Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-09-27

ARCTIC adventure, Notwithstanding lIS
grim monotony, seems to be the only KIND
OF travel of which neither adventures
3 nor readers. weary. The same men who
have already dared the "pack" and the
iceberg, the sunless dark and cruel cold,
are always fascinated by the scene OF their
perils and sufferings, and return to it, ii
possible, once and again. Perhaps it is
that there is an attraction for resOlute
spirits in solitudes which only few-and
often none-of their fellow creatures have
visited before; but it is certainly curious
~ that so many expeditions should have been
il undertaken, not only voluntarily, but en-
Enthusiastically, to so desolate and arid a
region While any hope of finding prac-
ticable northwest passage existed, any
possibility of their being the first to bear
their country's flag athwart the North, and
to part the waters of the Pacific at its head
with their patient keel, one could imagine
the charm of such an enterprise; but now
that the feasibility OF penetrating the world
In that direction has been utterly disproved
tits curious indeed, that the North Pole
should have almost the same attraction for
many hardy and intelligent men as 1t has
for needles.
With regard to the leaders of such ex-
petitions, who thoroughly understand the
ii scientific objects to be attained, and reap
their reward in attaining them; who call
gigantic cliffs, and capes, and bays by their
own names, 1t is not 80 strange. But how
the rank and file can be SO easily induced
to accompany their captains, and fight
against such terrible foes for cause of
which they know nothing is really re-
ynarkable Science, indeed, may In this
case boast of as faithful and selfabnegative
votaries as Superstition herself She has
only, it seems, to exhibit "unif1lar mag
netometer," "Wurdeman compass" and
few box and pocket chronometers, and
half the able-bodied seamen in New York
or Liverpool are prepared to plant her
standard on the uttermost ice-felds of the
North. The "refecting circle" which is
also included in her outfit, finds no paral-
, lei in them with an unquestloning obedi-
ence, they cheerfully set forth to do her
unknown behests, and only too often perish
in accomplishing them.
'75r What would appear to be discourage
ment itself amounting to repulsion, is the
necessity of passing the long arctic night
before anything can be done at all: the
invariable procedure being to set out in
autumn, push northwards as far as the ice.
pack will permit, and then go into winter
quarters in preparation for the only time
for action, the brief arctic spring. It is
Indeed o strange and dreadful sort of en-
terprise, this invasion of King Winters
proper realm, and strange is the panopiy
employed. The ship, however small, must
needs be armor- plated at the bows, sheathed
with thick planking, and crossed with
heavy beams, for warfare with the solid
sea-t.e the "pack" through which it
must be pushed, and not those slow-mov-
ing, pale-green mountains, with their heads
above the mast, to strike against which is
instant destruction. The store of pro-
visions, too, which are of an unusual kind,
is immense, since no one knows whether
the voyage will last for one year, or for two
or three; nay, whether those uprisen
waves, made rigid ere their anger can be
spent, as knights of old by magician's evil
spell, may not forbid escape and keep them
Winters prisoners for life. 1t is essential
during that long depressing night which
knows no dawn, that no creature comfort
shall at least be wanting, and therefore the
items of supply, even of the humblest eX-
petitions of this nature, read more like
those of fashionable picnic party, than
the.provision.iis of schooner. The ship
United States, in which DR.. Hayes sailed
from Boston, in July 1860, to ascertain for
certain the existence of an Open Polar
Sea, was vessel of this kind. His crew
consisted of bnt fourteen men, all told, and
he had only one scientific associate among
them, Mr.. Sonntag, fated to leave his
bones in that inhospitable Cline This
little party was, however, as have limited
well dfound " in all things necessary, and
indeed, they had rather an embarrassment
Of such riches. The ship was so loaded
that standing in The gangway, you could
at any time lean over the monkey rail, ano
touch the sea with your fingers" During
some rough handling" in the strait called
Davis but which might be called any
body's who has ever experienced 1.-THE
captains cabin (six feet by ten) was flood
ed dozen times day, and the sailors
were literally drowned out of the forecas
tie. Yet this was but as summer-yachting
in the Solent, to their subsequent rubs
with icebergs. For days, the Greenland
fog concealed these giant foes, but at last il
lifted, and berg after berg burst into view,
"like castles in fairy tale"
The sudden change to sunlight, and wha
it showed, was something marvellous. "Tht
bergs had wholly lost their chilly aspect
and glittering in the blaze of the brilliant
heavens, seemed, in the distance, like
masses of FURNISHED metal or solid flame
Nearer at hand, they were huge blocks o
Parian marble, inlaid with mammoth gems
of pearl and opal !; one in particular, ex