The New York herald., 1879-09-06
The Story Connected with the
Franklin Spoon Untrue.
PREPARING FOR AN ADVANCE.
Dangerous Errors in the
Admiralty Charts.
AN IMPORTANT NEW SURVEY

ruary IA to pay short visit to the ships win
tering in this harbor The visit is not one of
pleasure exclusively. but chiefly for the purpose of
obtaining few necessary articles from the vessels
which had been omitted from the equipment In New
York. I arrived here on the 18th Of January with
the FIRST sled that crossed from the mainland. and
had been eight days the road from Depot Island
The trip uneventful except that when four days
but ran out OF food through sharing my hard
bread and pork with the natives, of whom there
were twelve on my sled. They had plenty Of
tepee walrus meat which was good food for them,
but which could not ut that time eat. So for four
days had not u mouthful to eat. though walked
and nearly the whole distance travelled did
not experience much Inconvenience from weakness
until the last day, which that which
came across the ice IRON Little Rabbit Island.
When nearly half way and moving rapidly
The new ica the sled on which was seated broke
through and all its occupants preciptated into
the water. The front part Of the sled still hung by
the ice. which bent beneath its weight. When I
struggling to get out the ice kept breaking of
in huge cakes, and my clothing getting heavier and
HEAVIER all the time began to think that would
not be able to myself. but at last succeeded
in rolling upon the hard and turning around
to see il my help needed in rescuing the women
and children. found them already safely landed on
the foe. The thermometer ranging SO degrees below
zero We were not long standing in the wind before
our clothes were frozen stiff that it was almost
impossible to bend limb. We succeeded in getting
the sled out ugain, and started once more for Mar
BILE Island went ahead to pick out route for the
sled, and again the treacherous gave way under
me and sank below the surface. 1t was with great
difficulty that regained the firm ice. and by this
timo my clothing so heavy and stiff that had
to take off my outside cocklings or trousers. in
order to walk at all. 1t was now about ten O'Clock
In the. morning. and il half hour reached
about two miles distant from the island, but only
to find an impossible channel OF open water from
quarter TO half mile wide. We could sec some one
walking upon the shore OF the island. but hold
no conversation with him. The natives who were
with me said that when tho tide turned perhaps the
channel might close and they proposed to wait. but
In the meantime afraid might freeze to death
unless kept moving. In the course Of few hours
during which found out that could not get back
to Rabbit Island before dark. became faint for
want of food that had to get some tcpee walrus
from the natives and l ate it with keen appetite
1t did not taste badly anticipated. so ate q
quantity, including pieces Of hide. about
three-quarters of inch thick, which was cut into
small pieces and looked like cheese. After eating
several pieces Thought would bite off the outside
rnd. which, closer examination. noticed to be
eating. Presently began to feel warm all
over my body despite my frozen clothing
a condition attributable partly to the peculiar quail
ties of frozen food and partly perhaps to the raspng
In my interior, produced by the stiff warus hair
that had eaten It was now nearly dark. but we
could that the Icehoes coming together
and crunching up pudge Of soft ice between them.
At last the started out this pudge, stepping
quickly from ono piece of moving ice to another
until at last reached firm footing again. though
only by the exercise of considerable agility and look
ing sharply to where you went 1t great
relief to be again the shore. but still
q considerable distance from the ships. and the
Inuits proposed to lie down the snow
until daylight. they could not zee
and did not know the route.
afraid to stop moving. and proposed to
keep walking in the direction of the harbor All
who ashore therefore. started with u.s. but the
road at last became difficult that felt it neces
sary to rest quite often wesrcd ~ already by
previous haroships The route chosen by our guide
was follow the shore ice around until the harbor
reached. This = very circuitous aud dam
gerous road in the darkness would frequently
pitch headlong q steep prccipce upon the snow
beneath. My trousers were 80 stiff that could not
bend my knee or lift my foot high enough to clear
ordinary impediments and fell very often. 1t was
fortunate for that fell upon the shore leo
beneath the cli for in many places 1t very deep
and could not see where trod. Whom COM
menced falling / never knew where l would alight.
though usually brought up In friendly
drift At last all the lnuits grew
80 impatient to reach the ships that thoy
left Henry to find our way a. best we
could and pushed rapidly their better vision
and greater familiarity with the country would per-
nrit I'm m an hou frou fba tip,a laft
they had reached the harbor. but with their accus
toned Indifference to the comfort OF others they
failed to say that two koda-nars white men) were
still out upon the sland-one OF them too weak aud
frozen to keep up with them. As the officers
learned the fact from them Captain Barry despatched
"Domino." one of the natives with his ship, to find
aud bring US to the vessel. We o lantern
which he carried. and, coming down from the cliff
upon the smooth ice overoy to find ourselves
In the harbor and but fow hundred yards from tho
chips. We shouted at the top of our voices and
domino ut onco to us. never glad to
any in my life. for ] fnt that tho TERRIBLE
ordeal through which had passed was at an end.
We we're soon In the warm cabin OF the Eothen.
where my frozen garments were removed and warm.
dry kod-iu-nar clothing substituted. Wore it not
Tor the previous training had undergone in igloo
life could not have survived the hardships OF that
day. AS IL was felt very littlo inconvcnicnce.
copt from severe cold. which always follows
change such as moving from an igloo into tho
Leated air shipboari. My appetite was cnor-
nous, and II seemed IL could not eat enough OF
tine generous fare OF our hosts. soon regained my
usual robust health and gained nesh at tho rate OF
pound DAY for three weeks. ...l
wHALfns IN wrNrhR uAnBoR.
In the harbor wo found besides the Eothen. Cap
tain Barry. three other whalcrs-the Abbic Brad,
ford captain Fisher; tho Abbott Lawrence. Captain
Mczlcr, uni the Isabella. Captain Garvin. All. ex-
cept tie Eothcn are from Now Bedford. The ships
were all comfortably housed with boards. and
banked up with snow that ordinary coal Tres mado
them uncomfortably warm. II was painful to see,
however, that scurvy had broken out in the aeot.
and each vessel has had average OF half dozen
cases during stay with them They have had