Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-01-08
An Arft,e Adventure.

Kanc's Arctic Expedition ubeands in adsen-
lures like the following. which makes one sbiyer
TO read. DIR. Kane and an Esqaimapx hunter
take trip after seals:
Il started with Hans aud FIVE dogs.a we could
muster from our disabled pack. and reached the
'Pinnacly Berg in single hours run. hut
where was the water where were the seal The
foes had closed aud the crushed ice was all that
told Of our intended hunting ground.
Ascending berg, however. could see to
the north and west the dark cloud stratus which
betokens water. II ran through our I'D battle
ground. the .Bergv Belt'-the labyrinth of our
wandering after The frozen party of last winter.
] had rot been it since. aud The feeling it
gave me anything but Joyous.
I'm couple of hours we emerged upon plain.
unlimited To the eye and smooth as n billiard
table. Feathers of young irosting gave plush
like nap tn it's surface, and toward the horizon
dark columns of frost.smoke pointed clearly In
the open water This ice was firm enough our
experience satisfied US that it not Il very
recent freezing We pushed on without hesta.
ton; cheering ourselves with the expectation of
coming every minute 10 the seals. We passed
II second ICE growth, it was not strong as tho
one we had nst come over, but still safe for par.
" like On we went at brisker gnllop,
may be- for another mile. when Hans sung out at
the top of his voice, Pussy puseymut seal,
seal" Al The same instant the dogs bounded
forward, aud, as looked up, saw crowds Of
grny notsik, the rough or hispid seal Of the wha-
Ter. disporting in an open sea of water.
Il had hardly welcomed the spectacle, when |
saw TINT we had passed upon new belt Of ice
that was obviously unsafe. To the right, and
left and front WINS one great expanse OF snow
Powered ice. The nearest solid foe mere
lump. which stood like an island in the white lev
ol. To turn was impossible; we had to keep up
gait We urged on the dogs with whip
aud voice, the ice rolling like leather 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
soon hushed TO silence.
"The suspense, unrolieved by action effort,
was intolerablc. We knew that thero was no
remedy but to reach the floe,and that every thing
depended upon our dogs, and our dogs alone.
moments check would plunge the whole concern
into tho rapid tide way. No presence of mind
resource. bodily mental, could avail The
-onls-for we were now nearsen' ugh to see their
expressive faces were looking ut with that
strange curiosity which seems to be their charac-
terisiic expression. We must have passed some
fifty of Them breast high out of water, hooking
az by their self complacency.
This desperate race against fato could not
last The rolling of the tough salt water leo
tel ifed our dogs, and when within fifty PAGES
from the foe they paused. The left hand runner
went through, our leader, Toodlamiok, followed;
and in ono second the entire left of tho scdee
was submerged. My first thought was to lber
nto the dogs. | leaned forward to cat poor foods
traces. aud the next minute was swimming in
little circle of pasty ice and water alongside him.
Hans, dear, good fellow, drew near to help me,
tutoring pteous expressions in broken English;
but | ordered him 10 throw himself on his belly,
with his hunds aud legs extended and to mike for
The island b cogging himself forward with his
Jack khlir In the meantmo--a mere instant
| WAS iloundering about with sledge dogs, aud
lines. in confused puddle around me.
81 succeeded in cutting poor foods lines, and
letting him scramble to the ice-tor the poor
fellow drowning me with his piteous caress-
's-and made my way for the sledgo: bnr found
tina, II woald not buoy me, and that had no re-
source but Ia try tho circumference of the hole.
Around this padded faithfully, the miserable
ice always yielding when my hopes of lodge
ment wore greatest. During this process
lnrged my circle corporations TO n very nncom-
Portable diameter aud was beginning to feel
wenker after every effort. Hans, meanwhile, had
reached the firm ice, and was ON his knees, like
n good Moravlun, praying incoherent IN English
and EsqunauS; at every fresh crushing in of the
ice he would cnculate Cod and when recon-.
meneed my padding, he recommended his pray
Il was nearly gone. My knife bad been lost
in cutting out the dogs, aud spare one which
carried in my trousers pocket was 81 enveoped
in the wet skins that could not reach it. owed
my oxirlcaion ut last to newly broken team
dog, who was still fast to the sledge.nnd in strug
CLING carried one of the runners chock against
the edge of the circle. All my previous attempts
TO use the sledge asa bridge had failed, for 1t
broke through to the much greater injury of the
Joe. felt TINT il was last chance. | threw
myself on my back, 70 to lesson much rs
possible my Weight, and placed the nnpc of my
neck IA nnst the rim Of the edge of tho ice and
then, with caution, slowly bent my leg, aud pla-
cling The ball of my moccasined foot against the
sledge pressed STEADILY against the runner, lis
tening to the half yielding crunch of the ice be
meath.
presently felt my head was pillowed by tho
ice, and that my wet fur Jumper was sliding up
the surface. Next came my shoulders they
were fairly One more decided push and |
was launched up on the ice and safe. reached
the lee iloe, and friotioned by Hans with
trghtiul zonl. We saved all the dogs; but the
slcdge, kuyack. tent guns, snow shoes, and
every thing besides was left behind. The Their
momoter at eight degrees will keep them frozen
FIST in tho sedge till we come and cut them
out"
Wellington.
hn Ilplxn wall Mt adj WI =