New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-18
cRIJISING IN ARCTIC SEAS.

rIox - THE RETURN VOYAGE - RELICS OF
FORMER EXPEDITIONS
rrpos SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNB.l
St. JOINS n. F.. Oct 2.-Pandora Harbor,
shsre the Neptune lay at anchor from July % until
August 7, is IA shallow bay in McCormicks Blight
on the eastern side OF Smiths Sound. between Cape
Kenrick and the Crystal Palace cliffs, the most
beantiiul head and in Sulth's Sound. To the north
and to the south steep walls of trap a"d sand
stone, with height varying from 500 to 1000 feet
Toward the east the slope OF the land is more grad
nal and the scanty soil. moistened by the water
trekling down from the glaciers above and warmed
By the summer sunshine, brings forth during that
brief seastn luxuriant crop OF grass, many bright
colored flowers mosses and lchens The cliffs on
either side of the harbor are the nesting places or
innumerable little auks which. circling and wheel
ing about in immense flocks darken the air in their
raeid Fight and Keep up a most har4ssng and in
ceSsant chatter day and night. Among the rocks
pearer the water are the homes of the elder duck
the brant goose and the common guillemoVi WHO
in stately serenity. sitting On the bro" % soHo
overianging crag floating with graceful ease III
midair IS seen The beautiful ice gullsN the mag
nihcent burromaster We had scarcely dropped
our anchors and warped the ship to the shore by
stern ropes before several hunting parties were
organized. who going on shore in pursuit of game
returued in the course of few hours with Well
filed bags The Arctic haze abOunds here; rem
deer are sufficiently numerous and many lOAeS
both the white and the silver-gray, may be SEEN
The foxes are exceedingly shy, and trapping ID the
most sfectua if not indeed the only, means oil serur
ing them. OF musk oxen we saw none
Our first three days in Pandora Harbor were mlid
aud bright. and numerous excursions both on looV
and in boats were maue to the headlands aud
glaciers IN the vicinity. On Cape Kenrlck we
found some deserted Esqumau huts, fox-traps
and caches. On Carn Point, a small rocky prom
onuory jutting out into the harbOr, a record was
found which had been lett there by Sir Allen
Young lcon handing the Pandora. subsequently
the Jeannettel, bearing date Of August ., 1876.
This record has been forwarded to the British Adj
miralty in Loudon through the Chief Signal Officer
at Washington.
On the afternoon of the last day of July took
the Jolly boat and with the first officer and three
others rowed to LIttetcn Island, some nine miles
AWAY We went ashore and examined the coal left
there last year by the Proteus aud found II III very
good condition. Then rowed around the island
into Life Boat Cove tine very nome OF the walrus.
Here we found eighteen or twenty OF these AMI
mails in groups of from three to six, sporting IN
the water We were of course exceedingly de-
sirous of Killing one Of them and bringing his tusks
back to the ship as trophies. Several times With
barpoou in hand and. life levelled we advanced
upon them and were greeted with angry growls and
boarse barkings The grim and vengelul yisages OF
the old males leaders of the groups made us hesitate
TO trust our frai boat against the combined strength
of these powerful brutes We knew of their ex-
ceeding ferocity and vIEdictiyeness when wounded
day or two before arrival at Disco a young
and adventurous Inuit plunged his harpoon into
walrus but startled by the savage demeanor of the
beast. called for assistance A brother kayacker
padded forward and planted the second narpoon
Almost in an instant the animal charged upon his
tormentor ripping him up, the description went,
after the fashion of his sylvan brother the wild
boar. The EsquimauX prefer to hunt the walrus
on the ice, though they sometimes do pursue them
with kayacks. Some idea may be formed OF the
ferocIty of the warus from the fact that the battles
often last three four hours, during which the
animal rushes continually upon his pursuers. tear
ing of great tables of ice with his tusks and show
ing no indications of fear whatever The Esqui
maux seem to be fully aware of the danger of
yeuturng too near these animals, especially the
variety known the brown walrus. which is
reputed to be much more savage than the common
kind Even when not excited they manage their
tusks bravely They SO strong that they use
them to grapple the rocks with and climb steps OF
ice and land which would be inaccessible to them
without theiSaid. They climb in this way rocky
ISLANDS that are from sixty to one hundred feet
above the level of the sea. and not unfre-
Ouently seen in elevated positions on icebergs bask
ing with their young in the August and September
sunshine. They strike fearful blows; but pre- |
fer to charge with their tusks in a soldlerly
manner. | see no reason to doubt the stories OF
how walrus have put to flight crowds OF Euro |
pean boats, and we were told of oOmiaks being de-
tanned for days at a time at the crossings OF straits
and passages which they infested The walrus Is
the lion of the Greenland Esqumaux, and they |
always speak of him with the highest respect |
So deeming discretion better part of valor, we
kept at a respectful distance. watching their evo- |
lutions as they raised their heads and shoulders |
above the icy waters, grunted, roared and shaking
the water from their cresJs, with a bound plunged |
into the depths below.
Then we went around between Littleton and |
Mt Garry Islands, whose rocky shores are famous |
breeding places for ducks, geese and gulls. After |
two hours of fine sport we turned our boat toward
the ship well laden with the results o. our alter
moons shooting54 elder duck. IS brant geese, and
9 burgomaster gulls II our ammunition had not
become exhausted there is no telling how long we
might have remained Fortunately there was
no nducement for us to tarry longer, and we
reached the ship at o'clock the following morn
ing. Just at the commencement OF "a heavy south
westerly gale The amount of game secured
NAV seem large but any one who has ever visited
the breeding places Of birds in the arctic will
only be surprised that we did not double it,
After this came week of continuous southerly |
gales, WITH RAIN, snow anu Sieoty u0HSo AosS anu
chilly piercing winds the parting of cables, the !
swapping Of hawsers and the loss of anchors. FL
nally on tie 9TH of August the wind came out
of the north and with the disappearance OF the fog
the sky cleared again SO we hoveup the anchor and,
leaving Pandora Harbor. steamed mp Smith Sound,
passing Lltteton Island at noon. We ian by numer-
Gus large icebergs which we had come to regard as
friends, opening for US they did in their progress
southwark lanes and passages through the dense