Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-10-19
CONENTANDER sCHLEY.
Fas cfnation of the Arctic RegiOns-But-
ting an Iceberg.
InterUiesg IN tie Boston Commonwealth.

InterUiea0 IN tie Boston Commonwealth.
chad you any unexpected experiences
when you got into the higher ATTITUDES
aside from the general one pertaining to
the expedition 20
sob, yes. One morning, for instance,
when the atmosphere was haZy from a
light fall of snow, in going a stiff nine
knot gait, we ran plump into an iceberg
that was in our way, and which no one
could see. For moment | thought every
mast must go by the board, and that my
mouth aud teeth had preceded them. /
never got quite such a shock. l was
nearly thrown out of the crows nest,
expected soon to hear the Alert was leak
ing. But, strange as it may seem, with a
rebound of at least 80 feet, there was not
a seam started. 1t was almost miracu-
lous thatwe had no catastrophe, and shows
how thoroughly that ship was built for
just such encounters in those seas. On
another occasion, when over against the
Greenland coast, l counted not less than
1900 icebergs that had been pushed from
the glacial formation on the sloping head
lands of the coast into the sea. We could
occasionally hear the cracking that indi-
Gated the assure; but the sight of these
majestic mOnarchs of the sea sailing off
in the morning sunlight, with all the
colors Of the prism, was something that
cannot be described. Fascinating region?
do you ask. Never a one more so. l
wanted to stay there awhile. Even the
men l took at New Bedford and New Lon
don jumped at the chance to go, though
some of them said they did not expect to
come back again. Why, after we got
| Greedy, and our mission was accom-
plished, never felt such pang of disap-
pOintment that, with Y days of summer
weather before me, and an open sea, /
was obliged to turn my Prov hOmeward
and abandon the chance to get higher
latitude than any other explorer"
$50 you think you would have had
success had you been at liberty to have
entered on such tripp
sit seemed so; at least, just then. And
this leads me to say that the remark l
have quoted from Weyprecht was Vindi-
Gated in my experience. The theory of
winter sOjOurning in the high ATTITUDES in
order to be on the ground for another sea-
sons continuance, is, in my judgment, all
a mistake. The men might as well come
home and have the advantages of civiliza-
ton. Nothing is gained by remaining
within the arctic circle that cannot be
realized the next season by starting early
if the conditions are favorable. And these
conditions rest upon an open sea. Now,
some seasons all the waters are filled with
ice that it is impossible to penetrate. The
very next season every strait, bay and
channel is likely to be open water. The
winds, currents, and many unknown
or undemOnstrated influence affect the
ice. What should be done is to get
everything in readiness early in the
year, and by May or early June be
at the upper settlements. Then follow
promptly the open water, and the occa-
sion will come, sooner or later, when the
pole win be reached. In my case l could.
have got far to the northward, and, if
caught in the upper seas l had provisions
that would have lasted, possibly, two
years, before which time l should have
worked out of the trap. In this connec-
ton let me tell an anecdJte. We were
butting pretty effectuany one day, some
ice that impeded our progress, when one
of the Dundee Whaling Captains said,
in admiration of cur prowess: FYe did
that buttering in foine style, and it is a
tough ship that We have; but if you keep
it up you will ruin your ship for a second
season. Second seasOnp exclaimed 1;
none for us, if you please! We shall
find Greeley and be back again long be-
fore we begin to divide the seasOnsv
And so it turned out"