The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-01-21
Winteling in the Po!ar Re..ions.

The deep interest excited respecting III;
>Hlc,in-> OF Sly John Franklin and his oal
laHt companions amidst the horrors o;thc po-
lar regions, Induces Us to present an accour,
OF the wint"rinr of Durh crew in circum
stances o. 4 similar na',,rc.
Towards the close o.! Tie sixteenth cent?
~. The spirit for commercial adventure made
rapid progress in Holland and yariou> com
panic> wee formed to promote the Interest,
vi traffic. Sensible oi'thr treat a,,,a:;l.c,
that would result FROM >ho1t, ni"r,hc ,o,agr
from Europe TO i!lc distant cllnla,cs oi tl,.
Last. the Dutch were at an early period o.
cnl'ird in searching .ora passage hy t:c north.
which. according TO the cccr;aphical o,,:n
IONS prevailing AZ that agr. would conduct
their fleets to Chin,.Jnpan. and other ,la~c..
in hall The usual time" Not darI..J w.. 81.
failure oft expeditions fitted on, for ,hi,
oIcrt, tlir' attempt on 4 greater scale wa,
M &c. Two vessels were DESPATCHED at t!c
ciia' Sc Of the city Of Amsterdam. One o.
them was commanlei ~ Jacob I!cm-kirk IN
experienced mariner. with whom was con
joined William Harcntz As piIot-a uq,a.a-
tor cniovinr equal reputation. and WHO la,l
besides. been out in both the preceding yoy-
a.c>. IN the same vessel also was t.crar,! de-
Ncer, the author Of the only history Of all
tn" caianiicS and adventures which cn<uc,,
in prosecution Of the enterprise John Cor
hciiU> hyp. was master or SHpcrcarLo %: Tie
other. On the 22l OF MAY. l,9G. the two
ships lett Holland. and proceeding on their
vova@c. al! for timc went well with them
Ga the 'th Of .Iuy. Harcn:z saw the coa>.
OF Nova Zcmh'a. near Ions Bav. and three
days afterwards. being ob>truc:cl hv The i.c.
anchored at Gross I,c Here cirh. men. l,y-
inc gone ashore uMarrncd. had a narrow cs.
cape from the pursuit o.. two bears.
The vessel was now amidst extensive fields
of ice. and huge masses. to which She was o,.
casionallv secured in her progress. appeared
floating, or had run aground. One of these
was calculated to be sixteen tathonS ,hov.
tl'" water. and thirty six under ii: that is.
more than $50 feet from the summit TO H.,
base. The great field ice began to break
up, with a noise like thunder. on the 10th of
August. and the ship being fast to huge
piece aground not less than 100. of smaller
SIZE. were driven past her hy current
Lest She should be carried away hy the ice.
she was brought nearer the coast into a more
sheltered station: but it was soon necessary
to shift her anchorage, according as circum-
stances required.
Climbing to the top of a lofty mountain in
Nova Zcmhla, the mariners were encouraged
with the prospect of an open sea towards the
southeast and concluded that they should
thence be able to accomplish the VOYAGE
Brt after repeated difficulties, loo<inc boat
and also the ships rul,lcr. they we're com
rctclv surrounded tv Ice on the 2eth Of Au-
gust. Temporary intervals. wherein the ice
succeeded but at last the ship was
enclosed and frozen in Oh all sides. SO that
the people were OIL; yed to have recourse to
the shore
They there found a trcsh-watcr river about
two miles inland, and saw traces of animals,
which they conceived to be deer: great stores
Of wood likewise lay near the riverconsistinc
Of entire trees with the roots. drifted from
other countries. Thus having no alternative,
he Dutch resolved to winter in this dcsola.e
region.
Meantime the ice accumulated greatly
-n"rd lie vessel her prov was raised far