The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-11-08
The South Pole.
A WORSE PLACE TO GET At THAN THE
NORTH ONE-soME OF IT'S PERTI.s.

WORSE PLACE TO GET AT THAN Thh
NORTH ONE-soME OF IT'S PERHs.
The greatest point of difference be-
tween the Arctic and Antarctic regions
lies in the fact that the former is dotted
over with numerous islands, peninsulas
isthmuses, whereas the latter is exposed
to the dash of a vast deep ocean. Ross ex-
perienced from sweeping currents and
winds more than has ever to be borne
by northern explorers. On one occasion.
when he was becalmed for few hours,
the dead set of the ocean waves drifted
the ships towards range of huge ice
bergs, against which the sea broke with
appalling violence. Every eye was
transixed with the tremendous spectacle,
and destruction appeared inevitable"
The ships were thus driven on for eight
hours, until within half mile from the
gigantic icebergs, when a gentle air he
gan to stir; the ships yielded to the in
fuence of the puff of wind, which grad
ually freshened into gale, and before
dark, to the heartfelt satisfaction of all
on board, the ships emerged from their
peril and got out into the wide ocean.
Ross hadSgood means of knowing how
thoroughly Wilkes had been deceived
concerning the appearance of land ut
particular spot, for he spent three days
in searching for land which Wilkes
had laid down on the chart, but six hun
1red fathoms' depth of water was found
in the very center of the position as
signed to the land on the chart. Ross
arrived at an opinion that the American
commander had been deceived either by
ice islands or fog banks. We need not
60 into much further details concerning
this expedition; but a few words may be
quoted to show what kind of weather
had to be borne in the very middle of the
Antarctic summer, and in no higher lati-
tude than sixty-six degrees.
For nine days the crew were alternate
ly drifting, hauling, making fast, mend
ing snapped hawsers, and making efforts
to stem opposing currents. On the tenth
day, during thick fog, gale came on
from the north. 1.-THE sea quickly rose to
a fearful height, breaking over the lofti
est icebergs; We were unable any longer
to hold our ground, but were driven into
the heavy pack under our lee. Soon af-
ter midnight our ships we're involved in
an ocean of floating fragments of ice,
hard as floating blocks of granite, which
were dashed against them by the waves
with so much violence that their masts
quivered as if they would fall at every
the ships seemed inevitable from the
tremendous shocks they received. BY
backing and filling the sails, we endeav-
ored to avoid collision with the larger
masses, but this was not always possible.
In the early part of the storm the rudder
of the Erebus was so much damaged as
to be no longer of any use; and about
the same time was informed by signal
that the Terr0r's was completely de-
stroyed and nearly torn away from the
stern-post. Hour passed away after hour
without the least mitigation of these
awful circumstances in which we were
placed. Indeed, there seemed to be but
little probability of our ships holding to-
gether much longer, so frequent and vio-
lent were the shocks they sustained.
The loud, crashing noise of the straining
and working of the timbers and decks
as she was driven against some of the
heavier pieces, which all the activity and
exertions of our people could not prevent,
was sufficient to fill the stoutest heart
that was not supported by trust in
him who controls all events-with dis
may"
Whenever the gallant commander got
south of 60 deg. or so, then the battling
with ice began again and again. He
once touched the 18th parallel of lati-
tude, and in all probability no human
being has ever made a nearer approach
to the south pole-less by three or four
hundred miles than the approach which
has recently been made to the north pole.
What we know of the south pole, then, is
simply this, that nobody has got within
seven or eight hundred miles Of it; that
icy barriers are met with quite eclipsing
anything known in the north frigid zone;
that mountains have been seen Zone
shooting forth volcanic fames) loftier
than any discovered by northern explor-
ers; that all the land is covered with
snow at all seasons that no human being
has been met with beyond So deg. Of
latitude; that no vegetable growth, ex-
cept lichens, has been seen beyond SO
deg. of latitude, and that no land quad
ruped is known to exist beyond SO deg.
of latitude.
THE CONFEDERATE FLAG.-During our
civil war, the several seeded States used
at first distinctive State flags. In March,
1861, the Confederate Congress adopted