of fresh food. -This gives me much gratification. My experience -with Dr. Kane has led me to believe that the scurvy, -hitherto so often fatal to Arctic travelers, may be -readily avoided by the liberal use of a fresh animal -diet; and, although I have a fair supply of canned -meats and a good allowance of fresh vegetables, yet -I do not wish to depend wholly upon them; and, in -order to make assurance doubly sure, I have endeavored -to spare no pains in securing whatever game is -within our reach. Accordingly I have always had a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">- 152 -</span> -well-organized party of hunters, who are exempt from -other duty, and this system I propose continuing. -The result thus far has shown the correctness of my -plan. A more healthy ship's company could not be -desired. Not a single case of illness has yet occurred. -I do not expect to have any scurvy in my -party, and I am firmly impressed with the belief that -at Port Foulke men might live indefinitely without -being troubled with that "dread scourge of the Arctic -Zone." I do not, however, wholly rely upon the hunters. -The moral sentiments have much to do with -health everywhere; and, with the best food in the -world, unhappiness will make more than the heart -sick. For my own part, I would rather take my -chances against the scurvy with the herbs and the -love, than with hatred and the stalled ox. Luckily -my ship's company are as harmonious and happy as -they are healthy, and the fault will be mine if they -do not continue so.</p> - -<p>Our game-list, according to Knorr, who keeps the -tally, sums up as follows: Reindeer 74, foxes 21, hares -12, seals 1, eider-ducks 14, dovekies 8, auks 6, ptarmigan -1. This includes all that has been brought on -board from the beginning. Besides these substantial -contributions to our winter supplies, there are some -twenty or thirty reindeer cached in various places, -which are available whenever we choose to bring -them in. The dogs are the largest consumers.</p> - -<p>I find McCormick suffering with a sore throat and -swelled tongue, resulting from eating snow. Leaving -me at the glacier, he set out to return on board, and, -growing thirsty by the way, without being aware of -the evil consequences likely to result therefrom, commenced -eating snow to quench it. The effect of this -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">- 153 -</span> -indulgence was so to inflame the mucous membrane -as, in the end, to render the thirst greater and greater -the more the desire was indulged. Finally respiration -became difficult and painful, and he arrived on board -much exhausted. It is a good lesson for the ship's -company,—a fact doubtless more consoling to me -than to the sufferer.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 29th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CASTOR AND POLLUX.</div> - -<p>I went out to-day with Mr. Sonntag to his base line, -and made some further measurements. In that direction -there are a couple of mammoth icebergs, which -I have named "The Twins." They loom up grandly -against the dark western sky. Castor carries his head -230 feet above the sea, and Pollux, though of smaller -dimensions, is seventeen feet higher.</p> - -<p>After our usual evening game of chess, we have -talked over some further projects for the field. I -propose a drive into the region of Humboldt Glacier, -Sonntag one to Van Rensselaer Harbor. It is important -that the meridian of this latter place should be -connected with that of Port Foulke. I yield to Sonntag -for the present, and he starts the day after to-morrow, -weather permitting,—a proviso peculiarly -necessary in this blustering place. There is very little -light left to us, but the moon is full, and will probably -serve to guide the party. There was not even the -faintest streak of light to-day at three o'clock.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -October 30th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Sonntag is all ready to start. He will take two -sledges, with Jensen and Hans for drivers. They are -prepared for seven days' absence. I have allowed -Sonntag to provide his own equipment, without interference. -He has, I think, made it a little more cumbrous -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">- 154 -</span> -than he should,—a little too much for personal -comfort, that will be dead weight. Traveling in this -region is governed by very rigorous laws, and very -little latitude is allowed in the choice of one's outfit. -There is probably no place in the world where the -traveler is compelled to deny himself so completely -those little articles of convenience which contribute -so much to the personal satisfaction. On ship-board -he may indulge his taste for luxury to the extent of -his means; but when he takes to the ice-fields and -the dog-sledge he must come down to hard fare and -carry nothing but what is absolutely necessary to sustain -life,—and this is simply meat, bread, and coffee, -or tea if he prefers it. The snow must serve for his -bed, and his only covering must be what is just sufficient -to keep him from freezing. Fire he cannot have, -except the needful lamp to cook his food, and if he -should get cold he must warm himself by exercise. -During my late journey to the glacier, I carried for -fuel only three quarts of alcohol and the same quantity -of oil, and this was not all used.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FROST-BITES.</div> - -<p>I went this morning into the hold to look after my -companions on the recent journey. They have all -recovered from their little frost-bites except Christian, -whose nose is as big as his fist and as red as a beet. -He takes good-naturedly the jeers of his messmates. -Knorr is, however, almost as badly off in the nasal region -as Christian, but he has suffered no further misadventure. -The nose is, indeed, a serious inconvenience -to the Arctic traveler, for it insists upon exposing itself -upon every occasion; and if you put it under a -mask, it revenges itself by coaxing the moisture of -the breath up beneath it, so that in an hour's time the -intended protector becomes a worse enemy than the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">- 155 -</span> -wind itself. The mask is, in a little while, but a lump -of ice.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KNORR AND STARR.</div> - -<p>My youthful secretary, by the way, bore up bravely -on the tramp. I should not have taken him but for -his constant and earnest appeals. There does not appear -to be much of life in him, but he has pluck, and -that is an excellent substitute; and thus far this quality -has carried him through. My friends told me, before -leaving home, that I was needlessly taking him -to a very cold grave; but he does not appear inclined -to fulfill their predictions, and seems likely to hold his -own with the hardest-fisted sailor of the crew. He is -but eighteen years old, and, except Starr, who is about -the same age, is the youngest member of my party. -Starr, too, is a plucky and useful boy. He got into -the party against my intentions, but I am very far -from sorry. Inspired with enthusiasm for Arctic adventure, -he volunteered to go with me in any capacity; -and, having no convenient room in the cabin, I -told him that he could go in the forecastle, little -dreaming that he would accept my offer; but, sure -enough, he turned up the next day in sailor's rig. His -bright beaver and shining broadcloth and polished -pumps had given place to cap and red shirt and sea -boots, and I went on board to find the metamorphosed -boy of recent elegance manfully at work. Admiring -his spirit, I promoted him on the spot, and sent him -aft to the sailing-master,—the best I could do for -him.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HANS, PETER, AND JACOB.</div> - -<p>The rivalry between Hans and Peter waxes warmer. -My sympathies go with the latter, of which I have to-day -given substantial proof. Up to this time Hans has -had charge of Sonntag's team, and has used it pretty -much as he pleased; but he being absent this morning, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">- 156 -</span> -and Jensen being off after some venison, I used -Peter to drive me to the lower glacier, where I wished -to make some sketches. It appears that this excited -Hans' ire against poor Peter; which fact being duly -reported by Jensen, I have taken the dogs from Hans -and given them into Peter's exclusive charge. So one -savage is pleased and the other is displeased; but we -shall probably have no public exhibitions of his spleen, -as I have read him a lecture upon the evil consequences -arising from the display of ill-temper, which -he will probably remember,—as likely, however, for -evil as for good; for he is not of a forgiving disposition. -Jensen tells me that "they have made friends," -which probably means mischief.</p> - -<p>Hans seems to retain the intelligence for which he -was distinguished when in the <i>Advance</i>. His character -has undergone but little change, and his face expresses -the same traits as formerly,—the same -smooth, oily voice, the same cunning little eye, the -same ugly disposition. I have very little faith in -him; but Sonntag has taken him into his favor, and -greatly prefers him to Jensen for a dog-driver.</p> - -<p>Peter, on the other hand, is a quiet, unobtrusive fellow, -and is always ready and willing to do any thing -that is required of him, even by the sailors, with whom -he is very popular; and, of course, as with good-nature -everywhere, he is sometimes imposed upon. Jacob is -Peter's brother, and he continues to be the butt of the -forecastle. The men have made a bargain with him, -and, according to all accounts, it works satisfactorily. -He is to wash their dishes, and they in return are to -give him all the crumbs that fall from their table. On -these he is growing more and more fat, and he has now -greater difficulty than ever in getting about. There -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">- 157 -</span> -is a beam in the fore-hold, only two feet and a half -from the floor, which he can no longer climb over. -His efforts to crawl under it have been not unaptly -compared to those of a seal waddling over the ice -about its breathing-hole. Mr. Wardle's fat boy was -not more shapeless, and, like that plethoric individual, -he chiefly divides his time between eating and sleeping. -His cheeks are puffed out in a very ridiculous -manner, and altogether he answers very well the description -of Mirabeau's corpulent acquaintance, who -seemed to have been created for no other purpose -than to show to what extent the human skin is capable -of being stretched without bursting. The executive -officer tells me that he sent him the other day to -the upper deck to dress a couple of reindeer; but, -having proceeded far enough to expose a tempting -morsel, he halted in his work, carved off a slice of the -half-frozen flesh, and was found some time afterwards -fast asleep between the two dead animals, with the -last fragment of his <i>bonne bouche</i> dangling from his -lips.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 1st.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The new month comes in stormy. The travelers -were to have set out to-day, but a fierce gale detains -them on board. The moon is now three days past -full, and if they are delayed much longer they will -scarcely have light enough for the journey.</p> - -<p>McCormick and Dodge have set a bear-trap between -the icebergs Castor and Pollux. It is a mammoth -steel-trap, and is baited with venison and fastened with -my best ice-anchor. I pity the poor beast that gets -his foot in it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">COAL ACCOUNT.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE HOUSE ON DECK.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">COMFORT OF OUR QUARTERS.</div> - -<p>I have been overhauling our coal account, and have -regulated the daily consumption for the winter. We -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">- 158 -</span> -have thirty-four tons on board, and have but two fires. -Two and a half buckets full a day go to the galley -stove in the hold, and one and a half to the cabin; -and with this consumption of fuel the people live in -comfort and cook their food and melt from the ice an -abundant supply of water. The ice, which is of the -clearest and purest kind, comes from a little berg -which is frozen up in the mouth of the harbor, about -half a mile away. I have no stove in my own cabin, -all the heat which I require coming to me across the -companion-way through the slats of my door, from -the officers' stove. The temperature in which I live -ranges from 40° to 60°, and, among my furs, I lounge -through the hours that I do not spend out of doors -as snug and comfortable as I could wish to be. Something -of my comfort is, however, due to the excess of -heat of the officers' quarters. The temperature of -their cabin runs sometimes to 75°, and is seldom lower -than 60°, and they are at times actually sweltering. -Our quarters are throughout free from dampness, -and are well ventilated. A portion of the main-hatch -above the men's quarters is always open, and the companion-scuttle -is seldom closed. This ventilation being -through the house on deck, that apartment is kept at -quite a comfortable degree of warmth; and it is a -very convenient medium between the lower deck and -the outer air. In this house such work is performed -as cannot be done below; and there, in the dim light -of the signal-lamp, which hangs suspended from the -main-boom, one may see almost at any time a motley -group of men working or playing, as the case may be. -Forward in one corner stands Hans's tent, through -the slits in which come the cheerful glimmer of a -lamp and the lullaby of an Esquimau mother, soothing -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">- 159 -</span> -to sleep her "pretty one." On the opposite side -is our butcher-shop, where are piled up a lot of frozen -reindeer, awaiting Marcus and Jacob,—the butchers. -Near by stands our portable forge and anvil, where -McCormick is forever blowing the hot embers and -pounding at nobody knows what. Dodge says "he is -killing time." Under the window amidships stands -the carpenter's bench and the vice, where Christian, -Jensen, Peter, and Hans are always tinkering at some -hunting or sledge implements,—while, mingling promiscuously -on the deck, the officers and men may be -seen smoking their pipes, and apparently intent only -upon as little exertion and as much amusement as the -Arctic night will give them. A cheerful light bursts -up from below through the hatchways, bringing with -it many a cheerful laugh. Around the mainmast -stands our gun-rack, and near by is a neat arrangement -of McCormick's where every man has a peg for -his fur coat, as we do not bring these things below, -on account of the great change of temperature producing -dampness in them.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 2d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The barometer, which yesterday sank to 29.58, has -been steadily rising since, and stands now at 29.98, -giving us thus a reasonable assurance that the gale will -come to an end by and by, and let the travelers off. -The gale has made wild work with the ice, breaking -it up and driving it out to the southwest until the -open water is within two miles of the schooner. The -"twins" are right upon the margin of it, and, were -they not aground, would float away. One of Sonntag's -base-line stations has drifted off, and the bear-trap -has followed after it, carrying away my fine ice-anchor. -Strange, the loose ice has all drifted out of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">- 160 -</span> -sight, and not a speck is to be seen upon the unhappy -waters which roll and tumble through the darkness -around Cape Alexander.</p> - -<p>The temperature during this gale has been, throughout, -very mild. Although the wind was northeast, it -has not been below zero at any time.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 3d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MR. JENSEN.</div> - -<p>The travelers are off at last, and at ten o'clock this -evening they disappoint me by not returning. Since -it is evident that they have gone around Cape Ohlsen, -which I had some reason to doubt, I see no cause why -they should not reach their destination. They will -have, however, cracks which have been opened by the -recent gales, and doubtless heavily hummocked ice, to -contend with; and I hardly know how Jensen will get -on with this sort of traveling. Bad enough for those -who are accustomed to it, it will be a sore trial to him. -He is a splendid whip, and drives his dogs superbly -when the ice is reasonably smooth, and the sledge -glides glibly over it with the dogs at a gallop; but this -floundering through hummocks and deep snow-drifts, -where the sledge has to be lifted and is often capsized, -where the dogs are continually getting into a snarl,—their -traces tangled, their tempers ruffled, and a general -fight resulting,—is a very different sort of business, -and is what he is not used to. To get through -with it one requires an almost superhuman stock of -enduring patience; and if Jensen returns from this -journey with a good record, I shall have no fears for -him in the future. He is a very strong and able-bodied -man, standing six feet in his shoes, and is of -powerful muscular build. The knowledge acquired -by some eight years' residence in Greenland, of hunting, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">- 161 -</span> -and of the Esquimau language, which he speaks -like a native, and of the English which he has picked -up from the British whale-ships, makes him one of the -most useful members of my party.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DOMESTIC FELICITY.</div> - -<p>The men have been busy sewing up seal-skins into -coats, pantaloons, and boots, to complete their winter -wardrobe. They have tried very hard to get Mrs. -Hans to do this work for them, but the indolent creature -persistently refuses to sew a stitch. She is the -most obstinate of her sex; feels perfectly independent -of every thing and of everybody; pouts fiercely when -she is not pleased, and gets the sulks about once a -fortnight, when she declares most positively that she -will abandon Hans and the white men forever, and go -back to her own people. She once tried the experiment, -and started off at a rapid rate, with her baby -on her back, towards Cape Alexander. There had -evidently been a domestic spat. Hans came out of -his tent as if nothing had happened, and stood at -the window leisurely smoking his pipe, and watching -her in the most unconcerned manner in the world. -As she tripped off south I called his attention to her.</p> - -<p>"Yes—me see."</p> - -<p>"Where is she going, Hans?"</p> - -<p>"She no go. She come back—all right."</p> - -<p>"But she will freeze, Hans?"</p> - -<p>"She no freeze. She come back by by,—you see."</p> - -<p>And he went on smoking his pipe with a quiet -chuckle which told how well he understood the whims -of his beloved. Two hours afterward she came back, -sure enough, very meek and very cold, for the wind -was blowing in her face.</p> - -<p>The day being Saturday, the sailors are busy by -turns at the wash-tub, to have a clean turn-out for -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">- 162 -</span> -Sunday, on which day, even in this remote corner of -the world, everybody puts on his best, and at Sunday -morning muster my people present a very neat and -creditable appearance. The gray uniform which I -have adopted as a dress-suit is always worn on that -occasion, both by officers and men. Each officer has -a sailor for a "washerwoman," and I have mine; and -Knorr has just brought me in the most encouraging -accounts of his skill, and as a proof of it I found on -my table, when I came in out of the moonlight from -a tramp to the open water, (where I had been making -some observations for temperature,) a well-starched -and neatly ironed cambric handkerchief, sprinkled -with cologne.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A CHEERFUL DAY.</div> - -<p>The day, for some reason or other, seems to have -been peculiarly bright and cheerful to everybody, and -the cheerfulness runs on into the evening. I fancy -that our old cook was in a more than usually good -humor, and doubtless this has had something to do -with it. For my own part, I must acknowledge the -power of his artistic skill as affecting the moral sentiments. -My walk to the open water was both cold -and fatiguing. Desiring to get out as far as I could, -I sprang over the loose ice-tables, and reached an -iceberg near "The Twins," which I mounted; and, -after digging a hole into it, found that it had a temperature -only 8° lower than the temperature of the -water that floated it, which was 29°. I scrambled -back to the fast ice as quickly as I could, for the tide -and wind, which was strong from the land, looked -very much as if they intended to carry the raft out -to sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">JOHN WILLIAMS, THE COOK.</div> - -<p>To come back to the cook,—I was in a condition -upon my return to do ample justice to a fillet of venison, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">- 163 -</span> -garnished with currant-jelly, which was awaiting -me, and upon the preparation of which the cook -had evidently exhausted all his skill; and afterward -Knorr made for me, with my alcohol furnace, a cup -of aromatic Mocha.</p> - -<p>And so one may find pleasure even where Bacchus -and Cupid deign not to come. True, this is the region -into which Apollo voluntarily wandered after the -decree of Olympus made him an exile, and where the -Hellenic poets dreamed of men living to an incredible -age, in the enjoyment of all possible felicity; but, to -say the truth, I question the wisdom of the banished -god, as tradition makes no mention of a schooner, and -I find that in this "Residence of Boreas" one must -look out for himself pretty sharply,—poets to the -contrary, notwithstanding.</p> - -<p>The cook brought me the dinner himself. "I tinks -de Commander likes dis," said he, "coming from de -cold."</p> - -<p>"Yes, cook, it is really superb. Now, what can I do -for you?"</p> - -<p>"Tank you, sar! I tinks if de Commander would -only be so kind as to give me a clean shirt, I shall be -very tankful. He see dis one be very dirty, and I -gets no time to vash him."</p> - -<p>"Certainly, cook, you shall have two."</p> - -<p>"Tank you, sar!"—and he bends himself half -double, meaning it for a bow, and goes back well -pleased to his stove and his coppers.</p> - -<p>Our cook is quite a character. He is much the oldest -man on board, and is the most singular mixture of -adverse moral qualities that I have ever chanced to -meet. He makes it his boast that he has never been -off the ship's deck since leaving Boston. "Vat should -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">- 164 -</span> -I go ashore for?" said he, one day, to some of the officers -who were reciting to him the wonders of the land. -"Me go ashore! De land be very good place to grow -de vegetables, but it no place to be. I never goes -ashore ven I can help it, and please my Hebenly -Fader I never vill."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A CHEERFUL EVENING.</div> - -<p>I have passed an hour of the evening very pleasantly -with the officers in their cabin, have had my -usual game of chess with Knorr, and now, having -done with this journal for the day, I will coil myself -up in my nest of furs and read in Marco Polo of those -parts of the world where people live without an effort, -know not the use of bear-skins, and die of fever. -After all, one's lines might fall in less pleasant places -than in the midst of an Arctic winter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page164" style="max-width: 11em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Group of Reindeer"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page164.png" alt="Group of Reindeer" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">- 165 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>INCREASING DARKNESS.—DAILY ROUTINE.—THE JOURNAL.—OUR HOME.—SUNDAY.—RETURN -OF SONNTAG.—A BEAR-HUNT.—THE OPEN WATER.—ACCIDENT -TO MR. KNORR.—A THAW.—"THE PORT FOULKE WEEKLY -NEWS."—THE TIDE-REGISTER.—THE FIRE-HOLE.—HUNTING FOXES.—PETER.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The steadily increasing darkness was driving us -more and more within doors. We had now scarcely -any light but that of the moon and stars. The hunt -was not wholly abandoned, but so few were the hours -wherein we could see that it had become unprofitable. -The gloom of night had settled in the valleys and had -crept up the craggy hills. The darkness being fairly -upon us, we had now little other concern than to live -through it and await the spring, and a return to active -life and the performance of those duties for which -our voyage had been undertaken. As a part of the -history of the expedition, I will continue to give from -my diary our course of life.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 5th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Our life has worked itself into a very systematic routine. -Our habits during the sunlight were naturally -somewhat irregular, but we have now subsided into -absolute method. What a comfort it is to be relieved -of responsibility! How kind it is of the clock to tell -us what to do! The ship's bell follows it through the -hours, and we count its shrill sounds and thereby -know precisely how to act. The bell tells us when it -is half-past seven in the morning, and then we "turn -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">- 166 -</span> -out." An hour later we breakfast, and at one o'clock -we lunch. We dine at six, and at eleven we put out -the lights and "turn in,"—that is, everybody but the -writer of this journal and the "watch." After dinner -I usually join the officers at a game of whist, or in -my own cabin have a game of chess with Sonntag or -Knorr. One day differs very little from another day. -Radcliffe shows me the record of the weather when -he has made it up, in the evening; and it is almost as -monotonous as the form of its presentation. The -daily report of ship's duties I have from McCormick, -but that does not present any thing that is peculiarly -enlivening. I make a note of what is passing, in this -voluminous journal,—partly for use, partly from -habit, and partly for occupation. The readings of the -magnetometer and the barometers and thermometers, -and the tide-register, and of the growth of the ice, -and all such like useful knowledge, find a place on -these pages; but novelties are rare, and when they -do come I set opposite to them marginal notes, that I -may pick them out from time to time as one does a -happy event from the memory.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DAILY ROUTINE.</div> - -<p>The ship's duties go on thus:—After breakfast the -men "turn to" under the direction of Dodge, and -clear up the decks and polish and fill the lamps; and -a detail is made to go out to the iceberg for our daily -supply of water. Then the fire-hole is looked after, -the dogs are fed, the allowance of coal for the day is -measured out, the store-room is unlocked and the rations -are served; and before lunch-time comes round -the labors of the day are done. After lunch we take -a walk for exercise, and I make it a rule that every -one who has not been at work two hours must spend -at least that much time in walking for his health.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">- 167 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">OUR HOME.</div> - -<p>For my own part I take an almost daily drive -around the bay or a stroll over the hills or out upon -the frozen sea. Sometimes I carry my rifle, hoping -to shoot a deer or perhaps a bear, but usually I go -unarmed and unaccompanied, except by a sprightly -Newfoundland pup which rejoices in the name of <i>General</i>. -This little beast has shared with me my cabin -since leaving Boston, and has always insisted upon -the choicest place. We have got to be the best of -friends. He knows perfectly well when the hour -comes to go out after breakfast, and whines impatiently -at the door; and when he sees me take my -cap and mittens from their peg his happiness is complete. -And the little fellow makes a most excellent -companion. He does not bore me with senseless talk, -but tries his best to make himself agreeable. If in -the sober mood, he walks beside me with stately gravity; -but when not so inclined he rushes round in the -wildest manner,—rolling himself in the snow, tossing -the white flakes to the wind, and now and then tugging -at my huge fur mittens or at the tail of my fur -coat. Some time ago he fell down the hatch and -broke his leg, and while this was healing I missed him -greatly. There is excellent companionship in a sensible -dog.</p> - -<p>I try as much as a reasonable regard for discipline -will allow to cultivate the social relations and usages -of home. True, we cannot get up a ball, and we lack -the essential elements of a successful tea-party; but -we are not wholly deficient in those customs which, -in the land where the loved ones are, take away so -much of life's roughnesses. And these little formal observances -promote happiness and peace. There is no -place in the world where habits of unrestrained familiarity -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">- 168 -</span> -work so much mischief as in the crowded cabin -of a little vessel, nor is there any place where true politeness -is so great a blessing. In short, I try to make -our winter abode as cheerful as possible; and we shall -need all the brightness we can get within these -wooden walls, if we would not be overwhelmed with -the darkness which is outside. I want my people -always to feel that, from whatever hardship and exposure -they may encounter, they can here find cheerful -shelter from the storms, and repose from their -fatigues.</p> - -<p>As far as possible, Sunday is observed as we would -observe it at home. At ten o'clock, accompanied by -the executive officer, I hold an inspection of every -part of the vessel, and examine minutely into the -health, habits, and comforts of the whole ship's company; -and immediately afterward they all assemble -in the officers' quarters, where I read to them a portion -of the morning service; and this is followed -by a chapter from the good Book, which we all love -alike, wherever we are. Sometimes I read one of -Blair's fine sermons, and when meal time comes round -we find it in our heart to ask a continuance of God's -provident care; and if expressed in few words, it is -perhaps not the less felt.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 6th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RETURN OF SONNTAG.</div> - -<p>The travelers have returned, and, as I feared, they -have been unsuccessful. Sonntag has dined with me, -and he has just finished the recital of the adventures -of his party.</p> - -<p>The journey was a very difficult one. High hummocks, -deep snow-drifts, open cracks, severe winds -were their embarrassments; and these are obstacles -not to be encountered without danger, fatigue, and -frost-bites.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">- 169 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">A BEAR HUNT.</div> - -<p>They had much trouble in getting out of Hartstene -Bay, the water coming almost in to the land-ice. -Once outside, however, they had an easy run up the -coast to Fog Inlet, where one of the sledges broke -down, and they came upon open cracks which they -could not pass. After repairing the sledge as well as -they were able, they turned their faces homeward. -When a little way above Cape Hatherton, they struck -the trail of a couple of bears; and, giving chase, the -animals were overtaken and captured. They proved -to be a mother and her cub.</p> - -<p>Sonntag has given me a lively description of the -chase. The bears were started from the margin of a -ridge of hummocked ice where they had been sleeping; -and they made at once for the open cracks outside, -distant about four miles. As soon as the dogs -discovered the trail, they dashed off upon it into the -hummocks, without waiting to be directed by their -drivers, and utterly regardless of the safety of the -sledges or of the persons seated upon them. The -hummocks were very high, and the passages between -them rough and tortuous. Had the bears kept to -them they might have baffled pursuit; for the progress -of the sledges was much interrupted, and the -track could not always be followed. But the ridge -was not above a quarter of a mile in width, and the -bears, striking directly across it, evidently preferred -seeking safety beyond a crack, over which they could -pass by swimming.</p> - -<p>The first plunge into the hummocks was rather -exciting. Jensen's team led the way, and Hans, following -after, rushed up pell-mell alongside. Jensen's -sledge was nearly capsized, and Sonntag rolled off in -the snow; but he was fortunate enough to catch the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">- 170 -</span> -upstander, and with its aid to recover his seat. The -tangled ice greatly retarded the impatient dogs, bringing -them several times almost to a stand; but their -eagerness and their drivers' energy finally triumphed -over all obstacles, and they emerged at length, after -much serious embarrassment, upon a broad and almost -level plain, where for the first time the game came in -view.</p> - -<p>The delay of the sledges in the hummocks had allowed -the bears to get the start of fully a mile, and it -appeared probable that they would reach the water -before they could be overtaken. The dogs seemed to -be conscious of this danger, as well as the hunters, -and they laid themselves down to the chase with all -the wild instinct of their nature. Maddened by the -detention and the prospect of the prey escaping them, -the blood-thirsty pack swept across the plain like a -whirlwind. Jensen and Hans encouraged their respective -teams by all the arts known to the native -hunter. The sledges fairly flew over the hard snow -and bounced over the drifts and the occasional pieces -of ice which projected above the otherwise generally -smooth surface.</p> - -<p>It was a wild chase. The dogs manifested in their -speed and cry all the impatience of a pack of hounds -in view of the fox, with ten times their savageness. -As they neared the game they seemed to Sonntag like -so many wolves closing upon a wounded buffalo.</p> - -<p>In less than a quarter of an hour the distance between -pursuers and pursued was lessened to a few -hundred yards, and then they were not far from the -water,—which to the one was safety, to the other defeat. -During all this time the old bear was kept back -by the young one, which she was evidently unwilling -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">- 171 -</span> -to abandon. The poor beast was in agony. Her cries -were piteous to hear. The little one jogged on by -her side, frightened and anxious; and, although it -greatly retarded her progress, yet, in full view of the -danger, she would not abandon it. Fear and maternal -affection appeared alternately to govern her resolution; -but still she held firm to her dependent offspring. -One moment she would rush forward toward -the open water, as if intent only upon her own safety,—then -she would wheel round and push on the struggling -cub with her snout; and then again she would -run beside it as if coaxingly encouraging it to greater -speed. Meanwhile her enemies were rushing on and -steadily nearing the game. The dogs, forgetting their -own fatigue in the prospect of a speedy encounter, -pressed harder and harder into their collars. The -critical moment was rapidly approaching; and, to add -to the embarrassments of the bruin family, the little -bear was giving out.</p> - -<p>At length the sledges were within fifty yards of the -struggling animals. Leaning forward, each hunter -now seized the end of the line which bound the traces -together in one fastening, and slipped the knot. The -sledges stopped, and the dogs, freed from the load -which they had been dragging, bounded fiercely for -their prey. The old bear heard the rush of her coming -enemies, and, halting, squared herself to meet the -assault, while the little one ran frightened round her, -and then crouched for shelter between her legs.</p> - -<p>The old and experienced leader, Oosisoak, led the -attack. Queen Arkadik was close beside him, and the -other twenty wolfish beasts followed in order of their -speed. The formidable front and defiant roar of the -infuriated monster split the pack, and they passed to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">- 172 -</span> -right and left. Only one dog faced her, and he, (a -young one,) with more courage than discretion, rushed -at her throat. In a moment he was crushed beneath -her huge paw. Oosisoak came in upon her flank, -and Arkadik tore at her haunch, and the other dogs -followed this prudent example. She turned upon Oosisoak, -and drove him from his hold; but in this act the -cub was uncovered. Quick as lightning Karsuk flew -at its neck, and a slender yellow mongrel, that we call -Schnapps, followed after; but the little bear, imitating -the example of its mother, prepared to do battle. -Karsuk missed his grip, and Schnapps got tangled -among its legs. The poor dog was soon doubled up -with a blow in the side, and escaped yowling from -the <i>mêlée</i>. Oosisoak was hard pressed, but his powerful -rival Erebus came to his relief, and led his followers -upon the opposite flank, which concentrated -onslaught turned the bear again in the direction of -her cub in time to save it; for it was now being -pulled down and worried by Karsuk and his pack. -For a moment disregarding her own tormenters, she -threw herself upon the assailants of the cub, and to -avoid her blows they quickly abandoned their hold -and enabled her once more to draw the frightened -though plucky little creature under her. She had -come to the rescue at the critical moment, for the -poor thing was weakened with the loss of blood, and -was fairly exhausted with the fight.</p> - -<p>By this time Jensen and Hans had drawn their -rifles from the sledge, and hastened on to the conflict. -The dogs were so thick about the game that it was -some time before they could shoot with safety. They -both, however, succeeded at last in getting a fine -chance at the old bear, and fired. One ball struck her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">- 173 -</span> -in the mouth, and the other one in the shoulder; but -neither did much harm, and brought only a louder -roar of pain and anger.</p> - -<p>The dogs, beaten off from their attack on the cub, -now concentrated upon the mother, and the battle became -more fierce than ever. The snow was covered -with blood. A crimson stream poured from the old -bear's mouth, and another trickled over the white hair -from her shoulder. The little one was torn, and bleeding -from many ugly wounds. One dog was stretched -out crushed and almost lifeless, and another marked -the spot, where his agony was expending itself in piteous -cries, with many a red stain.</p> - -<p>Sonntag now came up with a fresh weapon. A well-directed -volley from the three rifles brought her down -upon her side, and the dogs rushed in upon her; but -though stunned and weakened by loss of blood, yet -she was not mortally hurt; and, recovering herself in -an instant, she once more scattered the dog's and again -sheltered her offspring. But the fate of the cub was -already sealed. Exhausted by the fearful gashes and -the throttlings which it had received from Karsuk -and his followers, it sank expiring at its mother's feet. -Seeing it fall, she forgot, for a moment, the dogs, in -her affection, and, stooping down, licked its face. As -if unwilling to believe it dead, she tried to coax it -to rise and make a still further fight for life. But at -length the truth seemed to dawn upon her, and now, -apparently conscious that the cub no longer needed -her protection, she turned upon her tormenters with -redoubled fury, and tried to escape. Another dog -was caught in the attack, and was flung howling to -join the unlucky Schnapps.</p> - -<p>For the first time she now appeared to realize that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">- 174 -</span> -she was beset with other enemies than the dogs. -Hans's rifle had missed fire, and he was advancing -with a native spear to a hand-to-hand encounter. Seeing -him approach, the infuriated monster cleared away -the dogs with a vigorous dash, and charged him. He -threw his weapon and wheeled in flight. The bear -bounded after him, and in an instant more neither -speed nor dogs could have saved him. Fortunately, -Sonntag and Jensen had by this time reloaded their -rifles, and, with well-directed shots, they stopped her -mad career. A ball, penetrating the spine at the base -of the skull, rolled her over on the blood-stained snow.</p> - -<p>The skins being removed, and a portion of the flesh -of the young bear prepared for carrying home, the -dogs were allowed to gorge themselves, and the party -pitched their tent and camped. The next run brought -them to the vessel.</p> - -<p>The frost has nipped Jensen a little on the nose, -and Hans is touched on the cheeks; but Sonntag has -come off without a scratch. They have had a very -hard journey. Every thing conspired against them; -and if they did not reach their destination, they are -none the less entitled to great credit for their persevering -efforts, continued as they were against such -odds.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE OPEN WATER.</div> - -<p>The existence of this open water greatly puzzles -me. No such phenomenon was witnessed in 1853-55 -from Van Rensselaer Harbor. Whether it extends -across the Sound, or how far to the north or south, I -am unable to judge. It is probably merely local,—dependent -upon the currents and winds.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page174f" style="max-width: 41.1875em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page174f.png" alt="A BEAR-HUNT" /> -</div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">- 175 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 7th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The wind is blowing fiercely from the northeast, -and the temperature is 16° below zero. The effect of -the gale has been to drive the ice away again from -the outer bay, and we are once more within the sound -of the roaring surf.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 8th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ACCIDENT TO MR. KNORR.</div> - -<p>The air having become somewhat more quiet, I -walked out to-day to the open water. Knorr accompanied -me. The view from the margin of the ice was -dark and fearful. Heavy mist-clouds hung over the -sea. Loose ice-fields were drifting through the blackness, -crashing harshly against each other, and sending -the spray gleaming into the moonlight. The icebergs -stood out here and there in stern defiance of the jarring -elements, while the tumbling seas struck the -white foam far up their lofty sides; and out of the -gloom came a wail, as of</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent14">"a thousand ghosts,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Shrieking at once on the hollow wind."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>On our way back, Knorr, who has much skill in getting -himself into trouble, failed in a spring as we -were making our way over some loose floes, and he -plumped bodily into the sea. The accident was not -less dangerous than disagreeable; for after I had -dragged him out of the water there were almost two -miles between us and the schooner. Fortunately he -arrived on board after a vigorous run with nothing -worse than a frozen foot, which did not, however, result -in any inconvenience greater than the pain, since -my former experience readily suggested the proper -remedies. The frozen member was first placed in ice-cold -water, the temperature of which was slowly increased -from hour to hour until the flesh was completely -thawed out. There was no resulting inflammation, -and the foot came from the bath without -even a blister.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">- 176 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 10th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A THAW.</div> - -<p>We are in the midst of a regular thaw,—a thaw -in November under the Pole Star,—truly a strange -event to chronicle. The temperature has gone up to -11° above zero.</p> - -<p>The cold of the last month has frescoed the house -on deck with delicate frost,—the condensed moisture -that escapes from below. In many places this frost is -two inches thick, and now it is melting. The water -drops upon the deck, and every thing thereon is soaked. -We have reduced the fires and opened the windows.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 11th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The temperature continues to rise, and the thaw -goes on. A regular shower falls upon the deck. -There is a huge puddle amidships, and the drip, drip, -drip is any thing but agreeable.</p> - -<p>My journal is looking up,—two novelties in one -day. First a thaw, and then a newspaper. The free -press follows the flag all over the world, and the North -Pole rejoices in "The Port Foulke Weekly News."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">"THE PORT FOULKE WEEKLY NEWS."</div> - -<p>During the past week everybody has been much interested -in a newspaper enterprise, bearing the above -title. Thinking to create a diversion that would confound -our enemy, the darkness, I proposed some time -ago to the officers that we should publish a weekly -paper, offering at the same time my assistance. The -proposition was hailed with pleasure, and my fullest -anticipations are more than realized. Mr. Dodge and -Mr. Knorr undertook to act as editors, at least for the -first week, and they have busied themselves gathering -from cabin and forecastle whatever was likely to prove -attractive, and right good success have they met with. -The first number appeared to-day, and it contains -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">- 177 -</span> -some things that are "rich and rare," and very clever, -and many of the best came from the forward part of -the ship.</p> - -<p>Its appearance makes quite an event, and, as a -hygienic agent, its importance cannot be too highly -estimated. The project set everybody on tip-toe of -expectation, and for several days past very little else -has been talked about but "the paper." All the details -of its getting-up have been conducted with a -most farcical adherence to the customs prevailing at -home. There is a regular corps of editors and reporters, -an office for "general news," an "editorial department," -and a "telegraph station," where information -is supposed to be received from all quarters of the -world, and the relations existing between the sun, -moon, and stars are duly reported by "reliable correspondents," -and pictorial representations of extraordinary -occurrences are also received from "our artist -on the spot."</p> - -<p>Of course, much depended upon the <i>eclat</i> with which -it burst into being; and, conscious of this important -fact, the editors spared no pains to heighten public -curiosity, by the issuing of "hand-bills" and "posters," -and all other means known among the caterers for -the popular intellectual palate. McCormick lent his -assistance, and directed the preparation of a somewhat -better dinner than usual; so that, no matter what -might be the merits of this eagerly expected prodigy, -it was sure of a hearty reception. Mr. Knorr -had charged himself with the mechanical execution, -and was known to have the infant periodical in his -keeping; and accordingly, after the cloth was removed, -loud calls were made for its production. -While he was hauling it out from under his pillow, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">- 178 -</span> -(where it had been carefully stowed out of sight until -the auspicious moment should arrive,) demands were -made upon him to read it aloud. This he was about -to do when some one claimed that so important an -event should not pass off so informally. "Agreeably -to national usage, we should call a meeting, organize -it by the appointment of the proper officers, and name -an orator for the occasion. Then, and not until then, -can it be said that we have properly inaugurated the -important event which has transpired. The public of -Port Foulke will not rest content with any less conspicuous -mark of glorification over so momentous an -occurrence as the establishment of a free press on this -remote frontier of civilization."</p> - -<p>To this proposal no objection was made,—indeed, it -was received with much favor; and the meeting was -accordingly organized by unanimously calling Mr. -Sonntag to the "chair." After naming the requisite -number of vice-presidents and secretaries, Mr. Knorr -was selected orator by acclamation. And now there -commenced a violent clapping of hands and a rattling -of tin cups, mingled with cries of "order" and "hear, -hear!" in the midst of which the orator mounted the -locker and addressed his auditors as follows:—</p> - -<p>"Fellow-citizens:—Called by the unanimous voice -of this unenlightened community to inaugurate the -new era which has dawned upon a benighted region, -it is my happy privilege to announce that we have, at -the cost of much time, labor, and means, supplied a want -which has too long been felt by the people of Port -Foulke. We are, fellow-citizens, no longer without -that inalienable birthright of every American citizen,—a -Free Press and an Exponent of Public Opinion.</p> - -<p>"Overcome with the gravity of my situation, I find -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">- 179 -</span> -myself unable to make you a speech befitting the solemnity -and importance of the occasion. It is proper, -however, that I should state, in behalf of myself and -my Bohemian brother, that, in observance of a time-honored -custom, we will keep our opinions for ourselves -and our arguments for the public. The inhabitants -of Port Foulke desire the speedy return of the -Sun. We will advocate and urge it. They wish for -Light. We will address ourselves to the Celestial Orbs, -and point out the opportunities for reciprocity. They -are in search of happiness. We will, in pursuance of -that same time-honored custom, (which I may say has -made the press a power, sir, in this great and glorious -nineteenth century)—we will, I say, at all times -freely counsel them to the observance of both public -and private virtue.</p> - -<p>"Fellow-citizens:—This is a memorable epoch in -the history of Port Foulke. We are informed that its -aboriginal name is Annyeiqueipablaitah, which means, -after it is pronounced, 'The Place of the Howling -Winds.' On this public occasion it is proper that we -should direct our thoughts to the future, especially to -our sublime 'mission.' This 'Place of the Howling -Winds,' you will observe, fellow-citizens, is on the remotest -confines of our wide-spread country,—a country, -fellow-citizens, whose vast sides are bathed by the -illimitable ocean, and which stretches from the rising -of the sun to the setting thereof, and from the Aurora -Borealis to the Southern Cross. But why do I say -the Aurora Borealis, fellow-citizens? Have we not -left that vague border of the national domain far behind -us? Yes, fellow-citizens! and it now devolves -upon us to bring the vexed question of national boundaries, -which has been opened by our enterprise, to a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">- 180 -</span> -point—to a point, sir! We must carry it to the very -Pole itself!—and there, sir, we will nail the Stars and -Stripes, and our flag-staff will become the spindle of -the world, and the Universal Yankee Nation will go -whirling round it like a top.</p> - -<p>"Fellow-citizens and friends:—In conclusion allow -me to propose a sentiment befitting the occasion,—A -Free Press and the Universal Yankee Nation: May -the former continue in times to come, as in times gone -by, the handmaiden of Liberty and the emblem of -Progress; and may the latter absorb all Creation and -become the grand Celestial Whirligig."</p> - -<p>The youthful orator sat down amidst what the press -would very properly designate as "tumultuous applause." -He had evidently made a favorable impression -as well in behalf of himself as of his paper, and -we were all the more eager than ever for the reading. -After the rattling of the tin cups had subsided, the -reading began, and it was not interrupted except by -those marks of approbation in which men are always -apt to indulge when possessed of a satisfactory dinner, -and are listening afterward to good stories. The only -regret expressed was that it should come so quickly -to an end. The expressions of approval were universal, -a vote of thanks was bestowed upon the editors, -the orator was toasted, and the occasion wound up in -a very lively manner. Having but one copy of the -paper, this was handed over to the sailors as soon as -Knorr had finished reading it in the cabin, and the -marks of approbation were equally reassuring from -that quarter. It contains sixteen pages of closely -written matter, a somewhat ambitious picture of our -winter harbor, a portrait of Sir John Franklin, and a -spirited likeness of the General, with his wounded paw -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">- 181 -</span> -in a sling. There is a fair sprinkling of "enigmas," -"original jokes," "items of domestic and foreign intelligence," -"personals," "advertisements," &c., &c., -among a larger allowance of more pretentious effusions. -Among these latter there is an illustrated -prospectus by the senior editor, a poem by the steward, -and a song which is addressed to the General. -This last the men are now singing, and they seem to -take special delight in the chorus, which runs thus:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Hang up the harness and the whip,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Put up the sledge on the ship;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">There's no more work for poor Gen-e-ral,</div> - <div class="verse indent4">For he's going for his wind for to slip."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>I am sorry to say that the prophecy therein contained -is likely to prove true, for the General is very -sick. Poor fellow! he hears every word of this unpitying -merriment over his misfortunes, and, could he -speak, I have no doubt that he would sigh with Gray's -cat,—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent12">"Alas!—</div> - <div class="verse indent0">A favorite has no friends!"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>However, there is a verse coming, to which he is listening -attentively, and the very tears mount to his -eyes with this unexpected mark of sympathy. For -his sake I give it a place here:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Sad times there will be when the General slips his wind,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And is gathered to his fathers down below;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And is gone far away with his broken leg and all,</div> - <div class="verse indent2">And is buried underneath the cold snow."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 12th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The temperature has gone down within 4° of zero, -but there is still much slush and dampness. The snow -lying next the ice is filled with water, a circumstance -which it is difficult to explain, since the temperature -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">- 182 -</span> -has not, at any time, reached the freezing point, and -the ice on which the snow rests is over three feet -thick. There would appear to be a sort of an osmotic -action taking place. Snow is now beginning to fall, -and, as usual, it is very light and beautifully and regularly -crystalized. The depth of snow which has -fallen up to this time is 15¼ inches.</p> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 13th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Worse and worse. The temperature has risen again, -and the roof over the upper deck gives us once more -a worse than tropic shower. The snow next the ice -grows more slushy, and this I am more than ever puzzled -to understand, since I have found to-day that the -ice, two feet below the surface, has a temperature of -20°; at the surface it is 19°, and the snow in contact -with it is 18°. The water is 29°.</p> - -<p>The darkness is not yet quite absolute. With some -difficulty I can still see to read ordinary print at noon.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 14th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The wind has been blowing for nearly twenty-four -hours from the northeast, and yet the temperature -holds on as before. At 10 o'clock this evening it was -4½°. I have done with speculation. A warm wind -from the <i>mer de glace</i>, and this boundless reservoir of -Greenland frost, makes mischief with my theories, as -facts have heretofore done with the theories of wiser -men. As long as the wind came from the sea I could -find some excuse for the unseasonable warmth.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE TIDE-REGISTER.</div> - -<p>I have rigged a new tide-register to-day, with the -aid of McCormick, my man of all ingenious work. If -it prove as effective as it is simple, I shall have a good -registry of the Port Foulke tides. It is but a light -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">- 183 -</span> -rope, to one end of which is attached a heavy stone -that rests firmly on the bottom of the sea. The rope -comes up through the fire-hole, and passes over a pulley -and down again into the water, having at this last -end a ten-pound leaden weight. The pulley is attached -to an oar which is supported upon two pillars -made with blocks of ice. Two feet below the oar, and -in close contact with the rope, there is an iron rod, -and, the rope being divided into feet and tenths of a -foot by little strings having "knots," the stage of the -tide is read with the aid of a bull's-eye lantern, as the -rod passes the strings. The only drawback is the -difficulty in keeping the rope from "fouling" with -the ice, as it will do if the fire-hole is not cleared at -least four times an hour.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIRE-HOLE.</div> - -<p>The fire-hole needs no description further than the -mere mention of its name. In the event of fire occurring -in the schooner, this hole is our only reliance -for water; and it is therefore carefully looked after. -Thus far the watch has broken it out hourly.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 15th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The wind has packed the snow again, and, the temperature -having crawled down to zero, the dampness -has almost disappeared.</p> - -<p>I have presented Hans with a new suit of clothes -and a pair of my reddest flannel shirts, thinking by -making him better off than Peter to quiet his jealousy. -If I have not succeeded in this, I have at least -tickled his vanity, for he is a natural-born dandy, and -no person on board is so fond of getting himself up -as this same savage hunter. At Sunday inspection -no one more delights to appear in gorgeous array. -With the other Esquimaux he does not deign to associate -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">- 184 -</span> -on terms of equality. To his finer clothes he -doubtless attributes much of his personal importance;—but -such things are not confined to Esquimaux.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 16th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">STUDIES AND OCCUPATIONS.</div> - -<p>McCormick has established a school of navigation, -and has three good pupils in Barnum, Charley, and -McDonald. There is indeed quite a thirst for knowledge -in that quarter known as "Mariner's Hall," and -an excellent library, which we owe to the kindness of -our Boston friends, is well used. In the cabin there -is a quiet settlement into literary ease. Dodge has -already consumed several boxes of "Littell's Living -Age" and the "Westminster Review." Knorr studies -Danish, Jensen English, and Sonntag is wading through -Esquimau, and, with his long, mathematical head, is -conjuring up some incomprehensible compound of differential -quantities. As for myself, there is no end to -my occupations. The routine of our life causes me -much concern and consumes much of my time. Perhaps -I give myself needless anxiety about the affairs -of my household, and charge myself uselessly with -"that care which is the enemy of life," and which -long ago disturbed the earthly career of the good old -Mother Hubbard; but then I find in it my chief satisfaction, -and the leisure hours are filled up pleasantly -enough with a book or a walk or this journal. On -me the days of darkness have not yet begun to hang -heavily, but I can see weariness in the future.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 17th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The temperature has fallen to 10° below zero, for -which we are duly thankful. Again the air sparkles -with cold, and a dead calm has let the frost cover the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">- 185 -</span> -whole outer bay with ice, and the crystal plain extends -as far as the eye will carry over the Sound.</p> - -<p>The tide-register works quite well, but the youngsters -complain bitterly of the trouble in keeping the -fire-hole clear of ice, and of reading the ice-coated -knots in the darkness. Starr slipped partly into the -hole to-day, and nearly ruined the instrument by -grasping it for support. The readings are generally -quite accurate, but to guard against serious error I -have my own way of making a check upon the ice-foot. -We have to-day 9 feet 7 inches between ebb -and flood.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HUNTING FOXES.</div> - -<p>The poor foxes have become the innocent victims -of a new excitement. They are very numerous, and -the officers are after them with dead-falls, traps, and -guns. Their skins are very fine and pretty, and make -warm coats, although I do not perceive that they -are used for this purpose; but they go instead into -the very safest corners of their lockers. Doubtless -"there's a lady in the case."</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 18th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>A calm, cold, clear, quiet day, marked by no unusual -event other than the appearance of the second -number of "The News." Radcliffe brought it out, -and there was another bright evening in this darkness-beleaguered -schooner.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 19th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Our quiet life has been disturbed by a mysterious -event. I have often mentioned in these pages the -ludicrous rivalry which grew up between the two -Esquimaux, Hans and Peter. Both have been useful, -but their motives have been very different. One has -shown, like Mr. Wemmick, a laudable desire to get -hold of "portable property" by fair means; the other -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">- 186 -</span> -has been influenced by an envious disposition quite independent -of the value attached to his gains. He is -a type of a branch of the human family who cannot -view with calmness the prosperity of others. Whether -this feeling in Hans stopped with the emotion, or -whether it has expended itself in crime, remains to -be seen.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A RUNAWAY.</div> - -<p>I was quietly reading on my lounge this morning -at two o'clock, when the profound stillness was broken -by footsteps in the companion-way. A moment afterward -the steward entered without the ceremony of -knocking, and stood before me with an atmosphere of -alarm about him which seemed to forebode evil. -While he was hesitating for speech, I inquired of him -what on earth had brought him upon me at this hour. -Was the ship on fire? Without heeding my question, -he exclaimed,—</p> - -<p>"Peter's gone, sir!"</p> - -<p>"Gone! Where to?"</p> - -<p>"Gone! Run away, sir!"</p> - -<p>"Is that all?" and I returned to my book, and -bade him go back to his bed.</p> - -<p>"It's so, sir! He has run away, sir!"</p> - -<p>And sure enough it was so. The earnestness of the -steward's manner convinced me at length that something -was wrong, and I immediately caused the ship -to be searched. But Peter was nowhere to be found. -His hammock had not been disturbed since it had -been taken down yesterday morning, and he was evidently -not in the vessel.</p> - -<p>All hands were called, and, while I interrogated the -sailors, Jensen obtained what information he could -from the Esquimaux. Peter had been on board all -the evening, had messed with the men, had smoked -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">- 187 -</span> -his pipe and drank his coffee as usual, and he appeared -to be very happy and well contented. I was greatly -puzzled to account for his absence. There being no -moon, it seemed impossible that he should have voluntarily -gone far from the vessel, and it appeared -very unlikely that he would remain long absent unless -some accident had overtaken him. But the vague -and unsatisfactory answers given by Hans were calculated -to arouse suspicion. Hans at last hinted that -Peter was afraid of the men; but this was all that I -could get out of him. The men declare that he has -always been a great pet with them, and I cannot learn -that in any instance he has been unkindly treated.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SEARCH FOR THE FUGITIVE.</div> - -<p>While all this cross-questioning was going on, the -lamps were being prepared for a search. The people -were divided into seven squads, and their lights were -soon seen flickering over the harbor. Two hours -elapsed, and I had begun to doubt if we should make -any discovery, when a signal came from McCormick, -who had found fresh tracks on the south side of the -harbor, and, at about two and a half miles from the -schooner, he had followed them across the broken -land-ice, and thence up the steep hill. At the foot of -the hill a small bag, containing a few articles of clothing, -was picked up, and these were quickly recognized -as Peter's property. There was no longer any doubt -as to the fact that the steward was right. Peter had -surely run away. But what could possibly be the -motive? Where had he run to? and what had he -run for?</p> - -<p>There being clearly no object in following the trail, -we returned on board, very much bewildered. Nobody -knew any thing about it. Marcus and Jacob declare -absolute ignorance, and Hans possesses no other -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">- 188 -</span> -information than what he has already communicated. But -nevertheless, I cannot disabuse my mind of the impression -that Hans is really at the bottom of this bad -business; and I have dismissed him from my cabin -with the assurance that if I find him guilty of treachery -toward Peter I will hang him to the yard-arm without -hesitation. This he is quite competent to understand, -and he declares that he will follow up Peter's -tracks and bring the unhappy boy on board. Here, -for the present, this painful episode in our quiet life -must rest.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 20th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A FRUITLESS SEARCH.</div> - -<p>Hans, accompanied by one of the sailors, has been -out for several hours trying to follow Peter's trail; -but a strong wind had drifted the snow, and not a vestige -of his footsteps remained. Hans came back evidently -a little doubtful as to his fate; but he looked -the picture of innocence itself, and did not appear to -have upon his mind any other thought than that of -sorrow for Peter's unhappy condition.</p> - -<p>Where has the fugitive gone? Is he trying to -reach the Whale Sound Esquimaux? From Hans's -account, there are probably none nearer than Northumberland -Island, a hundred miles away; and perhaps -the nearest may be still fifty miles further, on the south -side of the Sound. Possibly some hunters may temporarily -reside on the north side, in which case only is -there any chance of safety to the fugitive, should his -purpose lie in that direction. It is not at all improbable -that Hans has told him positively that Esquimaux -are living at Sorfalik, which is not above thirty miles -distant, and which place might be readily reached by -him, but, without dogs, the journey further south is -impracticable. It may be, however, that Hans is entirely -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">- 189 -</span> -innocent of all concern in this mysterious business, -and that it is, as Mr. Sonntag thinks, merely an -Esquimau whim, and that Peter, provoked at some -slight put upon him by one of the crew, has gone off -to cool his anger at Etah or in a snow-hut. That -Hans is guilty seems to be the general belief; and it -is very easy to suppose that he has given Peter to understand -that the friendly acts of the sailors only covered -a hostile purpose; that he knew this because he -understood English and overheard their conversation, -and has thus induced the poor fellow to fly in precipitate -haste from an imaginary danger. And this is the -less difficult to understand, that it would be quite in -keeping with Esquimau usage. With them, nothing is -more likely to excite suspicion of treachery than unusual -friendliness, and it is not at all improbable that -Hans has first coined a lie, and then, by judiciously -fanning the kindling flame with other lies and mysterious -hints, he has been at last able to effect a grand -<i>coup</i>, and drive the poor inoffensive lad into the darkness -to seek safety at Sorfalik. Maddened with the -threatening danger, he is ready for any thing,—seizes -his bag and flies. Seeing our lights on the harbor, -he has dropped his bag and hastened his retreating -steps. Under this head I can now understand the -meaning of what Jensen told me some days ago, that -"they have made friends."