The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-06-29
TnE MIDNIGHT SUN.

Life Ia the Arctic Rcaions-~sunbeaHns and
snow Blindncss-- TcautifuI. short-I.ived
Arctic Flowers.
It is difficult, indeed, for one who has
not Witnessed il himself to understand
the full meaning Of the midnight
sun" The idea of the long Arctic night
, seems to be much more generally COM
pretended. Nearly all writer's upon the
subject, whether those who have them
selves experienced its effects, or whether
their knowledge is derived from study,
dwell with great force on the terribly
depressing effect upon the physical or
ganization of the natives of the median
zones caused by the long Arctic night
whenever brought within its influence.
Though much less has been written or
said concerning the interminable day
its effects are almost as deleterious upon
The stranger as the prolonged night
Indeed, TO the soiourner in high lati-
tudes the day is much more appreciable,
for at no point yet visited by man is the
darkness the total darkness of night
throughout the entire day, while the
(" midnight sun makes the night like
MONDAY. Even when the sun passes
below the horizon OF its upper culmin-
atlon.the daylight is as intense as at
noon in lower latitudes when the suns
disk is obscured by thin clouds. The
long twilight in the north, where
the suns apparent path around the
earth varies so little in altitude as its
upper and lower culminations, takes
some OF the edge off of the prolonged
night at the highest latitude ever at
tanned by the Arctic explorer, but there
is nothing to relieve the long, long
weary day of its full power upon the
system.
In this latitude tina sun goes down at
night and we retire to our couches and
sleep. In the morning the sun returns
and we arise to the pursuit of our vari-
GUS daily avocations. But there in the
spring the sun never sets. There is no
morning and no night. 1t is one con-
tinuous day for months. At first it
seems very difficult to understand this
strange thing in nature. One never
knows when to sleep. The world seems
to be entirely wrong, and man grows
nervous and restless. Sleep is driven
from his very eyelids, his appetite fails
and all the disagreeable results of pro-
tracted vigils are apparent. But grad
ually he becomes used to this state of
affairs, devises means to darken his tent
aud once more enjoys his hour of rest.
In fact, he learns how to take advantage
OF the new arrangement, and when trav-
cling pursues his journey at night, or
when the sun is lowest, because then he
finds the frost that hardens the snow
great assistance in sledging.
The suns rays then, falling more OBJ
hquely, are less powerful, and he
avoids somewhat the evils that beset
his pathway at noontime. He is not so
much exposed to sunburn or snow
blindness. 1t may sound strangely to
speak of sunburn in the frigid zone, but
perhaps nowhere on earth is the trav-
eler moro annoyed by that great ill.
The heat of ordinary exercise compels
him to throw back the hood of his fur
coat, that the cool mornings and even
ings precludes his discarding, and not
only his entire face becomes blised,
but, especially, if he is fashionable
enough to wear his hair thin upon the
top of his head, his entire scalp is af-
fected about as severely as if bucket
OF scalding water had been poured over
his head. This is not an exaggeration.
During the spring of 1880 Lieutenant
Schwatka's entire party, while upon a
sledge journey from Marble Island to
Camp DAILY, were so severely burned
that not only their faces but their en-
tire heads were swollen to twice their
natural size. A fine looking party they
were. Some had their faces so swollen
that their eyes were completely closed
upon awakening from sleep. When one
could see the others he could not refrain
from laughing, so ludicrous was the
spectacle. ALI dignity was lost. Even
the august commander of the party was
laughing stock, and though he knew
why they laughed at each other he could
not understand why he should excite
such mirth until he saw his face in a
mirror, and then he too tried to smile.
but his lips were so thoroughly swollen
that the effect was entirely lost, and it
was impossible to tell whether his ex-
preston denoted amusement, anger or
pain.
The torture resulting from these
burns was so severe that it was almost
impossible to sleep. The fur bedding,
which also served the purpose of pill
low, irritated the burn, like applying
mustard plaster to blister. Then it
was that the night was turned into day
for the rest of the journey, and during
the heat of the day the party We're COM
paratively comfortable in the shelter of
their tent. Straw hats would have been
the proper style of headdress, but they
had been omitted from the outfit, as was
also another very important source of
comfort MOSQUITO netting. It is in the
summer, however, that the necessity for
the latter luxury is encountered.
While the suns rays pour down with
all their force upon the devoted head of
the traveller the reflection from the snow
is almost as intense and still more dis
agreeable, for there is no possible es-
cape from it. Not satisfied with pro-
ducing its share of sunburn it acts upon
the eyes in manner that produces that
terrible scourge of the Arctic SPRING