The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-02-18


rapid tide-way. No presence of mind or
recourse, bodily or mental, could avail
US. The seals--tor we were now near
enough to see their expressive faces
wero looking at us with that strange Gu
ricsity which seems to be their charac-
teristic expression. We must have pass
ed some fifty of them, breast high out Of
water mocking US by their selt-compla
cency.
This desperate race against fate could
rot last. The rolling of the tough salt
water ice terrified our dogs, and when
within fifty PAGES of the foe they paus-
ed. The left hand runner went through:
our leader, "Toodlamick. followed aud
in one second the entire left of the slodge
was submerged. My first thought was
10 liberate the oogs, l leaned forward
to cut poor foods traces, and the next
minute was swimming in little circle of
pasty ice and water alongside him
Hans, dear coed fellow, drew near to
help him, utteriDg piteous expressions in
broken English but ordered him to
throw himself on his belly, with his
hands and legs extended, and to make
for the island by cogging himself for
ward with his jack knife. La the mean
tinG-a mere nstant-I was laundering
about with sledge, dogs and lines, in a
confused puddle about me.
1 succeeded in cutting poor foods
lines, and letting him scramble to the
ce-for the poor fellow was drosning
me with his piteous caresses-and made
my way for tho slodges; but | found
that it would not buoy me, and that !
had no recourse but to try the circum-
ference of the hole. Around this L
padlled faithfully, the miserable ice al
ways yielding when my hopes of a lodg-
ment were greatest. During this pro-
cess l enlarged my circle of operations
to very uncomfortable diameter, and
was beginning to feel weaker after every
effort. Hans, meanwhile, had reached
the firm ice. and was on his knees, like
a good Moravian, praying incoherently
in English and Esqulmaux; at every
fresh crushing in of the ice he would
circulate God p and when | recommenc-
cd my padding he recommended his
prayers.
l was nearly gone. Ny knife had
been los, in cutting out the dogs, and
spare one which carried in my :rowers
pocket was so envoloped 10 She wet skins
that l could not reach 1t. l owed my
cxtrication at last to a newly broken
team dog who was stIll fast to the sleGgc
and in struggling carried one of the run.
ners chock against the edge of the cir.
Gle. All my previous attempts to use
the sledge as a bridge had failed, for it
broke through to the much greater in.
jury Of the ce | felt that it was my
last chance. l throw myself on my
back, so as to lesson as much as possible
my weight, and placed the Dape Of my
neck against the rim Of the edge of the
Ice, and then with caution slowly bent
my leg aud placing the ball of my moe.
casned foot against the runner, listening
to the halfyieldiug crunch of the ice
beneath.
Presently felt my head pillowod by
the ice, and that my wet fur jumper was
sliding up the surface. Next came my
shoulders and was launched upon the
ice and safe l reached the ice foe, and
was fractioned by Hans with frightful
zeal. We saved all the dogs; but tho
sledge. kayack, tents, guns, snow-shocs,
and everything besides, were left behind
The thermometer at eight degrees will
keep them frozen fast in the sledge till
we can come and cut them out.