The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1857-07-07
What Bayard Taylor thinks Of Travelling In
the Arctic Regions,

what BayaT0 TnyIOr thtuks OF travelling
the Arctic Regions.
Bayard Taylor has returned to Stockholm
from his northern trp, and in letter to the
New York Tribune, dated February l6th
thus sums up the relative pleasure Of travel
in the Arctic and in tropical zones:
ut WAS precisely two months since our de-
parture in December, and in that time we
had performed n journey of 5000 miles, 26O
of which were 10y r. indccr, and neary 500
inside the Arctic Circle. Our frozen noses
had peeled of, and the new skin showed no
signs of the damage they had susiained-so
that VIC had come cut Of the fight not only
without n scar, but with marked increase Of
robust vitality.
must confess, however, that interesting
as the journey has been, and happily as We
have endured lis exposure, | should not wish
10 make it again. 1t is well to see the North
even after the South; but, MS there is no one
who visits the tropics without longii ever
after to return, SO, imagine, there is no one
who, having seen winter inside the Arctic
Ciiclc, would ever wish to see another. In
spite Of ;hc warm, goIg ous, and cvcr.chang
ing lay Of color lowering over the path of
he unseen sur-in spite of the dazzling au'
roral dances and the magical transfiguation
of the fnrcsts-the absence Of true daylight,
and Of all signs of warmth and life, excrcis-
cs at last depressing influence on the spirits.
| The snow, so beautiful while the sunrisc.set.
| ting illumination lasts, wears a gliastly mon-
oiony ut all other times, and the air, so OK
| lrilaraling. even at the lowest temperature,
| becomes an enemy to be kept out when you
| know his terrible power t. bcnumb and de-
| str"y.
TO the native of a warmer zone this pres
cncc of an unseen destructive force in Nature
weighs like nightmare upon the mind. TIE
inhabitants Of the North also seem 10 under
60 species Of Information as well rs the ami
mails. Nearly half their time is passed in
sleep; they are silent in comparison with l!ic
natives If the other parts Of th" world: There
is little cxuberant gaycty and choerfulness,
but patience. indifference, apathy almost
Aspects of nature which appear TO be hostile
to man Of devclopc and bring into play his
best energies but there are others which de-
press ard paralizc lis powers. | am convnc-
cd that the extreme North, like the tropics is
unfavorabc to the best mental and physical
condition of the human race. The proper
zone Of man lies between thirty ard fifty deg.
north.
To one who has not an unusal capacity to
enjoy the experiences of varied travel, sho'd
not recommend such journey. With mr
the realization OF ong-cherishcd desire, the
sense of novelty, the opportunity for contrast
ing extremes, and the interest with which
the people inspired me, far outweighed all in
convenienccs and privations. In fact, | was
not fully aware Of the gloom and cold in
which had liv,d until we returned far G.
nough souhward TO enjoy eight hours Of sun
shine, and temperature above the freezing
point. 1t was second birth into n living
world. Although We had experienced little
positive suffering from the intense cold, cx-
cept on the return from Muoniovara TO lIapa-
randa, our bodies lad already accommodated
themselves to low temperature, aud the
sudden transition to 80 degrees above zero
came upon us like the warmth Of the month
Of June.
My friend, Doctor Kane, once described
to me the comfort he felt when the mercury
rose to seven degrees below zero, making it
pleasant to he en- deck. The circumstance
was then unconprchcnsiblc to me, but is now
quite PLAN. can also realize the terrible
sufferings Of himself and his men, exposed
to n storm in temperature Of forty-seven
degrees, when the same degree Of cold, with
a very light wind, turned my own blood to
ice.
Most Of our physical sensations are relative,
and the mere enumeration of so many de-
grees of heat or cold gives no idea of their
effect upon the system. should have frozen
at home last winter mt n temperature which /
found very comfortable in Lapland, with my
solid diet Of meat and butter, and my gar
ments Of reindeer. The following is n cor
rect scale of the physical effect Of cold, cal
culatcd for the latitude of 65 deg to 20 deg.
north:
Fifteen degrees above zero-Unpleasantly
warm.
Zcro-Mild and agreeable.
Ten degrees below zero Pleasantly fresh
and brncing.
Twenty degrees below zcro-Sharp, but
not severely cold. Keep your fingers and
toes in motion, and rub your nose occasional
ly.
Thirty degrees below zero-Very cold, take
particular care Of your nose and extrcmties;
eat the fattcst food, and plenty Of il.
Forty degrecs blow zcro--Iniensely cold
keep awake Mt all hazards, mufle up 10 the
cycs, and test your circulation frequently,
that it may not stop somewhere before you
know it.
Fifty degrees below zero--A struggle for
life"
EF A certain gallant editor thinks when