The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-12-14
"THE LAND OF ICEBERGS."
Lecture by DR.. Hayes, the Arctic
Explorer, at Darts Hall Last
Evening.
Life In the Frozen RtgiOns--
Greenland and the Exquimaux.
1cebergs--Ehe H1er de 0lace.-
The Arctic Might--A Mighty
Hunter.
The Open Polar Ocean.

DIR. Isaac |. Hayes, the famous Arctic ex-
pIorer, lectured last evening before the Young
Mems Library association, at Darts hall, his
subject being ''The Land of Icebergs.r TIE
large hall was nearly filled with iste lers,
including fine delegation from Moline,
brought by an extra train of cars.
DR.. Hayes said the Arctic regions have
always been regarded with feeling of awe
such as is ever associated with ''the un-
known Yet men have not failed to sail
in these forbidden seas, and even to search
track across the continent through its wa
ters. 1t had been his fate to spend nearly
five years in those regions, first in lS54-55,
with DIR. Kane, and again in command of an
expedition of his own. And it would be his
object to give his hearers some conception of
the country. Greenland was the real land
of icebergs, the section where the largest
of them are formed. The population was
very sparse, perhaps some 500 or 700
whites scattered along the coast. Aside
from these, were the blubber-eating fur-cloth-
ed seal-knntisg. -hat-,ahahitino Exauimaux.
together they formed the enLire popuiatiOn
of the region.
The chief settlement was called Uperna-
vik the most northern colony upon the globe.
The view, upon reaching the harbor, was
far from being unpleasant Behind them
stretched the sea dotted with icebergs, while
away on the land rose one of the most noble
mountains in the world, running up to
cone-shaped point. just in front of them
was the town, built upon desolate field of
rock, broken up with vast assures, and,
strange as it may seem, named, as translat-
ed in English, "The Summer Resort" The
akar into ax%anlal Sc
the society of the town, showing that even in
this out-ofthe.way settlement were oil the
social differences that are to be found IN
more civilized regions.
The whole coast Of Greenland was cut up
by .tiords Or bays, just as was the coast Of
Norway. Starting with guide, he under
took an exploring tour. The blazing sun
light fell upon them, not. giving an inter
mission for night as with us, and investing
the whole country with a continual glory
Soon they reached the ice-forest; masses of
straight walls on every side of massive
whiteness, masses of sharp pointed turrets,
the shapes created by the heat of the sun,
masses whose huge sides were worn out By
cascades, masses, indeed, of all shapes, split
ting and cracking to pieces, ard filling he
air with startling sounds. These noises at
last became so incessant that they resembled
the fusIiiade of artillery, and reminded "ne
OF a salute to the voyagers from some I'M
known friends. Sometimes the Noises came
like the sudden discharge of huge park of
artillery, and again with prolonged sound,
like the peal of distant thunder. Finally
they were surrounded oy floating bergs, ul-
til it was impossible to tell in what direction
they were going or wished to go.
While watching these grand sights CIR
aft pallaJ
strange light. 'There, said the latter,
'comes the crouching lion" And gazing
he saw an immense berg which by the ac-
ton of heat and water had assumed almost
the precise aspect of lion couckant. Soon
a frightful noise attracted them, anc they
saw the head of the lion fall into the water.
The equilibrium being lost, the berg began
to rock, and at last turned completely over
IN the water, presenting during the process
many weird shape. The waves created BIZ
the commotion caused the other bergs to
rock, and sway, until the situation of their
little boat was anything but pleasant They
were induced to seek the shore, which having
done, they climbed its rugged front, and
gained view of the glacier from which all
these bergs had come. They could trace its
gradual ascent to great height, until it was
lost in the great Mer de Glace, or Sea of Ice,
which covers nearly the whole of Greenland
This was the great reservoir of icebergs,
which found their outlet through the gla-
eiers between the mountain defiles of the
past, such as he had already described
neaehlng the sea, they were broken off into
y, fragments, some of which found
| e 10, way down into the central Atlantic.
ne gfea Mer de Glaze is formed by the
| s'eaoy aeotmulation of snow year By wear and
4 century W c'utury. OF course, this immense
amount OF sh'w and ice cannot 90 on accu
| ma,anng iore'essz 1t will find some outlet.
anu VIII dispose o'sthe accretions This is
aohe by the dissoiV"e of the discharged ice
:" 50. sowing around one of
these, as it floated in Bfhn's Bay, he found
aoo iees ia heign' anos the water, indi-
Gating aepth OF z'2oo lee under the same.
In the voyage around it he 1Sund thu, H.
rowed about three miles. The,nant;.,, ~,
SO great that, if taken to NesYort a n'1
| peddled out at the current rates frln tbo ~
wagons, the proceeds would pay off 10 NJ
tional debt some two or three times ov =
| Ofcourse, a view of the separation @ =,
iceberg from the fount glacier was one of e
| grandest sights in nature. 1t was his fortun,l
| once to witness such sight After numer-
| Gus premonitory crackings and groanin gs.
| suddenly, with n loud report, it bounded IN,
| shedding water from its sides in volumes
like Niagara, striking numerous bergs, and
iashing the sea into a tremendous motion.
1t any one supposed that the icebergs
were of salt water, let him be undeceived.e
Ihe ice OF the bergs was the clearest, the
most lucent, and sweet to the taste, of any
In the world. Upon one of the bergs, he
once found clear, transparent lake of pure
water, not less than quarter of a mile long.
The only saltwater ice was the ,field.iee
which so hindered mariners in their Arctic
/ explorations.
The doctor. here entered into . very anus.