Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-06-26
NO. 81

Az AHcric RsysiArax,-As there is
nothing 80 solcnn in nature a. the vast
desoiasior that rcigns about the Nurtis
Pole-virsln yct % the rrcseace of iasra's
ding foot or sail or apy eyidenec Of our
human kini-so when wc catch vsgna
gifrrses al that land os silence, or ace en-
abled TO lift the curtain Of igucrshce that
hangs about iss outskirts. nothing can moro,
strike the mind With i,s, imprcssivcuess,.
We oil now that in some lonely, ce-boand
spot lie che rcEaias of brave explorersl
Sir JuhM Franklin an.l his eosnpAsy- Aes-
CT perhaps to be brought back to the worla
Of green fields and pleasant places. But
sometimes the secrets Of the far north ara'
unlocked: sometimes the shadow osieaor-
ancc which envelops il and hides il from
our sight gives way 10 the light cf knowl-
c,lgc. and The world reads cuSious story
in the revelation.
IL has been reserved for Captain Carl
ser, Norwegian navigator. 10 pierce this
veil of mystery. in one instance at least.
aud te make discovery which. in the re-
cital OF Il. seems more like o strange fairy
tale of the far North than sober narra-
tive Of our prcsaic day. While so many
brave men are exploring the arctic re-.
cions, searching for tha, North Pole. the
geographical phantom which ever allurcs
and ever eludes, a curious interest will at
tach to bis discovery Bat in order to
approach this subject We must follow cir
cuiious route-wc must 60 back. nearly
o1S years. to u period la.e IN the sixteenth
century. about the year 1896, when one
William Barents. a Dutch navigator. sail
cd away on his second voyage Of di,eeye-
~ to trace out. il possible. the northwest,
passaee--thai famous imagined highway
10 Asia by way of the Arctic Ocean, tho
fact Of the existence Of which so many 9th
er narigators have vainly endeavored tn
realize. Baren,z failed in this search, bu.
he discovered Spi,zbergen. that vas, arcll.
ipelngo which lies in the heart of the Arc
tic Ocean. He found it cxpedient to land
upon this coast. and there bull, huts fnr
shelter and for temporary residence for
himself and for his company. Hero he
tarried during the dreary months Of an
Arctic winter, and in due course Of time
abandoned the spot, leaving the huts aud
their contents, and returned 10 his own
country, never to revisit his quaint settle
ment
Three centuries nearly have passed away
since that event. The years have come
aud gone over those silent witnesses to tho
presence of the ancient mariner and his
sturdy crew. In all that time. as we mav
believe, no living thing has invaded the
sacred solitude OF this spot haunted Will.
memories OF that coming. long ago. OF
Barentz and his men. Possibly, FROM .
distance. the walrus and the seal may have
gazcd upon it. and from his rapid fight
in the other some arctic bird Of passage
may have turned n curious eye upon the
scene But no dust has settled there; no
moth has stolen in to bring decay. Even
the elements seemed to have abate1 their
severity and to have protected with kind
ly hand the legacy left to their undivided
keeping. ...-. 49,.
The sequel almos. rartakes Of the char.
acter of one Of those tales whercwith the
princess in the Arabian Nights deferred
her threatened and delayed fate by whik
ing away the tedious evenings Of her cru
el ca!iph. One day in the year 1870
Captain Carlson bore shoreward in his
ship to this icy coast of Spitzbergcn. Hs
landed at the spot where Barcni. bad
landed before him, and to his perplcxcd
eyes appeared the vision Of the old en-
campmcnt.
The huts were sill there. Just as Myn.
l,eer had len them nearly three hundred
years ago In the rude hearth lay tho
relic. of the utterly dead and long extin-
guished FIRE. Upon shelf were books
from the old Duichman's Gbrary-a work
on navigation. the latter edition pub.ishe,l
before he had sailed. and history Of Chi
ma translated into Dutch. Jugs and disl.-
es. wherein had been prepared the drink
and food OF the advcn'urers, were scatter
cd here and there. and even pair ofsbc,>
was found which had belonged TO cabM
boy. xho. as say the records, had Gicl
upon the voyage. There we're also quaint
engravinss. aud curious mathematical
instrument intended to assist in obtaining
longitude All these articles were careful.
~ collected. and were brought to Europe
on CArlsen's return. ....-.....
There is n touch Of the pathetic in tais
revelation Of the long-kcp, secret Of sl'
arctics. IL is as pathetic, indeed. as. thas
story of another old Dutch seaman. Myn.
heer Nanderleckcn, whose sbip--we bava
it upon excellent authority Of sailors VIII,
come to port, and who themselves have
witnessed the sirangcs. spectacle --rnsy be
seen. at dawn and twilight. in fair weaili.
er and foul rushing like the ghostly ,ship
that it is ,hro1gl the startled sea. or beat
ing aimless'y about the approaches 70 tho
Cape Of Good Hope. ~ 'H'4.-."