Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-31
SPORTING AND PLEASURE TRIP
sTtTzBERGES
BY WAY OF NORTH CAPE.

,."...'
1t assured the festive public that
good hunting boats, with harpoons
and all necessary implements, would
accompany the expedition, and that
Mr.. Ellertsen, r. S. o. o. r. J. O., an
eminent Arctic explorer, would be
along, and all for 800, to and fro
What all these alphabetical prefixes
mean-though | surmse that the O's
refer to the Order of Olaf-l am not
assured but it was rather a damper
on our enterprise 10 know that it was
so easy to 60 so much further into the
wild Arctic sea.
AT the North Cape We look out upon
the Arctic Ocean and but for distance
and Spitzbergen, not TO speak ofanother
small isle between, which lies due
North, we could sec the Polar Sea, if
not the pole Let us be content with
the prospect Besides, have we not
gone Eastward as well as Northward
We are over thirty degrees North of
New York and Chicago. Our longi.
tude has moved us Eastward: and the
time, as men reckon time, has changed.
Every five degrees Eastward has made
difference of twenty minutes. Our
meals and clocks must undergo their
changes. We have come to meet the
sun East as well as North, and are
adding something to our lives, as some
men count living. Being extremely
North, and the circles of longitude
beng less, we mark time more rapidly
than in New York; and certainly
"make more time" than have known
it to be made in Washington But
whether the degrees be long or short,
the real time is the same. A degree
here is twenty-five miles, while at the
equator it is four times as much.
So accessible are these ultra North
ern places by steam voyaging on the
coast that we forgot how far North
we were. Iceland is far South of us,
Greenland is below our lice drawn
circularly Westward, and Behring
Straits is not within our magic Arctic
circle. The pole OF the magnet would
be found attracting us by its marvel.
Gus energy, somewhere on the same
lines of latitude where we now move,
to the throbbing Of the engine and the
motion OF the sea.
How does this wild North rock ap.
pear? Its size is not great compared
with other mountains, but it is q fit
ting end Of q great continent. 1t is
scanned with long lines of white and
black, as though marked by fire and
thunder. 1t has its caves washed by
epochs Of oceanic tempest. At its base
is green fringe Of seaweeds, which,
on near inspection, we find very Shiny
and dangerous to stand npon. Below
this IL white line Of breakers, in
snowy contrast with the bleak mount
ain and green margin. Our vessel
turns around the point and enters into
the shadows Of the mountain. The
harbor, if it be one, is as black as INK.
When we stop, the screw stirs the
dark flood into flashes of green and
white, making it seem TO boil with
unaccustomed noise, so deep is the ST.
lence and solitude. The tbrob of the
engine and the song Of the sea cease,
and we are comparatively quiet in
this lonely cove. We are sent ashore
in the captains gig, the captain him.
self taking the helm. But the landing
is difficult Tho slippery boulders
give unsafe footing, and one woman at
least has TO be carried ashore by the
sturdy sailors. The rest OF us have to
be heedful of our steps before we are
safe under the frowning rock,
Some Of our party-the moro vigor.
GUS Scotch young men--cndeavor to
ascend the gulch in tho mountain. 1t
has been done. Our captain has done
it twice; but not with such a mass OF
melted and melting snow as now fills
up the gorge. We see them aiar up,
on hands and knees, patiently climbing.
They fail and have still more trouble
and danger in the descent. The cap
tain calls his company--a score Of us
together and the difficulty of reaching
the small boat, especially by the ladies,
is overcome.
On our return to the ship each one
lays down his trophy. One has n
piece of wood evidently borne by tho
Gulf stream from America. 1t is pal.
metto. lie holds aloft Bayard Tay-
lor's description, with bis proof Of the
existence Of the grand river in the
ocean, He dwels on Taylor's descrip.
ton Of the island, as it glowod in the
blended loveliness of sunrise and sun.
set, and wondered If his picture would
bc realized when midnight came ?
Another Sootchman brings as his tro-
ply beautiful green cup, with a dia.
mond on it, repeating the verse, with
a thrill of music in his voice
1lka blade Of grass keeps It's dnp Of dew.
Another has bis thermometer, and
has been testing the heat Of the water,
and is reducing Raumer to Fahrenheit.
Some have rounded pebbles as paper.
weight souvenirs of the spot. The
captain, who has been far up the
mountain-looking like little silhou-
etto against the immaculate snow
brings variety OF Arctic flowers for
general distribution. My wife has a
handkerchief full Of little love drops OF
flowers on the tiniest OF moss tendrils.
One sturdy engineer bears in bis but.
tonhole big boquet of the smallest