The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-08-21
Above the Arctic Circle.
From the New York Sun.

DR.. Isaac J. Hayes, delivered the second
of his course Of lectures descriptive of his re-
searches and adventures in search of the
open polar sea before large audience in As.
sociation Hall last night The glaciers and
icebergs of Greenland were wildly described.
All the interior of Greenland, the lecturer
said, is one vast field of ice, which gradually
and imperceptibly moves downward toward
the sea, the centre moving somewhat more
rapidly than the sides, and by the fractures
thus created giving to the ice those fantastic
shapes which from time immemorial have
been at once the marvel and admiration OF
explorers. When the glacier reaches the
sea- it passes on as before over the inclined
plain beneath the surface, until so much OF
it is immersed that it is no longer able to
resist Ahe buoyancy of the water, and break
ing from glacier, with roar that can be
heard for miles, the iceberg rises to the sur
face, and floats away sometimes as far as the
coast. of Newfoundland, while the glacier
continues its ceaseless movement downward
to form new icebergs from age to age. The
masses of ice thus detached of course vary
in size, but in all of them there is seven
times as much ice under water as appears
above the surface. From the deck of his
vessel DR.. Hayes once counted as many as
5O0 some as large as the hall in which he
stood. others as large as Trinity Church, still
others as large as the city of New York, and
yet others twelve times the sizo of New
York. One in especial arose 81 feet above
the surface, and he then computed its weight
to have been not less than twenty-seven bill
lions of tons.
THE MIDNIGHT SUN.
With regard to the midnight snn, DIR.
Hayes related an incid dent, which, had he
not actually witnessed it himself, might pos
sibly have been received with incredulity by
his audience As he travelled northward,
the days gradually heightened, until dark
ness ceased altogether, and the sun was
never out of sight. The passengers on
board the ship were much incommoded, and
were obliged to create artificial darkness by
curtains all around them when they desire to
sleep. The dumb animals on board were in
a piGful state of CONSERVATION; tho dogs
howled increasingly, and eginced desire to
bay the sun. But the most remarkable effect
was created upon an old rooster, the last OF
their stock of fowl, whose life had been spar
cd in coneideratioa of his s7age and ,consnausn:
toughness This venerable bird, day after
day, watched the heavens, but found 10 op-
portunity of heralding the approach Of dawn
with his wonted crow. His mind at last
gave way, and one morning, in full view of
the astounded voyagers, the unhappy bird
few upon the rail of the ship, stretched his
neck toward the sun, and giving the merest
apology for crow, sprung into the ocean
and was seen no more.
In 1856 DIR. Hayes first expedition sailed
nOrthward, breaking through the ice in BAT
fms Bay, penetrated as far as latitude 10,
this is up to that time being the furthest
point ever attained by explorers On the
icebergs which be encountered polar bears
were very numerous. These animals, he
said are far from being the ferocioas mon
sters which voyagers are so fond OF depict
ing They are, in fact, very timid creatures.
As an instance of their cowardice, he related
an account of his suddenly meeting one in
the middle of an artic night, that is to say,
broad daylight. Without moments heslta-
ton the doctor turned and ran, never stop
ping until his breath was utterly exhausted )
he then looked behind him to see, as he
said, how long lease of life remained for
him, and to his unspeakab.e relief saw the
bear was running also, but in the opposite
direction
AN HOUR OF TERROR.
A very perilous adventure through which
he passed during this voyage was listened to
with breathless attention The ship was ly-
ing in large natural bay or harbor, close to
a glacier; one day terrific roaring startled
every one on board. An immense iceberg
had parted from the glacier, and risen to the
surface so near the ship that the first of a
succession of waves which it created carried
the the vessel, dragging her anchor, entirely
across the bay, leaving her within few feet
of the rocks on the opposite side. The wave
recoiling, threw over the deck volume of
water that swept before it everything not
made fast, and forced the crew TO hold ON
for their lives.
Two of the finest glaciers the lecturer saw
he christened after Prof Tyhdall in compl-
ment to that great scientist for his Alpine
researches. Among the interesting features
of the lecture was the exhibition of some ex-
quisit0 photographs of Artic scenes reflected
upon cutain on the stage. One OF those
was gigantic rock on the cost of Green
land, which was in all respects similar to
that on which the illfated Atlantic had
struck, and it was a matter Of surprise to DR.
Hayes, in view of the nature of the coast.
that SO many of the Atlantic's passengers
had been saved Milvile hly was the high
est point reached in this expedition. In
concluding his lecture DIR. Hayes said that
this trip might be made by any gentleman