Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-22

4 ton OF the crew. OF her Majesty ship the In
vestigator, when discovering the northwest
passage, in search Of Sir John Franklin. The
return extends from the first Of October, 1850,
to the 9Th of April, 1853, although the princi-
pal part was killed during the spring Of this
| this year:
Number killed Average weight each.
Musk-ox. -. ~. 27S pounds
Deer ............. lilo ............ 10 Mr. 81
Hares.. ......... lG9 ........... IS
Grouse. .......... 4S6 ..not weighed.
Ducks ........... 1873 !. ....... ...ts sri IA
Geese. .......... 29.......,... 49,
| Wolves. ......... 2............
| Bears. ......... 4.......... s4 II
Total head killed. zoos
am informed, says Mr.. Marshall, by Capt.
Hamilton, that the size of the musk OK varied
considerably but the deer that were killed did
not vary in size so much. The deer were
found to be very fat, although their principal
food merely consisted of the heritage which was
obtained from small tree called the dwarf
willow. As the crew only kept as it were, on
the ridges Of the sea, no other food was obser-
vable, but there is no doubt the deer found an
abundance of food further up the country.
They were very wild, and the gunners had to
display great precantion in shooting them.
The manner in which the crew got within gun
shot was this: They secreted themselves in va
rious parts of the rayines, or behind the sand
hills, and listened with breathless silence until
they heard the deer tap the snow off the willow
with their feet, IN order to eat the heritage.
When the airwas frosty, and the weather calm,
this tapping could be heard at q distance Of
about 200 yards, and by listening and observ-
ing infinitely, the gunner easily detected the po-
sition in which his prey was located. As soon
as this was correctly ascertained, q person was
sent considerable distance round the deer, and
o slight noise having been made at their back,
they Immediately ran off probably past the
gunner. 1t was in such instances where the
chances Of kill occurred. One hundred
and ten deer were thus killed, and as they will
run long distances after receiving wounds, it is
| fair to suppose that many more would have been
secured if the crew had been accompanied with
a brace or more Of deer-hounds. d,s
The grouse, was informed, were not so wild
as might have been expected but the wild
fowl were somewhat wilder than those usually
found in Ireland and Scotland.
N The musk-ox was found to be very ferocious
animal, and great danger necessarily attended
the attacks. They were easily approached, and
when wounded they ran headlong at the gun
ner. One Of the crew had very narrow es-
cape from being torn to pieces He had fred
one charge withoutits taking effect and having
no more ammunition with him, he luckily fred
his iron ramrod at the infatuated beast, and
dropped him ifeless just as the animal was
about to make the attack.
| If the expedition had had an opportunity oil
going further up the country, away from the
sea, there is no doubt but thousands of game
would have been killed. There is no mention
in any Of the dispatches received at the Admi.
!
cock; but in country in which large focks OF
wild fowl Of every description swarm, there are
certain to be both woodcocks and snipes, and
in all probability species of pheasant might
have been found higher up in the woods.
When gold was discovered in distant colo
MES the announcement was startling, but not
more SO than the fact Of the discovery of coun-
try in the Arctic regions containing fine green
valleys intersected with noble rivers; extern.
siye plains, lakes, woods, and parts Of the earth
covered with simple but lovely wild flowers.
An uninhabited country like this is almost
sure to contain wild beasts Of prey; but, when
we learn that it abounds with that description
of game which is to be met with on the moors
of Scotland, and certain parts of England and
the continent, our surprise naturally becomes
excited. The naturalist however, can only
imagine and admire the wild beauties Of that
country which presents so many opportunities
for studying the works Of Divine Providence. .
If Sir John franklin has ever reached this
distant part Of the globe, great hopes may rea-
sonably be entertained ofhis safety, as it is not
very probable that mankind could ever want in
SO rich land, evidently possessing everything
that nature can desire.
ARCTIC TRAVELLING Perhaps you would
like to hear something about our daily arrange
ments for travelling, as Arctic travelling is
rather novelty You must be aware that in
Arctic travelling you must entirely depend
upon your own resources You have not q
single thing to depend on, no produce of the
country, or frewood, or Goals, or. anything of
the sort; and whatever you have to take to
sustain you for the journey, you must carry or
drag. 1t is found out by experience more easy
to drag it on sledges than to carry it. The plan
we adopt is this we have sledge generally
manned by about six or ten men. We load
this with provisions, with tents and all requi-
sites for travelling; simple cooking utensils,
spirits Of wine, for cooking, &C., and start off.
The quantity people can generally drag is about
40 days provisions; that gives about 200 lbs.
weight to each. sa gg ,ec
After starting from the ship, and travelling
on for o certain number OF hours-generally
about 10 or live then encamp for the night,
or rather for the day, because it is considered
best to trayelat night and sleep in the day, on
account of the glare of the sun on the snow.
We used to travel all night, about ten hours,
and then encamp, light our spirits of wine, put
our small kettle on It, to thaw the snow water,
and after we had our supper-just piece of
pemmican and q glass of water-we we're very
glad to get in, after smoking our pipes, bravo
and laughter. The first thing we did after
pitching the tent was to lay a sort of Macintosh
cloth over the snow. On this would be q piece
Of buffalo robe stretched. Each man and off,
Ger had a blanket sewed up in the form of a
bag, and this we used TO jump into, much the
same as you may see a boy in a sack. Laugh
ter.) We lay down, head and feet, the next
person having his feet to my head, and his head
to my feet, just the same as behring's in a bar
rel. Laughter. ~ Speech Of Lieut.. CresTell,
at dinner gire,s han, IN Lynn, Engtand.l
nsy-One Of the female prisoners in the Gala.
b,,nsa NJ CT IouiS feeling N little cold in her cell