The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-11-21
From the .a5erdeen Chronicle.
THE ARCTIC REGION.

! A circumstance, which must interest ever,
[ friend Of humanity, has been communicated BY
I captain Hogg-that of the safety Of the great
er part of the Dutch crew who were left at Da
Wis 8 Straits last season. These unfortunate
! people, belonged to Dutch whaler, which had
been frozen in, along with the Dundee of Lon
don, Captain Duncan, every effort to force q
passage through the immense and impenetra.
Bile barriers with which they were surrounded
having failed. In this nearly hopeless condi.
ton the crew Of the English ship were prepar-
ing, as their last resource and forlorn hope OF
preserving life, to secure themselves on board
their vessel in the best manner they could
against the dire effects of that rigorous climate
When they were put to new and unexpected
trial by the arrival oftheir miserable fellow suf-
ieaefs Bunca6 ateif mshg hsTd be-
tween the resolution which humanity would
have dictated-that of allowing them to remain
and share the scanty provision and fate of him.
self and his crew-and the painful alternative
which stern necessity pointed out as the duty
he had to perform for preserving those placed
under his charge, or perhaps both crews-was
at last after these miserable creatures had
twice come to implore his pity and protection,
compelled to order them away.
A faint idea can be formed of the appalling
difficulties and suferings to which the Dutch
crew were exposed in their open boat for pc
Rod of nearly two months, during which, they
traversed an extent of nearly 600 miles, under
circumstances Of distress at which humanity
shudders. One of the survivors was brought
to Peterhead, by Captain Hogg, who, from
the little English the Dutchman could be
taught to speak, has been able TO collect but
very few imperfect particulars. Deprived of
the assistance of the English, on which they
hung nearly their last hope fsafety. the Dutch
crew betook themselves to their boats and push
ed for the nearest Danish settlement Their
progress thtberward was one scene of danger
and toll, while the accumulated evils of every
succeeding day threatened that termination of
their snfferings, which nature seemed no lon
ger able to withstand The boats were drawn
over large fields of ice, until spot of open wa
ter could be found, in which again aAoat, they
were soon impeded by the bay or lighter ice
which formed around them, when the oars be-
ing no longer useful to them, nor the ice strong
enough to allow their passage the crew were
compelled to remain in their boats until next
day when, allwas solid to admit of their beng
taken on the ice and dragged on as before.
For many days this labor and sorrow contin-
ued, until, at last, ray ci hope of their dely-
erance being at hand cheered their weary
souls on their reaching the northernmost Dan
ISL settlement, called 0penawack, in lat. 73
deg. The prospect of assistance here, proved
however, almost quite delusive-the poor resi-
dents, man and bis wife, having barely pro-
visions for their own subsistence during the win
ter, SO that all they could do for them was to
allow them to remain three days, to recruit
their strength sufficiently to attempt the next
sgtt3ltiapg Saqlpa afthR natives. called in the Ian
ward with them as guides and after encoun;
tering series of like calamities to those which
they had already been exposed, they reached,
about the 2Sth Nov. -Four Island Point, in lat.
60 deg. a distance of about 240 miles. Before
they could gain this station. it was necessary
to cross an arm of the sea, and to have the as
sistance Of boats. placed for transporting the
natives to that settlement Two days elapsed
before the customary signals for the boats to
come over could, from the state of the weather,
be observed-and the miserable Dutehmen
were compelled to remain during the time in
the open air, without provisions. Several, it
is understood, had fallen victims to this aggra-
waited distress, while others died after reaching
the settlement and the greatest part of the
survivors exhibited the lamentable effects of
the intense FROST either by the loss OF part or
the whole oftheiT toes and fingers, or OF their
limbs.