The Portland daily press., 1884-12-25
NEAR THE NORTH POLE.
How the Arctic Explorers Spent
Christmas.
Presents, Decorations, "a Good Dinner and
General spirit of Thankfulness in the
Cherries Arctic Regions.

| (Lieut. Greely In the Chicago Current.]
| 1t was Christmas Eve in Grinnell Land, as
| in all the world beside. The temperature was
moderate for the season, ranging from 25o to
| 30o below the zero OF Fahrenheit. For two
| days, however, q severe storm of high wind
and drifting snow had prevailed, rendering our
usual out-of-door exercise difficalt and danger
| Gus. For 70 days the cheerless gloom and dark
ness of the long Arctic night had been upon
us, leaving their impress in the shape of fail
ing appetites, fading color and depressed
spirits. Now more than ever came to our
| minds sense Of isolation and a remembrance
| of that world from which we were separated
| by long and dreary expanses Of ice and snow.
| But Christmas Eve had come and it was
| time to bestir ourselves and in spirit of uni
son with our fellow-men, prepare to celebrate
the advent Of our Lord. Amidst the storm
and gloom and darkness of this day. we had
made shift to do honor to the birthday of one
Of our party-Corporal Saler; but would storm
| and wind allay and give us a brighter Christ
masf This was the question which disturbed
| our minds.
at noon, to our delight, the wind fell and
few hours later, the snowy clouds vanished as
If by magic, and once again the starry beauties
| of the polar heaven shone forth in all their
| glory. This sudden change spoke well for the
morrow and gave new viger to Sergesnts Rice
| and Brainard, who had set their hearts upon q
fitting celebration of the coming day. They
asked the use of all flags, banners and other
decorative articles, intimating at the same
| time that my absence from the mems quarters
| until p. m. was desirable. At that hour, en-
kow; eI,n l. A..
work stood disclosed. The bright flags, neat
banners and gay guidons were tastefully ar
ranged and presented marked and delightful
contrast to the smoke-begrimed walls and
ceiling. In the most prominent place was
hung an afghan. whose alterations of snowy
whiteness and crimson color were broken by
various devices in delicate needlework. It's
golden anchor of hope, its silver horseshoe of
luck, its white lilies OF purity, its sweet vioets
OF remembrance its polar star and its cross Of
faith, were to us all emblems ever dear
Wrought by loving hands in other climes, its
first usefulness served to cheer and brighten
our lonely Arctic quarters on this Christmas
Eve.
After pleasant and careful inspection of
the decorations, and genial comments on the
our Christmas gifts came in order. Unfor-
tunately we could not conform to traditional
custom, for the Christmas tree was wanting.
A thorough search the previous Autumn had
satisfied as that all Grinnell Land contained but
single living variety of shrub or tree-the
Arctic willow. The largest specimen of it
seen by us was but a creeping shrub, as thick
as ones thumb and about foot in length. So
we were content to distribute our gifts in
more prosaic manner Our stock of presents
was not large. The greater part of them had
been contributed through the kindness of
lady in New York city who, although unac-
| quainted with any member Of the expedition,
had with considerable thoughtfulness forward
ed some little gift for each one of the party.
The present for Lieutenant Kislingbury, when
opened, caused considerable merriment, it
being little wooden dog. 1t elected from tho
lieutenant a question to Private Schneider,
which has often been heard in lower latitudes:
'Ah. Schneider, don't you want to buy
| dog?' The appropriateness of the remark lay
in the fact that Schneider had devoted himself
to the Eskimaux puppies and was then caring
especially for two litters of them. The officers
mesa was the recipient OF an excellent imita-
tion Of an Irish potato. The commanding
officer received fan, which was hardly need
ed to recall the climes for which it was made
The presents for the men nearly always IL
cluded pipes or tobacco, with the addition Of
books, states, pencils, wristets, etc. Sergeant
Rice thought it an adverse fate which sent to
him-a non-smoker-a pouch filed with a
goodly quantity OF the weed. Sergeant Gardi-
ner was greatly delighted and surprised by
receiving from his sister a comforter knit by
her hands. Others, who had been the re-
cipients of appropriate presents for their out
fit on leaving the United States, somewhat
envied Gardiner his Christmas gift from home.
A handsome rug, sent for one of the men who
had been ordered back in the steamer Proteus,
in 1881, was disposed of by ratie and fell to
Corporal Ellison. The distribution of these
gifts was made by Sergeant Rice, who, in pre-
senting them, added in each instance few
words of congratustion or well-meant badin-
age as best beftted the individual.
The gifts from the commanding officer were
now in order. Twenty-four cans of uniform
size, mum bered from one upwards, were set up
on the table and disposed Of by chance. The
highest throw had first choice and selected a
number which entitled him to the correspond
ing can. AS with Portals sealed caskets, the
privilege of external examination was granted
and as in that case where weighty gold and
shining silver lost the prize, SO mere the heav-
Ter and more attractive cans were not always
the most valuable, In general the heavier
cans were filled with beans, nuts or rice while
the lighter contained orders for confections
fruits, rum, etc. One fortunate individual
Sergeant Gardiner, drew an order for ton of
ice-a sAcond, an order Good for nothing''
aud third, ticket "Good for pass to ST.
| Johns by the first steamer" As transpred
| two years later, Gardiner-poor fellow-had it
in mind to turn the joke upon me and pay me
| off in my own coin. On one of the bright days
| that came to Us in the springtime at Sabine
for, even amidst all our sufferings and terrible
privations, our spirits never entirely failed us,
| and some Gays were bright and cheerful to us
he opened his wallet and said -
II have here, major paper that may inter-
| est you. had intended to present it 10 you
| to be honored on our arrival home, but, as that
may never be, would like you to read it nov F"
| 1t was my order for a ton of ice.
While the railing was in progress, skilful
hands had been busy preparing the Christmas
| cup, delicious egg-nogg-delicious to us even
though the milk and eggs used fin compound
| ing 1T were from the can and not freshly from
| the farm. The merriment of the evening, as
| was natural and appropriate, burst forth in
| song. Plantation melodies comic songs and
| sentimental ditties were rendered, giving way
| as midnight approached, to sacred hymns
| anu InO50 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES carols
| which have come down to us from the Middle
| Ages. Thus with songs of praise was ushered
| in that Christmas morn in our lonely home in
| the weird and frozen Northland.
| At six o'clock on Christmas Day the ther-
/ mometer registered 400 below zero, but calm
weather and clear sky insured a delightful
| day, as Arctic days 90 at that season Of the
| year. Our breakfast came, as usual at halt
| past seven. At ten O'Clock the men assembled
| for the customary Sabbath service. The select
/ ion of Psalms for Christmas Day was read, as
| well as the 139th and 140th Psalms Situated
| as we we're upon the verge of the world, and
/ living in the great shadow of that Arctic night
/ to us all came more touohingly and forciblys
than ever the truth Of those beautiful words:-
| If take the wings of the morning, and remain in
i the uttermost parts of the sea:
Even there aso shall Thy hand lead me- and Thy
| right hand hold me.
If say. Peradventure the darkness shall cover
| me; then shall my night be turned to day.
| Yea, the darkness is no darkness with Thee but
the night is as clear as the day; the darkness and
| light to Thee are both alike.
Need say that our morning exercises were
closed with "Praise God from whom ali bless
ings flow" in which even the least musical
| raised his voice?
During the day, nearly every man took an
81 k-f -.