Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-10-23


semble that described by Parry in his
voyages as belonging to the Labrador
Esquimaux. They arc grossly filthy in
their habits. and indulg GO in considerable
looseness Of life, especially in the inter.
course Of the sexes. They have MARI.
age rules and regulations which are We.
~ singular and apparently are derived
from various traditions. In this they
also resemble the Esguimaux described
by Parry. They are utterly regardless
oil all honor except in very few instan.
ces, in which case they appeared to be
anxious to obtain articles Of useful value.
They are incorrigible thieves, revolving.
ly filthy in their persons and habilations,
and live as much on raw as on cooked
flesh, which they eat voraciously and
enormously. What chance they have
Of Heaven is a question for theology ms;
they appear to be happy and good ma.
lured in their way, but it seems they are
gradually dying out. They have no Ky
acks.
Their principal support is the walrus.
the bear, and the ank Ia small bird which
swarms in the Arctic regions;) occasion.
ally they catch seals. unicorns, and
sometimes even, though rarely. white
whales. All their fishing has to be car.
ried on in the cracks Of the ice. They
have silky suspicion OF beard, which
distinguishes them from the Labrador
Esquimaux, and they are generally
smaller, though there ore smong them
some remarkably fine specimens Of saw.
ages. Tho race seems to be decaying
and disappearing; it is supposed that
there are not more than a hundred OF
them from Cape York to Liltleton is.
land, some five or six hundred miles,
These Esquimaux visited DR.. kane's par.
ty, and trade was opened with them.
They remained only for day or two,
nothing more was seen Of them during
the Spring. In July, as the prospect Of
getting out Of the ice seemed to be very
distant, DR.. Kane planned a party OF
which he took the command, to Bleechy
Island to communicate with The English.
He met the ice Of Cape Parry-evdenl
ly the Upale and WaIstenholm sound
pack--at Jones's sound. 1t was impos.
sblc to penetrate this, and consequent
ly nothing remained but to make prepa.
ra,ions for passing the second winter as
comfortably as possible. The outfit Of
the expedition had contemplated stay
of only fifteen months, and the provi'
sions remaining were not Of character
suited the climate. Scurvy prevailed
considerable. but by the untiring assidu
ity Of DR.. Kane, this was so far checked
that no lives were lost by it, although Sc.
veral were severely affected.
BY this time the supply Of coal was
entirely exhausted. They were obliged
to cut away the bulwarks, and all the
spare spars Of the ship; indeed, every.
thing which could be cut away and still
leave them in seaworthy condition, in
order to keep up their small fire.
When the crepusculum began to show
the tlnts OF the sunlight in the Spring,
they began to look forward to all tina,
remained to them--a journey to the
| nearest station Of civilization, Uperna.
; vik. The dis ance, including detours,
was at least a thousand miles. This
could only be travelled by conveying the
boats on sledges to the nearest water
and then placing the sledses on the
boats and proceeding by water until the
ice compelled them to reverse the order
again. >.
The Winter was an extremely cold
one. Sixty degrees below zero was fre'
qucntly rec corded, and the monthly aver
| ages were 80 and 40 degrees below zero
: The ice showed no prospect Of breaking
| up. Careful surveys were made as late
as the lst Of May, when the water was
at least seventy OF eighty miles fl ON the
ship. 1t being beyond question that the
ship must remain there, the boats were
got under weigh. and the greatest speed
used in fitting them up. Valuable ad
ditions were made to them, suggested by
the experience Of their carpenter, MIR
Ohlsen. who, after having braved many
dangers and the wear and tear Of two
Arctic Winters, was suddenly cut off a,
the very instant Of arriving at the water
His loss was greatly lamenled by his
surviving comrades. He was buried on
the island Of Littleton, where, two years
before, standing on a deck on which he
was an officer, he lad seen the Ameri.
can flag planted, and had looked for
ward in the best of spirits 10 future la.
bors and triumpts. AS soon as ths
boa.s were got ready the provisions were
placed in them, water proof articles be
ing got up as we'll as their shabby re-
sources allowed. For lack or pain
they were obliged to use that detestable
mixture Of tarand pitch, Of which it is
written "No man scan touch without be
ing defled." They were again remind
ed OF it when they came to eat thei
bred, They were again reminded Of i
when they came to cat their bread. The
bread was pounded into powder, packed
into canvass bags and laid down so al
to I'll. up the space between the thwarts
of the boats-just room enough remain
ing for the legs Of the oarsmen. There
were three boats, one Of which (the Din
gy) was soon broken up for fuel. A
couple Of stanchions were provided
about five feet in each boat, and tent
cover stretched over them and tied down
to the gunwales. Two buffalo robes, 6
few blankets, and tarpaulin, composed
| the slaeninu accom m od ations Of the mar +.