New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-12

"a. e,r1ned their first Winter harbOr 10 the Winter oi
s.d,sl On the southwest sice Of the bay were
three Islands about quarter Of nile from the Sooi'
ON lbe back ground was terrace OF sana. VI 'Iy
500 besdlands, one s east Of Stshords heao' sno
she ether corresponds to The'usson foi"l' ine
,Hfs at these head snds are from seven u eiSh'
hundred feet in hight, though the 'sno oacX y low
The vessel was moored TO some granite is'auu'. ue
-. 4, ,hs, rooon are mpoaed of granite and ms-
- r,,h .rn.u strata of another formation be-
-. a. ,wo Tho formatons-called by the Danes
~. icef,t which are caused by the repeated conri-
hr,, oftce Winter after Winter, occasiosed by the
rising and ia ling of the de-were very common here
The oe.fopt oco4sionaly forms to the thickness Of
from twenty to thirty feet. After our vessel was
yooored Dr. Kane stared with party to examine the
Ice north Trey went with boat. They left their boat
,bout ten miles north Of the ship and then proceeded
nm foot. The party returned 10 about week having
made good many forced marches, when they COM
uenced making active preparations to go into Winter
quarters A warm and comfortable house was built
over the deck extending from forward Of the stern TO
The far end of the galley. Stoves were put up, and
Communications were made between the Storage and
cabin, and the men were transferred from the fore
castle to the hold where comfortable quarters were
made for them. The galley was put below.
party was sent forward TO establish cache
about a hundred miles distant which being
Gone, they returned. Darkness gradually came
upon them. and with the exception Of a few short
journeys within scope Of thirty miles, the operations
for the season osed, ard soon entire darkness came
upon them. preventing them from doing any work
whatever
On the 23d Of August in latitude 10 81 north Il!
VIII be readily perceived III st the year in this latitude
Ia divided into four portions two Of which alter
nate day and hight each of two months duration
one Of four months With the sun below the horizon
during the entire twenty four hours aud one Of four
moths with the Gun continually above the horizon,
revolving in one circle above the horizon-as Tonny-
sOn says,
The midnight sun
Sets into sunrise"
On August % the party lost the sun altogether. 1t
went at dip below the horizon for the first time, and
the nights began gradually TO iDcrease-grow longer
until October 90 when-haVing the day previous just
raised his face above the borizonthe sun vanished
again. and did not honor them with bis smiles for four
months more. At 10 o'clock for two or three weeks
there az considered Die twilight, but this was soon lost
when for three months the twilight very nconsd
cradle Tbemoongh t days and nights were beautifully
bright. The vast expanse Of snow and ice with its
millions Of mirrors rejecting the siIvery rays of the
uOOu piOuuScu DiihobNyB pthuty1 "hN 6i"H~SN'
wholly inconceivable to those who never have made
an excursion TO these regions. These ilumned scenes
were generally edged by black, scraggy, and barren
rocks, which added to the mysterious submty OF the
whole.
The first Winter which this expedition experienced
Is remarkable for being Of the severest and the
longest In darkness ever experienced by civilized
man. When the cold began TO increase it was 100
below zero early in September and as the season ad-
vmced, although II proved to be much milder Win
Ter than any described by the natives, ago. 500, and
even 600 below zero was recorded Early in Novem-
ber If not on the last of October at temperature Of
4so below zero, old MOnongahela whisky--so famous
for it's strepgth-was converted into ice.
A portion of the first Winter passed very smoothly.
Il was period Of rest and amusement; but as the
light began TO dawn and the Spring to draw nigh,
preparations were made for sledging.
As early as the middle of March a party was sent
out for the purpose of reaching tue west shore. The
cold was intense and the great obstacle the ham
mocks that obstruced the progress Of the travellers
Later in The Spring, when the weather became
warmer, another party started which WAS led on by
DIR. Kane. They sts'ted with dogs and Siedges.
They crosse the sound and returned safely
Another party was sent out to large glacier Oh
eiObt, miles In extent The extremity of this glacier
was The most northery limit Of the field Of search
Bevond this glacier the land altered its tend it hav-
ng ,rended from the vicinity of Staords head about
east. nearer cast than north Beyond this 1t trended
,yaip TO the north and when the whole bay was frozen
nm from short distance north Of this glacier was dis
covered a channel Of open water running north ana
south In and along this stream were innumerape
eetacia and birds.
The principal food of the travellers over the ice was
procured by the rifle; it consisted almost exclusively
Of the pemmican.
With reference to the channel above described it Is
for those COW ersan with geographical theories ana
principles TO determine whether or not II an ndlca
ton of any highway of water beyond or whether 1t is
merely one of those tide streams which sometimes
break the frozen surface Of northern estuary known
N tbe Danes "a race. Whatever this is, one thing
IA certain; lift be the basis OF line of coast present
inc something changeabe-something fixed, whether
be the water or ice on which to trave-hst feature
alone makes this apparently the most eligible ROAD 10
tha North pole, and il is an aspiration OF American
navira,ors that the American flag will not only %
bone triumphantly along this road, but that 1t may
,oma dav be PLANTED on the point known to tradition
q. the mole, that in fact the North pole shall one day
became the flagstaff of their country's banner.
E,rlv in the Spring the New. Foundland dogs were
exceedingly useful in carrying burdeLs; they were IN.
decd inyaus BILE for short excursions SIX OF the wouu
draw a burden varying from five hundred 70 elgu'
hundred pounds at dog trot of four miles an ho"''
They would travel thirty miles day for several daS
In succession These dogs however, were not adap'eo
Cor this climate and the first Winter only two OF item
survived Most of them died in COMMISSIONS appar