Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-10-09

the neck Of land which stood between US
and the settlement. He made the attempt,
but found the snow-drift impossible; and
Peterson, whom I sent on the same errand
to Tessiusak, returned equally unsuccess
full.
The next day gave US admirable pro-
gress. The ice opened in leads before US,
somewhat tortuous, but, on the whole. ia
voring, and for sixteen hours never left
the helm We were all Of US exhausted
when the days work came to close
Our allowance had been small from the
first; but the delays we seemed fated to en-
counter made me reduce them to what l
then thought the minimum quantity. six
ounces of breaddust and lump of tallow
the size OF a walnut; paste or broth made
of these before setting out in the morning
and distributed occasionally through the
day in scanty rations was our only fare
We were all of us glad when, running the
boats under the lee Of a berg, We were able
to fill our kettles with snow and boil up for
our great restorative tea. | may remark
that, under the circumstances of utmost
Lriviation, | found no comforter so we wei
come to the party as this We drank i'm
moderately Of it, and always with adyan-
tage.
While the men slept after their weary
labor, McGary and myself fclimbed the berg
for view ahead 1t was a saddening one.
We had lost sight of Cary Island; but shore
ward, up Wos;enholme Channel, the l.,
seemed as if il had not YET begun to yield
to the influence of summer. Everything
showed how intense the last winter had
been. We were close upon the lst Of Ju-
ly and had right to look for the North
Water of the whalers where We now had
solid ice or close pack, both ofthem almost
equally unfavorable to our progress. Far
off in the distance-how far | could no.
measure--rosc the Dalrymple Rock, pro
jecting from the lofty precipice Of the
land ahead; but between US and il tie land
ice spread itself from the base of Saunders's
Island unbroken to the far South.
The next days progress WAS of course
slow and wearisome, pushing through A.
ternate ice and water for the land-bclt-
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 of
their muscular power. They seemed
scarcely aware Of it themselves, and refer
red the difficulty they found in dragging
and pushing to something uncommon about
the ice or sludge rather than their own
weakness But, as we endeayored 10 re-
new our labors in the morning fog. belted
in on all sides by Ice fields so distorted and
ragged as to defy our efforts to cross them,
the truth seemed 10 burst upon every one,
We had lost the feeling of hunger, and
were almost satisfied with our pastry broth
and the large draughts of tea that accom-
panied it. was anxious to send our
small boat, the Erie, across to the lumme-
hill of Appah, where knew from the Es-
quimaux we should find plenty of birds;
but TIE strength of tie party was INSULT
cient to drag her.
We were sorely disheartened, and could
only hope for the fog to raise, in the hope
some smoother platform than that which
wa; about us, or some lead that might save
us the painful labor of tracking. had
climbed the iceberg; and there was nothing
in view except Dalrymple Rock, with It's
red brassy fIee towering in the unknown
distance But | hardly got back to my
boat, before 4 gale struck us from the
northwest, and a foe, taking upon tongue
of ice a6ou. mile to the north of US, be-
gan TO swing upon it like pivot and close
slowly in upon our narrow resting place.
At first our own foe was also driven be
fore the wind; but in little while it cn-
countered the stationary Ice al the foot of
the very rock itself. On the instant the
widest imaginable ruin rose around us
The men sprung mechanically each one to
his station, bearing back the boats and
stores; but gave up for the moment all
hope for oar escape. 1t was not nip.
such as Is familiar TO Arctic navigators.
out the whole platform where we stood and
or hundreds yards on every side Of us.
'rumbled and crushed and piled and toss
ID itself madly under the pressure / ia
lot believe that of our little BODY Of men.
ii of them disciplined in trials. able TO
measure danger while combating i'll do
lot believe there is one who this day can
Nplain how or why-hardly when, in fact
we found ourselves ahoat. We only
now that in the midst Of clamor utterly
through which the braying