The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-06-05
Fate Of Arctic Explorers and AdventurerS.
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF POLAR SCENERY.

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF POLAR SCENsh1
Horace says that the heart of the first navi.
gator must have been shielded with tbree-told
brass, and yet that poet could hardly have
found words to express his astonlshment at the
intrepid seaman who first ventured to lace the
unknown terrors of the frozen world. Many
hnld men who have penetrated those inhospi-
table shores have lived to tell the moving tale
of all its hardships and dangers, while many
% others err equally as skillful have sunk into name
less graves beneath the mighty iceberg. :,
More than eight hundred years ago Heriolf
became separated from his son, Biorn, who in
vain searched long and far for his fathers yes
sell: it was never seen again, and entities him
to become the first in the roll of Arctic victims
Tn 1850 the Cartereals seached in vain, and
with loss of life, for the Northwest passage to
Cathay. Following the leading idea of Co
lumbus, and finding the American continent
stretching between them and the land OF silks
and spices, they endeavored to round its north
ern shores, and were left amid the Polar SHOWS.
The Spaniards long controlled all the known
routes to India. Instead of sailing over its en-
tire circumference, the other nations hoped to
reach the Orient by climbing over its end.
The Muscovey company, with this view, sent
out the gallant Sir Hugh Willoughby, who,
with his entire crew, was frozen to death at
the mouth of the river Arzina, in Lapland.
Barentz perished off the icy cape of Russian
America in 1896, and he was followed in 1911
by sturdy Hendrick Hudson, the Dutch dis
coverer of Manhattan, whose crew set him
afoat in small boat in the centre of Hudson
bay, whose waters became his grave.
On the 9th of December, 1741, old Behring
gave way to the infrmities of age and temper,
and was buried on the bleak island called after
him, and in 1850 Shalarof another Russian,
with all his crew, perished from starvation OFT
the coast of Siberia. Capt Cooks last expe-
dition, although he met his death from the
club of Sandwich Islander, was on its way to
attempt the Polar Sea through Behring's
Straits.
On the 9Th of July, 1S45, the brave and ex-
perienced Sir John Franklin, in command OF
the Erebus and Terror, was left by whale
ship moored to an iceberg near the centre OF
Baifn's Bay, waiting for an opening into Ian
caster Sound, through which he hoped to
achieve his life-dream by finding the northwest
passage This was the last ever seen OF his
crew by civilized eyes, and beneath some tioat-
ing hummock or moving glacier rests all that
is mortal of him. while Arctic explorations
have been changed from search for high
way of nations into mournful exhumation of
scattered fragments indicating the course and
progress of the terrible death-struggle made by
hi and his men.
DR.. Kane survived his voyage in search OF
Franklin and the ship that bore him only to
linger for short time beneath the cocoa and
palm of the tropics. A more pleasing remin-
iscence is that of the "Resolute," which was
abandoned by Sir E. Belcher, who was on the
same mission, and was recovered by Captain
Hartstine, who was looking after Kane, and
after floating sixteen months and 200 miles,
was brought to New London, purchased by
our Government, and, amid the mingled music
of "Hail Britannia" and "Hail Columbia"
was returned to the dominion of Queen Vic
toria.
Capt Hall made two successful expeditions
before he engaged in this last and fatal onc
On the 29th of May, 1860, he set sail from New
London, to find, if possible, some survivors OF
Sir John Franklin's party, whom he hoped
might still be living on the shores OF that open
Polar Sea which Morton, Kane's trusty Lieu
tenant, in June, 1854, saw beating at his feet
with the steady pulsation and regular swell OF
measureless ocean. In July, 1864, he sailed
again, and from both expeditions returned
safely, proving himself an experienced trav-
eler for those Arctic regions, as we'll as an
acute and careful observer Of their wonderful
phenomena. He will return no more. Those
fatal destinations of Polar scenery and adven-
ture have lured him into the footsteps OF his
unfortunate predecessors.
The scenery of Arctic lands and seas is al
ways awful and sublime, and always attractive
The summers warmth attracts countless hosts
of migratory birds and beasts, while shoals of
fish. both great and small, fill every river and
inlet. but the first frosts of September drive
them back to warmer regions and leave the
silence of desolation to brood over the trigid
land, interrupted only by the crash of icebergs
and glaciers and the sweep of the northeast
wind. A thick mantle of snow covers the har-
dendened earth, the frozen lake and the ice
bound river for nine months under its mon
strous pail of glittering white. And yet this
region presents many scenes of wondrous beau
ty-an Arctic sunset, clothing the snowy noun
tains and darkening skies with all the golden
glores of color; the beautiful stars illumined
by brilliant moon which circles continually
around the horizon until the long course of her
brightness is run, and, above all, the magnif-
cent spectacle presented by the magical beauty
of the aurora of the north. The glimmer of
the stars dimmed by bow of beauty which
suddenly appears flashing in rays of every col
orsd light until they form vast sea of fire
whose brilliant waves roll from horizon to
horizon, and finally unite in dazzling cupola
of almost celestial splendor The earth be-
meath shines with wonderous glow, strongly
contrasting with the jet-back sea-. the white
snow plain or the distant ice-mountain, while
all the outlines tremble as if they belonged
only to the world of dreams. The crown grad
ually fades, the bow of light dissolves, the
gloom of winter once more descends upon the
northern desert, and the Arctic explorer re-
turns to his frozen ship to dream of his home
in more temperate clime.-Louisui1e Courier
Journal.
DECLINED TO ANswER.-Somebody writes
to the San Francisco Chronicle to ask whom
Cain married. The Chronicle sternly replies
eve are sorry to be obliged to refuse to answer
this question. Upon any subject of public
nature we never refuse to throw the desired
49, T.