The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-01-10
CHRISTMAS AMONG ICEBERGS.

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with every attainable comfort men
should be able to live through an arctic
winter, as any disaster to the ships
must be certain death to the crews.
That this has been the case before now,
we know. That it is not invariably the
case we know also and the following
account gives US good picture of the
different ways in which two companion
vessels spent their Christmas in the
frozen sea in 1870, and shows what d.
verse vicissitudes may be encountered by
ships in the same season.
In the spring of 1870, before the war
with France had broken out and taken
up almost all the thoughts of the ma
ton, Germany sent out two ships, the
Germania and the Hansa, with the hope
of reaching the North Pole. As is u.s.
ually the case in arctic expeditions, lit
tie could be done during the first season,
and the ships were obliged to take up
their winter quarters off the east coast
of Greenland. They had already been
separated, so that the crew of one YES
sci had no idea of the condition of the
other. An officer upon the Germania
thus writes of their Christmas:
"To the men who have already lived
many weary months among the icebergs,
Christmas signifies, in addition to its
other associations, that the half of their
long night-with its fearful storms. it's
enforced cessation of all energy, its
discomfort and sadness-has passed,
and that the sun will soon again shed
his life and warmth-gi giving beams on the
long deserted North. From this time
the grim twilight, during which noon
has hardly been distinguished from the
other hours, grows daily lighter, until
at length all hearts are gladdened, and
a cheerful activity is once again called
forth by the first glimpse of the SUM-
Christmas, the midnight of the arctic
explorer, thus marks period in his life
which he has good cause to consider
joyful one. On no day would it be more
natural for him to recall his home; and
though far from that loved spot and cut
of from all intercourse save with his
little band of comrades, and being,
moreover, uncertain whether the ice will
retain him in his grasp, as it has retain
ed so many before him, he is right to
keep the festival with all cheerfulness, !
thankful, while remembering what he
has already passed through and achiev-
ed, and full of firm courage and conf
dence for the unknown future.
"What are our friends at home do
ing? was the thought that stirred us all
as we prepared to keep our Christmas,
1870, in the true German style. We
had no suspicion of the mighty struggle
in which our Fatherland was then en-
gagged, 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-ight |
OF the weary monotonous arctic night,
lay the apparently 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 Hansa, 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 Christmasp Who could tell? |
"For days before the festival, an un-
usual activity was observable all over
the ship; and as soon as the severe |
storm which ragged from December 16 to
December 81 had abated, parties were
organized, under our botanist, DR..
Pansch, to certain points of Sabine
Island, near to which we were anchored,
where, in strangely sheltered nook,
several varieties of a native Greenland |
plant, Aadremeda tetrogona, were to be
found. A great quantity of this plant
was conveyed on board to be converted
into Christmas tree. Under the Or
der of DIR. Pansch, the Andromeda was
wound round small pieces of wood,
several of which were attached, like fir
twigs, to large Dough; and when
these boughs were fastened to pole
they formed very respectable fir tree.
"After dinner on Christmas Day the
cabin was cleared for the completion of
the preparations; and, on our recall
ut + O'Clock, we found that all had as
sumed an unwonted festive appearance.
The walls were decorated with signal
flags, and our national eagle; and the
large cabin table, somewhat enlarged
to make room to seat II men, was COW
cred with clean white cloth which had
been reserved for tie occasion. On the
table stood the " fir" tree, shining in the
splendor of many little wax lights, and
ornamented with all sorts of little treas
ures, some of which, such as the gilded
walnuts, had already seen a Christmas
In Germany; below the tree was small
present for each of us, provided long
beforehand, in readiness for the day, by
loving friends and relatives at home.
There was a packet, too, for each of the
crew, containing some little joking gift,
prepared by the mirth-loving DR..
Pansch, and useful present also;
while the officers were each and all re-
-,