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

ventures like the following, which makes
one shiver 10 read. DR.. Kane and an E=qui-
msux hunier take trip after seals:
81 started with Hans and 6Ee dogs, all se
could muster from our disabled pack, and
reached the "Pinnscle Berg" in a single
hours run. But where was the waieff
where was the ssali The foes had closed,
ard the crushed ice was all thai told of our
intended hunting ground
Ascending berg, however, We could see
| 10 the north and wesi The dark cloud strains,
which beiokens wafer. II ran through our
battle ground, The "Bergy Beh"-ihe laby-
| rinih Of our wandering after The frozen party
Of last winter. had not been over IL since,
and the feeling il gaYe me was anything bu:
joyous. - 49,
In a coupfe Of hodrs we emerged upon
plain, unlimited 10 The eye, and smooth as
billiard table. Feathers of young lrosiins
gave plushlike nap 10 its surface, and 10
wards the horizon dark colums of frost
smoke pointed clearly TO The open waier.-
This ice was firm enough: our experience
satisfied rs that. II was not a very recent
freezing. We pushed On wiihoui hesitation,
cheering ourselves with The expectation oi
coming every minute 10 the seals. We
passed a second icesrowth, il was not so
strong as the one we had just come over,
but still safe for party like ours. On re
went a, briskef galloP, may be for another
mile, when Hans sung ouI, at the Top of biz
voice, "Pusey puseymuil seal, scalp Al
the same instan: the dogs bounded forward,
and, as looked up, / saw crowds Of gray
netsik. :he rough or hispid seal Of lie
whaler, dlsPorting in asepen sea of water.
bad 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 font, was one
great expanse of snow Howered ice. The
nearest solid foe wss a mere lump, which
stood like an island in the whne Level. To
Turn vas impossible; we had 10 keep upon
our gait We nrged on The dogs with whip
and voice, the ice rolling Ike leather be-
neath the sled runners; il was more lIan q
mile 10 the lump of solid ice. Fear gave 10
the poor beasts their utmost speed, and our
voices were soon hushed in silence.
The suspense, unrelisyed by action or ef-
for, was intoersble. We knew that there
was no remedy but 10 reach the foe, and
that every thing depended upon our dogs,
and our dogs alone. A moments check
4 kaa,
rapid iide-wsy. No presence of mind or re-
source, bodily or mental, could avail US
The seals-!or we were now near enough 10
see their expressive faces-vere looking a,
us with that strange curiosity which seems
10 be their characteristic expression. We
must have passed some fifty of them, breast
high out OF wafer, mocking us by their self
complacency.
This desperate race against fate could not
last. The rolling Of the Tough salt water ice
terrified our dogs, and when xilh:u fiftv
PAGES of ihe foe ihsy peased. The isi.
sand runner ~eni through our leader, Tocd-
'amlrck, followed; and 10 one second The
entire lefl of The sledge was submerged. Nv
first thought was 10 iberaie The doss. L
leaned forward 10 cut poor foods traces,
and the next minnie was swimming in a IT.
tie circle Of pasiy ice and water alongside
him. Hans, dear, good 1efiow, drex near TO
belp me, uiiering piteous expressions 10 bro
ken English but ordered him 10 throw
himself on his belly, with his hands and legs
extended. and to make for the island By
cogging himself forward with his jack knife.
In The meaniime--a mere instanl-I was
founderins about with sledge, dogs, and
lines in confused puddle around me.
sueceedsd in cutting poor Tood's lines,
and letting him scramble 10 the ice-for The
poor fellow was drowning me with his Pile
ous caresses--snd made my way 10 lhe
sledge; but found ths; il would not buov
me, and that I bed no resource bri to try ,hs
circumference of The hole. Around Ibis I
padded faithfully, the miserable ice aIwav.
yielding when my hopes of lodxmsn, we're
greatest. During this process enlsrped mx
circle of operations 10 a very upeom f,,,..t.
diameter, and was beginning 10 EEL Ss..Esr
after every effort. Hans, meanw6iIe. IA
reached the firm ice, and wes on bis koees.
like good Morayisn, przyiug in incohereo,
English and Esquimzox; si every fresh
crushing in OF The ice he would eiacuIats ,
rGod 20 and when reeommeneed my pad-
ding, he commenced his prayers.
was nearly gone. My knife lad been
lost in cutting out the dogs, and spare one |
which carried in my ifowser's pocket was |
go euve.oped 10 the wet skins that could |
NOT reach il. owed my extraction al Izsi /
20 newly broken team dog, who was sill |
fast to the sledse, and in struggling, carried |
one Of the runners chock against the eegs of |
The circle. all my pfevions attempts 10 use /
the sledge as bridge had tailed, for il broke /
through TO The much greater injury Of The |
ice. / fell that il was las, chance. threw |
myself on my back, so rs 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 tneE with caution, slowly beni
my leg, and placiEg The ball OF my mecca.
| sined foot against The sledge pressed stead |
lily against the runner, listening TO the half /
yielding crunch Of The ies-hsasath.
Presently fell my head was pillowed by /
the ice, aud thai ny vet fur jumper was sli- |
ding up the surface. Next came my shoul- |
ders--lhey we're fairly on. One more deer
ded push and was launched up on the |
ice and SAFE reached the ice foe, snd was !
friciioned by Hans with frighiful zeal We /
saved all the does but the sledge, keyack, /