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

(say Won Wrangell,) of an approaching gen
eral breakup, warned US to proceed no furth
err They had food only for four days TO
the dogs; were 600 wersts from tho neares
deposite of provisions; the season also was
far advanced; they determined therefore t.
return without further delay. Their journey
back was toilsomc, tedious and hazardous.
Not discouraged by these repeated failures
the Baron determined ona fourth attempt &c
discover the supposed land in the Polar Sea
His descriptions of the ice-hills, and of the
agitated ocean in which they were dashin.
together, car hardly be read without ,exreri-
encing a chill in the blood. Again he was
compelled to return, but the track by which
they advanced was hardly disceynibe. The
Baron'S own account of one pcrilous enter
prise we quote without abridgemcnt -
After driving only three wersts, we found
our old track completely obliterated by fresh
hummocks and assures, which rendered our
advance so difficult that we were at last
forced to abandon a part ofthe stores which we
carried. After toiling on for one or two wersts
more, we found ourselves completely surroun-
ded by lanes of water, opening more and
more, until, to the west, the sea appeared
completely open with floating ice, and dark
vapors ascending from it obscured the whole
horizon. TO the south we still saw what APP
peared plain of ice, but it consisted only of
larger fragments, and even these we could
not reach, as we were separated from them
by wide space of water. Thus cut off on
every side, we awaited the night with ankle
ty, happily for US, both the sea and the air
was calm, and this circumstance, and the ex-
pectation Of night frost, gave us hope
During the night gentle breeze sprung up
from the w. n. W., and gradually impelled
the iIe-island, on which we were, towards
the east, and nearer to the large surface be-
fore mentioned. In order to get over the re-
manning space, we hooked with poles the
smaller pieces OF ice which floated about, and
formed with them kind of bridge, which
the night frost cemented sufficiently to admit
Of our crossing over upon 1t before sunrise on
the 2Sth. We had hardly proceeded one
werst, when we found ourselves III fresh
labyrinth OF lanes of water, which hemmed
us i'll OH every side. s4s the floating pieces
around us were smaller than the one OH which
we stood, which was seventy-five fathoms a.
cross, and as we saw many certain indica-
tons of an approaching storm, | thought it
better to remain on the larger mass, which
offered us somewhat more security and thus
we waited quietly what ever Providence
should decree. Dark clouds now rose from
the west, and the whole atmosphere became
filled with damp vapor. strong breeze
suddenly sprung up from the west, and in
creased IN less than half an hour to storm.
Every moment huge masses of ice around us
We're dashed against each other, and broken
into a thousand fragments.
Our littly party remained fast on our ice
island, which was tossed to and fro by the
waves : We gaZed in most painful inactivity
on the wild conflict of the elements, expect
ing every moment to be swallowed up. We
had been three long hours in this position,
and still! tie mass OF ice beneath us held to-
gether, when suddenly it was caught by the
storm, and hurled us against large field of
ice, the crash was terrific, and the mass be-
meath was shattered into fragments. At that
dreadful moment, when escape seemed i'm
possible, the impulse of selfpreservation i'm
planted in every living being saved US. In
stantly we all sprang ct once on the sledges,
and urged the dogs 10 their full speed they
flew across the yielding fragments to the field
on which we had been stranded, and safely
reached Il part of it of frner character, on
which were several hummocks, and where
the dogs immediately ceased running, con-
scious, apparently, that the danger was past.
We Were saved wejoyfully embraced each
ether, and united iii thanks to God FOR our pre-
scrvation from such imminent peril.
1t does not appear from the article in the
Review that the expedition afforded any en-
enlargement to pursue the object of discove-
ry, and it may be doubted whether any further
attempt will be more successful.
Boston Courier.