American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-08-28
EXTRACT FROM DIR. KANE"


providential delivery Of DR.. KANE and
his companions, from being stalYed to
death.
"Things grew worse and worse with
US; the old difficulty Of breathing came
back again, aud our feet sweIled to
cut open onr canvass boots. But tho
synptoti which gave mo most uneasi
ness was our Inability TO sleep. A form
of low fever which hung by US when at
wor k had been kept down by the thor
oughness of our daily rest; all my hopes
of escape were in the refreshing inilu.
ence of tho halt.
ii must be remembered that we were
now in tho open bay, in the full line
OF the great ice-drilt to tho Atlantic,
! and in boa:s so frail and uuseaw 6,thy
as to require cohs;aut baiing to keep
them afioat.
1t Was at this Crisis Of our fortunes
that we saw large seal foating-as is
the custom Of these amin mals-on small
patch flee, ahd seemingly asleep. 1t
@d5 Tin tissuk, and SO large that | at
first mis'ook it for d walrus. Signal
was made for theHope to follow astern,
and trembling with anxiety. we pre-.
pared to cttwl upon him
Peterson, with the large English RI.
tie. was stationed in the bow, and stock
ings were d, avn over the oars as muf
Hers. AS we neared the animal, our
excitement become so intense that the
men could hardly Keep stroke. had
set Of signals for such occasions, which
spared us the noise of the voice, and
when about thee hundred yards off,
the oars were taken in; and we moved
on in deep silence with Signal scull
astern.
He was not asleep. for he reared his
head when we were almost within ri.
fle shot; and to this day can remeiti.
Der the hard, care Worn, almost despair
ing expression of the mems thin faces
as they saw him move; their lives de.
pended on his capture.
depressed my hand nervously, as
a signal for Peterson to fire. McGray
hung pPoh his oar. and the boat, slow
ly but poiselessly sagging ahead, seem
ed TO me within certain range. Look.
Ing at Peterson, saw that the poor
fellow was paralyzed by his anxiety,
trying vainly to obtain rest for his
gun against the cut.water of the boat.
The seal rose OIL his fore. flippers, ga.
Sed at lis for. moment with frightened
curiosity, and coied HIMSELF for plunge.
At that Instant, Simultaneously with the
crack of our rifle, he relaxed his long
length on the ice. and, at the very brink
or the water, his head fell helpless to
ore side.
would have orasfed another shot
but no discipline could have controlled
the men. With a. yell, each vocifera
ting according 10 his own impulse, they
urged both boats upon the foe. A
crowd of hands seized the seal and
bore him up to safer ice. Tie men
Seemed half crazy; | had no, realized
how much we were reduced by abso
lutte famine. They rdn oyer tie foe
crying and laughing aud .btandishue
Their kniVe6. 1t was not FIVE minutes
before every man was sucking his Eni-
gers or moulhing long strips oflsw blub.
ber- " -.
Not an ounce of this seal was lost -
The intestines found their way into tho
soup Kettles without any observance OF
The Preliminary homo Processes. The
eartilaginous parts Of the fore fippofs
%ete cut off in The me1ce, and passed
round to be chewea uponj ahd even the
liver, warm and raw as il Sas, bade fair
to be eaten before it had seen the pot
That night, ON the large halting f,e, to
which, in contempt Of the dangers of
drifting, we fiappy mon hauled our boats,
two entire planks ofthe Red Erie were
devoted to grand cooking.fr and
we enjoyed rare savage feast.
This was our last experience Of the
dlsagreeabe effects of hunger. In the
words Of George Stephenson "The
charm was broken" and The dogs have
said little about, for none of us liked
to think Of them. The poor creatures
Tolda and Whitney had been taken
with us as last tresources against starva.
vation. They were, as Nc Gray word.
ed 1t, meat on the hoof,' and 'able 10
carry their owl fat over the floes.'--
Once, near Weary Mans Rest, had
been on the point OF killing them; but
they had been the leaders Of our win.
ters team, and wS could not bear the
sacrifice!
d., 4 Il