</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -November 23d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PETER STILL ABSENT.</div> - -<p>Five days have elapsed, and still Peter does not return. -I have sent to the hut at Etali, but he has not -been there, nor can any traces of him be discovered -in the quarters of our cached deer meat. Meanwhile -much snow has fallen, and a fierce gale, in which no -one could live long without shelter, has been raging.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">- 190 -</span></p> - -<p>I have had my usual walk, notwithstanding the -storm. My furs are now thrown off, and faithful -old Carl is beating the snow out of them. It was -pounded in by the force of the wind to the very skin, -and I was one mass of whiteness. Beard and face -were covered, as well as my clothing, and I was not -in appearance unlike what I used to imagine Kriss -Kringle might be when, "in the days of other years," -I fancied him to be making his annual tour of the -house-tops.</p> - -<p>And my walk has been one of some hardship. I -ventured too far out on the sea, and, miscalculating -the force of the wind, I found, when I had to face it -on my return, that I had before me a somewhat serious -task. In the distance I could faintly distinguish -the ship's light, and as blast after blast lashed my face -with snow, seemingly in malicious spite, and each time -with greater fury, I must confess that I more than -once wished myself well out of the scrape.</p> - -<p>In truth, I was in some danger. The frost touched -my cheeks, and, indeed, I should have had no face left -had I not repeatedly turned my back to the wind and -revived the frosted flesh with my unmittened hand.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DRIFTING SNOW.</div> - -<p>But now that I have got snugly stowed away in -warmth, I am far from sorry for the adventure. My -motive in going out was to get a full view of the -storm. The snow which has lately fallen is very -deep, and the wind, picking it up from hill-side and -valley, seemed to fill the whole atmosphere with a volume -of flying whiteness. It streamed over the mountains, -and gleamed like witches' hair along their summits. -Great clouds rushed frantically down the slopes, -and spun over the cliffs in graceful forms of fantastic -lightness, and thence whirled out over the frozen sea, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">- 191 -</span> -glimmering in the moonbeams. The fierce wind-gusts -brought a vast sheet of it from the terraces, which, -after bounding over the schooner and rattling through -the rigging, flew out over the icy plain, wound coldly -around the icebergs which studded its surface, and, -dancing and skipping past me like cloud-born phantoms -of the night, flew out into the distant blackness, -mingling unearthly voices with the roar of -booming waves.</p> - -<p>And as I think of this wild, wild scene, my thoughts -are in the midst of it with my servant Peter. The -stiffened ropes which pound against the masts, the -wind shrieking through the shrouds, the crashing of -the snows against the schooner's sides, are sounds of -terror echoing through the night; and when I think -that this unhappy boy is a prey to the piercing gale, -I find myself inquiring continually, What could possibly -have been the motive which led him thus to -expose himself to its fury?</p> - -<div class="sidenote">COURAGE.</div> - -<p>After all, what is that which we call courage? This -poor savage, who would not hesitate to attack single-handed -the fierce polar bear, who has now voluntarily -faced a danger than which none could be more dreadful, -fleeing out into the darkness, over the mountains -and glaciers, and through snow-drifts and storms, pursued -by fear, lacks the resolution to face an imaginary -harm from his fellow-men. It seems, indeed, to be a -peculiarity of uninstructed minds to dread man's anger -and man's treachery more than all other evils,—whether -of wild beast or storm or pestilence.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">- 192 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>MIDWINTER.—THE NIGHT OF MONTHS.—BRILLIANCY OF THE MOONLIGHT.—MILD -TEMPERATURES.—REMARKABLE WEATHER.—A SHOWER.—DEPTH OF -SNOW.—SNOW CRYSTALS.—AN EPIDEMIC AMONG THE DOGS.—SYMPTOMS -OF THE DISORDER.—GREAT MORTALITY.—ONLY ONE TEAM LEFT.—NEW -PLANS.—SCHEMES FOR REACHING THE ESQUIMAUX IN WHALE SOUND.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The reader who has followed my diary since we -entered Port Foulke will have noticed how gradually -the daylight vanished, and with what slow and measured -step the darkness came upon us. As November -approached its close, the last glimmer of twilight disappeared. -The stars shone at all hours with equal -brilliancy. From a summer which had no night we -had passed into a winter which had no day, through -an autumn twilight. In this strange ordering of Nature -there is something awe-inspiring and unreal.</p> - -<p>We all knew from our school-boy days that, at the -poles of the earth there is but one day and one night -in the year; but, when brought face to face with the -reality, it is hard to realize. And it is harder still to -get used to. If the constant sunshine of the summer -disturbed our life-long habits, the continual darkness -of the winter did more. In the one case the imagination -was excited by the ever-present light, inspiring -action; in the other, a night of months threw a cloud -over the intellect and dwarfed the energies.</p> - -<p>To this prolonged darkness the moon gives some -relief. From its rising to its setting it shines continually, -circling around the horizon, never setting until -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">- 193 -</span> -it has run its ten days' course of brightness. And it -shines with a brilliancy which one will hardly observe -elsewhere. The uniform whiteness of the landscape -and the general clearness of the atmosphere add to -the illumination of its rays, and one may see to read -by its light with ease, and the natives often use it as -they do the sun, to guide their nomadic life and to -lead them to their hunting-grounds.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MIDWINTER.</div> - -<p>The days and weeks of midwinter passed slowly -away. Our experience up to this period was in many -respects remarkable. Although sheltered by high -lands, we were nevertheless exposed to severe and -almost constant northeast winds; and although shut -up in polar darkness, and hemmed in by polar ice, an -open sea had thus far been within sight of us all the -time, and the angry waves were often a threatening -terror. Many times we had thought ourselves in danger -of being cast adrift with the ice, and carried out -to sea in a helpless condition.</p> - -<p>The temperature had been strangely mild, a circumstance -at least in part accounted for by the open -water, and to this same cause was no doubt due the -great disturbance of the air, and the frequency of the -gales. I have mentioned in the last chapter a very -remarkable rise in the thermometer which occurred -early in November; but a still greater elevation of -temperature followed a few weeks later, reaching as -high as 32°, and sinking back to 15° below zero almost -as suddenly as it had risen. In consequence of this -extraordinary and unaccountable event, the thaw was -renewed, and our former discomfort arising from the -dampness on the deck and in our quarters was experienced -in an aggravated degree. During two days -(November 28th and 29th) we could use no other fire -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">- 194 -</span> -than what was necessary for the preparation of our -meals, and for melting our necessary supply of water. -To add to our astonishment, a heavy fall of snow was -followed by a shower of rain, a circumstance which I -had not previously witnessed in this latitude except -in the months of July and August, and then scarcely -more rain fell than on the present occasion. The -depth of snow precipitated during this period was -likewise remarkable,—the aggregate being 32 inches. -In one single day 19 inches were deposited, greater -by 5 inches than the entire accumulations of the winter -of 1853-54 at Van Rensselaer Harbor. The total -amount of snow which had fallen up to the first of -December was 48 inches. Being so far north of the -line of maximum snows, I was the more surprised, as -my former experience appeared to have shown that -the region of Smith's Sound was almost wholly free -from nubilous deposits.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SNOW CRYSTALS.</div> - -<p>I was much interested at this warm period in observing -how singularly perfect and beautiful were the -snow crystals; and it is a somewhat singular circumstance -that the perfect crystals are only exhibited -when the snow falls in a temperature comparatively -mild. I have not observed them when the thermometer -ranged below zero. The snow is then quite dry -and hard, and does not exhibit those soft, thin, transparent -flakes of the warmer air. With the aid of a -magnifying glass, I was enabled to obtain very accurate -sketches of a large number of them. Their form -was always hexagonal, but the rays were very various -in their development, although they all possessed the -same radical foundation. The most perfect and full -suggested a diminutive fern leaf.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>As we neared the climax of the winter the satisfactory -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">- 195 -</span> -progress of events became disturbed by a series -of misfortunes which largely influenced the destinies -of the expedition, and which, by disarranging all of -my plans, caused me grave embarrassments.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN EPIDEMIC AMONG THE DOGS.</div> - -<p>In a former chapter I have mentioned that a disease -had been, for several years, prevailing among the dogs -of Southern Greenland, and that a large proportion -of these useful animals had fallen victims to it. The -cause of this disease had not been determined, but I -was led to believe, from what information I could -obtain, that it was purely of local origin, and that, -therefore, when I had removed my teams from the -seat of its influence I would be freed from its dangers. -Under this impression I had consumed much time at -the Danish-Esquimau settlements, in picking up here -and there a dog, until I had obtained thirty-six animals. -Up to the first of December they remained -in perfect health; and, being fed upon an abundant -allowance of fresh meat, I had great confidence that I -should be able to carry them through to the spring, -and, when the period of my sledge explorations should -arrive, that I would have four strong and serviceable -teams. My fears were for a time somewhat excited -by the information received from Hans, that the Esquimaux -of Whale Sound and vicinity, with whom he -had been living, were heavy losers by the death of a -great number of their dogs, and the description which -he gave of this distemper corresponded with that of -Southern Greenland; but November being passed -without any symptoms of the malady having made -its appearance in my splendid pack, I felt hopeful that -they would escape the visitation. The loss which -Dr. Kane had suffered by the death of his teams was -fresh in my recollection; but for this there appeared -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">- 196 -</span> -to be a sufficient cause. Being almost wholly without -fresh food of any kind, he was compelled to subsist -his teams upon salt meats, which, giving scurvy -to his men, could hardly be expected to act otherwise -than injuriously upon the dogs, which had always before -been used to a fresh diet of seal meat.</p> - -<p>My hopeful anticipations were, however, not realized. -One day early in December Jensen reported to -me that one of the finest animals had been attacked -with the disease, and recommended that it should be -shot, to prevent the disease spreading; and this was -accordingly done. A few hours afterwards another -one was seized in the same manner. The symptoms -were at first those of great restlessness. The animal -ran several times around the ship, first one way and -then the other, with a vague uncertainty in its gait, -and with an alternate raising and lowering of the -head and tail, every movement indicative of great -nervous excitement. After a while it started off -toward the mouth of the harbor, barking all the while -and seeming to be in mortal dread of some imaginary -object from which it was endeavoring to fly. In a -little while it came back, still more excited than before. -These symptoms rapidly increased in violence, -the eyes became bloodshot, froth ran from the mouth, -and the dog became possessed of an apparently uncontrollable -desire to snap at every thing which came in -its way.</p> - -<p>The disease ran its course in a few hours. Weakness -and prostration followed the excitement, and the -poor animal staggered around the vessel, apparently -unable to see its way, and finally fell over in a fit. -After struggling for a little while in the snow, consciousness -returned, and it got again upon its feet. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">- 197 -</span> -Another fit followed soon afterward; and then they -came one after another in rapid succession, until finally -its misery was relieved by death, which occurred in -less than twenty-four hours from the incipience of the -attack. Meanwhile I had watched it closely, hoping -to discover some clew to the cause, and to establish a -cure. But I could obtain no light whatever. Dissection -revealed nothing. There was no apparent inflammation -either of the brain, the nerve centres, the spinal -cord, or the nerves themselves; and I was wholly -at a loss to understand the strange phenomenon. That -it was not hydrophobia was shown by the fact that -the animal rather desired than shunned water. Many -of the symptoms attending that disease were, however, -manifested; but it did not, like hydrophobia, -appear to be communicated by the bite; for those -dogs which happened to be bitten were not more -speedily attacked than the others.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GREAT MORTALITY OF DOGS.</div> - -<p>This case had scarcely reached its fatal termination -before another was reported, and it was relieved -of its misery by a bullet. Seven died during four -days, and I saw with consternation my fine teams -melting away and my hopes endangered; and while -this was in progress I could only look on and wonder -and experiment, but could never stop the contagion -nor arrest the evil.</p> - -<p>Among the first dogs attacked was a superb beast -that I have before named. He was the best draught -animal of my best team, the second leader,—Karsuk. -I have never seen such expression of ferocity and mad -strength exhibited by any living creature, as he manifested -two hours after the first symptoms were observed. -Thinking that confinement might do good, -and desiring to see if the disease would not wear itself -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">- 198 -</span> -out, I had him caught and put into a large box on the -deck; but this seemed rather to aggravate than to -soothe the violence of the symptoms. He tore the -boards with indescribable fierceness, and, getting his -teeth into a crack, ripped off splinter after splinter -until he had made a hole almost large enough for his -head, when I ordered him to be shot. At this moment -his eyes were like balls of fire; he had broken -off one of his tusks, and his mouth was spouting blood. -Soon afterward another fine animal, which seemed to -be perfectly well a few moments before, suddenly -sprang up, dashed off with a wild yell, wheeled round -the harbor, returned to the vessel, and there fell struggling -in a fit. I had him tied, but he tore himself -loose, and, fearful for the other dogs, he too was killed. -Three others died the same day, and the deaths during -the first two weeks of December were eighteen. This, -with the losses before sustained, left me with only -twelve animals. One week later these were reduced -to nine.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ONLY ONE TEAM LEFT.</div> - -<p>The serious nature of this disaster will perhaps not -at first be apparent to the reader. It will be remembered, -however, that my plans of exploration for the -coming spring were mainly based upon dogs as a -means of transportation across the ice; and now that -my teams were so much reduced (and it seemed, indeed, -likely that they would all die) it became very -evident that, unless I should be able to supply the -loss, all of my plans would be rendered abortive.</p> - -<p>My anxiety was fully shared by Mr. Sonntag. -Having failed in all of our efforts to arrest the fatal -tendency of the malady, we could only occupy ourselves -with devising ways and means for remedying, -in some degree, the evil, or to arrange new plans in -conformity with our changed circumstances.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">- 199 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">PLANS FOR OBTAINING DOGS.</div> - -<p>The first expedient which suggested itself was to -open communication with the Esquimaux of Whale -Sound, and, in the event of this being accomplished, -it was fair to suppose that some animals might be -obtained from them. If we could succeed in bringing -the tribe to the vessel, we might readily accomplish -our wish; for, during the period that their dogs would -be in our service, we could, if necessity required it, -furnish them all with food, either from our stores or -from the hunt.</p> - -<p>Hans was consulted concerning the Esquimaux, and -from him we learned that there was a family living on -Northumberland Island, several families on the south -side of Whale Sound, and possibly one or more on the -north side. Northumberland Island was about a hundred -miles distant as we would be obliged to travel -in order to reach it, and the south side of the Sound -about one hundred and fifty. That we should communicate -with these people at the earliest practicable -moment was a matter of the first importance. If a -sufficient number of the dogs should remain alive -when the moon came in December, it was arranged -that Sonntag should make the journey at that period, -taking a single sledge, and Hans for a driver. If the -dogs should all die, then I intended to go down on -foot as soon as possible, and do my best to bring all -of the Esquimaux to Port Foulke and Etah, use their -dogs while we needed them, and feed and clothe the -people in the interval. Meanwhile, however, we could -only wait through the mid-December darkness, and -hope that the month would end more auspiciously -than it had begun.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">- 200 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE ARCTIC MIDNIGHT.—SONNTAG STARTS FOR WHALE SOUND.—EFFECTS OF -DARKNESS ON THE SPIRITS.—ROUTINE OF DUTIES.—CHRISTMAS EVE.—CHRISTMAS -DAY.—THE CHRISTMAS DINNER.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -December 22d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The sun has reached to-day its greatest southern -declination, and we have passed the Arctic Midnight. -The winter solstice is to us the meridian day, as -twelve o'clock is the meridian hour to those who -dwell in lands where the sun comes three hundred -and sixty-five times instead of once in the "revolving -year."</p> - -<p>To me these last four weeks have been eventful -ones, and I hail this day with joy, and am glad to -feel that we are now on the downward hill-side of the -polar darkness. The death of my dogs fills me with -sadness, and this sadness is doubled when I think that -the disaster has sent Sonntag into the dangers of the -night to remedy in season the evil.</p> - -<p>Sonntag set out yesterday to reach the Esquimaux. -We had talked the matter over from day to day, and -saw clearly that it was the only thing to do. Hans -told us that the Esquimaux would congregate about -Cape York towards the spring, and it was evident that -if we waited for daylight they would be beyond our -reach. There seemed from Hans's story to be at least -a reasonable probability that some of them might be -at Sorfalik, or at other stations on the north side of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">- 201 -</span> -Whale Sound, and Hans had no doubt that the journey -could be easily made, even if they had to travel -to Northumberland Island, or beyond, to Netlik. He -was eager to go, and Sonntag, impatient for the -trial, was waiting only for the moon and settled -weather. Hans was the only available driver, for he -alone knew where to find the native villages, and -three persons to one sledge was against all the cañons -of Arctic traveling. Although my suspicions had been -aroused against him at the time of Peter's disappearance, -yet nothing had been proved, and Sonntag liked -him quite as well as Jensen for a driver, and still retained -faith in him. To take Jensen was to incumber -himself with a useless hindrance. The journey would -be a rapid one, and it was important to spare all needless -weight. The disease among the dogs subsided -six days ago, when the last death occurred, leaving -nine good animals, all of which Sonntag took with -him.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY.</div> - -<p>But little time was required to prepare the party -for the journey. Hans made for himself a buffalo bag -wherein to sleep, and Sonntag carried for his own use -one of bear-skin which he had brought from Upernavik. -Their provisions were for twelve days, although -it is not expected that they will be absent so long, for -the distance can be made to Northumberland Island, -if they are required to go so far, in two marches. -Sonntag and myself made it in three marches in December, -1854. It is often made by the Esquimaux in -one journey, and Hans seemed to look upon it as an -easy and trifling task. They carried no tent, intending -to rely upon the snow-hut, with the construction -of which Hans is, of necessity, very familiar, and Sonntag -has had, in years past, much experience. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">- 202 -</span> -plan is that they are to pass over the glacier back of -Cape Alexander, in case the ice should not be firm -around the cape, and thence to make down the coast -directly for Sorfalik. In the event of Esquimaux not -being found at that place, they will cross over the -Sound directly for Northumberland Island, unless -they shall discover good reason for keeping along the -coast twenty miles further for Peteravik.</p> - -<p>The weather has been quite stormy up to yesterday, -when it fell calm, and the thermometer stood at --21°. To-day it has grown much milder, and light -snow is falling. The temperature is above zero, and -every thing looks promising for the travelers. They -have been absent now thirty-six hours, and have, no -doubt, passed the cape and are well on the journey.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SONNTAG STARTS FOR WHALE SOUND.</div> - -<p>Their start occasioned much excitement, and aroused -the ship's company from a lethargic disposition into -which they have lately seemed inclined to fall in spite -of every thing. Sonntag was in excellent spirits, and -felt confident that he would soon bring the Esquimaux -and dogs; and he rejoiced over the prospect of -a few days of adventure. Hans was lively and eager. -He cracked his whip, the dogs bounded into their collars, -and were off at a full gallop. The sledge glided -glibly over the snow; and, as they plunged out into -the moonlight, we sent after them the true nautical -"Hip, hip, hurrah!" three times repeated, and then a -"tiger."</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -December 23d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I had a strange dream last night, which I cannot -help mentioning; and, were I disposed to superstition, -it might incline me to read in it an omen of evil. -I stood with Sonntag far out on the frozen sea, when -suddenly a crash was heard through the darkness, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">- 203 -</span> -in an instant a crack opened in the ice between us. -It came so suddenly and widened so rapidly that he -could not spring over it to where I stood, and he -sailed away upon the dark waters of a troubled sea. -I last saw him standing firmly upon the crystal raft, -his erect form cutting sharply against a streak of -light which lay upon the distant horizon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ROUTINE OF DUTIES.</div> - -<p>Our life moves on with unobstructed monotony. -There are but few incidents to mark the progress of -these tedious hours of darkness. If I have now some -fears for Sonntag, yet I envy him, and cannot wonder -at his eagerness to go, independent of his important -object. A dash among the Esquimau villages, and a -few days of combat with the storms would lift one out -of the prolonged dullness of this waiting for the day. -Any thing in the world is better than inaction and -perpetual sameness. Rest and endless routine are our -portion. The ship's duties and our social duties are -performed from week to week with the same painfully -precise regularity. We live by "bells," and this may -be true in a double sense. "Bells" make the day, -and mark the progress of time. But for these "bells," -these endless "bells," I believe we should all lie down -and sleep on through the eternal night, and wake not -until the day dawned upon us in the long hereafter. -"Bells" tell us the hours and the half hours, and -change the "watch," and govern the divisons of time, -as at sea. "One bell" calls us to breakfast, two to -lunch, and "four bells" is the dinner summons. "Six -bells" is the signal for putting out the lights, and at -"seven bells" we open our eyes again to the same -continuous pale glimmer of the kerosene lamp, and -we awake again to the same endless routine of occupations, -idleness, and <i>ennui</i>.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">- 204 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ROUTINE OF DUTIES.</div> - -<p>The hunters continue to chase the reindeer and -foxes in the moonlight,—more, however, from habit -and for exercise than from any encouragement they -find in success; for, even when the moon shines, they -can shoot only at random. The work at the observatory -goes on, and when the magnetic "term day" -comes round we clamber over the ice-foot every hour, -and it marks an event. The occultations of Jupiter's -satellites are carefully observed through the telescope, -that our chronometers may not go astray; the tide -continues to rise and fall, regardless of the vast load -of ice that it lifts, and indifferent as to the fact that it -is watched. Dodge keeps up his ice-measurements, -and finds that the crystal table has got down to our -keel (6½ feet), so that we are resting in a perfect cradle. -That the sailors may have something to do, I -have given them an hour's task each day sewing up -canvas bags for the spring journeys. From the officers -I continue to have the same daily reports; the -newspaper comes out regularly, and continues to -afford amusement; the librarian hands out the books -every morning, and they are well read; the officers -and the men have no new means of entertainment, -and usually fill up the last of the waking hours (I -cannot say the evening, where there is nothing else -but night) with cards and pipes. I go into the cabin -oftener than I used to; but I do not neglect my chess -with Knorr, and, until Sonntag left us, I filled up -a portion of every evening in converse with him, and, -for the lack of any thing new, we talked over and -over again of our summer plans, and calculated to a -nicety the measure of our labor, and the share which -each would take of the work laid out.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">- 205 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">EFFECTS OF DARKNESS.</div> - -<p>And thus we jog on toward the spring; but each -hour of the darkness grows a little longer, and soaks -a little more color from the blood, and takes a little -more from the elasticity of the step, and adds a little -more to the lengthening face, and checks little by -little the cheerful laugh and the merry jest that come -from the hold and cabin; and, without being willing -to confess it openly, yet we are all forced to acknowledge -to ourselves that the enemy does now and then -get the better of us, and that we have often to renew -the resolution. The novelty of our life is exhausted, -and the outside world has nothing new. The moonlight -comes and goes again, and the night glistens -clear and cold over the white landscape; and the -memory returns unbidden to other days that are fled -and gone; and we miss in the sparkling air and the -still hour of the winter night the jingling bells, and -the sleigh which will always hold one more, and the -wayside inn, and the smoking supper that "mine -host" serves up, and the crackling blaze of country -logs; and then, when we forget the moon, and the -snow, and the frost, and recall the summer and the -sunshine, we remember that "the seat in the shade -of the hawthorn bush" is far away.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -December 24th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CHRISTMAS EVE.</div> - -<p>Christmas Eve! What happy memories are recalled -by the mention of that name! How much of youthful -promise it brings back to the weary mind and to -the aching heart! How potent is the charm, how -magical the influence! A beam of light has fallen -within this little ice-bound vessel, and from the promised -morn we catch the same inspiration that has -come to all mankind since "that bright and lovely -star" first rose to the shepherds of Judea; for -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">- 206 -</span> -wherever we are on this wide, wide world, we find in the -day the symbol which binds us all to one cherished -hope. Gladness springs into being with the rising -sun, and the Christmas bells, sending their merry -voices on the wings of the returning light, encircle -the earth in one continuous peal. Their chimes ring -out glad tidings everywhere. The joyous music rejoices -the lonely watcher on the sea, and the hunter -who warms himself beside the embers of his smouldering -fire; it penetrates the humble cabin of the slave -and the hut of the weary emigrant; it reaches the -wanderer on the steppes of Tartary, and the savage -in the forest; it consoles the poor and the sorrowing, -and the rich and the powerful; and to the sick and -to the well alike, wherever they may be under the -sun, it brings a blessed brightness;—and it gleams, -too,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">.... "on the eternal snows, beneath the Polar Star,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And with a radiant Cross it lights the Southern deep afar.</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And Christmas morn is but the dawn, the herald of a day</div> - <div class="verse indent0">That circles in its boundless love, no winter, no decay."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>I have never seen the ship so bright and cheerful. -Sundry boxes have been produced from out-of-the-way -corners, and from the magical manner of their appearance -one might think that Santa Claus had charged -himself with a special mission to this little world, before -he had begun to fill the shoes and stockings and -to give marriage portions to destitute maidens, in the -dear old lands where he is patron of the "Christ Kinkle -Eve," and where the silver cord binding the affections -is freshened once a year with the Christmas -offering. The cabin-table fairly groans under a mass -of holiday fare,—kindly mementos from those who -are talking about us to-night around the family fire-side. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">- 207 -</span> -Shoals of bon-bons, and "Christmas cakes" of -every imaginable kind, bearing all sorts of tender -mottoes, come out of their tin cases, setting off prospective -indigestion against glad hearts.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CHRISTMAS DAY.</div> - -<p>Everybody has been busy to-day getting ready to -celebrate the morrow and to keep the holidays. To -this praiseworthy purpose I give, of course, every encouragement. -The ship's stores contain nothing that -is too good for the Christmas feast, which McCormick -promises shall outdo that of his birthday. Unfortunately -he will be unable to give it his personal -attention, for he is laid up with a frosted foot -which he got while hunting, in some manner known -only to himself. As no one at home likes to confess -that he has been run away with and thrown from his -steed, so no one here cares to own to the power of -Jack Frost over him. To be frost-bitten is the one -standing reproach of this community.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -December 26th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Christmas has come and gone again, and has left -upon the minds of all of us a pleasant recollection. -To me it would have been a day of unalloyed pleasure, -had it not been that my thoughts followed Sonntag, -and dwelt upon the sad loss that I have suffered -in the death of my dogs; for the people were gay -and lively, and to see them thus is now my first concern. -Aside from all sentiment connected with wishing -people happy, to me it has another meaning, for -it is the guaranty of health.</p> - -<p>The ship's bell was hoisted to the mast-head, and -while the bells of other lands were pealing through -the sunlight, and over a world of gladness, ours sent -its clear notes ringing through the darkness and the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">- 208 -</span> -solitude. After this we met together in the cabin, and -gave our thanks in our own modest way for the blessings -which kind Heaven had vouchsafed us; and -then each one set himself about his allotted duties. It -is needless to say that these duties concerned chiefly -the preparation and advancement of every thing -which concerned a "Christmas dinner." The officers -dressed the cabin with flags, and the sailors decorated -their walls and beams with stripes of red, white, and -blue flannel which was loaned to them from the -ship's stores. The schooner was illuminated throughout, -and every lamp was called into requisition. An -extra allowance of oil was granted to the occasion, -and the upper-deck was refulgent with light. Two -immense chandeliers were constructed for the dinner-tables, -and some gold and silver paper, strings of spangles, -and strips of braid, kindly presented to us by -Mr. Horstmann for the winter theatricals, which have -never come off, covered the wood of which they were -composed, and gave them quite an air of splendor; -while two dozen of spermacetti candles brilliantly -illuminated the apartments in which they hung.</p> - -<p>A short time before the dinner-hour I visited the -men's quarters, at their request, and was as much -gratified with the taste that they had exhibited as -with the heartiness with which they entered into the -spirit of the day. Every nook and corner of the hold -was as clean and tidy as possible. Everybody was -busy and delighted. The cook might, however, be -regarded as an exception to the latter rule, for the -success of everybody's projects depended upon his -skill, and he was closely watched. I halted at his -red-hot galley-stove, and wished him a merry Christmas. -"Tank you, sar!" said he; "but I gets no time -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">- 209 -</span> -to tink about de merry Christmas. De Commander -see dese big reindeers." And he went on vigorously -basting two fine haunches of venison which had been -carefully treasured for the occasion, and putting the -last touches to a kettle of tempting soup. Intending -encouragement, I reminded him that his labors would -be over with the serving of the dinner, when, with -that consistency for which human nature is remarkable, -especially in a ship's cook, he replied, "Please -sar, so long as my Hebenly Fader gives me healt I -likes to vork."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MERRY CHRISTMAS.</div> - -<p>As I passed out of the hold into the officers' cabin, -the crew sent after me three cheers, and three more -for the expedition, and I don't know how many followed -afterward for a "merry Christmas" to themselves. -The upper-deck was light and cheerful with -the multitude of lamps, and had been "cleared up" -with unusual care; and from amidships every thing -had been removed. This Knorr told me was his work, -and I was informed that there was to be a "ball." -The disposition to consume oil was contagious. Even -the heathenish little wife of my absent hunter had -managed to procure an additional supply, and rejoiced -in an extra blaze in honor of the day, the meaning of -which was all Greek to her. Her hut was a cheerful -nest of furs, and little Pingasuik, with a strip of tough -seal-blubber, substituted for one of Goodyear's patent -arrangements for children's gums, was laughing and -crowing as a Christian baby would be expected to do -on this most Christian day. Jacob, fat Jacob, was -grinning in one corner. Charley told me that he began -grinning early in the morning, at the prospect of -the many crumbs to come from so bounteous a feast; -and, in order to prepare himself for the task, he had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">- 210 -</span> -swallowed a fox which Jensen brought in from one of -his traps, and which he had turned over to the boy to -skin. Out on the ice I found a boisterous group engaged -around two large tin kettles. They were stirring -something with wooden sticks, and I found that, -at 34° below zero, they were making "water ice" and -"Roman punch" by wholesale. They needed no -chemical compounds for their "freezer."</p> - -<p>At six o'clock I joined the officers at dinner. Our -glass and crockery has, in some mysterious manner -known only to the steward, been disappearing from -the time of leaving Boston, but there is plenty of tin -ware to supply the deficiency, and each cup contained -a boquet of flowers, cut from tissue-paper, and a mammoth -centre-piece of the same materials stood under -the glittering chandelier. The dinner was much enjoyed -by everybody, and if we lacked the orthodox -turkey, the haunch was not a bad substitute.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ARCTIC BALL.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">A PAS DE DEUX.</div> - -<p>I remained until nine o'clock, and left the party to -a merry evening. The hour for extinguishing the -lights was put off at discretion; and, having myself -granted this privilege, I cannot, of course, say that -any of the proprieties of discipline or of ship-board -life were interfered with. Rejoiced to see that the -people had the spirit to be merry at all, I was only -too glad to encourage them in it. Every part of the -"Festival," as they facetiously call it, was conducted -in a very orderly manner. The "ball" came off as -promised, and when I went up, about midnight, to -have a look at the merrymakers, I found Knorr, -wrapped in furs, seated upon a keg, fiddling away in -a very energetic manner, while Barnum and McDonald -were going through a sailor's hornpipe with immense -<i>eclat</i>; then Carl swung the steward round in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">- 211 -</span> -the "giddy mazes of the waltz;" and, finally, Charley -set the ship shaking with laughter by attempting a -<i>pas de deux</i> with Madame Hans. The old cook had -crawled up the ladder from below, and, forgetting his -troubles and his "reindeers," applauded the actors -vociferously. But he was soon observed to be making -off from the "gay and festive" scene. A dozen -voices called loudly after him,—</p> - -<p>"Hallo, cook!—come back and have a dance!"</p> - -<p>"Vat for me dance, and make nonsense, ven dere -be no vomens?"</p> - -<p>"But here's Mrs. Hans, cook."</p> - -<p>"Ugh!"—and he dove below.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page211" style="max-width: 13.1875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Schooner in Winter Quarters"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page211.png" alt="Schooner in Winter Quarters" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">- 212 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE NEW YEAR.—LOOKING FOR SONNTAG.—THE AURORA BOREALIS.—A REMARKABLE -DISPLAY.—DEPTH OF SNOW.—STRANGE MILDNESS OF THE -WEATHER.—THE OPEN SEA.—EVAPORATION AT LOW TEMPERATURES.—LOOKING -FOR THE TWILIGHT.—MY PET FOX.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 1st, 1861.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The Christmas holidays have passed quickly away, -and the year of grace eighteen hundred and sixty-one -was born amid great rejoicings. We have just "rung -out the Old and in the New." As the clock showed -the midnight hour, the bell was tolled, our swivel gun -sent a blaze of fire from its little throat into the darkness, -and some fire-works went fizzing and banging -into the clear sky. The rockets and blue-lights -gleamed over the snow with a weird and strange -light; and the loud boom of the gun and the crash -of the bell echoing and reëchoing through the neighboring -gorges seemed like the voices of startled spirits -of the solitude.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LOOKING FOR SONNTAG.</div> - -<p>I now look anxiously for the return of Sonntag and -Hans. Indeed, I have been prepared to see them at -any time within these past seven days; for although -I had little expectation that they would find Esquimaux -at Sorfalik or Peteravik, yet their speedy return -would not have surprised me. This is the tenth day -of their absence, and they have had more than ample -time to go even to the south side of Whale Sound -and come back again. I am the more anxious now -that the moon has set, and the difficulties of traveling -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">- 213 -</span> -are so greatly multiplied. However, Sonntag had an -undisguised wish to remain some time among the natives, -to study their language and habits, and to join -them in their hunting excursions; and when he left -I felt quite sure that, if a reasonable pretext could be -found for absenting himself so long, we would not see -him until the January moon. There is no doubt that -he will remain if he finds no interest of the expedition -likely to suffer in consequence.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 5th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have no longer a dog. The General was the last -of them, and he died two days ago. Poor fellow! I -had become more than ever attached to him lately, -especially since he had quite recovered from the accident -to his leg, and seemed likely to be useful with -the sledge after a while. It seems strange to see the -place so deserted and so quiet. In the early winter I -never went out of the vessel on the ice without having -the whole pack crowding around me, playing and -crying in gladness at my coming; now their lifeless -carcasses are strewn about the harbor, half buried in -snow and ice, and, if not so fearful, they are at least -hardly more sightly than were those other stiff and -stark and twisted figures which the wandering poets -found beneath the dark sky and "murky vapors" and -frozen waters of the icy realm of Dis. There was a -companionship in the dogs, which, apart from their -usefulness, attached them to everybody, and in this -particular we all feel alike the greatness of the loss.</p> - -<p>But it is hard to get along without a pet of some -kind, and since the General has gone I have got Jensen -to catch me a fox, and the cunning little creature -now sits coiled up in a tub of snow in one corner of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">- 214 -</span> -my cabin; and, as she listens to the scratching of my -pen, she looks very much as if she would like to know -what it is all about. I am trying hard to civilize her, -and have had some success. She was very shy when -brought in, but, being left to herself for a while, she -has become somewhat reconciled to her new abode. -She is about three fourths grown, weighs four and a -quarter pounds, has a coat of long fine fur, resembling -in color that of a Maltese cat, and is being instructed -to answer to the name of <i>Birdie</i>.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 6th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE AURORA BOREALIS.</div> - -<p>I have often been struck with the singular circumstance -that up to this time we have scarcely seen the -Aurora Borealis; and until to-day there has been no -display of any great brilliancy. We have been twice -favored during the past twelve hours. The first was -at eleven o'clock in the morning, and the second at -nine o'clock in the evening. The arch was perfect in -the last case; in the former it was less continuous, -but more intense. In both instances, the direction of -the centre from the observatory was west by south -(true), and was 30° above the horizon. Twenty degrees -above the arch in the evening there was another -imperfect one, a phenomenon which I have not before -witnessed. In the direction west-northwest a single -ray shot down to the horizon, and there continued for -almost an hour.</p> - -<p>The infrequency of the Auroral light has been more -marked here than at Van Rensselaer Harbor. We -seem to have passed almost beyond it. The region -of its greatest brilliancy appears to be from ten to -twenty degrees further south. As at Van Rensselaer -Harbor, its exhibition is almost invariably on the -western sky; and Jensen tells me that this occurs -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">- 215 -</span> -at Upernavik, and he says also that the phenomena -are there much more brilliant and of greater frequency -than here.</p> - -<p>The display of the morning was much finer than -that of the evening. Indeed, I have rarely witnessed -a more sublime or imposing spectacle. By the way, -how strange it seems to be speaking of events happening -in the morning and in the evening, when, to -save your life, you could not tell without the clock -by what name to call the divisions of time! We -say eleven o'clock in the morning and eleven o'clock -in the evening from habit; but if, by any mischance, -we should lose our reckoning for twelve hours, we -would then go on calling the evening morning and -the morning evening, without being able to detect -the error by any difference in the amount of light -at these two periods of the day. But this is a digression.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AURORA.</div> - -<p>To come back to the Aurora of this morning. When -it first appeared I was walking out among the icebergs -at the mouth of the harbor; and, although the -time was so near noon, yet I was groping through -a darkness that was exceedingly embarrassing to my -movements among the rough ice. Suddenly a bright -ray darted up from behind the black cloud which lay -low down on the horizon before me. It lasted but an -instant, and, having filled the air with a strange illumination, -it died away, leaving the darkness even more -profound than before. Presently the arch which I -have before mentioned sprang across the sky, and the -Aurora became gradually more fixed. The space inclosed -by the arch was very dark, and was filled with -the cloud. The play of the rays which rose from its -steadily brightening border was for some time very -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">- 216 -</span> -capricious, alternating, if I might be allowed the figure, -the burst of flame from a conflagration with the -soft glow of the early morn. The light grew by -degrees more and more intense, and from irregular -bursts it settled into an almost steady sheet of brightness. -This sheet was, however, far from uniform, for -it was but a flood of mingling and variously-tinted -streaks. The exhibition, at first tame and quiet, became -in the end startling in its brilliancy. The -broad dome above me is all ablaze. Ghastly fires, -more fierce than those which lit the heavens from -burning Troy, flash angrily athwart the sky. The -stars pale before the marvellous glare, and seem to -recede further and further from the earth,—as when -the chariot of the Sun, driven by Phæton, and carried -from its beaten track by the ungovernable steeds, -rushed madly through the skies, parching the world -and withering the constellations. The gentle Andromeda -flies trembling from the flame; Perseus, -with his flashing sword and Gorgon shield, retreats -in fear; the Pole Star is chased from the night, and -the Great Bear, faithful sentinel of the North, quits -his guardian watch, following the feeble trail. The -color of the light was chiefly red, but this was not -constant, and every hue mingled in the fierce display. -Blue and yellow streamers were playing in the -lurid fire; and, sometimes starting side by side from -the wide expanse of the illumined arch, they melt into -each other, and throw a ghostly glare of green into -the face and over the landscape. Again this green -overrides the red; blue and orange clasp each other -in their rapid flight; violet darts tear through a broad -flush of yellow, and countless tongues of white flame, -formed of these uniting streams, rush aloft and lick -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">- 217 -</span> -the skies. The play of this many-colored light upon -the surrounding objects was truly wonderful. The -weird forms of countless icebergs, singly and in clusters, -loomed above the sea, and around their summits -the strange gleam shone as the fires of Vesuvius over -the doomed temples of Campania. Upon the mountain -tops, along the white surface of the frozen waters, -upon the lofty cliffs, the light glowed and grew dim -and glowed again, as if the air was filled with charnel -meteors, pulsating with wild inconstancy over some -vast illimitable city of the dead. The scene was -noiseless, yet the senses were deceived, for unearthly -sounds seemed to follow the rapid flashes, and to fall -upon the ear like</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">——"the tread</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of phantoms dread,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">With banner, and spear, and flame."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 13th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The month of January runs on through stormy -skies. The wind continues to blow as before, and the -wild rush of gales fills the night with sounds of terror.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DEPTH OF SNOW.</div> - -<p>The air has been, however, for the most part, quite -clear. But little snow has fallen since November. -The total depth now mounts up to 53¾ inches. I am -more and more struck with the difference in the atmospheric -conditions of this place and Van Rensselaer -Harbor. There we had rarely moisture, and gales -were scarcely known. The temperatures were very -low, and the winter was marked by a general calm. -Here the temperatures are more mild than Parry's at -Melville Island, the atmospheric disturbances have -been very great, and the amount of snow has been -truly surprising. There is one comfort at least in the -winds. They either carry off the snow or pack it -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">- 218 -</span> -very hard, so that we get about with as little difficulty -as if we were walking upon the bare ice. It is -pounded as hard as the drives in the Central Park.</p> - -<p>All these unusual phenomena are, as has been hitherto -observed, doubtless due to the close proximity of -the open sea. How extensive this water may be is of -course unknown, but its limits cannot be very small -to produce such serious atmospheric disturbance. It -seems, indeed, as if we were in the very vortex of the -north winds. The poet has told us that the north -winds</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Are cradled far down in the depths that yawn</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Beneath the Polar Star;"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>and it appears very much as if we had got into those -yawning depths, and had come not only to the place -where the winds are cradled, but where they are -born.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">EVAPORATION AT LOW TEMPERATURES.</div> - -<p>I have been making, all the winter through, a series -of experiments which give me some interesting results. -They show that evaporation takes place at the -very lowest temperatures, and that precipitation often -occurs when the air is apparently quite clear. To -determine this latter, I have exposed a number of -smooth and carefully measured ice-surfaces, and have -collected from them the light deposit. These accumulations, -after reducing them to the standard of -freshly fallen snow, amount thus far to seven eighths -of an inch. To determine the evaporation, I have -suspended in the open air a number of thin ice-plates, -made in a shallow dish, and some strips of wet flannel. -The flannel becomes perfectly dry in a few days, and -the ice-plates disappear slowly and steadily. I generally -weigh them every second day, and it is curious -to watch my little circular disks silently melting away -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">- 219 -</span> -and vanishing "into thin air," while the thermometer -is down in the zeros.</p> - -<p>This evaporation at low temperatures is constantly -taking place before our eyes, to our advantage. On -wash-days the clothes are hung on lines stretched -across the ship's rigging, or upon poles across the ice, -as you will see on Monday afternoons in the farmhouse -yards; and before the week is over the moisture -has disappeared, no matter how cold it may be.</p> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 16th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Our eyes now turn wistfully to the south, eagerly -watching for the tip of Aurora's chariot, as the fair -goddess of the morning rises from the sea to drop a -ray of gladness from her rosy fingers into this long-neglected -world.</p> - -<p>It is almost a month since we passed the darkest -day of the winter, and it will be a long time yet before -we have light; but it is time for us now to have -at noontime a faint flush upon the horizon. We find -a new excitement, if such it may be called, in the impatience -of expectation. Meanwhile I pet my fox.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY PET FOX.</div> - -<p>Birdie has become quite tame, and does great credit -to her instructor. She is the most cunning; creature -that was ever seen, and does not make a bad substitute -for the General. She takes the General's place -at my table, as she has his place in my affections; but -she sits in my lap, where the General never was admitted, -and, with her delicate little paws on the cloth, -she makes a picture. Why, she is indeed a perfect -little gourmande, well bred, too, and clever. When she -takes the little morsels into her mouth her eyes sparkle -with delight, she wipes her lips, and looks up at -me with a coquetterie that is perfectly irresistible. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">- 220 -</span> -eagerness of appetite is controlled by the proprieties -of the table and a proper self-respect; and she is satisfied -to prolong a feast in which she finds so much -enjoyment. She does not like highly seasoned food; -indeed, she prefers to take it <i>au natural</i>, so I have a -few little bits of venison served for her on a separate -plate. She has her own fork; but she has not yet -advanced sufficiently far in the usages of civilization -to handle it for herself, so I convey the delicate morsels -to her mouth. Sometimes she exhibits too much -impatience; but a gentle rebuke with the fork on -the tip of the nose is quite effective in restoring her -patience, and saving her from indigestion.</p> - -<p>Her habits greatly interest me. I have allowed her -to run loose in my cabin, after a short confinement -in a cage had familiarized her with the place; but -she soon found out the "bull's-eye" over my head, -through the cracks around which she could sniff the -cool air; and she got into the habit of bounding -over the shelves, without much regard for the many -valuable and perishable articles which lay thereon. -From this retreat nothing can tempt her but a good -dinner; and as soon as she sees from her perch the -bits of raw venison, she crawls leisurely down, sneaks -gently into my lap, looks up longingly and lovingly -into my face, puts out her little tongue with quick -impatience, and barks bewitchingly if the beginning -of the repast is too long delayed.</p> - -<p>I tried to cure her of this habit of climbing by -tying her up with a chain which Knorr made for me -of some iron wire; but she took it so much to heart -that I had to let her go. Her efforts to free herself -were very amusing, and she well earned her freedom. -She tried continually to break the chain, and, having -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">- 221 -</span> -once succeeded, she seemed determined not to be baffled -in her subsequent attempts. As long as I was -watching her she would be quiet enough, coiled up in -her bed or her tub of snow; but the moment my eyes -were off her, or she thought me asleep, she worked -hard to effect her liberation. First she would draw -herself back as far as she could get, and then suddenly -darting forward, would bring up at the end of her -chain with a jerk which sent her reeling on the floor; -then she would pick herself up, panting as if her little -heart would break, shake out her disarranged coat, -and try again. But this she would do with much deliberation. -For a moment she would sit quietly down, -cock her head cunningly on one side, follow the chain -with her eye along its whole length to its fastening in -the floor, and then she would walk leisurely to that -point, hesitate a moment, and then make another -plunge. All this time she would eye me sharply, -and if I made any movement, she would fall down -at once on the floor and pretend sleep.</p> - -<p>She is a very neat and cleanly creature. She is -everlastingly brushing her clothes, and she bathes very -regularly in her bath of snow. This last is her great -delight. She roots up the clean white flakes with her -diminutive nose, rolls and rubs and half buries herself -in them, wipes her face with her soft paws, and when -all is over she mounts with her delicate fingers to the -side of the tub, looks around her very knowingly, -and barks the prettiest little bark that ever was -heard. This is her way of enforcing admiration; and, -being now satisfied with her performance, she gives a -goodly number of shakes to her sparkling coat, and -then, happy and refreshed, she crawls to her airy bed -in the "bull's-eye" and sleeps.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">- 222 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE ARCTIC NIGHT.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -January 20th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The Morn is coming!</p> - -<p>A faint twilight flush mounted the southern sky -to-day at the meridian hour, and, although barely perceptible, -it was a cheering sight to all of us.</p> - -<p>At our usual Sunday gathering, I read from Ecclesiastes -these lines:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eye to -behold the sun."</p> -</div> - -<p>And this suggested the text for our evening conversation; -and we talked long of the future and of -what was to be done, with the coming again of the -god of day.</p> - -<p>We all feel now that the veil of night is lifting, that -the cloud is passing away, that the heavy load of -darkness is being lightened. The people have exhausted -their means of amusement; the newspaper -has died a natural death; theatricals are impossible; -and there is nothing new to break the weariness of -the long hours.</p> - -<p>But we shall soon have no need to give thought to -these things. There will be ere long neither time nor -occasion for amusements. The Arctic night will soon -be numbered with the things of the past. We are -eager that it shall have an end, and we long for the -day and work.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">- 223 -</span></p> - -<p>And say what you will, talk as you will of pluck, -and manly resolution, and mental resources, and all -that sort of thing, this Arctic night is a severe ordeal. -Physically one can get through it well enough. We -are and always have been in perfect health. I am -my own "ship's doctor," and am a doctor without a -patient. Believing in Democritus rather than Heraclitus, -we have laughed the scurvy and all other -sources of ill-health to shame. And we have laughed -at the scurvy really and truly; for if it does sometimes -come in, like a thief in the night, with salt rations -and insufficient food, which has not been our -portion, it does, too, come with despondency and the -splenetic blood of an unhappy household, from which -we have fortunately been exempt.</p> - -<p>But if the Arctic night can be endured with little -strain upon the physical, it is, nevertheless, a severe -trial both to the moral and the intellectual faculties. -The darkness which so long clothes Nature unfolds to -the senses a new world, and the senses accommodate -themselves to that world but poorly. The cheering -influences of the rising sun which invite to labor; the -soothing influences of the evening twilight which invite -to repose; the change from day to night find from -night to day which lightens the burden to the weary -mind and the aching body, strengthening the hope -and sustaining the courage, in the great life-battle of -the dear home-land, is withdrawn, and in the constant -longing for Light, Light, the mind and body, -weary with the changeless progress of the time, fail -to find Repose where all is Rest. The grandeur of -Nature ceases to give delight to the dulled sympathies. -The heart longs continually for new associations, -new objects, and new companionships. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">- 224 -</span> -dark and drear solitude oppresses the understanding; -the desolation which everywhere reigns haunts the -imagination; the silence—dark, dreary, and profound—becomes -a terror.</p> - -<p>And yet there is in the Arctic night much that is -attractive to the lover of Nature. There is in the -flashing Aurora, in the play of the moonlight upon -the hills and icebergs, in the wonderful clearness of -the starlight, in the broad expanse of the ice-fields, in -the lofty grandeur of the mountains and the glaciers, -in the naked fierceness of the storms, much that is -both sublime and beautiful. But they speak a language -of their own,—a language, rough, rugged -and severe.</p> - -<p>Nature is here exposed on a gigantic scale. Out -of the glassy sea the cliffs rear their dark fronts and -frown grimly over the desolate waste of ice-clad -waters. The mountain peaks, glittering in the clear -cold atmosphere, pierce the very heavens, their heads -hoary with unnumbered ages. The glaciers pour -their crystal torrents into the sea in floods of immeasurable -magnitude. The very air, disdaining the gentle -softness of other climes, bodies forth a loftier majesty, -and seems to fill the universe with a boundless -transparency; and the stars pierce it sharply, and the -moon fills it with a cold refulgence. There is neither -warmth nor coloring underneath this etherial robe of -night. No broad window opens in the east, no gold -and crimson curtain falls in the west, upon a world -clothed in blue and green and purple, melting into -one harmonious whole, a tinted cloak of graceful loveliness. -Under the shadow of the eternal night, Nature -needs no drapery and requires no adornment. -The glassy sea, the tall cliff, the lofty mountain, the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">- 225 -</span> -majestic glacier, do not blend one with the other. -Each stands forth alone, clothed only with Solitude. -Sable priestess of the Arctic winter, she has wrapped -the world in a winding-sheet, and thrown her web -and woof over the very face of Nature.</p> - -<p>And I have gone out often into the Arctic night, -and viewed Nature under varied aspects. I have rejoiced -with her in her strength, and communed with -her in repose. I have seen the wild burst of her -anger, have watched her sportive play, and have beheld -her robed in silence. I have walked abroad -in the darkness when the winds were roaring through -the hills and crashing over the plain. I have strolled -along the beach when the only sound that broke the -stillness was the dull creaking of the ice-tables, as -they rose and fell lazily with the tide. I have wandered -far out upon the frozen sea, and listened to the -voice of the icebergs bewailing their imprisonment; -along the glacier, where forms and falls the avalanche; -upon the hill-top, where the drifting snow, coursing -over the rocks, sang its plaintive song; and again I -have wandered away to some distant valley where all -these sounds were hushed, and the air was still and -solemn as the tomb.</p> - -<p>And it is here that the Arctic night is most impressive, -where its true spirit is revealed, where its wonders -are unloosed to sport and play with the mind's -vague imaginings. The heavens above and the earth -beneath reveal only an endless and fathomless quiet. -There is nowhere around me evidence of life or motion. -I stand alone in the midst of the mighty hills. -Their tall crests climb upward, and are lost in the -gray vault of the skies. The dark cliffs, standing -against their slopes of white, are the steps of a vast -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">- 226 -</span> -amphitheatre. The mind, finding no rest on their -bald summits, wanders into space. The moon, weary -with long vigil, sinks to her repose. The Pleiades no -longer breathe their sweet influences. Cassiopea and -Andromeda and Orion and all the infinite host of -unnumbered constellations, fail to infuse one spark of -joy into this dead atmosphere. They have lost all -their tenderness, and are cold and pulseless. The eye -leaves them and returns to earth, and the trembling -ear awaits something that will break the oppressive -stillness. But no foot-fall of living thing reaches it; -no wild beast howls through the solitude. There is -no cry of bird to enliven the scene; no tree, among -whose branches the winds can sigh and moan. The -pulsations of my own heart are alone heard in the -great void; and as the blood courses through the -sensitive organization of the ear, I am oppressed as -with discordant sounds. Silence has ceased to be -negative. It has become endowed with positive attributes. -I seem to hear and see and feel it. It -stands forth as a frightful spectre, filling the mind -with the overpowering consciousness of universal -death,—proclaiming the end of all things, and heralding -the everlasting future. Its presence is unendurable. -I spring from the rock upon which I have -been seated, I plant my feet heavily in the snow to -banish its awful presence,—and the sound rolls -through the night and drives away the phantom.</p> - -<p>I have seen no expression on the face of Nature so -filled with terror as <span class="smcap">The Silence of the Arctic Night</span>.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">- 227 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>PROLONGED ABSENCE OF MR. SONNTAG.—PREPARING TO LOOK FOR HIM.—ARRIVAL -OF ESQUIMAUX.—THEY REPORT SONNTAG DEAD.—ARRIVAL OF -HANS.—CONDITION OF THE DOGS.—HANS'S STORY OF THE JOURNEY.</p> -</div> - - -<p>A full month had now elapsed since Sonntag and -Hans left us, and several days of the January moonlight -having passed over without bringing them back, -I had some cause for alarm. It was evident that they -had either met with an accident, or were detained -among the Esquimaux in some unaccountable manner. -I therefore began to devise means for determining -what had become of them. First, I sent Mr. -Dodge down to Cape Alexander to pursue the trail -and ascertain whether they had gone around or over -the cape. The sledge-track was followed for about -five miles, when it came suddenly to an end, the ice -having broken up and drifted away since December. -Dodge could now only examine the passes of the glacier; -and finding there no tracks, it was evident that -the party had gone outside.