The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-24


scarie Rivngton- 1915
This Is a chronicle Of the voyage Of the Pandora
Books which deal with the popular and tai
poets Of travel adventure have not often chosen
Tho Arctic regions for their scene Many volumes
have dealt with the theme OF Arctic exploration.
but their interest has been mostly for the gcographer
or for those who contemplated voyages toward the
Pole worthy attention only in SO far as they prom
Used to solve scientific problems. Voyages within
The Arctic circle that touched other ground
than this touched upon the tragic. Indeed,
many records OF Arctic travel have deep
and intense interest in virtue Of their hcartrendng
stories OF human hcroism aud devotion, wasting them
selves against the barriers OF icy world the spray
Of shower might itself agains, Gibral
tar Mr. Mobiles "After Icebcrgs With Painter" was
brilliant elictous delightful record Of nm art trip
into regions but the volume before us rs the
FIRST book made the record OF a real Polar voyage
that has caught the happier side Of the subject and has
sweetness and light amusement, entertain
mcnt for idle hours-a thoroughly readable and agree
able story from scenes in the sailors lie that to ordi-
nary thought are unchanging waste OF dreariness
aud desoation.
In these few happy sentences is neatly stated the
object Of tho voyage the ship that made il and tho
company the cabin
We are gong to try to make the Northwest Passage;
81 pass the north coast OF America, and como
out through Behring's straits INTO the Pacific Occana
feat which has been tho dream Of navgators for CEN
turtles, but only dream. Our object Is to make this
dream a reality. IL is our ambition not only to accom-
plsh the undertaking. but 10 accomplish IT In single
season For Northwest Passage that would require
moro than would obviously be of no prac-
teal use To navigation. TO akc vessel from South
ampton to San Francisco In single summer by way
Of Behring's Straitshat IS the grand feat which any
lrue seaman would give his right hand 10 accomplish
and that Is what gong attempt Let u be I'M
dcrstood that arc going discover the North
Passage That has already done by Sir John
Franklin, although he never got homo to make his dis
covcry known To the world.
THE SHIP.
She is bark. Her length $50 feet her breadth OF
beam 90 her tonnage navy rcgistcr) 4SS her engines
and shc draws, loaded down she when sho left
Portsmouth, II feet Of water. Although built Tor
an ordinary mcrchantman-her strength had TO be
materially increased to prepare her for work In the Ice
Heavy IRON beams and knees were put in amidshps 70
increase her resisting power to squeeze or mp, her
hull was envcloped IN outer casing OF American elm
~ inches thick, 10 strengthen her sides Tor
rubs against the ice In addition to this her
stem covered with a solid plate OF iron and her
PROV from tho back the swell OF the waist
was laced with heavy iron cicats or bars These
changes, while ininring her sailing qualities somewhat
Will enable her 10 work her way with impunity among
Ice where an ordinary ship would be crushed like an
bggshell
And now. as 1t was the hour Tor tea, we all gathered
ard OF wordswortn's ltto cottage girl
seven. FIRST there was our Captain Allen Young, who
took his place among Arctic explorers sixteen years
ago. when in 1879 he was navigating officer IN the
Fox, under McCllntock. Fnscinateo-as everybody
VINO hns them seems to be fascnated-by
Arctic Skies be ventures to meet the periIs OF an
Arctic journey in command OF a ship Of his own.
Tue second IN command was Lieutenant Livingston,
subscriber 10 the expenses OF the expedition;
and the third was Lieutenant George Prize,
distinguished young naval officer, whom tho
Admiralty kindly permitted to accompany US as
navigating officer Next was Lieutenant Beyncn,
the Dutch Ro, Navy. whom called "Tromp,
after the old Dutch Admiral who once sailed up the
Thames with broom at his masthead, as a sign and
token unto all the world that he meant TO sweep IL
clean. He fresh from the assault the Kratung
in Achln, and was sent out by his government to re-
port the expedition aud gam experience in Arctic
navigation, probably to resume the thread of Arctic
exploration where II was dropped by Barents the old
Dutch navigator, 500 years ago Then there was Dr.
Horncr Young physician who had the direction OF
the natural history and geological department, and
artist. Mr. De Wilde the nrs professional artist except
ing Mr. Bradford who ever visited the Polar regions
The voyage of the company thus embarked in this
little ship is recounted just sufficient detail and in
styIe and spirit that make the story pleasant read
Ing romance Hero is happy bit OF geographical
science that presents in illustration OF tho
theory Of glaciers:-
The whole of this great continent s, In reality,
nothing but IMMENSE deep g.acier, with . fringe
OF mountains around It, forming the coast line. This
glacier has never been explored, never been
and assures, many hundred feet IN depth, traverse
y every direction and intercept forever the travel
The interior Of this great continent Is an icy solitude
that is secret unknown to man, and II will probably
always remain It's surface Is 900 feet above the
sea- and when you ascend 70 1t you will probably per-
ccye somewhere on the plain which rises before you
in a slight TIL it touches the sky three
little sharp conical hills few feet high. that pierce
through the ice; and you will be asionshcd to learn
that these insignificant moic.hiis are in reality the
tops OF lofty mountains that have been submerged be-
meath the mighty inundation of Ice.
Somebody has said OF switzerland that II Il wore
roned out II would be very large country. II Swift
ton md iarU han
aud ice then poured INTO II until II should be full
up nearly level with the highest mountain pcaks
would present just the appearance OF the interior Of
Greenland
And yet tho whole OF this vast continent was at ono
period Of the ear.hs history, green ana fertile.
and plants ard the fossil Of animals that
could only have existed in warm climate. Fossil coras
aud spongcs are often picked up now in Lancaster
Sound and on tho shore OF Bcachy Island.
One Of Tho incidents OF every Arctic voyagc-tho
Esqumau pcoplcgreay neglected by previous travel
lers is fully and admirably dealt with in this
volume Indeed some Of its pleasantest chapters are
these tina; touch upon tho marine Irritation with the
Esqumau girls.
That there Is an Esquimau mind and heart may DO
by extract we give from the authors account
Of Esqu,mau literature rather Esquimau folk lore-
Az EsouNAU STORY.
There once q who had q son and
daughter As the son grew up he became q hunter
and one day he killed thong seal, from tho skin OF
wanted the skin for some other purpose and she and
the boy quarrclled about IL
Then she went and pronounced charm on tho soal-
skin and when he TO cut IL up the end Of thong
0ew up, struck hts eyes and made him blind.
The winter they were destitute OF seal meat
and had 70 live entirely on musses, for tho blind
hunter could go hunting no more
But ono day bear appeared at tho window and be-
gan to away ut the window pane, which was mado
or SKIN. Tho mother and daughter He'd 70 The other
side OF the house. tho stripping asked for his bow
His sister gave Il TO him; he bcnt IT, asked her tako
for HIM and then he shot and killed the animal
The mother said, 'srnou hast mssedu But the sister
whispered 'Thou hast killed the bcar"
They had now plenty OF meat, but tho mother
refused give the boy any, pretending that he had
not killed the bear there none, and only gave him
mussela But the sister gave him his share OF the bear
meat in secret.
Finally in the spring flock OF Wild geese restored the
boys sight and no resumed his hunting occupations.
He, with his sister. used TO go out on tho edge Of
tho ice. where the seals and white whales IA
kind Of dolphin seen, and he would kill
them with his harpoon. He had no hunting bladder.
but he used to the harpoon line round his ssters
waist instead, and when the animal was struck they