The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-01-04

pubic uu6GbAAlE tSLN CAt'SB "AAN
legs and call me opal"
| gave it up. hauled down my
colors and surrendered. I was not equal
to tho requirements of gubeFnatorlal
campaign in the state of New York, and
10 / sent in my withdrawal from the candi-
dacy, and in bitterness Of spirit signed
it, "Truly yours, once decent man. but
now MARK TWAIN,
Up, M.T.,B. s., DIT, &c, and L. E''
INCIDENTS IN THE POLAR REGIONS
am assured byan officer Of the recent
arctic expedition that exaggerated tales
are finding their way into the neWsPa-
pers as to the experience of members of
the expedition in question. A not inapt
comparison to these may be found in the
tunes played by Baron Munchausen on
the horn, which we're all frozen, but
which were all played forth when the
horn was thawed. The Sledging parties
were the greatest sufferers in every re-
spect as regards hardships and sickness.
The position of one of these and the
enduring physical results to the officer
in command, Lieutenant Beaumont,
deserves, he considers, more than the
casual notice they have hitherto re-
ceived. This officer and his party OF
seven men were so long in returning that
search party was sent to discover them.
In this they succeeded, and not mo-
ment too soon. Four of the party were
so i'll that they could not 60 on, and the
officer in charge was in the direst eX-
tremity as to what he should next do.
Almost the only alternative left was to
leave the four men to their fate, and
push back with the three who'were still
able to 90 on. 1t was in these circum-
stances that the feeling Of responsibility
came with crushing force upon him-a
feeling generally so little felt till man
finds himself with it thrown upon him,
and with the necessity of instant action.
The mental effort, or rather the mental
agony, endured in these conditions
changed in a few hours the color of his
hair, and although a young man, he is
now quite gray, and will thus carry to
the grave unmistaKable evidence Of an
anxious and conscientious desire to do
his duty. He stuck to his helpless com
rades, and when found by the relief par
ty he and his three men were Juggling
at the ropes, bringing forward their fall
len comrades, two at time, at rate OF
half mile per day. All the incidents
which occurred in the polar regions are
not, however, so serious as this. Here,
for instance, is one of another sort: An
officer who had taken out a supply Of
boxing-gloves one day proceeded, &C
companied by another officer, to the
snow-house to have "bout with the
gloves. An unexpected, Though effect
ual, obstacle soon presented itself to the
pursuit of the noble science. This was
caused by their own breath. The spar
ring, | need hardly mention, was in
tended to be of the most friendly char
acter, but. if they CHANGED to breathe
while in close quarters the respired air
became a dense cloud of small particles
of frozen spicules, yelling completely the
two opponents. In these circumstances
a blow merely intended to show ones
guard had been eluded, resulted in a
collision of force, to the mutual surprise
of the cOmbatants. No science was
needed under these conditions. Only
stand on your guard until your OppO-
nent breathed and then he was at your
mercy! Clearly, the north pole will not
do as a region for prize-fghts, and, when
discovered, we need not expect to find
the institution of the "P. R." developed
there. My informant was among those
who gained their first experience of
scurvy in this expedition. The suffer
ings from this disease he describes as
worse than any conception derived from
descriptions of it in books of travel. All
the flesh of the body seemed to change
its character and to become discOlOred
and full of sores, as if it had been beaten
with heavy stick. The worse cases &C.
CURED among the men who went off with
the sledging Parties.-COwesponaence Of
| The Scotsman