Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-18
From Chambers's Journal.
Christmas In the Polar Regions,
THE LOVED ONES AT HOME PRESENTS AND ME
MENIoEs-A DAIL ON TIE ICE.

| THE LOVED ONES AT HoME-PRESENTS AND NE
MESToEs-A BALL on THE ICE.
To US dwellers in Northern Europe, Christ
mas. with its apparently unreasonable heat,
strikes US by its strange incongruity but
how strange must be Christmas in the far
north, where no sun rises to gladden. the day
on which the Sun of Righteousness rose
upon the earth.
A year ago We had the happiness of well
coming back to their homes the latest heroes
| OF the Polar seas. We do not need to be re-
minded how. in May, 1875. tho Alert and
Discovery sailed from our shores. having for
their destination the Pole itself The Pole
was not reached-that WAS beyond human
power but We felt that all that men could
| do was done, and We were thankful to see
them home again. 1t is surely enough to
have spent one Christmas in such desolation ;
| in higher latitude than ever man has reach
ed before, and beyond the farthest point to
which even the Esquimaux, the hardy natives
of the lands of perpetual snow, have pene-
trated in their most distant wanderings be
yond the boundary of all animal life on land
or sea, there British sailors and British ships
have wintered. aud the British flag has float
ed upon sea Of eternal ice. All honor be
| to them
1t seems to us wonderful that even with
every attainable comfort men should be able
| TO 1--we through an arctic winter as any dis
| aster to the ships must be certain death to
| the crews. That this has been the case be-
fore now. We know. That it is not invariably
the casew know also ; and the following
account gives us good picture of the diff
ferent ways IN which two companion vessels
spent their Christmas in the frozen sea in
1870, and shows what diverse yicissitudes
may be encountered by ships in the same
| season.
In the Spring of 1876, before the war with
france had broken out and taken up almost
all the thoughts of the nation. Germany sent
out Two ships, the Germania and the Hansa,
with the hope of reaching the North Pole.
AS is usually the case in arctic expeditions,
little could be done during the first season,
and the ships were obliged to take up their
winter quarters off the east coast of Green
land They had already been separated, so
that the crew of one vessel had no idea OF
the condition of the other An officer upon
the Germania thus writes of their Christ
mas
"ro the men who have already lived many
weary months among the icebergs, Christmas
signifies, in addition to its other associa
tions, that the half of their long night-with
It's fearful storms. its enforced cessation of
all energy, its discomfort and sadness-has
passed, and that the sun will soon again shed
ms lie and warmth-giving beams on the
long-deserted North. From this time the
grim twilight, during which noon has hardly
been distinguishable from the other hours.
grows daily lighter. until at length all hearts
are gladdened, and cheerful activity is
once again called forth by the first glimpse
OF the sun. Christmas. the midnight of the
arctic explorer, thus marks a period in his
life which he has good cause to consider a
a
natural for him to recall his home md
though far from that loved spot and cut off
from all intercourse save with his little band
OF comrades, and being, moreover uncer-
tain whether the ice will retain him in his
grasp. as 1t has retained ST. many before him,
he Is night to keep the festival with all cheer
fulness, thankful. while remembering what
he has already passed through and achieved,
and full OF firm courage and confidence for
the unkno0n future.
what are our friends at home doing? was
the thought that stirred us all as we prepared
10 Keep our Christmas. 1870, in the true Ger
man style. We had no suspicion of the
Vighty struggle in which our Fatherland
was then engaged. for what could we know
OF the affairs of the world, from which no
sound had reached us for so MANY long
weeks. Our world was only in our ship,
and all around US, in the half-light of the
weary monotonous arctic night, lay the ap-
parently boundless desert of ice while the
snow-laden hurricane howled, and moaned
through the silence. We thought, too, of
our mates on our companion ship, the Han
sa, from whom We had been separated Did
they still live? Had they been so fortunate
as to reach the shore. and were they. like us.
honoring Christmas? ? Who could tell?
"for days before the festival an unusual
activity was observable all over The ship
and as soon as the severe storm which ragged
from December l6 to December 81 had abated,
parties were organized, under our botanist.
