The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-04-23

III cuOFuous lCo CoNotihs ohoio "P
peared often In the course Of the winter
assures or clefts Of great length. The his
sures trayersed the new ice field and the
elevated ground-ice without interrup ton.
Among the earliest OF these was one which
opened on the night of Dec. 18th. 1t was
2 to 8 feet wide and of great length. Usu-
ally they are only q few inches in width,
nevertheless very troublesome on account
Of the food which forces its way through
to the surface, melting the superintendent
snow. There were two distinct causes for
the formation of these assures either that
the violent wind in some degree changed I,
or 1t was the low temperature, causing the
contraction of the Ice. The cracking
(fracture) of the ice was accompanied with
reports more or less loud, and, to judge
from the frequency Of these reports the
fractures occur oftener than appears to
sight on the snow-covered ice. 1t should
be observed, also, that during the excessive
cold the icy cever-apparently solid lis
divided into numberless, closely fitting
Fragments, which are either perfectly loose
or held together by the thin crust which
forms gradually on the surface, beneath the
snow, from the water forced through the
fissure. At any rate, save the small fis-
sures mentioned, the ice remained without
any rupture through the winter. On tie
other hand, farther on out at sea, 1t was In
continual motion. So called polyniss or
open places occur throughout the year aud,
the weather being favorable, the blue wa
ter cloud could be observed in the horizon
toward N. w. to K. A southerly wind of
a few days duration brought the open
channel so near the ship that 1t could be
reached In few hours walk. These open
ings teemed with seal. 1t is therefore evil
dent 1t was connected with the open sea.
On the fact, too, that not a solitary seal
opening existed in the ice-feld that sur
rounded the ship, rested the supposition
there must be open sea in the neighbor-
hood.
EXCURSION TO THE OPEN SEAS.
January /, 1879, Lieutenant Bove, &C.
companied by the catchman Jonsen, made
an excursion to the open sea, and of this
he reports to the following effect: l left
the ship the morning Of January list; reach
ed open water after four hours travel. A
tolerably swift current ran square of shore
from s. 8. e. As the current followed
straight line It would seem 1t is tide cur
rent. The open water teemed with seal
according to Jonsen, Of both varieties-the
great seal, phoea 6arbata, and the small
seal, phoca h,spida. Neither Polar bear,
walrus, nor birds Of any kind were seen.
The Tschuktschers (after this those in.
digenous nomina proprias will appear only
In abreviations- b. expected continued
open water during January, but they were
disappointed In this, and 1t effected so great
scarcity of provisions among them, especi-
ally Of train oil, that the inhabitants of the
village nearest the Vega, Pitlekaj, were
forced to move eastward; this, notwith-
standing great deal of food was distribu-
ted from the ship for the mitigation OF
their distress. During the long continued
and enormous cold In January, while the
Thermometer descended below its freezing
point of mercury, the ocean seemed frozen
solid; but we had mild weather again with
easterly and southerly winds already as
early as February 18th. On that day faint
water cloud was seen In the horizon to-
ward the N. E., and from the rocky heights
near us open water could be seen approach
ing close to the shore near the village Of
Irgunnuk. Some kilometres farther to-
ward the east the shore, even, was perfect
~ clear Office, and our sailors believed they
could see from the heights heavy swell in
the blue streak of water which bounded
the horizon. The open water must thus
have been OF considerable expanse. The
conjecture of the natives that this opening
extended even TO Behring's Strait was prob
ably correct, but we could not fully repose
confidence In them because quite indiscreet-
ly we had rewarded them with small pres
ents for favorable prophecies Of speedy re-
lease.
THE STONE AGE CIVILIZATION.
The Tsch were now blessed with an
abundant catch, and ,thoughtless OF the fu-
ture, they became prodieal again, revealing
Ia their abundance. Five and forty small
seal, phoca hispida, were counted in sin.
gle tent. besides heaps Of blubber slice
stacked along their sides. The children,
who In the last four weeks had become
emaciated, mot perhaps, In comparison
with their congeners In Europe, at least %,
a. to the ordinary condition Of Ksch chill
dren), began now rapidly TO regain their
former obesity, and 70 did their seniors.
However, the deck Of our ship continued