Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-11-17
FROM ihe Albany Evening journal.
THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Letter from Prof sOnntag, Astronomer of the
Expedition.

"'-' y - A|-ttt J'Om -luJWSt hJOtfHty, -lSt OH
oH,er aud second IN command Of the Hays Polar
Elpedttton, TO James II. AlmSby, NJ. ID.
DANISH SETTLEMENT, UrERNAvIC,
BAFFIN's BAY, Aug 10, 1860.
We left Boston in the afternoon Of July It'll,
1860, but were detained in Nantasket Roads
until the morning of the l0th, when WE got
underweigh with light westerly wind Dur
iug the first few days we had variable winds
and Gains, but on the 10Th a soulheriy wind
set in, which lasted almost without intermis-
sion until the LIST of August, at which day We
were off the island of Disco, in lat. 20 deg. ~
min making the run from Boston TO that
polut in y days, which is probably the short
est time ever acco.. pllshcd by sailing vessel.
For the greater part OF this time it was very
toggy, SO much SO that Tor an entire week,
from the 10th to the 23d OF July, was unable
to get a siugle observation for determining our
position.
Alter passing Disco we were detained by
caltus until the 9Th of August, when we enter
ed the port Of Proven, a small Danish settle
ment in the Upernavic district, (at. II deg. 70
mn.,) where we stopped to obtain a supply of
dogs for drawing our sleighs, and II prepare
the vessel ready Tor entering the ice. We
found it, however, impossible to obtain here
the necessary number OF dogs, as most of
them had died off during the last winter by an
oDluemlc ulScaSeJ winch broke out among
them and reduced their number so much that
the natives themselves suffer seriously by
their loss, as dogs and seighs are indispcnsa-
bile to the northern EsquimauX. In managing
these animals and constructing the sleighs
these Arctic barbarlanS show great skill and
art. The sleigh consists OF two runners, each
composed OF many pieces OF wood and BONE
dashed firmly together with strips of sealskn
and connected by cross bars with two uprights
behind, with which the driver takes hold to
guide or retard it over rough ice, and in dam
gerous places. 1t is drawn by six or more
dogs, each attached, by separate trace made
| OF sealskin to the sleigh, which draws a load
together of 500 to 700 pounds at the rate of
twelve or more miles an hour, over
| favorable ice and at the rate of miles over
| land and rough ice. The most use Tor the
sleghS are in the seal and bear hunting, but
! in sthe northern Danish settlements it is also
used in the transportation OF the EsquimauX
canoes to open water, which in the spring is
generally many miles distant from the settle
ments, and although they mostly travel over
sea ice, they frequently travel over the land to
make short cuts and 10 avoid unsafe ice.
They then display great skill IN driving their
| dogs as they descend steep mountains or 20
from the ice TO the land, which is often very
dangerous, the ice near the shore is always
broken up in consequence of the rising and
| falling of the tide. In descending steep slopes
| they wrap skin around the runners OF the
sleigh and tie the dogs behind it, or prevent
them from running by tying up one Of their
iOreegs, while the driver runs behind and holds
onto the uprights.
One would be surprised to see the roads
over which the Esqumaux manage to trans
fer sleighs and load, by applying these pre-
cautions. Al many places they are dangerous
tor a white man to attempt 10 climb. When
the Esqumaux has got over the most difficult
part OF the mountain in descending and finds
the lower part uniformly covered with snow
he lets the dogs rush down the hill as fast as
they can, sometimes they (the dogs) in front,
sometimes behind the sleigh unable to stop il,
until finally dogs, sleigh and driver are brought
| up by being buried in the snow at the foot of
the mountain. They show even more skill in
| guiding their sleighs across open spaces in the
ice ; at first the dogs leap over with slack
traces while the EsquimauX holds back the
sleigh, then he urges them to another leap,
and now sleigh and driver follows, the latter
hanging on to the uprights. 1t the crack is
too wide, they break off piece and ferry
themselves across.
Besides the dogs, we obtained in Provin
also TWO Esquimaux for drivers aud on the
Eth we sailed from there to Upernavic to
obtain more dogs, and turs for winter cloth.
| ing, with which We were here amply supplied
! through the kindness OF the Danish GOV.
ernor, MIR. Hansen, whom we can never
repay the many attentions ho bestowed upon
| us and the aid he rendered the evnediti,n
While sailing from Proven to Upernavic our
carpenter died suddenly from apoplexy, and
we performed yesterday morning the sad and
solemn duty OF buryiug him at the little grave
yard in the settlement. He is very serious
loss to us, but his place was fortunately sup.
Piled by Dane who has been long time in
this country, and who will act also as inter
prefer, have no doubt this new member of
the expedition will prove as useful to us as
Carl Peterson, whom we got i'll this place