Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-03-05
Arctic Adventure.
: re : 3':'s iaii ii Girflt,

mes Arctic Expedition abounds IN
ntures like the following, which
makes one SILVER to read. DR.. Kane and
an Esquimaux hunter take trip after
sealS:--
81 started with Hans and five dogs, all
we could muster from our disabled pack,
and reached the 'Pinnacly Berg in SIN
gle hours run. But where was the water
where were the seals? The foes had
closed, and the crushed ice was all that
told of our intended hunting ground.
Ascending q berg, however, we could
see to the north and west the dark cloud
stratas, which betokens water. 1t ran
through our battle-ground, the 'Bergy
Belt-the labyrinth of our wandering
after the frozen party of last winter. l
had not been over it since, and the feeling
| it gave me was anything but Joyous.
In a couple Of hours we emerged upon
q plain, unlimited to the eye, and smooth
as bi!Iiard.table. Feathers Of young
frosting gave plush-iike nap to its sur
face, and towards the horizon dark col
umns of frost-smoke pointed clearly to
the open water. This ice was firm enough;
our experience satisfied US that it was not
very recent freezing. We pushed on
without hesitation, cheering ourselves
with the expectation of coming every
minute to the seals. Wepassed a second
| ice growth; it was not so strong as the
one we had just come over, but still safe
for a party like ours. On we went, at a
brisker gallop, maybe for another mile,
when Hans sang out, at the top of his
voice, Pussy puseymut! seal, seal! At
the same instant the dogs bounded for
ward, and, as I looked up saw crowds
of gray netsik, the rouge or hipsid seal of
the whalers, disporting in an open sea Of
water.
a had hardly welcomed the spectacle,
when I saw that we had passed upon a
new belt Of ice that was obviously unsafe.
To the right left and front, was one great
expanse Of snow Powered ice. The near
est solid foe was mere lump, which
stood like an island in the white level
To turn was impossible; we had to keep
up our gait. We urged on the dogs with
whip and voice, the ice rolling like leath-
err beneath the sledge 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
| to silence.
The suspense, unrelieved by action or
effort, was intolerable. We knew there
was no remedy but to reach the foe, and
that everything depended upon our dogs,
and our dogs alone. A moments check
would plunge the whole concern into the
rapid tide-way. No presence of mind or
resource. bodily or mental, could avail US.
The seals, for VIC are now near enough to
see their expressive faces-were look
ing at us with that strange curiosity
which seems to be their charactistic ex
preston. We must have passed some fiji
ty of them, breast high out of water,
hooking US by their self-compiacency.
"This 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 Hoe, they
paused. The left hand runner went
through: our leader, TODD lamisk." fol-
lowed; and in one second the entire left
of the sledge was submerged. Ny first
thought was to liberate the dogs. l leaned
forward to cut poor foods traces, and the
next minute was swimming in a circle of
pasty ice and water along -side him.
Hans, dear good fellow, drew near to help
me, uttering piteous expressions in broken
English; but | ordered him to throw him
self on his belly, with his hands aud legs
extended, and to make for the island bv
cogging himself forward with his jack
knife. In the mean time-a mere instantI
Il was laundering about with sledge.
dogs and lines in a confused 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 re-
source but to try the circumference of the
hole. Around this | padded faithfully,
the miserable ice always yielding when
my hopes of o Judgement were greatest
During this process | enlarged my circle
Of operations to very uncomfortable di-
ameter, 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 in
coherently in English and Esqumaux; at
every fresh crushing in of the ice, he
would calculate :. God!" and when re-
commenced my padding, he recommended
his prayers.
Il was nearly gone. My knife had
been lost in cutting out the dogs, and a
spare one which | carried in my trowsers-
pocket was so enyeloped in the wet skins
that could not reach it. | owed my ex-
trication at last to newly broken 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 sledge as
a bridge failed, for it broke through to the
much greater injury of the ice. I felt
that it 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 tho rim of the edge IF
the ice, and then with caution, slowly
bent my leg, and placing the ball of my
moccasined foot against the sledgc, press
ed steadily against the runner, listening
to the halfyielding crunch Of the ice be-
meath.
s. Presently felt NV heod ni11owed bv