</p> - -<p>My next concern was to determine whether the -tracks reappeared on the firm ice south of the cape; -and accordingly I prepared to start with a small foot -party, and cross over the glacier. In the event of -finding tracks below Cape Alexander, my course -would then be governed by circumstances; but if the -track should not appear, it would be conclusive evidence -that the party was lost, and I would proceed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">- 228 -</span> -south until I reached the Esquimaux, for I could no -longer afford to delay communication with them. -Although the temperature had now fallen to 43° below -zero, yet the careful preparations which I had -made for camping relieved the journey from any risks -on that account. The mercury froze for the first time -during the winter while Dodge was absent, and I was -extravagant enough to mould a bullet of it and send -it from my rifle through a thick plank. Dodge, who -was one of my most hardy men, returned from his -twelve hours' tramp complaining that he had suffered -rather from heat than cold, and he declared that, when -called upon another time to wade so far through snow-drifts -and hummocks, he would not carry so heavy a -load of furs. In truth, both he and his two companions -came in perspiring freely under their buffalo-skin -coats.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL OF ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>My projected journey was, however, destined not -to come off. The sledge was loaded with our light -cargo, and we were ready to set out on the morning -of the 27th, but a gale sprung up suddenly and detained -us on board during that and the following day. -Early in the morning of the 29th, the wind having -fallen to calm, we were preparing to start. The men -were putting on their furs, and I was in my cabin -giving some last instructions to Mr. McCormick, when -Carl, who had the watch on deck, came hastily to my -door to report "Two Esquimaux alongside." They -had come upon us out of the darkness very suddenly -and unobserved.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SONNTAG'S DEATH REPORTED.</div> - -<p>Conjecturing that these people would hardly have -visited us without having first fallen in with Sonntag -and Hans, I at once sent the interpreter to interrogate -them. He came back in a few minutes. I inquired -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">- 229 -</span> -eagerly if they brought news of Mr. Sonntag. -"Yes." I had no need to inquire further. Jensen's -face told too plainly the terrible truth,—Sonntag was -dead!</p> - -<p>I sent Jensen back to see that the wants of our -savage visitors were carefully provided for, and to -question them further. They proved to be two of my -old acquaintances,—Ootinah, to whom I was under -obligations for important services in 1854, and a -sprightly fellow, who, having had his leg crushed by -a falling stone, had since hobbled about on a wooden -one supplied to him, in 1850, by the surgeon of the -<i>North Star</i>, and which I had once repaired for him. -They both came on one sledge, drawn by five dogs, -and had traveled all the way through from a village, -on the south side of Whale Sound, called Iteplik, without -a halt. They had faced a wind part of the way, -and were covered from head to foot with snow and -frost. Their wants were soon bountifully supplied, -and they were not slow in communicating the information -which most interested me. From them I -learned that Hans was on his way to the vessel with -his wife's father and mother. Some of his dogs had -died, and he was traveling in slow and easy stages. -There being no longer any occasion for my southern -journey, the preparations therefor were discontinued.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HANS'S STORY.</div> - -<p>Hans arrived two days afterward, and, much to -our surprise, he was accompanied only by his wife's -brother, a lad whom I had seen some months before -at Cape York; but the cause of this was soon explained. -His wife's father and mother, as Ootinah -informed me, had journeyed with him, but they, as -well as the dogs, had broken down, and were left behind, -near the glacier, and Hans had come on for -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">- 230 -</span> -assistance. A party was at once dispatched to bring -them in. Hans being cold and fatigued, I refrained for -the time from questioning him, and sent the weather-beaten -travelers to get warmed and fed.</p> - -<p>The two old people were found coiled up in a cave -dug in a snow-bank, and were shivering with the cold. -The dogs were huddled together near by, and not one -of them would stir a step, so both the animals and -the Esquimaux were bundled in a heap upon our -large ice-sledge, and dragged to the vessel. The Esquimaux -were soon revived by the warmth and good -cheer of Hans's tent, while the dogs, only five in -number, lay stretched out on the deck in an almost -lifeless condition. They could neither eat nor move. -And this was the remnant of my once superb pack -of thirty-six, and this the result of a journey from -which I had hoped so much! There was a mystery -somewhere. What could it all mean? I quote from -my diary:—</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -February 1st.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Hans has given me the story of his journey, and I -sit down to record it with very painful emotions.</p> - -<p>The travelers rounded Cape Alexander without difficulty, -finding the ice solid; and they did not halt until -they had reached Sutherland Island, where they built -a snow-hut and rested for a few hours. Continuing -thence down the coast, they sought the Esquimaux at -Sorfalik without success. The native hut at that place -being in ruins, they made for their shelter another -house of snow; and, after being well rested, they set -out directly for Northumberland Island, having concluded -that it was useless to seek longer for natives -on the north side of the Sound. They had proceeded -on their course about four or five miles, as nearly as -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">- 231 -</span> -I can judge from Hans's description, when Sonntag, -growing a little chilled, sprang off the sledge and ran -ahead of the dogs to warm himself with the exercise. -The tangling of a trace obliging Hans to halt the -team for a few minutes, he fell some distance behind, -and was hurrying on to catch up, when he suddenly -observed Sonntag sinking. He had come upon the -thin ice, covering a recently open tide-crack, and, -probably not observing his footing, he stepped upon -it unawares. Hans hastened to his rescue, and aided -him out of the water, and then turned back for the -shelter which they had recently abandoned. A light -wind was blowing at the time from the northeast, and -this, according to Hans, caused Sonntag to seek the -hut without stopping to change his wet clothing. At -first he ran beside the sledge, and thus guarded -against danger; but after a while he rode, and when -they halted at Sorfalik, Hans discovered that his companion -was stiff and speechless. Assisting him into -the hut with all possible despatch, Hans states that he -removed the wet and frozen clothing, and placed -Sonntag in the sleeping-bag. He next gave him some -brandy which he found in a flask on the sledge; and, -having tightly closed the hut, he lighted the alcohol -lamp, for the double purpose of elevating the temperature -and making some coffee; but all of his efforts -were unavailing, and, after remaining for nearly a -day unconscious, Sonntag died. He did not speak -after reaching the hut, and left no message of any -kind.</p> - -<p>After closing up the mouth of the hut, so that the -body might not be disturbed by the bears or foxes, -Hans again set out southward, and reached Northumberland -Island without inconvenience. Much to his -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">- 232 -</span> -disappointment, he found that the natives had recently -abandoned the village at that place; but he -obtained a comfortable sleep in a deserted hut, and -under a pile of stones he found enough walrus flesh -to give his dogs a hearty meal. The next day's journey -brought him to Netlik, which place was also deserted; -and he continued on up the Sound some -twenty miles further to Iteplik, where he was fortunate -enough to find several families residing, some -in the native stone hut and others in huts of snow. -Whale Sound being: a favorite winter resort of the -seal, the people had congregated there for the time, -and were living in the midst of abundance. Hans -told his story, and, delighted to hear of our being -near their old village of Etah, Ootinah and he of -the wooden leg put their two teams together and -resolved to accompany Hans when he set out to return.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, however, my hunter had other projects. -He was only three days from the vessel, and had he -come back at once the chief purpose of the journey -would still have been accomplished; but instead of -doing this, he gave large rewards to two Esquimaux -boys to go with his team down to Cape York. The -stock of presents which Sonntag had taken for the -Esquimaux all now fell to Hans, and he did not spare -them. And he vows that his disposition of the property -and the team was made in my interest. "You -want the Esquimaux to know you are here. I tell -them. They will come by and by and bring plenty -of dogs." Why did he not go himself to Cape York? -He was too tired, and had, besides, a frosted toe which -he got while attending upon Mr. Sonntag.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding all these protestations of devotion -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">- 233 -</span> -to my affairs, I strongly suspect, however, that certain -commands were laid upon him by the partner of his -tent and joys; and, if domestic secrets were not better -kept than are some other kinds, I should probably -discover that the journey to Cape York was made for -the sole purpose of bringing up from that place the -two old people who own Hans for a son-in-law. So -even here under the Pole Star the daughters of Eve -govern the destinies of men.</p> - -<p>It was the old story of the borrowed horse over -again. The journey was long and difficult; the dogs -were over-driven and starved; and the party came -back to Iteplik with only five dogs remaining of the -nine with which they had set out. Four of them had -broken down, and were left to die by the way.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -February 2d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Ootinah and his wooden-legged companion have left -us, promising to return as soon as they have provided -for their families. They carried away with them -many valuable presents, and if these do not tempt -their savage kindred to the ship, nothing will. They -will tell the Esquimaux that I want dogs, and I have -charged them to circulate the knowledge of the ample -returns which I will make to the hunter who will loan -or sell to me his team. But alas! dogs are scarce; -most of the hunters have none to spare, and many of -them are wholly destitute. I had not a bribe in the -ship large enough to induce either of those who have -left me to part with even one of their precious animals. -Having discovered this, I could afford to be -lavish with my presents, and these poor wanderers on -the ice deserts probably left me quite as well off as if -they had sold me their entire teams. They plead the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">- 234 -</span> -hunt and their families, and these are strong arguments. -Needles and knives, and iron and bits of -wood, will not feed wives and babies, and a hundred -and fifty miles is a long way to carry a child at the -breast through the cold and storms of the Arctic -night, even though it be to this haven of plenty. My -charity was, however, intended to cover a double purpose,—to -do them a substantial service, and to stimulate -as well their cupidity as that of the tribe who -are sure to flock around them at Iteplik, to inspect -their riches. I must own, however, that my prospects -for obtaining dogs do not look encouraging. -But few of the Esquimaux are likely to come so far -with their impoverished teams.</p> - -<p>Hans sticks to the story of yesterday; and, after -questioning and cross-questioning him for an hour, I -get nothing new. Although I have no good reason -for doubting the truth of his narrative, yet I cannot -quite reconcile my mind to the fact that Sonntag, -with so much experience to govern him, should have -undertaken to travel five miles in wet clothing, especially -as he was accompanied by a native hunter who -was familiar with all of the expedients for safety upon -the ice-fields, and to whom falling in the water is no -unusual circumstance. The sledge and the canvas -apron which inclosed the cargo furnished the means -for constructing a temporary shelter from the wind, -and the sleeping-bag would have insured against -freezing while Hans got ready the dry clothing, of -which Sonntag carried a complete change. Nor can -I understand how he should have lived so long and -have given Hans no message for me, nor have spoken -a word after coming out of the water, further than to -have ordered his driver to hasten back to the snow-hut. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">- 235 -</span> -However, it is idle to speculate about the matter; -and since Hans's interests were concerned in -proving faithful to the officer who, of all those in the -ship, cared most for him, it would be unreasonable as -well as unjust to suspect him of desertion.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page235" style="max-width: 12.1875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="The Esquimau Hut at Etah"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page235.png" alt="The Esquimau Hut at Etah" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">- 236 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SONNTAG.—TWILIGHT INCREASING.—A DEER-HUNT.—THE ARCTIC FOXES.—THE -POLAR BEAR.—ADVENTURES WITH BEARS.—OUR NEW ESQUIMAUX.—ESQUIMAU -DRESS.—A SNOW HOUSE.—ESQUIMAU IMPLEMENTS.—A WALRUS -HUNT.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I will not trouble the reader with the many gloomy -reflections which I find scattered over the pages of -my journal during the period succeeding the events -which are recorded in the last chapter. While the -loss of my dogs left me in much doubt and uncertainty -as to my future prospects, the death of Mr. -Sonntag deprived me of assistance which was very -essential to the accomplishment of some of my purposes. -His familiar acquaintance with the physical -sciences, and his earnest enthusiasm in every thing -which pertained to physical research, both in the field -and study, made him an invaluable aid, while his -genial disposition and manly qualities gave him a -deep hold upon my affections. Similarity of taste -and disposition, equal age, a common object, and a -mutual dependence for companionship, had cemented -more and more closely a bond of friendship which -had its origin in the dangers and fortunes of former -travel.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A DEER-HUNT.</div> - -<p>The light was now growing upon us from day to -day, and we found a fresh excitement in the renewal -of the hunt. It must not, however, be supposed that, -even at noon, we had yet any daylight; but there -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">- 237 -</span> -was a twilight, which was increasing with each successive -day. The reindeer had grown very poor during -the winter, and their flesh was tough and almost -tasteless; but this did not discourage the hunters, and -several captures were made. One day a large herd -came down near the store-house, which, being reported, -caused a general scramble for guns, and a rush -over the hills to surround the game. The crew appeared -more like boys on a holiday frolic than men -catering for their mess. They made noise enough, as -one would have thought, to frighten every living -thing from the neighborhood; but, nevertheless, three -deer were shot. The thermometer stood at 41° below -zero, and, there being a light wind, the air was somewhat -biting, and gave rise to numerous incidents -quite characteristic of our life. The handling of the -cold gun was attended with some risk to the fingers, -as one can neither pull the trigger nor load with a -mittened hand; and there were quite a number of -slight "burns," as wounds from this cause were jestingly -called. McDonald carried an old flint-lock musket, -the only weapon that he could lay his hands on, -and in the midst of the excitement he was heard to -fire. Hurrying in that direction, Knorr eagerly inquired -what he was shooting at, and where the game -had gone. His answer afterward furnished us not -a little amusement: "There was a monstrous big deer -deer there half an hour ago, and had I pulled trigger -when I left the ship I should have killed him. But -you see the powder is so cold that it won't burn, and -it takes half an hour to touch it off;" and, to prove -his theory, he poured a lot of it out on the dry snow, -and applied a match. His singed whiskers bore ample -evidence that his theory was not founded on fact.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">- 238 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ARCTIC FOXES.</div> - -<p>The hill-side seemed to be alive with foxes; and, -scenting the blood of the dead deer, they flocked in -from all directions. These little animals were at first -quite tame, but they had been cured of their familiarity -by the lessons learned from the hunters, and -had to be approached with adroitness. Of both the -blue and white varieties I had living specimens in my -cabin. One of them was the gentle creature, named -Birdie, which I have already mentioned. The other -one was purely white, and did not differ from Birdie -in shape, although it was somewhat larger. The fur -of the latter was much more coarse than the former. -Their cry was exactly the same. But, while Birdie -was very docile, and had grown quite domesticated, -the other was thoroughly wild and untamable. Their -respective weights were 4¼ and 7 pounds. The latter -was full grown and unusually large.</p> - -<p>These two varieties of the fox, notwithstanding -their many points of resemblance, are evidently distinct -species. I have not known them to mix, the -coat of each preserving its distinctive hue, that of the -blue fox varying merely in degree of shade, while the -white changes only from pure white to a slightly yellowish -tinge. The term "blue," as applied to the -species to which Birdie belonged, is not wholly a misnomer, -for, as seen upon the snow, its color gives -something of that effect. The color is in truth a solid -gray, the white and black being harmoniously blended, -and not mixed as in the gray fox of Northern America. -Their skins are much sought after by the trappers -of Southern Greenland, where the animals are -rare, for the fur commands a fabulous price in the -Copenhagen market.</p> - -<p>These foxes obtain a very precarious subsistence, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">- 239 -</span> -and they may be seen at almost any time scampering -over the ice, seeking the tracks of the bears, which -they follow with the instinct of the jackal following -the lion; not that they try their strength against -these roving monarchs of the ice-fields, but, whenever -the bear catches a seal, the little fox comes in for a -share of the prey. Their food consists besides of an -occasional ptarmigan, (the Arctic grouse,) and if quick -in his spring he may be lucky enough to capture a -hare. In the summer they congregate about the -haunts of the birds, and luxuriate upon eggs. It is a -popular belief in Greenland that they gather enormous -stores of them for their winter provender, but -I have never witnessed in them any such evidence of -foresight.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE POLAR BEAR.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">ADVENTURES WITH BEARS.</div> - -<p>The bears, wandering continually through the night, -must needs have a hard struggle to live. During the -summer, the seal, which furnish their only subsistence, -crawl up on the ice, and are there easily caught; but -in the winter they only resort to the cracks to breathe, -and, in doing so, barely put their noses above the -water, so that they are captured with difficulty. -Driven to desperation by hunger, the bear will sometimes -invade the haunts of men, in search of the food -which their quick sense has detected. Our dogs, -during the early winter, kept them from our vicinity; -but, when the dogs were gone, several bears made -their appearance. One of them came overland from -the Fiord, and approached the store-house from behind -the observatory, where Starr was engaged in -reading the scale of the magnetometer. The heavy -tread of the wild beast was heard through the stillness -of the night, and, without much regard to the -delicate organization of the instrument which he was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">- 240 -</span> -observing, the young gentleman rushed for the door, -upset the magnetometer, and had nearly lost his life -in his precipitate haste to get over the dangerous ice-foot, -while hurrying on board to give the alarm. We -sallied out with our rifles; but while Starr was fleeing -in one direction, the bear had been making off in the -other. I had an adventure, about this time, which, -like that of Starr's, shows that the Polar bear is not -so ferocious as is generally supposed; indeed, they -have never been known to attack man except when -hotly pursued and driven to close quarters. Strolling -one day along the shore, I was observing with much -interest the effect of the recent spring tides upon the -ice-foot, when, rounding a point of land, I suddenly -found myself confronted in the faint moonlight by an -enormous bear. He had just sprung down from the -land-ice, and was meeting me at a full trot. We -caught sight of each other at the same instant. Being -without a rifle or other means of defence, I -wheeled suddenly toward the ship, with, I fancy, -much the same reflections about discretion and valor -as those which crossed the mind of old Jack Falstaff -when the Douglas set upon him; but finding, after a -few lengthy strides, that I was not gobbled up, I looked -back over my shoulder, when, as much to my surprise -as gratification, I saw the bear tearing away toward -the open water with a celerity which left no doubt as -to the state of his mind. I suppose it would be difficult -to determine which was the worst frightened—the -bear or I.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">OUR NEW ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>The additions to the Hans family furnished us as -well a welcome source of amusement as of service. -As I have said before, they were three in number, and -bore respectively the names of Tcheitchenguak, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">- 241 -</span> -Kablunet, and Angeit. This latter was the brother of -Hans's wife, and his name signifies "The Catcher"—given -to him, no doubt, in early infancy, from some -peculiarity of disposition which he then manifested. -And he was not inaptly named. The sailors took -him into their favor, scrubbed and combed him, and -dressed him in Christian clothing, and under their encouraging -countenance he was soon found to be as -full of tricks as a monkey, and as acquisitive as a magpie. -He was the special torment of the steward and -the cook. Driven almost to despair, and utterly defeated -in every project of reform, the former finally set -at the little heathen with a bundle of tracts and a catechism, -while the latter declared his fixed resolve to -scald him on the first favorable opportunity. "Very -well, cook; but remember they hang for murder." -"Den I kills him a leetle," was the ready answer.</p> - -<p>His mother, Kablunet, proved to be a useful addition -to our household. She was very industrious with -her needle; and, until she became possessed, in payment -for her work, of such articles of domestic use as -she needed, sewed for us continually, making every -sort of skin garment, from boots to coats, which belong -to an Arctic wardrobe. Her complexion was -quite light, as her name implied. Kablunet is the -title which the Esquimaux give to our race, and it -signifies "The child with the white skin;" and if the -name of her husband, Tcheitchenguak, did not mean -"The child with the dark skin," it ought to, for he -was almost black.</p> - -<p>The personal appearance of this interesting couple -was not peculiarly attractive. Their faces were broad, -jaws heavy, cheek-bones projecting like other carnivorous -animals, foreheads narrow, eyes small and very -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">- 242 -</span> -black, noses flat, lips long and thin, and when opened -there were disclosed two narrow, white, well-preserved -rows of polished ivory,—well worn, however, with -long use and hard service, for the teeth of the Esquimaux -serve a great variety of purposes, such as softening -skins, pulling and tightening cords, besides -masticating food, which I may here mention is wholly -animal. Their hair was jet black, though not abundant, -and the man had the largest growth of beard -which I have seen upon an Esquimau face, but it -was confined to the upper lip and the tip of the -chin. The face of the Esquimau is indeed quite Mongolian -in its type, and is usually beardless. In stature -they are short, though well built, and bear, in -every movement, evidence of strength and endurance.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU DRESS.</div> - -<p>The dress of the male and female differed but little -one from the other. It consisted of nine pieces,—a -pair of boots, stockings, mittens, pantaloons, an under-dress, -and a coat. The man wore boots of bear-skin, -reaching to the top of the calf, where they met the -pantaloons, which were composed of the same materials. -The boots of the woman reached nearly to the -middle of the thigh, and were made of tanned seal-skins. -Her pantaloons, like her husband's, were of -bear-skin. The stockings were of dog-skin, and the -mittens of seal-skin. The under-dress was made of -bird-skins, feathers turned inwards; and the coat, -which did not open in front, but was drawn on over -the head like a shirt, was of blue fox-skins. This coat -terminates in a hood which envelops the head as completely -as an Albanian <i>capote</i> or a monk's cowl. This -hood gives the chief distinction to the dresses of the -sexes. In the costume of the man it is round, closely -fitting the scalp, while in the woman it is pointed at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">- 243 -</span> -the top to receive the hair which is gathered up on -the crown of the head, and tied into a hard, horn-like -tuft with a piece of raw seal-hide,—a style of <i>coiffure</i> -which, whatever may be its other advantages, cannot -be regarded as peculiarly picturesque.</p> - -<p>Their ages could not be determined; for, since the -Esquimaux cannot enumerate beyond their ten fingers, -it is quite impossible for them to refer to a past event -by any process of notation. Having no written language -whatever, not even the picture-writing and -hieroglyphics of the rudest Indian tribes of North -America, the race possesses no records, and such traditions -as may come down from generation to generation -are not fixed by any means which will furnish -even an approximate estimate of their periods of -growth, prosperity, and decay, or even of their own -ages.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SNOW HUT.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">TCHEITCHENGUAK "AT HOME."</div> - -<p>These old people, soon growing tired of the warmth -of Hans's tent, went ashore and built a snow-hut, -and set up housekeeping on their own account; and -living upon supplies which they got regularly from -my abundant stores, and, with no need for exertion, -it was perhaps not surprising that they should prove -to be a very happy and contented couple. This snow-hut, -although an architectural curiosity, would have -excited the contempt of a beaver. It was nothing -more than an artificial cave in a snow-bank, and was -made thus: Right abreast of the ship there was a narrow -gorge, in which the wintry winds had piled the -snow to a great depth, leaving, as it whirled through -the opening, a sort of cavern,—the curving snow-bank -on the right and overhead, and the square-sided rock -on the left. Starting at the inner side of this cavern, -Tcheitchenguak began to bury himself in the snow, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">- 244 -</span> -very much as a prairie-dog would do in the loose soil,—digging -down into the drift, and tossing the lumps -behind him with great rapidity. After going downward -for about five feet, he ran off horizontally for about -ten feet more. This operation completed, he now -began to excavate his den. His shovel was struck -into the hard snow above his head, the blocks which -tumbled down were cleared away, and thrown out -into the open air, and in a little while he could stand -upright and work; and when at length satisfied with -the size of the cave, he smoothed it off all around and -overhead, and came out covered with whiteness. The -door-way was now fixed up and made just large -enough to crawl through on all fours; the entering -tunnel was smoothed off like the inside; the floor of -the cave was covered first with a layer of stones, and -then with several layers of reindeer-skins; the walls -were hung with the same materials; two native lamps -were lighted; across the door-way was suspended -another deer-skin, and Tcheitchenguak and his family -were "at home." I called upon them some hours -afterwards, and found them apparently warm and -comfortable. The lamps (their only fire) blazed up -cheerfully, and the light glistened on the white dome -of this novel den; the temperature had risen to the -freezing point, and Kablunet, like a good housewife, -was stitching away at some article of clothing; -Tcheitchenguak was repairing a harpoon for his son-in-law, -and Angeit, the bright-eyed pest of the galley -and the pantry, was busily engaged stowing away in a -stomach largely disproportionate to the balance of his -body, some bits of venison which looked very much as -as if they had recently been surreptitiously obtained -from a forbidden corner of the steward's store-room.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">- 245 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU PRESENTS.</div> - -<p>In consideration for the kindness which I had shown -these people, they gave me a set of their hunting and -domestic implements, the principal of them being a -lance, harpoon, coil of line, a rabbit-trap, a lamp, pot, -flint and steel, with some lamp-wick and tinder. The -lance was a wooden shaft, probably from Dr. Kane's -lost ship, the <i>Advance</i>, with an iron spike lashed firmly -to one end of it, and a piece of walrus tusk, shod with -sharp iron, at the other. The harpoon staff was a -narwal tooth or horn, six feet long,—a very hard -and solid piece of ivory, and perfectly straight. The -harpoon head was a piece of walrus tusk, three inches -long, with a hole through the centre for the line, a -hole into one end for the sharpened point of the staff, -and at the other end it was, like the lance-head, tipped -with iron. The line was simply a strip of raw seal-hide -about fifty feet long, and was made by a continuous -cut around the body of the seal. The rabbit-trap -was merely a seal-skin line with a multitude of -loops dangling from it. The lamp was a shallow dish -of soft soap-stone, in shape not unlike a clam-shell, -and was eight inches by six. The pot was a square-sided -vessel of the same material. The flint was a -piece of hard granite, the steel a lump of crude iron -pyrites, the wick was dried moss, and the tinder the -delicate down-like covering of the willow catkins.</p> - -<p>Tcheitchenguak told me that he was preparing the -lances for a walrus hunt, and that he and Hans intended -to try their skill on the morrow. The walrus -had been very numerous in the open waters outside -the harbor all through the winter, and their shrill cry -could be heard at almost any time from the margin -of the ice. The flesh of these animals is the staple -food of the Esquimaux; and although they prize the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">- 246 -</span> -flesh of the reindeer, yet it is much as we do "canvas-backs;" -and, for a long and steady pull, there is nothing -like the "Awak," as they call the walrus, in imitation -of its cry. To them its flesh is what rice is to -the Hindoo, beef to the Gouchos of Buenos Ayres, or -mutton to the Tartars of Mongolia.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A WALRUS HUNT.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">A SEASON OF PLENTY.</div> - -<p>The proposed hunt came off successfully. Hans -and the old man set out with all of their tackle in fine -order, and found a numerous herd of walrus swimming -near the edge of the ice. They were approached -with caution, on all fours, and were not alarmed. The -hunters reached within a few feet of the water. They -both then lay down flat on the ice and imitated the -cry of the animals of which they were in pursuit; -and the whole herd was soon brought by this means -within easy reach of the harpoon. Rising suddenly, -Hans buried his weapon in a good-sized beast, while his -companion held fast to the line and secured his end -of it with the iron spike of a lance-staff, which he -drove into the ice and held down firmly. The beast -struggled hard to free itself, floundering and plunging -like a wild bull held by a lasso, but all without -avail. With every opportunity Hans took in the slack -of the line and secured it, and at length the struggling -prey was within twenty feet of the hunters. -The lance and rifle now did their work very expeditiously; -the frightened comrades of the dying animal -rushed away through the waters with loud cries of -alarm, their deep bass voices sounding strangely -through the darkness. The edge of the ice proved -to be too thin to bear the captured game, and, having -secured it with a line, it was allowed to remain until -the following day, when, the ice having thickened -with the low temperature, the flesh was chopped out -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">- 247 -</span> -and brought in. The snow-hut now rejoiced in a supply -of food and blubber sufficient to last its inmates -for a long time to come; the dogs were refreshed -with a substantial meal; and the head and skin were -put into a barrel and labeled "Smithsonian."</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page247" style="max-width: 11.75em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Head of Walrus"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page247.png" alt="Head of Walrus" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">- 248 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</h2> -</div> - -<p>LOOKING FOR THE SUN.—THE OPEN SEA.—BIRDS.</p> - - -<p>While the days were thus running on, the sun was -crawling up toward the horizon, and each returning -noon brought an increase of light. I carried in my -pocket at all times a little book, and early in February -I began to experiment with it. When I could -read the title-page at noon I was much rejoiced. By -and by the smaller letters could be puzzled out; then -I could decipher with ease the finest print, and the -youngsters were in great glee at being able to read -the thermometers at eleven and twelve and one -o'clock without the lantern. On the 10th of February -I made the following memorandum on the margin -of my book: "Almost broad daylight at noon, -and I read this page at 3 o'clock P. M." My calculations -placed the sun at the horizon on the 18th.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LOOKING FOR THE SUN.</div> - -<p>The appearance of the sun became now the one -absorbing event. About it everybody thought and -everybody talked continually. No set of men ever -looked more eagerly for a coming joy than did we for -the promised morn,—we, half-bloodless beings, coming -from the night, bleached in the long-continued -lamp-light, and almost as colorless as potato-sprouts -growing in a dark cellar. We all noted how to-day -compared with yesterday, and contrasted it with this -day a week ago. Even the old cook caught the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">- 249 -</span> -contagion, and crawled up from among his saucepans and -coppers, and, shading his eyes with his stove-hardened -hands, peered out into the growing twilight. "I tinks -dis be very long night," said he, "and I likes once -more to see de blessed sun." The steward was in a -state of chronic excitement. He could not let the -sun rest in peace for an hour. He must watch for -him constantly. He must be forever running up on -deck and out on the ice, book in hand, trying to read -by the returning daylight. He was impatient with -the time. "Don't the Commander think the sun will -come back sooner than the 18th?" "Don't he think -it will come back on the 17th?" "Was he quite sure -that it wouldn't appear on the 16th?" "I'm afraid, -steward, we must rely upon the Nautical Almanac." -"But mightn't the Nautical Almanac be wrong?"—and -I could clearly perceive that he thought my -ciphering might be wrong too.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile we were tormented with another set of -gales, and we could scarcely stir abroad. The ice was -all broken up in the outer bay, and the open sea came -nearer to us than during any previous period of the -winter. The ice was nearly all driven out of the bay, -and the broad, dark, bounding water was not only in -sight from the deck, but I could almost drop a minie-ball -into it from my rifle, while standing on the poop. -Even the ice in the inner harbor was loosened around -the shore, and, thick and solid though it was, I thought -at one time that there was danger of its giving way -and going bodily out to sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARCTIC BIRDS.</div> - -<p>Strange, too, along the margin of this water there -came a flock of speckled birds to shelter themselves -under the lee of the shore, and to warm their little -feet in the waters which the winds would not let -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">- 250 -</span> -freeze. They were the <i>Dovekie</i> of Southern Greenland,—the -<i>Uria grylle</i> of the naturalist. They are -often seen about Disco Island and Upernavik in the -winter time, but I was much surprised to find them -denizens of the Arctic night so near the Pole. It was -a singular sight to see them paddling about in the -caves, under the ice-foot, at 30° below zero, uttering -their plaintive cry, and looking for all the world like -homeless children, shoeless and in rags, crouching for -shelter beneath a door-stoop on a bleak December -night. I wanted one of them badly for a specimen, -but it would have required something stronger than -the claims of science to have induced me to harm a -feather of their trembling little heads.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page250" style="max-width: 11em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Portrait of Birdie, the Arctic Fox"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page250.png" alt="Portrait of Birdie, the Arctic Fox" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">- 251 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SUNRISE.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -February 18th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Heaven be praised! I have once more seen the -sun.</p> - -<p>Knowing that the sun would appear to-day, everybody -was filled with expectation, and hastened off -after breakfast to some favorite spot where it was -thought that he might be seen. Some went in the -right direction, and were gratified; others went in -the wrong direction, and were disappointed. Knorr -and others of the officers climbed the hills above Etah. -Charley limbered up his rheumatic old legs, and tried -to get a view from the north side of the harbor, forgetting -that the mountains intervened. Harris and -Heywood climbed to the top of the hill behind the -harbor, and the former shook his Odd Fellow's flag -in the sun's very face. The cook was troubled that -he did not have a look at "de blessed sun;" but he -could not gratify his wish without going upon the -land, and this he could no more be induced to do -than the mountain could be persuaded to come to -Mahomet. He will probably have to wait until the -sun steals over the hills into the harbor, which will -be at least twelve days.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SUNRISE.</div> - -<p>My own share in the day's excitement has been -equal to the rest of them. Accompanied by Dodge -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">- 252 -</span> -and Jensen, I set out at an early hour toward a point -on the north side of the bay, from which I could command -a view of the southern horizon. We had much -difficulty in reaching our destination. The open -water came nearly a mile within the point for which -we were bound, and it was no easy task picking our -way along the sloping drifts of the ice-foot. But we -were at last successful, and reached our lookout station -(hereafter to be known as Sunrise Point) with -half an hour to spare.</p> - -<p>The day was far from a pleasant one for a holiday -excursion. The temperature was very low, and the -wind, blowing quite freshly, brought the drifting snow -down from the mountains, and rattled it about us -rather sharply. But we were amply repaid by the -view which was spread out before us.</p> - -<p>An open sea lay at our feet and stretched far away -to the front and right of us as we faced the south. -Numerous bergs were dotted over it, but otherwise it -was mainly free from ice. Its surface was much agitated -by the winds, which kept it from freezing, and -the waves were dancing in the cold air as if in very -mockery of the winter. It was indeed a vast bubbling -caldron,—seething, and foaming, and emitting vapors. -The light curling streams of "frost smoke" which -rose over it sailed away on the wind toward the -southwest, and there mingled with a dark mist-bank. -Little streams of young ice, as if struggling to bind -the waves, rattled and crackled over the restless -waters. To the left, the lofty coast mountains stood -boldly up in the bright air, and near Cape Alexander -the glacier peeped from between them, coming down -the valley with a gentle slope from the broad <i>mer de -glace</i>. The bold front of Crystal Palace Cliffs cut -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">- 253 -</span> -sharply against this line of whiteness, and the dark, -gloomy walls of Cape Alexander rose squarely from -the sea. Upon the crests of the silent hills, and over -the white-capped cape, light clouds lazily floated, and -through these the sun was pouring a stream of golden -fire, and the whole southern heavens were ablaze with -the splendor of the coming day.</p> - -<p>The point of Cape Alexander lay directly south of -us, and the sun would appear from behind it at exactly -the meridian hour,—rolling along the horizon, -with only half its disk above the line of waters. We -awaited the approaching moment with much eagerness. -Presently a ray of light burst through the soft -mist-clouds which lay off to the right of us opposite -the cape, blending them into a purple sea and glistening -upon the silvery summits of the tall icebergs, -which pierced the vapory cloak as if to catch the -coming warmth. The ray approached us nearer and -nearer, the purple sea widened, the glittering spires -multiplied, as one after another they burst in quick -succession into the blaze of day; and as this marvelous -change came over the face of the sea, we felt that the -shadow of the cape was the shadow of the night, and -that the night was passing away. Soon the dark-red -cliffs behind us glowed with a warm coloring, the hills -and the mountains stood forth in their new robes of -resplendent brightness, and the tumbling waves melted -away from their angry harshness, and laughed in -the sunshine. And now the line of the shadow was -in sight. "There it is upon the point," cried Jensen. -"There it is upon the ice-foot," answered Dodge,—there -at our feet lay a sheet of sparkling gems, and -the sun burst broadly in our faces. Off went our -caps with a simultaneous impulse, and we hailed this -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">- 254 -</span> -long-lost wanderer of the heavens with loud demonstrations -of joy.</p> - -<p>And now we were bathing in the atmosphere of -other days. The friend of all hopeful associations had -come back again to put a new glow into our hearts. -He had returned after an absence of one hundred and -twenty-six days to revive a slumbering world; and as -I looked upon his face again, after this long interval, -I did not wonder that there should be men to bow the -knee and worship him and proclaim him "The eye of -God." The parent of light and life everywhere, he is -the same within these solitudes. The germ awaits -him here as in the Orient; but there it rests only -through the short hours of a summer night, while -here it reposes for months under a sheet of snows. -But after a while the bright sun will tear this sheet -asunder, and will tumble it in gushing fountains to -the sea, and will kiss the cold earth, and give it -warmth and life; and the flowers will bud and bloom, -and will turn their tiny faces smilingly and gratefully -up to him, as he wanders over these ancient hills -in the long summer. The very glaciers will weep -tears of joy at his coming. The ice will loose its -iron grip upon the waters, and will let the wild waves -play in freedom. The reindeer will skip gleefully -over the mountains to welcome his coming, and will -look longingly to him for the green pastures. The -sea-fowls, knowing that he will give them a resting-place -for their feet on the rocky islands, will come to -seek the moss-beds which he spreads for their nests; -and the sparrows will come on his life-giving rays, and -will sing their love songs through the endless day.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">- 255 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SPRING TWILIGHT.—ARRIVAL OF ESQUIMAUX.—OBTAINING DOGS.—KALUTUNAH, -TATTARAT, MYOUK, AMALATOK AND HIS SON.—AN ARCTIC HOSPITAL.—ESQUIMAU -GRATITUDE.</p> -</div> - - -<p>My time became now fully occupied with preparations -for my journey northward. The sun appearing -on the 18th, as recorded in the last chapter, rose completely -above the horizon on the next day, was something -higher the day following, and, continuing to -ascend in steady progression, we had soon several -hours of broad daylight before and after noon, although -the sun did not for some time come in sight -above the hills on the south side of the harbor. The -long dreary night was passing away; we had with -each succeeding day an increase of light, and the -spring twilight was merging slowly into the continual -sunshine of the summer, as we had before seen the -autumn twilight pass into the continued darkness of -the winter.</p> - -<p>The details of my preparations for traveling would -have little interest to the reader, and I pass them -over. It is proper, however, that I should recur to -the situation in which I found myself, now that the -traveling season had opened.</p> - -<p>The dogs, five in number, which Hans brought back -from the southern journey, had recovered, and did not -appear to have been materially injured; but there -were not enough of them to furnish a serviceable -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">- 256 -</span> -team for one sledge. They were therefore of little -use; and it became clear that, unless I obtained a -fresh supply from the Esquimaux, any plan of sledge -exploration which I might form must depend wholly -upon the men for its execution. Men, instead of dogs, -must drag the sledges.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL OF ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>The Esquimaux had disappointed me by not coming -up to Etah; and, February having almost passed -away without bringing reinforcements from that quarter, -I had quite given up the expectation of seeing -them, when a party of three arrived most opportunely. -This gave me new encouragement; for, although -I could not hope to replace the fine teams -which I had lost, yet there was still a prospect of -some much-needed assistance.</p> - -<p>The Esquimau party comprised three individuals, -all of whom I had known before. Their names were -Kalutunah, Tattarat, and Myouk. Kalutunah was, in -1854, the best hunter of the tribe, and was, besides, -the Angekok, or priest. He was not slow to tell me -that he had since advanced to the dignity of chief, or -Nalegak, an office which, however, gave him no authority, -as the Esquimaux are each a law unto himself, -and they submit to no control. The title is -about as vague as that of "Defender of the Faith;" -and the parallel is not altogether bad, for if this latter -did originate in a Latin treatise about the "Seven -Sacraments," it was perpetuated by a sharp sword; -and so the title chief, or Nalegak as they call it, is the -compliment paid to the most skillful hunter, and his -title is perpetuated by skill in the use of a sharp harpoon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU TEAMS.</div> - -<p>The excellence of Kalutunah's hunting equipments—his -strong lines and lances and harpoons, his fine -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">- 257 -</span> -sledge and hearty, sleek dogs—bore ample evidence -of the sagacity of the tribe. Tattarat was a very different -style of person. His name signifies "The Kittiwake -Gull," and a more fitting title could hardly have -been bestowed upon him, for he was the perfect type -of that noisy, chattering, graceful bird, thriftless to -the last degree; and, like many another kittiwake -gull or Harold Skimpole of society, he was, in spite -of thieving and other arts, always "out at elbows." -Myouk was not unlike him, only that he was worse, -if possible. He was, in truth, one of Satan's regularly -enlisted light-infantry, and was as full of tricks as -Asmodeus himself.</p> - -<p>The party came up on two sledges. Kalutunah -drove one and Tattarat the other. Kalutunah's team -was his own. Of the other team, two dogs belonged -to Tattarat, one was borrowed, and the fourth was the -property of Myouk. It is curious to observe how the -same traits of character exhibit themselves in all peoples, -and by the same evidences. While Kalutunah -came in with his dogs looking fresh and in fine condition, -with strong traces and solid sledge, the team of -Tattarat was a set of as lean and hungry-looking curs -as ever was seen, their traces all knotted and tangled, -and the sledge rickety and almost tumbling to pieces. -They had traveled all the way from Iteplik without -halting, except for a short rest at Sorfalik. They -declared that they had not tasted food since leaving -their homes; and if the appetite should govern the -belief, I thought that there was no ground for doubting, -since they made away with the best part of a -quarter of venison, the swallowing of which was much -aided by sundry chunks of walrus blubber, before -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">- 258 -</span> -they rolled over among the reindeer skins of Tcheitchenguak's -hut and slept.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KALUTUNAH.</div> - -<p>Next morning I had Kalutunah brought to my -cabin, thinking to treat him with that distinguished -consideration due to his exalted rank. But caution -was necessary. For a stool I gave him a keg, and I was -particularly careful that his person should not come in -contact with any thing else, for under the ample furs of -this renowned chief there were roaming great droves -of creeping things, for which no learned lexicographer -has yet invented a polite name, and so I cannot further -describe them. Nor can I adequately describe -the man himself, as he sat upon the keg, his body -hidden in a huge fur coat, with its great hood, and his -legs and feet inserted in long-haired bear-skin,—the -whole costume differing little from the hitherto described -dress of the dark-faced Tcheitchenguak. He -was a study for a painter. No child could have exhibited -more unbounded delight, had all the toys of -Nuremberg been tumbled into one heap before him. -To picture his face with any thing short of a skillful -brush were an impossible task. It was not comely -like that of "Villiers with the flaxen hair," nor yet -handsome like that of the warrior chief Nireus, whom -Homer celebrates as the handsomest man in the whole -Greek army, (and never mentions afterwards,) nor -was it like Ossian's chief, "the changes of whose face -were as various as the shadows which fly over the -field of grass;" but it was bathed in the sunshine of -a broad grin. Altogether it was quite characteristic -of his race, although expressing a much higher -type of manhood than usual. The features differed -only in degree from those of Tcheitchenguak, heretofore -described; the skin was less dark, the face -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">- 259 -</span> -broader, the cheek-bones higher, the nose flatter and -more curved, the upper lip longer, the mouth wider, -the eyes even smaller, contracting when he laughed -into scarcely distinguishable slits. Upon his long -upper lip grew a little hedge-row of black bristles, -which did not curl gracefully nor droop languidly, but -which stuck straight out like the whiskers of a cat. -A few of the same sort radiated from his chin. I -judged him to be about forty years old, and since -soap and towels and the external application of water -have not yet been introduced among the native inhabitants -of Whale Sound, these forty years had favored -the accumulation of a coating to the skin, which, by -the unequal operation of friction, had given his hands -and face quite a spotted appearance.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A DIRTY POTENTATE.</div> - -<p>But if he was not handsome, he was not really -ugly; for, despite his coarse features and dirty face, -there was a rugged sort of good-humor and frank simplicity -about the fellow which pleased me greatly. -His tongue was not inclined to rest. He must tell me -every thing. His wife was still living, and had added -two girls to the amount of his responsibilities; but -his face glowed with delight when I asked him about -their first-born, whom I remembered in 1854 as a -bright boy of some five or six summers, and he exhibited -all of a father's just pride in the prospect of -the lad's future greatness. Already he could catch -birds, and was learning to drive dogs.</p> - -<p>I asked him about his old rival Sipsu, who once -gave me much trouble, and was an endless source of -inconvenience to Kalutunah. He was dead. When -asked how he died, he was a little loath to tell, but he -finally said that he had been killed. He had become -very unpopular, and was stabbed one night in a dark -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">- 260 -</span> -hut, and, bleeding from a mortal wound, had been -dragged out and buried in the stones and snow, where -the cold and the hurt together soon terminated as -well his life as his mischief.</p> - -<p>Death had made fearful ravages among his people -since I had seen them five years before, and he complained -bitterly of the hardships of the last winter, in -consequence of a great deficiency of dogs, the same -distemper which swept mine off having attacked those -of his people. Indeed, the disease appears to have -been universal throughout the entire length of Greenland. -But notwithstanding this poverty, he undertook -to supply me with some animals, in return for -which I was to make liberal presents; and, as a proof -of his sincerity, he offered me two of the four which -composed his present team. From Tattarat I afterwards -purchased one of his three, and for a fine knife -I obtained the fourth one of that hunter's team, the -property of Myouk, and the only dog that he possessed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A PRIMITIVE TREATY.</div> - -<p>The hunters were all well pleased with their bargains, -for they went away rich in iron, knives, and -needles,—wealth to them more valuable than would -have been all the vast piles of treasure with which -the Inca Atahuallpa sought to satisfy the rapacious -Pizarro, or the lacs of rupees with which the luckless -Rajah Nuncomar strove to free himself from the -clutches of the remorseless Hastings. And we had -made a treaty of peace and friendship, and had ratified -it by a solemn promise, befitting a Nalegak and a -Nalegaksoak. The Nalegak was to furnish the Nalegaksoak -with dogs, and the Nalegaksoak was to pay -for them. This exceedingly simple treaty may at -first strike the reader with surprise; but I feel sure -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">- 261 -</span> -that that surprise will vanish when he recalls the -memorable historical parallel of Burgoyne and his -Hessians.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">OBTAINING DOGS.</div> - -<p>I did not tell Kalutunah that I wished only to bestow -benefits upon his people, for no one is more -quick to penetrate the hollowness of such declarations -than the "untutored savage." He is not so easily -hoaxed with philanthropic sentiment as is generally -supposed, and he fully recognizes the practical features -of being expected to return a <i>quid pro quo</i>. But -I did venture upon a little harmless imposition of -another sort, giving him to understand that it was -useless for the Esquimaux to attempt to deceive me, -as I could read not only their acts but their thoughts -as well; and, in proof of my powers, I performed before -him some simple sleight-of-hand tricks, and after -turning up a card with much gravity told him exactly -what (it was not much of a venture) Ootinah and his -wooden-legged companion had stolen. He was much -astonished, said that I was quite right about the stealing, -for he had seen the stolen articles himself, and -evidently thought me a wonderful magician. He -owned to me that he did something in the jugglery -business himself; but when I asked him about his -journeys to the bottom of the sea, in his Angekok -capacity, to break the spell by which the evil spirit -Torngak holds within her anger the walrus and seal, -in the days of famine, he very adroitly changed the -subject, and began to describe a recent bear-hunt -which appeared to amuse him greatly. The wounded -animal broke away from the dogs, and, making a dive -at one of the hunters, knocked the wind out of the -unhappy man with a blow of his fore-paw. Kalutunah -laughed heartily while relating the story, and seemed -to think it a capital joke.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">- 262 -</span></p> - -<p>Our savage guests remained with us a few days, -and then set out for their homes, declaring their intention -to come speedily back and bring more of -the tribe and dogs. I drove out with them a few -miles, and we parted on the ice. When about a mile -away, I observed Myouk jump from the sledge to -pick up something which he had dropped. No doubt -rejoiced to be rid of this extra load on his rickety -sledge, Tattarat whipped up his team, and the last I -saw of poor Myouk he was running on, struggling -manfully to catch up; but, notwithstanding all his -efforts, he was falling behind, and it is not unlikely -that he was suffered to walk all the way to Iteplik.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ARCTIC MICAWBER.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">DOMESTIC FELICITY.</div> - -<p>This Myouk was the same droll creature that he -was when I knew him formerly,—a sort of Arctic -Micawber, everlastingly waiting for something to turn -up which never did turn up; and, with much cheerfulness, -hoping for good luck which never came. He -recited to me all of his hardships and misfortunes. -His sledge was all broken to pieces, and he could not -mend it; his dogs were all dead except the one he -sold to me; he had stuck his harpoon into a walrus, -and the line had parted, and the walrus carried it -away; he had lost his lance, and altogether his affairs -were in a very lamentable state. His family were in -great distress, as he could not catch any thing for -them to eat, and so they had gone to Tattarat's hut. -Tattarat was a poor hunter, and he made a terrible -grimace, which told how great was his contempt for -that doughty individual. So now he proposed, as soon -as he got home, to try Kalutunah. To be sure, Kalutunah's -establishment was pretty well filled already, -there being not less than three families quartered -there; but still, he thought there was room for one -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">- 263 -</span> -family more. At all events, he should try it. And -now would not the Nalegaksoak,—the big chief who -was so rich and so mighty, be good enough to give -him so many presents that he would go back and -make everybody envious? Human nature is the -same in the Arctic as in the Temperate zone; and, -gratified with this discovery, I fairly loaded the rogue -down with riches, and sent him away rejoicing. But -this wife, what of her? "Oh, she's lazy and will not -do any thing, and made me come all this long journey -to get her some needles which she won't use, and a -knife which she has no use for; and now when I go -back without any dog, won't I catch it!"—and he -caught hold of his tongue and pulled it as far out of -his mouth as he could get it, trying in this graphic -manner to illustrate the length of that aggressive -organ in the wife of his bosom. "But," added this -savage Benedict, "she has a ragged coat, so full of -holes that she cannot go out of the hut without fear -of freezing; and if she scolds me too much I won't -give her any of these needles, and I won't catch her -any foxes to make a new one;"—but it was easy to -see that the needles would not be long withheld, and -that the foxes would be caught when he was told to -catch them. And so pitying his domestic misfortunes, -I added some presents for this amiable creature of the -ragged coat; and when he told me that she had presented -him with an heir to the Myouk miseries, I -added something for that, too. This little hopeful, he -informed me, was already being weaned from its natural -and maternal supplies, and was exhibiting great -aptitude for blubber. He had called it Dak-ta-gee, -which was the nearest that he could come to pronouncing -Doctor Kane.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">- 264 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU GRATITUDE.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah and his companions had scarcely been -gone when another sledge came, bringing two more -Esquimaux,—Amalatok, of Northumberland Island, -and his son. They had four dogs; and having stopped -on the way to catch a walrus, part of which they had -brought with them, they were much fatigued; and, -having got wet in securing the prize, they were cold -and a little frozen. Both were for several days quite -sick in Tcheitchenguak's snow-hut, and I had at last -a patient, and the snow-hut became a sort of hospital, -for old Tcheitchenguak was sick too. I either visited -them myself or sent Mr. Knorr twice daily; but the -odor of the place becoming at length too much for -that gentleman's aristocratic nose, I could no longer -prescribe by proxy, and so went myself and cured my -patients very speedily, winning great credit as a Narkosak, -the "medicine man," in addition to being the -Nalegaksoak, "the big chief." Amalatok thought at -one time that he was going to die, and indeed I became -sincerely alarmed about my reputation; but he -came round all right in the end, and, strange though -it may appear, his memory actually outlived the service -long enough for him to do more than to say -"Koyanak,"—"I thank you;"—that is to say, as -soon as he could get about he brought me his best -dog, and, in token of gratitude, made me a present of -it. Afterward, upon the offer of some substantial gifts, -he sold me another, and he went home as rich as the -party that had preceded him, and happy as Moses -Primrose returning from the fair with his gross of -shagreen spectacles.</p> - -<p>And thus my kennels were being once more filled -up, and my heart was rejoiced.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">- 265 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>KALUTUNAH RETURNS.—AN ESQUIMAU FAMILY.—THE FAMILY PROPERTY.—THE -FAMILY WARDROBE.—MYOUK AND HIS WIFE.—PETER'S DEAD BODY -FOUND.—MY NEW TEAMS.—THE SITUATION.—HUNTING.—SUBSISTENCE -OF ARCTIC ANIMALS.—PURSUIT OF SCIENCE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.—KALUTUNAH -AT HOME.—AN ESQUIMAU FEAST.—KALUTUNAH IN SERVICE.—RECOVERING -THE BODY OF MR. SONNTAG.—THE FUNERAL.—THE TOMB.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Kalutunah came back after a few days, according -to his promise, and brought along with him the entire -Kalutunah family, consisting of his wife and four children. -It was a regular "moving."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ESQUIMAU FAMILY.</div> - -<p>The chief had managed in some manner to get together -another team of six good dogs, and he came -up in fine style, bringing along with him on his small -sledge every thing that he had in the world, and that -was not much. The conveniences for life's comforts -possessed by these Arctic nomads are not numerous; -and it is fortunate that their desires so well accord -with their means of gratifying them, for probably no -people in the world possess so little, either of portable -or other kind of property. The entire cargo of -the sledge consisted of parts of two bear-skins, the -family bedding; a half-dozen seal-skins, the family -tent; two lances and two harpoons; a few substantial -harpoon lines; a couple of lamps and pots; some implements -and materials for repairing the sledge in the -event of accident; a small seal-skin bag, containing -the family wardrobe (that is, the implements for repairing -it, for the entire wardrobe was on their backs); -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">- 266 -</span> -and then there was a roll of dried grass, which they -use as we do cork soles for the boots, and some dried -moss for lamp-wick; and for food they had a few -small pieces of walrus meat and blubber. This cargo -was covered with one of the seal-skins, over which -was passed from side to side a line, like a sandal-lacing, -and the whole was bound down compactly to the -sledge; and on the top of it rode the family, Kalutunah -himself walking alongside and encouraging on -his team rather with kind persuasion than with the -usual Esquimau cruelty. In front sat the mother, -the finest specimen of the Esquimau matron that I -had seen. In the large hood of her fox-skin coat, a -sort of dorsal opossum-pouch, nestled a sleeping infant. -Close beside the mother sat the boy to whom I -have before referred, their first-born, and the father's -pride. Next came a girl, about seven years old; and -another, a three year old, was wrapped up in an immense -quantity of furs, and was lashed to the upstanders.</p> - -<p>As the sledge rounded to, near the vessel, I went -out to meet them. The children were at first a little -frightened, but they were soon got to laugh, and I -found that the same arts which win the affections of -Christian babies were equally potent with the heathen. -The wife remembered me well, and called me -"Doc-tee," while Kalutunah, grinning all over with -delight, pointed to his dogs, exclaiming with pride, -"They are fine ones!" to which I readily assented; -and then he added, "I come to give them all to the -Nalegaksoak;" and to this I also assented.</p> - -<p>What surprised me most with this family was their -apparent indifference to the cold. They had come -from Iteplik in slow marches, stopping when tired in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">- 267 -</span> -a snow shelter, or in deserted huts, and during this -time our thermometers were ranging from 30° to 40° -below zero; and when they came on board out of -this temperature it never seemed to occur to them to -warm themselves, but they first wandered all over the -ship, satisfying their curiosity.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MYOUK AND FAMILY.</div> - -<p>A few hours afterward there arrived a family of -quite another description,—Myouk and his wife of -the ragged coat. They had walked all the way up -from Iteplik, the woman carrying her baby on her -back all of these hundred and fifty miles. Myouk -was evidently at a loss to find an excuse for paying -me this visit; but he put a bold front on, and, like -Kalutunah, discovered a reason. "I come to show -the Nalegaksoak my wife and Daktagee," pointing to -the dowdy, dirty creature that owned him for a husband, -and the forlorn being that owned him for a -father. But when he perceived that I was not likely -to pay much for the sight, he timidly remarked, with -another significant point, "<i>She</i> made me come," and -then started off, doubtless to see what he could steal.