The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-13

| Tas BACK 10 lis yesfli.. tbs arose fr0m The
soft md sfusty state OF the deep srbw Gov.
ering the ice, whiie myriads of huge ham
Knocks were piled and heaped everywhere
ever the surface, which was much split and
fuH2o treacherous holes, into which many
q founder took place. The party were de
l lighted to hear from us Of the safety Of their
comrades. They never expected to hear from
them more, and were much, surprised at
1 their miraculous escape from what appeared
a lingering il not q speedy death. 1t was
doubtless a truly providential circumstance
that placed the Ravenscraig in a position to
pick this party Of castaways up.
Had such not happened it is highly proba-
BILE that none of then would have ever
reached the Danish settlements, when we
! consider their resources as regards food; the
stnte Of their boats, and the impracticability
Of travelling on foot q distance OF at least
three hundred miles over such treacherous
ice then covering the expanse of Melville
bay. Only about six days provisions were
left, although divided with the utmost econo-
my. and even with plenty of ammunition
and arms, sufficient food could not, in all
probability, have been obtained to support
fourteen men on a toilsDme march. Bears,
seals, and birds are scarcely to be got at.
The boats of the Polaris crew both got stove
as soon as they got %entangled in the Mel
vile pack-ice.
The first portion of their voyage bad been
performed in open water for the most part,
so that their greatest difficulties were only
begun when we sighted them. Moreover,
the rest Of the journey must have been at
tempted without shelter of any kind. In
fact, they were totally unprepared, both as
regards boots and clothing, for such an ardu-
Gus undertaking.
THE wISTEE HUT DESCRIBED BY ONE OF TIE
CREW. .
A seaman thus describes the hut where
the party wintered: The hut was twenty
two feet By fourteen, the materials used be-
ing chiefly spars and the bulkbeads OF the
statcrooms of the vessel. The roof was
covered with sails and was perfectly water
tight !; Il fire was placed in one end OF the
hut with stovepipe as a chimney. a galley
and stateroom were also provided. The nut
was simply one apartment with berths
around the sides. When thoroughly banked
up with snow all round and supplied with
the stoves of the Polaris the explorers tound
themselves in possession Of a very comiorta-
bic lodging for winter, and making up tnelr
minds to wait in patience for the spring, eacn
man seemed to be comparatively happy. Az
this time the weather was always dark, ana
the hut was kept
CHEEEFuLLY LIGHTED BY oIL-LAMpS
which had been got out Of the vessel, the
oil used being from seals and walrus; the
time was bcguiled with reading and games
at chess, and 4 good fire was kept constantly
burning, the unused coal on board the
Polaris having been launched and used for
the purpose. On the 1st Of February the
coal was consumed, and the ship was
made to supply wood instead. Till the
1st of April the time was spent IN
much the same manner, when the party
began to consider the propriety Of leaving to
seek their way to some spot where they
might be picked up by some vessel. To en-
able them to do this, MIR. Chester, the chief
mate, with the assistance of the carpenters
and Mr.. John Booth, set to- work TO build
two boats, the necessary materials being got
from the vessel, Each of the boats were
twenty-five feet long, with five feet beam,
square at each end, and capable of carrying
seven men with stores for two months. The
middle of May arrived before the boats Were
completed, owing to the great difficulty
there was in getting materials for construc-
tion. ...