Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-12-17
THE POLAR SEA.

gels Expeditions il he Pohar Sas-a brie
notice. OF which may be entertaining to some
readers.
Won Wrangell left St. Petersburg in May
1890, and proceeded 10 the mouth of the river
kolyrna. OF which district and its inhabitants,
Re gives an Interesting description. 1t is not
easy 10 perceive how any human beings can
continue to exist in this region. From the
beginning al ctober to the end of April, the
temperature ,.eiy iicyor rises To The freezing
poimt-it sometimes falls to sixty-five degrees
below zero-and often stands at fifty degrees
to fifty seven degrees. Vegetation is SO lam
guid that 1t can hardly be said to exist at all.
ct this poverty OF vegetable life is strongly
contrasted with the number and variety of am
imals that live on these inhoSpitablc shores.
Countless herds of reindeer, elks black bears,
foxes, sables, and grey squirrels, fill the up
| land forestS-Stone-EDNcs and wolves roam o.
yer the low grounds. Enormous focks of
geese, swans and ducks arrive in the spring,
seeking deserts where they may moult and
| build thelrnests in safety. Eagles, owls, and
gulls pursue their prey along the sea-coast-
ptarinigau run Ill troops among the bushes
snipes are busy along the brooks and in the
| morasses-the crows more social, seek the
neighborhood of men; and the cheerful notes
OF the finch are not rare in the warmer season.
herring enter the rivers in such quantities that
5000 are taken in net at a single draught,
and 10000 have been taken by Il good net in
the operations of three or four days. An i'm
poriant article Of commerce, of an interesting
and curious nature, consists of animal remains,
and especially those of the mammoth, the i
worry OF which. though buried as it must have
been for thousands of years, is vet as sound
and perfect as that which is taken from the
living elephant. Multitudos of these huge
remains are found on the numerous islands of
the Polar Ocean, buried in masses of ice and
in the frozen sand banks of the rivers, near
the mouth. The tusks found on the islands
are fresher and whittier than those CT the CONT
nent.
Baron Wrangcll reached Kolyma about the
beginning OF win,er-just in time to expert
ence the full enjoyment of long polar night
during which the inhabitants pursue their
occupations of hunting elks and rein deer on
sledges drawn by dogs, and setting traps for
toXes and sables. These dogs resemble the
wolf. They vary i'll size but good slcdge-
dog should not be less than two feet seven
inches high and three feet nine inches long.
In summer they dig holes in the ground for
cooincSs, or he III the water to escape the
mosquitoes, ana In winter they burrow in
snow, and lie cured up with their noses COW
cred by their bushy tails. The training of
these animals, and preparing them for a Jour
ney, is carefully attended to. They have
been known to travel hundred miles in d
day o. without being injured by it. Their
food, when travelling, is frozen fish; and ten
good frozen behring's are proper daily al
lowancc for each dog. 4 team consists OF IL,
and the foremost sledge usually has an extra
dog for leader.
The Baron made a number of journeys
with these animals, the particular incidents
OF which are too numerous for detail. His
second journey was wholly on the ice of the
Polar sea, and commenced OF the Goth of
Nlarch-temperature eleven degrees below
freezing. He proceeded in a nor.herly direc-
ton for two days, when they discovered
low island, on which Were four pillars, con-
sisting of sundFy layers Of granite porphyry,
the highest measuring forty eight feet, and
ninety-one feet in circumference, at the base.
The form was something like that OF man,
with a cap turban on his head, but without
legs or arms. In attempting 10 advance to
the north, they found the hummocks Of ice to
increase III number and size, until they
formed whole ranges, eighty feet high. The
party Were compelled to return, but not dis
couragcd, the Baron undertook Il third expe-
ditlon the following spring, with ninety-six
dogs for eight siedgeS. The incidents ofthis
journey were not more frightiul and periious
than those of the former ones.
| On the eth March, the latitude reached
being Il deg. - min. two ILLS were suppos-
ed to be seen in the northeast. The number,
as they advanced, appeared to increase, with
their intermediate valleys, and some detach-
ed rocks. in short, the party were inspired
with d sanguinc hope Of reaching the long
sought for land, the object Of all their tolls.
| In the evening, however, their newly discov-
cred land was observed to stretch all along
the horizon, and soon after it finally vanished
| from the sight; and the next day afIordt d a
repetition OF the same optical illusion. On
| the night of the 9th April. after passing the
night behind ridge of ice and SNOW, we
| found ourselves amidst one Of the widest
groups Of hummocks which we had ever seen,
and among which, after working seven hours
| with crow-bars. we had advanced only three
wersts. 1t was therefore decided, that as
! from the exhausted state of the dogs. the dila.
pidated condition Of tie sledges, and the evi
dent continuation OF the rugged surface o.
hummocks, they could scarcely nc able to ac
complish thirty wersts In week, it would
not be prudent to proceed; but VI. Van Matt
uSenkin, with twoccmpanlons, Ill an unload
ed sledge, set out to discover if any turtle
advance could be made to the north. Ilavin,
accomplished ten wersts in due north dl
rcction all further advance was stopped b,
the complete breaking up of the ice, and
close approach to the open sea. He had seen
lie says, ''thc icy sea break It's letters enor
nous fields Office, raised by the waves into al
almost vertical position, driven against eac
other with dreadful crash, pressed down
wards by the force Of the foaming pillows
and ra-appearing again Oh the surface, cover
ILL.,. Z, 81 too, 1