Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-06
1Miscellanu.
Arctic Sunshine.

It is difficult. indeed, for one who has
not witnessed it himself to understand the
full meaning Of the midnight sun >
The idea of long Arctic night -eems to be
much more generally com pretended
Nearly all writers upon the subject,
whether those who have themselves ex-
rcricnced its effects or whether their
knowledge is derived from study, dwell
with great force on the terribly depressing
effect upon the physical organization of
natives of the median zones caused by the
long Arctic night whenever brought with
in II, influence.
In this latitude the sun goes down at
night, and we retire to our couches
and sleep. In the morning the sun re-
turns. and we rise to the pursuit of our
daily avocatiOns. But there in the spring
the sun never sets. There is no morning
aud no night. 1t is one continuous 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 weary eyelids, his appetite
fails, and all the dlsagreaable results of
vigils are apparent But gradually he
becomes used to this state of affairs, de-
vises means 10 darken his tent, and once
more enjoys his hour Of rest In fact he
learns how to take advantage OF the new
arrangement, and when travelling pursues
his Journey at night, or when the sun Is
lowest, because then he finds the frost that
hardens the snow Il great assistance In
Sledg.ng.
The suns rays then, falling more OBJ.
liqucly, 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
the earth is the traveller more annoyed by
that great i'll. The heat of ordinary exer.
else compels him to throw back the hood
of his fur coat, that the cool evenings and
mornings preclude his dscarding, and
moi only his entire face bt comes blstered
especially if he is fashionable enough TO
wear his hair thin upon the Top of his
head, his entire scalp is affected about as
severely us if II bucket of scaldng water
had been poured over his head. This is
not an ex1ggeration. During the spring
Of 1880 Lieut.. Schwatka's entire party,
while upon sledge journey from Marble
island TO Camp Daily. were so severely
burned that not only their entire heads
were swollen to nearly twice their natural
size. Anda fine looking party they were.
Some had their faces so swollen that their
eyes were completely closed upon awaken
ing from sleep. When one could see the
others he could not refrain from laughing,
50 lUdcrous was the spectacle. All 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 the mirror, and then he, too, tried
to smile, but his lips were so thoroughly
swollen that the effort was entirely lost,
and it was Impossible to tell whether his
expression denoted amusement, anger or
pain. The torture resulting from these
burns was so severe that 1t was almost
impossible to sleep. The fur bedding,
which also served the purpose of a pillow
lrritated the burns like applying mus
lard plaster to a 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 were comparatively COM
Portable in the shelter of their tent. Straw
hats would have been the proper style oi
headdress, but they had been omitted from
the outfit, as was also another very i'm
portant source of comfort, mosquito net
Ting. 1t is in the summer however, that
the necessity for the latter luxury Is
encountered. .-NeW York Herald.