Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-11-15

, sbored US up"
We must also give his account of tn,
sequel:
' l could hardly get to my bunk, as went
down into our Uttered cabin on the Sunda,
morning after our Woodworking vigil q
thirty-six hours. Bags of clothing, food
tents, lndia-rubber blankets, and the hundred
little personal matters which every man likes
to save in time of trouble, were scattered
around in places where the owners thought
they might have them at hand. The penn.
mican had been on deck the boats equipped
and everything of real importance ready fol-
a march, many hours before.
During the whole of the scenes I have
been trying to describe, could.not help be-
ing struck by the composed and meanly de-
meanor OF my comrades. The turmoil of ice
under heavy sea often conveys the impres-
sion OF danger when the reality is absent but
IN this fearful passage, the parting of our
| hawsers, the loss OF our anchors, the abrupt
crushing of stoven bulwarks, and the actual
deposit OF ice upon or docks, would have tried
the nerves Of the most experienced cemen.
All-olficers and men-worked alike. Upon
each occasion ofcollision with the ice which
formed our ice coast, efforts were made to
carry out lines; and some narrow escapes
were incurred, by the zeal Of the parties lead
ing them into positions OF danger. Mr.. Bon
sail avoided being crushed by leading to a
floating fragment; and no less than four OF
our men at one time were carried down by
the drift, ard could only be recovered by a
relief party after the gale had subsidized.
"As our brig, borne on by the ice, com
menced her ascent of the berg the suspense
| was oppressive. The immense blocks piled
against her, range upon range, pressing
themselves under her keel, and throwing her
over upon her side, till, urged by the success
! sive accumulation, she rose slowly, and as if
| with convulsive efforts, along the sloping wall
Still there was no relaxation of the impelling
force. Shock after shock jarring her to her
very centre, she continued to mount steadily
on her precarious cradle. But the groaning
of her timbers, and the heavy sought of the
foes, we might have heard pin drop And
then, as she settled down into her old posi-
ton, quietly taking her place among the bro
ken rubbish, there was deep breathing ST.
lence, as though all were waiting for some
signal before the clamor of congratulation
and comment could burst FORTH"
BY the 22d of August, they had reached
the latitude of I6C IA distance greater
than had been attained by any previous ex-
plorer, except Parry on his Spitzbergen foot
tramp. About this time some of the party
btSuI " tAHIulb pl ulSCOuleut.-
The rapid advance of winter, the deprivation
OF rest, and the slow progress Of the eXpedi-
ton, tended to produce depression. One
person volunteered an opinion in favor Of re-
turning to the south, and giving up the at
tempt to winter. 1t was no time for halfway
measures. DIR. Kane at once ca!leda council
of hio otlioors, and listened to their yiews in
full. With but q single exception, they de-
clared their conviction that further progress
to the north was impossible, and urged the
proprety Of returning southwark to winter.
The commander maintained the opposite
view. Explaining the Importance of securing
a position which might expedite future sledgs
journeys, he announced his intention Of fwarp-
ing toward the northern headland of the bay.
Once there, he could determine the best point
for the operations of the spring, and would
put the brig into winter harbor at the nearest
possible shelter. His comrades received the
decision with cheerful acquiescence, and
zealousy entered upon the perilous duties
which it involved. During the progress the
gallant little vessel ran aground, and in the
night had a narrow escape from fire. A
sudden lurch tumbled the men out of their
berths, and threw down the cabin stove, with
u full charge Of glowing anthracite. The
deck blaZed up violently, but by the sacrifice
of heavy pilot-cloth coat the fire was smo-
thered until water c)u be passed down to
eXtiuguish it, The powder was not far off
y few moments more mighthaye brought the
expedition to a sudden close.
About the 10th of September the vessel
was brought into q sheltered harbc or between
the islands Of the bay, in which she had been
lying for some time, and ali hands prepared
for winter quarters. OF their mode of life
during the long darkness of an arctic winter,
a vivid idea is given by the following extract
from DR.. kane's journal:
"iow do we spend tke day when it is not
term-day, or rather the twenty-four hours I?
for it is either all day here, or all night, Oh
twilight mixture Of both. How do we spend
the twenty.four hours?
"At six in the morning McGary is called,
with all hands who have slept in. The decks
are cleaned, the ce-hos opened, the refresh
ing beei-nets examined, the ice-tables mea-
sured, and things aboard put to rights. At
! half-past seven all hands rise, wash on deck,
| open the doors for ventilation, and come be-
low for breaklast-We are short of fuel, and
therefore cook in the cabin. Our breakfast
for all fare alike, is hard tack, pork, stewed
apples, frozen like molasses candy tea and
coffee, with delicate portion of raw potato
After breakfast, the smokers take their pipe
till nine, then all hands turn to- idlers to idle
and workers to work, Ohlsen to his bench,
Brooks to his preparations in canvas, McGary
to play tailor, Whipple to make shoes, Bon
sail to tinker, Baker TO skin birds-and the
rest to the 'oflico = Take look into the
| Arctic Bureau. One table, one salt pork
lamp with rusty chlorinated flame, three
stools, as many waxen freed men with their
| legs drawn under them, the deck at zero be-
! lug too cold for their feet. Each has his de-
partment; Kane is writing and sketching
and projecting maps; Hays copying logs
| and meteorologicals Suutag reducing his
work at Fern Rock. A fourth, as one of the
working members of the hive, has long been
defunct you will find him in bed or study
! ing Little's Living Age. At II, a business
round of inspection, and orders enough to ill
up the day with work. Next the drill of the
Esquimaux dogs-my own peculiar recrea-
ation--a dog trot, specially referring TO legs
that creak with every kick, and rheumatic
shoulders tsat chronicle every descent of the
whip. And so we get on to dinner time the
occasion of another gathering, which misses
the tea and coffee of breakfast, but rejoices
in picked cabbage and dried peaches
instead.
AT dinner, as at breakfast, the raw
potato comes in our hygienic luxury. Like
doctor stuff generally il is not as appctiZing