The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-02-18

two or three successive nights before
the ice became all dissolved, the water
being always removed as it was pro-
duced."
In the morning, when aroused by him
whose turn it was to watch, all the mis-
cry Of Arctic travelling is then expe-
rienced. Who is there that has not
some idea Of this from what is occasion
ally felt after nights watching or alb
stinence from rest? The first dawn of
morning seems even worse than the past
midnight. Judge, then, what it must
be there In solitary tent on the ice
foe, thousands of miles from home, and
often hundreds of miles away from their
other comradesI To awaken IN such
scene is truly wretched. A pannikin of
hot chocolate is generally the first thing
given. Then comes the frightful agony
of forcing the feet into boots often frozen
hard as iron, while all the time the
breath-despite the ventilators for it to
escape-comes down In a 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 begtliled with
songs and occasional music and the
companionable pipe is invariably sought
before sleep.
Among other contrivances to aid the
travelling parties in their search, was
that of kites. In the expedition to which
1 was attached, we took out several, the
gift of the late Mr.. Benjamin Smith,
whose son, Nh. 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. The
gas being generated on board, balloon
would be sent up with hundreds of print
ed colored satin or paper slips attached
to slow match; and these were des-
tined to fall over a certain space. The
message printed on these slips certified
where relief could be found. But it is
doubtful if ever one was seen, for, out of
many thousands sent up, I believe none
were ever come across again by any Of
our travelling parties.
Where the sledges are 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 go many hundreds of miles in con-
secutive journeys, and only require Or
binary attention. With load Of 1000
pounds, team of six dogs will go as
fast as q 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 by the ships crews for relief of
a missing expedition. These depots
were so built up as to prevent bears or
other animals from getting at the stores,
though occasionally slight havoc was
done to some. 1t is astonishing the
amount Of provisions slowed away in
various depots in the Arctic regions be-
You'd where whalers OF even Esquimaux
go. In one place were deposited II, 065
pounds of biscuit, Is, 1913 pounds of flour,
nearly 10000 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 I'M
touched.
Foese few notes of what is 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 more to the sub
iect of Arctic exploration. Chambers
Journal.