Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-11-28
One Of DIR. Kane's Arctic Adventures.

we take an interesting episode oil Arctic |
adventure from DR.. Kane's "Arctic explora-
lions, recently issued, showing how desper-
ate was the contest which DR.. Kane and his
party waged with the elements. An advance
party had been sent on from their ice
bound ship to make deposits of provisi-
ons and stores in readiness for an ex-
petition to the northward as soon as the
weather should become more favorable. Ev-
erything looked promising, and DR.. Kane
and his remaining companions were only
waiting intelligence that tho advance party
had deposited Its provisions in safety to be-
gin their transit. We continue the narra-
tive in the language of DR.. Kane -
We were at work cheerfully, sewing
away at the skins of some moccasins by the |
blaze Of our lamps, when, towards midnight,
we heard the noise of steps above, and the
next minute Sontag, Ohsen, and Petersen |
came down into the cabin. Their manner
started me even more than their unexpected |
appearance on board. They were swollen |
and haggard, and hardly able to speak.
Their story was fearful one. They had
left their companions in the ice, risking their |
own lives to bring us the news Brooks. Ba-
kcr, Wilson and Pierre were all lying frozen
and disabled Where They could not tell :
somewhere in among the hummocks to the
north and east it was drifting heavily round
them when they parted. Irish Tom had
stayed by to feed and care for the others but
the chances were strongly against them. 1t
was in vain to question them further They
had evidently Travelled great distance, for
they were sinking with fatigue and hunger,
and could hardly be rallied enough to tell us
tho direction in which they had come.
There was not a moment to be lost. While
some we're still busy with the new Corners
and getting ready hasty NEAL others were
rigging out the Linie Willie with buffalo
cover, small tent, and package of pemmi
can /; and as soon as we could hurry through
our arrangements, Ohlsen was strapped on in
u fur bag, his legs wrapped in dog skins and
elder down, and we were off upon the ice
Our party consisted Of nine men and myself
We carried only the clothes IN our backs
Tnn Thermometer stood at 46 : seventy-eight
degrees below the freezing point
We knew that our lost companions must
be somewhere in tbs area before us, within
a radius Of Grty miles. Mr.. Ohsen, who
b IL been for fifty hours without rest, fell
asleep as soon we began to move, and
awOke now with uuequivocal signs of mental
disturbance. 1t became evident that he had
lost the bearing OF the icebergs, which in
form and color cndlessly repeated themselves;
and the uniformity of the vast field Of snow
utterly forbade the hope of local landmarks.
The thermometer had fallen bv this time
togo 3 and the wind was setting in sharp
ly from the northwest. 1t was out of the
question to halt it required brisk exercise
to keep us from freezing. | could not even
melt ice for water and a. these tempera-
e. Ill, -
was followed by bloody lips and tongue; it
burnt like car stic.
1t was indispensable that we should move
on, looking for traces as We went Yet when
the men were ordered to spread themselves,
as to multiply the chances though they
all oheyed heartily, some painful impress of
solitary danger, or perhaps it may have been
| the varying CONFORMATION of the ice field,
kept them closing up continually into n sim
| gle group. The strange manner in which
some of us were affected | now attribute as
much to shattered nerves ms to the direct in
luence of the cold Men like Notary and
| Bonsall, who had stood out our severest
marches. were selzed with trembling fits and
short breath and. in spite of all my efforts
to keep up an example of sound bearing, l
fainte twice on the snow.
We had been nearly eighteen hours out
without water or food, when new hope
cherred u.s. think it was Hans, our Es-
ouimaux hunter. who thought be saw broad
sledge track. The drift had nearly efaced
it, and we were some of US doubtful at first
whether it was not one Of those accidental
riffs which the gales make in the surface
snow. But a. we traced on the deep snow
among the hummocks, we were led to foot
steps. and following these with religious care.
We at last came in sight Of a small American
flag huttering from a hummock, and lower
down little Masonic banner hanging from Il
tent pole hardly above the drift. 1t was the
camp Of our disabled comrades; we reached
it after an unbroken march Of twenty-one
hours.
The little tent was nearly covered. | was
not among the first to come mp hut when |
reached the tent curtain the men were stand
ing IN silent file on each side of it. With
more kindness and d"icacy of feeling than is
often supposed to belong to slilors, hut which
is almost characteristic, they intimated their
wish that should 60 in alone As crawled
in, AID. coming upon the darkness, heard be-
fore me the burst of welcome gladness that
come from the four poor fellows stretched on
their backs, and then for the first timo the
cheer outside, my weakness and my graft.
tude together almost Overcame Inc. They
had expected me; they were sure | would
come :,
etcr seventy five degrees below the freezing
point and our sole accomm 1dation u tent
h3rrly able to contain eight persons more
than half our party were obliged to- keep
frrm frcezing Nv walking outside while the
o't ers -'cpt. We could not halt long. Epch
of us took turn of two hours sleep; than
we prepared for our homeward march.
We made lay vigorous pulls and lifts nearly
n mile an hour. and reached the new foes be-
fore we were absolutely weary. Our sledge
sustained the trial admirably. Ohlsen, re
stored by hope, walked steadily Mt the lead
ing belt OF the sledge lines ; and began to
+ eli certain Of reaching our half way station
Of the day before, where we had left our tent.
But We were still nine miles from it, when
almost without premonition, we all became
aware OF an alarming failure OF our energies
was If course familiar with the benumb-
hing and almost letharSic sensation of ex-
IRENE cold and once, when exposed for some
hours in the mi1wirter Of Baiin's Bay, had
experienced symptoms which | compared to
the difusei paralysis of the electro-galyanic
shock But had treated the sleepy comfort
Of freezing as something like the emhellish-
ments of romance. had evidence now to
the contrary
Bonsall and Morton, two of our stoutest
men. came to me, begging permission to sleep;
they were not cold the wind did not enter
them now little sleep was all they want
ed Presently Hans was found nearly stiff
under IL drift and Thomas, bolt upright, had
hia eye. closed and could hardly articulate.
At last, John Blake threw himself on the
snow. and refused to rise They did not com
plain of feeling cold but it was in vain that
wrestled, boxed, ran, argued jeered or re-
rrimanded an immediate halt could not be
avoided.
We pitched our tent with much difficulty.
Our hands were too powcress to striko a Gre;
we were obliged to do without water or food.
Even the spirits (whiskyl had frozen at the
mems feet, under all the coverings. We put
Bonsall 0hlsen, Thomas and Hans with the
other sick men, we'll inside the tent and