National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-06-06

the ice. thought he would get bacl
to us the next day, which he could hav
done. The breaking away was cause,
by the foe, to which the ship was fasten
ed, drifting in between the land ant
some icebergs that were jammed. TIL,
jam broke up the foe and the vesse
broke away. 1t was about nine or ter
o'clock in the night; temperature abou
zero-that evening it had been nineteer
degrees above. We did not save NOR,
than one.tenth OF the provisions tha
were on the ice."
Instead of coming TO the rescue, III
they expected, the Polaris steamed
along down the shore. They then Sc
up black rubber clsth, lashed to al
oar on pinnacle, which is the bes
mark in contrast with the ice and il
easily distinguishable. The ship was
at this time about eight or nine miles
from the foe and must have seen the
signal. She was soon lost to sight in
the bend of the land and behind what
they took to be Northumberland Island.
The wind hauling to the northeast,
the foe commenced drifting south
wards, opening little bay to the north.
east of Northumberland Island.
There was the vessel in harbor, her
sails furled, and no smoke issuing from
her stack. They then attempted to
bring the boats across the foe in an
easterly direction, hoping to find water
and reach the shore, to boord the vessel
from there ; succeeded in dragging one
boat across, took the water and at
tempted to reach the shore some dis
tance below the vessel, but were driven
back by the gale, drift, and snow, and
compelled to haul up the boat on the
ice again. The vessel was about four
or five miles from the foe ut this time
The mainland was to the east, about
three or four miles.
Tyson says ;-"All that prevented us
from reaching the vessel was 'slob' or
'posh too thick for us to pull the boat
through. If / had known what was to
follow would have gone through it or
sunk.
Now commenced the drift from the
18th OF October, 1872, to the Both of
April, 1878, over six months, or 1877
days. Night closed upon the scene last
described. The abandoned party had
fortunately two boats, the only remain
ing boats belonging to the Polaris.
The gale during the night carried the
foe and its unfortunate occupiers to the
southwest, and in the morning they
were about thirty miles away from where
the ship was lying comfortably at anchor.
A heavy sea was running, which broke
up the foe and separated the party from
six bags Of bread, one of their boats,
A&k 80, Il ,f al al
compasses, etc. When the gale abated
they endeavored to shoot as many seals
as pos sible for food and light as well as
fuel, but did not succeed in getting
more than three, owing to rough weather
having set in. When the weather cleared
up the party found themselves, as they
supposed, on either the east or the west
coast of Greenland, about forty miles
from the ship. They now hoped to
reach the shore, but the ice being weak,
they could not transport boats and pro-
visions to shore until it grew stronger
Fortunately they here discovered the
other boat, provisions, etc, from which |
they had been separated, and saved all. |
The ice at length grew stronger, and
they made another attempt to reach the
shore, carrying everything in the boats,
and dragging them on their keels. The |
ice being exceedingly rough, they stove
both boats, which did not, however,
render them useless.
On the 1st of November they succeed
ed in getting about halfway to the
shore, when night and stormy weather
came on, and prevented further pro-
gress. In the morning it was found
that the ice was broken and the foe
drifting south very swiftly. No more
land was seen for some days, and bad
weather continued throughout Novem-
Der. Then, giving up all hope of pres
ant rescue they built snow houses on
the ice, reconciled to make them their
home for season.
These huts were houses Of snow, con-
,tructed of circular form at the base,
converging towards the top
he sides, surmounted by block of
snow, which formed the roof, leaving a
small hole for ventilation.
The entrance was n small vacuum at
he base, barely large enough for man
o crawl through. Any larger space
would destroy the usefulness of the
louse by allowing access to the cold
md wind. These houses, while the
Weather continues hard and dry, are
warm and tolerably comfortable, but on
he first appearance of wet or thaw have
to be abandoned. The dis
position of the Esquimaux to consump-
ion is attributable, among other causes,
o this method of life, constantly ex-
POSING themselves to the damp cold of
heir melting huts.
Their food from this time was pru-
lent allowance of such provisions as
hey had, with large proportion of
cal flesh fat, and subsequently, when
he seals were scarce, even seal skins.
Three of the huts were for dwelling
ouses and one for storehouse. In
ne lived Captain Tyson, Joe, and
Iannah his wife, and one child in the
econd, Hans Christian, wife and four
hildren in the third, Mr.. Myers and
light men. These huts were built side
y side on the foe, and were contln-
ously occupied from November to
.pril, when they were obliged to aban-
on them. They had no materials for
re, except old rags and blubber-both
had to be used very {
paringly, and only when it was neces- I
ary to warm their scanty allowance Of ,
BOD, SO that for nearly the whole six
lonths they were without fire, pc
uliarly distressing position under the
especially as these huts, {
Mess heated artificially, are extremely {
old.
The darkness of the Arctic night,
.hich lasts long time, and commences
bout December l, prevented the [
atching of seals or other animals ex- [
ept by accident. Then the sun disap- [
cared, and did not reappear until the 6
nd of January or beginning ol Febru- 1