The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-16
ARCTIC ADVENTURES.

DR.. Van der Horck's Journey to the spitzber-
gen Scas--Trayel Beyond the Polar Circle.
At a meeting of the Geographical society in
New York, on the evening Of the eth ult.,
Mr. Alexander Humboldt Van der HOrck
read Il paper giving IN account of a journey
to the SpItzhergen seas as agent of several of
the learned societies Of Berlin. The follow
ing is an abstract Of the lecture comprising a
narrative OF the principal events of the vOy-
age:
We left Hamburg by steamer early in the
summer, following the Norwegian coast across
the Arctic circle to iIammerfest, the most
northernly town on the globe, where our ship,
chartered for the purpose, awaited us. We
had however, procured en- route our final
supplies at Bergen, that neat little town,
warmed by the Gulf stream whose U0rd juts
into the North sea. The wild and beautiful
scenery OF that Jagged Norwegian coast with
its bold, rocky outline, impressed us deeply;
but | will not detain you with description,
but take you at once on board ship, ii yht,
well-huilt schooner. fitted especially for Arc
tic service, with Norwegian captain IAN ex.
perenced old seahunter), his mate, and eight
stout seaman as crew, beside my assistant and
photographers. We had all necessary inStiu.
ments and equipments for our work, such as
drcdges, deep.sea thermometers with patent
iron cylinders hydrOmeterS, microscopes, and
instruments for taking astronomical observa-
tions, &c. Keeping close to the coast we held
our course toward North cape. Although the
sun shone warmly, the black, rocky hllls.des
were covered with patches of snow. Toward
midnight we came in sight of the high prom.
ontory, and dropped our anchor not cables
length from North cape. The beautiful wealth.
Gr--the perfect calm Of the sea, stretching
away toward the north a limitless waste of
watcr-the stern, majestic rock rising 900
feet perpendicularly out of the seattle rays
of the midnight sun (f we may so speak of a
sun that did not set falling in softened splen
dor directly upon the hcadland-the trans.
parent purity Of the atmosphere, all blended
INTO a scene too beautiful to describe. The
remarkable Clearness of the atmosphere dur
ing these northern summers makes distance
so deceptive that the taroif mountains seem
to nestle closer, and one dare not trust to the
eye in computing distances.
THE FIRST ICE.
we'll recall the clear bright morning when
Che look-ou first called "Ice-blnk to the
north ard" and scene Of surprising beauty
lay before Us rs we dritted nearer. One great,
unbroken field of ice, as far as the eye could
reach lay giancng and glitterlng under the
morning suubeGms; here and there were high
llulIlllIbNhS VI iNAtSi ~ Dlitb ulOI
the surface, where the ice. Goes had been jam
med together, all sparkling and rejecting the
rays of Il cloudless summer day. We sailed
along the edge of the pack many days, some
times shut in between the detached masses,
but nowhere able to make passage through
the field.
NOVA ZEMBLA.
Toward the beginning of August change
in the weather, hcradCd by cold, stormy
winds, then heavy togs, drove our little |
under pressure of heavy gale, to
the southeast. When the weather cleared we
sighted land, which according to our reck.
Oning) must have been in the vicinity of Cape
Britwin on the southwest coast of NOwaya
Scmya. My plan was 10 enter the deeply in
denied bays that stretched into the interior,
until we came To the mouth of the numerous
small rivers. Here we unlOaded, packed our
goods in bundles, secured porters and started
overland. rpOrters were the sO.called $50
Lapps," or Sea Lapps," Il set OF bread shOu /
dered, bOw-legged fellows, diminutive in stat
ure, who are 10 be found along the shores of
the lakes and streams in summer fishing. We |
marched Indian file along the marshy banks
Of the rivers. The country aOOunded in game
the rivers teemcd with salmon and trout,
while waterfowl of every species wcrcin great
plenty. Sometimes the scenery was exceed
lngly charming. The streams OF North lap
land are interspersed with waterfalls and rap.
ids, one falling into The other, and thus rem
lering navigation at many places almost i'm
possible The entire region is undulating,
but barren and desoate, covered with short,
Slunted grass, or fields of reindeer moss, or
lnteTminable swamps, intcrsected with lakes,
having the character of the Siberian Tundras
The deep valleys mark the water-course OF
the numerous creeks and rivers creeping be-
tween the hills. The soft, spongy ground
yielded at every step, and made our march
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 nightfall 10
the river. bank to make our encampments.
Here the banks were dotted with little groups
of stunted trees, such as the dwarf-birch, &c.
RETURN VOYAGE.
Toward September made preparations for
overland, taxing a route which had
hitherto escaped description. Ny man was
TO proceed from NadsO TO the Pats Jokki
lholyriver) thence across the Lake of ERara
the largest of the LIpland lakes 10 the river
lvallo, which We were to ascend; then cross
ing the mountains forming the water shed,
follow down the river Kitinin 10 the Gulf OflC