The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-02-10

two or three successive nights before
the Ice became MI dissolved, the water
being always removed NJ II WINS pro-
dured."
In the morning, when aroused by him
whose turn 1t was to watch, all the mis-
e'y Of Arctic travelling is then expo
rienccd. Who is there that has not
some idea Of this from what 10 occasion.
nllv felt after nights watching or alb
stinence from rest The first dawn of
morning aecr's even worse than the past
midnight. Judge, then, what il must
he there in solitary tent on the ice
foe, thousands Of miles from home, and
often hundreds Of miles away from their
other comrades To awaken in such a
scene is truly wretched. A pannikin Of
hot chocolate Il generally the first thing
given. Theii comes the frightful agony
OF forcing the feet into boots often frozen
hard as iron, while all the time the
brcath--lespste the ventilators for it to
escape--comes down III shower OF very
fine snow. But at last they are again
ready, and once more away they go
across the wide foe. and, when near the
land, along the lonely shore. Sometimes
this sort Of tent life is bceuiled with
songs and occasional music and the
companionable pipe is invariably sought
before sleep.
Among other contrivnncee 10 aid the
travelling parties in their search, was
that Of kites. In the expedition TO which
was attached, we took ont several, the
gift Of the late Mr.. Benjamin Smith,
whose son, Mr.. Leigh Smith, has lately
made such remarkable voyages and ex-
plorations by Spitzbergen and Franz
Joseph Land.
Another plan to give our missing
friends some notice OF the search for
them, was that Of using balloons. Tie
gas being generated on board, balloon
would be sent up with hundreds 81 print
ed colored satin or paper slips attached
to slow match; and these were DIES.
tined to fall over a certain space. The
message printed on these slips certified
where relief could be found. But it is
doubtful II ever one was seen, for, out Of
many thousands sent up, believe none
were ever come across again by any OF
our travelling parties.
Where the sledges arc pulled by dogs.
the labor to the men is OF course much
less, though it req Tires driver to man.
age these animals. Their performances,
however, are very extraordinary. They
will 60 many hundreds Of miles in con.
secutiyc journeys, aud only require or
binary attention. With load Of 1000
pounds, u team Of six dogs will go rs
last as man can walk.
On the expedition in which the writer
was engaged, searching parties made
depots of provisions. wherever suitable.
en- route, SO as to pick them up on re.
turn. But other depots were also
formed Ivy the ships crews for relief Of
A missing expedition. These depots
were 50 built up as to prevent bears or
other animals from getting at the stores,
though occasionally slight havoc was
done to some. It is astonishing the
amount Of provisions slowed away in
various depots in the Arctic regions be-
You'd where whalers or even Esquimaux
go. In one place were deposited II ,O65
pounds of biscuit, 16, S2s pounds Of -four,
nearly 0,00O pounds Of salt meats, over
10000 pounds Of preserved meats and
soups; beside vast quantities Of gro.
ceries, vegetables. fruits, pemmican,
wines, spirits, tobacco, clothing, boots,
etc. So far as the relieving of the miss
ing expedition was concerned, the fore.
going provisions, etc, were left in vain.
Years afterward they were found un-
touched.
These few notes Of Whit 10 to be faced
and endured by Arctic explorers may
be Of interest at time when the recent
American search expedition has drawn
public attention once moro to the sub
ject of Arctic exploration.-CnamJcrs
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