Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-06-18
Eayard Taylor,s Letters.

Bayard TayIor's Letters.
We have followed, says the Indianapolis
Journal, Bayard Taylor in his Arctic jour
ney quite closely, and as it is by no means
unintercsting to read of freezing mercury
and trees like ''frozen mountains" now
that a hot sun Is driving vegetation out
with tropical rapidly among us, we pro-
pose to keep still close after him for the
continuance of his Lapland exploration
In his last letter, published on the Goth,
and dated January 10Th, at Haparanda, he
gives his experience about travelling in cold
at fifty degrees below zero: 'i1i- ii14
f.. The cold was still at Al deg. below zero.
The roads were so much better, however,
that we descended again to our own run
tncrs, and our lively horses trotted rapidly
down the Torneaa. The signs. of settle
ment and comparative civilization which
now Increased with every mile were really
cheering. Part of our way lay through the
Swedish woods and over the intervening
morasses. ,wh.rc the frs were hung with
weepers of black-grcen moss, and stood sol
id and silent in their mantles of snow, light
ed with a magnificent golden flush at sun
rise. The morning was icy clear and daz-
zling. There was not the least warmth in
the suns rays, but it was pleasant to see
him with a white face once more. We
could still stare at him without winking,
but the reflection from the jcwclcd snow
panied our eyes. The cold was so keen
that we were obliged to keep our faces bu-
ried between our caps and boas, leaving on
ly the smallest possible vacancy for the eyes.
This was exceeding disagreeablc, on ac-
count Of the moisture from the breath,
which kept the squirrels tails constantly
wet and sticky. Nevertheless, the cold
penetrated through the little aperture; my
eyes and forehead were like marble, the
cyeballs like Jumps of i,c, sending sharp
pang of cold backward into the brain. l
realized distinctly how statute must fes::.
Our long exposure to the extreme cold,
coupled as it was with lack of rest and
nourishment, now began to tell upon u.s.
Onr Temperature fell so low that we again
had recourse to the rum, which alone, j
verify believe, prevented us from FREEZING
bodily. One is locke in the iron embrace
of; the Polar air, until the very life seems to
be squeezed ont of him. l huddled myself
in my pocsk, worked my fingers and toes,
buried my nose in thedamp, frozen fur and
laborcd like a Hercules to keep myself a
wake and dalive--bu almost in vain. Braist-
cd and kept watch over each other, or at
tempted it, for about the only consciousness
either of us had was that Of the peril of fall
ing asleep. We talked of anything and
everything, sang, thumped each other, but
the very next minute would catch ourselves
falling over the side of the sled A thous-
and dreams worried my brain and mixed
themselves with my talk; and the absurd
ties thus created helped to arouse me-
Speaking of seeing some wolves in the
woods of California, L gravcly continued:
Il took OFT my sword, sharpened it on the
grindstonc and dared him to come on
when punch in the rits stopped me. An
other time while talking of hippopotami in
the White Nile, said: eff you want any
skins, you must go to the Hudson's Bay
Company They have depot on Vancou-
ver's Island" Braisted gave me much
trouble, by assuring me in the most natu-
raj, wide-awake voice that he was not in
the least sleepy, when the rcins dropped
from his hands and his head rocked Oh his
shoulder. I,could never be certain wEcth-
er he was asle,p OF awake. Our only plan
was, not 70 let the conversation flag a min
ute. -. z.
i AT Torakankorwa we changed horses
without delay, and hurried onto Mafarengi.
! On tu ming out Of. the road to avoid hay.
sled. we We're turned completely over
There was no fun in this, at such a time
/ fell head foremost into deep snow, get
ting lump in my right eye, which com
pletely blinded me for a time. Nv fore
head, eyebrows, ,and the bridge of my nose
were insufferably painful. On reaching
Matarengi found my nose frozen through,
and considerably swollen. The people
were in bed, but we went into the kitchen.
where dozen or more We're slowed about
and called for the 1dlord. Three young
girls, who were in bed in one corner, roso
and dressed themselves in our presence
without the least hesitation, boiled some
milk and gave us bread and butter. We
had a single small bed, which kept us warm
by obliging us to lie close. Sou.etime in
the night two Swe!es arrived. who blus-
tered about and made SO much noise, that
Braisted finally silenced them by threats Of
personal violence, delivered in very good
English. n slifo Inai
Il In the morning the mercury froze, after
showing 49 deg. below zero. The cold
, was by this time rather alarming, especially
} after our experiences the previous day.