</p> - -<p>My arrangements were soon concluded with Kalutunah. -He was to live over in the hut at Etah, to do -such hunting as he could without the aid of his dogs, -all of which he loaned to me; but, in any event, my -stores were to be his reliance, and I bound myself to -supply him with all that he required for the support -of himself and his family.</p> - -<p>On the following day the hut at Etah was cleared -out and put in order, and this interesting family took -up their abode there, while Myouk, as eager to place -himself under the protection of a man high in favor -as if his skin had been white and he knew the meaning -of "public office" and lived nearer the equator, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">- 268 -</span> -followed the great man to his new abode, and crawled -into a corner of his den as coolly as if he was a deserving -fellow, and not the most arrant little knave -and beggar that ever sponged on worth and industry.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PETER'S DEAD BODY.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah brought a solution of the Peter mystery. -As soon as the daylight began to come back, one of -the Iteplik hunters, named Nesark, determined to -travel up to Peteravik, and there try his fortunes in -the seal hunt. Arriving at the hut (these Esquimau -huts are common property) at that place, he was surprised -to discover, lying on the floor, a much emaciated -corpse. It was that of an Esquimau dressed -in white man's clothing, and the description left no -doubt that it was the body of Peter. Nesark gave it -Esquimau burial. And thus, after the lapse of three -months, this strange story was brought to a close; -but I was still as far as ever from an explanation of -the hapless boy's strange conduct.</p> - -<p>I had now become the possessor of seventeen dogs, -and awaited only one principal event to set out on a -preliminary journey northward. The sea had not yet -closed about Sunrise Point, and I could not get out -of the bay on that side. To travel over the land was, -owing to its great roughness, impracticable for a -sledge, even if without cargo; and to round the Point -at that season of the year, through the broken ice and -rough sea, in an open boat, was, for obvious reasons, -not to be thought of.</p> - -<p>My plan had always been to set out with my principal -party, when the temperature had begun to -moderate toward the summer, which was likely to be -about the first of April; but I had looked forward to -doing some serviceable work with my dogs prior to -that time. March is the coldest month of the Arctic -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">- 269 -</span> -year; but while I had no hesitation in setting out -with dog-sledges at that period, the recollection of -Dr. Kane's disasters were too fresh in my mind to -justify me in sending out a foot party in the March -temperatures.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SITUATION.</div> - -<p>While waiting for the frost to build a bridge for me -around Sunrise Point, I was feeding up and strengthening -my dogs. They soon proved to be very inferior -to the animals which I had lost, and it was necessary -to give them as much rest and good rations as -possible. I went repeatedly to Chester Valley in pursuit -of reindeer. Along the borders of the lake these -beasts had flocked in great numbers during the winter, -and whole acres of snow had been tossed up with -their hoofs, while searching for the dead vegetation -of the previous summer. The rabbits and the ptarmigan -had followed them, to gather the buds of the -willow-stems which were occasionally tossed up, and -which form their subsistence. During one of my -journeys I secured a fine specimen skin of a doe, but -in order to do this I was obliged to take it off with -my own hands before it should freeze. The temperature -at the time was 33° below zero, and I do not ever -remember to have had my regard for Natural History -so severely tested.</p> - -<p>I was exceedingly anxious to recover the body of -Mr. Sonntag before I left the vessel; and, desiring to -secure the assistance of Kalutunah for that purpose, I -drove over to Etah a few days after he had become -fixed there. I had eleven of my new dogs harnessed -to the sledge, and Jensen "was himself again."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KALUTUNAH AT HOME.</div> - -<p>I found Kalutunah very comfortably fixed and apparently -well contented. I carried with me as a present -for a house-warming a quarter of a recently-captured -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">- 270 -</span> -deer, and a couple of gallons of oil. Observing our -approach, he came out to meet us, and, some snow -having drifted into the passage, he scraped it away -with his foot, and invited us to enter. This we did -on our hands and knees, through a sort of tunnel -about twelve feet long; and thence we emerged into -a dimly lighted den, where, coiled up in a nest of reindeer-skins -which I had given them, was the family of -the chief and the wife and baby of Myouk. Kalutunah's -wife was stitching away quite swiftly at a pair -of boots for my use, and I brought her some more -"work," and also some presents, among which was a -string of beads and a looking-glass, which much -amused the children. Myouk's wife, on the other -hand, was quite idle, not even looking after her child, -which, startled by our approach, rolled down on the -floor about our feet, and thence into the entrance -among the snow which lay scattered along the passage. -The poor little creature, being almost naked, -set up a terrible scream, and its amiable mother, -promptly seizing it by one of its legs, hauled it up -and crammed into its mouth a chunk of blubber which -quickly stopped its noise.</p> - -<p>Both this woman and her husband were evidently -a great annoyance to the frugal proprietors of the -hut; but, with a generous practice of hospitality -which I have not found elsewhere, in history or fiction, -except in Cedric the Saxon, such a worthless -crew are suffered to settle themselves upon a thrifty -family without fear of being turned out of doors.</p> - -<p>I sat for some time talking to Kalutunah and his -industrious wife. There was not room, it was true, -with so many people in the hut, to be greatly at one's -ease, and I had to dodge my head when I moved, to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">- 271 -</span> -keep from striking the stone rafters. Besides, the -smell of the place had rather a tendency to fill one's -mind with longings for the open air; but I managed -to remain long enough to conclude some important -arrangements with my ally and his useful spouse, and -then I took my leave with mutual protestations of -friendship and good-will. I said to him at parting, -"You are chief and I am chief, and we will both tell -our respective people to be good to each other;" but -he answered, "Na, na, I am chief, but you are the -great chief, and the Esquimaux will do what you say. -The Esquimaux like you, and are your friends. You -make them many presents." I might have told him -that this all-powerful method of inspiring friendship -was not alone applicable to Esquimaux.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A MORNING CALL.</div> - -<p>This visit was a pleasant little episode. I was much -pleased at the honest heartiness with which Kalutunah -entered into my plans; while the childish simplicity -of his habits and the frankness of his declarations -won for him a conspicuous place in my regard.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ESQUIMAU FEAST.</div> - -<p>He was greatly amused with our guns, and begged -for one of them, declaring that he could sit in his hut -and kill the reindeer as they passed by. He would -put the gun through the window, and he pointed to a -hole in the wall about a foot square, where the light -was admitted through a thin slab of hard snow. In -the centre of it he had made a round orifice, which he -said, laughingly, was for the purpose of looking out -for the Nalegaksoak,—a well-turned compliment, if -it did come from a savage, and all the more adroit -that the orifice was really for ventilation, at least it -was the only opening by which the foul air could possibly -escape. Both himself and wife were highly delighted -with the presents which I had brought them. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">- 272 -</span> -Although they are surrounded by reindeer, venison is -a luxury which they rarely enjoy, as they possess no -means of capturing the animals. They have not the -bows and arrows of the Esquimaux of some other -localities. Without waiting for it to be cooked, Kalutunah -commenced a vigorous attack upon the raw, -frozen flesh. His wife and children were not slow to -follow his example, crowding round it where it lay on -the dirty floor; and, without halting for an invitation, -Mrs. Myouk joined in the feast. And I have never -witnessed a feast which seemed to give so much satisfaction -to the actors in it, not even hungry aldermen -at a corporation banquet. Kalutunah was grinning -all over with delight. He was eminently happy. His -teeth were unintermittingly crushing the hard kernels -which he chipped from the frozen "leg," and a steady -stream of the luscious food was pouring down his -throat. His tongue had little chance, but now and -then it got loose from the venison tangle, and then I -heard much of the greatness and the goodness of the -Nalegaksoak. The man's enjoyment was a pleasant -thing to behold.</p> - -<p>But if the reindeer-leg gave satisfaction, the oil -gave comfort. The hut was dark and chilly, not having -yet become thoroughly thawed out. Kalutunah -now thought that he could afford another lamp, and -in a few minutes after we had entered a fresh blaze -was burning in the corner. I have before explained -that the Esquimau lamp is only a shallow dish, cut -out of a block of soap-stone. The dried moss which -they use for wick is arranged around the edge, and -the blaze therefrom gives their only light and heat. -Over the lamps hung pots of the same soap-stone, and -into these Mrs. Kalutunah put some snow, that she -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">- 273 -</span> -might have the water for a venison-soup, of which she -invited us to stay and partake. I knew by former -experience too well the nature of the Esquimau <i>cuisine</i> -to make me anxious to learn further, so I plead -business, and left them to enjoy themselves in their -own way. How long they kept up their feast I did -not learn, but when Kalutunah came over next morning, -he informed me that there was no more venison -in the hut at Etah,—a hint which was not thrown -away.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY ESQUIMAU PEOPLE.</div> - -<p>My Esquimau people now numbered seventeen -souls; namely, six men, four women, and seven children; -and they presented as many different shades -of character and usefulness. The inconveniences to -which they subjected us were amply compensated for -by the sewing which the wives of Kalutunah and -Tcheitchenguak did for us; for, in spite of all our ingenuity -and patience, there was no one in the ship's -company who could make an Esquimau boot, and this -boot is the only suitable covering for the foot in the -Arctic regions. Of the men, Hans was the most useful; -for, in spite of his objectionable qualities, he was, -Jensen excepted, my best hunter. Kalutunah came -on board daily, and, as a privileged guest, he sought -me in my cabin. My journey over to Etah made him -supremely happy; for, like the sound of coming battle -to the warrior who has long reposed in peace, a -new life was put into him when I offered him the care -of one of my newly acquired teams. He came on -board the next morning and took charge of the dogs; -and when, a few days afterward, I further exhibited -my confidence in him by sending him down to Cape -Alexander to see if the ice was firm, the cup of his -joy was full to the brim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">- 274 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">RECOVERY OF SONNTAG'S BODY.</div> - -<p>The report of Kalutunah being favorable, I dispatched -Mr. Dodge to bring up the body of Mr. -Sonntag. He took the two teams, Kalutunah driving -one and Hans the other.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dodge performed the journey with skill and -energy. He reached Sorfalik in five hours, and had -no difficulty in finding the locality of which they were -in search, Hans remembering it by a large rock, or -rather cliff, in the lee of which they had built their -snow-hut. But the winds had since piled the snow -over the hut, and it was completely buried out of -sight. They were therefore compelled to disinter the -body by laboriously digging through the hard drift; -and it being quite dark and they much fatigued when -the task was completed, they constructed a shelter of -snow, fed their dogs, and rested. Although the temperature -was 42° below zero, they managed to sleep -in their furs without serious inconvenience. This was -the first of Mr. Dodge's experience at this sort of -camping out, and he was justly elated with the success -of the experiment.</p> - -<p>Setting out as soon as the daylight returned, the -party came back by the same track which they had -before pursued; but, greatly to their surprise, the -tides and wind had, in the interval, carried off much -of the ice in the neighborhood of the cape, so that -they had before them the prospect of the very difficult -task of crossing the glacier. This, not particularly -embarrassing to an empty sledge, would have -been exceedingly so to them. Fortunately, however, -they succeeded with some risk in getting over a very -treacherous place where the ice-foot, to which they -were forced to adhere, was sloping, and one of the -sledges had nearly gone over into the sea. Kalutunah -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">- 275 -</span> -saved it by a dexterous movement which could -have been performed with safety only by one familiar, -by long experience, with such dangers and expedients.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BURIAL OF SONNTAG.</div> - -<p>The body of our late comrade was placed in the -observatory, where a few weeks before his fine mind -had been intent upon those pursuits which were the -delight of his life; and on the little staff which surmounted -the building the flag was raised at half-mast.</p> - -<p>The preparations for the funeral were conducted -with fitting solemnity. A neat coffin was made under -the supervision of Mr. McCormick, and the body having -been placed therein with every degree of care, it -was, on the second day after the return of Mr. Dodge, -brought outside and covered with the flag, and then, -followed by the entire ship's company, in solemn procession, -it was borne by four of the sorrowing messmates -of the deceased to the grave which had, with -much difficulty, been dug in the frozen terrace. As -it lay in its last cold resting-place, I read over the -body the burial-service, and the grave was then closed. -Above it we afterward built, with stones, a neatly -shaped mound, and marked the head with a chiseled -slab, bearing this inscription:—</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp63" id="page275" style="max-width: 2.875em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page275.png" alt="Cross" /> -</div> - -<p class="tdc">AUGUST SONNTAG.<br /> - -Died<br /> - -December, 1860,<br /> - -AGED 28 YEARS.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SONNTAG'S TOMB.</div> - -<p>And here in the drear solitude of the Arctic desert -our comrade sleeps the sleep that knows no waking -in this troubled world,—where no loving hands can -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">- 276 -</span> -ever come to strew his grave with flowers, nor eyes -grow dim with sorrowing; but the gentle stars, which -in life he loved so well, will keep over him eternal -vigil, and the winds will wail over him, and Nature, -his mistress, will drop upon his tomb her frozen tears -forevermore.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page276" style="max-width: 9.6875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Sonntag's Grave"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page276.png" alt="Sonntag's Grave" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">- 277 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>STARTING ON MY FIRST JOURNEY.—OBJECT OF THE JOURNEY.—A MISHAP.—A -FRESH START.—THE FIRST CAMP.—HARTSTENE'S CAIRN.—EXPLORING -A TRACK.—A NEW STYLE OF SNOW-HUT.—AN UNCOMFORTABLE NIGHT.—LOW -TEMPERATURE.—EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE SNOW.—AMONG -THE HUMMOCKS.—SIGHTING HUMBOLDT GLACIER.—THE TRACK IMPRACTICABLE -TO THE MAIN PARTY.—VAN RENSSELAER HARBOR.—FATE OF -THE ADVANCE.—A DRIVE IN A GALE.</p> -</div> - - -<p>On the 16th of March I found myself able for the -first time to get around Sunrise Point. Except during -a brief interval, the temperature had now fallen -lower than at any previous period of the winter; and, -the air having been quite calm for two days, the ice -had formed over the outer bay. This long desired -event was hailed with satisfaction, and I determined -to start north at once.</p> - -<p>My preparations occupied but a few hours, as every -thing had been ready for weeks past. The charge of -one of the sledges was given to Jensen, the other to -Kalutunah, the former having nine and the latter six -dogs. One of the dogs had died and another had -been crippled in a fight, thus leaving me only fifteen -for service.</p> - -<p>My object in this preliminary journey was chiefly -to explore the track, and determine whether it were -best to adhere to the Greenland coast, following up -the route of Dr. Kane, or to strike directly across the -Sound from above Cape Hatherton, in the endeavor -to reach, on Grinnell Land, the point of departure -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">- 278 -</span> -for which I had striven, without success, the previous -autumn. It was evident that every thing depended -upon being now able to make good what I had lost -by that failure, through a chain of circumstances -which I have no need to repeat, as the reader will -recall the struggle which resulted in the crippling of -my vessel, and which had nearly caused its total -wreck among the ice-fields in the mouth of the -Sound. If the state of the ice should prove favorable -to a speedy crossing of the Sound to Grinnell Land, -or even to securing, without much delay, a convenient -point of departure on the Greenland side beyond -Humboldt Glacier, I had little doubt as to the successful -termination of my summer labors.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A MISHAP.</div> - -<p>Upon reaching Sunrise Point we found the ice to -be very rough and insecure, and the tide of the previous -night had opened a wide crack directly off the -point, which it was necessary for us to cross. This -crack had been closed over but a few hours, and the -dogs hesitated a moment at its margin; but Jensen's -whip reassured them, and they plunged ahead. The -ice bent under their weight, and, as if by a mutual -understanding, the team scattered, but not in time to -save themselves, for down they all sank, higgledy-piggledy, -into the sea, dragging the sledge after them. -Being seated on the back part of it, I had time to roll -myself off, but Jensen was not so fortunate, and dogs, -sledge, driver and all were floundering together in a -confused tangle among the broken ice. Kalutunah, -who was a few paces in the rear, coming up, we extricated -them from their cold bath. Jensen was pretty -well soaked, and his boots were filled with water. -Being only five miles from the schooner, I thought it -safest to drive back as rapidly as possible rather than -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">- 279 -</span> -construct a snow-hut to shelter my unlucky driver -from the cold wind which was beginning to blow. -Besides, our buffalo-skins were as wet as they could -be, and we should have precious little comfort on our -journey if we did not return and exchange them for -dry ones. The dogs, too, ran great risk of injury by -being allowed to rest in their wet coats in so low a -temperature. The whip was not spared, and the vessel -was reached without serious consequences either -to Jensen or the team. An hour or so sufficed for us -to refit, when we started again; and being this time -more cautious, we got around the point without further -trouble.</p> - -<p>The ice was found to be smooth and the traveling -good as we moved up the coast; and, not being very -heavily laden, we got on at a good pace. The snow -had been packed very hard by the winds, and wherever -there had been hummocks it had collected between -them, so that, although the surface was somewhat -rolling and uneven, yet it was as firm as a -country road. Darkness coming on, (we had not yet -reached the constant sunlight of summer,) we hauled -in under Cape Hatherton and made our first camp.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIRST CAMP.</div> - -<p>It was a real Arctic camp;—picketing the dogs -and burrowing in a snow-bank are very simple operations, -and require but little time. Jensen made the -burrow, and Kalutunah looked after the animals; and -when all was ready we crawled in and tried our best -to be comfortable and to sleep; but the recollection -of the ship's bunk was too recent to render either -practicable, except to Kalutunah, who did not seem -to mind any thing, and snored all through the night -in a most awful manner. The outside temperature -was 40° below zero.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">- 280 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">HARTSTENE'S CAIRN.</div> - -<p>I was not sorry when we got under way again next -morning, and we were soon warmed up with the exercise. -The same condition of ice continuing after -passing Cape Hatherton, we quickly reached the north -horn of Fog Inlet. Here, as we approached the point, -I discovered a cairn perched upon a conspicuous spot, -and, not having remembered it as the work of any -of Dr. Kane's parties, I halted the sledges and went -ashore to inspect it. It proved to have been built by -Captain Hartstene, while searching for Dr. Kane, as -shown by a record found in a glass vial at its base. -The record was as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"The U. S. Steamer <i>Arctic</i> touched here and examined thoroughly -for traces of Dr. Kane and his associates, without finding any thing -more than a vial, with a small piece of cartridge-paper with the letters -'O. K. Aug. 1853,' some matches, and a ship's rifle-ball. We -go from this unknown point to Cape Hatherton for a search.</p> - -<p class="tdr"> -"<span class="smcap">H. J. Hartstene</span>, <br /> -Lieut. Comdg. Arctic Expedition.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="tdr">"8 P. M. August 16th, 1855.</p> - -<p>"P. S. Should the U. S. bark <i>Release</i> find this, she will understand -that we are bound for a search at Cape Hatherton.</p> - -<p class="tdr"> -"H. J. H."<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>I was much gratified with this discovery, for it -brought to my mind the recollection of the protecting -care of our government, and a gallant effort to -rescue from the jaws of the Arctic ice a very forlorn -party of men. I was only sorry that the author of -this hastily written evidence of his spirited search had -not reached Cape Hatherton some time earlier, for -then we should have been saved many a hard and -weary pull. The locality will hereafter be known as -<i>Cairn Point</i>.</p> - -<p>Climbing to an elevation, I had a good view of -the sea over a radius of several miles. The prospect -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">- 281 -</span> -was not encouraging. In every direction, except -immediately down the coast toward Cape Hatherton, -the ice was very rough, being jammed against the -shore and piled up over the sea in great ridges, which -looked rather unpromising for sledges.</p> - -<p>The view decided my course of action. Cairn Point -would be my starting-place if I crossed the Sound, -and a most convenient position for a depot of supplies -in the event of being obliged to hold on up the -Greenland coast. Accordingly, I took from the sledges -all of the provisions except what was necessary for a -six days' consumption, and discovering a suitable cleft -in a rock, deposited it therein, covering it over with -heavy stones, to protect it from the bears, intending -to proceed up the coast for a general inspection of the -condition of the ice on the Sound.</p> - -<p>These various operations consumed the day; so we -fed the dogs and dug into another snow-bank, and got -through another night after the fashion of Arctic travelers, -which is not much of a fashion to boast of. We -slept and did not freeze, and more than this we did -not expect.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">EXPLORING A TRACK.</div> - -<p>The next day's journey was made with light sledges, -but it was much more tedious than the two days preceding; -for the track was rough, and during the greater -part of the time it was as much as the dogs could do -to get through the hummocked ice with nothing on -the sledge but our little food and sleeping gear. As -for riding, that was entirely out of the question. After -nine hours of this sort of work, during which we -made, lightened as we were, not over twenty miles, -we were well satisfied to draw up to the first convenient -snow-bank for another nightly burrow.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A NEW STYLE OF SNOW-HUT.</div> - -<p>Being naturally inclined to innovation, I had busied -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">- 282 -</span> -my mind all through the day, as I tumbled among -the ice and the drifts, in devising some better plan -of hut than the cavern arrangement of the nomadic -Kalutunah. The snow-bank which I selected had a -square side about five feet high. Starting on the top -of this, we dug a pit about six feet long, four and -a half wide, and four deep, leaving between the pit -and the square side of the bank a wall about two feet -thick. Over the top of this pit we placed one of the -sledges, over the sledge the canvas apron used, while -traveling, to inclose the cargo, and over that again -we shoveled loose snow to the depth of some three -feet. Then we dug a hole into this inclosure through -the thin wall, pushed in our buffalo-skin bedding, and -all articles penetrable by a dog's tooth and not inclosed -in tin cases, (for the dogs will eat any thing, -their own harness included,) then a few blocks of hard -snow, and finally we crawled in ourselves. The blocks -of snow were jammed into the entrance, and we were -housed for the night.</p> - -<p>Being bound on a short journey, I thought that I -could afford a little extra weight, and carried alcohol -for fuel, as this is the only fuel that can be used in -the close atmosphere of a snow-hut. A ghastly blue -blaze was soon flickering in our faces, and in our single -tin-kettle some snow was being converted into water, -and then the water began to hum, and then after a -long while it boiled, (it is no easy matter to boil water -in such temperature with a small lamp,) and we were -refreshed with a good strong pint pot of tea; then -the tea-leaves were tossed into one corner, some more -snow was put in the tea-kettle and melted, and out of -desiccated beef and desiccated potatoes we make a -substantial hash; and when this was disposed of we lit -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">- 283 -</span> -our pipes, rolled up in our buffaloes, and did the best -we could for the balance of the night.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">COLD LODGINGS.</div> - -<p>My invention did not, however, turn out so satisfactory -as was expected. The hut, if more commodious, -and admitting of a little movement without -knocking down the loose snow all over us, was -much colder than either of our dens of the Kalutunah -plan, the temperature in each of which stood -about zero through the night, elevated to that degree -by the heat radiated from our own persons, and from -the lamp which cooked the supper. But this pit under -the sledge could not be warmed above 20° below -zero. No amount of coaxing could induce the thermometer -to rise.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding all this I still adhered to my theory -about snow-huts, and I very unjustly threw the -blame on Jensen for carelessness in the construction; -so I sent him out to pile on more snow. This did not -mend matters in the least, but rather made them -worse; for, through the now open door-way, what -little warmth we had managed to get up made its -escape; and when Jensen came back and we shut -ourselves in again, the temperature was -35°, and -never afterwards reached higher than -30°. Even -Kalutunah was troubled to sleep, and, as he rubbed -his eyes and pounded his feet together to keep them -from freezing, he made a grimace which told more -plainly than words in what low estimation he held -the Nalegaksoak's talents for making snow-huts.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LOW TEMPERATURE.</div> - -<p>The cause of all this trouble was, however, explained -next morning. The hut was well enough, -and I stuck ever afterward to the plan, and even -Kalutunah was compelled to own that it was the correct -thing. It was perfectly tight. The thermometer -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">- 284 -</span> -told the story. As it hung against the snow wall I -called Jensen's attention to it. The top of the delicate -red streak of alcohol stood at 31° below zero.</p> - -<p>We crawled out in the open air at last, to try -the sunshine. "I will give you the best buffalo-skin -in the ship, Jensen, if the air outside is not warmer -than in that den which you have left so full of holes." -And it really seemed so. Human eye never lit upon -a more pure and glowing morning. The sunlight was -sparkling all over the landscape and the great world -of whiteness; and the frozen plain, the hummocks, the -icebergs, and the tall mountains, made a picture inviting -to the eye. Not a breath of air was stirring. -Jensen gave in without a murmur. "Well, the hut -must have been full of holes, after all; but I'll fix it -next time."</p> - -<p>I brought out the thermometer and set it up in the -shadow of an iceberg near by. I really expected to -see it rise; but no, down sank the little red column, -down, down, almost to the very bulb, and it never -stopped until it had touched 68½° below zero,—100½° -below the freezing point of water.<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> It is worthy of observation that the lowest temperature recorded at -Port Foulke, during my absence, was 27° below zero.</p> - -</div> - -<p>I do not recall but two instances of equally low -temperature having been previously recorded, one of -which, by Niveroff, at Yakoutsk, in Siberia, was -72° -of the Fahrenheit scale. I am not, however, aware -that any traveler has ever noted so low a temperature -while in the field.</p> - -<p>It struck me as a singular circumstance that this -great depression of temperature was not perceptible -to the senses, which utterly failed to give us even so -much as a hint that here in this blazing sunlight we -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">- 285 -</span> -were experiencing about the coldest temperature ever -recorded. But this would have held good only in the -profound calm with which we were favored. At such -low temperature the least wind is painful and even -dangerous, especially if the traveler is compelled to -face it. It is also a singular circumstance that, while -the sun's rays, penetrating the atmosphere, seem to -impart to it so little warmth, they are powerful -enough to blister the skin, so that in truth the opposite -conditions of heat—positive and negative—are -operating upon the unfortunate face at one and the -same time.</p> - -<p>The effect of these low temperatures upon the snow -is very striking. It becomes hardened to such a degree -that it almost equals sand in grittiness, and the -friction to the sledge-runner is increased accordingly. -The same circumstance was noted by Baron Wrangel, -but it is not new to the Esquimaux. The sledge runs -most glibly when the snow is slightly wet. To obviate -in some measure the difficulty thus occasioned, -the native covers the sole of his runner with moisture. -Dissolving in his mouth a piece of snow, he pours it -out into his hand and coats with it the polished ivory -sole, and in an instant he has formed a thin film of ice -to meet the hardened crystals. Kalutunah stopped -frequently for this purpose; and, upon trying the experiment -with my own sledge, I found it to work admirably, -and to produce a very perceptible difference -in the draft.</p> - -<p>It would be needless for me to give from day to -day the details of this journey. As I have said before, -it was merely experimental, and it was continued -until I had satisfied myself fully that the route northward -by the Greenland coast was wholly impracticable. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">- 286 -</span> -The condition of the ice was very different from -what it was in 1853-54. Then the coast ice was -mainly smooth, and the hummocks were not met until -we had gone from ten to twenty miles from the -shore. Now there was no such belt. The winter had -set in while the ice was crowding upon the land, and -the pressure had been tremendous. Vast masses were -piled up along the track, and the whole sea was but -one confused jumble of ice-fragments, forced up by -the pressure to an enormous height, and frozen together -in that position. The whole scene was the -Rocky Mountains on a small scale; peak after peak, -ridge after ridge, spur after spur, separated by deep -valleys, into which we descended over a rough declivity, -and then again ascended on the other side, to -cross an elevated crest and repeat the operation. -The traveling was very laborious. It was but an endless -clambering over ice-masses of every form and -size.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KALUTUNAH PUZZLED.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah was much puzzled to understand my -object. He had never heard of a journey into that -region except to catch bears, and then only in great -emergencies; and when bear-track after bear-track -was crossed without our giving chase, he became even -more and more concerned. He had a double motive,—to -have the sport and to see the effect of our rifles; -but none of the tracks were fresh, and the chase would -have been too long to agree with my purposes. At -length, however, we came to a trail evidently not an -hour old, and which we might have pursued to a successful -issue, for the tracks were made by a mother -and a small cub. Kalutunah halted his team, and was -loud in his pleadings for leave to make a dash. He -argued for the sport, for the skin which would make -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">- 287 -</span> -the Nalegaksoak such a fine coat, for his wife and -children, who had not tasted bear-meat for ever so -long a time, and finally for his dogs. "See how unhappy -they are," said he, pointing to his tired team, -which seemed to possess little appreciation of the eloquence -that was being wasted upon them, for they -had all fallen down in their tracks as soon as we had -halted the sledges. Four days of hauling through -drifts and hummocks had made them care little for a -bear-hunt.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SIGHTING HUMBOLDT GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Despite the difficulties of the traveling, three days -more brought me within view of the great Humboldt -Glacier, but the ice was becoming worse and -worse, the icebergs were multiplying, my dogs were -being worn out to no purpose; and much as I should -have liked to continue the journey, there was no object -to be gained by doing so. The ground had been -covered by Dr. Kane's parties, and there was nothing -to be learned further than I had experienced already, -namely, that, in no event, could I get my boat to the -polar sea in this direction. Whether I could do any -better by the passage across the Sound to Grinnell -Land remained to be seen. In any case, this last -was clearly my only route.</p> - -<p>The Humboldt Glacier was visible from the top of -an iceberg. It revealed itself in a long line of bluish -whiteness. Cape Agassiz, the last known point of the -Greenland coast, bounded it on the right, and to the -left it melted away in the remote distance. The line -of its trend appeared to me to be more to the eastward -than given in the original survey of Mr. Bonnsall, -of Dr. Kane's expedition; and, although of little practical -importance, yet this circumstance, coupled with -observations hereafter to be recorded, have caused me -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">- 288 -</span> -to deviate somewhat, in the small chart which accompanies -this volume, from the chart of Dr. Kane.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FATE OF THE "ADVANCE."</div> - -<p>The coast along which I had been traveling was a -succession of well-remembered landmarks. The tall -sandstone cliffs were as familiar as the rows of lofty -warehouses and stores on Broadway. Both up and -down the coast I had gone so often from Van Rensselaer -Harbor that I knew every point of land, and -gorge, and ravine as if I had seen them but yesterday. -But when I got down into the harbor itself -how changed was every thing! Instead of the broad, -smooth ice over which I had so often strolled, there -was but a uniform wilderness of hummocks. In the -place where the <i>Advance</i> once lay, the ice was piled up -nearly as high as were her mast-heads. Fern Rock -was almost overridden by the frightful avalanche -which had torn down into the harbor from the north, -and the locality of the store-house on Butler Island -was almost buried out of sight. No vestige of the -<i>Advance</i> remained, except a small bit of a deck-plank -which I picked up near the site of the old Observatory. -The fate of the vessel is of course a matter -only of conjecture. When the ice broke up—it may -have been the year we left her or years afterward—she -was probably carried out to sea and ultimately -crushed and sunk. From the Esquimaux I obtained -many contradictory statements. Indeed, with the -best intentions in the world, these Esquimaux have -great trouble in telling a straight story. Even Kalutunah -is not to be depended upon if there is the -ghost of a chance for invention. He had been to the -vessel, but at one time it was one year and then again -it was another; he had carried off much wood, as -many other Esquimaux had done. Another Esquimau -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">- 289 -</span> -had seen a vessel drifting about in the North -Water among the ice, and finally it was sunk in the -mouth of Wolstenholme Sound. This was four summers -ago. Another had seen the same vessel, but the -event had happened only two years before; while still -another had accidentally set fire to the brig and -burned her up where she lay in Van Rensselaer Harbor. -No two of them gave the same account. Indeed, -one of them asserted quite positively that the -vessel had drifted down into the bay below, was there -frozen up the next winter, and he had there boarded -her when on a bear-hunt. Kalutunah had nothing -positive to say on the subject, but he rather inclined -to the story of the burning.</p> - -<p>Every object around me was filled with old associations, -some pleasant and some painful. I visited the -graves of Baker and the jovial cook, Pierre, and -looked for the pyramid which Dr. Kane mentions as -"our beacon and their tomb-stone," but it was scattered -over the rocks, and the conspicuous cross which -had been painted on its southern face was only here -and there shown by a stone with a white patch -upon it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A DRIVE IN A GALE.</div> - -<p>On our homeward journey we camped again at -Cairn Point, and made there a long halt, as I desired -to get another view, from a loftier position than before. -Jensen was fortunate enough to shoot a deer, -and our weary and battered dogs were refreshed with -it. Thence to the schooner was one of the wildest -rides that I remember ever to have made. A terrible -gale of wind set upon us, and, with the thermometer -at -52°, it carried a sting with it. The drifting snow -was battering us at a furious rate; but the dogs, with -their heads turned homeward, did their best, and the -thirty miles were made in three and a half hours.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">- 290 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>SENDING FORWARD SUPPLIES.—KALUTUNAH AS A DRIVER.—KALUTUNAH CIVILIZED.—MR. -KNORR.—PLAN OF MY PROPOSED JOURNEY.—PREPARING TO -SET OUT.—INDUSTRIOUS ESQUIMAU WOMEN.—DEATH AND BURIAL OF KABLUNET.—THE -START.</p> -</div> - - -<p>During the next few days the dog-sledges were -going and coming between the schooner and Cairn -Point continually, carrying to the latter place the -stores needed for our summer campaign. The temperature -still held very low, and I did not deem it -prudent to send out a foot party. I knew by former -experience how important it is for a commander to -keep inexperienced men under his own eye, for one -frozen man will demoralize a dozen, and a frosted foot -is as contagious as the small-pox.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KALUTUNAH CIVILIZED.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah's team was turned over to Mr. Knorr, -and in doing this I gratified both parties and served -my own interests. The novelty of serving me, and -of traveling with me, had by this time worn off, and -I could plainly see that the chief was quite as well -satisfied to remain with his wife and babies as to trust -himself to the uncertain fortunes of the ice-fields, -more especially as his curiosity to see how this man -that he called the big chief behaved himself had been -fully gratified. The recent journey had convinced -him that I was fully entitled to his respect, since I did -not freeze, and altogether conducted myself as well as -an Esquimau would have done under like circumstances; -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">- 291 -</span> -and this was a great deal in his eyes. It -was not difficult to perceive that Kalutunah started -with me expecting to take me under his protecting -wing; and if he did not have the pleasing satisfaction -of seeing me groaning with the cold, at least he should -have the opportunity to instruct me how to live and -how to travel; but when I began to instruct him, and -turned the tables on him, he was much disappointed; -and when to this violation of propriety I added the -still more unpardonable offense of refusing him a bear-hunt, -his enthusiasm oozed out very rapidly; and if -he admired the Nalegaksoak the more he desired to -follow him the less, particularly as the dangers of -the service preponderated over the emoluments. Indeed, -the fellow was disposed to avail himself fully of -the advantages of his new situation, and I soon made -up my mind that he was henceforth a pensioner upon -my bounty, so I doubled his riches and made him -the happiest Esquimau that ever was seen. My thoroughly -energetic, daring and skillful hunter, who -prided himself upon the excellence of his equipments -and the abundance of his supplies, for once in his life -found himself so situated that he was freed from all -necessity of giving thought to the morrow. It was -truly a novel sensation, and it is not surprising that -he should wish to enjoy the short-lived holiday. He -was greatly amused,—amused with himself, amused -with the Nalemaksoak who had made him so rich and -allowed him to be so lazy, and amused with the white -man's dress with which he was bedecked, and in which -he cut such a sorry figure. His face was never without -a full-blown grin. I gave him a looking-glass, and -he carried it about with him continually, looking at -himself and laughing at his head with a cap on it, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">- 292 -</span> -at his reel shirt which dangled beneath an old coat. It -was all very fine and very wonderful. "Don't I look -pretty?" was the poser which he put to everybody.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KALUTUNAH UNCIVILIZED.</div> - -<p>But this pleasing state of mind into which he had -been thrown by this new style of costume was doomed -to be short-lived. The novelty wore off in a few days. -It ceased to amuse him; and he discovered, no doubt, -that in gratifying his vanity he was vexing the flesh. -One day he appeared on board in his old suit of furs. -"What has become of the cap and red shirt and coat?" -"Oh! I tumbled into the water, and my wife is drying -them!" The truth leaked out afterward that he had -gone home, changed the white man's finery for the -cold-resisting fox-skins, and had chucked the whole -suit among the rocks.</p> - -<p>Kalutunah's team fell to Mr. Knorr from sheer necessity, -since there was no one else in the ship except -Hans who could handle the whip. Knorr, with commendable -foresight, had commenced his exercises early -in the winter, plainly foreseeing that his chances of -accompanying me throughout my northern journey -were not likely to be diminished by knowing how to -drive dogs. The labor properly devolved upon one -of the sailors; but the field was open to all alike; -and the young gentleman, finding that official dignity -stood in the way of his ambition, with a spirit -which I was not slow to appreciate, did not long hesitate -in his choice.</p> - -<p>I have elsewhere mentioned that the labor of driving -dogs is not an easy one. Indeed, of all the members -of my party, Mr. Knorr was the only one who -succeeded well. Even in Southern Greenland, among -the Danes long resident there, it is rare to find a skillful -driver. Neither of the sailors, Carl nor Christian, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">- 293 -</span> -whom I had taken from Upernavik, could throw the -lash anywhere else than about their legs, or into the -face of whomsoever might happen to sit upon the -sledge. As for hitting a dog, they could scarcely do -it by any chance.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PREPARING TO START.</div> - -<p>My recent journey had decided my course of action. -The last view which I had from the top of the -lofty cliff behind Cairn Point convinced me that my -only chance for the season was to cross the Sound -from that place, for my observations up the Greenland -coast had shown me, as has been already observed, the -impracticability of reaching the Polar Sea by that -route. McCormick had immediate charge of the work -of preparation, and pushing every thing forward with -his customary energy, we were ready to start before -the close of March. But the temperature still continued -to range too low for safety, and I only awaited a -rise of the thermometer. Our little community was -now full of life and business.</p> - -<p>The Esquimaux were not an unimportant element -in the hive. The most useful service came, however, -from the ancient dames who presided over the domestic -affairs of the snow house and the hut at Etah. -They were sewing for us constantly, and were probably -the first women in the world who ever grew rich</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Plying the needle and thread."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ESQUIMAU FUNERAL.</div> - -<p>But misfortune fell at length within the snow-hut. -Poor old Kablunet, the voluble and kind-hearted and -industrious wife of Tcheitchenguak, took sick. Her -disease was pneumonia, and it ran its course with -great rapidity. All my medicines and all my efforts -to save her were of no avail, and she died on the -fourth day. This unhappy event had nearly destroyed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">- 294 -</span> -my prestige as a Narkosak, and indeed it -would have done so completely had it not been for -the fortunate occurrence of an auroral display, during -which time Jensen, whom my journal mentions as "a -convenient and useful man," informed the Esquimaux -that the white man's medicine will not operate. And -thus was saved my reputation. She died at five o'clock -in the evening; at six she was sewed up in a seal-skin -winding-sheet, and before it was yet cold the body -was carried on Hans's sledge to a neighboring gorge -and there buried among the rocks and covered with -heavy stones. The only evidences of sorrow or regret -were manifested by her daughter, Merkut, the wife of -Hans, and these appeared to be dictated rather from -custom than affection. Merkut remained by the -grave after the others had departed, and for about an -hour she walked around and around it, muttering in a -low voice some praises of the deceased. At the head -of the grave she then placed the knife, needles, and -sinew which her mother had recently been using, and -the last sad rites to the departed savage were performed. -Tcheitchenguak came over and told me -that there was no longer anybody to keep his lamp -burning, and that his hut was cold, and with a very -sorrowful face he begged to be allowed to live with -Hans. My consent given, that of Hans was not -deemed necessary; and so the snow-hut became deserted, -and the cheerful family that had there dispensed -a rude hospitality was broken up; and the -"house of feasting" had become a "house of mourning," -and Tcheitchenguak had come away from it to -finish alone his little remaining span of life. Old and -worn down by a hard struggle for existence, he was -now dependent upon a generation which cared little -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">- 295 -</span> -for him, while she who alone could have soothed the -sorrows of his declining years had gone away before -him to the far-off island where the Great Spirit, Torngasoak -the Mighty, regales the happy souls with an -endless feast on the ever green banks of the boundless -lake, where the ice is never seen and the darkness -is never known,—where the sunshine is eternal, in -the summer of bliss that is everlasting,—the Upernak -that has no end.</p> - -<p>The temperature having somewhat moderated, I -determined to set out in the evening of the third of -April. Although the sun had not yet reached the -horizon at midnight, there was quite light enough for -my purposes, and by traveling in the night instead of -the day we would have greater warmth while in camp, -which is really the time of greatest danger from the -cold; for when on the march men have usually little -difficulty in keeping warm, even at the lowest temperatures, -provided there is no wind. Besides this, there -is still another difficulty obviated. The constant glare -of the mid-day sun is a very severe tax upon the eye, -and great caution is needed to guard against that -painful and inconvenient disease known as "snow-blindness." -In order to protect my men against it, -as much as possible, I had supplied each of them with -a pair of blue-glass goggles.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIELD PARTY.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE START.</div> - -<p>My field party consisted of every available officer -and man in the schooner, twelve in number. We -were all ready to start at seven o'clock; and when I -joined them on the ice beside the schooner their appearance -was as picturesque as it was animated. In -advance stood Jensen, impatiently rolling out his long -whip-lash; and his eight dogs, harnessed to his sledge, -"The Hope," were as impatient as he. Next came -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">- 296 -</span> -Knorr with six dogs and the "Perseverance," to the -upstander of which he had tied a little blue flag bearing -this, his motto, "<i>Toujours prêt</i>." Then came a -lively group of eight men, each with a canvas belt -across his shoulder, to which was attached a line that -fastened him to the sledge. Alongside the sledge -stood McCormick and Dodge, ready to steer it among -the hummocks, and on the sledge was mounted a -twenty-foot metallic life-boat with which I hoped to -navigate the Polar Sea. The mast was up and the -sails were spread, and from the peak floated our boat's -ensign, which had seen service in two former Arctic -and in one Antarctic voyage, and at the mast-head -were run up the Masonic emblems. Our little signal-flag -was stuck in the stern-sheets. The sun was -shining brightly into the harbor, and everybody was -filled with enthusiasm, and ready for the hard pull -that was to come. Cheer after cheer met me as I -came down the stairway from the deck. At a given -signal Radcliffe, who was left in charge of the vessel, -touched off the "swivel," "March," cried McCormick, -crack went the whips, the dogs sprang into their collars, -the men stretched their "track ropes," and the -cavalcade moved off.</p> - -<p>The events which follow I will give from my "field-book," -trusting that the reader will have sufficient -interest in my party to accompany them through the -icy wilderness into which they plunged; but for this -we will need a new chapter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="snowflake2" style="max-width: 4.5em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Snowflake"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page126.png" alt="Snowflake (same as No. 5)" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">- 297 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY.—A FALL OF TEMPERATURE.—ITS EFFECT UPON -THE MEN.—CAMPED IN A SNOW-HUT.—THE SECOND DAY'S JOURNEY.—AT -CAIRN POINT.—CHARACTER OF THE ICE.—THE PROSPECT.—STORM-STAYED.—THE -COOKS IN DIFFICULTY.—SNOW-DRIFT.—VIOLENCE OF THE -GALE.—OUR SNOW-HUT.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 4th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY.</div> - -<p>Buried in a snow-bank, and not over well pleased -with my first day's work. The temperature of the air -has tumbled down to -32°, and inside the hut it is -now, two hours after entering it, a degree above zero, -and steadily rising. Three of the party succumbed to -the cold on the march, and I had much difficulty in -keeping them from being seriously frozen. We got on -finely until we reached Sunrise Point, where the ice was -very rough, and we were bothered for more than two -hours in getting over it with our long and cumbersome -boat and sledge. It was probably only a little -foretaste of what is to come when we strike across -the Sound. Once over this ugly place, we halted to -melt some water, for the men had become very warm -and thirsty. Unluckily, just at this time a smart -breeze sprung up, chilling us through and through, -for we had been perspiring freely with the violent exercise. -The first cold blast put an extinguisher upon -the enthusiasm which the party had carried along -with them from the ship, and it was singular to observe -the change which came over their spirits. It -was the contrast of champagne and sour cider. Some -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">- 298 -</span> -of them looked as if they were going to their own -funerals, and wore that "My God! what shall I do?" -look that would have been amusing enough had it not -been alarming. One of these, without sufficient energy -to keep himself in motion, crouched behind a snow-drift, -and when discovered he had squarely settled -himself for a freeze. In half an hour his inclination -would have been accomplished. When I came up to -him he said very coolly, and with a tone of resignation -worthy a martyr, "I'm freezing." His fingers -and toes were already as white as a tallow-candle. -There was no time to be lost. I rubbed a little circulation -back into them, and, placing him in charge of -two men with orders to keep him moving, I saved -him from the serious consequences which would otherwise -have resulted from his faint-heartedness. Without -waiting for more of the coveted drops of water, -I pushed on for the first snow-bank, and got my party -out of the wind and under cover. But this was not -done without difficulty. It seemed as if two or three -of them were possessed with a heroic desire to die on -the spot, and I really believe that they would have -done it cheerfully rather than, of their own accord, -seize a shovel and aid in constructing, if not a place -of comfort, at least a place of rest and safety. This -sort of thing at the start is not encouraging, but I -cannot say that I am much surprised at it; for my -former experience has shown the hazard of exposing -men in the wind in such low temperatures. This, -however, is one of those things against which no foresight -can provide. No serious consequences appear -to have resulted from the event, and the sufferers are -growing more comfortable as the temperature of the -hut rises. We have had our rude camp supper, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">- 299 -</span> -I have started an alcohol lamp; the door is closed -tightly; the party are all drawn under the sleeping-furs; -the plucky ones smoke their pipes, and the balance -of them shiver as if they would grow warm with -the exercise. The chattering of teeth is not pleasant -music.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 5th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Under the snow again near Cape Hatherton. Our -halt at the last camp was continued for eighteen -hours, until the men had got fairly thawed out, and -the wind had entirely subsided. The short march -hence was made slowly and steadily, as I do not wish -at first to urge upon the men too much work, nor to -keep them long exposed to the cold. There are no -frost-bites of consequence resulting from the exposure -of yesterday. The spirits of the party have somewhat -revived. The temperature has risen, and the -hut is warmer than that of last night,—that is, my -thermometer, hanging from the runner of the sledge -over my head shows 10° above zero.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 6th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT CAIRN POINT.</div> - -<p>We have reached Cairn Point, and are comfortably -housed. The men have come up to the work reasonably -well. The depression of spirits which followed -the blast of cold wind that overtook us above Sunrise -Point has passed away, and all hands are gay and -lively. I had no need to urge or instruct or use the -snow-shovel myself at this camp. The weak in spirit -have profited by their lessons, and have learned that -in providing for one's comfort and safety on the ice-fields -the shovel materially assists appeals to Heaven,—a -very wholesome change, and, as a result of it, instead -of being upward of two hours in constructing -our hut, as on the first night, we have this time accomplished -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">- 300 -</span> -the task in less than one, and everybody -seemed ambitious of doing the work in the shortest -possible space of time.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE PROSPECT.</div> - -<p>The traveling to-day has been very fair for the dog-sledges, -but very bad for the boat. It runs easily -enough on the smooth surface, but dragging its long -length over a snow-drift even four feet deep, or, worse -still, over hummocks even half as high, is a troublesome -task; and we have crossed many strips of rough -ice to-day which could not be passed until we had -broken a track. In consequence of this we were -obliged to leave some of the load behind, especially -as I wished to reach Cairn Point before camping. -Knorr and Jensen had already cached one of their -cargoes of March at Cape Hatherton, and this was -left with it. It will cost us a day's labor to bring -it up.</p> - -<p>The difficulties in transporting the boat among the -hummocks, and the very light load which either the -men or dogs can carry over the broken ice, as shown -by this day's experience, convince me that the boat -and cargo can hardly be transported to the west coast -at one journey; and I have therefore concluded to -leave the boat here for the present, at least until the -track is further explored, and set out with the two -dog-sledges and a foot party dragging the other -sledge, laden with such stores as they can carry, for -a depot on Grinnell Land. I can at any time send -the party back for the boat; and if it should turn out -that the boat cannot be got across the Sound, then I -shall, in any event, have a depot of supplies for my -explorations over the ice with the dog-sledges, before -the thaw of June and July shall have put an end to -that species of traveling.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">- 301 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">STORM-STAYED.</div> - -<p>The track before me looks unpromising enough. -After the party was housed, I climbed up to a considerable -eminence, and have had the melancholy satisfaction -of looking out over the ugliest scene that my -eye has ever chanced to rest upon. There was nothing -inviting in it. Except a few miles of what has -evidently, up to a very late period of the fall, been -open water, which has frozen suddenly, there is not a -rod of smooth ice in sight. The whole Sound appears -to have been filled with ice of the most massive description, -which, broken up into a moving "pack" in -the summer, has come down upon this Greenland -coast with the southerly setting current, and has piled -up all over the sea in a confused jumble. I know -what it is from having crossed it in 1854; and if it -is as bad now as then (and it appears to be much -worse) there is every prospect of a severe tussle.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 7th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Did anybody ever see such capricious weather as -this of Smith Sound? It is the torment of my life -and the enemy of my plans. I can never depend -upon it. It is the veriest flirt that ever owned Dame -Nature for a mother.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE COOKS IN DIFFICULTY.</div> - -<p>We camped in a calm atmosphere, but in the middle -of the night—bang!—down came a bugle-blast -of Boreas, and then the old god blew and blew as if he -had never blown in all his life before, and wanted -to prove what he could do. We could hardly show -our noses out of doors, and have lain huddled together -in this snow den all day,—a doleful sort -of imprisonment. It is with much difficulty that -we have got any thing to eat, and we never should if -I had not turned cook myself, and shown these innocents -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">- 302 -</span> -of mine how to keep the furnace-lamp from -being blown out; for we can use only lard for fuel, -and the smoke is so great that we cannot have the -cooking done inside. It seems to me that nothing -takes the wits out of a man so quickly as the cold. -The cooks had not sense enough left to inclose -themselves in a snow wall, and I had to teach them -how to keep up the proper proportion of lard and -rope-yarns in the lamp to prevent the flame from -smothering on the one hand, and from being whiffed -out on the other. We were more than two hours in -making a pot of coffee, and came in out of the pelting -snow-drift with our furs all filled with it; and -now it melts, and the clothing is getting damp, for we -do not change our dress when we crawl in between -our buffalo-skin sheets.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 8th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Could any thing be more aggravating? The gale -holds on and keeps us close prisoners. My people -could no more live in it than in a fiery furnace. I -never saw any thing like it. Last night it fell warmer, -and snowed, which gave us encouragement; but the -wind blew afterward more fierce than ever, and human -eye never beheld such sights. There was nowhere -any thing else but flying snow. The sun's face -was blinded, and the hills and coast were hidden completely -out of sight. Once in a while we can see the -ghost of an iceberg, but that is rarely. We tried to -brave it yesterday, and again to-day, for I wanted to -go down to Cape Hatherton to bring up our cargo -there. So we commenced tearing down the hut to -get at the sledge; but ten minutes convinced me that -half the party would freeze outright if we undertook -to face the storm, and I sent the flock again under -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">- 303 -</span> -cover, and went behind the snow wall to help the -cooks with their fire.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN A SNOW BANK.</div> - -<p>The poor dogs were almost buried out of sight. -They had all crouched together in a heap; and as the -drift accumulated over them they poked their heads -further and further up into it; and when I came to -count them to see if any had left us and run back to -the ship or been frozen to death, it was truly counting -noses. There were fourteen of them.</p> - -<p>It seems rather strange to be writing on at this rate -in a snow-hut, but the truth is I have no more trouble -in writing here than if I were in my cabin. The temperature -has come up almost to the freezing point, -and it is a great relief to write. What else should I -do? I have two small books which I have brought -along for just such emergencies as this, and while -my companions play cards and bet gingerbread and -oyster suppers and bottles of rum to be paid in Boston, -I find nothing better to do than read and write; -and, since I cannot remain unoccupied, but must kill -time in some manner, or else sleep, suppose I describe -this den in the snow-bank.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THIRTEEN IN A BED.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">"ALL IS VANITY."</div> - -<p>It is a pit eighteen feet long by eight wide and -four deep. Over the top of said pit are placed the -boat-oars, to support the sledge, which is laid across -them; and over the sledge is thrown the boat's sail; -and over the sail is thrown loose snow. In one end -of the den thus formed there is a hole, through which -we crawl in, and which is now filled up tightly with -blocks of snow. Over the floor (if the term is admissible) -there is spread a strip of India-rubber cloth; -over this cloth a strip of buffalo-skins, which are all -squared and sewed together; and over this again -another just like it. When we want to sleep we -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">- 304 -</span> -draw ourselves underneath the upper one of these -buffalo strips, and accommodate ourselves to the very -moderate allowance of space assigned to each person -as best we can. The post of honor is at the end -furthest from the door; and, except the opposite end, -this post of honor is the least desirable of all other -places, for, somehow or other, the twelve sleepers below -me manage to pull the "clothes" off and leave -me jammed against the snow wall, with nothing on -me but my traveling gear; for we go to bed without -change of costume except our boots and stockings, -which we tuck under our heads to help out a pillow, -while what we call "reindeer sleeping stockings" -take their place on the feet. And, furthermore, there -is not much that I can say. This can hardly be called -comfort. I have a vague remembrance of having -slept more soundly than I have done these last four -nights, and of having rested upon something more -agreeable to the "quivering flesh" than this bed of -snow, the exact sensations communicated by which -are positively indescribable,—a sort of cross between -a pine board and a St. Lawrence gridiron. And yet -the people are busy and merry enough. Harris, one -of my most energetic and ambitious men, is sewing a -patch on his seal-skin pantaloons, stopping "a hole to -keep the winds away;" Miller, another spirited and -careful man, is closing up a rip in his Esquimau boot; -and Carl, who has a fine tenor voice, has just finished a -sailor's song, and is clearing his throat for "The Bold -Soldier Boy." Several packs of cards are in requisition, -and altogether we are rather a jolly party,—the -veriest Mark Tapleys of travelers. We are leading a -novel sort of life, and I can imagine that the time will -come when I shall turn over the pages of this diary -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">- 305 -</span> -and be amused at the strangeness of the contrast of -these events with the humdrum routine of ordinary -existence. I have no doubt that I shall then wonder -if this is not all set down in a dream, so singular will -it appear; and yet so quickly do the human body and -the human mind accommodate themselves to the -changing circumstances of life that, in every thing -we do, the events seem at the time always natural, -and cause us no astonishment; still, when we review -the past, we are continually amazed that we have undergone -so many transformations, and can scarcely -recognize ourselves in our chamelion dresses. If it -should ever again be my luck to eat canvas-back at -Delmonico's I shall no doubt very heartily despise the -dried beef and potato hash which now constitute, with -bread and coffee, my only fare; and yet no canvas-back -was ever enjoyed as much as this same hash; -and no coffee distilled through French percolator was -ever so fine as the pint pot which is passed along to -me, smoking hot, in the morning; and the best treasures -of Périgord forest were never relished more than -are the few little chips of ship's biscuit which the -coffee washes down. In fact, our pleasures are but -relative. They are never absolute; and happiness is -quite probably, as Paley has wisely hinted, but a certain -state of that "nervous net-work lining the whole -region of the præcordia;" and, therefore, since this -cold pencil only gives me pain in the fingers, while -nothing disturbs the harmony of the præcordia, I do -not know but that I am about as well off as I ever -was in my life. True, I have not the means which I -expected to have for the execution of my designs, -and I am beset with difficulties and embarrassments; -but if happiness lies in that quarter, pleasure lies in -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_306">- 306 -</span> -the future, for we willingly forget the present in the -anticipations,—in the delights to come from the contests -and struggles ahead; and it is well that this is -so; for that which we spend most time in getting -is often not worth the having. The Preacher tells us -that "All is vanity;" and what says the Poet?