American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-01-03
AN ARCTIC ADVENTURES.

and an EsquimauS hunter take trip
after seals E g6I
81 started with ftans and five dogs,
all we could muster from our disabled
pack, andreached the "Pinnacly Berg"
in single hours run. Butwhere was
the water? where were the ssals?--
| The foes had closed, and the crushed
ice was all that told of our intended
hunting ground.
Ascending the berg, however, VIC
could see to tho north and west the dark
cloud stratus which betokens water
1t ran through our old battle ground,
the "Bergy Belt"--the labyrinth of
our wandering after the frozen party of
last winter. 1 had not been over it
since, and the feeling it gave me was
anything but joyous.
"In a couple Of hours we emerged
upon a plain, unlimited to the eye, and
smooth es . billiard table. Feathers
ofyoung frosting gave a plush-like nap
to its surface, and toward the horizon
dark columns of frost. smoke pointed
clearly to the open water. This ice
was firm enoagh: our experience salts
nod us that 1T was not a very recent
freezing, We pushed on without hes
itation; cheering ourselves with the
expectation Of coming every minute to
the seals. We passed second ice
growth; twas not 80 strong as the one
we had just come over, but still safe
for party like ours, On we went at
a brisker gallop, may be for another
mile, when Hans sang out, at the top
OF his voice, 6 Pusey! puseymut -
seal, seal y At the same instant the
dogs bounded forward, and as looked
up, saw crowds of gray netsl, the
rough or hipsid seal of the whalers,
dlsporting in an open sea of water.
/ 81 had hardly welcomed the specta-
Gle, when | saw that we had passed
upon new belt of ice that was obvi-
ously unsafe. To the right and left,
and front, was one great expanse, of
lsnow-foating ice. The nearest solid
foe was a nero lump, which stood like
an island in the white level. To turn
was impossible; we had to keep our
gait, We urged on the dogs withwhip.
and 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
were soon hushed to silence.
"Thc suspense, unrelieyed by action
or effort, was intolerable. We knew
that 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, bodi-
ly or mental, could avail US. The seals
(for we we're now near enough to see
their expressive faces) were looking at
us with that strange curiosity 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.
"This desperate race against fate
could not last. The rolling of the
tough salt water ice terrified our dogs,
and when within fifty PAGES they paus-
ed! The left hand runner went thro';
our leader, Toodlamick, followed; and
in one second the entire left Of the
slcdgc was submerged. My first tho't
was 10 liberate the dogs; leaned for
ward to cut poor Tood's traces, and the
next moment was swimming in little
circle of pasty ice and water alongside
him. Hans, dear, good fellow, drew
near to help me, uttoring piteous ex-
pressions in broken English but | or
dercd him to 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 meantimc--a mere instant---I
was fodndering about with the slcdgc
/ dogs and lines, in confused puddle
around me.
" succeeded in cutting poor ToSd's
lines, and letting him scramble to the
lce--for the poor fellow was drowning
me with his piteous caresses.--and made
my way for the sledge but | found
that itwould not buoy me, and that |
had no recourse but to try the circum.
ference of the hole. Around this /
padded faithfully, the miserable ice
always yielding when my hopes of
! lOdgmcnt were urpatost