Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-02-21
Christmas in the Arctic Seas.

One of the strangest Christmases on
record was that spent in the Arctic Seas.
Mr.. Haynes, of the Franklin Expedi-
ton, in a Cimmerian region of six
months night, his ship bound in sea
of crystalline ice, speaks thus of the
Christmas they passed: EI have never
seen the ship SO bright and cheerful.
Zone might think Santa Claus had
charged himself with special mission
to us before he began to fill the hung
out stockings in the dear old lands
where he is patron of christmas Eve,
where the silver chord, binding the af-
fections, is freshened once a year with
the Christmas Offering. The cabin table
groans under amass of holiday fare, me-
mentoes of those who are talking about
us tonight around the family fireside
Mccormack is laid up with frost-bitten
feet. This ships bell was hoisted to
the mast head, and while the bells of
other lands were pealing through the
sunlight, ours sent its clear notes
through the darkness and the solitude.
We met in the cabin, and in our modest
way gave thanks for the blessings that
heaven had vouchsafed us. We then
set about our duties-duties for the
preparation and advancement of Christ
mas dinner. The officers dressed
the cabin with flags; sailors brought
out strips of white, red and blue
flannel. The schooner was Illuminated
throughout. It must have shone
abroad as a star in that mysterious
world of solitude and darkness. EeTWo
immense chandeliers were constructed
for the dinner tables-gold and silver
paper, strings of spangles, strips of
braid for winter theatricals, covered all
the wood work, and lent quite an air of
splendor. Two dozen spermaceti can
dies were lighted. Before dinner [
much gratified with the taste displayed.
Every nook and corner Of the hold was
neat and tidy. Everybody was busy
and delighted. The cook, however,
might be regarded as an exception to
the latter rule, for all depended on his
skill and was closely watched. [ halted
at his red-hot galley-stove, and
wished him merry Christmas
TANK you, sar,' said he, but
[ gets no time to tink about merry
Christmas. De commander see desc
big reindaors?' and he went on vigor-
ously basting two fine launches of
venison that had been saved for the
occasion, and minding a kettle of boil
ing soup. After dinner there was a
ball. No end Of oil was blazed away
Everybody was on deck. Jacob, fat
Jacob, was grinning in corner.
Charles told me he began grinning
early in the morning, and had kept it
nm all dow Ont on tha ioa T foI1Dd q
bolsterous group around two tin ket-
ties. They were stirring something
with wooden sticks, and I found that at
thirty-four degrees below zero
they were making iced punch.
They needed no chemical COM
pounds for their freezing mixture. At
the ball I found Knorr, wrapped in
furs, seated on key, fiddliug away en-
ergetically, while B. and e. were going
through hornpipe. Then there was
a waltz, and finally Charles set the ship
shaking with laughter by attempting
pas de deatg with Madam Hans. The
old cook had come up the ladder from
below, and, forgetting his trouble, APP
plauded vociferously But he soon
made off; dozen voices called after
him: Halo, cook, have dance!'
Vat for me dance and make nonsense,
ven dere be no vomans?' And then
the bell rung again, and the swivel gun
sent out blaze of fire into the weird
darkness, whose sound went echoing
and re-echoing among the ice-gorges
like restless spirits, and some rockets
went fixing up into the sky and black
night"