The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-11-06
NUMBER 80.

it is several feet thick, to get fresh air;
the natives are accustomed to the noise
made by scratching, and will hear them
a long distance and watch for them, and
as soon as they make their appearance
they are at once killed and secured.
The officers of the Advance also brought
with them several Esquimaux dogs. These
animals are very docile and peaceable in
their disposition, allowing any one to
handle them familiarly, but they may
have changed somewhat in their dis
position by being confined so long on board
vessel filed with civilized people +; their
appetites are very vOracious, eating at one
meal as much as would satisfy three COM
mon American dogs. Their appearance
at first sight reminds one of the wolf, hav-
ing similar head, mouth and ears; their
feet and tail are also similar to prairie
wolf, but the eyes are brighter and have
more intelligent expression (if the term
may be used) than the wolf or any other
animal of the kind Their size is near that
of a small, well set bulldog, and very
heavy. One of them on board the Advance
"a female) has long straight hair, of
brownish white, tail the same another
(male) on the back and sides, and head, is
black, and the other parts the same as the
female, but the hair shorter They are
very strong, and we witnessed one OF them
break good sized cord which he was tied
with, without appearing to exert himself
much in the effort
A horn of northern whale presents
quite novel feature in the collection.
These whales have q horn extending from
the top of their heads forward, varying in
length from one to twelve feet, are very
straight, and groovcd as if by art in spiral
form. The groove is raised about the
cigth of an inch, winding towards the
point, and it is very formidable means of
defence. The one brought home is about
five feet in length, and two inches in dia-
meter at the 1utt end, and running to
point at the other. These whales, which
are very plenty, are spotted and about the
size of hump backed whale. A white
whale with green back were seen in large
numbers, thousands in school. Many
whaling ships were seen near Mellville's
Bay. In this Bay many whale ships are
wrecked every season. One Captain was
seen who had been wrecked three times in
one day, Is deg. 80 min. N. Latitude in
the first place losing his own vessel, and
barely escaping with his life to another,
and another, which were successfully
wrecked the same day.
Red Smmc.-This remarkable produc-
ton was actually discovered on Grim
sons Cliff, Beverley, Greenland, lat. rs
deg. 3 min. At distance the tops of the
cliffs appeared to be deep red color, as
if the whole surface of the snow was the
same, but upon nearer approach, it was
discovered to be scattered about ia small
spots, from ten feet square down to me:e
drops, and was only light scum. When
melted, it still retained its color, as it does
at the present time. Their seems to be
no accounting for this singular phendme-
non.
An iceberg was ascended, and the height
measured, by dropping lead ball, (not a
very accurate way, however, which was
timed, and the height judged to be 300
feet above water. If this is correct, it
must have extended under water great
distance. 1t was ascended with great diff
ficulty, being very steep, and necessary to
cut foothold for every step. In the as
cent, Lieut.. Lowell slid down, caused by
a mishap, about 100 feet, and when he
picked himself up found that he was con-
bruised by the operation.