The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-02-11
AN ARCTIC ADvENrUR RE.
Kaueas Arctic Expedition abounds in

one SAfVefH 10 reau. Df. haue ana al
Esquimaux hunter takes trip after
seals;a 8 g
l started with Hans and FIVE dogs, all we
could muster from our disabled pack, and
reached sthe .PinacIy Berg" in single {
hours run. Bat where was the water?
Where's were the seal The foes had
closed and the the crushed ice was all
that told of our intended hunting ground.
Ascending berg, however, we could
see togthe north and west the dark cloud
stratus which betokens water. 1t ran
through our battle ground the "Bergy
Belt''aethe labyrinth Of our wandering af |
ter the frosen-party of fastlwinter had
not been over it since, and the feeling it
gave me was anything but joyous.
In codple of hours we emerged upon
a plain. unlimited to the eye, and smooth
as Willard table Feathers of young
frosting gave a 1lusR-like nap to its sur
face, andtoward the horizon dark columns
of the frost-smoke pointed clearly to the
open water. This Ice was firm enough;
ourexperience satisfied US that was not
very recent freezing. We pushed on with
outshesitation cheering ourselves with
Interpretation of coming every minute
to the seals We passed a second ice
growth ;ssitswas not so strong as the one
we dad just come over bat still safe for
o partyslike ours. On we went at a brisk
er ga1top, may be for another mile, when
Hans sang out at the top Of his voice,
puseyi spusemutl seal, seal. AT the same
instant the dogs bounded forward, and as
looked up saw crowds of gray netsik
the rough or hispid seal of the whalers,
disporting in an open sea of water.
IEhad hardly welcomed the spectacle,
when l saw, that we had passed npon a
new belt of ice that was obviously unsafe.
Toythesrigh and left, and front, was one
great expense of snow-aoating ice. The
nearest solid foe was mere lump, which
looked like an island in the white level.
To turn was impossible; We had to keep
up our gait. We urged ON the dogs
witlswhip and voice, the ice rolling like
leathersbeneath the sledge runners; it was
q mile to the limp of solid ice. Fear
gayeto,the poor,beasts their utmost speed
and our voices were soon hushed in 81
lentessss - 2
The suspense, nnreleEed by action OF
effort was intolerable. We knew tina
there was no remedy but to reach the foe
and that everything depended upon ou
dogs, and our dogs alone. A moment
check would plunge the whole concern
intossthe rapid tide away. No. presence
of mind or resource, bodily or mental
could avail US. The seals-for we wer'
now near enough to see their expressive
faces were looking at us with thai strang
curiosity which seems to be their charac
teristie expression. We must have pas
sed someSffty of them, brcast-high out 0
water, mocking US by their self-compla
This desperate race against fate coul,
not last The rolling of the tough salt
water ice terrified our dogs, and whel
within City PAGES of the foe they paused
The left hand runner went through; Gu
leader, Toodlamick, followed and in or
second the entire left of the sledge wa
submerged My first thought was to lib
erateathe dogs; j leaned forward to Gu
poor Foods traces, and the next momen
was swimming in alittle circle Of pastry
ice and water alongside him. Hans
dear. good fellow, drew near to help me
uttering dpiteous expressions in broke
English shut Iordered him to throw him
self.on his belly, with his hands and leg
.-4.<,<J,d ol- for tho island n
draWing himself forward with his jack
knife. In the meantme-a mere instan
Il was sfoandering about with the sedgt
dogs and lines, in confused puddl
around me-, So
Lalsucceeded in cutting poor TODD
lines, and letting him scramble to the ic
for the poorfellow was drowning me wit
his piteons caresses and made my wa
for the sledge: but / found that it woul
not Buoy me. and that | had no resourc
but to fry the circumference of the hol,
Around this I padded faithfully, the mis-
erahle ice always yielding when my hope
of ledgment were greatest. During thi
process I enlarged my circle of operation
to avery uncomfortable diameter, a I'd W
beginning to feel weaker after every effor
Hans, meanwhile, had reached the fir
ice, and was on his knees like goo
MoTayian, praying incoherently in Englis
and -Esquimaux at every fresh crushin
of the ice. he would calculate, God l' an
wherI recommended my padding, he r.
commenced his prayers.
i was. nearly gone, My knife had bee
lost in entting ont. the dogs, and spar
one,swhieh Icarried in my trowsers pocl
ct, was SO enyeloped in the wet skins thu
could not reach it, l owed my extr
cation atslast to newly broken team-do!
who-waso still fast to the sledge, and
struggling carried one ofthe runners choc
against the edge Of the circle. All IN
previous attempts to use the sledge as
bridge had failed, for it broke through t
the much greater injury of the ice.
felt that it was last chance. I tire
myself on my back SO as to lessen &
nluch as possible nv weight and place