—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent4">"——pleasures are like poppies spread;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">You seize the flower—its bloom is shed;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or like the snow-fall in the river—</div> - <div class="verse indent0">A moment white, then melts forever;</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Or like the borealis race,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">That flits ere you can point the place."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page306" style="max-width: 9.375em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Camping in a Snow-Bank"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page306.png" alt="Camping in a Snow-Bank" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">- 307 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE STORM CONTINUES.—AT WORK.—AMONG THE HUMMOCKS.—DIFFICULTIES -OF THE TRACK.—THE SNOW-DRIFTS.—SLOW PROGRESS.—THE SMITH -SOUND ICE.—FORMATION OF THE HUMMOCKS.—THE OLD ICE-FIELDS -GROWTH OF ICE-FIELDS.—THICKNESS OF ICE.—THE PROSPECT.</p> -</div> - - -<p>I will not lay so heavy a tax upon the reader's patience -as to ask him to follow the pages of my diary -through the next three weeks. Diaries are of necessity -so much taken up with matters that are purely personal -and contain so much of endless repetition, so -many events that are of daily recurrence, that it is -impossible in the very nature of things that they can -have much interest for anybody but the writers of -them. Suffice it, therefore, to say that the storm continued -with unabated violence during the day succeeding -that which closed the last chapter, and it did -not fairly subside until the end of the tenth day. -Meanwhile, however, we were busily occupied. The -storm did not keep us housed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DIFFICULTIES OF THE TRACK.</div> - -<p>Our first duty was to bring up the stores left at -Cape Hatherton. This accomplished, we broke up -our camp and set out to cross the Sound with a moderate -load, the men dragging the large sledge, while -the dogs were attached as before. The wind had, fortunately, -hauled more to the south, and, coming -nearly on our backs, we found little inconvenience -from this source. But difficulties of another kind -soon gave us warning of the serious nature of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">- 308 -</span> -task which we had undertaken. By winding to the -right and left, and by occasionally retracing our steps -when we had selected an impracticable route, we -managed to get over the first few miles without -much embarrassment, but farther on the track was -rough past description. I can compare it to nothing -but a promiscuous accumulation of rocks closely -packed together and piled up over a vast plain in great -heaps and endless ridges, leaving scarcely a foot of -level surface and requiring the traveler to pick the -best footing he can over the inequalities,—sometimes -mounting unavoidable obstructions to an elevation -of ten, and again more than a hundred feet -above the general level.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SLOW PROGRESS.</div> - -<p>The interstices between these closely accumulated -ice masses are filled up, to some extent, with drifted -snow. The reader will readily imagine the rest. He -will see the sledges winding through the tangled -wilderness of broken ice-tables, the men and dogs -pulling and pushing up their respective loads, as Napoleon's -soldiers may be supposed to have done when -drawing their artillery through the steep and rugged -passes of the Alps. He will see them clambering -over the very summit of lofty ridges, through which -there is no opening, and again descending on the -other side, the sledge often plunging over a precipice, -sometimes capsizing, and frequently breaking. Again -he will see the party, baffled in their attempt to cross -or find a pass, breaking a track with shovel and -handspike; or, again, unable even with these appliances -to accomplish their end, they retreat to seek -a better track; and they may be lucky enough to -find a sort of gap or gateway, upon the winding and -uneven surface of which they will make a mile or so -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">- 309 -</span> -with comparative ease. The snow-drifts are sometimes -a help and sometimes a hindrance. Their surface -is uniformly hard, but not always firm to the -foot. The crust frequently gives way, and in a most -tiresome and provoking manner. It will not quite -bear the weight, and the foot sinks at the very moment -when the other is lifted. But, worse than this, -the chasms between the hummocks are frequently -bridged over with snow in such a manner as to leave -a considerable space at the bottom quite unfilled; -and at the very moment when all looks promising, -down sinks one man to his middle, another to the -neck, another is buried out of sight, the sledge gives -way, and to extricate the whole from this unhappy -predicament is probably the labor of hours; especially, -as often happens, if the sledge must be unloaded; -and this latter is, from many causes, an event -of constant occurrence. Not unfrequently it is necessary -to carry the cargo in two or three loads. The -sledges are coming and going continually, and the -day is one endless pull and haul. The nautical cry -of the sailors, intended to inspire unison of action, -mingles with the loud and not always amiable commands -of Jensen and Knorr, each urging on his fatigued -and toil-worn dogs.</p> - -<p>It would be difficult to imagine any kind of labor -more disheartening, or which would sooner sap the -energies of both men and animals. The strength -gave way gradually; and when, as often happened, -after a long and hard day's work, we could look back -from an eminence and almost fire a rifle-ball into our -last snow-hut, it was truly discouraging.</p> - -<p>I need hardly say that I soon gave up all thought -of trying to get the boat across the Sound. A hundred -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">- 310 -</span> -men could not have accomplished the task. My -only purpose now was to get to the coast of Grinnell -Land with as large a stock of provisions as possible, -and to retain the men as long as they could be of -use; but it soon became a question whether the men -themselves could carry over their own provisions independent -of the surplus which I should require in -order that the severe labor should result to advantage. -In spite, however, of every thing the men kept steadfastly -to their duty, through sunshine and through -storm, through cold, and danger, and fatigue.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SMITH SOUND.</div> - -<p>The cause of this extraordinary condition of the -ice will need but little explanation in addition to that -which has been given in the preceding chapter. The -reader will have no difficulty in comprehending the -cause by an examination of the Smith Sound map. -He will observe that the Sound is, in effect, an extensive -sea, with an axis running almost east and west, -and having a length of about one hundred and sixty -miles and a width of eighty. The name "Sound," -by which it is known, was first given to it by its discoverer, -brave old William Baffin, two hundred and -fifty odd years ago. The entrance from Cape Alexander -to Cape Isabella is but thirty miles over, and -by referring to the map it will be seen that this gateway -rapidly expands into the sea to which I have invited -attention,—a sea almost as large as the Caspian -or Baltic, measured from the terminus of Baffin Bay -to where Kennedy Channel narrows the waters before -they expand into the great Polar Basin. This extensive -sea should bear the name of the leader of the -expedition which first defined its boundaries—I -mean, of course, Dr. Kane.</p> - -<p>Now into this sea the current sets from the Polar -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">- 311 -</span> -Basin through the broader gateway above mentioned, -known as Kennedy Channel; and the ice, escaping -but slowly through the narrow Sound into Baffin Bay, -has accumulated within the sea from century to century. -The summer dismembers it to some extent -and breaks it up into fragments of varying size, -which are pressing together, wearing and grinding -continually, and crowding down upon each other -and upon the Greenland coast, thus producing the -result which we have seen.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">DIMENSIONS OF AN ICE FIELD.</div> - -<p>In order fully to appreciate the power and magnitude -of this ice-movement, it must be borne in mind -that a very large proportion of the ice is of very -ancient formation,—old floes or ice-fields of immense -thickness and miles in extent, as well as of -icebergs discharged from Humboldt Glacier. These -vast masses, tearing along with the current in the -early winter through the sea as it is closing up and -new ice is making rapidly, are as irresistible as a tornado -among the autumn leaves. As an illustration, -I will give the dimensions of an old field measured -by me while crossing the Sound. Its average height -was twenty feet above the sea level, and about six -by four miles in extent of surface, which was very -uneven, rising into rounded hillocks as much as -eighty feet in height, and sinking into deep and -tortuous valleys.</p> - -<p>To cross such a floe with our sledges was almost as -difficult as crossing the hummocks themselves; for, in -addition to its uneven surface, like that of a very -rough and broken country, it was covered with -crusted snow through which the sledge-runners cut -continually, and which broke down under the foot. I -estimated its solid contents, in round numbers, at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">- 312 -</span> -6,000,000,000 of tons, its depth being about one hundred -and sixty feet. Around its border was thrown -up on all sides a sort of mountain chain of last year's -ice, the loftiest pinnacle of which was one hundred and -twenty feet above the level of the sea. This ice-hill, -as it might well be called, was made up of blocks of -ice of every shape and of various sizes, piled one -upon the other in the greatest confusion. Numerous -forms equally rugged, though not so lofty, rose from -the same ridge, and from every part of this desolate -area; and if a thousand Lisbons were crowded together -and tumbled to pieces by the shock of an -earthquake, the scene could hardly be more rugged, -nor to cross the ruins a severer task.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ORIGIN OF A FLOE.</div> - -<p>The origin of such a floe dates back to a very remote -period. That it was cradled in some deep recess -of the land, and there remained until it had grown -to such a thickness that no summer's sun or water's -washing could wholly obliterate it before the winter -cold came again, is most probable. After this it grows -as the glacier grows, from above, and is, like the glacier, -wholly composed of fresh ice,—that is, of frozen -snow. It will be thus seen that the accumulation of -ice upon the mountain tops is not different from the -accumulation which takes place upon these floating -fields, and each recurring year marks an addition to -their depth. Vast as they are to the sight, and dwarfs -as they are compared with the inland <i>mer de glace</i>, -yet they are, in all that concerns their growth, truly -glaciers—pigmy floating glaciers. That they can -only grow to such great depth in this manner will be -at once apparent, when it is borne in mind that ice -soon reaches a maximum thickness by direct freezing, -and that its growth is arrested by a natural law.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">- 313 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">AVERAGE THICKNESS OF THE ICE.</div> - -<p>This thickness is of course dependent upon the temperature -of the locality; but the ice is itself the sea's -protection. The cold air cannot soak away the -warmth of the water through more than a certain -thickness of ice, and to that thickness there comes a -limit long before the winter has reached its end. The -depth of ice formed on the first night is greater than -on the second; the second greater than the third; -the third greater than the fourth; and so on as the -increase approaches nothing. The thickness of ice -formed at Port Foulke was nine feet; and, although -the coldest weather came in March, yet its depth was -not increased more than two inches after the middle -of February. In situations of greater cold, and where -the current has less influence than at Port Foulke, -the depth of the table will of course become greater. -I have never seen an ice-table formed by direct -freezing that exceeded eighteen feet. But for this -all-wise provision of the Deity, the Arctic waters -would, ages ago, have been solid seas of ice to their -profoundest depths.</p> - -<p>The reader will, I trust, bear patiently with this -long digression; but I thought it necessary, in order -that he might have a clear understanding as well of -our situation as of the character of these Arctic seas; -in which I shall hope that I have inspired some interest. -As for ourselves, we were struggling along -through this apparently impassable labyrinth, striving -to reach the coast which now began to loom up -boldly before us, and thence stretching away into the -unknown North, there receives the lashings of the -Polar Sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SLOW PROGRESS.</div> - -<p>To come back to the narrative which we abandoned -so suddenly. The 24th of April found us on the margin -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">- 314 -</span> -of the very floe which I have been describing, -weary, worn, and much dispirited. Since we broke -camp at Cairn Point, we had made in a direct line -from that place not over thirty miles. The number -of miles actually traveled could not be easily estimated; -but it was scarcely less than five times that -distance, counting all our various twistings and turnings -and goings and comings upon our track. But I -propose again to let my diary speak for itself; and, -as on a former occasion, when the evil genius of that -unhappy manuscript led it into type, we will resort to -a new chapter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page314" style="max-width: 15.1875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Polar Bear"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page314.png" alt="Polar Bear" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">- 315 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE DIFFICULTIES MULTIPLYING.—SLEDGE BROKEN.—REFLECTIONS ON THE -PROSPECT.—THE MEN BREAKING DOWN.—WORSE AND WORSE.—THE SITUATION.—DEFEAT -OF MAIN PARTY.—RESOLVE TO SEND THE PARTY BACK -AND CONTINUE THE JOURNEY WITH DOGS.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 24th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>These journal entries are becoming rather monotonous. -I have little to set down to-day that I did -not set down yesterday. There is no variety in -this journeying over the same track, week in and -week out, in the same endless snarl continually,—to-day -almost in sight of our camp of yesterday, the -sledge broken, the men utterly exhausted, and the -dogs used up. We are now twenty-two days from the -schooner, and have made on our course not more than -an average of three miles a day. From Cairn Point -we are distant about thirty miles, and our progress -from that place has been slow indeed. Grinnell Land -looms up temptingly above the frozen sea to the -north of us, but it rises very slowly. I have tried to -carry out my original design of striking for Cape -Sabine, but the hummocks were wholly impassable in -that direction, and I have had to bear more to the -northward. The temperature has risen steadily, but -it is still very low and colder than during the greater -part of the winter at Port Foulke. The lowest to-day -was 19° below zero, calm and clear, and the sun -blazing upon us as in the early spring-time at home.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_316">- 316 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 25th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">REFLECTIONS ON THE PROSPECT.</div> - -<p>A most distressing day. The sledge was repaired -in the morning with much difficulty, but not so that -it held without renewal through the march. The -traveling grows even worse the further we proceed. -The hummocks are not heavier, but the recent snows -have not been disturbed by the wind and lie loose -upon the surface, making the labor of dragging the -sledge much greater than before, even in those few -level patches with which we have been favored since -setting out in the morning.</p> - -<p>My party are in a very sorry condition. One of -the men has sprained his back from lifting; another -has a sprained ancle; another has gastritis; another -a frosted toe; and all are thoroughly overwhelmed -with fatigue. The men do not stand it as well as the -dogs.</p> - -<p>Thus far I have not ventured to express in this -journal any doubts concerning the success of this undertaking; -but of late the idea has crossed my mind -that the chances of ever reaching the west coast with -this party look almost hopeless. The question of the -boat was decided days ago, and it becomes now a very -serious subject for reflection, whether it is really likely -that the men can get over these hummocks to the -west coast with even provisions enough to bring them -back. It is almost as much as they can do to transport -their own camp fixtures, which are neither -weighty nor bulky.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 26th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SITUATION.</div> - -<p>The progress to-day has been even more unsatisfactory -than yesterday. The men are completely -used up, broken down, dejected, to the last degree. -Human nature cannot stand it. There is no let up -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_317">- 317 -</span> -to it. Cold, penetrating to the very sources of life, -dangers from frost and dangers from heavy lifting, -labors which have no end,—a heartless sticking in -the mud, as it were, all the time; and then comes -snow-blindness, cheerless nights, with imperfect rest -in snow-huts, piercing storms and unsatisfying food. -This the daily experience, and this the daily prospect -ahead; to-day closing upon us in the same vast ice-jungle -as yesterday. My party have, I must own, -good reason to be discouraged; for human beings -were never before so beset with difficulties and so inextricably -tangled in a wilderness. We got into a -<i>cul-de-sac</i> to-day, and we had as much trouble to surmount -the lofty barrier which bounded it as Jean Valjean -to escape from the <i>cul-de-sac Genrot</i> to the convent -yard. But our convent yard was a hard old floe, -scarce better than the hummocked barrier.</p> - -<p>I feel to-night that I am getting rapidly to the end -of my rope. Each day strengthens the conviction, -not only that we can never reach Grinnell Land, with -provisions for a journey up the coast to the Polar Sea, -but that it cannot be done at all. I have talked to -the officers, and they are all of this opinion. They -say the thing is hopeless. Dodge put it thus: "You -might as well try to cross the city of New York over -the house-tops!" They are brave and spirited men -enough, lack not courage nor perseverance; but it -does seem as if one must own that there are some -difficulties which cannot be surmounted. But I have -in this enterprise too much at stake to own readily to -defeat, and we will try again to-morrow.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 27th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SITUATION.</div> - -<p>Worse and worse! We have to-day made but -little progress, the sledge is badly broken, and I am -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_318">- 318 -</span> -brought to a stand-still. There does not appear to be -the ghost of a chance for me. Must I own myself a -defeated man? I fear so.</p> - -<p>I was never in all my life so disheartened as I am -to-night; not even when, in the midst of a former -winter, I bore up with my party through hunger and -cold, beset by hostile savages, and, without food or -means of transportation, encountered the uncertain -fortunes of the Arctic night in the ineffectual pursuit -of succor.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MEN USED UP.</div> - -<p>Smith Sound has given me but one succession of -baffling obstacles. Since I first caught sight of Cape -Alexander, last autumn, as the vanishing storm uncovered -its grizzly head, I have met with but ill fortune. -My struggles to reach the west coast were then made -against embarrassments of the most grave description, -and they were not abandoned until the winter closed -upon me with a crippled and almost a sinking ship, -driving me to seek the nearest place of refuge. Then -my dogs died, and my best assistant became the victim -of an unhappy accident. Afterward I succeed in -some measure in replacing the lost teams, on which I -had depended as my sole reliance; and here I am -once more baffled in the middle of the Sound, stuck -fast and powerless. My men have failed me as a -means of getting over the difficulties, as those of Dr. -Kane did before me. Two foot parties sent out by -that commander to cross the Sound failed. Ultimately -I succeeded in crossing with dogs, but the passage -was made against almost insuperable difficulties, -so great that my companion, convinced that starvation -and death only would result from a continuance of the -trial, resolved to settle it with a Sharp's rifle-ball; but -the ball whizzed past my ear, and I got to the shore -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_319">- 319 -</span> -notwithstanding,—discovered Grinnell Land, and -surveyed two hundred miles of its coast. But the ice -is now infinitely worse than it was then; and I am -convinced that the difficulties of this journey have -now culminated and the crisis has been reached. The -men are, as I have before observed, completely exhausted -from the continued efforts of the past week, -and are disheartened by the contemplation of the little -progress that was made as well as by the formidable -nature of the hummocks in front, which they -realize are becoming more and more difficult to surmount -as they penetrate farther and farther into them. -Their strength has been giving way under the incessant -and extraordinary call upon their energies, at temperatures -in which it is difficult to exist even under the -most favorable circumstances, each realizing that upon -his personal exertions depends the only chance of -making any progress, and recognizing that after all -their efforts and all their sacrifices the progress made -is wholly inadequate to accomplish the object in view. -Besides this prostration of the moral sentiments, there -is the steady and alarming prostration of the physical -forces. One man is incapacitated from work by having -his back sprained in lifting; another is rendered useless -by having his ancle sprained in falling; the freezing -of the fingers and toes of others renders them almost -helpless; and the vital energies of the whole party -are so lowered by exposure to the cold that they are -barely capable of attending to their own immediate -necessities, without harboring a thought of exerting -themselves to complete a journey to which they can -see no termination, and in the very outset of which -they feel that their lives are being sacrificed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE CONCLUSION.</div> - -<p>It is, therefore, in consideration of the condition of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_320">- 320 -</span> -my men, that I have been forced to the conclusion -that the attempt to cross the Sound with sledges has -resulted in failure; and that my only hope to accomplish -that object now rests in the schooner. Having -the whole of the season before me, I think that I can, -even without steam, get over to Cape Isabella, and -work thence up the west shore; and, even should I not -be able to get as far up the Sound as I once hoped, -yet I can, no doubt, secure a harbor for next winter -in some eligible position. Coming to this conclusion, -I have determined to send back the men, and I have -given McCormick full directions what to do, in order -that the vessel may be prepared when the ice breaks -up and liberates her. He is to cradle the schooner in -the ice by digging around her sides; repair the damage -done last autumn, and mend the broken spars, -and patch the sails.</p> - -<p>For myself, I stay to fight away at the battle as -best I can, with my dogs.</p> - -<p>The men have given me twenty-five days of good -service, and have aided me nearly half way across -the Sound with about eight hundred pounds of food; -and this is all that they can do. Their work is -ended.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ONE MORE EFFORT.</div> - -<p>Although the chance of getting through with the -dogs looks hopeless; yet, hopeless though the prospect, -I feel that, when disembarrassed of the men, I -ought to make one further effort. I have picked my -companions, and have given them their orders. They -will be Knorr, Jensen, and sailor McDonald,—plucky -men all, if I mistake not, and eager for the journey. -There are others that are eager to go with me; but, -if they have courage and spirit, they have little physical -strength; and, besides, more than two persons to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_321">- 321 -</span> -one sledge is superfluous. And now when I think of -this new trial which I shall make to-morrow, my -hopes revive; but when I remember the fruitless -struggles of the past few days and think of these -hummocks, with peak after peak rising one above the -other, and with ridge after ridge in endless succession -intersecting each other at all angles and in all directions, -I must own that my heart almost fails me and -my thoughts incline me to abandon the effort and retreat -from what everybody, from Jensen down, says -cannot be done, and rely upon the schooner for crossing -the Sound. But I have not failed yet! I -have fourteen dogs and three picked men left to me; -and now, abandoning myself to the protecting care of -an all-wise Providence, who has so often led me to -success and shielded me from danger, I renew the -struggle to-morrow with hope and determination. -Away with despondency!</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page321" style="max-width: 9.3125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Dog Sledge"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page321.png" alt="Dog Sledge" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_322">- 322 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE MAIN PARTY SENT BACK.—PLUNGING INTO THE HUMMOCKS AGAIN.—ADVANTAGES -OF DOGS.—CAMP IN AN ICE-CAVE.—NURSING THE DOGS.—SNOW-BLINDNESS.—A -CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.—CAPE HAWKS.—CAPE NAPOLEON.—STORM -STAYED.—GRINNELL LAND LOOMING UP.—DISCOVERING -A SOUND.—RAVENOUS DISPOSITION OF DOGS.—A CHEERLESS SUPPER.—CAMPING -IN THE OPEN AIR.—PROSTRATION OF MEN AND DOGS.—MAKING -THE LAND AT LAST.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 28th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I sent the main party back this morning. The -separation was quite affecting. They were the worst -used-up body of men that I have ever chanced to see. -I accompanied them for a short distance, and, with -much sadness, parted from them and returned to -camp. Upon looking around to see what progress -they were making, I observed that they had halted -and were facing toward us, evidently designing to -give us three parting cheers. But the case was hopeless—there -was not a squeak left in them. Soon -after the party had gone, we plunged again into the -hummocks. We had a terrible ridge to get over, and -took only half the cargo, intending to return for the -balance. Knorr's sledge broke down, and it was repaired -with difficulty. Jensen's sledge tumbled over -a declivity which we were descending, and injured a -leg of one of the dogs. The poor animal was turned -loose, and has hobbled along with us to camp. We -made about a mile and a half, and then turned back -for the balance of the stores.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page322f" style="max-width: 42.875em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page322f.png" alt="" /> - <div> - <p class="caption3">CROSSING THE HUMMOCKS.</p> - <p class="tdc">(FROM A SKETCH BY DR. HAYES.)</p> - </div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_323">- 323 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">SNOW BLINDNESS.</div> - -<p>This mile and a half -has, by the tortuous route pursued, been prolonged -into near four,—making, with the three times going -over it, about twelve. I have not before had so bad -a day; and yet the men could not possibly have -brought their sledge through at all. The dogs climb -the hummocks with the facility of the chamois mounting -the Alpine crags. One advantage they possess -is, that they are not so heavy as the men and do not -so readily break through the crusted snow; and then, -the sledges being smaller, are more easily managed. -We have reached a most formidable ridge of hummocks -which we were too much exhausted to scale; -and have camped in a sort of cave made by the -crowding over of some ice-tables, thus saving the -labor of making a burrow; and it came most opportunely; -for Jensen, owing to the uncertain footing, -discarded his glasses, and is in consequence suffering -from incipient snow-blindness, and would have been -unable to assist in digging our usual nightly pit into -a snow-drift. Our quarters are very tight and more -than usually comfortable,—the temperature being up -to within 10° of the freezing point, while, outside, it -is 12° below zero.</p> - -<p>We set out in the morning with much spirit, but -are gloomy enough to-night. Such slow progress, -with so much labor, is not inspiring. Sleep is our -only consolation, and I am glad the temperature is -sufficiently high to enable us to repose without freezing. -Sleep, that has before drowned many a sorrow -for many a weary and care-worn man, has drowned -many a one of mine during these past twenty-five -days. It is</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Tired Nature's sweet restorer,"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>among these ice-deserts, even more than elsewhere; -and our sleep is truly the "sleep of the laboring -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_324">- 324 -</span> -man." Foolish Sancho Panza! yet wise in thy folly! -Mankind will long remember thee for thy sage reflection,—"Now -blessings light on him that first invented -sleep." I will cover myself all over with it, -as thou didst; and, if I cannot find in it "heat for the -cold," I will cloak with it for a few brief hours the -recollection of my disappointed hopes.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 29th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Back again under our last night's shelter. The -hummocks were much the same to-day as yesterday, -and we made about the same progress—with, however, -only half our stores. The load was left buried -in the snow, and we returned for the balance; but, -upon arriving here, the dogs were not able for the -second trip. So here we are under our buffaloes once -more in the ice-cave, seeking sleep. It is the best -hut that I have ever had. The temperature of the air -came up at noon to 4° above zero, and in the sun it -was 38°. The thermometer hanging above my head -in the cave now shows 31°.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -April 30th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CANINE FEROCITY.</div> - -<p>It was all we could do to bring up the balance of -our cargo to where we cached our load yesterday. I -must not overtax the dogs; for, if they give out, I -am done for. They are much fatigued to-night and -must be nursed; so I directed Jensen to make them -a warm supper of meat and potatoes and lard, and -plenty of it. Nothing could exceed their ravenous -hunger. The ferocity with which they tear into their -food exceeds any thing that I have ever seen, and -nothing escapes their sharp fangs. They eat up their -harness if not closely watched, and we are obliged to -bring every thing made of skin inside the hut. Several -of the traces have disappeared down their -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_325">- 325 -</span> -rapacious throats; and, with these swallowings and the -breakings, we are now so badly off that we must fall -back upon rope to replace the skin lines. To add -to our embarrassments, Jensen forgot last night to -cover over his sledge, (Knorr's makes the roof of our -hut,) and when we went out in the morning, the -sledge was torn to pieces, the lashings were all eaten, -and the pieces of the sledge were scattered over the -snow all around the camp.</p> - -<p>I have nearly eight hundred pounds of dog food, -but the daily drain is very great; and this, taken in -connection with the slowness of our progress, looks -unpromising.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 1st.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE COAST IN VIEW.</div> - -<p>We found it impossible to get on to-day with even -one half the cargo, and were therefore forced to make -three parcels of it,—one of which I estimate that -we have brought nine miles, as traveled, though probably -not one third that distance in a straight line. It -is impossible to describe the nature of the ice over -which we have struggled. It is even worse than -any thing we have encountered before. The run of -to-day has brought the coast quite conspicuously in -view. I am coming upon my old survey of 1854, and -am not far from my return track at that time; but -how different the condition of the ice! Then my -principal difficulty was in the outward journey, due -north from Van Rensselaer Harbor. Returning further -down the Sound, near where we now are, the ice -was found to be but little broken, and I crossed from -shore to shore in two days.</p> - -<p>I have now a much finer opportunity for observation -than I had then, for there was on the former occasion -much fog, and I was constantly snow-blind. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_326">- 326 -</span> -The coast of Grinnell Land is clearly somewhat further -north than I then placed it; for we are by my -observation and reckoning, within ten miles of the -shore, if the map is correct. The two bold capes to -which Dr. Kane applied the names Bache and Henry -(the Victoria Head and Cape Albert, of Captain Inglefield) -appear to be large islands, in the mouth of a -sound from thirty to forty miles wide. I reserve -further judgment for further observation.</p> - -<p>Two very conspicuous headlands appear upon the -coast: one, lying almost due north, stands out with a -dark front, presenting a mural face at least 1500 feet -high. On my former journey I gave to it the name -of Louis Napoleon, in honor of the remarkable man -who, as Emperor of France, was then first beginning -to exhibit to the world the greatness of his powers. -It stands on the north side of a very conspicuous bay. -More directly in our course and nearer to us is the other -bold cape, to which Dr. Kane, on my return from the -survey of this coast, appended my own name; but, -since there was some confusion in the maps afterward -between the names Hawks and Hayes, I have -discarded the latter; and this immense rock, to which -Gibraltar is a pigmy, will hereafter bear the name of -Cape Hawks. The whole coast before us is very bold, -and the mountain-peaks loom up loftily.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 2d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">STORM-STAYED.</div> - -<p>Storm-stayed in the camp of yesterday, and miserable -enough. We came back in the morning for another -load, and, when ready to return, it was blowing -and drifting so hard from the north that we could not -face it, and so were forced to seek shelter. The rest -is much needed by the dogs, and this is my only satisfaction. -Our camp fixtures were all left in the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_327">- 327 -</span> -camp of last night, and we have nothing to lie upon -but the snow, which is only a shade softer than ice. -Out of one of our provision tins we made a kettle, -and of another a lamp, and so got some supper. Jensen -is still partially snow-blind, and his sufferings have -not diminished. This snow-blindness is simply an inflammation -of the entire eye-ball, originating in the -retina in consequence of the intense light produced -by the glare of the sun reflected from the universal -whiteness.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 3d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The storm detained us in our miserable den for -twelve hours. The rest did the dogs good, and we -have made the cheeriest day's work yet. But, as -every rose has its thorn, so every day must have its -drawback. Jensen, stumbling along with his bad -eyes, got his leg into a crack and gave it a severe -wrench. He tells me that the leg was broken two -years ago; and the fracture having been oblique, and -the parts allowed to overlap each other while healing, -the union has been imperfect.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 4th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A FINE DAY'S RUN.</div> - -<p>A fine day's run. We had some smooth ice, and -got on briskly. Jensen's snow-blindness has disappeared, -and our route having led us over old floes, his -leg has not hurt him much and has improved. He is -now digging a pit for our night shelter, and sings a -Danish song as cheerily as the grave-digger in Hamlet. -Knorr and McDonald are chopping up the cakes -of desiccated beef for the dogs; and the wolfish -brutes fill the air with the most hideous cries. The -spectral pack of the wild Hartz huntsman never split -the ear of belated traveler with more awful sounds -than those which come from the throats of my wild -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_328">- 328 -</span> -beasts at this present moment. The wretches would -eat us up if we gave them the least chance. Knorr -stumbled among the pack yesterday, while feeding -them, and, had not McDonald pounced upon them on -the instant, I believe they would have made a meal -of him before he could rise.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE "DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS."</div> - -<p>The hour is exactly midnight, and, for the first -time since starting, I write in the open air. The temperature -is only one degree below zero, and a more -beautiful sunshine never was beheld. This vast sea -of whiteness, this great wilderness of glittering peaks, -possesses a stern, quiet sublimity that is wonderfully -imposing. The mountains before us, unlike those of -the Greenland coast, stand up in multiplied lines of -heaven-piercing cones, looking like giant stacks of -cannon-balls, sprinkled with snow. The midnight sun -streams over them from the north, and softens their -outlines through tinted vapors which float from the -eastward. Oh! that I was across the barrier that -separates me from that land of my desires! Those -mountains are my "delectable mountains,"—the -fleecy clouds which rest upon them are the flocks of -the "city" of my ambitious hopes—the mystic sea -which I am seeking through these days of weariness -and toil.</p> - -<p>I have had some fine sights and excellent solar -bearings from a position determined by solar altitude, -and am now firmly convinced that a Sound opens -westward from Smith Sound, overlooked by me in -1854; and that the whole coast of Grinnell Land was -placed by me too far south.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 5th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>A perfectly killing day, and I have little progress -to record. Our affairs look rather blue. Jensen -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_329">- 329 -</span> -complains again of his leg, and was unable to proceed -further when we camped. He is groaning with the -pain. Knorr sticks at the work with a tenacity and -spirit most admirable. He has never once confessed -fatigue; and yet, to-night, after the severe labors of -the day in lifting the sledge, and the endless trouble -and confusion with the dogs, when I asked him if he -was tired and wanted to camp, his answer was a -prompt, "No, sir." And yet, when we did camp and -the work was done, I found him keeled over behind a -hummock, where he had gone to conceal his prostration -and faintness,—but there was no faintness of -the spirit. McDonald never shows eagerness for the -halt, but the labor is beginning to tell upon him. He -has the true grit of the thorough-bred bull-dog, and -holds to his work like a sleuth-hound to the scent.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A RAVENOUS PACK.</div> - -<p>Let me finish my grievances. The dogs again show -symptoms of exhaustion,—my own fault, however, in -some measure, for I have watched with miserly care -every ounce of food; and, last night, I gave to each -animal only one and a half pounds. Result—as I -have stated; and, besides, to revenge themselves, they -broke into Jensen's sledge, which, owing to the fatigue -of everybody, was not unlashed, but covered instead -with three feet of snow. The brutes scattered every -thing around, tried to tear open our tin meat-cans -with their wolfish fangs, and ate up our extra boots, -the last scrap of skin-line that was left, some fur stockings, -and made an end of Knorr's seal-skin covered -meerschaum pipe, which he had imprudently hung -upon the upstander. Hemp lines now make the -sledge lashings and traces, and, as a consequence, the -sledges are continually tumbling to pieces and the -traces are constantly breaking. Another dog tore -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_330">- 330 -</span> -open a seal-skin tobacco-pouch, shook out its contents, -and ate it; and another bolted our only piece of soap. -This looks bad for our future cleanliness, but thirty-two -days, at these low temperatures, have worn off the -sharp edge of fastidiousness. At first we had always -a morning wash with a handful of snow; but latterly -we are not so particular, and we shall not grieve over -the soap as much as we might have done some weeks -ago.</p> - -<p>Our provisions are disappearing with alarming rapidity; -and yet, whenever I stint the dogs in the least, -down they go. If the dogs fail me, then nothing can -be done, and I am completely at fault. Two days -more must surely bring us to land. We are making -in for Cape Hawks, but we are compelled to own that -the Cape grows from day to day very little bolder. -The numerous baitings to rest the dogs, and the -forced halts caused by the breaking of the sledges -and traces, when I can do nothing to speed the start, -give me fine opportunities for plotting the coast; and -my "field-book" and "sketch-book" are both well -used.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 6th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A COLD SUPPER.</div> - -<p>A most miserable day's work brought to a most -miserable end. McDonald spilled our smoking-hot -supper on the snow; and, as we could not afford a -second allowance of fuel (lard and rope-yarns), we -were in as great danger of going to bed supperless as -Baillie Nicol Jarvie, at the Clachan of Aberfoil, before -the red-hot coulter brought the churly Highlanders -to reason; but, luckily, McDonald managed, much -to our satisfaction, to scrape up the greater part of -the hash along with the snow, and we ate it cold. -The coffee was, however, of course, irrecoverable, and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_331">- 331 -</span> -we are turning in cheerless enough in consequence. -The temperature has tumbled down again to 10° below -zero, and writing is not pleasant to the fingers -when the thermometer behaves in this manner.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 7th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BROKEN SLEDGES.</div> - -<p>Another edition of all the other days. We have -made but little progress, to reward us for a most energetic -day's labor, and are flat down with two broken -sledges. Of one a runner is split, and Jensen declares -that he has mended it so often that he can mend it -no more; but a few hours' sleep will sharpen his wits, -I hope. We are a rather lamentable-looking set of -travelers. With too little energy to build a snow-hut, -we have drawn the sledges together and are going to -sleep on them, in the open air. The night is reasonably -warm,—temperature above zero, and sleeping -may be managed; but we miss the grateful warmth -of the snow-hut. The truth is, that the labors of the -day cause us to perspire as if we were in the tropics, -and hence our clothing becomes wet through and -through; the coat freezes stiff and solid as sheet-iron -as soon as we halt, and we experience all over -the uncomfortable sensation of "packing" in wet -sheets at a water-cure.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 8th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Battling away as before. I felt sure that we would -reach the land to-day, but it appears no nearer than -when we set out this morning. Sledges, harness, -dogs and men are all tumbling to pieces.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 9th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Still battling away; but, this time, through fog and -snow, bedeviled all the day in a lifeless atmosphere, -thick as the gloom of Hades.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_332">- 332 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 10th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>At the same hopeless work again; and again we -go into camp among the hummocks. I dare not hope -that we will reach the shore to-morrow, for I have -been so often disappointed; but the shore <i>will</i> be -reached some time, if there is an ounce of food left -or a dog left alive to drag it with. I have settled -down into a sort of dogged determination.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 11th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>In camp at last, close under the land; and as happy -as men can be who have achieved success and await -supper.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">"CAPE FLY-AWAY."</div> - -<p>As we rounded to in a convenient place for our -camp, McDonald looked up at the tall Cape, which -rose above our heads; and, as he turned away to get -our furnace to prepare a much-needed meal, he was -heard to grumble out in a serio-comic tone: "Well, -I wonder if that <i>is</i> land, or only 'Cape Fly-away,' -after all?"</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page332" style="max-width: 9.6875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Head of the Esquimau Dog Oosisoak"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page332.png" alt="Head of the Esquimau Dog Oosisoak" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_333">- 333 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE PROSPECT AHEAD.—TO CAPE NAPOLEON.—TO CAPE FRAZER.—TRACES OF -ESQUIMAUX.—ROTTEN ICE.—KENNEDY CHANNEL.—MILDNESS OF TEMPERATURE.—APPEARANCE -OF BIRDS.—GEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF COAST.—VEGETATION.—ACCIDENT -TO JENSEN.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Although much gratified with the success which I -had achieved against such desperate obstacles, yet, -when I came to reflect upon my situation, in connection -with the expectations which I had entertained -at setting out, I had little heart to feel triumphant. -The thirty-one days occupied in crossing the Sound, -the failure to get the boat, or even a foot party over, -had disarranged my original plans; while the severity -of the labor, and the serious and unexpected draft -made upon my provisions by the extra feeding of the -dogs, in order to keep up their strength, had so much -reduced my resources that, for the present season, I -could have little hope of making any extended exploration. -Under ordinary conditions of traveling, -much less than one half the amount of food which I -gave to the animals daily would have amply sufficed -for their sustenance. As it was, the eight hundred -pounds of dog-food which I had when the foot party -left me, was reduced by consumption and small depots -for our return journey to about three hundred -pounds,—in no case more than sufficient for twelve -days. The most that I could now expect to do was -to explore the route to the shores of the Polar Sea, as -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_334">- 334 -</span> -a basis for further exploration to follow the event of -my reaching the west side of Smith Sound with my -vessel late in the summer; in other words, to ascertain -what chance there was of carrying into effect -my original design, which the circumstance of being -forced into a winter harbor on the Greenland coast, -instead of the coast opposite, had disturbed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SLOWNESS OF PROGRESS.</div> - -<p>The extracts from my field diary, given in the last -chapter, will have shown the reader the slowness of -our progress; while a former chapter will have so far -satisfied him concerning the track over which we had -recently traveled as to make any review of it in this -connection unnecessary. Although anticipating at the -outset a grave obstacle in the hummocks, I was unprepared -to encounter them in such formidable shape; -and the failure of the foot party to make headway -through them was a serious blow to my expectations. -I had, however, prepared myself for every emergency, -and looked forward to making up what I had lost by -remaining in Smith's Sound another year.</p> - -<p>The journey across the Sound from Cairn Point -was unexampled in Arctic traveling. The distance -from land to land, as the crow flies, did not exceed -eighty miles; and yet, as hitherto observed, the journey -consumed thirty-one days,—but little more than -two miles daily. The track, however, which we were -forced to choose, was often at least three times that -of a straight line; and since almost every mile of that -tortuous route was traveled over three and often five -times, in bringing up the separate portions of our -cargo, our actual distance did not probably average -less than sixteen miles daily, or about five hundred -miles in all, between Cairn Point and Cape Hawks. -The last forty miles, made with dog-sledges alone, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_335">- 335 -</span> -occupied fourteen days—a circumstance which will of -itself exhibit the difficult nature of the undertaking, -especially when it is borne in mind that forty miles to -an ordinary team of dogs, over usually fair ice, is a -trifling matter for five hours, and would not fatigue -the team half so much as a single hour's pulling of -the same load over such hummocks as confronted us -throughout this entire journey.</p> - -<p>In order to obtain the best result which the Esquimau -dog is capable of yielding, it is essential that he -shall be able to trot away with his load. To walk at -a dead drag is as distressing to his spirits and energies -as the hauling of a dray would be to a blooded -horse; and he will much more readily run away with -a hundred pounds over good ice than to pull one-fourth -of that weight over a track which admits only -of a slow pace.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">WADING THROUGH DEEP SNOW.</div> - -<p>We did not halt longer at Cape Hawks than was -needful to rest the teams, when we commenced our -journey up the coast. The first day's march carried -us across the wide bay between Capes Hawks and -Napoleon. We were rejoiced to find ourselves now, -for the first time, able to carry our cargo all at one -load; and yet the traveling was far from good. Owing -to the conformation of the coast, the bay had -been sheltered from the winds, and the snows of the -winter, in consequence, lay loose upon the surface of -the ice. We had, however, no alternative but to cross -the bay, for to go outside was to plunge again into -the hummocks. The snows had accumulated to the -depth of more than two feet, through which the wading -was very toilsome. The sledge cut in to the cross-ties, -and the dogs sank to their bellies; and, to make -the matter worse, Jensen's leg gave out so that it -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_336">- 336 -</span> -became necessary to transfer a part of his load to -Knorr's sledge, in order that he might ride. Not -wishing to be detained by this circumstance, I put a -belt across McDonald's shoulders, took one myself, -and gave one to Knorr, and we each pulled, I dare -say, as much as the best dog in the team.</p> - -<p>On the second day's march the ice was found to be -jammed in a terrible manner upon Cape Napoleon, so -that we were quite unable to reach the shore at that -place, and were forced to hold out into the Sound and -become once more entangled among the hummocks. -A thick fog, completely veiling the land, coming upon -us from the north, and a shower of snow following -after, caused us so much bewilderment that we were -obliged to camp and await better weather.</p> - -<p>The land-ice was reached next morning, and during -that day we made a brisk run to the north side of -Cape Frazer—the first time that we had struck a -trot since leaving Cairn Point. Our camp was made -near the furthest point reached by me in 1854.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KENNEDY CHANNEL.</div> - -<p>We were now within Kennedy Channel, which I -had before barely entered. The ice in the entrance -of the Channel was much like that of the Sound below; -so that we were obliged to adhere to the land-ice, -even while crossing Gould Bay,<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> which lies between -Capes Leidy and Frazer, and which I once -thought would furnish a good winter harbor. Indeed, -this was the bay which it was my aim to reach with -my vessel the previous autumn. The little flag-staff, -which I had before planted at this place, was discovered, -still standing erect among the rocks; but not a -vestige of the flag remained. The winds had whipped -it entirely away.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> So named in honor of Dr. B. A. Gould, of Cambridge.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_337">- 337 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">TRACES OF ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>While rounding the head of Gould Bay, I observed -that, as at Port Foulke, Van Rensselaer Harbor, and -indeed in almost every bay of the Greenland coast -which I have visited above Cape York, the land rises -with a gentle slope, broken into steppes of greater -or less regularity,—a series of terraced beaches, the -highest of which I estimated to be from one hundred -and twenty to one hundred and fifty feet above the -sea. To these terraces I shall have occasion hereafter -to refer, and will not now longer detain the reader -than merely to observe that they indicate a consecutive -elevation of the two coasts. I also found in that -Bay the remains of an Esquimau camp. The marks -were quite unmistakable in their character although -of very ancient date. The discovery was the more -gratifying, that it confirmed the native traditions -which had been recited to me by Kalutunah. They -were a single circle of heavy stones lying upon the -shingly terrace. The circle was about twelve feet in -diameter, and is such as may be seen in all places -where Esquimaux have been in the summer time. -The stones answer the purpose of securing the lower -margin of their seal-skin tent; and, when they break -up camp, the skins are drawn out, leaving the stones -in the situation above described.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ROTTEN ICE.</div> - -<p>The journey of the next day was the most satisfactory -of any that had been made, yet it had its -drawbacks. As we proceeded, we began to experience -in even a greater degree than in Smith Sound -the immense force of ice-pressure resulting from the -southerly set of the current. Every point of land -exposed to the northward was buried under ice of the -most massive description. Many blocks from thirty -to sixty feet thick, and of much greater breadth, were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_338">- 338 -</span> -lying high and dry upon the beach, pushed up by the -resistless pack even above the level of the highest -tides. The first embarrassment to our progress occasioned -by this cause occurred soon after setting out -from our camp above Cape Frazer, and being wholly -unable to pass it, we were obliged to take once more -to the ice-fields. But this was a matter not easily accomplished. -The tide was out, apparently at full ebb, -and the land-ice formed a wall, down which we were -obliged to scramble. By lashing the two sledges together -we made a ladder, and thus secured our own -descent; while the dogs were lowered by their traces, -and the cargo piece by piece with a line. The field-ice -was, however, found to be, in addition to its roughness, -in many places very rotten and insecure, so that -after one of the teams had broken through and was -rescued not without difficulty, we found ourselves -compelled to haul in shore and take once more to the -land-ice. Being thenceforth under the necessity of -following all the windings of the shore line, our distance -was at least doubled, and when we hauled up -for the night both ourselves and the dogs were very -weary.</p> - -<p>Although much exhausted with the day's journey, -I availed myself of the time consumed by my companions -in preparing the camp and supper to climb -the hill-side for a view. The air was quite clear, and -I commanded an uninterrupted horizon to the eastward. -The ice was much less rough than that which -we had crossed in Smith Sound, owing to the old floes -having been less closely impacted while that part of -the sea was freezing up during the last autumn or -winter. Hence, there was much more new ice. It -was evident that the sea had been open to a very -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_339">- 339 -</span> -late period; and, indeed, like the water off Port -Foulke, had not closed up completely until the -spring. I was much surprised to see the ice so -thin and washed away thus early in the season. -Small patches of open water were visible at points -where the conformation of the coast warranted the -conclusion that an eddy of the current had operated -upon the ice more rapidly than in other places.</p> - -<p>I was struck with the circumstance that no land -was visible to the eastward, as it would not have been -difficult through such an atmosphere to distinguish -land at the distance of fifty or sixty miles. It -would appear, therefore, that Kennedy Channel is -something wider than hitherto supposed. To the -northeast the sky was dark and cloudy, and gave -evidence of water; and Jensen, who watched the -rapid advance of the season with solicitude, was not -slow to direct my attention to the "water-sky."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MILDNESS OF TEMPERATURE.</div> - -<p>The temperature of the air was strangely mild, and -indeed distressingly so for traveling, although it possessed -its conveniences in enabling us to sleep upon -our sledges in the open air with comfort. The lowest -temperature during the day was 20°; while, at one time, -it rose to the freezing-point,—the sun blazing down -upon us while we trudged on under our heavy load -of furs. The day seemed really sultry. To discard -our furs and travel in our shirt-sleeves was of course -our first impulse; but to do so added to the load on -the sledges, and it was of the first importance that -the dogs should be spared every pound of unnecessary -weight; so each one carried his own coat upon -his back, and perspired after his own fashion.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">APPEARANCE OF BIRDS.</div> - -<p>This unseasonable warmth operated greatly to our -disadvantage. The snow became slushy, and with so -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_340">- 340 -</span> -great a distance of ice between us and Port Foulke, -Jensen, whose experience in the rapid dissolution of -ice about Upernavik, at the same season of the year, -had brought him into many serious difficulties, kept -a sharp eye open upon our line of retreat. But danger -from a general break-up I did not consider as -likely to come for at least a month. Yet the spring -(if such it might be called) was approaching rapidly, -as was shown by the appearance of birds. As -I stood upon the hill-side some little snow-buntings -came chirping about me, and a burgomaster-gull flew -over our heads wheeling his flight northward. He -seemed to have caught the sound of tumbling seas, -and was leading his mate, who came sailing along -after him with modest mien, to a nuptial retreat on -some wave-licked island; and he screamed as if he -would inquire, were we too bound on the same -errand. A raven, too, came and perched himself -upon a cliff above our camp, and croaked a dismal -welcome, or a warning. One of these birds had -kept us company through the winter, and this one -looked very much as if he was bent upon adhering -to my fortunes; though, I suppose, in truth, he was -only looking for crumbs. He stuck by us for several -days, and always dropped down into our abandoned -camp as soon as we were on our way.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GEOLOGICAL FEATURES OF COAST.</div> - -<p>The coast along which we were now traveling possessed -much interest. It presented a line of very -lofty cliffs of Silurian rocks<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a>—sandstone and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_341">- 341 -</span> -limestone—much broken down by the wasting influences -of the winter frosts and summer thaws. Behind these -cliffs the land rose into lofty peaks, such as I have before -described. Upon the sides of these peaks the -snow rested, clothing them with a uniform whiteness; -but nowhere was there any evidence of mountain-ice. -Along the entire coast of Grinnell Land no glacier -appears, presenting thus a striking contrast to -Greenland and the land on the south side of the -Channel which I discovered while crossing Smith -Sound—the Ellesmere Land of Captain Inglefield.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> At Capes Leidy, Frazer, and other points of the coast I subsequently -obtained a considerable collection of fossils,—all of which were forwarded -to the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, soon after my return home. -Unhappily, the finest of them were lost after having been sent from -Philadelphia; but a sufficient number of specimens were found among the -geological collections to enable Prof. F. B. Meek, to whom I intrusted -them, to establish some interesting points of comparison. In a short paper -published in Silliman's Journal, for July, 1865, Prof. Meek enumerates -and describes twelve species. Some of the specimens were imperfect, and -their specific character could not be determined. The list is as follows:—</p> - -<table summary="Species"> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">1.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Zaphrentis Hayesii.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">2.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Syringopora * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">3.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Favosites * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">4.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Strophomena Rhomboidalis.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">5.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Strophodonta Headleyana.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">6.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Strophodonta Beckii.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">7.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Rhynchonella * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">8.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Cœlospira concava.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">9.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Spirifer * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">10.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Loxonema Kanei.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">11.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Orthoceras * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdr">12.</td> - <td class="tdl"><i>Illænus * * * *.</i></td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>Prof. Meek makes this observation:—"From the foregoing list, it is -believed that geologists will agree that the rocks at this highest locality at -which fossils have ever been collected, belong to the Upper Silurian era. -The most remarkable fact, however, is, that they are nearly all very -closely allied to, and some of them apparently undistinguishable from -species found in the Catskill shaly Limestone of the New York Lower -Helderberg group."</p> - -</div> - -<p>During this day's journey I had discovered numerous -traces of the former presence of Esquimaux. -They were similar to those which I had before found -in Gould Bay. I also picked up some fossils at Cape -Frazer and other places, which clearly exhibited the -character of the rock. There were but few traces of -vegetation in those places where the land had been -bared of snow by the winds. A willow stem (probably, -<i>Salix arctica</i>), a single specimen of a dead saxifrage -(<i>Saxifraga oppositifolia</i>), and a tuft of dried grass -(<i>Festuca ovina</i>), were all that I found.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_342">- 342 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ACCIDENT TO JENSEN.</div> - -<p>If fortunate in point of distance accomplished, yet -the day was not all that I had hoped. The land-ice -was exceedingly rough, and it was not without much -difficulty that we effected a passage around some of -the points. In one of our most difficult encounters -of this nature, Jensen slipped, and again injured his -leg, and afterwards sprained his back while lifting his -sledge. In consequence of these accidents our progress -was much retarded during the following day, and -involved me again in serious embarrassment. My -diary thus sums up our situation:—</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -May 15th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Jensen, my strongest man and the one upon whose -physical endurance I have always relied most confidently, -is not only fatigued but completely broken -down. He lies on the sledge, moaning and groaning -with pain from a sprained back and his injured leg; -and what to do with him I do not see. He appears -to be unable to go further, and the only question concerning -him seems to be, how he is to be got home. -With anything like a fair field, I ought to reach about -lat. 83°, but the loss of Jensen's muscular strength is -damaging to me. The track has been execrable to-day; -and yet, all things considered, we have done -very well. We have made, at the least, twenty miles. -McDonald is pretty well used up, and Knorr is quite -as bad, if he could be got to own it. Jensen's sufferings -have naturally affected his spirits; and with -these long hundreds of miles lying behind us, it is -perhaps not surprising that his only present expectation -will be realized, if his bones are left to bleach -among these barren rocks. What I shall do to-morrow, -the morrow must determine. Thanks to -careful nursing, I have yet my dogs in fair condition; -and that is the best part of the battle.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_343">- 343 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>A NEW START.—SPECULATIONS.—IN A FOG.—POLAR SCENERY.—STOPPED BY -ROTTEN ICE.—LOOKING AHEAD.—CONCLUSIONS.—THE OPEN SEA.—CLIMAX -OF THE JOURNEY.—RETURNING SOUTH.