The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-04-12

n oeh oSfA Dphs
Lieutenant Darlington, Of the United
States army, who Is now stationed at
Fort Buford, In Dakota Territory. and
who had charge OF the Government re-
lief steamer Proteus that was sent TO
the Arctic regions last summer IN search
Of the Greedy party, was in P1ttsburg
recently, and when interviewed said:
Il am sorry caunot give you q con-
nected story, as l have been working
hard all day, aud feel very tired, but 1
suppose the people would like TO know
my opinion as TO whether the Greedy
party are alive or not. There is not
bit of doubt about it In my mind. I
don't see how ii can be otherwise. If
they are at Lady Franklin Bay, which
beyond doubt they are, they are GER
tainly alive and well, Greedy had plenty
of provisions tc last him through the
winter, and he was stationed where he
could get plenty OF fuel, and 1 see no
reason for his not being alive.
81 don't see how he could well get
away from the bay. The oily season
you can sled up there is in the spring,
and that is the only way he could move,
don't think he would attempt to move
further north under the circumstances.
and if he lad started south l would
have met him when on that expedition
last summer.
sit If not so dreadfully hard to live
up there as some suppose, provided
you have plenty to live on. 1t is GER
tainly very cold, but one becomes in
measure adapted TO 1T, and does not
mind it. We were within % of Greedy
station when our vessel was crushed by
the ice. 1t was rather trying position
to be in. Thousands of miles from
aany succor and no means of getting
out except by a small boat. But my
men did not lose courage, they kept in
good spirits. although our provisions
were limited and we had to use them
sparingly. You can well imagine a
mans feelings placed in such position
and knowing that when the supply of
provisions is exhausted there is no pos
slbllity of securing any more.
"But, Notwithstanding what l have
come through, l would like to go back
again. 1 intend to make application,
when l get to Washington, to Join the
present expedition that is now being
fitted out. have not seen as much of
that region as 1 would like to. There
is nothing 80 exceedingly charming
about it, but there is strange fascina-
ton sei2es one, when he has taste of
it, to see more of it. When you get up
among the glaciers and rocks the scene
is one of terrific grandeur and pictur-
esque beauty, but the acme of dreari-
ness. No sound or STIR except now and
then the terrific crash Of huge hyaline
boulder, as 1t CRATES on the bottom of
the ocean and brushes to pieces. There
is a dreary silence that courts loneliness,
and one feels such dull dread all the
time that it approaches misery.
sin the summer time you can ocea-
sionally hear the piping of sea-gu-ls,
tine chatter Of ducks, and the growl OF
walrus, but you only meet these occa-
sionally. Ii you can describe a vast
sea of ice and snow which is as irregular
as anything you can imagine, you know
what appearance the country has. The
nearest comparison l can make to the
appearance of one of those icebergs is
looking down on city from the top of
a mountain. The high and low houses,
with an occasional church steeple, re-
semble very much one of those floating
icebergs. The wind has no effect on
them whatever. 1t is not an uncom-
mon thing to see the "Aoe" or soft Ice
gong in one direction driven by the
wind, and an iceberg moving in an OPP.
poslte direction, carried by the current.
There is always seven times the bulk
Of ice under the water that is seen
above, and one acquainted with the
Polar region can always tell by the
color. ngidlty, and appearance of an
iceberg, whether it comes from the
n nth Sea or not. You will sometimes
see a boulder three or four times as
high out of the water rs q house and
probably ten times as large, carried
along by the current, and when two of
them come together the force is sufi-
clent to crush the less rigid one. You
can Judge what a steamer would be like
when caught between two such iccbergs,
No boat can ever be built that could
Withstand the pressure. Although they
seem to be moving slowly, they have a
terrific force and are often crushed by
their own weight.
Mulrus are very plenty up there in
some p aces. At the mouth OF Melville
Bay 1 believe l saw thousand at one
time. They crawl up on the ice and
lie there apparently asleep, but on the
approach OF hunter they drop INTO
the water IN lubberly, awkward man
ner which is amusing. At times they
sport and play in the water and out and
keep the sea III constant confusion.
They are an interesting study, especially
when they are the only animated crea.
lures that can be seen. While watch,
ing them one forgets that he is out Of
the habltable world. The only land tc
be seen ID an alluvial deposit thrown III
by the waves near the north shore o
Greenland, There is kind of mosi
growing GA the rocks, but from what i
draws the substance of lite | know not
One OF the most interesting sights il
the whole northern region ID the falling
into the water OF huge fields Of ice. YoI
Will STE thousands of acres of ice ant
snow that extend high in the air. Til
water wears tits away on the unde
side, and when the point projecting int
the water becomes so heavy rs to lore
Itself OFT it breaks with a loud repol
and falls into the water. The travelln
Is all done up there with dogs in sledgei
The dogs are about as large as India
dogs, and are able TO draw about the
own weight. They usually harnei
from eIght TO twelve dogs TO sledg
and under favorable circumstances an
smooth Ice can go about sixty miles
day. If the surface Is uneven al
soft the animals are worthless, and Il
sledge has to he drawn by hand."
At odds.