Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-07-27

THE New ARCTIC EXPEDITION, suc-
cess OF the Arctic Expedition so much depends
upon the weather 10 the high Iatiudes, that
any information % this point is CT more than
ordinary interest. A report received by the
steamer Dana, which arrived at GRAFTON three
Gays ago from Iceland, states that the weather
10 the latitude OF that island has been uDusu
any oosterous and severe tor the season. The
whole OF last Wloter was remarkably mild, there
oelog seldom more than few degrees of frost
al any one time The spring also opened with
more warmth than Is generally felt 10 Iceland
out curing the earlier part OF the present month
sudden change took place, gale having sue.
ceeoed gale, and snow falling to a considerable
oeptn. Ihe DRIFT Was also dangerous, and in it
one man at least lost bis life.
a Norwegian vessel Was lost al Farce These
characterlstics or the weather are, however. not
cousiuereo unfaVorable to the progress of the
IA,c,lc e2peoi''on, 1t being cjniecured that the.
ul'a "lnter and sprlDg, should it have extended
northward, would check the massng of the ice,
aoa the recent gales, although ACCOMPANIED By
neaVy fall OF snow, would be the means Of
oreaklog up any ice barriers which remained
lo tue meantime the price of hurseh.sh, or
Tatner OF pony flesh, is reported to be rising in
| Iceland as elsewhere. The breeders finding
that there Is brisk demand for these hardy
and useful little animals, are holding ont for
higher prices, ADD those who require Ic-landic
ponies Will not be able to obtain them on the
same reasonable terms as heretofore. Pol
Mall Gazette
The USE OF WATER.-It is said that while
water Is scarce 10 Australia the natives are not
lncommoded By the deficiency, because they
use very httle OF it. An Australian explorer,
MI John Forrest, related some Of his expert.
eoceS anu observations at a recent meeting of
the hoya! Geographical Society in L,udou. The
na'iVes OF the interior, he Said, ''are entirely
without clothing, and S'eeu with fire on each
siue OF them, without any hut, unless in very
wet weather, Wheo they make a very poor shell
Ter WIZ wood aod thatched with grass. 4 na
tive does DOT wash or cook with water; ali he
uses II Tor Is to drink; therefore small rock
cavity, with say from twenty TO one hundred
gallons, will suffice long while for a number
o1 them, and they cover it up to keep it from
| evaporating. They sometimes 20 ioug w.v
away from water, and get it from the roots Of a
species OF eucalyptus, called malice scrub. They
choose the roots break them ia lengths OF
| about foot, and stand them on end, when all
the moisture drains out into wooden dish.
u.oe's WIN great Heaps OF these
roots, and 1t It is bad sign when in search Of
water. 1t is stated that the native Austria
hans, Instead OF washing. rub themselves all
over with fine sand, "a process similar to tina,
performed by the Arabs in the deser, when
water Is una'taioable,) aud consider this equiv
alent to the ablution socommon in most other
coun'rl's. People 10 this country would scarce
ly be content to clean themselves in that man
ner. At the same time, although We have
mighty lakes ADD great rivers. it has been found
necessary at otcrvals to be cautious aud eco
nomlcal in the use OF water.