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The unexpected breaking down of my strong man, -Jensen, was a misfortune only one degree less keenly -felt than the previous failure of the foot party, and it -troubled me much; for, while I lost the services of a -stout arm and an active body, I was naturally anxious -about his safety. With a helpless man on my hands, -and with four hundred and fifty miles of rough ice -between me and the schooner, and with but scant depots -of provision by the way, calculated only for a -journey with empty sledges, I must own that I was -somewhat perplexed.</p> - -<p>When the morning came, Jensen was found to have -improved but little and was scarcely able to move. I -promptly determined to leave him in charge of McDonald, -and to push on with Knorr alone. Lest accident -from rotten ice (the only one that I had to fear) -should befall me, I left with McDonald five dogs, with -directions to await us as many days, and then make -the best of his way back to Port Foulke.</p> - -<p>Our simple breakfast over, I was once more plunging -through the hummocks, making my last throw. -Our track lay across a bay so deep that the distance -would be more than quadrupled if we followed its -tortuous windings of the shore upon the land-ice.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_344">- 344 -</span></p> - -<p>My purpose now was to make the best push I -could, and, traveling as far as my provisions warranted, -reach the highest attainable latitude and -secure such a point of observation as would enable -me to form a definite opinion respecting the sea before -me, and the prospects of reaching and navigating -it with a boat or with the schooner. I had already -reached a position somewhat to the northward of that -attained by Morton, of Dr. Kane's expedition, in June, -1854, and was looking out upon the same sea from a -point probably about sixty miles to the northward and -westward of Cape Constitution, where, only a month -later in the season, his further progress was arrested -by open water.</p> - -<p>It only remained for me now to extend the survey -as far to the north as possible. By the judicious husbanding -of my resources I had still within my hands -ample means to guarantee a successful termination to -a journey which the increasing darkness and extent -of the water-sky to the northeast seemed to warn me -was approaching its climax.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">IN A FOG.</div> - -<p>Our first day's journey was not particularly encouraging. -The ice in the bay was rough and the -snow deep, and, after nine hours of laborious work, -we were compelled to halt for rest, having made, -since setting out, not more than as many miles. Our -progress had been much retarded by a dense fog -which settled over us soon after starting, and which, -by preventing us from seeing thirty yards on either -side, interfered with the selection of a track; and we -were, in consequence, forced to pursue our course by -compass.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">POLAR SCENERY.</div> - -<p>The fog clearing up by the time we had become -rested, and the land being soon reached, we pursued -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_345">- 345 -</span> -our way along the ice-foot with much the same fortune -as had befallen us since striking the shore above -Cape Napoleon. The coast presented the same features—great -wall-sided cliffs rising at our left, with -a jagged ridge of crushed ice at our right, forming a -white fringe, as it were, to the dark rocks. We were, -in truth, journeying along a winding gorge or valley, -formed by the land on one side and the ice on the -other; for this ice-fringe rose about fifty feet above -our heads, and, except here and there where a cleft -gave us an outlook upon the sea, we were as completely -hemmed in as if in a cañon of the Cordilleras. -Occasionally, however, a bay broke in upon the -continuity of the lofty coast, and as we faced to the -westward along its southern margin, a sloping terraced -valley opened before us, rising gently from the -sea to the base of the mountains, which rose with imposing -grandeur. I was never more impressed with -the dreariness and desolation of an Arctic landscape. -Although my situation on the summit of the Greenland -<i>mer de glace</i>, in October of the last year, had apparently -left nothing unsupplied to the imagination -that was needed to fill the picture of boundless sterility, -yet here the variety of forms seemed to magnify -the impression on the mind, and to give a wider play -to the fancy; and as the eye wandered from peak to -peak of the mountains as they rose one above the -other, and rested upon the dark and frost-degraded -cliffs, and followed along the ice-foot, and overlooked -the sea, and saw in every object the silent forces of -Nature moving on through the gloom of winter and -the sparkle of summer, now, as they had moved for -countless ages, unobserved but by the eye of God -alone, I felt how puny indeed are all men's works and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_346">- 346 -</span> -efforts; and when I sought for some token of living -thing, some track of wild beast,—a fox, or bear, or -reindeer,—which had, elsewhere, always crossed me -in my journeyings, and saw nothing but two feeble -men and our struggling dogs, it seemed indeed as if -the Almighty had frowned upon the hills and seas.</p> - -<p>Since leaving Cairn Point we had looked most -anxiously for bears; but although we had seen many -tracks, especially about Cape Frazer, not a single animal -had been observed. A bear, indeed, would have -been a godsend to us, and would have placed me -wholly beyond anxiety respecting the strength of the -dogs, as it would not only have put new life into -them, but would have given them several days of -more substantial rations than the dried beef which -they had been so long fed upon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">QUITTING THE LAND-ICE.</div> - -<p>After a ten hours' march, we found ourselves once -more compelled to camp; and four hours of the following -day brought us to the southern cape of a bay -which was so deep that, as in other cases of like obstruction, -we determined to cross over it rather than -to follow the shore line. We had gone only a few -miles when we found our progress suddenly arrested. -Our course was made directly for a conspicuous headland -bounding the bay to the northward, over a strip -of old ice lining the shore. This headland seemed to -be about twenty miles from us, or near latitude 82°, -and I was very desirous of reaching it; but, unhappily, -the old ice came suddenly to an end, and after -scrambling over the fringe of hummocks which margined -it, we found ourselves upon ice of the late winter.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page346f" style="max-width: 42.5em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page346f.png" alt="" /> - <div> - -<p class="tdc vsmall"> -Mt. Murchison. Church's Pk. C. Lieber. Mt. Parry. C. Eugénie. C. Frederick VII. C. Union.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="caption3">THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA.</p> -<p class="tdc">(FROM A SKETCH BY DR. HAYES.)</p></div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_347">- 347 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">STOPPED BY ROTTEN ICE.</div> - -<p>The unerring instinct of the dogs warned us of -approaching danger. They were observed for some -time to be moving with unusual caution, and finally -they scattered to right and left, and refused to proceed -further. This behavior of the dogs was too familiar -to me to leave any doubt as to its meaning; and -moving forward in advance, I quickly perceived that -the ice was rotten and unsafe. Thinking that this -might be merely a local circumstance, resulting from -some peculiarity of the current, we doubled back upon -the old floe and made another trial further to the -eastward. Walking now in advance of the dogs they -were inspired with greater courage. I had not proceeded -far when I found the ice again giving way -under the staff, with which I sounded its strength, -and again we turned back and sought a still more -eastern passage.</p> - -<p>Two hours consumed in efforts of this kind, during -which we had worked about four miles out to sea, -convinced me that the ice outside the bay was -wholly impassable, and that perseverance could only -end in disappointment; for if we happened to break -through, we should not only be in great jeopardy -but would, by getting wet, greatly retard, if not -wholly defeat our progress to the opposite shore. -Accordingly we drew back toward the land, seeking safety -again upon the old floe, and hauling then to -the westward, endeavored to cross over further up -the bay; but here the same conditions existed as outside, -and the dogs resolutely refused to proceed as -soon as we left the old ice. Not wishing to be defeated -in my purpose of crossing over, we held still -further west and persevered in our efforts until convinced -that the bay could not be crossed, and then we -had no alternative but to retreat to the land-ice and -follow its circuit to our destination.</p> - -<p>With the view of ascertaining how far this course -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_348">- 348 -</span> -was likely to carry us from a direct line, I walked, -while the dogs were resting, a few miles along the -shore until I could see the head of the bay, distant -not less than twenty miles. To make this long <i>détour</i> -would occupy at least two if not three days,—an -undertaking not justified by the state of our provisions,—and -we therefore went into camp, weary -with more than twelve hours' work, to await the issue -of further observation on the morrow.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">VIEW FROM THE CLIFF.</div> - -<p>Surprised at the condition of the ice in the bay, I -determined to climb the hill above the camp, with the -view of ascertaining the probable cause of our being -thus baffled; and to ascertain if a more direct route -could not be found further to the eastward than that -by the land-ice of the bay; for it was now clear that -it was only possible to continue our journey northward -in one or the other of these directions. The -labors of the day made it necessary, however, that I -should procure some rest before attempting to climb -the hill to such an elevation as would enable me to -obtain a clear view of the condition of the ice to the -opposite shore.</p> - -<p>After a most profound and refreshing sleep, inspired -by a weariness which I had rarely before experienced, -to an equal degree, I climbed the steep hill-side to the -top of a ragged cliff, which I supposed to be about -eight hundred feet above the level of the sea.</p> - -<p>The view which I had from this elevation furnished -a solution of the cause of my progress being arrested -on the previous day.</p> - -<p>The ice was everywhere in the same condition as -in the mouth of the bay, across which I had endeavored -to pass. A broad crack, starting from the middle -of the bay, stretched over the sea, and uniting -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_349">- 349 -</span> -with other cracks as it meandered to the eastward, it -expanded as the delta of some mighty river discharging -into the ocean, and under a water-sky, which -hung upon the northern and eastern horizon, it was -lost in the open sea.</p> - -<p>Standing against the dark sky at the north, there -was seen in dim outline the white sloping summit of -a noble headland,—the most northern known land -upon the globe. I judged it to be in latitude 82° 30´, -or four hundred and fifty miles from the North Pole. -Nearer, another bold cape stood forth; and nearer -still the headland, for which I had been steering my -course the day before, rose majestically from the sea, -as if pushing up into the very skies a lofty mountain -peak, upon which the winter had dropped its diadem -of snows. There was no land visible except the coast -upon which I stood.</p> - -<p>The sea beneath me was a mottled sheet of white -and dark patches, these latter being either soft decaying -ice or places where the ice had wholly disappeared. -These spots were heightened in intensity of -shade and multiplied in size as they receded, until -the belt of the water-sky blended them all together -into one uniform color of dark blue. The old and solid -floes (some a quarter of a mile, and others miles, -across) and the massive ridges and wastes of hummocked -ice which lay piled between them and -around their margins, were the only parts of the sea -which retained the whiteness and solidity of winter.</p> - -<p>I reserve to another chapter all discussion of the -value of the observations which I made from this -point. Suffice it here to say that all the evidences -showed that I stood upon the shores of the Polar -Basin, and that the broad ocean lay at my feet; that -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_350">- 350 -</span> -the land upon which I stood, culminating in the distant -cape before me, was but a point of land projecting -far into it, like the Ceverro Vostochnoi Noss of the -opposite coast of Siberia; and that the little margin -of ice which lined the shore was being steadily worn -away; and within a month, the whole sea would be -as free from ice as I had seen the north water of -Baffin Bay,—interrupted only by a moving pack, -drifting to and fro at the will of the winds and currents.</p> - -<p>To proceed further north was, of course, impossible. -The crack which I have mentioned would, of itself, -have prevented us from making the opposite land, -and the ice outside the bay was even more decayed -than inside. Several open patches were observed -near the shore, and in one of these there was seen a -flock of <i>Dovekie</i>. At several points during our march -up Kennedy Channel I had observed their breeding-places, -but I was not a little surprised to see the birds -at this locality so early in the season. Several burgomaster-gulls -flew over head, making their way -northward, seeking the open water for their feeding -grounds and summer haunts. Around these haunts -of the birds there is never ice after the early days of -June.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE JOURNEY ENDED.</div> - -<p>And now my journey was ended, and I had nothing -to do but make my way back to Port Foulke. The -advancing season, the rapidity with which the thaw -was taking place, the certainty that the open water -was eating into Smith Sound as well through Baffin -Bay from the south, as through Kennedy Channel -from the north, thus endangering my return across -to the Greenland shore, warned me that I had lingered -long enough.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_351">- 351 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">PLANTING THE FLAG.</div> - -<p>It now only remained for us to plant our flag in -token of our discovery, and to deposit a record in -proof of our presence. The flags<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> were tied to the -whip-lash, and suspended between two tall rocks, and -while we were building a cairn, they were allowed to -flutter in the breeze; then, tearing a leaf from my -note-book, I wrote on it as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"This point, the most northern land that has ever been reached, -was visited by the undersigned, May 18th, 19th, 1861, accompanied -by George F. Knorr, traveling with a dog-sledge. We arrived here -after a toilsome march of forty-six days from my winter harbor, -near Cape Alexander, at the mouth of Smith Sound. My observations -place us in latitude 81° 35′, longitude 70° 30′, W. Our further -progress was stopped by rotten ice and cracks. Kennedy -Channel appears to expand into the Polar Basin; and, satisfied that -it is navigable at least during the months of July, August, and September, -I go hence to my winter harbor, to make another trial to -get through Smith Sound with my vessel, after the ice breaks up -this summer.</p> - -<p class="tdr"><span class="smcap">I. I. Hayes.</span></p> - -<p>"<i>May 19th, 1861.</i>"</p> -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="label">[10]</a> These were a small United States flag (boat's ensign), which had -been carried in the South Sea Expedition of Captain Wilkes, U. S. N., -and afterwards in the Arctic Expeditions of Lieut. Comg. DeHaven and -Dr. Kane; a little United States flag which had been committed to Mr. -Sonntag by the ladies of the Albany Academy; two diminutive Masonic -flags intrusted to me,—one by the Kane Lodge of New York, the other -by the Columbia Lodge of Boston; and our Expedition signal-flag, bearing -the Expedition emblem, the Pole Star—a crimson star, on a white -field—also a gift from fair hands. Being under the obligation of a sacred -promise to unfurl all of these flags at the most northern point attained, it -was my pleasing duty to carry them with me—a duty rendered none the -less pleasing by the circumstance that, together, they did not weigh three -pounds.</p> - -</div> - -<p>This record being carefully secured in a small glass -vial, which I brought for the purpose, it was deposited -beneath the cairn; and then our faces were turned -homewards. But I quit the place with reluctance. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_352">- 352 -</span> -It possessed a fascination for me, and it was with no -ordinary sensations that I contemplated my situation, -with one solitary companion, in that hitherto untrodden -desert; while my nearness to the earth's axis, the -consciousness of standing upon land far beyond the -limits of previous observation, the reflections which -crossed my mind respecting the vast ocean which lay -spread out before me, the thought that these ice-girdled -waters might lash the shores of distant islands -where dwell human beings of an unknown race, were -circumstances calculated to invest the very air with -mystery, to deepen the curiosity, and to strengthen -the resolution to persevere in my determination to -sail upon this sea and to explore its furthest limits; -and as I recalled the struggles which had been made -to reach this sea,—through the ice and across the -ice,—by generations of brave men, it seemed as if -the spirits of these Old Worthies came to encourage -me, as their experience had already guided me; and -I felt that I had within my grasp "the great and -notable thing" which had inspired the zeal of sturdy -Frobrisher, and that I had achieved the hope of -matchless Parry.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page352" style="max-width: 10.125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Cape Union"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page352.png" alt="Cape Union" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_353">- 353 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE OPEN POLAR SEA.—WIDTH OF THE POLAR BASIN.—BOUNDARIES OF THE -POLAR BASIN.—POLAR CURRENTS.—POLAR ICE.—THE ICE-BELT.—ARCTIC -NAVIGATION AND DISCOVERY.—THE RUSSIAN SLEDGE EXPLORATIONS.—WRANGEL'S -OPEN SEA.—PARRY'S BOAT EXPEDITION.—DR. KANE'S DISCOVERIES.—EXPANSION -OF SMITH SOUND.—GENERAL CONCLUSIONS DRAWN -FROM MY OWN DISCOVERIES AND THOSE OF MY PREDECESSORS.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Let us pause here a few moments, in order that we -may take a brief survey of the Polar Basin and arrive -at a correct understanding of what is meant by the -term, "<span class="smcap">Open Polar Sea</span>," so often used.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">BOUNDARIES OF THE POLAR BASIN.</div> - -<p>By referring to the circumpolar map, the reader -will be able to form a more accurate judgment than -he could from the most elaborate description. He -will observe that about the North Pole of the earth -there is an extensive sea, or, more properly, ocean, -with an average diameter of more than two thousand -miles. He will observe that this sea is almost completely -surrounded by land, and that its shores are, -for the most part, well defined,—the north coasts of -Greenland and Grinnell Land, which project farthest -into it, being alone undetermined. He will note that -these shores occupy, to a certain extent, a uniform -distance from the Pole, and are everywhere within -the region of perpetual frost. He will remember that -they are inhabited everywhere by people of the same -race, to whom the soil yields no subsistence, who live -exclusively by hunting and fishing, and confine their -dwelling-places either to the coast or to the banks of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_354">- 354 -</span> -the rivers which flow northward. He will observe -that the long line of coast which gives lodgment to -these Arctic nomads is interrupted in three principal -places; and that through these the waters of the -Polar Sea mingle with the waters of the Atlantic -and Pacific Oceans,—these breaks being Baffin Bay, -Behring Strait, and the broader opening between -Greenland and Nova Zembla; and if he traces the -currents on the map and follows the Gulf Stream as -it flows northward, pouring the warm waters of the -Tropic Zone through the broad gateway east of Spitzbergen -and forcing out a return current of cold waters -to the west of Spitzbergen and through Davis Strait, -he will very readily comprehend why in this incessant -displacement of the waters of the Pole by the waters -of the Equator the great body of the former is never -chilled to within several degrees of the freezing-point; -and since it is probably as deep, as it is almost as -broad, as the Atlantic between Europe and America, -he will be prepared to understand that this vast -body of water tempers the whole region with a -warmth above that which is otherwise natural to it; -and that the Almighty hand, in the all-wise dispensation -of His power, has thus placed a bar to its congelation; -and he will read in this another symbol of -Nature's great law of circulation, which, giving water -to the parched earth and moisture to the air, moderates -as well the temperature of the zones—cooling the -Tropic with a current of water from the Frigid, and -warming the Frigid with a current from the Tropic.<a id="FNanchor_11" href="#Footnote_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_11" href="#FNanchor_11" class="label">[11]</a> The temperature of the air at the North Pole has furnished a fruitful -theme of speculation, both in connection with the influence of the sea and -of the sun. I have before me a highly instructive paper on the climate of -the North Pole, read before the Royal Geographical Society of London, -April 10th, 1865, by W. E. Hickson, Esq., from which I extract the following:—</p> - -<p>"It had always been supposed that the immediate areas of the Poles -must be the coldest regions of the globe, because the farthest points from -the equator. Hence the argument that the higher the latitude the -greater must be the difficulties and dangers of navigation. Quite an opposite -opinion, however, had begun to prevail among meteorologists on -the publication, in 1817, of the Isothermal system of Alexander Von -Humboldt, which showed that distance from the equator is no rule for -cold, as the equator is not a parallel of maximum heat. The line of maximum -heat crosses the Greenwich meridian, in Africa, fifteen degrees -north of the equator, and rises, to the eastward, five degrees higher, running -along the southern edge of the Desert of Sahara. In 1821, Sir -David Brewster pointed out, in a paper on the mean temperature of the -globe, the probability of the thermometer being found to range ten degrees -higher at the Pole than in some other parts of the Arctic Circle. No new -facts have since been discovered to invalidate this conclusion—many, on -the contrary, have come to light tending to confirm it."</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_355">- 355 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">POLAR CURRENTS</div> - -<p>Bearing these facts in mind, the reader will perceive -that it is the surface-water only which ever -reaches so low a temperature that it is changed to -ice; and he will also perceive that when the wind -moves the surface-water, the particles which have become -chilled by contact with the air mingle in the -rolling waves with the warm waters beneath, and -hence that ice can only form in sheltered places or -where the water of some bay is so shoal and the current -so slack that it becomes chilled to the very bottom, -or where the air over the sea is uniformly calm. -He will remember, however, that the winds blow as -fiercely over the Polar Sea as in any other quarter of -the world; and he will, therefore, have no difficulty -in comprehending that the Polar ice covers but a -small part of the Polar water; and that it exists only -where it is nursed and protected by the land. It -clings to the coasts of Siberia, and springing thence -across Behring Strait to America, it hugs the American -shore, fills the narrow channels which drain the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_356">- 356 -</span> -Polar waters into Baffin Bay through the Parry Archipelago, -crosses thence to Greenland, from Greenland -to Spitzbergen, and from Spitzbergen to Nova -Zembla,—thus investing the Pole in an uninterrupted -land-clinging belt of ice, more or less broken -as well in winter as in summer, and the fragments -ever moving to and fro, though never widely separating, -forming a barrier against which all the arts and -energies of man have not hitherto prevailed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ICE-BELT.</div> - -<p>If the reader would further pursue the inquiry, let -him place one leg of a pair of dividers on the map -near the North Pole (say in latitude 86°, longitude -160° W.), and inscribe a circle two thousand miles in -diameter, and he will have touched the margin of the -land and the mean line of the ice-belt throughout its -wide circuit, and have covered an area of more than -three millions of square miles.</p> - -<p>Although this ice-belt has not been broken through, -it has been penetrated in many places, and its southern -margin has been followed, partly along the waters -formed near the land by the discharging rivers of the -Arctic water-sheds of Asia and America, and partly -by working through the ice which is always more or -less loosened by the summer. It was in this manner -that various navigators have attempted the northwest -passage; and it was after following the coast -line from Behring Strait to Banks Land, and then -pushing through the broken ice that Sir Robert McClure -finally succeeded in effecting this long-sought-for -passage—not, however, by carrying his ship completely -through, but by traveling over the winter ice -three hundred miles to Wellington Channel, whence -he returned home through Baffin Bay in a ship that -had come from the eastward. And it was in this -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_357">- 357 -</span> -same manner that Captain Collinson, passing from -west to east, reached almost to the spot where perished -Franklin, who had entered the ice from the opposite -direction. And it is thus, also, that the Russians -have explored the coasts of Siberia, meeting -but two insurmountable obstacles to the navigation -from the Atlantic to the Pacific side, namely, Cape -Jakan, against which the ice is always jammed, and -which Behring tried in vain to pass, and Cape Ceverro -Vostochnoi, which the gallant young Lieutenant -Prondtschikoff made such heroic efforts to surmount. -And it was by the same method of navigation -that the Amsterdam pilot, earnest old William -Barentz, strove, in 1598, to find by the northeast a -passage to Cathay.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ICE NAVIGATION.</div> - -<p>The efforts to break through the belt, with the expectation -of finding clear water about the Pole, have -been very numerous, and they have been made -through every opening from the southern waters to -the Polar Sea. To follow the history of those various -attempts would not fall within my present purpose. -It is but a long record of defeat, so far as concerned -the single object of getting to the Pole. Cook, -and all who have come after him, have failed to find -the ice sufficiently open to admit of navigation northward -from Behring Strait, as Hudson and his followers -have through the Spitzbergen Sea; and all the -efforts through Baffin Bay have been equally futile. -The most persevering attempts to break through the -ice-belt have been made to the west of Spitzbergen, -and in this quarter ships have approached nearer to -the Pole than in any other. The highest well-authenticated -position achieved by any navigator -was that of Scorsby, who reached latitude 81° 30´, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_358">- 358 -</span> -although it is claimed that Hudson had gone still -further; and if the stories which Daines Barrington -picked up from the fishermen of Amsterdam and Hull -are to be relied on, then the old Dutch and English -voyagers have gone even beyond this, seeking new -fishing-grounds and finding everywhere an open sea. -There is, however, as before observed, no well-authenticated -record of any ship having attained a higher -latitude than that of Scorsby.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">WRANGEL'S OPEN SEA.</div> - -<p>Failing to get through the ice, explorers have next -tried to cross it with sledges. In this the Russians -have done most. Many enterprising officers of the -Russian service, using the dog-sledges of the native -tribes inhabiting the Siberian coast, have, in the early -spring, boldly struck out upon the Polar Sea. Most -conspicuous among them was Admiral Wrangel, then -a young lieutenant of the Russian Navy, whose explorations, -continued through several years, showed -that, at all seasons of the year, the same condition of -the sea existed to the northward. The travelers were -invariably arrested by open water; and the existence -of a <i>Polynia</i> or open sea above the New Siberian Islands, -became a fact as well established as that the -rivers flow downward to the sea.</p> - -<p>Sir Edward Parry tried the same method above -Spitzbergen, using, however, men instead of dogs for -draft, and carrying boats for safety in the event of -the ice breaking up. Parry traveled northward until -the ice, becoming loosened by the advancing season, -carried him south faster than he was traveling -north; and after a while it broke up under him, and -set him adrift in the open sea.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">KANE'S OPEN SEA.</div> - -<p>Next came Captain Inglefield's attempt to get into -this circumpolar water through Smith Sound; and -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_359">- 359 -</span> -then Dr. Kane's. The latter's vessel could not be -forced further into the ice than Van Rensselaer Harbor; -and, like the Russians, he continued the work -with sledges. After many embarrassments and failures -in his attempts to surmount the difficulties presented -by hummocked ice of the Sound, one of his -parties succeeded finally in reaching the predicted -open water; and, to quote Dr. Kane's words, "from -an elevation of five hundred and eighty feet, this water -was still without a limit, moved by a heavy swell, free -of ice, and dashing in surf against a rock-bound -shore." This shore was the shore of the land which -he named Washington Land.</p> - -<p>Next, after Dr. Kane's, came my own undertaking; -and the last chapter leaves me with my sledge upon -the shores of that same sea which Dr. Kane describes, -about one hundred miles to the north and west of the -point from which one of his parties looked out upon -the iceless waters. My own opinion of what I saw -and of the condition of this sea, which Wrangel found -open on the opposite side from where I stood, and -which Kane's party had found open to my right, and -which Parry's journey showed to be open above -Spitzbergen, may be inferred from what I have already -briefly stated, and may be more briefly concluded.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">EXPANSION OF SMITH SOUND.</div> - -<p>The boundaries of the Polar Basin are sufficiently -well defined to enable us to form a rational estimate -of the unknown coast-lines of Greenland and Grinnell -Land,—the only parts of the extensive circuit -remaining unexplored. The trend of the northern -coast-line of Greenland is approximately defined by -the reasonable analogies of physical geography; and -the same process of reasoning forbids the conclusion -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_360">- 360 -</span> -that Grinnell Land extends beyond the limit of my -explorations. I hold, as Inglefield did before me, that -Smith Sound expands into the Polar Basin. Beyond -the narrow passage between Cape Alexander and -Cape Isabella, the water widens steadily up to Cape -Frazer, where it expands abruptly. On the Greenland -side the coast trends regularly to the eastward, -until it reaches Cape Agassiz, where it dips under -the glacier and is lost to observation. That cape -is composed of primitive rock, and is the end of a -mountain spur. This same rock is visible at many -places along the coast, but is mostly covered with the -deposit of sandstone and greenstone, which forms the -tall cliffs of the coast-line, until it crops out about -thirty miles in the interior into a mountain chain, -which, (in company with Mr. Wilson), I crossed, in -1853, to find the <i>mer de glace</i> hemmed in behind it. -Further to the north the <i>mer de glace</i> has poured -down into the Polar Sea, and pushing its way onward -through the water, it has at length reached Washington -Land, and swelled southward into Smith Sound. -That the face of Humboldt Glacier trends more to -the eastward than is exhibited on Dr. Kane's chart, I -have shown; and that Washington Land will be -found to lie much farther in the same direction, I -have sufficient grounds for believing. According to -the report of Morton, it is to be inferred that this -island is but a continuation of the same granitic ridge -which breaks off abruptly at Cape Agassiz, and appears -again above the sea at Cape Forbes, in a line -conformable with the Greenland range. It is probable -then that at some remote period this Washington -Land stood in the expansion of Smith Sound, -washed by water on every side,—that lying to the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_361">- 361 -</span> -eastward being now supplanted by the great glacier -of Humboldt; that lying to the westward now bearing -the name of Kennedy Channel.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE OPEN POLAR SEA.</div> - -<p>With the warm flood of the Gulf Stream pouring -northward, and keeping the waters of the Polar Sea -at a temperature above the freezing point, while the -winds, blowing as constantly under the Arctic as under -the Tropic sky, and the ceaseless currents of the -sea and the tide-flow of the surface, keep the waters -ever in movement, it is not possible, as I have before -observed, that even any considerable portion of -this extensive sea can be frozen over. At no point -within the Arctic Circle has there been found an ice-belt -extending, either in winter or in summer, more -than from fifty to a hundred miles from land. And -even in the narrow channels separating the islands -of the Parry Archipelago, in Baffin Bay, in the North -Water, and the mouth of Smith Sound,—everywhere, -indeed, within the broad area of the Frigid Zone, the -waters will not freeze except when sheltered by the -land, or when an ice-pack, accumulated by a long -continuance of winds from one quarter, affords the -same protection. That the sea does not close except -when at rest, I had abundant reason to know during -the late winter; for at all times, as this narrative frequently -records, even when the temperature of the -air was below the freezing point of mercury, I could -hear from the deck of the schooner the roar of the -beating waves.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE OPEN WATER.</div> - -<p>It would be needless for me to detain the reader -with the conclusions to be drawn from the condition -of the sea as observed by me at the point from which -the last chapter left us returning, as the facts speak -for themselves. It will not, however, be out of place -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_362">- 362 -</span> -to observe that no one whose eye has ever rested -upon the Arctic ice or witnessed the changes of the -Arctic seasons, could fail to realize that in a very short -time, as the summer advanced, the open water would -steadily eat its way southward, through Kennedy -Channel, into Smith Sound.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page362" style="max-width: 9.875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="A Sketch"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page362.png" alt="A Sketch" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_363">- 363 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>ON BOARD THE SCHOONER.—REVIEW OF THE JOURNEY.—THE RETURN DOWN -KENNEDY CHANNEL.—A SEVERE MARCH IN A SNOW-STORM.—ROTTEN ICE.—EFFECTS -OF A GALE.—RETURNING THROUGH THE HUMMOCKS.—THE -DOGS BREAKING DOWN.—ADRIFT ON A FLOE AT CAIRN POINT.—THE -OPEN WATER COMPELS US TO TAKE TO THE LAND.—REACHING THE -SCHOONER.—PROJECTING A CHART.—THE NEW SOUND.—MY NORTHERN -DISCOVERIES.</p> -</div> - - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -<span class="smcap">Port Foulke</span>, June 3d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Back again on board the schooner after two months' -toiling and journeying on the ice.</p> - -<p>Since I left her deck on the 3d of April, I have -traveled not less than 1300 miles, and not less than -1600 since first setting out in March. I am somewhat -battered and weather-beaten, but a day or so of -rest and civilized comfort, the luxury of a wash and a -bed, and of a table covered with clean crockery filled -with the best of things that my old Swedish cook can -turn out, are wondrously rejuvenating,—potent as -the touch of Hebe to the war-worn Iolas.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">REVIEW OF THE JOURNEY.</div> - -<p>Affairs seem to have gone on well at the schooner. -Radcliffe has given me his report, and it is satisfactory. -McCormick has presented a full history of -events since leaving me among the hummocks; but -I refrain now from recording them until I have set -down some of the leading incidents of my journey, -while they are yet fresh in my mind. Besides, McCormick -tells me that he is unable to repair the -schooner that she may be ice-worthy; and, as I am -unwilling to accept this conclusion without a further -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_364">- 364 -</span> -examination than I have yet been able to make, I -postpone any further allusion to the matter. To confess -the truth, the last days of the homeward journey -used us all up pretty thoroughly; and, although the -confined atmosphere of the cabin is oppressive to me -after so long an exposure in the open air, yet the -doctor (which is my <i>doppelganger</i>) warns me to keep -to this lounge for a day or so. I am not, however, -forbidden to write.</p> - -<p>I have returned well satisfied that Kennedy Channel -is navigable; and it remains only to be proven -whether Smith Sound will open sufficiently to permit -a passage through. With steam, I should have no -doubt whatever of my ability to force it; with sails, -of course, the effort is filled with greater uncertainty; -and yet, I think, the chances are with me.</p> - -<p>I am fully convinced that a route to the Pole,—a -route, certainly, not wholly unobstructed by ice, yet -free enough at least for steam navigation, is open -every summer from Cape Frazer; and if I can pull -through to that point, then I shall have accomplished -the full measure of my desires. In truth, this is the -real difficulty. My views of the whole matter will be -set down here on the spot as opportunity offers from -day to day. To-morrow, I hope to be sufficiently recovered -from the fatigues of the journey to begin the -discussion of my materials, and the projection of my -chart.</p> - -<p>And now, with a heart filled with thankfulness to -that Great Being who suffereth not even a sparrow to -fall to the ground without His notice, I have here the -happiness to record that in these two months of perilous -traveling, He has spared me and every member -of my party from serious accident or permanent injury.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_365">- 365 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 4th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE RETURN.</div> - -<p>I have worked up some of my sights, and rudely -sketched in the coast-line of my track-chart. It -makes a respectable show for our summer's sledging. -Since the middle of March, I have covered the entire -ground gone over by Dr. Kane's various parties, -except the coast of Washington Land, and have extended -the former surveys considerably to the north -and west. But the important additions which I have -been enabled to make to the geographical knowledge -of the region I regard as of secondary interest to the -circumstance that my journey has shown the practicability -of this route into the Polar Basin.</p> - -<p>My return southward from the shores of the Polar -Sea is not recorded in my field-diary. There is no -record after we had turned our faces homeward. -That water-soaked and generally dilapidated-looking -book, which now lies open on the table before me, -breaks off thus:—</p> - -<p>"Halted in the lee of a huge ice-cliff, seeking shelter -from a fierce storm that set upon us soon after -we started south. We have made about ten miles, -and have from forty to fifty yet to make before we -reach Jensen. We have given the dogs the last of -our food. It is snowing and blowing dreadfully."</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LONG AND WEARY MARCH.</div> - -<p>The storm continued with unabated violence -through the next day; and as the wind shrieked -along the tall cliffs, carrying with it the drifting -snow, I thought that I had scarcely ever seen or -heard any thing more dismal. Unable to bear the -chilliness of our imperfect shelter, (we had no means -of making a snow-hut,) we pushed on, wading -through deep drifts in addition to climbing the -rocks and masses of ice, which, in going north, had -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_366">- 366 -</span> -everywhere more or less embarrassed our progress. -The snow-drifts were often so deep that the dogs had -much trouble in wading through them, and it was -all that they could do to drag the now quite empty -sledge. After a time they became so much exhausted -that it was with the utmost difficulty that we could -force them forward. The poor beasts fell in their -tracks the moment the whip ceased to be applied. I -had never before seen them so much broken. To -halt was of little use, as rest, without food, would -do harm rather than good; and as we had no shelter, -and in the item of food were as badly off as the -dogs, there was nothing for us to do but to hold on -and get through to Jensen's camp, or perish in the -storm. Fortunately, the wind was at our backs.</p> - -<p>We kept on in our winding course through the -pelting snow, and reached, finally, the north side of -the bay above Jensen's camp; and then the hardest -part of the journey was to come. The tramp across -that bay comes back to me now as the vague recollection -of some ugly dream. I scarcely remember -how we got through it. I recall only an endless -pounding of the dogs, who wanted to lie down with -every step, the ceaseless wading, the endless crunch -of the wearied feet breaking through the old snow-crust, -the laborious climbing over hummocks, the -pushing and lifting of the sledge,—and, through the -blinding snow, I remember, at length, catching sight -of the land and of hearing the cry of Jensen's dogs; -and then of crawling up the ice-foot to his snow-hut. -Through all these last hours, we were aware of a desire -to halt and sleep; and it is fortunate for us that -we did not lose consciousness of its dangers.</p> - -<p>Without waiting to be fed, the dogs tumbled over -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_367">- 367 -</span> -on the snow the moment they were left to themselves; -and we, dragging ourselves inside the hut which McDonald -had made to shelter his sick companion, fell -into a dead, dead sleep. Jensen noted the time. We -had been twenty-two hours on the way, since leaving -our shelter beneath the ice-cliff.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A LAST LOOK.</div> - -<p>When we awoke, the storm had died away, and the -sun was shining brightly. McDonald had looked -after the dogs, and had ready for us a hot pot of -coffee and an abundant breakfast, which thirty-four -hours' fasting had prepared us fully to appreciate. -Refreshed by this, I climbed the hill-side for a last -look at the sea which we were leaving. The gale -had told somewhat upon it. The dark water-sky to -the northeast had followed us down the coast, the -wind had acted upon the open places in the ice, and -the little waves had eaten away their margins, and -magnified them greatly, while many of the old floes -had finally yielded to the immense pressure of the -wind, and had moved in their winter moorings, tearing -up the rotten ice about them. Several cracks -had opened almost to the shore, and the "hinge" of -the ice-foot had mainly tumbled away.</p> - -<p>Jensen was better, but still moved with much difficulty -and pain. By sitting on the sledge, however, -he thought that he should be able to drive his dogs; -so I gave Knorr our entire cargo. This cargo was -now reduced to small dimensions, and consisted of -nothing but our buffalo-skins, rifle, my instruments, -and a few geological specimens. Our food was consumed -to the last pound, and hence we must go supperless -if we did not reach our next cache, where, if -the bears should not have discovered it, we had one -meal buried under a heap of stones.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_368">- 368 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 5th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I resume the narrative.</p> - -<p>The march to the cache was a very tedious one, -but we took it leisurely, and got through with it in -sixteen hours, to find our food unmolested. The repeated -halts to rest the dogs gave me abundant leisure -to search among the limestone cliffs for further -fossil remains, and my exertions were rewarded with -a valuable collection. It is, perhaps, too much to say -that they are fossils of the Silurian era, from a hasty -examination; but I think it more than probable.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE SHORE-ICE.</div> - -<p>I had also opportunity to measure some of the -masses of ice which had been forced upon the shore. -In many places these masses were crowded together, -forming an almost impassable barrier. In other -places the ice-foot had been torn through, and in one -spot a table sixty feet in thickness and forty yards -across had been crowded on the sloping shore, pushing -up the loose, rocky <i>débris</i> which lay at the base of -the cliffs; and when the pack that had caused the -disturbance had drifted away, this fragment was left -with its lower edge above the tide. Around it were -piled other masses; and, in order to pass it, we were -obliged to climb far up the hill-side.</p> - -<p>Our next day's journey was even more difficult, as -we became entangled among deep snow-drifts below -Cape Frazer, and, on account of the rotten condition -of the ice lining the shore, we could not take to -the ice-fields. We tried twice, and came near paying -dearly for the experiment. One of the teams got in -bodily, and was extricated with difficulty; while, on -the other occasion, I, acting in my usual capacity of -pilot, saved myself from a cold bath with my ice-pole, -which, plunging through the rotten ice and disappearing -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_369">- 369 -</span> -out of sight, gave me timely warning; so we put -back again to the more secure land-ice.</p> - -<p>In the bay below Cape Napoleon we found, on the -following day, secure footing, and reached Cape -Hawks without difficulty, in two more marches. -Thence we proceeded to follow our outward track -through the hummocks. The sledges being now light, -and Jensen having so far improved as to be able to -walk, we experienced less embarrassment than on our -outward journey; but the dogs were now in a very -different condition, and lightness of load leveled not -the hummocks and made not the steep places smooth, -nor the ice less sharp, nor the snow-crusts less treacherous. -The task was wearisome and exhausting to -the last degree,—a hard struggle, destructive to the -energies of men and dogs alike.</p> - -<p>Some snow had fallen, but, fortunately, the wind -had drifted it from our tracks in many places, and we -found our way to the small provision caches which we -had left going north, and, luckily, they had all escaped -the observation of the bears except one; but, having -made a good march on the first day from Cape Hawks, -we picked up the first cache we came to, and thus -saved a day's food,—a piece of good fortune which -we had not counted upon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SIGHTING GREENLAND.</div> - -<p>The coast of Greenland rose at length into view, -and, steadily rising day by day, we came within sight -of Cairn Point; but, for some time previous, we were -warned of the rapid advance of the season by the -dark water-sky which lay before us, showing that the -open water extended up to the Point, for which we -were shaping our course. On the north side of it, -however, the ice appeared to be solid. Thinking that -we could make the land in that direction, we pushed -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_370">- 370 -</span> -on, picking our way over the rough and thicker ice, -and avoiding the younger ice, which was everywhere -porous, and occasionally worn completely away. At -length, when about a mile from land, we came upon a -crack, which had opened not more than a foot. Crossing -this, we held in directly for the Point, but, unfortunately, -the wind was blowing heavily down the -Sound; and, as we neared the land, we found that the -water had eaten in between the ice and the shore, -obliging us to keep up the coast. To our horror and -dismay, we now discovered that the crack which we -had crossed had opened at least twenty yards, and we -were adrift upon an ice-raft in an open sea, without -power to help ourselves.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ADRIFT ON AN ICE-RAFT.</div> - -<p>The movement of the ice was slow. After waiting -a short time, irresolute as to what course we should -pursue, it was observed that the outer end of the -loosened floe was moving, while the inner edge was -almost stationary, owing to a small iceberg, which, -being aground and fastened to the floe itself, formed -a pivot about which we were revolving. If this berg -held, it was evident that the floe would strike the -land, and we approached nearer to its margin.</p> - -<p>The event which we had so eagerly desired now -happened; and, dashing forward when the collision -came, we managed to get upon the land-ice. The -tide, being at full flood, facilitated the undertaking. -The contact did not long continue. The rotten edge -of the floe broke loose from the little berg which -had given us this most fortunate assistance, and we -were not sorry to see the ice-raft drifting away without -us.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TAKING TO THE LAND.</div> - -<p>By this time, the dogs had become more broken. -They had borne up admirably during the journey -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_371">- 371 -</span> -north, but the scant rations which we had left behind -for the return journey were found to be insufficient -to support their strength, especially as they had, for -some time, Jensen's additional weight to carry. One -of them gave out completely, and died in a fit, during -the first day's journey in the hummocks; two others -followed soon afterward; while another, having become -unable either to pull or follow, was shot. Much -to my surprise, as soon as the bullet struck the animal, -wounding him but slightly and causing him to -set up a terrible cry, his companions in the team flew -upon him and tore him to pieces in an instant, and -those who were lucky enough to get a fragment of -him were tearing the flesh from his bones almost before -the echo of his last howl had died away in the -solitude.</p> - -<p>The sea below Cairn Point was filled with loose ice, -evidently broken adrift by a very recent gale. By -keeping to the land-ice we managed to work our way -down the coast, and got around Cape Hatherton; but, -below this, the ice-foot, too, was gone, thus obliging -us to take to the land. To cross the mountains with -our sledges was, of course, impracticable; so we were -compelled to abandon them until such time as we -could come for them in a boat.</p> - -<p>The land journey was very tedious and tiresome, -exhausted and foot-sore as we were already; but -we managed better than the dogs. Most of them -sneaked away as soon as loosened from the sledges, -and would not follow us; and when sought for could -not be found. I did not feel apprehensive for -them, as I supposed they merely needed rest, and -would follow our tracks to the vessel. Three of -them only stuck to us. One is the noble old beast, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_372">- 372 -</span> -Oosisoak; another is his brave queen, Arkadik; and -the third Nenook, the finest of Kalutunah's dogs. -Three others have come in since; but four are yet -missing. I have sent out to seek them, without success. -I much fear that they will not have strength to -drag themselves on board.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A NEW SOUND.</div> - -<p>And so my journey ended. If it has had its disappointments, -it has had, too, its triumphs and successes. -It was unfortunate that I did not get the boat over -the Sound, together with a good supply of provisions; -but, failing in this, the failure of the foot-party was of -little moment. No amount of assistance could, with -sledges alone, have helped me further north; or, if I -had got further, could have ever got me back again.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 8th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have finished the plotting of my chart, and I find, -as I have already had occasion to observe, that the -coast-line from Cape Sabine to Cape Frazer differs -somewhat from that shown from my journey in 1854, -which was made under the embarrassments of partial -snow-blindness and a vapory atmosphere. The most -important feature in connection with this old survey -is the fact that the Sound opening westward from -Smith Sound, above Cape Sabine, formerly escaped -my observation. The existence of this Sound was -abundantly confirmed during my return journey; -and my materials, now reduced and put on paper, -give me the correct conformation of the coast. The -Sound is somewhat wider than Smith Sound, narrowing, -however, steadily, from a broad entrance, something -like Whale Sound. Whether it continues to -the westward, parallel with Jones and Lancaster -Sounds, separating the Ellesmere Land, of Inglefield, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_373">- 373 -</span> -from the Grinnell Land of my former exploration, -of course, remains to be proven; but, that such -is the fact, I have no doubt.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">NOMENCLATURE.</div> - -<p>I give to this Sound the name of my vessel. The -first conspicuous Cape which appears on its south side -I name Cape Seward, and the most remote point of -visible land lying beyond it, Cape Viele. The three -last conspicuous Capes on the north side I name as -follows: the most westerly, Cape Baker; that next to -it, Cape Sawyer; and the third, Cape Stetson. The -apparently deep indentations of the coast which lie -between these bold headlands are designated as Joy -Bay and Peabody Bay. The two large islands lying -in the mouth of the Sound I have distinguished as -Bache Island and Henry Island. Eastward of Cape -Stetson I have applied such names as seemed to me -appropriate to distinguish the prominent landmarks; -but it is unnecessary to mention them here, as the -map tells its own story. In those parts of the coast -which were plotted by Dr. Kane from my old survey, -I have endeavored to adhere, as far as practicable, to -his nomenclature; and such parts of the shores of -Kennedy Channel as were seen by Morton alone, I -have, for the most part, simply applied Dr. Kane's -names, without inquiring very particularly as to their -corresponding places on the two maps. I think this -course, in the main, preferable to that somewhat confusing -system which deprived Captain Inglefield of -the benefits of his survey of Smith Sound; and I -have, besides, the additional satisfaction of joining Dr. -Kane in paying respect to many distinguished men -of science, dead and living, and among them to none -that contribute more gratification than that of M. de -la Roquette, Vice-President of the Geographical Society -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_374">- 374 -</span> -of Paris; and to Sir Roderick Murchison, President -of the Royal Geographical Society, London, and -Dr. Norton Shaw, its Secretary. The coast-range, -which forms such a conspicuous feature of Grinnell -Land, I have followed Dr. Kane in designating as Victoria -and Albert Mountains.</p> - -<p>The highest point attained by me I have called -Cape Lieber; a remarkable peak rising above it, -Church's Monument; and the Bay, which lies below -it, is named in respectful remembrance of Lady Franklin. -The conspicuous headland which I vainly attempted -to reach, on the last day of my northward -journey, I have named Cape Eugénie, thinking, in -this manner, to express my high appreciation of the -many acts of kindness to this expedition and to -myself which I owe to French citizens, by remembering -their Empress. Another prominent headland appearing -beyond it I designate as Cape Frederick VII., -in honor of the King of Denmark, to whose subjects -in Greenland I am indebted for so many serviceable -attentions. And to the noble headland which, in faint -outline, stood against the dark sky of the open sea—the -most northern known land upon the globe—I -name Cape Union, in remembrance of a compact -which has given prosperity to a people and founded -a nation. In naming the bay which lies between -Cape Union and Cape Frederick VII., I am desirous -of expressing my admiration of Admiral Wrangel, -whose fame in connection with Arctic discovery is -equaled by that of Sir Edward Parry only. And the -lofty peak which overlooks the Polar Sea from behind -Cape Eugénie, I name Parry Mountain. With this -eminent explorer I will now divide the honors of extreme -northern travel; for, if he has carried the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_375">- 375 -</span> -British flag upon the sea nearer to the North Pole -than any flag had been carried hitherto, I have -planted the American flag further north upon the -land then any flag has been planted before. The -Bay between Capes Frederick VII. and Eugénie I -name in honor of the distinguished geographer, Dr. -Augustus Peterman; and two large bays lower down -the coast I call, respectively, after Carl Ritter and -William Scorsby.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">WASHINGTON LAND.</div> - -<p>In plotting my survey I have been a little puzzled -with the Washington Land of Dr. Kane's map, and I -am much tempted to switch it off twenty miles to the -eastward; for it is not possible that Kennedy Channel -can be less than fifty miles wide; and, since I -believe that Smith Sound expands into the Polar -Basin, I must look upon Washington Land merely -as an island in its centre,—Kennedy Channel lying -between it and Grinnell Land on the west, and Humboldt -Glacier filling up what was once a channel on -the right.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page375" style="max-width: 10.625em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Observatory at Port Foulke"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page375.png" alt="Observatory at Port Foulke" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_376">- 376 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>INSPECTION OF THE SCHOONER.—METHOD OF REPAIRING.—THE SERIOUS -NATURE OF THE INJURY.—THE SCHOONER UNFIT FOR ANY FURTHER ICE-ENCOUNTERS.—EXAMINATION -OF MY RESOURCES.—PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The extracts from my journal quoted in the preceding -chapter will have sufficed to give the reader -an understanding of the results of my spring and -summer sledging, and he will have perceived that they -were regarded by me as having laid down a correct -basis for future exploration. With the character of -the Smith Sound ice I had become more familiar, and -the accurate determination of the coast-lines enabled -me more readily to calculate upon the influence of -the summer drift; while the rotten state of the ice in -Kennedy Channel, even at so early a period of the -season as May, and the existence of open water beyond -it, left no doubt upon my mind as to the practicability -of getting a vessel through under ordinarily -favorable conditions of the season.</p> - -<p>It will be perceived, therefore, that my future -course was dependent upon the condition of the -schooner.</p> - -<p>Although I have not made more than a passing allusion -to the report of Mr. McCormick as to the damage -sustained by the vessel, yet the reader will have -gathered from my journal that it caused me much -anxiety. I was too much prostrated after my return -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_377">- 377 -</span> -from the journey to make, during the first few days, -that thorough inspection which was needed to form a -correct judgment. I was consoled, however, in some -measure for the delay, by realizing the necessity of -writing up the occurrences of my return journey, -while they were fresh in my mind, and of defining on -my chart the observations and geographical discoveries -which I had made.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">INSPECTION OF THE SCHOONER.</div> - -<p>These duties performed, and my strength sufficiently -restored to justify me in leaving my cabin, I made a -careful examination of the schooner and the means -which had been adopted for repairing her. These -means were altogether unexceptionable, and reflected -much credit upon Mr. McCormick and also upon the -mate, Mr. Dodge, who had given him zealous assistance.</p> - -<p>McCormick had begun by digging the ice away -from the bows down to the very keel, thus exposing -all the forward part of the vessel as completely as if -she lay in a dry-dock. The damage proved to have -been even greater than we had anticipated, and it -seemed remarkable that the forward planks and timbers -had not opened to such a degree as to let the -water through in torrents and sink us at once. The -heads of the planks which were let into the stem -were all started; the outer planking was loose and -gaping open; the iron sheathing of the cut-water and -bows was torn and curled up as if it had been pine-shavings; -the stem-post was started, and the cut-water -itself was completely torn away.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">REPAIRING THE SCHOONER.</div> - -<p>By dint of much earnest exertion and the use of -bolts and spikes,—by replacing the torn cut-water, -careful calking, and renewal of the iron plates,—it -seemed probable that the schooner would be -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_378">- 378 -</span> -sea-worthy; but I was forced to agree with my sailing-master, -that to strike the ice again was sure to sink -her.</p> - -<p>The stern of the schooner had been dry-docked in -the same manner as the bows; and it was found that -the severe wrench which she had got off Littleton -Island had started the stern-post, upon which hangs -the rudder; and the rudder itself had been twisted -off,—the pintles having been snapped asunder as if -they had been made of pipe-clay. This accident to -the rudder had been quite unavoidable, for we were -so situated at the time of its occurrence that we could -not avail ourselves of the facilities with which we -were provided for unshipping it.</p> - -<p>McCormick had succeeded in getting in some stout -screw-bolts, and had managed, by an ingenious device, -in hanging the rudder in such a manner that we -could rely upon it to steer the schooner; but it would -not bear contact with the ice, or another wrench, and -it could not be unshipped. The schooner's sides were -much torn and abraided, but no material damage -seemed to have been done which was not repaired -with some additional spikes to secure the started -planks, and a general calking to close the seams.</p> - -<p>I felt much disappointment at the turn of affairs. -It seemed very probable that, in view of the crippled -condition of the schooner, the project of getting into -Kennedy Channel and of navigating the Polar Sea -with her would have to be abandoned for the present, -and that I had now no chance for another year but -with boat and sledge. In this direction there was -nothing to give encouragement. To transport a -boat across such ice as that of Smith Sound was -wholly impracticable, and I was now more poorly off -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_379">- 379 -</span> -for dogs than before. Only six animals survived the -late journey. Of these one died after a few days, -apparently from sheer loss of vitality; and one was -returned to Kalutunah.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MY RESOURCES.</div> - -<p>Under these circumstances, it became a matter for -serious reflection, whether it were not wiser to return -home, refit, add—what was of much consequence—steam-power -to my resources, and come back again -immediately. Once at Cape Isabella with a proper -vessel, I was fully persuaded that I could get into the -northern water, and find a free route to the Pole, -although it might be a hard struggle and somewhat -hazardous. The chances of success would be greatly -enhanced by <i>steam</i>.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, by remaining, I could not -clearly see my way to accomplish any thing more -of northern discovery than had been accomplished -already; and I was now called upon to consider -whether my time and means could be employed to -better advantage by promptly returning to refit than -to postpone that inevitable result to another year. -The responsibilities of the expedition had been wholly -assumed by myself; and, from the time of leaving -Boston until I should have completed the exploration -which I had undertaken, I proposed to make -the costs which, hitherto, various associations and individuals -had shared with me, now exclusively my -own. I was, therefore, compelled to husband my -resources and to act with caution and deliberation.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.</div> - -<p>I will not now detain the reader with the full details -of my plans for the future, arranged to meet this -new exigency; suffice it here to observe that, after -taking Jensen and Kalutunah into my counsels, I -was fully convinced that, by bringing out two ships,—mooring -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_380">- 380 -</span> -one of them in Port Foulke, and pushing -north with the other,—a practicable scheme of exploration -could be inaugurated, and that its success -as well as safety would be secured. To this end, I -proposed to myself to establish a permanent hunting -station or colony at Port Foulke; to collect -about that place all of the Esquimaux;<a id="FNanchor_12" href="#Footnote_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a> organize a -vigorous hunt; and make that hunt yield whatever -was essential for sustaining indefinitely an extended -system of exploration toward the North Pole. In -the practicability of establishing such a station, -Jensen, whose experience in the Greenland colonies -was extensive, fully agreed with me, and he was -much delighted with the plan, accepting without -hesitation my proposal to make him superintendent -of it; Kalutunah was overjoyed with the prospect of -bringing all of his people together; and, in this aspect -alone, the scheme possessed much that was to -me personally gratifying. My intercourse with this -fast-dwindling race had caused me to feel a deep interest -in them and to sympathize with their unhappy -condition. The hardships of their life were telling -upon them sadly, and, if not rescued by the hand of -Christian philanthropy and benevolence, in less than -half a century these poor wanderers of the icy sea -will have all passed away.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_12" href="#FNanchor_12" class="label">[12]</a> The Esquimaux may, to a limited extent, be even made available in -exploration, as has been shown by the experience of Mr. C. F. Hall, who -is now, with no other reliance than the natives, energetically pushing his -discoveries westward from Repulse Bay.</p> - -</div> - -<p>My plans for the future did not, however, assume -definite shape at the period of which I write, nor -could they until the schooner should be set free.