The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-11-01

BILE to make further headway, and after ex
Treating ourselves from the ice, we ran
down into Harstein bay and anchored
During the Sd, 4th and 9th of September
the wind blew with great force from the
same quarter as before. On the 4th,
reached, with much difficulty, Littleton
island in whale boat, and obtained view
to the Westward from an elevation of some
four hundred feet. The ice was very heavy
to the West and Southwest--a thick im-
penetrable pack--but to the Northward,
along the land, it was loose, and the pros
pect of working Westward from Cape
HathertOn was encouraging.
On the 9th the wind fell to calm. The
boats were got out and we pulled up to
Littleton island but two days had COM
pletely changed the position of the ice.
Between Littleton island and Cape Hather-
ton there was no open water, nor was there
any visible from the top OF that island to
the Northwest, West, or Southwest. Unable
to advance, and fearful of being frozen in,
we again extricated the vessel from the ice
and ran back into Hartstein bay.
Everything about us now began to wear
wintry aspect. The temperature had fall
len to eighteen degrees below freezing.
Thick snow had been falling at intervals
since August 25th. Our decks were COW
cred with ice, the sails and rigging were so
stiff with it that they could barely be
worked, the schooner'S sides were lined with
thick crust, and large masses of ice had
accumulated on the cutwater and forward
rigging. The navigable season was clearly
drawing to close.
Northeast gales detained US during the
9TH and Sth, and the temperature continu
ing to fall l deemed it imprudent again to
enter the ice, and accordingly we went into
winter quarters on the 9th in blight, at
the head of Hartstein bay. The schooner
was moored by four hawsers forty yards
from shore, in seven fathoms water. The
sails were unbent and the topmasts housed;
and after giving the crew holiday, our
winter preparations were commenced The
stores were deposited in a house built for
the purpose on shore. The hold was cons
verted into comfortable room for the men,
and the upper deck was housed over with
boards. Owing to bad weather three weeks
elapsed before these arrangements were
completed.
l. Oar Writer harbor, which named Fort
Foulke, in honor of VIM. Parker Foulke,
ESQ.,, of Philadelphia, was we'll sheltered
except to the southwest. Observations
made by Mr.. Sontag, at the observatory,
erected on shore near the vessel, gave its
position, latitude 78 II Al N longitude 70
80 81 w., twenty miles further south than
d.. Kane's winter quarters, and distant
from it by the coast ninety miles.
l need hardly say that [ deeply regret
that we could not attain higher latitude
with the vessel, particularly do regret that
we could not reach the west coast. That
coast was wholly unapproachable with a
sailing vessel.
The weather continued boisterous through
out the autumn and indeed, during the
greater part OF the winter In consequence
of the repeated gales the water off the har~
bOr was not from over until March, so that
sledge travelling to the northward was im-
practicable during the month of October, at
which time l had expected to carry out
provision depots for use in the spring. Mr..
Sontag made an attempt to reach Renssel.
aer Harbor in November, aud although the
darkness of the winter had then set in, he
was baffled by the open waters.
While the daylight lasted we were profit.
ably employed. A survey of the harbor
and adjacent coasts was made by the joint
labors of Messrs. Sontag, Mccormick,
Dedge and Radcliff la September, Mr..
Sontag put up in the observatory the fine
pendulum apparatus, constructed express
Iy for the expedition by the Messrs. Bond
of Boston, and a full set of satisfac-
tory experiments were obtained. The mag
netic instruments were subsequently placed
in the same building, and observations were
there made from time to time. A meteO
rologic observatory wa erected on shore,
and observations were there recorded three
times daily, with several instruments. A
bi~houry y record was kept near the vessel
with single instrument. may mention
that all of the instruments have been well
compared. A survey of Johns glacier was
made by Mr.. Sontag and myself in Octo-
ber. This glacier, which was discovered
and named by DIR. Kane, approaches the
sea through deep valley, and its face is
two miles from the sea. The angles, not yet
reduced, obtained in October, were repeat
ed by myself last June, and they show a
considerable movement of the glacier. The
survey OF this glacier was further continued
by me late in October; with party of five
persons ascended to the mer de glace, and
travelled eastward fifty miles. Our great
est elevation was 4,50O feet the tempera-
ture at which elevation was Is deg. lower
than at the level of the sea.
The Winter passed in health and comfort.
We were fortunate in capturing upward of
200 reindeer, which kept both ourselves ard
the dogs constantly supplied with fresh
food.
The Winter brought, however, some seri.
Gus misfortunes. A disease which had been
prevailing in North Greenland dnrinr the