Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1873-07-23

attempt. No one would go with me, sc
l went alone, taking two dogs and boa,
| had rugged on runners. This was Oh
the Greenland shore, as far north as the
Ice mountains. known to navigators a.
the glaciers. 1t was early in the spring
of 1860, according to my reckoning. and
the season was the most favorable | had
ever seen, and in two months l must
have travelled fully six hundred miles
living on game killed on the way. will
not dwell upon the perils and privations
OF my journey, except to say l had kill
ed my dogs to save me from starvation
when on the goth of June. 1860. accord
ing to my calendar. l passed out of a
crevice or gorge between two great walls
OF ice just in time to escape death by a
falling mass larger than ship. into an
open space of table land. and stretching
away as far as the eye could reach, a land
more beautiful than England or any 9th
er country have ever seen When my
feelings had become calmer l descended
the mountain, at the foot of which !
came upon village in which was great
crowd Of people. who seemed to be cele
brating carnival or feast, being clad in
skins. / was greatly affected by heat
and tainted, remaining insensiblc about
two days. l was carefully attended by
priests. but closely guarded. Soon after
l was taken before the chief, who is call
ed the jarl, and was received by him with
distinction. He ia nearly seven feet high
and splendidly made. lie is blonde,
with long faxen hair, and about forty
years Of age. The queen is also pure
blonde, very tall and beautiful / am
learning the language, which lie very
similar in sound to the Swedish, l am
almost sure the ruling race here are the
ancient Norman of history. l am sacred.
ly protected, treated with the greatest
consideration, but carefully watched
The peasants, or serfs, seem to be entire
ly another race, and are swar;ly. The
people here worship the sun in summer
aud the moon h winter. Soon after
arrived the sun commenced declining and
finally disappeared on the. fifteenth OF
October. appearing agsin above the hori-
zon on the first day of March, showing
that the day. or summer, is seven and a
half months, and the night, or winter,
four and half months in length y
The remainder of the letter is given to
a desc, Ption of vegetation, animals and
mineral resources Of the country. The
trees are very fine, and include cotton
wood, oak, elm, birch and pine. Vege-
tation Crews rapidly in summer, grass
growing to the height of one foot in two
weeks in June. The animals are moose,
reindeer, musk OK, buffalo, bears. wolves
foxes, rabbits, &c. There are also horses
very email and highly esteemed, walrus
and seal are domesticated and used for
towing barges and canoes in lakes and
rivers. They have grain in abundance
such as wheat, maize aud barley. There
are also potatoes, plums, apples, grapes
aud many varieties of berries. Geese,
ducks and evans are Numerous fish OF
many varieties abound in swarms, the
salmon being the favorite. Iron is plen-
ty, mostly magnetic. Stone is also found
and there are large quarries of very fine
quality. Precious stones and also gold
and silver abound, and fine diamonds are
are frequently seen. Gold and silver,
hammered into oval shape, are used for
rings. Concluding his letter, North says
81 have been here about eleven mouths,
this being, according to my calendar, the
22d of May, ,vls6l, and the heat is grow
ing somewhat oppressive. They have
not offered me any violence, and do moi
think they will, as the priests are toe
anxious to learn from me what they are
satisfied l know. l am learning tbeil
language slowly, but faster than they ar
aware. l shall put this statement, prop
erly secured in a seal skin. into the river
hoping, but scarcely believing, that il
may pass the cataracts and be picked uI
by come whaling ship or other craft. :
The letter ia signed VIM. North, Il. IL
s. Erebus, Sir John Franklin's expedi
ton enclosed May 2S. 1861.