</p> - - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" id="snowflake3" style="max-width: 4.5em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Snowflake"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page126.png" alt="Snowflake (same as No. 5)" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_381">- 381 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE ARCTIC SPRING.—SNOW DISAPPEARING.—PLANTS SHOW SIGNS OF LIFE.—RETURN -OF THE BIRDS.—CHANGE IN THE SEA.—REFITTING THE -SCHOONER.—THE ESQUIMAUX.—VISIT TO KALUTUNAH.—KALUTUNAH'S -ACCOUNT OF THE ESQUIMAU TRADITIONS.—HUNTING-GROUNDS CONTRACTED -BY THE ACCUMULATION OF ICE.—HARDSHIPS OF THEIR LIFE.—THEIR -SUBSISTENCE.—THE RACE DWINDLING AWAY.—VISIT TO THE -GLACIER.—RE-SURVEY OF THE GLACIER.—KALUTUNAH CATCHING BIRDS.—A -SNOW-STORM AND A GALE.—THE MID-DAY OF THE ARCTIC SUMMER.</p> -</div> - - -<p>Having determined to be guided by circumstances, -as set forth in the last chapter, I had now only to -await the breaking up of the ice and the liberation -of the schooner,—an incident which I could not anticipate -wholly without anxiety, owing to our exposure -to the southwest rendering the disruption liable -to come in the midst of a heavy swell from the sea -that would set us adrift in a rolling pack.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ARCTIC SPRING.</div> - -<p>The spring had already fairly set in when I returned -from the north, and each day added to the encroachment -of the water upon the ice. A wonderful -change had taken place since my departure in April. -The temperature had risen steadily from 35° below -zero to as many degrees above it; the wintry cloak -of whiteness which had so long clothed the hills and -valleys was giving way under the influence of the -sun's warm rays; and torrents of the melted snow -were dashing wildly down the rugged gorges, or -bounding in cascades from the lofty cliffs; and the air -was everywhere filled with the pleasing roar of falling -waters. A little lake had formed in a basin behind -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_382">- 382 -</span> -the Observatory, and a playful rivulet gurgled -from it over the pebbles down into the harbor, wearing -away the ice along the beach, and the banks of the -lake and stream were softened by the thaw, and, relieved -of their winter covering, were, thus early in -June, showing signs of a returning vegetation; the -sap had started in the willow-stems, while ice and -snow yet lay around the roots, and the mosses, -and poppies, and saxifrages, and the cochlearia, and -other hardy plants, had begun to sprout; the air was -filled with the cry of birds, which had come back for -the summer; the cliffs were alive with the little auks; -flocks of eider ducks swept over the harbor in rapid -flight, seemingly not yet decided which of the islands -to select for their summer home; the graceful terns -flitted, and screamed, and played over the sea; the -burgomaster-gulls and the ger-falcons sailed about -us with solemn gravity; the shrill "<i>Ha-hah-wee</i>" of the -long-tailed duck was often heard, as the birds shot -swiftly across the harbor; the snipe were flying about -the growing fresh-water pools; the sparrows chirped -from rock to rock; long lines of cackling geese were -sailing far overhead, winging their way to some more -remote point of northness; the deep bellow of the -walrus came from the ice-rafts, which the summer had -set adrift upon the sea; the bay and the fiord were -dotted over with seal, who had dug through the ice -from beneath, and lay basking in the warm sun; and -the place which I had left robed in the cold mantle of -winter was now dressed in the bright garments of -spring. The change had come with marvelous suddenness. -The snow on the surface of the ice was rapidly -melting; and, whenever we went outside of the ship, -we waded through slush. The ice itself was decaying -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_383">- 383 -</span> -rapidly, and its sea-margin was breaking up. The -"Twins" had been loosened from their bonds and had -floated away; and a crowd of icebergs, of forms that -were strange to us, had come sailing out of the -Sound in stately and solemn procession, wending their -way to the warmer south—their crystals tumbling -from them in fountains as they go.</p> - -<p>Every thing about me gave warning that I had returned -from the north in the nick of time.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">REFITTING THE SCHOONER.</div> - -<p>McCormick had been at work as well on the inside -as on the outside of the vessel. The temporary house -had been removed from the upper deck, and the -decks, and bulwarks, and cabins, and forecastle had -been furbished up; and, after all this spring house-cleaning, -the little schooner looked as neat and tidy -as if she had never been besmeared with the soot -and lamp-smoke of the long winter. The men were -setting up the rigging; the bow-sprit, and jib-boom, -and foretop-mast had been repaired; the yards had -been sent aloft; the masts were being scraped down; -and a little paint and tar fairly made our craft shine -again. The sailors had moved from the hold to their -natural quarters in the forecastle; and Dodge was -busy getting off and stowing away the contents of -the store-house, except such articles as I had proposed -leaving behind, which were carefully deposited -in a fissure of a rock, and covered over with heavy -stones.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A CHIEF WAXED FAT.</div> - -<p>The Esquimaux still hung round us. Tcheitchenguak -had set up a tent on the terrace, and had for a -companion a new-comer, named Alatak, and for house-keeper -a woman, who appeared to have a roving commission, -without special claim on anybody, and whom -I had seen before at Booth Bay, where she figured -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_384">- 384 -</span> -among my companions as "The Sentimental Widow." -Hans had gone, with his family, up to Chester Valley, -where he was catching auks by hundreds, and living -in the seal-skin tent that he brought from Cape York. -Angeit still prowled round the galley and pantry, -and continued, alternately, to annoy and amuse the -cook and still stoutly to resist the steward's efforts at -conversion. Kalutunah, my jolly old chief, held on -at Etah, and looked to my abundant commissariat -and fruitful bounty as the source of all human bliss. -He had grown so rich that he did not know where to -put all his wealth; and when I went over to Etah to -look after him, I found him waxing fat on laziness, -and stupid with over-feeding. I discovered him lounging -behind a rock, basking in the warm sunshine, like -the monk in the "Monastery," sitting before the fire, -"thinking of nothing." He was much rejoiced at -seeing me again, asked me many questions about my -journey, and where I had been; said that he had -never been so happy in all his life before; and he -stole the thoughts, if not the Spanish, of honest Sancho, -in his emphatic declaration, "You have filled my -belly, and therefore have won my heart." I was sorry -to have but one dog; to restore to him of the eight -with which he had supplied me; but he declared himself -satisfied. He appeared, at first, strongly to fear -that, in returning his dog, I was withdrawing my support, -and was much gratified when I told him to come -over and get as much food as he could carry away.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TRACES OF ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah's first question was, whether I had found -any Esquimaux. Before starting, I had frequently -spoken to him concerning the extension of his people -to the north, and he recited to me a well-established -tradition of the tribe, that the Esquimaux once -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_385">- 385 -</span> -extended both to the north and the south; and that, -finally, the tribe now inhabiting the coast from Cape -York to Smith Sound were cut off by the accumulation -of ice as well above as below them; and he believed -that Esquimaux were living at this present -time in both directions. That there was once no break -in the communication between the natives of the region -about Upernavik, along the shores of Melville -Bay, there can be no doubt; and Kalutunah appeared -to think that the same would hold good in the opposite -direction. The ice has accumulated in Smith -Sound as it has in Melville Bay; and what were evidently -once prosperous hunting-grounds, up to the -very face of Humboldt Glacier, are now barren wastes, -where living thing rarely comes. At various places -along the coast Dr. Kane found the remains of ancient -huts; and lower down the coast, toward the -mouth of the Sound, there are many of more recent -date. Near Cairn Point there is a hut which had been -abandoned but a year before Dr. Kane's visit, in 1853, -and has not been occupied since. In Van Rensselaer -Harbor there were several huts which had been -inhabited by the last generation.</p> - -<p>The simple discovery of traces of Esquimaux on the -coast of Grinnell Land was not altogether satisfactory -to Kalutunah, for he had confidently expected that I -would find and bring back with me some living specimens -of them; but he was still gratified to have his -traditions confirmed, and he declared that I did not -go far enough or I should have found plenty of natives; -for, said he, in effect, "There are good hunting-grounds -at the north, plenty of musk-ox (oomemak), -and wherever there are good hunting-grounds, there -the Esquimaux will be found."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_386">- 386 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<p>Kalutunah grew more sad than I had ever before -seen him, when I spoke to him of the fortunes of his -own people. "Alas!" said he, "we will soon be all -gone." I told him that I would come back, and that -white men would live for many years near Etah. -"Come back soon," said he, "or there will be none -here to welcome you!"</p> - -<p>To contemplate the destiny of this little tribe is -indeed painful. There is much in this rude people -deserving of admiration. Their brave and courageous -struggles for a bare subsistence, against what would -seem to us the most disheartening obstacles, often -being wholly without food for days together and -never obtaining it without encountering danger, -makes their hold on life very precarious. The sea -is their only harvest-field; and, having no boats in -which to pursue the game, they have only to await -the turning tide or changing season to open cracks, -along which they wander, seeking the seal and walrus -which come there to breathe. The uncertain fortunes -of the hunt often lead them in the winter time to -shelter themselves in rude hovels of snow; and, in -summer, the migrating water-fowl come to substitute -the seal and walrus, which, when the ice-fields have -floated off, they can rarely catch.</p> - -<p>From the information which I obtained through -Hans and Kalutunah, I estimated the tribe to number -about one hundred souls,—a very considerable diminution -since Dr. Kane left them, in 1855. Hans -made for me a rude map of the coast from Cape York -to Smith Sound, and set down upon it all of the villages, -if by such name the inhabited places may be -called. These places are always close by the margin -of the sea. They rarely consist of more than one -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_387">- 387 -</span> -hut, and the largest village of but three. Of the -nature of these habitations the reader will have already -gathered sufficient from my description of Kalutunah's -den at Etah.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.</div> - -<p>Awaiting the thawing out of the schooner, I could -only employ my time in the immediate vicinity of -Port Foulke with such work as I found practicable. -The pendulum experiments of the previous autumn -were repeated, and several full sets of observations -were made for the determination of the magnetic force. -The survey of the harbor and the bay was completed; -the terraces were leveled and plotted; and the angles -on "My Brother John's Glacier" were renewed. In -all of these labors I found an intelligent and painstaking -assistant in Mr. Radcliffe. This gentleman also -labored assiduously with the photographic apparatus; -and, through his patient coöperation, I was finally -enabled to secure a large number of reasonably good -pictures. Some valuable collections of natural history -were also made, and in this department I had -much useful assistance from Mr. Knorr and Mr. Starr. -The ice in the harbor offered them a fine opportunity -as the cracks opened, and their labors were rewarded -with one of the finest collections of marine invertebrata -that has been made from Arctic waters.<a id="FNanchor_13" href="#Footnote_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a> My -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_388">- 388 -</span> -journey to the glacier occupied me a week. We -pitched our tent near Alida Lake, and went systematically -to work to measure and photograph our old acquaintance -of the last autumn.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_13" href="#FNanchor_13" class="label">[13]</a> I am indebted to Dr. William Stimpson for a careful examination and -comparison of this collection, the results of which were published by him -in the "Proceedings" of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, -for May, 1863. The collection contains little that is wholly new; -but, as Dr. Stimpson has remarked, "They possess great interest from -having been found, in great part, in localities much nearer the Pole than -any previous expeditions have succeeded in reaching on the American side -of the Arctic Circle. They include some species hitherto found only on -the European side; and, we may add, the number of species collected by -Dr. Hayes is greater than that brought back by any single expedition -which has yet visited those seas, as far as can be judged by published -accounts." The collection embraces, of <i>Crustacea</i>, 22 species; <i>Annelida</i>, 18 -species; <i>Mollusca</i>, 21 species; <i>Echinodermata</i>, 7 species; <i>Acalephæ</i>, 1 specie; -and, besides these, a considerable number of <i>Nudibranchiata</i>, <i>Actiniæ</i>, -etc., which cannot well be determined from alcoholic specimens.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ENLIVENING SCENE.</div> - -<p>We arrived at the lake in the midst of a very enlivening -scene. The snow had mainly disappeared -from the valley, and, although no flowers had yet appeared, -the early vegetation was covering the banks -with green, and the feeble growths opened their little -leaves almost under the very snow, and stood alive -and fresh in the frozen turf, looking as glad of the -spring as their more ambitious cousins of the warm -south. Numerous small herds of reindeer had come -down from the mountains to fatten on this newly -budding life. Gushing rivulets and fantastic waterfalls -mingled their pleasant music with the ceaseless -hum of birds, myriads of which sat upon the rocks of -the hill-side, or were perched upon the cliffs, or sailed -through the air in swarms so thick that they seemed -like a dark cloud passing before the sun. These birds -were the hitherto mentioned little auk (<i>uria allæ</i>), -and are a water-fowl not larger than a quail. The -swift flutter of their wings and their constant cry -filled the air with a roar like that of a storm advancing -among the forest trees. The valley was glowing -with the sunlight of the early morning, which -streamed in over the glacier, and robed hill, mountain, -and plain in brightness.</p> - -<p>Hans had pitched his tent at the further end of the -lake, and Kalutunah came up with Myouk and Alatak, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_389">- 389 -</span> -and joined him. Jensen quickly shot a deer, and -Hans brought us some auks; and, before going to -work, we drew around a large rock, of which we -made a table, and partook of a substantial dinner of -Carl's preparation, washing it down with purest water -from the glacier, while listening to the music of gurgling -streams and the song of birds.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GLACIER MOVEMENT.</div> - -<p>The face of the glacier had undergone much change. -Blocks of immense size had broken from it, and lay -strewn over the valley at its base; while the glacier -itself had pressed down the slope, crowding rocks, and -snow, and the <i>débris</i> of ice before it in a confused, -wave-like heap. The progress toward the sea had -been steady and irresistible.</p> - -<p>The journey to the top of the glacier was much -more difficult than in the previous autumn, the snow -having in a great measure melted away, exposing the -rocks, and embarrassing us in the ascent of the glacier's -side, as well as of the gorge. Every thing was -wet and mucky, overhead as well as under foot. The -glacier-surface was shedding water from every side, -like the roof of a house in a February thaw; and the -little streams which flowed down its side, joining the -waters of the melting snow, trickled underneath the -glacier and reappeared in rushing torrents in the valley -below from the glacier front; and thence poured -into the lake, and from the lake to the sea.</p> - -<p>I was fortunate in finding my stakes all standing; -and, having brought up the theodolite, I repeated the -angles which, with Sonntag, I had taken the previous -October. These angles, when afterwards reduced, exhibited -a descent of the centre of the glacier, down -the valley, of ninety-six feet.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MUSK-OX.</div> - -<p>Chester Valley has in former times been quite a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_390">- 390 -</span> -resort of the Esquimaux. We found there several old -ruins of huts, some of them with bones strewn about -them, which showed that they were not of very ancient -date. Among these bones, which were mostly -of the walrus, seal, and bears, I found a part of the -head of a musk-ox, and in such a position as appeared -to render it probable that the animal of -which it had formed a part had been the food of the -former inhabitants of the ruin. Upon referring the -matter to Kalutunah, he told me that the musk-ox -was supposed to have been once numerous along the -entire coast, and that they are still occasionally seen. -No longer ago than the previous winter, a hunter of -Wolstenholme Sound, near a place called Oomeak, had -come upon two animals and killed one of them. It -would seem from this circumstance that the musk-ox -is not yet extinct in Greenland, as naturalists have -supposed.</p> - -<p>One day of my stay in the valley was occupied -with running a set of levels down from the foot of -the glacier to the sea, by which I found the former -to be ninety-two feet above the latter; and another -day was passed in hunting.</p> - -<p>It would be impossible to convey an adequate idea of -the immense numbers of the little auks which swarmed -around us. The slope on both sides of the valley -rises at an angle of about forty-five degrees to a distance -of from three hundred to five hundred feet, -where it meets the cliffs, which stand about seven -hundred feet higher. These hill-sides are composed -of the loose rocks which have been split off from the -cliffs by the frost. The birds crawl among these -rocks, winding far in through narrow places, and -there deposit each a single egg and hatch their young, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_391">- 391 -</span> -secure from their enemy, the foxes, which prowl -round in great numbers, ever watching for a meal.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AUK-CATCHING.</div> - -<p>Having told Kalutunah that I wanted to accompany -him and help him at auk-catching, that worthy -individual came to my tent early one morning, much -rejoiced that the Nalegaksoak had so favored him, and, -bright and early, hurried me to the hill-side. The -birds were more noisy than usual, for they had just -returned in immense swarms from the sea, where they -had been getting their breakfast.<a id="FNanchor_14" href="#Footnote_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> Kalutunah carried -a small net, made of light strings of seal-skin knitted -together very ingeniously. The staff by which it -was held was about ten feet long. After clambering -over the rough, sharp stones, we arrived at length -about half-way up to the base of the cliffs, where -Kalutunah crouched behind a rock and invited me to -follow his example. I observed that the birds were -nearly all in flight, and were, with rare exceptions, -the males. The length of the slope on which they -were congregated was about a mile, and a constant -stream of birds was rushing over it, but a few feet -above the stones; and, after making in their rapid -flight the whole length of the hill, they returned -higher in the air, performing over and over again the -complete circuit. Occasionally a few hundreds or -thousands of them would drop down, as if following -some leader; and in an instant the rocks, for a space -of several rods, would swarm all over with them,—their -black backs and pure white breasts speckling -the hill very prettily.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_14" href="#FNanchor_14" class="label">[14]</a> The food of the little auk, as indeed the food of all of the Arctic -water-fowl, consists of different varieties of marine invertebrata, chiefly -<i>crustacea</i>, with which the Arctic waters abound. It is owing to the riches -of the North water in these low forms of marine life that the birds flock -there in such great number during the breeding season, which begins in -June and ends in August.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_392">- 392 -</span></p> - -<p>While I was watching these movements with much -interest, my companion was intent only upon business, -and warned me to lie lower, as the birds saw me and -were flying too high overhead. Having at length -got myself stowed away to the satisfaction of my -savage companion, the sport began. The birds were -beginning again to whirl their flight closer to our -heads,—so close, indeed, did they come that it -seemed almost as if I could catch them with my cap. -Presently, I observed my companion preparing himself -as a flock of unusual thickness was approaching; -and, in a moment, up went the net; a half dozen -birds flew bang into it, and, stunned with the blow, -they could not flutter out before Kalutunah had -slipped the staff quickly through his hands and -seized the net; with his left hand he now pressed -down the birds, while with the right he drew them -out, one by one; and, for want of a third hand, he -used his teeth to crush their heads. The wing's were -then locked across each other, to keep them from fluttering -away; and, with an air of triumph, the old fellow -looked around at me, spat the blood and feathers -from his mouth, and went on with the sport, tossing -up his net and hauling it in with much rapidity, until -he had caught about a hundred birds; when, my curiosity -being amply satisfied, we returned to camp and -made a hearty meal out of the game which we had -bagged in this novel and unsportsman-like manner. -While an immense stew was preparing, Kalutunah -amused himself with tearing off the birds' skins, and -consuming the raw flesh while it was yet warm.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">HURRICANE.</div> - -<p>Our stay at the glacier was brought suddenly to an -end by a violent storm of wind and snow, and both -ourselves and our Esquimau companions were forced -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_393">- 393 -</span> -to seek other shelter. The storm came from the northeast, -and the first mischief done was to pick Hans's tent -up and carry it off down the valley like a balloon, and -finally to drop it in the lake. Without waiting long to -lament over the unhappy circumstance, the whole Esquimau -party set out for Etah. As they passed our -tent, Kalutunah stopped a moment at the door, and -despite the fierce wind and the snow which covered -him all over, he still bore the same imperturbable -grin. "You should have seen Hans's tent!" said he; -and the old fellow fairly shook with laughter, as he -recalled the ridiculous scene of the suddenly unhoused -party and their vanishing tent tearing away toward -the lake. But his satisfaction reached its climax -when he informed us that it was going to blow harder, -and that our turn would come directly. Sure enough -it was as the savage had predicted; for, soon afterward, -we heard a great noise,—the photographic -tent had given way, the instruments and plates were -scattering over the stones, the glasses were being all -crushed up into little bits; and, while we were springing -up to go out and save the wreck, our windward -guys gave way, and our canvas protection following -the example of Hans's seal-skins, left us standing in -the very jaws of the storm. As may be supposed, we -did not delay long in finding our way back on board.</p> - -<p>I found the schooner in a somewhat critical situation. -The spars had been sent aloft and caught the -wind, and the vessel being still firmly locked in the -ice, the masts were subjected to a dangerous strain. -I thought, at one time, that they would be carried -bodily out of the schooner, and had guys fastened to -the mast-heads and secured to stakes driven in the -ice to windward. The loose ice was all blown out of -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_394">- 394 -</span> -the bay, the icebergs were driven out of sight, and -the open water was not more than a quarter of a -mile distant from us.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">MID-SUMMER.</div> - -<p>The sun reaching its greatest northern declination -on the 21st, we were now in the full blaze of summer. -Six eventful months had passed over since the Arctic -midnight shrouded us in gloom, and now we had -reached the Arctic mid-day. And this mid-day was a -day of wonderful brightness. The temperature had -gone up higher than at any previous time, marking, -at meridian, 49°, while in the sun the thermometer -showed 57°. The barometer was away up to 30.076, -and a more calm and lovely air never softened an -Arctic landscape.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LITTLE JULIA'S GLEN AND FALL.</div> - -<p>Tempted by the day, I strolled down into the valley -south of the harbor. The recent snow had mostly disappeared, -and valley and hill-side were speckled with a -rich carpet of green, with only here and there a patch -of the winter snow yet undissolved,—an emerald -carpet, fringed and inlaid with silver and sprinkled -over with fragments of a bouquet,—for many flowers -were now in full bloom, and their tiny faces -peeped above the sod. A herd of reindeer were -browsing on the plain beneath me, and some white -rabbits had come from their hiding-places to feed -upon the bursting willow-buds. New objects of interest -led me on from spot to spot—babbling brooks, -and rocky hill-sides, and little glaciers, and softening -snow-banks, alternating with patches of tender green—until, -at length, I came to the base of a lofty hill, -whose summit was surmounted with an imposing -wall which overlooked the sea, seemingly a vast turreted -castle, guarding the entrance to the valley. I -thought of my late comrade, and named it Sonntag's -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_395">- 395 -</span> -Monument. Passing this, I climbed to a broad plateau, -probably five hundred yards above the sea; and -keeping along this toward Cape Alexander, came at -length upon a deep gorge at the bottom of which -flowed a stream, some ten yards over, which came -from the melting snows of the mountains and the -<i>mer de glace</i>. Descending into this ravine I followed -its rough banks until they came abruptly to the tall -cliff of the coast, over which the water leaped wildly -down into a deep and picturesque glen, which it filled -with a cloud of its own spray. The spot figures in -my diary as Little Julia's Glen and Fall.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp89" id="page395" style="max-width: 12.1875em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Kalutunah and his Family"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page395.png" alt="Kalutunah and his Family" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_396">- 396 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>THE ARCTIC SUMMER.—THE FLORA.—THE ICE DISSOLVING.—A SUMMER STORM -OF RAIN, HAIL, AND SNOW.—THE TERRACES.—ICE ACTION.—UPHEAVAL OF -THE COAST.—GEOLOGICAL INTEREST OF ICEBERGS AND THE LAND-ICE.—A -WALRUS HUNT.—THE "FOURTH."—VISIT TO LITTLETON ISLAND.—GREAT -NUMBERS OF EIDER-DUCKS AND GULLS.—THE ICE BREAKING UP.—CRITICAL -SITUATION OF THE SCHOONER.—TAKING LEAVE OF THE ESQUIMAUX.—ADIEU -TO PORT FOULKE.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The reader will have observed the marvelous -change that had come over the face of Nature since -the shadow of the night had passed away. Recalling -those chapters which recount the gloom and silence of -the Arctic night,—the death-like quiet which reigned -in the endless darkness,—the absence of every living -thing that could relieve the solitude of its terrors,—he -will perhaps hardly have been prepared to see, -without surprise, the same landscape covered with an -endless blaze of light, the air and sea and earth teeming -with life, the desert places sparkling with green, -and brightening with flowers,—the mind finding -everywhere some new object of pleasure, where before -there was but gloom. The change of the Arctic -winter to the Arctic summer is indeed the change -from death to life; and the voice which speaks to the -sun and the winds, and brings back the joyous day, is -that same voice which said</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"She is not dead, but sleepeth,"—</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>and the pulseless heart was made to throb again, and -the bloom returned to the pallid cheek.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_397">- 397 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE ARCTIC SUMMER.</div> - -<p>There is truly a rare charm in the Arctic summer, -especially if watched unfolding from the darkness, -and followed through the growing warmth, until the -snows are loosened from the hills and the fountains -burst forth, and the feeble flower-growths spring into -being, and the birds come back with their merry -music; and then again as it passes away, under -the dark shadow of a sunless sky,—the fountains -sealing up, the hill-sides and valleys taking on again -the white robes of winter and the stillness of the tomb, -the birds in rapid flight with the retreating day, and -the mantle of darkness settling upon the mountains, -and overspreading the plain.</p> - -<p>To describe the summer as I have before described -the winter, and to attempt fully to picture in detail -those features which give it such a striking contrast to -the winter as is not seen in any other quarter of the -world, would too far prolong this narrative; and I -will therefore content myself with selecting from my -diary such extracts as will show the progress of the -season, and those occupations of myself and associates -that bore upon the purposes which we had mainly in -view.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 22d.<br /> -</p> - -<p>It is just six months since I wrote, "The sun -has reached to-day its greatest southern declination, -and we have passed the Arctic midnight;" and now -the sun has reached its greatest northern declination, -and we have passed the Arctic noonday. Constant -light has succeeded constant darkness, a bright -and cheerful world has banished a painful solitude;—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"The winter is past and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; -the time of the singing of birds is come;"</p> -</div> - -<p>and the long night which the glad day has succeeded -is remembered as a strange dream.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_398">- 398 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 23d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARCTIC FLORA.</div> - -<p>A bright day, with the thermometer at 47°, and -light wind from the south. I have been out with my -young assistants collecting plants and lichens. The -rocks are almost everywhere covered with the latter,—one -variety, orange in color, grows in immense patches, -and gives a cheerful hue to the rocks, while another, -the <i>tripe de roche</i>, which is still more abundant, gives a -mournful look to the stony slopes which it covers. I -have brought in a fine assortment of flowers, and it -seems as if the plants are now mostly in bloom. They -have blossomed several days earlier than at Van Rensselaer -Harbor in 1854. I have had a bouquet of them -in my cabin for many days past, and from the banks -of the little lake behind the Observatory I can always -replenish it at will.<a id="FNanchor_15" href="#Footnote_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_15" href="#FNanchor_15" class="label">[15]</a> Not wishing to interrupt the text with details which would have little -interest for the general reader, I give here the complete flora (so far as a -most persistent effort could make it so) of the region northward from -Whale Sound. Most of the plants were found at Port Foulke. My collections -numbered several thousand specimens, which my kind friend, Mr. -Elias Durand, of Philadelphia, was good enough to assist me in arranging, -and afterward to classify in a paper for the "Proceedings" of the Academy -of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, from which I give the following -list:—</p> - -<table summary="plants"> -<tr> - <td> - <div> - 1. <i>Ranunculus nivalis.</i><br /> - 2. <i>Papaver nudicaule.</i><br /> - 3. <i>Hesperis Pallasii.</i><br /> - 4. <i>Draba Alpina.</i><br /> - 5. <i>Draba corymbosa.</i><br /> - 6. <i>Draba hirta.</i><br /> - 7. <i>Draba glacialas.</i><br /> - 8. <i>Draba rupestris.</i><br /> - 9. <i>Cochlearia officinalis.</i><br /> - 10. <i>Vesicaria Arctica.</i><br /> - 11. <i>Arenaria Arctica.</i><br /> - 12. <i>Stellaria humifusa.</i><br /> - 13. <i>Stellaria Stricta.</i><br /> - 14. <i>Cerastium Alpinum.</i><br /> - 15. <i>Silene acaulis.</i><br /> - 16. <i>Lychnis apetala.</i><br /> - 17. <i>Lychnis panciflora.</i><br /> - 18. <i>Dryas integrifolia.</i><br /> - 19. <i>Dryas octopetala.</i><br /> - 20. <i>Potentilla pulchella.</i><br /> - 21. <i>Potentilla nivalis.</i><br /> - 22. <i>Alchemilla vulgaris.</i><br /> - 23. <i>Saxifraga oppositifolia.</i> <br /> - 24. <i>Saxifraga flagellaris.</i><br /> - 25. <i>Saxifraga cæspitosa.</i><br /> - 26. <i>Saxifraga rivularis.</i><br /> - 27. <i>Saxifraga tricuspidata.</i><br /> - </div> - </td> - <td class="vtop"> - <div> - 28. <i>Saxifraga cornua.</i><br /> - 29. <i>Saxifraga nivalis.</i><br /> - 30. <i>Leontodon palustre.</i><br /> - 31. <i>Campanula linifolia.</i><br /> - 32. <i>Vaccinium uliginosum.</i><br /> - 33. <i>Andromeda tetragona.</i><br /> - 34. <i>Pyrola chlorantha.</i><br /> - 35. <i>Bartsia Alpina.</i><br /> - 36. <i>Pedicularis Kanei.</i><br /> - 37. <i>Armeria Labradorica.</i><br /> - 38. <i>Polygonum viviparum.</i><br /> - 39. <i>Oxyria didyma.</i><br /> - 40. <i>Empetrum nigrum.</i><br /> - 41. <i>Betula nana.</i><br /> - 42. <i>Salix Arctica.</i><br /> - 43. <i>Salix herbacea.</i><br /> - 44. <i>Luzula</i> (too young).<br /> - 45. <i>Carex rigida.</i><br /> - 46. <i>Eriophorum vaginatum.</i><br /> - 47. <i>Alopecurus Alpinus.</i><br /> - 48. <i>Glyceria Arctica.</i><br /> - 49. <i>Poa Arctica.</i><br /> - 50. <i>Poa Alpina.</i><br /> - 51. <i>Hierocloa Alpina.</i><br /> - 52. <i>Festuca ovina.</i><br /> - 53. <i>Lycopodium annotinum.</i><br /> - </div> -</td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_399">- 399 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 25th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">SUMMER SHOWERS.</div> - -<p>A rainy day for a novelty. Nearly an inch of water -has fallen already, and it still continues to patter upon -the deck. I was out completing my geological collections -when the shower began, and not only got thoroughly -soaked, but had like to have got killed into -the bargain; for, in attempting to cross a small glacier -which lay on the side of a hill, my feet flew up in consequence -of the water making it more slippery, and I -slid down over the ice and the stones which stuck up -through it, and was finally landed among the rocks -below with many bruises and not much clothing.</p> - -<p>The thermometer has stood at 48°, and the continuance -of the warmth since the 20th, together with -this "gentle rain from heaven," is telling upon the -ice. It is getting very rotten, and the sea is eating -into it rapidly. The "hinge" of the ice-foot is tumbling -to pieces, and we have trouble in getting ashore.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 26th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A SUMMER STORM.</div> - -<p>Our summer shower has changed its complexion, -and the "gentle rain" is converted into hail and snow, -quite as unseasonable as it is disagreeable. The white -snow with which a fierce wind has bespattered the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_400">- 400 -</span> -cliffs gives a very un-June-like aspect to the prospect -from the deck. The wind is southerly, and the waves, -coming into the bay with no other resistance than -that given by a few icebergs, begin to shake the ice -about the schooner, and we can see the pulsations of -the seas in the old fire-hole. I should not much relish -seeing the ice crumbling to pieces about us in the -midst of such a storm.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 27th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>The storm continues,—occasional rain, mixed up -with a great deal of hail. The scene from the deck, -to seaward, was so wild that I was tempted to the -nearest island, (the only one of the three not in open -water,) to get a better view of it. I had much trouble -facing the wind, and was nearly blown into the sea, -and the hail cut the face terribly. The little flowers, -which had been seduced by the warm sun of last week -into unveiling their modest faces, seemed shrinking -and dejected.</p> - -<p>I was, however, repaid for some discomfort by the -scene which I have brought back in my memory, and -which is to go down on a sheet of clean white paper -that is now drying on a drawing-board which I owe to -McCormick's ingenuity. I have not seen the equal -of this storm except once—a memorable occasion—last -year, when we were fighting our way into Smith -Sound. The wind seemed, as it did then, fairly to -shovel the water up and pitch it through the air, until -it had to stop from sheer exhaustion, and then I could -see away off under a dark cloud a vast multitude of -white specks creeping from the gloom, and moving -along in solid phalanx, magnifying as they came, and -charging the icebergs, hissing over their very summits, -or breaking their heads upon the islands, or -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_401">- 401 -</span> -wreaking their fury on the ice of the harbor, into -which their Titan touch opened many a gaping -wound.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 28th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FRESH EGGS.</div> - -<p>The storm subsiding this morning, a party got a -boat over the ice into the water, and, pulling to the -outer island, brought back the first fresh eggs of the -season. Those of the little tern or sea-swallow are -the most delightful eggs that I have ever tasted. -Those of the eider-duck are, like the eggs of all other -duck, not very palatable. Knorr lit upon a patch of -cochlearia which had just sprouted up around the bird-nests -of the last year, and no head of the first spring lettuce -was ever more enjoyed. I had a capital salad. -The islands promise to give us all the eggs we want, -and we shall have little more trouble in getting them -than a housewife who sends to the farm-yard. The -ducks have plucked the first instalment of down from -their breasts, and Jensen has brought in a good-sized -bagful of it. The poor birds have been, I fear, robbed -to little purpose, and will have to pick themselves -again. Jensen tells me that, upon the islands near -Upernavik, where he has often gone for eider-down, -the male bird is sometimes obliged to pluck off his -handsome coat, to help out his unhappy spouse, when -she has been so often robbed that she can pluck no -more of the tender covering for her eggs from her -naked breast.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -June 30th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Another rain-storm, during which half an inch of -water has fallen. The temperature has gone down to -38°. The ice is loosening, and threatens to break up -bodily.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_402">- 402 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 2d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">UPHEAVAL OF THE GREENLAND COAST.</div> - -<p>I have been occupied during the past two days with -running a set of levels from the harbor across to the -fiord and with plotting the terraces. These terraces -are twenty-three in number and rise very regularly to -an altitude of one hundred and ten feet above the -mean tide-level. The lowest rises thirty-two feet -higher than the tide, but above this they climb up -with great regularity. They are composed of small -pebbles rounded by water action.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GEOLOGICAL CHANGES.</div> - -<p>Of these terraces I have frequently made mention -in this journal, and their existence in all similar localities -has been before remarked. They have much -geological interest, as illustrating the gradual upheaval -of that part of Greenland lying north of latitude -76°; and the interest attaching to them is -heightened when viewed in connection with the corresponding -depression which has taken place, even -within the period of Christian occupation, in southern -Greenland. These evidences of the sinking of the -Greenland coast from about Cape York, southward, are -too well known to need any comment in this place; -but I may dwell, for a few moments, upon the evidences -of rising of the coast here and northward. At -many conspicuous points, where the current is swift -and the ice is pressed down upon the land with great -force and rapidity, the rocks are worn away until they -are as smooth and polished as the surface of a table,—a -fact which may at any time be observed by -looking down through the clear water. This smoothness -of the rock continues above the sea, to an elevation -which I have not been able with positive accuracy -to determine in any locality, but having a general -correspondence to the height of the terraces at -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_403">- 403 -</span> -Port Foulke, which, as before observed, rise one hundred -and ten feet above the sea-level. At Cairn Point -the abrasion is very marked, and, where the polished -line of syenitic rock leaves off and the rough rock begins, -is quite clearly defined. This same condition also -exists at Littleton Island (or, rather, McGary Island, -which lies immediately outside of it) to an almost -equally marked degree. I have before mentioned the -evidences of a similar elevation of the opposite coast -found in the terraced beaches of Grinnell Land.</p> - -<p>It is curious to observe here, actually taking place -before our eyes, those geological events which have -transpired in southern latitudes during the glacier -epoch, not only in the abrasion of the rock as seen at -Cairn Point and elsewhere, but in the changes which -they work in the deeper sea. In this agency the ice-foot -bears a conspicuous influence. This ice-foot is -but a shelf of ice, as it were, glued against the shore, -and is the winter-girdle of all the Arctic coasts. It is -wide or narrow as the shore slopes gently into the sea -or meets it abruptly. It is usually broken away toward -the close of every summer, and the masses of -rock which have been hurled down upon it from the -cliffs above are carried away and dropped in the sea, -when the raft has loosened from the shore and drifted -off, steadily melting as it floats. The amount of rock -thus transported to the ocean is immense, and yet it -falls far short of that which is carried by the icebergs; -the rock and sand imbedded in which, as they lay in -the parent glacier, being sometimes sufficient to bear -them down under the weight until but the merest -fragment rises above the surface. As the berg melts, -the rocks and sand fall to the bottom of the ocean; -and, if the place of their deposit should one day rise -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_404">- 404 -</span> -above the sea-level, some geological student of future -ages may, perhaps, be as much puzzled to know how -they came there as those of the present generation -are to account for the boulders of the Connecticut -valley.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 3d.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A WALRUS HUNT.</div> - -<p>I have had a walrus hunt and a most exciting day's -sport. Much ice has broken adrift and come down -the Sound, during the past few days; and, when the -sun is out bright and hot, the walrus come up out of -the water to sleep and bask in the warmth on the -pack. Being upon the hill-top this morning to select -a place for building a cairn, my ear caught the hoarse -bellowing of numerous walrus; and, upon looking over -the sea I observed that the tide was carrying the pack -across the outer limit of the bay, and that it was alive -with the beasts, which were filling the air with such -uncouth noises. Their numbers appeared to be even -beyond conjecture, for they extended as far as the eye -could reach, almost every piece of ice being covered. -There must have been, indeed, many hundreds or -even thousands.</p> - -<p>Hurrying from the hill, I called for volunteers, and -quickly had a boat's crew ready for some sport. Putting -three rifles, a harpoon, and a line into one of the -whale-boats, we dragged it over the ice to the open -water, into which it was speedily launched.</p> - -<p>We had about two miles to pull before the margin -of the pack was reached. On the cake of ice to -which we first came, there were perched about two -dozen animals; and these we selected for the attack. -They covered the raft almost completely, lying -huddled together, lounging in the sun or lazily rolling -and twisting themselves about, as if to expose -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_405">- 405 -</span> -some fresh part of their unwieldy bodies to the -warmth,—great, ugly, wallowing sea-hogs, they were -evidently enjoying themselves, and were without apprehension -of approaching danger. We neared them -slowly, with muffled oars.</p> - -<p>As the distance between us and the game steadily -narrowed, we began to realize that we were likely to -meet with rather formidable antagonists. Their aspect -was forbidding in the extreme, and our sensations -were perhaps not unlike those which the young -soldier experiences who hears for the first time the -order to charge the enemy. We should all, very possibly, -have been quite willing to retreat had we dared -own it. Their tough, nearly hairless hides, which are -about an inch thick, had a singularly iron-plated look -about them, peculiarly suggestive of defense; while -their huge tusks, which they brandished with an appearance -of strength that their awkwardness did not -diminish, looked like very formidable weapons of -offense if applied to a boat's planking or to the human -ribs, if one should happen to find himself floundering -in the sea among the thick-skinned brutes. -To complete the hideousness of a facial expression -which the tusks rendered formidable enough in appearance, -Nature had endowed them with broad flat -noses, which were covered all over with stiff whiskers, -looking much like porcupine quills, and extending up -to the edge of a pair of gaping nostrils. The use of -these whiskers is as obscure as that of the tusks; -though it is probable that the latter may be as well -weapons of offense and defense as for the more useful -purpose of grubbing up from the bottom of the sea -the mollusks which constitute their principal food. -There were two old bulls in the herd who appeared -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_406">- 406 -</span> -to be dividing their time between sleeping and jamming -their tusks into each other's faces, although they -appeared to treat the matter with perfect indifference, -as they did not seem to make any impression on each -other's thick hides. As we approached, these old fellows—neither -of which could have been less than -sixteen feet long, nor smaller in girth than a hogs-head—raised -up their heads, and, after taking a leisurely -survey of us, seemed to think us unworthy of -further notice; and, then punching each other again -in the face, fell once more asleep. This was exhibiting -a degree of coolness rather alarming. If they -had showed the least timidity, we should have found -some excitement in extra caution; but they seemed -to make so light of our approach that it was not easy -to keep up the bold front with which we had commenced -the adventure. But we had come quite too -far to think of backing out; so we pulled in and made -ready for the fray.</p> - -<p>Beside the old bulls, the group contained several -cows and a few calves of various sizes,—some evidently -yearlings, others but recently born, and others -half or three quarters grown. Some were without -tusks, while on others they were just sprouting; and -above this they were of all sizes up to those of the -big bulls, which had great curved cones of ivory, -nearly three feet long. At length we were within a -few boats' lengths of the ice-raft, and the game had -not taken alarm. They had probably never seen a -boat before. Our preparations were made as we approached. -The walrus will always sink when dead, -unless held up by a harpoon-line; and there were -therefore but two chances for us to secure our game—either -to shoot the beast dead on the raft, or to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_407">- 407 -</span> -get a harpoon well into him after he was wounded, -and hold on to him until he was killed. As to killing -the animal where he lay, that was not likely to happen, -for the thick skin destroys the force of the ball -before it can reach any vital part, and indeed, at a distance, -actually flattens it; and the skull is so heavy -that it is hard to penetrate with an ordinary bullet, -unless the ball happens to strike through the eye.</p> - -<p>To Miller, a cool and spirited fellow, who had been -after whales on the "nor-west coast," was given the -harpoon, and he took his station at the bows; while -Knorr, Jensen, and myself kept our places in the -stern-sheets, and held our rifles in readiness. Each -selected his animal, and we fired in concert over the -heads of the oarsmen. As soon as the rifles were discharged, -I ordered the men to "give way," and the -boat shot right among the startled animals as they -rolled off pell-mell into the sea. Jensen had fired at -the head of one of the bulls, and hit him in the neck; -Knorr killed a young one, which was pushed off in -the hasty scramble and sank; while I planted a minie-ball -somewhere in the head of the other bull and -drew from him a most frightful bellow,—louder, I -venture to say, than ever came from wild bull of -Bashan. When he rolled over into the water, which -he did with a splash that sent the spray flying all -over us, he almost touched the bows of the boat and -gave Miller a good opportunity to get in his harpoon, -which he did in capital style.</p> - -<p>The alarmed herd seemed to make straight for the -bottom, and the line spun out over the gunwale at a -fearful pace; but, having several coils in the boat, the -end was not reached before the animals began to rise, -and we took in the slack and got ready for what was -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_408">- 408 -</span> -to follow. The strain of the line whipped the boat -around among some loose fragments of ice, and the -line having fouled among it, we should have been in -great jeopardy had not one of the sailors promptly -sprung out, cleared the line, and defended the boat.</p> - -<p>In a few minutes the whole herd appeared at the -surface, about fifty yards away from us, the harpooned -animal being among them. Miller held fast to his -line, and the boat was started with a rush. The -coming up of the herd was the signal for a scene -which baffles description. They uttered one wild -concerted shriek, as if an agonized call for help; and -then the air was filled with answering shrieks. The -"huk! huk! huk!" of the wounded bulls seemed to -find an echo everywhere, as the cry was taken up and -passed along from floe to floe, like the bugle-blast -passed from squadron to squadron along a line of battle; -and down from every piece of ice plunged the -startled beasts, as quickly as the sailor drops from his -hammock when the long-roll beats to quarters. With -their ugly heads just above the water, and with -mouths wide open, belching forth the dismal "huk! -huk! huk!" they came tearing toward the boat.</p> - -<p>In a few moments we were completely surrounded, -and the numbers kept multiplying with astonishing -rapidity. The water soon became alive and black -with them.</p> - -<p>They seemed at first to be frightened and irresolute, -and for a time it did not seem that they meditated -mischief; but this pleasing prospect was soon -dissipated, and we were forced to look well to our -safety.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page408f" style="max-width: 40.875em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page408f.png" alt="" /> - <div><p class="caption3">WALRUS HUNT</p></div> -</div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_409">- 409 -</span></p> - -<p>That they meditated an attack there could no -longer be a doubt. To escape the onslaught was -impossible. We had raised a hornet's nest about our -ears in a most astonishingly short space of time, and -we must do the best we could. Even the wounded -animal to which we were fast turned upon us, and we -became the focus of at least a thousand gaping, bellowing -mouths.</p> - -<p>It seemed to be the purpose of the walrus to get -their tusks over the gunwale of the boat, and it was -evident that, in the event of one such monster hooking -on to us, the boat would be torn in pieces and we -would be left floating in the sea helpless. We had -good motive therefore to be active. Miller plied his -lance from the bows, and gave many a serious wound. -The men pushed back the onset with their oars, while -Knorr, Jensen, and myself loaded and fired our rifles as -rapidly as we could. Several times we were in great -jeopardy, but the timely thrust of an oar, or the lance, -or a bullet saved us. Once I thought we were surely -gone. I had fired, and was hastening to load; a -wicked-looking brute was making at us, and it seemed -probable that he would be upon us. I stopped loading, -and was preparing to cram my rifle down his -throat, when Knorr, who had got ready his weapon, -sent a fatal shot into his head. Again, an immense -animal, the largest that I had ever seen and with -tusks apparently three feet long, was observed to be -making his way through the herd with mouth wide -open, bellowing dreadfully. I was now as before -busy loading; Knorr and Jensen had just discharged -their pieces, and the men were well engaged with -their oars. It was a critical moment, but, happily, I -was in time. The monster, his head high above the -boat, was within two feet of the gunwale, when I -raised my piece and fired into his mouth. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_410">- 410 -</span> -discharge killed him instantly, and he went down like a -stone.</p> - -<p>This ended the fray. I know not why, but the -whole herd seemed suddenly to take alarm, and all -dove down with a tremendous splash almost at the -same instant. When they came up again, still shrieking -as before, they were some distance from us, their -heads all now pointed seaward, making from us as -fast as they could go, their cries growing more and -more faint as they retreated in the distance.</p> - -<p>We must have killed at least a dozen, and mortally -wounded as many more. The water was in places -red with blood, and several half-dead and dying animals -lay floating about us. The bull to which we -were made fast pulled away with all his might after -the retreating herd, but his strength soon became exhausted; -and, as his speed slackened, we managed to -haul in the line, and finally approached him so nearly -that our rifle-balls took effect, and Miller at length -gave him the <i>coup de grace</i> with his lance. We then -drew him to the nearest piece of ice, and I had soon -a fine specimen to add to my Natural History collections. -Of the others we secured only one; the rest -had died and sunk before we reached them.</p> - -<p>I have never before regarded the walrus as a really -formidable animal; but this contest convinces me that -I have done their courage great injustice. They are -full of fight; and, had we not been very active and -self-possessed, our boat would have been torn to pieces, -and we either drowned or killed. A more fierce attack -than that which they made upon us could hardly -be imagined, and a more formidable looking enemy -than one of these huge monsters, with his immense -tusks and bellowing throat, would be difficult to find. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_411">- 411 -</span> -Next time I try them I will arm my boat's crew with -lances. The rifle is a poor reliance, and, but for the -oars, the herd would have been on top of us at any -time.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 4th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE "GLORIOUS FOURTH."</div> - -<p>The "glorious Fourth" gives us a sorry greeting—rain -and hail and snow are unusual accompaniments -to this national holiday. The thermometer has gone -down almost to the freezing point; but, nevertheless, -we have fired our salute, and have displayed our bunting, -as in duty bound. Thanks to the hunters, we have -had a good dinner of venison and birds, winding up -with a cochlearia salad; and if we lacked the oration, -we did not the less turn our thoughts to the ever dear -land, where all are gay,—all alike forgetting for the -time their differences of party creeds and party interests, -unite together under the nation's broad banner, -to hail the returning dawn of its wonderful career, -and to drink bumpers to fraternal union. God bless -the day!</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 7th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have been up to Littleton Island for three days, -watching the ice, hunting, etc. We caught another -walrus and had another fight, but this time we had -fewer enemies, and drove them off very quickly.</p> - -<p>Littleton and McGary Islands are literally swarming -with birds, chiefly eider-ducks and burgomasters. -There was no end to the number that could have been -shot. The eggs have nearly all chicks in them, but -fortunately we have already collected from the islands -of the harbor a good supply. I found a flock of brant-geese, -but could not discover their nests. The burgomaster-gulls -are very numerous, but there were no -ivory or other gulls, as I had hoped to find. They do -not appear to come so far north.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_412">- 412 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE.</div> - -<p>The open water has made still further inroads upon -the ice. The islands are all now in the open sea, and -it is but a few rods from the ship to its margin. The -ice still clings tightly to the schooner, notwithstanding -all our efforts to free her. In anticipation of a -southerly swell setting into the harbor and breaking -the ice, I have had the men at work for several days -sawing a crack across the harbor from the vessel's fore-foot -in the one direction, and from the stern-post in -the other. The ice is now only 4½ feet thick.</p> - -<p>The sails are all bent on, the hawsers are brought -on board, our depot ashore is completed, and we are -ready for any fortune. If blown with the ice out to -sea, we are fully prepared.</p> - -<p>Upon the hill-top of the north side of the harbor -we have constructed a cairn, and under it I have deposited -a brief record of the voyage. The Observatory -I leave standing, and Kalutunah engages that -the Esquimaux will not disturb it during my absence. -All of them who have been here are so amply enriched -that I think I ought to rely upon their good faith; -yet the wood will be valuable to them, and these poor -savages are not the only people who find it hard to -resist temptation.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 9th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>I have paid another visit to Chester Valley, and -have had adieu to "Brother John." If the latter -continues to grow until I come again, the stakes -which I have stuck into its back will show some useful -results. The valley was clothed in the full robes -of summer. The green slopes were sparkling with -flowers, and the ice had wholly disappeared from Alida -Lake. Jensen shot some birds and tried hard to catch -a deer, and while thus engaged I secured a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_413">- 413 -</span> -yellow-winged butterfly, and—who would believe it?—a -mosquito. And these I add to an entymological collection -which already numbers ten moths, three spiders, -two humble-bees, and two flies,—a pretty good -proportion of the genus <i>Insecta</i> for this latitude, 78° 17´ -N., longitude 73° W.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 10th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>A heavy swell is setting into the harbor from the -southwest. There has evidently been a strong southerly -wind outside, although it has been blowing but -lightly here. The ice has been breaking up through -the day, and crack after crack is opening across the -harbor. If it lasts twelve hours longer we will be -liberated. It is a sort of crisis, and may be a dangerous -one. The crashing of the ice is perfectly frightful. -The schooner still holds fast in her cradle.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 11th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AFLOAT AGAIN!</div> - -<p>We have passed through a day of much excitement, -and are yet not free from it. The seas continuing to -roll in, more cracks opened across the harbor, until -the swell at length reached the vessel. Late this -afternoon, after more than thirty-six hours of suspense, -the ice opened close beside us, and after a few -minutes another split came diagonally across the vessel. -This was what I had feared, and it was to prevent -it that I had sawed across the harbor. The ice -was, however, quickly loosened from the bows, but -held by the stern, and the wrenches given the schooner -by the first few movements made every timber of her -fairly creak again; but finally the sawed crack came -to the rescue, and, separating a little, the schooner -gave a lurch to port, which loosened the ice from under -the counter, and we were really afloat, but grinding -most uncomfortably, and are grinding still.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_414">- 414 -</span></p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 12th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">WAITING FOR A WIND.</div> - -<p>The swell has subsided, the storm clouds have -cleared away, and the tide is scattering the ice out -over the sea. We are fairly and truly afloat, and -once more cannot leave the deck without a boat. It -is just ten months to a day since we were locked up, -during which time our little craft has been a house -rather than a ship. We are glad to feel again the -motion of the sea; and "man the boat" seems a -novel order to give when one wants to go ashore. -We await only a wind to send us to sea.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 13th.<br /> -</p> - -<p>Still calm, and we are lying quietly among the ice -which so lately held us prisoners. I have been ashore, -taking leave of my friends the Esquimaux. They -have pitched their tents near by, and, poor fellows! I -am truly sorry to leave them. They have all been -faithful, each in his way, and they have done me most -important service. The alacrity with which they have -placed their dogs at my disposal (and without these -dogs I could have done absolutely nothing) is the -strongest proof that they could give me of their devotion -and regard; for their dogs are to them invaluable -treasures, without which they have no security -against want and starvation, to themselves and -their wives and children. True, I have done them -some good, and have given them presents of great -value, yet nothing can supply the place of a lost -dog; and out of all that I obtained from them, -there were but two animals that survived the hardships -of my spring journey. These I have returned -to their original owners. I have given them high -hopes of my speedy return, and in this prospect they -appear to take consolation.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_415">- 415 -</span></p> - -<p>It is sad to reflect upon the future of these strange -people; and yet they contemplate a fate which they -view as inevitable, with an air of indifference difficult -to comprehend. The only person who seemed seriously -to feel any pang at the prospect of the desolation -which will soon come over the villages, is Kalutunah. -This singular being—a mixture of seriousness, good-nature, -and intelligence—seems truly to take pride -in the traditions of his race, and to be really pained -at the prospect of their downfall. When I took his -hand to-day and told him that I would not come -ashore any more, the tears actually started to his -eyes, and I was much touched with his earnest words,—it -was almost an entreaty,—"Come back and save -us." Save them I would and will, if I am spared to -return; and I am quite sure that upon no beings in -the whole wide world could Christian love and Christian -charity more worthily fall.</p> - -<p class="tdr smaller"> -July 14th.<br /> -</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ADIEU TO PORT FOULKE.</div> - -<p>Moving out to sea under full sail, with a light wind -from the eastward. We make little progress, but are -able to pick our way among the loose ice. As we -pass along, I see shoals of old tin cans, dead dogs, -piles of ashes, and other débris of the winter, floating -on ice-rafts upon the sea,—relics of the ten months -which are gone, with all its dreary and all its pleasant -memories. As I retreated from the deck, I saw -the Esquimaux standing on the beach, gazing after us; -the little white Observatory grew dim in the distance; -and I have come below with a kindly "Adieu, Port -Foulke," lingering on the lip.</p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_416">- 416 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>LEAVING PORT FOULKE.—EFFORT TO REACH CAPE ISABELLA.—MEET THE -PACK AND TAKE SHELTER AT LITTLETON ISLAND.—HUNTING.—ABUNDANCE -OF BIRDS AND WALRUS.—VISIT TO CAIRN POINT.—REACHING THE -WEST COAST.—VIEW FROM CAPE ISABELLA.—PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.—OUR -RESULTS.—CHANCES OF REACHING THE POLAR SEA DISCUSSED.—THE -GLACIERS OF ELLESMERE LAND.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The schooner glided gently out to sea, but the wind -soon died away and the current carried us down into -the lower bay, where we moored to a berg, and I went -ashore and got some good photographs of Little Julia's -Glen and Fall, Sonntag's Monument, Crystal Palace -Glacier, and Cape Alexander.</p> - -<p>Although doubtful as to the prospect ahead, I was -determined not to quit the field without making another -attempt to reach the west coast and endeavor to -obtain some further information that might be of service -to me in the future. I had still a vague hope that, -even with my crippled vessel, some such good prospect -might open before me as would justify me in remaining. -Accordingly, as soon as the wind came, we cast -off from the friendly berg, and held once more for -Cape Isabella. The wind rose to a fresh breeze as we -crawled away from the land, and the schooner, as if -rejoiced at her newly acquired freedom, bounded over -the waters with her old swiftness. But, unhappily, a -heavy pack lay in our course, through which, had the -schooner been strong, a passage might have been -forced; but as it could not be done without frequent -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_417">- 417 -</span> -collisions with the ice, the intention was not entertained. -The pack was not more than ten miles from -the Greenland shore, and I therefore put back to -Littleton Island, and from that point watched the -movements of the ice.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT LITTLETON ISLAND.