DIR. Pansch. to certain points OF Sabine Is
land, near to which We were anchored where.
IN strangely sheltered nook, several varie-
ties OF native Greenland plant, AHdrone,la
teiTdgond, were to be found. A great auanti
ty OF this plant WAS conveyed on board TO be
converted into Christmas tree. Under the
orders of DIR. Pansch. the Andromeda was
wound round small pieces of wood several
OF which were attached, like fir twies, to a
large bough /; and when these boughs were
fastened to pole they formed a very respect.
able fir tree.
AFTER dinner on Christmas day the cabin
was cleared for the completion Of the prepa-
tions and, on our recall at six O'Clock we
found that all had assumed an unwontedtv
festive appearance. The walls were decora
ted with tina signal flags. and our national
eagle and the large cabin table. somewhat
enlarged TO make room to seat seventeen men.
was covered with a clean white cloth, which
mad been reserved for the occasion. On the
table stood the ''ir" tree, shining in the
splendor of many little wax lights, and or
namented with all sorts of little treasures.
some OF which, such as the gilded walnuts,
had already seen Christmas in Germany
below the tree was small present for each
OF us. provided long beforehand, in readi
ness for the day, by loving friends and rela-
u'es al nome There was packet, too. for
eacn oi tne crew, containing some little
Joking gift, prepared by the mirth-loying
Dr. Pansch. and useful present also while
the ottcers were each and all remembered.
b When the lights burned down land the
reslhous Andromeda was beginning TO take
hre the tree was put aside, and a feast began.
AT whlch iull justice was done to the costly
Siclllan wine, with which "a friend had pener
ously supplied US before We lett home We
had dish OF roast seal Some cakes were
made by the cook. and the steward produced
ms stores. For the evening, the division be-
tween the lore and aft cabins was removed.
ana there was free intercourse between offi-
GERS and mel; ; many toast was drunk to
tne memory OF friends at home, and at mid
night polar ball was improvised by A dance
on the ice. The boatswain-tbe best n,nsi-
cian OF the party-seated himself. with his
hand-organ, between the antlers of n rein
deer which lay near the ship, and the men
danced Two and two on their novel flooring
of hard ice
ouch was our experience of Christmas
IN the north polar circle but the uncertain
ties OF arctic voyaging are great, and the two
ships oil our expedition made trial of the
widely different fates which await the travel
Ter IN those frozen regions. and while we on
the uermania were siagularly fortunate in
escaping accidents and in keeping our crew,
IN spite OF some hardships. in sound health
ana good spirits, the Hansa was crushed bv
tne ice ana her crew. after facing unheard-
OF dangers, and passing 200 dAys on n block
OF Ice, were barely rescued to return home"
Yet even to the crew of the ill -fated Uansa
Christmas brought some share Of festivities.
The tremendous gale which had raped for
many days ceased Just before the day. and
the heavy fall OF snow with which II termip-
ated and which had almost buried the black
huts that the ship-wrecked men had CON
structed for themselves upon the drifting
icebergs from the debris of the wreck had
produced II considerable rise in the tempera-
ture, and there was every indication that a
season of calm might now be anticipated
uo inb-b booh VI tne nhlha thus describes
the celebration OF the festival "Tbe tree
WAS erected in the afternoon, while the great
or part of the crew took II walk and the
lonely hut shone with wonderful brightness
amid the snow. Christmas upon n Green
land iceberg The tree was artistically nut
together of fr-wood and mat weed, and br
Laube had saved a twist of wax-taper for tho
illumination. Chains of colored paper AMI
newly baked cakes were not wanting, and
the men had made knapsack and reyoly
er case as a present for the captain. We
opened the leaden chests Of presents from
Professor Hochstetter and the Geological
Society. and were much amused by their
contents. Each man had glass of port
wine and we then turned over the old news
papers which we found in the chests. and
drew lots for the presents. which consisted
of small musical Instruments such AZ flies,
jewsharps, trumpets, crackers, etc. In the
evening We feasted on chocolate and ginger
bread"
1--WE observed the day very quietly"
\ l. I