The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-09-25
Among the Seas Of Ice.

tract from sOme specimen pdgeS Vi Ut
Kane's Arctic Expeditions: !.
We crossed Murchison Channel on the
23d, and encamped for the night on the land
foe at the base of Cape Parry; hard days
travel-partly by tracing over ice, and
partly through tortuous and zigzag leads
The next day brought us to the neighborhood
of Fitzclarence Rock, one of the most in
terestng monuments that rear themselves
along this dreary coast; in a region more
familiar to men, it would be q landmark to
the navigator. 1t rises from field OF ice
like an Egyptian pyramid surmounted by an
obelisk. ......
The next day gave US admirable progress.
The ice opening in leads before us, some.
what tortuous, but on the whole favoring,
and for sixteen hours never left the helm.
We were all of US exhausted when the day s
work came to close. Our allowance had
been small from the first; but the delays
we seemed fated to encounter had made me
reduce them to what I then thought the
minimum quantity-six ounces of bread dust
and lump Of tallow the size of walnut;
paste or broth made of these before set
ting out in the morning, and distributed
occasionally through the day in scanty ra.
tions, was our only fare. We were all of
US glad when, running the boats under the
lea of berg, we were able to fill our ket-
ties with snow and boil up for our great re,
storative tea. may remark that, under the
circumstances of most privntion, found no
comforter so welcome to the party as this
We drank immoderately OF it, and always
with advantage.
While the men slept after their weary Ia
Dor, McGary and myself climbed the berg
for view ahead. 1t was a saddeniug one.
We had lost sight of Cary Island; but
shoreward, up Wostenholme Channel, the
ice seemed as if it had not yet begun to yield
to the influences of summer. Everything
showed how intense the last winter had
been. We were close upon the lst of July,
and had right to look for the North Wa.
ters of the whalers where we now had solid
ice or close pack both of them almost equal.
ly unfavorabe to our progress. Far off in
the dstance-how far could not measure
--rose Dalrymple Rock, projecting from
the lofty precipice Of the island ahead; but
between US and the land, the ice spread it.
self from the base of Saunders Island un.
broken to the far south.
The next days progress was Of course
slow and wearisome, pushing through alter
nate ice and water for the land belt. We
fastened at last to the great foe, near the
shore, making our harbor in crack which
opened with the changes of the tide.
The imperfect diet of the party was show
ing itself more and more in the decline o
their muscular power. They seemed scarce
ly aware Of it themselves, and referred the
difficulty they found in dragging aud pushing
to something uncommon about the ice o.
sludge rather than to their own weakness
But, as we endeavored to renew our labor
through the morning fog. belted in on al
sides by ce.felds SO distorted and rugget
as to defy our efforts to cross them, the trutl
seemed to burst upon every one. We hat
lost the feeling of hunger, and were almos
satisfied with our pastry broth and the large
draughts of tea which accompanied it.
was anxious to send our small boat, tn,
Erie, across to the lumme hill of Appah
where knew from the Esquimaux W.
should find plenty of birds, but the strength
of the party was insufficient to drag her.
We were sorely disheartened, and coul'
only wait for the fog to rise, in the hope o
some smoother platform than that which
was about US, or some lead that might saw
+ us the painful labor of tracking. l ha'
climbed the iceberg, and there was nothing
in view except the Dalrymple Rock, will
its red, brassy face towering in the unknown
distance. But I hardly got back to my boat
before gale struck US from the northwest
and foe, taking upon tongue of ic
about mile to the north of us, began II
swing upon it like pivot, and closed slowl!
in upon our narrow resting place.
At first our own foe also was driven be
fore the wind; but in little while it en-
countered the stationary ice at the foot o
the very rock itself. On the instant tn
widest Imaginable ruin rose around u.s.
, The men sprang mechanically each one t.
his station, bearing back. the boats an
stores; but gave up for the moaent al
hope Of escape. It was mot a nip, such a
is familiar to Arctic navigators, but tn
whole platform where we stood, and TO
t hundreds of yards on every side of u.s. crum
bled and crushed, and piIedan tossed itsel
madIy under the pressure. Edo not belisv
that of our little body of men, II Of then
; disciplined in trials, abie to measure DANCE
while combating i'll do not believe Their
is one who this day can explain how or VIII
4. hardly when, in fact---we found oufselve
. afioat. We only know that in the midst Of
81 clamor utterly indsscribablei through whicl
s}s