</div> - -<p>We found a convenient anchorage between Littleton -and McGary Islands, and we reached it just in time; -for a severe gale, with thick snow, set in from the northward -as I had anticipated from the appearance of the -sky, and held for several days. Meanwhile the people -amused themselves with hunting. A herd of deer was -discovered on Littleton Island, and the walrus were -very numerous. Four of the latter were captured,—this -time, however, not from a boat, but by Hans, in -the true Esquimau style. They came along the shore -in great numbers, lying upon the beach in the sun, -where Hans approached them stealthily, and got fast -to them one by one with his harpoon. The line being -secured to a rock, the animals were held until they -were exhausted, and then drawn in, when they soon -became a prey to the rifles. Wishing to obtain a -young one for a specimen, I joined the hunters; and, -selecting from the herd which lay upon the rocks one -to suit my purposes, I fired upon and killed it. The -others plunged quickly into the water. The mother -of the dead calf was the last to leave the rock, and -seemed to do so very reluctantly. In a few moments -she came to the surface, and, wheeling around, discovered -the young one still lying upon the rock. Finding -that it did not answer to her cries, she rushed -frantically into the face of danger, and in full view of -the cause of her woes, (for I had approached very -near the spot,) the unhappy creature, intent only -upon rescuing her offspring, drew herself out of the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_418">- 418 -</span> -water, crying piteously all the while, and, crawling -around it, pushed it before her into the sea. I endeavored -first to frighten her off, and then tried to -arrest her, and save my specimen, with a fresh bullet; -but all to no effect. Although badly wounded, she -succeeded in her purpose, and, falling upon the dead -calf with her breast, carried it down with her, and I -saw them no more. I have never seen a stronger or -more touching instance of the devotion of mother to -its young, among dumb animals, and it came from a -quarter wholly unexpected.</p> - -<p>Having leisure while the snow-storm lasted, I went -up to Cairn Point to see how the ice appeared from -that place. After waiting there for a day, the atmosphere -cleared up, and I could see with much distinctness -to Cape Isabella. The line of the solid ice extended -in a somewhat irregular curve up the Sound -from that cape to a few miles above Cairn Point. -The sea thence down into the North Water was filled -with a loose pack.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">AT CAPE ISABELLA.</div> - -<p>The day after my return we put to sea. The pack -being now much scattered, we entered it and penetrated -to the margin of the fast ice without difficulty. -In two days we reached the coast near Gale Point, -about ten miles below Cape Isabella. Thence to the -cape I went in a whale-boat; but the cape itself could -not be passed; so we hauled into the first convenient -bight, and climbed the hill. The view convinced me, -if I was not convinced already, of the folly of attempting -any thing further with the schooner. I no -longer hesitated, even in thought. My opinions were -thus recorded at the time:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_419">- 419 -</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"I am fully persuaded, if there still remained a -lingering doubt, of the correctness of my decision -to return home, and come out next year strengthened -and refitted with steam. If my impulses lead me to -try conclusions once more with the ice, my judgment -convinces me that it would be at the risk of every -thing. As well use a Hudson-river steamboat for a -battering-ram as this schooner, with her weakened -bows, to encounter the Smith Sound ice.</p> - -<p>"I have secured the following important advantages -for the future, and, with these I must, perforce, rest -satisfied, for the present:—</p> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">RESULTS OF THE VOYAGE.</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"1. I have brought my party through without sickness, -and have thus shown that the Arctic winter -of itself breeds neither scurvy nor discontent.</p> - -<p>"2. I have shown that men may subsist themselves -in Smith Sound independent of support from home.</p> - -<p>"3. That a self-sustaining colony may be established -at Port Foulke, and be made the basis of an -extended exploration.</p> - -<p>"4. That the exploration of this entire region is -practicable from Port Foulke,—having from that -starting-point pushed my discoveries much beyond -those of my predecessors, without any second party -in the field to coöperate with me, and under the most -adverse circumstances.</p> - -<p>"5. That, with a reasonable degree of certainty, it -is shown that, with a strong vessel, Smith Sound may -be navigated and the open sea reached beyond it.</p> - -<p>"6. I have shown that the open sea exists.</p> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">RESOURCES OF PORT FOULKE.</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>"And now, having proven this much, I shall return -to Boston, repair the schooner, get a small steamer, -and come back as early next spring as I can. The -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_420">- 420 -</span> -schooner I will leave at Port Foulke; and, remaining -there only long enough to see the machinery set in -motion for starting the hunt, collecting the Esquimaux, -and establishing the discipline of the colony, I -will seek Cape Isabella, and thence steam northward -by the route already designated. If I cannot reach -the open sea in one season, I may the next; in any -event, I shall always have at Port Foulke a productive -source of food and furs, and a vessel to carry -them to Cape Isabella, upon which I may fall back; -and if I need dogs, they will be reared at the colony -in any numbers that may be required. Besides, if in -this exploration I should be deficient in means, and -the expedition should be hereafter left entirely to its -own resources, a sufficient profit may be made out of -the colony in oils, furs, walrus ivory, eider down, etc., -to pay at least a very considerable proportion of the -wages of the employés, beside subsisting them. The -whole region around Port Foulke is teeming with -animal life, and one good hunter could feed twenty -mouths. Both my winter and summer experience -proves the correctness of this opinion. The sea -abounds in walrus, seal, narwhal, and white whale; -the land in reindeer and foxes; the islands and the -cliffs, in summer, swarm with birds; and the ice is the -roaming-ground of the bears."</p> -</div> - -<p>Thus much for the future; let me now come back -to the present.</p> - -<p>Inglefield has very correctly exhibited the expansion -of Smith Sound, as I have had most excellent -opportunity for observing, both in my passage over, -and from Cape Isabella. He has placed some of the -capes too far north, and his local attraction, probably, -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_421">- 421 -</span> -has caused a slight error in the axis of the Sound. -His Victoria Head is the eastern cape of my Bache -Island, and his Cape Albert is the eastern cape of -Henry Island.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CAPE ISABELLA.</div> - -<p>The view up the Sound from Cape Isabella was -truly magnificent. The dark, wall-sided coast, rendered -more dark in appearance by the contrast with -the immense cloak of whiteness that lay above it, -was relieved by numerous glaciers, which pour -through the valleys to the sea. The <i>mer de glace</i> is -of great extent, and, rising much more rapidly and -being more broken, gives a picturesque effect not -belonging to the Greenland side, and adds much -to the grandeur of its appearance. The mountains -are lofty, and are everywhere uniformly covered with -ice and snow; and the glacier streams which descend -to the sea convey the impression almost as if there had -once been a vast lake on the mountain-top, from which -the overflowing waters, pouring down every valley, -had been suddenly congealed.</p> - -<p>Off Cape Sabine there are two islands, which I -name Brevoort and Stalknecht; and another, midway -between them and Wade Point, which I name Leconte. -A deep inlet running parallel with the Cadogen Inlet -of Captain Inglefield, fringed all around with glaciers -set into the dark rocks like brilliants into a -groundwork of jet, opens between Wade Point and -Cape Isabella. I leave the naming of it until I see -whether Inglefield has not a bay set down there, as I -have not with me the official map of his explorations.</p> - -<p>Cape Isabella is a ragged mass of Plutonic rock, -and looks as if it had been turned out of Nature's -laboratory unfinished and pushed up from the sea -while it was yet hot, to crack and crumble to pieces -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_422">- 422 -</span> -in the cold air. Its surface is barren to the last degree; -immense chasms or cañons cross it in all directions, -in which there was not the remotest trace of -vegetation,—great yawning depths with jagged beds -and crumbling sides,—sunless as the Cimerian caverns -of Avernus.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A "DIAMOND OF THE DESERT."</div> - -<p>As I clambered over crag after crag, I thought that -I had not in the summer-time anywhere lit upon a -place so devoid of life; but, as if to compensate for -this barrenness, or through some freak of Nature, a -charming cup-like valley nestled among the forbidding -hills, and upon it I stumbled suddenly. Balboa could -hardly have been more surprised when he climbed -the hills of Darien and first saw the Pacific Ocean. -It was truly a "Diamond of the Desert," and the little -hermitage in the wilderness of Engadi was not a -more pleasing sight to the Knight of the Couchant -Leopard than was this to me.</p> - -<p>The few hardy plants which I had found in all -other localities had failed to find a lodgment upon the -craggy slopes of this rough cape, and the rocks stood -up in naked barrenness, without the little fringe of -vegetation which usually girdles them elsewhere; -but down into this valley the seeds of life had been -wafted; the grass and moss clothed it with green; -and the poppies and buttercups sprinkled it over -with leaves of gold. In its centre reposed a little -sparkling lake, like a diamond in an emerald setting—a -little "charmed sea," truly,</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Girt by mountains wild and hoary;"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>and weird and wonderful as any that ever furnished -theme for Norland legend.</p> - -<p>From the lower margin of this lake a stream -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_423">- 423 -</span> -rushed in a series of cascades through a deep gorge -to the sea, and from the valley a number of little rivulets -gurgled among the stones, or wound gently -through the soft moss-beds. Tracing one of these to -its source, I came upon a glen which was terminated -abruptly by a glacier, appearing at a little distance -like a draped curtain of white satin drawn across the -narrow passage, as if to screen some sacred chamber -of the hills. As I approached nearer this white curtain -assumed more solid shape, and I observed that a -multitude of bright fountains fluttered over it. Near -its centre a narrow Gothic archway led into a spacious -grotto filled with a soft cerulean light, fretted with -pendants of most fantastic shape and of rare transparency, -which were reflected, as in a silver mirror, -on the still surface of a limped pool, from which -gushed forth a crystal rivulet, pure and sparkling as -the cypress-embowered waters that laved the virgin -limbs of the huntress-queen.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A GLACIER GROTTO.</div> - -<p>While peering into the deep recesses of this wonderful -cave, so chaste and exquisite, where solitude -appeared to dwell alone and undisturbed except by -the soft music of streams, I became suddenly conscious -of having been enticed into danger, Actæon-like, -unawares. A mass of ice broke from the glacier -front and, splitting into numerous fragments, the -shower came crushing down upon the rocks and in -the water near me, and sent me flying precipitately -and with my curiosity still unsatisfied.</p> - -<p>Returning to the lake, I followed around its green -border, plucking, as I went, a nosegay of bright flowers, -which have so pleasing an association that they -will not find place in the "botanical collections," but, -rather, in another collection,—mementos, if less -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_424">- 424 -</span> -prized, more cherished; and the recollection which I -shall carry with me of this charming valley, and the -silvery lake, and the gushing rivulets, and the grottoed -glacier, will be enhanced when I name them in -remembrance of the fairest forms that ever flitted -across the memory of storm-beaten traveler, and the -fairest fingers that ever turned Afghan wool into a -cunning device to brighten the light of a dingy -cabin!</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="sidenote">TRACES OF ESQUIMAUX.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE MER DE GLACE.</div> - -<p>Upon going ashore at Gale Point, I discovered -traces of Esquimaux much more recent than those at -Gould Bay and other places on the shores of Grinnell -Land. Indeed they were of such a character as to -cause me strongly to suspect that the shore is at -present inhabited. The cliffs are composed of a dark -sandstone which, to the northward of the Point, -breaks suddenly away into a broad plain that slopes -gently down to the water's edge. This plain is about -five miles wide, and is bounded at the north much as -at the south, by lofty cliffs, which rise above the primitive -rocks back of Cape Isabella. The plain was -composed of loose shingle, covered over in many -places with large patches of green, through which -flowed a number of broad streams of water. These -streams sprang from the front of a glacier which -bulged down the valley from the <i>mer de glace</i>. It -was about four miles from the sea, and bounded the -green and stony slope with a great white wall several -hundred feet high, above which the snow-covered -steep of the <i>mer de glace</i> led the eye away up to the -bald summits of the distant mountains. As I looked -up at this immense stream of ice it seemed as if a -dozen Niagaras had been bounding together into the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_425">- 425 -</span> -valley and were frozen in their fall, and the discharging -waters of the river below had dried up, and flowers -bloomed in the river-bed. My journal compares -it to a huge white sheet, hung upon a cord stretched -from cliff to cliff.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp46" id="page425" style="max-width: 5.75em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="Head of Arctic Hare"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page425.png" alt="Head of Arctic Hare" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_426">- 426 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>LEAVING SMITH SOUND.—CROSSING THE NORTH WATER.—MEETING THE -PACK.—THE SEA AND AIR TEEMING WITH LIFE.—REMARKABLE REFRACTION.—REACHING -WHALE SOUND.—SURVEYING IN A BOAT.—THE SOUND -TRACED TO ITS TERMINATION.—MEETING ESQUIMAUX AT ITEPLIK.—HABITS -OF THE ESQUIMAUX.—MARRIAGE CEREMONY.—THE DECAY OF THE -TRIBE.—VIEW OF BARDEN BAY.—TYNDALL GLACIER.</p> -</div> - - -<p>The ice coming in at length with an easterly wind, -and being unable to find any harbor (Cadogen Inlet -was completely filled with ice), we had no alternative -but to stand away to the south; and this we -did at a fortunate moment, for the ice crowded in -against the shore with great rapidity; and, had we -waited longer, we should have been unable to escape, -and would have been driven upon the beach by the -irresistible pack.</p> - -<p>We carried the wind along with us down the coast -until we reached below Talbot Inlet, when we came -upon a heavy pack, and held our course for Whale -Sound, which I was desirous of exploring. Passing -close to the land, I had an excellent opportunity for -observing the coast and perfecting the chart, especially -of Cadogen and Talbot Inlets, both of which -were traced around their entire circuit. The coast is -everywhere bristling with glaciers. A large island -lies below Talbot Inlet, inside of the Mittie Island -of Captain Inglefield, and not before laid down.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">A RARE DAY.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">ARCTIC MIRAGE.</div> - -<p>Skirting the northern margin of the ice, we -made a course to the northeastward, across the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_427">- 427 -</span> -North Water, through one of the most charming days -that I have spent under the Arctic skies. There was -but the feeblest "cat's-paw" to ruffle the sea, and we -glided on our way over the still waters through a -bright sunshine. The sea was studded all over with -glittering icebergs and bits of old floes, and here and -there a small streak of ice which had become detached -from the pack. The beasts of the sea and the -fowls of the air gathered around us, and the motionless -water and the quiet atmosphere were alive. The -walrus came snorting and bellowing through the sea -as if to have a look at us; the seals in great numbers -were continually putting up their cunning heads -all around the vessel; the narwhal in large schools, -"blowing" lazily, thrust their horns out of the sea, -and their dappled bodies followed after with a graceful -curve, as if they enjoyed the sunshine and were -loathe to quit it; great numbers of white whale -darted past us; the air and the icebergs swarmed -with gulls; and flocks of ducks and auks were flying -over us all the time. I sat upon the deck much of -the day, trying, with indifferent success, to convey to -my portfolio the exquisite green tints of the ice which -drifted past us, and watching a most singular phenomenon -in the heavens. These Arctic skies do sometimes -play fantastic tricks, and on no occasion have I -witnessed the exhibition to such perfection. The atmosphere -had a rare softness, and throughout almost -the entire day there was visible a most remarkable -mirage or refraction,—an event of very frequent occurrence -during the calm days of the Arctic summer. -The entire horizon was lifting and doubling itself continually, -and objects at a great distance beyond it -rose as if by strange enchantment and stood suspended -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_428">- 428 -</span> -in the air, changing shape with each changing moment. -Distant icebergs and floating ice-fields, and -coast-lines and mountains were thus brought into -view; sometimes preserving for a moment their natural -shapes, then widening or lengthening, rising and -falling as the wind fluttered or fell calm over the sea. -The changes were as various as the dissolving images -of a kaleidoscope, and every form of which the imagination -could conceive stood out against the sky. At -one moment a sharp spire, the prolonged image of a -distant mountain-peak, would shoot up; and this -would fashion itself into a cross, or a spear, or a human -form, and would then die away, to be replaced -by an iceberg which appeared as a castle standing -upon the summit of a bill, and the ice-fields coming -up with it flanked it on either side, seeming at one -moment like a plain dotted with trees and animals; -again, as rugged mountains; and then, breaking up -after a while, disclosing a long line of bears and dogs -and birds and men dancing in the air, and skipping -from the sea to the skies. To picture this strange -spectacle were an impossible task. There was no end -to the forms which appeared every instant, melting -into other shapes as suddenly. For hours we watched -the "insubstantial pageant," until a wind from the -north ruffled the sea; when, with its first breath, the -whole scene melted away as quickly as the "baseless -fabric" of Prospero's "vision;" and from watching -these dissolving images, and wooing the soft air, we -were, in a couple of hours, thrashing to windward -through a fierce storm of rain and hail, under close-reefed -sails.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LOST IN THE FOG.</div> - -<p>We had some ugly knocking about and some narrow -escapes in the thick atmosphere, before we -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_429">- 429 -</span> -reached Whale Sound. A heavy pack, apparently -hanging upon the Carey Islands, drove us far up the -North Water; and, to get to our destination, we -were obliged to hold in close to Hakluyt Island. -Here, the air having fallen calm, I pulled ashore; -and, when we set out to return, we found ourselves -enveloped in a fog which caused us some alarm. Observing -its approach, we pulled to catch the schooner -before the dark curtain closed upon us, but were overtaken -when almost a mile away. Having no compass -we became totally ignorant of which way to steer; -and, although we heard the ship's bell and an occasional -discharge of guns to attract our attention, yet, -so deceptive is the ear where the eye is not concerned -in guiding it, that no two of us caught the sound -from the same direction; so we lay on our oars, and -trusted to fortune. After a while, a light wind sprung -up; and the schooner, getting under way, by the -merest chance bore right upon us, and came so suddenly -in view out of the dark vapors that we had -like to have been run down before we could get -headway on the boat.</p> - -<p>We had much difficulty, owing to the fogs, current, -and icebergs, in getting up Whale Sound; but, after -much patient perseverance, we arrived at length in -Barden Bay, and came to anchor off the native settlement -of Netlik.</p> - -<p>The settlement was found to be deserted. The fog -lifting next day, disclosing much heavy ice, among -which it would be dangerous to trust the schooner, I -took a whale-boat and pulled up the Sound.</p> - -<p>The Sound narrows steadily until a few miles beyond -Barden Bay, where the coasts run parallel until -the waters terminate in a deep bay or gulf, to which -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_430">- 430 -</span> -I gave the name of the enterprising navigator, Captain -Inglefield, who first passed the entrance to it. -The coast on the north side runs much further south -than appears on the old charts; and two conspicuous -headlands, which Inglefield mistook for islands, -I have designated on my chart by the names which -the supposed islands have on his. A cluster of islands -at the farther end of the gulf I called Harvard Islands, -in remembrance of the University at Cambridge, to -members of whose faculty I am indebted for many -courteous attentions while fitting out in Boston; and -a range of noble mountains which rise from the head -of the gulf and with stately dignity overlook the -broad <i>mer de glace</i>, holding the vast ice-flood in check, -I named the Cambridge Hills.</p> - -<p>On the south side of the Sound, toward which the -Harvard Islands seem to trend, there are two prominent -capes which I named respectively Cape Banks -and Cape Lincoln;<a id="FNanchor_16" href="#Footnote_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> while two deep bays are designated -as Cope's Bay and Harrison Bay. Another, on -the north side, I called Armsby Bay.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_16" href="#FNanchor_16" class="label">[16]</a> In honor of His Excellency N. P. Banks, Governor of Massachusetts, -and of His Honor F. W. Lincoln, Mayor of Boston, at the time of my -sailing, in 1860.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">AN ESQUIMAUX VILLAGE.</div> - -<p>I had to regret that I could not reach the further -end of the gulf. The ice for about twenty miles remained -quite solid and impenetrable, so that I was -obliged to draw back. Skirting along the southern -coast we came upon the village of Itiplik and found -it inhabited by about thirty people. They were -living in seal-skin tents, three in number, and were -overjoyed to see us. Near by, there was a rookery -of auks similar to that near Port Foulke, which, together -with the seal and walrus that were observed to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_431">- 431 -</span> -be very numerous in all parts of the Sound, furnished -them ample subsistence. There were in all nine families, -but there was no family that consisted of more -than four persons,—the parents and two children. -The largest family that I have seen among them -was that of Kalutunah. Hans told me of several -families of three children; and Tattarat, now a lonely -widower, lives on Northumberland Island, near the -auk-hill of that place, with three orphans; and his -wife bore him a fourth, which disappeared in some -mysterious manner soon after its mother died and -while it was yet a babe at the breast.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU STATISTICS.</div> - -<p>With the aid of Hans, I endeavored to get at a correct -estimate of the whole tribe, and, commencing -with Cape York, took down their names. In this -community there can be no domestic secrets, and -everybody knows all about everybody else's business,—where -they go for the summer, and what luck they -have had in hunting,—and talk and gossip about it -and about each other just as if they were civilized -beings, having good names to pick to pieces. But I -strongly suspect that Hans grew tired of my questioning -and cross-questioning, and stopped short at -seventy-two. I have good reason to believe, however, -that the tribe numbers more nearly one hundred. I -obtained a complete list of the deaths which had -taken place since Dr. Kane left them, in 1855. They -amounted to thirty-four; and, during that time, there -had been only nineteen births.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ESQUIMAU MARRIAGE CEREMONY.</div> - -<p>Their marriage engagements are, of necessity, mere -matters of convenience. Their customs allow of a -plurality of wives; but among this tribe, even if -there were sufficient women, no hunter probably -could support two families. The marriage arrangement -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_432">- 432 -</span> -is made by the parents, and the parties are -fitted to each other as their ages best suit. When a -boy comes of age, he marries the first girl of suitable -years. There is no marriage ceremony further than -that the boy is required to carry off his bride by -main force; for, even among these blubber-eating -people, the woman only saves her modesty by a sham -resistance, although she knows years beforehand that -her destiny is sealed and that she is to become the -wife of the man from whose embraces, when the nuptial -day comes, she is obliged by the inexorable law -of public opinion to free herself if possible, by kicking -and screaming with might and main until she is -safely landed in the hut of her future lord, when she -gives up the combat very cheerfully and takes possession -of her new abode. The betrothal often takes -place at a very early period of life and at very dissimilar -ages. A bright-looking boy named Arko, -which means "The spear thrower," who is not over -twelve years of age, is engaged to a girl certainly of -twenty, named Kartak, "The girl with the large -breasts." Why was this? I inquired. "There is no -other woman for him." I thought he looked rather -dubious of his future matrimonial prospects when I -asked him how soon he proposed to carry off this big-breasted -bride. Two others, whom I judged to be -about ten years each, were to be married in this -romantic style as soon as the lover had caught his -first seal. This, I was told, is the test of manhood -and maturity.</p> - -<p>I talked to the oldest hunter of the tribe, an ancient, -patriarchal-looking individual named Kesarsoak,—"He -of the white hairs,"—about the future of the -tribe. The prospect to him was the same as to -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_433">- 433 -</span> -Kalutunah,—"Our people have but a few more suns to -live!" Would they all come up to Etah if I should -return, and stay there, and bring guns and hunters? -His answer was a prompt, "Yes." He told me, as -Kalutunah had done before, that Etah was the best -hunting-place on the coast, only the ice broke up so -soon and was always dangerous; while Whale Sound -was frozen during nearly all the year, and gave the -hunters greater security.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">TYNDALL GLACIER.</div> - -<p>After returning to the schooner, I pulled up into -Barden Bay, taking with me the magnetic and surveying -instruments and facilities for completing my -botanical and other collections, and for photographing -the fine scenery of the bay. Landing on its north -shore, we found the hill-side covered in many places -with a richer green sward than I had ever seen north -of Upernavik, except once on a former occasion at -Northumberland Island. The slope was girdled with -the same tall cliffs which everywhere meet the eye -along this coast; and the same summer streams of -melted snow tumbled over them, and down the slope -from the mountain sides. The day was quite calm -and the sky almost cloudless. The sun shone broadly -upon us, and the temperature was 51°. Immense -schools of whales and walrus, with an occasional seal, -were sporting in the water; flocks of sea-fowl went -careering about the icebergs and through the air, -and myriads of butterflies fluttered among the flowers; -while from the opposite side of the bay an immense -glacier,<a id="FNanchor_17" href="#Footnote_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> whose face was almost buried in the -sea, carried the eye along a broad and winding valley, -up steps of ice of giant height, and over smooth -plains of whiteness, around the base of the hills, until -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_434">- 434 -</span> -at length the slope pierced the very clouds, and, reappearing -above the curling vapors, was lost in the -blue canopy of the heavens.</p> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_17" href="#FNanchor_17" class="label">[17]</a> I have named this glacier in honor of Professor John Tyndall.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="sidenote">TYNDALL GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Three glaciers were visible from my point of observation,—a -small one, to the right, barely touching -the water, and hanging, as if in suspensive agony, in a -steep declivity; another, at the head of the bay, was -yet miles away from the sea; while before us, in the -centre of the bay, there came pouring down the -rough and broken flood of ice before alluded to, -which, bulging far out into the bay, formed a coast-line -of ice over two miles long.</p> - -<p>The whole glacier system of Greenland was here -spread out before me in miniature. A lofty mountain ridge, -like a whale's back, held in check the expanding -<i>mer de glace</i>, but a broad cleft cut it in twain, and the -stream before me had burst through the opening like -cataract rapids tumbling from the pent-up waters of a -lake. The sublimity and picturesqueness of the scene -was greatly heightened by two parallel rocky ridges, -whose crests were to the left of the glacier. These -crests are trap-dykes, left standing fifty feet perhaps -above the sloping hill-side below them, by the wasting -away of the sandstone through which they have -forced their way in some great convulsion of Nature.</p> - -<p>On the day following, I visited this glacier and -made a careful examination of it, pulling first along -its front in a boat and then mounting to its surface.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GOTHIC GLACIER.</div> - -<p>It would be difficult to imagine any thing more -startling to the imagination or more suggestive to -the mind than the scene presented by this two miles -of ice coast-line, as I rowed along within a few fathoms -of it. The glacier was broken up into the most singular -shapes, and presented nothing of that uniformity -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_435">- 435 -</span> -usual to the glacier's face. It was worn and wasted -away until it seemed like the front of some vast incongruous -temple,—here a groined roof of some -huge cathedral, and there a pointed window or a Norman -door-way deeply molded; while on all sides -were pillars round and fluted, and pendants dripping -crystal drops of the purest water, and all bathed in a -soft, blue atmosphere. Above these wondrous archways -and galleries there was still preserved the same -Gothic character,—tall spires and pinnacles rose -along the entire front and multiplied behind them, -and new forms met the eye continually. The play of -light and the magical softness of the color of the sea -and ice was perfectly charming, as the scene I have -heretofore described among the icebergs. Strange, -there was nothing cold or forbidding anywhere. The -ice seemed to take the warmth which suffused the air, -and I longed to pull my boat far within the openings, -and paddle beneath the Gothic archways. The dangers -from falling ice alone prevented me from entering -one of the largest of them.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GLACIER STREAM.</div> - -<p>Pulling around to the west side of the glacier, I -clambered up a steep declivity over a pile of mud and -rock, which the expanding and moving ice had pushed -out from its bed. Once at the top of this yielding -slope, the eye was met by a perfect forest of spires; -but it was not easy to get on the glacier itself. Along -its margin, half in mud and rock and half in ice, a -torrent of dirty water came tearing along at a furious -pace, disclosing the laminated structure of the ice in -a very beautiful manner; and this was not easily -crossed. At length, however, I came to a spot where -the chief feeder of this rushing stream branched off -at right angles, coming from the glacier itself, and I -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_436">- 436 -</span> -had no difficulty in wading across above the junction -of the two arms. Following thence up the eastward -branch as it dashed wildly down in a succession of -cataracts, cutting squarely across the laminæ or strata -(which lay at an angle of about 35°), I came at length -to a place where the ice was much disturbed, and rose -by broken steps from the plain on which I stood to -the height of about one hundred and fifty feet, and -right out from this wall came the rushing torrent, -hissing and foaming from a monstrous tunnel, to -which the Croton Aqueduct would be a pigmy. It -was a strange sight. The ice was perfectly pure and -transparent; and yet, out of its very heart, was pouring -the muddy stream of which I have made mention, -and which, although the comparison is rather remote, -reminded me of the image which Virgil draws of the -Tiber, when Æneas first beheld its turbid waters, -pouring out from beneath the bright and lovely foliage -which overspread it.</p> - -<p>The tunnel out of which the waters poured was -about ten yards wide and as many high, the supporting -roof being composed of every form of Gothic -arch, fretted and fluted in the most marvelous manner, -and pure as the most stainless alabaster; yet the -distant effect within the tunnel was quite different,—the -dark stream beneath being reflected above; -and truly, if I might be allowed to paraphrase a line -of Dryden,—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"The muddy bottom o'er the arch was thrown."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>I clambered within this tunnel as far as I could, along -a slippery shelf above the tumbling waters, until the -light was almost shut out behind me, but far enough -to perceive that, on my right hand, other tunnels -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_437">- 437 -</span> -discharged into this main sewer, as the underground culverts -which drain into the main artery the refuse of a -city.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CLIMBING THE GLACIER.</div> - -<p>Returning to the open air, I pursued my way up -the glacier for a couple of miles further, and discovered -that this stream had its origin in the mountain -on the right, where the melting snows rolled over the -rocky slope, evidently by a newly formed channel, -for the water was tearing through moss-beds and deposits -of sand and silt, and, rushing thence on the glacier, -tumbled headlong hundreds and hundreds of -feet, down into a yawning chasm. This chasm or crevasse -no doubt extended to the bottom of the glacier, -and the water, after winding along the rocky bed -under the ice, finally has found its way into the -cracks formed by the ice in its descent over a steep -and rugged declivity, and has slowly worn away the -tunnels or culverts which I have described.</p> - -<p>I had now come to the gorge in the mountain -through which the glacier descends to the sea. The -view of the glacier from the margin is, at this point, -somewhat like what I fancy the <i>mer de glace</i> at Trélaporte, -in the Alps, would be if the Grande Jorasse -and Mont Tacul, and the other mountains which -form the cradle for the <i>glacier de Léchaud</i> and the -<i>glacier du Géant</i>, and their tributaries, were all leveled. -Instead of the variety disclosed in the Alpine view, -the eye lights here upon one expanding stream -instead of many streams, which narrows as it approaches -the pass until it is about two miles over; -thence descending the steep declivity to the sea, -breaking up as it moves over the rougher places in -the manner before described.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">GRANDEUR OF THE GLACIERS.</div> - -<p>In all my glacier experience I had not seen any -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_438">- 438 -</span> -thing so fully exhibiting the principles of glacier -movement or so forcibly illustrating the river-like character -of the crystal stream. To scale the glacier further -was not in my power; but the eye climbed up, -step by step, through the mountain-pass to the giddy -summit, and as the imagination wandered from this -icy pinnacle over sea and mountain, it seemed to me -that the world did not hold any more impressive evidence -of the greatness and the power of the Almighty -hand; and I thought how feeble were all the efforts -of man in comparison. As I turned away and commenced -my descent, I found myself repeating these -lines of Byron, penned as his poet-fancy wandered -up the ice-girdled steeps and over the ice-crowned -summits of the Alps:—</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent14">"... these are</div> - <div class="verse indent0">The palaces of Nature, whose vast walls</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Have pinnacled in clouds their snowy scalps,</div> - <div class="verse indent0">And throned Eternity in icy halls</div> - <div class="verse indent0">Of cold sublimity."</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page438" style="max-width: 9.8125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="A Sketch"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page438.png" alt="A Sketch" /> - </span> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page438f" style="max-width: 41.0625em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page438f.png" alt="" /> - <div> - <p class="caption3">TYNDALL GLACIER—WHALE SOUND</p> - <p class="tdc">(FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY DR. HAYES.)</p> - </div> -</div> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_439">- 439 -</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXIX">CHAPTER XXXIX.</h2> -</div> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>HOMEWARD BOUND.—ENTERING MELVILLE BAY.—ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR.—MEETING -THE PACK.—MAKING THE "SOUTH WATER."—REACHING UPERNAVIK.—THE -NEWS.—TO GOODHAVEN.—LIBERALITY OF THE DANISH GOVERNMENT -AND THE GREENLAND OFFICIALS.—DRIVEN OUT OF BAFFIN BAY -BY A GALE.—CRIPPLED BY THE STORM AND FORCED TO TAKE SHELTER -IN HALIFAX.—HOSPITABLE RECEPTION.—ARRIVAL IN BOSTON.—REALIZE -THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY.—THE DETERMINATION.—CONCLUSION.</p> -</div> - - -<p>My story is soon ended. Having completed the exploration -of Whale Sound, we tripped our anchor and -stood southward. The heavens were bright and the -air soft with a summer warmth; and as we glided -down the waveless waters, all sparkling with icebergs, -watching the scene of our adventures slowly sinking -away behind us under the crimson trail of the midnight -sun, it seemed truly as if smooth seas and gentle -winds had come to invite us home.</p> - -<p>But this repose of the elements was of short duration. -A dark curtain rose after a while above the -retreating hills, and sent us a parting salute, in the -shape of a storm of snow and wind, so that we were -soon obliged to gather in some of our canvas, and keep -a sharp lookout.</p> - -<p>My purpose was to reach the "West Water," by -making a course toward Pond's Bay, then round the -"middle ice" to the southward, and make an easterly -course for the Greenland coast.</p> - -<p>The atmosphere cleared up at length, but the wind -held on fiercely. Being from the north-northeast, it -seemed to me then to favor an easterly rather than a -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_440">- 440 -</span> -westerly passage; so, having reached a little below -the latitude of Cape York, on the meridian of 73° 40´ -without discovering any signs of ice, I changed my -original purpose, and, altering the course of the -schooner, struck directly across Melville Bay for Upernavik. -The result proved the prudence of this change. -In twenty-four hours we ran down nearly two degrees -of latitude, and hauled in seven degrees of longitude, -finding ourselves at noon of August 10th in latitude -74° 19´, longitude 66°, without having encountered -any ice seriously to trouble us. The air still holding -clear, we had no difficulty in avoiding the bergs.</p> - -<p>The sea had by this time become very angry, and I -was almost as anxious as I had been the year before, -when entering the bay from the south. The atmosphere -was, however, perfectly clear.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ENCOUNTER WITH A BEAR.</div> - -<p>While bounding along, logging ten knots an hour, -we almost ran over an immense polar bear, which was -swimming in the open water, making a fierce battle -with the seas, and seemingly desirous of boarding us. -He was evidently much exhausted, and, seeing the -vessel approach, doubtless had made at her in search of -safety. The unhappy beast had probably allowed himself -to be drifted off on an ice-raft which had gone to -pieces under him in the heavy seas. Although these -polar bears are fine swimmers, I much feared that the -waves would in the end prove too much for this poor -fellow, as there was not a speck of ice in sight on -which he could find shelter. As we passed, he touched -the schooner's side, and Jensen, who had seized a rifle, -was in the act of putting an end to his career, when I -arrested his hand. The beast was making such a -brave fight for his life that I would not see him shot, -more especially as the waves were running too high -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_441">- 441 -</span> -to lower a boat for his carcass, without a risk which -the circumstances did not warrant.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RECROSSING MELVILLE BAY.</div> - -<p>The presence of this bear warned me that the pack -could not be very remote, and accordingly we shortened -sail, and I took my old station aloft on the fore-yard. -Sure enough the pack was there, as was soon -evidenced by an "ice-blink," and in a little while we -were close upon it. Hauling by the wind, we skirted -its margin for some time without discovering any termination -to it; and, the ice appearing to be very loose and -rotten, I stood away again on our southerly course, -and entered the first favorable lead. It was something -of a venture, as we could not, although the ice -was wholly different front that of Smith Sound, owing -to the condition of the schooner's bows, strike it with -safety. Luckily the wind favored us, and the schooner -answering her helm promptly, we managed to avoid -the floes for about twelve hours, at least without a -thump of any serious consequence, at the end of which -time the wind had fallen to calm; and this continuing -for some time, with the temperature several degrees -below freezing, new ice was formed more than half an -inch thick, all over the sea.</p> - -<p>A light and fair breeze springing up again, we were -once more under way, crunching through this crystal -sheet much to the damage of the schooner's sides, -where there was no iron, and very embarrassing to -our progress, for we were often absolutely stuck fast. -We were glad enough when the breeze stiffened and -knocked the ice to pieces, giving us a free passage -into the "East Water."</p> - -<p>We made land on the morning of the 12th, and -found it to be the Horse's Head. The pack was now -far behind us, and our southern passage through -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_442">- 442 -</span> -Melville Bay had been made in about five hours less time -than our northern.</p> - -<p>From the Horse's Head we jogged on through a -foggy atmosphere with occasional thick squalls of -snow and light variable winds, until after three days' -groping we found ourselves again at anchor in Upernavik -harbor.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">NEWS FROM HOME.</div> - -<p>While the chain was yet clicking in the hawse-hole, -an old Dane, dressed in seal-skins, and possessing a -small stock of English and a large stock of articles to -trade, pulled off to us with an Esquimau crew, and, -with little ceremony, clambered over the gangway. -Knorr met him, and, without any ceremony at all, demanded -the news.</p> - -<p>"Oh! dere's plenty news."</p> - -<p>"Out with it, man! What is it?"</p> - -<p>"Oh! de Sout' States dey go agin de Nort' States, -and dere's plenty fight."</p> - -<p>I heard the answer, and, wondering what strange -complication of European politics had kindled another -Continental war, called this Polar Eumæus to the -quarter-deck. Had he any news from America?</p> - -<p>"Oh! 'tis 'merica me speak! De Sout' States, you -see? dey go agin de Nort' States, you see? and -dere's plenty fight!"</p> - -<p>Yes, I did see! but I did not believe that he told -the truth, and awaited the letters which I knew must -have come out with the Danish vessel, and which -were immediately sent for to the Government-House.</p> - -<p>It proved that letters had been brought for us -by our old friend, Dr. Rudolph, who had returned a -few weeks before from Copenhagen, and who kindly -brought them aboard himself as soon as he knew of -our arrival, and almost before my messenger had -reached the shore.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_443">- 443 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">THE REBELLION.</div> - -<p>These and some files of papers, and the Doctor's -memory, gave us the leading occurrences which had -taken place at home up to near the end of March, -1861. We learned of the inauguration of the new -President and of the leading events following his election, -but of the startling incidents of a later period -we were ignorant. We could not apprehend that war -had actually broken out. We knew only of the intrigues -for a division of the States and of the acts -looking to that design. We learned that suspicion on -the one hand, and treason on the other, ruled the -hour; that threats of violence and irresolute counsels -had thrown society into a ferment; and that the national -safety was imperiled; but we knew not of the -firing on Fort Sumter, nor of the bloody wound -which the Nation had received at Bull Run; nor that -a vast army for the protection of the Capital and the -defense of the Government was then growing up on -the banks of the Potomac. We little thought, that in -every city, and town, and hamlet, the occupations of -peace had already given place to the passionate excitements -of war; that a cry of indignation and -anger had gone up throughout the land against men -who, pledged to protect the national flag and the national -name, had abandoned and repudiated them; or, -that under the banner of States' rights and under the -impulse of ambition, a powerful party had boldly bid -defiance to the Federal power and declared their purpose -to break the Federal compact. And, even had -we heard these things, it would have been difficult for -us to have thus suddenly realized that, in a single -year, human folly and human madness had so completely -got the better of right and reason.</p> - -<p>I occupied myself while the schooner lay at Upernavik -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_444">- 444 -</span> -with visiting a magnificent glacier nine miles -wide, which discharges into a fiord named Aukpadlatok, -about forty miles from the town. Near this glacier -there is a hunting-station of the same name -which is superintended by a Dane, called Philip, who -lives there in the enjoyment of peace and plenty, with -an Esquimau wife and a large family of children, -among whom are four full-grown half-breed boys,—the -best hunters, I was told, north of Pröven. My -surveys detained me several days at Philip's hut, and, -before I left, I had made full arrangements with himself -and his seal-skin-coated boys and his wife and -daughters, to make sledges, for which I gave them -abundant materials, and fur-clothing, and skin-lines; -and I engaged them to rear and accumulate dogs -for me, that I might be well supplied when I came -back the next year.</p> - -<p>After leaving Upernavik, light and baffling winds -kept us at our old trade of dodging the icebergs for -four days, at the end of which time we were at anchor -in Goodhaven, and I was enjoying, as I was sure -to do, the courteous hospitality of my old friend, Inspector -Olrik.</p> - -<p>This settlement is situated on the south side of -Disco Island, and takes its name from the excellence -of the harbor, which is completely land-locked. It is -the principal colony of North Greenland, and, being -the residence of the Viceroy or Royal Inspector, has -attached to it an air of importance not belonging to -the other stations.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LIBERALITY OF THE DANISH GOVERNMENT.</div> - -<p>Mr. Olrik exhibited to me an order from his Government, -commanding the Greenland officials to give -attention to my requirements, and offering me at the -same time as well his official as personal good offices. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_445">- 445 -</span> -Being on my way home, I had little occasion to avail -myself of this gracious act of the Danish Government; -but I informed the Inspector of my future -purposes and signified to him my desire to avail myself -of its privileges next year. I am glad of an opportunity -publicly to express my admiration of the -conduct of the Danish Government toward the Arctic -expeditions of whatever nationality; and in my own -case it was the more personally gratifying, and the -more highly appreciated, that I had no "Department" -orders wherewith to back up my claims to -consideration.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">LEAVING GREENLAND.</div> - -<p>From the Chief Trader, Mr. Anderson, as well as -from the Inspector, I had much kindly assistance in -perfecting my collections and in completing my series -of photographic views, and I found myself so agreeably -as well as profitably occupied that I was truly -loath to quit the good harbor; but it was necessary -for me to be hastening home, as the nights were -growing dark, and I did not wish to be caught among -the icebergs without some sunlight to guide me; so, -when the first fine wind came, I huddled my collections -aboard, bade good-by, saluted the Danish -ensign for the last time, and—well, we did over -again what we had done a dozen times before—dove -into a villainous fog-bank, out of which came a rush -of wind that sent us homeward a little faster than -we cared to go.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">FLYING BEFORE THE GALE.</div> - -<p>It was a regular equinoctial storm, and, from the -time of leaving Disco until we had passed Newfoundland, -it scarcely once relaxed its grip of us. We -were blown out through Davis Strait even more -fiercely than we had been blown in. At one time we -were beset with a perfect hurricane, and how the -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_446">- 446 -</span> -schooner staggered through it was little short of a -miracle. Ulysses could hardly have had a worse -dusting, when his stupid crew let loose all the winds -which Æolus had so kindly bagged up for him. -Every stitch of canvas was ripped up but the little -rag of a topsail, under which we scudded before the -gale through four days, running down in one four-and-twenty -hours two hundred and twenty miles of latitude. -The seas which came tumbling after us, each -one seemingly determined to roll over the poop, were -perfectly frightful; especially when one looked aloft -and saw the little patch of canvas threatening every -moment to give way, and heard the waters gurgling -under the counter as the stern went down and the -bows went up, while a very Niagara was roaring and -curveting after us, as if maddened with defeat, and -with each new effort the more determined to catch -the craft before she should mount the crest ahead. -But she slipped from under every threatening danger -as gracefully, if not as</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> - <div class="stanza"> - <div class="verse indent0">"Swift, as an eagle cleaving the liquid air,"</div> - </div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>and, leaving the parted billows foaming and roaring -behind her, passed on triumphant and unharmed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">CRIPPLED BY THE STORM.</div> - -<p>When off Labrador, the wind hauled suddenly to -the westward, and we had to give up the chase, and -get the schooner's head to it. McCormick had managed -to patch up the foresail, and, getting a triangular -piece of it rigged for a storm-sail, we proposed -to heave her to. There did not appear to be much -chance of a successful termination to this new venture, -but it was clearly this or nothing. The sail was -set and the determination come to just in time, for we -shipped a terrible sea over the quarter, the schooner -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_447">- 447 -</span> -gave a lurch to leeward, and then righted so suddenly -that the little topsail which had done us such good -service went into ribbons, the topmast cracked off at -the cap, and crash went the jib-boom right away -afterward. "Hard a-lee!" was rather a melancholy -sort of order to give under the circumstances, and, as -was to be expected, when the helm went down we -were thrown into the trough of the next sea, where -we were caught amidships by the ugliest wave that I -ever happened to look upon, and down it thundered -upon us, staving in the bulwarks, sweeping the decks -from stem to stern, and carrying every thing overboard, -our water-casks included. The schooner shivered -all over as if every rib in her little body was -broken, and for a moment I felt sure that she was -knocked over on her beam ends; but the craft -seemed to possess more lives than a cat, and, righting -in an instant, shook herself free of the water, -took the next wave on the bow, rose to it nobly, and -then shot squarely into the wind's eye. "Bravely -done, little lady!" was McCormick's caressing approval -of her good behavior.</p> - -<p>We lay hove to for three days, at the end of which -time we found ourselves drifted from our course two -hundred miles. Meanwhile, there had been a good -deal of alarm caused by the loss of our water-casks. -We had an extra cask or so in the hold, but these -could not be got up without removing the main-hatch, -an effort not to be thought of, as the decks -were flooded and the vessel would be swamped; so I -at once set myself to work to remedy the evil, and -succeeded perfectly. With a tea-kettle for a retort -and a barrel for a condenser, I managed to distill water -enough for the entire ship's company; and, in less -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_448">- 448 -</span> -than three hours after the disaster, all alarm vanished -when it was known that a stream of pure water was -trickling from this novel contrivance in the officers' -cabin, at the rate of ten gallons a day.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">RECEPTION IN HALIFAX.</div> - -<p>The damaged condition of the schooner compelled -us, when off Nova Scotia, to make a port as speedily -as possible, and accordingly we put into Halifax. Our -reception there was most gratifying, and among a -people famed for hospitality we had abundant reason -to rejoice over the ill winds which had blown us so -much good. The admiral of Her Britannic Majesty's -fleet, then in Halifax Harbor, generously tendered the -use of the Government conveniences for repairing my -crippled vessel; and from the officers of Her Majesty's -civil service and of the squadron and garrison; -from the Mayor and many other citizens of Halifax,—most -especially from the Medical Society,—the Expedition -received attentions which exhibited not less a -friendliness of disposition for ourselves than respect -for the flag under which our explorations had been -made.</p> - -<p>Up to the time of our arrival at Halifax we had, of -course, no further news than what reached us at Upernavik. -We had scarcely dropped our anchor before a -a citizen of the town and a countryman of my own, -neither of whom was long a stranger to my friendship -or my gratitude, hurried off to give us greetings, and -to bring the news. They had picked up some files of -New York papers on the way, and we soon learned of -the terrible struggle that had been going on for many -months. Although not wholly unprepared for this by -the intelligence received at Upernavik, yet we had -confidently cherished the expectation that hostilities -had been averted by wise and prudent counsellors. -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_449">- 449 -</span> -The shock was to us such as those who had watched -at home the progress of events from day to day could -perhaps hardly realize. The first intelligence I had -of the war was the account of the Bull Run battle, -next I heard of the firing on Sumter, and then of -the riots in Baltimore, and the destruction of Norfolk -Navy-Yard, and the capture of Harper's Ferry; -and then followed an account of the universal arming -and volunteering.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">ARRIVAL IN BOSTON.</div> - -<p>We remained at Halifax not longer than was necessary -to complete the repairs of the schooner, when we -again put to sea, and in four days made the Boston -Lights. We picked up a pilot out of the thickest fog -that I have ever seen south of the Arctic Circle, and -with a light wind stood into the harbor. As the night -wore on the wind fell away almost to calm; the fog -thickened more and more, if that were possible, as we -sagged along over the dead waters toward the anchorage. -The night was filled with an oppressive -gloom. The lights hanging at the mast-heads of the -vessels which we passed had the ghastly glimmer of -tapers burning in a charnel-house. We saw no vessel -moving but our own, and even those which lay at anchor -seemed like phantom ships floating in the murky -air. I never saw the ship's company so lifeless, or so -depressed even in times of real danger.</p> - -<p>The sun was beginning to pour into the atmosphere -a dim light when we let go our anchor; but it did not -seem that we were at home, or that a great city lay -near by. No one was anxious to go ashore. It appeared -as if each one anticipated some personal misfortune, -and wished to postpone the shock foreboded -by his fears. I landed on Long Wharf, and found my -way into State Street. Two or three figures were -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_450">- 450 -</span> -moving through the thick vapors, and their solemn -foot-fall broke the worse than Arctic stillness. I -reached Washington Street, and walked anxiously -westward. A news-boy passed me. I seized a paper, -and the first thing which caught my eye was the account -of the Ball's Bluff battle, in which had fallen -many of the noblest sons of Boston; and it seemed -as if the very air had shrouded itself in mourning for -them, and that the heavens wept tears for the city's -slain.</p> - -<p>I was wending my way to the house of a friend, -but I thought it likely that he was not there. I felt -like a stranger in a strange land, and yet every object -which I passed was familiar. Friends, country, every -thing seemed swallowed up in some vast calamity, -and, doubtful and irresolute, I turned back sad and -dejected, and found my way on board again through -the dull, dull fog.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">REALIZATION OF THE REBELLION.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">THE DETERMINATION.</div> - -<p>The terrible reality was now for the first time present -to my imagination. The land which I had left in -the happy enjoyment of peace and repose was already -drenched with blood; a great convulsion had come to -scatter the old landmarks of the national Union, and -the country which I had known before could be the -same no more. Mingled with these reflections were -thoughts of my own career. To abandon my pursuits; -to give up a project in which I had expended so -much time and means; to have nipped, as it were, in -the very bud, a work upon which I had set my heart, -and to which I had already given all the early years -of my manhood; to sacrifice all the hopes and all the -ambitions which had encouraged me through toil and -danger, with the promise of the fame to follow the -successful completion of a great object; to abandon an -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_451">- 451 -</span> -enterprise in which I had aspired to win for myself an -honorable place among the men who have illustrated -their country's history and shed lustre upon their country's -flag, were thoughts which first seriously crossed -my mind while returning on board, carrying in my -hand the bloody record of Ball's Bluff. In the face of -the startling intelligence which had crowded upon me -since reaching Halifax, and which had now culminated; -in the face of the duty which every man owes, in -his own person, to his country when his country is in -peril, I could not hesitate. Before I had reached my -cabin, while our friends were yet in ignorance of our -presence in the bay, I had resolved to postpone the -execution of the task with which I had charged myself; -and I closed as well the cruise as the project, by -writing a letter to the President, asking for immediate -employment in the public service, and offering my -schooner to the government for a gun-boat.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Five years have now elapsed since the schooner -<i>United States</i> crept to anchorage through the murky -vapors of Boston Harbor. The terrible struggle then -first realized by me, as at hand, is now over, and has -become an event of history. The destinies of individuals -are ever subordinate to the public weal; and in -the presence of great social and political revolutions, -when ideas are fringed with bayonets, and great interests -are in conflict, men have little leisure for the consideration -of questions of science, or of remote projects -unconnected with the national safety.</p> - -<div class="sidenote">PLANS POSTPONED, NOT ABANDONED.</div> - -<p>Therefore it is that the further exploration of the -Arctic regions was lost sight of by me during the past -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_452">- 452 -</span> -few years. The facilities which I had acquired, and -the advantages which I had gained, have been in a -great measure sacrificed since my return to Boston -in October, 1861, and I cannot therefore speak with -confidence as to the time when the exploration will be -renewed. The scheme has not, however, been abandoned, -nor are my views in any respect changed. I -still contemplate the execution of my original design, -and hope at an early day to carry into effect the plan -of discovery indicated in the concluding chapters of -this narrative. It is still my wish to found at Port -Foulke such a colony as I have hitherto described, -and, with a corps of scientific associates, to make that -the centre of a widely extended system of exploration. -The value of such a centre will be evident to every instructed -mind without illustration, and the availability -of the situation is shown by the experience of my own -party. The project has the more interest at this time -in connection with the effort by way of the Spitzbergen -Sea, contemplated by the Prussian government, -the inception of which is due to the eminent geographer, -Dr. Augustus Petermann. As with my own enterprise, -that of Dr. Petermann has temporarily given -place to the necessities of war; but I have been informed -that the expedition is contemplated for the -coming spring. The organization of this expedition is -founded upon, I think, a correct assumption that the -Open Sea and the North Pole may be reached with -steam-vessels by pushing through the ice-belt to the -west and north of Spitzbergen. This route possesses -some advantages over that of Smith Sound, while it -has some disadvantages. The temporary colonization -at Port Foulke gives to the Smith Sound route its -chief claim over the other, to the consideration of the -explorer.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_453">- 453 -</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote">ADVANTAGES OF ARCTIC EXPLORATION.</div> - -<div class="sidenote">CONCLUSION.</div> - -<p>It is not needful that I should here demonstrate -the advantages to be derived from a continuation of -the line of exploration which I have indicated;—the -age in which we live has too much profited by researches -into every department of science, which, not -immediately prosecuted with the view to practical advantage, -have, by a steady enlargement of the boundaries -of human knowledge, promoted the interests of -commerce, of navigation, of the arts, and of every -thing which concerns the convenience and the comfort -and the well-being of mankind. In truth, civilization -has profited most by those discoveries which -possessed at the outset only an abstract value, and -excited no interest beyond the walls of the academy. -The vast system of steam communication, which -weaves around the world its endless web of industry, -began in the apparently useless experiments of a -thoughtful boy with the lid of his mother's tea-kettle; -that wonderful net-work of wires which spreads over -the continents and underlies the seas, and along which -the thoughts of men fly as with the wings of light, -results from the accidental touching of two pieces of -metal in the mouth of Volta; the lenses of the mammoth -telescope of Lord Rosse, which reduced to practical -uses the celestial mechanism, came from observing -the magnifying powers of a globule of water; the -magnetic needle which guides the navies of the world -to their distant destinations, succeeds the casual contact -of a piece of loadstone and a bit of steel: everywhere, -indeed, we witness the same constant growth -from what seemed unprofitable beginnings;—the -printing-press, the loom, the art of solar painting, all -sprang from the one same source,—from minds intent -only upon interrogating Nature, and revealing her -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_454">- 454 -</span> -mysteries, without knowledge of the good to come -therefrom. The progress of scientific discovery is indeed -the progress of the human race, and the question, -<i>Cui bono?</i> is now no longer asked of him who would -reveal hidden truths. Wherever men have sought -wider fields of gain, or power, or usefulness, there has -been science in the midst of them,—guiding, supporting, -and instructing them. Wherever men have -sought to plant, among barbarous peoples, the emblem -of the only true religion, there has she gone before,—opening -the gates and smoothing the pathway. She -has lifted the curtain of ignorance from the human -mind, and Christianity, following her advancing footsteps, -has banished from the West the ancient superstitions, -and the dark Pantheism of the East and the -Fetich worship of the savage tribes are passing away. -The light of science and the gospel of our Christian -faith have moved hand in hand together through the -world, and, overriding the barriers of custom, have, -with unselfish zeal, steadily unfolded to the human -understanding the material interests which concern -this life, and to the human soul the sacred truths of -Revelation which concern the life to come.</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp100" id="page454" style="max-width: 9.8125em;"> - <span class="img_capt" title="The End"> - <img class="w100" src="images/page454.png" alt="END" /> - </span> -</div> - - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<p class="caption3nb">Transcriber Note</p> - -<p>Minor typos were corrected. Both Esquimau and Esquimaux were retained. -Some paragraphs were split to accommodate placement of the images or -Side-notes. The missing illustration on pages <a href="#snowflake2">296</a> and <a href="#snowflake3">380</a> were added.</p> - -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE OPEN POLAR SEA ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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