The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-03-04
AN ARCTIC ADVENTURE.

mauX hunter take trip after seals:
81 started with Hans and five dogs, all we
could muster from our disabled pack, and
reached the "Pinnacle Berg in single
hours run. But where was Tho wafer?
where was the seal! The foes had closed,
and the crushed ice was all that told of Our
intended hunting ground.
Ascending berg. however, we could see
! TO the north and west line dark cloud stratus,
which hetokens water. 1t ran through our
battle-ground the "Bergy Bell"-,he laby-
! rinth of our wandering after the frozen party
OF last winter. | had not been over i, since,
and the feeling it gave me was anything bu!
joyous.
In couple OF hours we emerged upon
plain, unlimited TO the eye, aud smooth as
billiard table. Feathers of young rostng
gave plushlike nap TO its surface, and TO-
wards tho horizon dark colums of frost
smoke pointed clearly to the open wafer
This ice was firm enough: our experience
satisfied us that il was not IA very recent
freezing. We pushed on without hesitation,
cheering ourselves with the expectation OF
coming every minute to the seals. We
passed second ice9rowth, il was not so
strong as the ono we had just come over,
bu, still safe for a party like ours. Ga we
went a, brisker saIloP, may te for another
mile, when Hans sang ont, at the top of HE
voice, "Pusey puseymut seal, sealw Al
the same insian, The dogs bounded forward
and, as looked up, saw crowds of gray
netsik. the rough or hspd sea! of the
whaler, disror,ing in an open sea of water.
had hardly welcomed the spectacle,
when | saw that we had passed upon
new belt OF ice that was obviously unsafe
To the right and left, and 'front.' was one
great eXpanse OF snow nowered ice. The
nearest solid foe was mere lump, which
stood like an island in the white level To
turn vas impossible; We had to keep upon
our gait We urged on the dogs with whip
and Voice, the ice rolling like leather be-
meath the sled runners; it was more than a
mile 10 The lump Of solid ice. Fear gave to
the poor beasts their utmost speed, and our
voices were soon bushed in silence
The suspense, unreeved by action or ef-
, fort, was in,oIerabIe. We knew that there
was no remedy but TO reach the foe, and
that every thing depended upon our dogs,
and our dogs alone. A moments check
would plunge the whole concern into the
rapid llde.way. No presence of mind or re.
source, bodily or mental, could avail us -
| The seaIs-!or we were now near enough 10
see their expressive taces-were looking at
US with that strange curiosity which seems
10 be their characteristic expression. We
must have passed some fifty OF them, breas,
/ high out OF water, mocking US by their self.
compacency.
This desperate race against fate could moi
last. The rolling OF The Tough salt wafer ice
| terrified our dogs, and when within fifty
PAGES OF the foe they paused. The left
kand runner went through our leader, TODD
lamnck, followed; AMI in one second the
entire lett OF the sledge was submerged. NV
tlrst thought was TO liberate the dogs.
leaned forward 10 cut poor foods traces,
and The next minute was swimming in lit
lie circle of pasly ice and water alongside
him. Hans, dear, good fellow, drew near TO
hell me, utering pi,eous expressions in bro.
ken English but ordered him 10 throw
himself on his belly, with his hands and leas
extended, and 10 make for the island BY
. cogging himself forward with his iack-knife
| In the meanime--a mere Instant was
iioundenng about with sledge, dogs, and
lines in confused puddle around me
succeeded in cutting poor Tools Lines,
! and letting him scramble 10 the ice-tor the
! poor fellow was drowning me with his pite.
ous caresses-and made my way 10 the
sledge but found that il would not BUOY
me, and that | had no resource brl 10 try the
circumference OF the hole. Around This |
padded faithfully, the miserable ice ALWAYS
yielding when my hopes Of lodgmeni were
greatest. During thus process enlarged nv
circle Of operations 10 a very uncomfortable
diameter, and was beginning 10 feel weaker
after every effort Hans, meanwhile, had
reached the firm ice, and was OH his knees,
like good Moravian, praying in inccherenl
English and Esquimaux at every fresh
crushing in ot the ice be would eiaculats
God =! and when ! recommended my pad.
dling, he commenced his prayers.
was nearly gone. My knife had been
, lost in cutting out The dogs, and a spare one
which carried in my lrowsers pocket was
go enyeloped iE the wet SKINS that could
not reach it. lowed MY exT5ctoa al last
10 newly broken team dog, who was still
fas, to The sledge, and in Struggling, carried
one of he runners chock against the etCe Of
the circle. All my previous attempts to use
the sledse as bridge had tailed, for il broke
through 10 The much greater injury OF lhe
ice. felt that it was las, chance. / threw
myself on my back, SO as 10 lessen as much
as possible my weight, and placed The nape
| OF my neck against the rim Of the edge OF
| the ice, and ,neE with caution, slowly ben,
| my leg, and placice The bail of my mecca.
! sined foot against the sledge pressed stead
lily against the runner, listening 10 The half
! yielding crunch Of The ice beneath.
Presently | iel my head was pillowed by
The ice, aud thai my wet fur Jumper was sli-
ding up the surface. Next came my shoul.
| ders-ihey were fairly on. One more deci.
ded push and was launched up on the
ice and safe. reached the ice foe, and was