New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-31

even oeoiJ ,.o reid TOO far to the n.rtn, ANU GU
.as. , ~. ssa almost two miles above tnI os"p H..
This time gh southery wna sos 70 a, mucn
ing company onstsd We held on TO o u mosd-oag',
Snev and after spreading their oSnsen% upyn
bU, We found that. with wha naa oe,h ,onth siis
| collected. there was ,'n'''H' '" n
Zen a LAYER foot thick. al, A.. aorIrs,,
WI" ~, - continued ~ increase wiz. TUG u1i
"a INV the time supper was over oisw suouB iivu,
spo ~ soubeast The DRIFT was whirog 10 edaies
tpe tho air aud gloomy night was coming on as
yye drew under our canvas snei'e'' 49,
we TIC mode Of life during this terrible rencOntrs
nth frost and famine, is wildly described in the
following paragraphs:
Let the reader suppose that L have JUST returned
from visit to the traps. First raise the nat canvas
lid then Jump down four feet then draw 10 my head AGO
dron the canvas. DOW era vi on all fours, tnrou'
ak feet of darkness up gentle slope then three feet
more down rapid desceot, when come as aiust toe
door this push open with my head pas. through,
TIE door shus OF itselt ana l s'sOd upright taxing
am now inside the hut. Toe )or, or aisle on which
stand is three feet wide. To my right hand Is the
breck which is the bed and seat OF four OF my CON-
non;ons. INV pIace il among theu To my left is the
Z hrsck" of three Others IL this entrance supposed
To be late in the day. they are lying down SIDE by sde
buHalo-skn under them, blankets over them, their
heads Gloss to my feet. Mr. Bonsal comes hrst then
Mr. Sopptag then g vacant place, then poor sick Ste
nbanson and last comes Mr. Petersen. Joho, Godfrey
and Whipple lie in row on the other side, at right
anples 10 The direction Of the four previously named
BeIcre me is the post when sosIans 'e sa9, auu sup
his flame is suspended square Kettle, which we nave
MADE of our Borden's meatbiscut can. We have
abandoned the lake; and now, with hf lamp and Eet
tie we melt from the snow all the water Ina' we 10
Wv at least all that we can afford. Beyond the
-. s+ands our open stove, in which may be seen the
conner kettle and the saucepan but mere no are
there. We have fire only twice day. Close behind
M stove ia the solid rock, which forms ths eastern
da of our huS In recess, in the further corner to
the left are slowed three clohes-bags In the cores
pondpg corner TO the right, are i've more Petersehs
head is close TO the stove, ana close 10 rotersshs
head stands gun; the others are hangag outside on
| neSs in the passape The canvas and rafters over
head and the walls all around, are white with coat
inc nf frost and ice-the condensed moisture oil our
breath 1t is cold, damp, dark, cne . pace.
| ahova ado in the center. The temperature outside
ranges from zeroto 2Oo below 1t. IL Is early Winter
vet and the cold has not fully set In. ThiS difference
hetwsen the outside and inside record owing to the
| Ieet radiated from our bodies. The warm breath,
cbaroed with the moisture which fcescoes the walls
en6 ce;lngs of our palace with gtering crys-
tails heats too The reader VIII more rosaay spp,s
mert into which was crowded eight men. Its average
length fcr tue walls not quite parallel Is fourteen
feet its breadth eight feet and Its mean hight Is i've
Tbsve said that we had fire only twice day. This
fire was not however intended for warmth, but more
Iv for the purpose Of boiling pot of coffee, and OF
hing u
had ft we used the lamp which had served 10 the
| field. but this falling we burned whatever wood we
| bsnpeped to possess. Ihave already mentioned that
we were uiDg the slaves OF our bresdbarrel and OF
onr kees Thee could not of course last long; ADD,
| st length there was resource bat our boats The
| Hope was accordingly, broken TO pieces 1t went to
our very hearts to destroy this gallant comPsu,on OF
| so many strugges and we knew not how lar tue act
might affect our future fortunes but come what would
and regret the destruction as we might tiers was no
Alternative AT first we used her tenderly, il to
ntolon0 the actual misunderstanding away s1oh
peces only as did not affect her FORM but, fnay the
ppnnwaIe had 10 be sacrifced-snd then tbs Hope lay
| in the snow hopeless wreck: We looked upon her
Low merely as mass OF lumber, and burned her u?
without coa junction The best pieces-he tn warts,
the keel and in fact all that were likely to be Of any
service TO the Esquimeux-were saved ana carefully
slowed away in corner OF the hut as merchandise
40 as 10 be inaccessible 10 the tf1evng fellows whose
ski and acouisitiveness were now TO be our only de-
| pendence for the means OF life. l32|10
II must not be though. that this Insignificant supply
of wood, altogether not more than few srn-l1ads,
gave MS much fire. At most, wo could use only mere
handful OF splnfersj and even these were po)r for
the wood was water. soaked, and large part Of it
could not be made TO burn without constant blowing.
In come ueDce Of this there much smoke that
| we were almost sti6ed whenever rneal-time came
round; sometimes we were absolutely driven from
| the hut.
We we're interchangeable in our efforts add something
10 our stock of food but day after day went by and still
it was the sane monotonous story-falure; Foxtraps
were built along the shore, TO the north aud 10 the
POutl. CllefV uDOcf lDe VI Itldbcu.
| There were, think fourteen and they ranged over
| nearly ten miles of coast. They visited daily,
when the weather would permit; but, except IN sim
Gle instance Of them were ever found to contain
ANYTHING but drifted snow which required them to be
torn down and reconstructed Several times they had
been entered by animals which had escaped in oon5e-
| ouence Of some defect Of construction
These traps were built nearly upon the same princ
PIE "a a boys .bbittrap at home Selecting smooth
level rock we arranged some fiat stones Of about six
inches thick 90 as 70 ncose three sides six
inches by two feet and half. Over this Enclosure
were aId other fiat stones and between the Two which
cosed ND one of the ends, inserted peg pfojec
| ing an inch within the Enclosure. On this peg
| loosely hung by loop, small piece OF meat out
side Of this on the peg was placed an)ther loop
| msde at the end Of a cord, which was carried up
through the of the trap and the top to the
front where il was tied around thin fiat flag of slate
| which moved freely up and down, beiug guided aud
held by two large blocks placed one on either side OF
the entrance. The operation OF this simple machinery
will be readily understood. The fox enters under the
slide OF trapdoor advances TO the rear sezes the bait
and ATTEMPTS 10 back out; the bait ia pulled from the
peg, and with it the loop which supports the door.
This support being removed the door falls and the an-
| iInal is caught Every thing now depends upon the
cracks being tightly cosed; fer if the animal get
bis little nose between two stones, he IL sure TO make
his way out. II is also important that the space should
Lot be large enough to allow him TO turn rouud for
in at case the trap must be very perfect If no docs
| not loosen the door and escape. This accident
happened TO us several tinesn0 doubt, 10 the great
| 10y Of the fox, bot much to our discontinue.
No. day passed that we were not out with our gun
and rfes, PeterseD, accompaI led by different men,
bers Of the party turn tie open cracks in the
ice for zeal or warus; while others were )urng
the land in search of bares and foxes Of the former
! we discovered not one, although tracks were some
| tin ca observed, ard our search was most dligeDt.
The al inals being purely white with only few black
hairs the tips OF their ears could not be easily de-
tected. They frequent the rocky places where they
find shelter, and come down to the plain to feed on
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