The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-10-27

moon produced brilliancy, beauty and
grandeur wholly inconcciyable to those who
never have made an excursion to these re-
giuus. These ilumincd scenes were grandly
edged by hlack, scraggy and barren rock,
which added to the mystcriou. subl;mity OF
the whole.
The first Winter which this expedition ex-
porlenced is remarkable for being one Of the
scyerest and the longest in darkness ever ex.
perienccd by civilized man. When the cold
began to increase it was lO~ below zero carly
IN September, and az the season advanced,
although it proved to be II much mider
winter than many described by the Natives,
iS0, sos, and even go below zero was re.
corded. Early in November, if not in the
last OF October, at temperature of49e below
zero, old Monongahea whisky--so famous
for It's strcngth-waS converted into ice.
A portion Of the first Winter passed very
smoothly. IL was period of rest and
amusement; but as the high, began to dawn
and the Spring to draw nigh, preparations
were made for shedding.
EXPECTATIONS.
As early as the middle Of March a party
was sent out for the purpose of reaching the
west shore. The cold was intense, aud the
great obstacle was the hammocks that ob
structed the progress Of the travellers.
Later in the Spring, when the weather be-
came warmer, another party started, which
was led on by DR.. Kane They started with
/ dogs and slcdges They crossed the sound
and returned safely
Another party was sent out to large gla-
cier Of eighty miles in extent The cXtre.
l nifty Of tins glacier was the most northcrly
/ mint OF thc hrId "l sca'ch. beyohd this
glacier the IanI altered ITS trrnl 1t having
uchhed from the vicinity o' stafford hcal
ABOUT cast nearer east th"N hotth' heyohu
th'S II trehH,A again towards the norm, ana
Wheh thr "ho'e Day was iro|eh up, from
Instance h"lt" "i ihia g'hcIcF was discovered
chahhci OF open water running horth ana
SOUTH In anu a'ohr lh,s stream were i"hu-
he'ap'c c,''''a ana b'f"a'
Early in the Spring the New Founlland
dogs were exceedingly useful in carrying
burdens they were indeed invaluable for
short excursions six Of them would draw u
burden varying from from five hundred to
ciyLt hundred mounds. at a dog trot Of four
milo, an hour They would travel thirty
miles day for several DAYS in succession.
These dags. however, wcf, not adapted for
this climate, and The first Winter only two
of them survived Most of them died in
commissions. appar,ptly suffering from lock.
aw.
yrsrrors.
l., u., .,,,o,.,l, ~ \f,,oi, t,, ,,or,, ,ro. ris
,,I I,r .,,.,, F.,,',;',.,,, ~ ,Ly.. cxist.
,.rc. j., tho, ,,.,i,,, br K,,r, ,,,. ,,o, l,r,rc
o,,oro TL,,. ,,,,,o in t.J,,cy d-,,,, l,v ,rc
l,ro, do,s ,y,,I.,,,l,, or y y.ry eur,,io,
L,c.J t6,s, Jn,,. ,,,.,,II ,,,l,o = iourrc, ot
s.ytv miles , d,y C,r .r,crnI v,ck. carry.
in, n .;r,,. man and in .ornc instance. t,yo
mon bebipd ,hc,n Tho .l.I,cs yyrr. curi.
onsIv f,rmcd som. vera ,n,,lc oC bunr.cJ.
~ niores or Lorn I,shcd : crthcr vi,l
.trinrs made Of the oisook, large seal i
rw If thrm ,,crc r,lr If yynnd Thor,
, r,n scarcely he an.onIr less dcrcrdant unor
t the assistance Of r,yiIizcJ men ,hon ,Gos,
E.ou;m,ny Tn h. .pre ,Lrv nav. tbci,
5 n,,r.s nj iron !, ,bcir harronns but ever
, thcir lanccs arr formed Of the sharpcne.
horns of ,hc uui,o,n In many ,.s,,ct,
those people present tie lowest form Of hu
manity. Their notions Of religion are cx
cccdinsly crude, and resemble that dcScrlb
I ed by Parry IN his voyages as belonging Il
, the Labrador E>qumauX. They are grossly
filthy in their habits, and indulge IN cons'd
cradle oosencss in life, especially in the in
ID tcrcOurse Of the sexes. They have mar
l rlagc rules and regulations winch are yer!
; singular and apparently are derived from va