Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-01-28
. .CuIII1NG" ADVENTURE.

DR.. Kane and his Esquimaux hunter named
Hans take trip after seals:
/ started with Hans and five dogs, all we
could muster from our disabled pack, and
reached the sPinnacly Berg in single hours
run. But where was the water (? where the
seal The foes had closed, and the crushed
ice was all that told of our intended hunting
ground.
Ascending the berg, however, we could see
to the north and west the dark clouds trains
which betokens water. 1t ran through our old
battle ground, the Gergy Belt-the labyrinth
of our wandering after the frozen party of last
winter. / had not been over it since. and the
feeling it gave me was anything but joyous
In couple of hours we emerged upon
plain, unlimited to the eye, and smooth as a
billiard table. Feathers of young frosting
gave plush like nap to its surface, and the
horizon dark columns of frost smoke which
pointed clearly to the open water. The ice
was firm enough; our experience satisfied US
that it was not very recent freezing. We push
ed on without hesitation, cheering ourselves
with the expectation of coming every minute
to the seals. We passed second ice growth,
IL Was not 50 SIEOuS OHc VIC JhSt
come over, but still safe for party like ours.
On we went at brisker gallop, may be for a
mother mile, when Hans sung out at the top of
his voice, 'Pusey puseymut seal, seal' At
the same instant the dogs bounded forward,
and, as 1 looked up, saw crowds of gray net
sic, the rough or hispid seal of the whalers,
disporting in an open sea of water.
I hal bo ha crantanln tpb
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 lowered ice. The nearest solid foe
a mere lump, which stood like an island in the
white level. To turn was impossible; we had
to keep up our gaiiop. We urged on the dogs
with whip and voice, the ice rolling like leath-
er beneath the sledges runners; it was more
than mile to the lump of solid ice. Fear
gave to the poor beasts their utmost speed,
and our voices were soon hushed in silence.
The suspense, unrelieved by action or effort,
was intOlerable. 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
presence of mind or resource, bodily or men
tai could avail US. The seals-for we were
now near enough to see their expressive faces
were looking at us with that strange curios-
ity which seems to be their Characteristic ex-
preston. We must have passed some fifty Of
them, breast high out of water, mocking us
by their self complacency.
The desperate race against fate could not
last. The rolling of the tough salt water ice
terrified our dogs, and when within fifty PAGES
from the foe they paused. The left runner
went through: our leader sSToodlamik,' - fol-
lowed and in one second the entire left was
submerged. My first thought was to liberate
the dogs. leaned forward to cut poor Tood's
traces, and the next instant swimming in
a little circle of pesty ice and water alongside
him. Hans, dear good fellow, drew near to
help me, uttering piteous expressions in bro
ken English ;sbut ordered him to throw him
self on his belly, with his hands and legs ex-
tended, and to make for the island by cogging
himself forward with his jack-knife. In the
meantime-a mere instant-I was foundering
about with sledge, dogs, and lines, in confus-
ed puddle around me.
/ succeeded in cutting poor foods lines,
and letting him scramble to the ice-for the
poor fellow was drowning me with his piteous
caresses-and made my way for the sledge
but found that it would not buoy me, and
that had no resource but to try the circum-
ference of the hole. Around this 1 padded
faithfully, the miserable ice always yielding
when my hopes of a lodgment were greatest.
During this process L enlarged my circle of
operations to very uncomfortable diameter,
and was beginning TO feel weaker after every
effort. Hans, meanwhile, had reached the
firm ice, and was on his knees, like good
Moravian. praying incoherently in English and
Esquimaux at every fresh crushing in of the
ice he would calculate sGodr and when re-
commenced my padding, he recommended
his prayers.
l was nearly gone. Ny knife had been lost
in cutting out the days, and spare one which
carried in my trousers pocket was so envel-
oped in the wet skins that could not reach it.
owed my extrication at last to a newly bro
ken team dog, who was still fast to the sledge;
and in struggling carried one of the runners
chock against the edge of the circle. All my
previous attempts to use the siedges as
bridge had failed, for it broke through to the
much greater injury of the ice. felt that 1t
was a last chance. threw myself on my
back. SO as to lessen as much as possible my
weight and placed the nape of my neck against
the rim of the edge of the ice, and ten with
caution, slowly bent my leg, and placing the
ball of my moccasined foot against the sledgc,
/ pressed steadily sgainst the runner, listening