The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1876-12-21
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d.. Van der Ii0rck's Journey 10 The SPITE
scrgeg Sess-Trayei 3cy0ad the olaF
Circle.

Circle.
At meeting of the Geographical soci
city in New York, on the evening Of The
Goth nit, Mr.. Alexander Humbot Van
der Uorck read paper giving an &C
count OF journey to the Spitzberger
seas as agent Of several of the learned
societies of Berlin. The following is an
abstract of the principal events Of the
voyage:
1--WE left Pambcrg by steamer early ir
the summer, following the Norwegian
coasts across the Arctic circle to Ham
merfest, the most northerly town on tho
globe, where our ship, chartered for the
purpose, awaited US. We had, however
procured en- route our final supplies al
Bergen, that neat little town, warmed
by the Gulf stream whose ford juts into
the North sea. The wild and beautiful
scenery Of that jagged Norwegian coast
with its bold, rocky outline, impressed
us deeply but l will not detain you with
a description, but take you at once on
board ship-a tight, well built schooner,
fitted especially tor Arctic service, with
a Norwegian captain Gan experienced
old sea-hunter), his mate, and eight stout
scamen as crew, beside my assistant and
photographer. We had all necessary
instruments and equipment for our
work, such as dredges, deep-sca Their.
mometcrs microscopes, and instruments
for taking astronomical observations,
&c. Keeping close to the coast VIC held
Our course toward North cape. Al
though the sun shone warmly, the
black, rocky hillsides were covered with
patches of snow. Toward midnight we
came in sight of the high promontory,
and dropped our anchor not a cables
length from North cape. The beautiful
weather--the perfect calm of the sea,
stretching away toward the north a
lImItless waste OF watcr-the stern, ma
icstic rock rising 1000 teet perpendicu-
larry out Of the seattle rays Of the
midnight sun (if we may so speak of a
sun that did not seD falling in soflened
splendor directly upon the hcadland-
the transparent purity Of the atmos.
phcre, all blended into a scene toe beau
tiful to describe. The remarkable clear
ness OF the atmosphere during these
northern summers makes distance so
deceptive that the far-oif mountains
seom TO nestle closer, and one dare not
trust to the eye in computing distances
| will recall the clear, bright morning
when the "looi.out" first called "lco
blink to the north ard, "and scene OF
surprising beauty lay before US as sc
dritted nearer. One great, unbrokcn
field Of ice, as far as the eye could reach
lay CHANGING and glttering under the
morning sunbeamS; here and there were
high hummocks or ridges, irregularly
piled upon the surface, where the ice
foes had been jammed together, all
sparkling and rejecting the rays of a
cloudless summer day. We sailed along
the edge of the pack many days, some
times shut in between the detached
masses, but nowhere able 10 make Il
passage through the field.
Toward tie beginning of August q
change in the weather, heraldcd by cold
stormy winds, then heavy fogs, drove
our little schooner, under pressure of n
heavy gale, to the southeast. When
the weather cleared we sighted land,
which accordingly to our reckoning)
b'HSI boNO bNNii IA AllC httlEilf VI tUDC
Britwin on tho southwest coast of
Semlya. My plan was to enter the
deeply indonted bays that stretched into
the interior, until we came TO the mouth
of the numerous small rivers. Here we
unloaded, packe ! our goods in bundles,
secured porters and started overland.
Our porters wero the so-callcd asia
Lapps" or "Sea Lapps' a set Of broad
shouldcred, ow-lcgged fello IS, dimin-
utive in stature, who are to be found
along the shores of the lakes aud streams
in summer fishing. We marched Indian
6ie along the marshy banks OF the rv-
ers. The country abounded in game !;
the rivers teemed with salmon and trout
white Waterfowl of every specie were in
great plenty. Sometimes tho scenery
was exceedingly charming. The streems
of North Lapand arc intcrsperscd with
waterfalls and rapids, one falling into
the other, and thus rendering avigation
at many places almost impossible. The
entire region is undulating, but barron
and dcso!ate, covered with short stuntcd
grass, or fields OF reindcer-moss, or in
termlnable swamps, intersectcd with
lakes, having the character of the Siber-
ian Tundras. Tho deep valleys mark
the winter course of the numerous creeks
and rivers creeping between the hills.
The SOFT spongy ground yielded at eve
ry step, and made our march extremely
tiresome, especially as the only change
was TO hard, rough, and stony ground.
Traversing the hills in this way through
the day, we would usually return at
nigh;fall TO the river bank to make our
cncampments. Hero the banks were
dotted with little groups of stunted trees,
such as the dwarf birch &c.
Toward September | made prepare
tons for returning overland, taking
route which has hitherto escaped de-
scription. Ny man was to proceed from
Vadso to the Pats Jokki (holy river,
thence across the Lake OF Enara CHE
largest of the Lapland lakes TO the riv,
er Ivallo, which we were to ascend
then crossing mountains forming the
watershed, follow down the river Kit
inin to the Gulf of Bothnia, thus pass
ing through Norwegian, Russian, and
Finnish Lapand. Everything being IN
readiness Tor departure, we left Nadso.
Our outfit consisted of instruments, furs,