The Opelousas courier., 1884-08-23

beautiful glow on warm, rosy cOiors.
III was one of the few glorious pic
tures vouchsafed the Attic sojourner,
hnt one which carried with it too many
shadows as we thought of the night OF
months when even the recreant sun
leaves and is away with our absent
friends at home. Then succeeded q
soft. misty, pearly twilight, merging
a few hours later into darkness, and
each day the twilight decreased until
a week later Jupiter. Arcturus, Capel.
la, and Alpha Geminorum twinkled
dimly at midday. In q few days they
were Joined by Mars, Polaris, Vega,
Castor and Pollux and the Cygni."
November % was celebrated as q
..day of thanksgiving" and although
the thermometer was sixty-five de-
grees below the freezing point the
principal event of the occasion was a
series of snow shoe races. in which the
stakes were plug and smoking tooac-
co. These were followed by a shoot.
ing match, the target being q lighted
candle. and q dog team race in harness
to sledge two miles and return. Oar
ing the evening"" so the diary contin-
ues, 1.-THE prizes were distributed, the
commander made a few remarks and
the soup that cheers was passed
around. Thus passed the coolest II
not the least enjoyable Thanksgiving
Day ever celebrated. The first mum
Der of our Artic Moon, II newspaper
enterprise, came out on this date.
Notwithstanding its modest appear
apce it was a very %portentious sheet,
in which the editors defined their po
litical platforms with a candor truly
commenaable. They st%renuously ad
vocated the emigration of the Chinese
to this country, and stated that no
'hoodlum' with any knowledge OF Grin.
n4ll's Land, would fail to thank them
The sheet became quite popular, but
did not RIM through many numbers,
Onr printing press was the hekto-
graph"
During November the thermometer
fell to -43 degrees and the mercury
froze at-37.9 degrees The mean
temperature in November was-23.95
degrees, the maximum being three
degrees, and minimnm-F degrees
The figures, it is claimed, show that
the month of November. 1881, was the
coolest probably ever known, and GER
tainly SO far as regards all previous
Arctic expeditions.
A portion of the diary relating to
the trip by sledge made by Sergeant
Rice, DR.. Pavy and the Esquimaux isde
voted to the hardship aud rigors of the
climate and the fidelity of the dog team.
OF these dogs the sergeant writes !:
Their fortitnde is remarkable. and
their sagacity and intelligence cannot
be excelled by any canine of which
we know. Although their relations
are generally kept mp through the me-
dun of a twenty foot lash. We always
found them willing to respond affec-
|tionately to kindness shown them.
Pleasing to the eye they We're, too, IN
their fine winter coats, which while
aWay from the station, they kept as
clean and spotless IS the sable or er.
mine muf of a Broadway belle, and
their bushy tails curled like a plume
over the back. We have frequently
tried to guide them, and, on uttering
the barbarous sounds which ] fattered
myself were pretty good esQuimaux,
have been surprised to see every dog
turn around in amazement, and even
thought / could detect a sarcastic
smile on the faces of some of them"
In one Of the preliminary sledge
party expeditions TO Halls Rest on
the Greenland side every match but
one In the party had been exhausted
The shiyering group had no hope Of
life save i'm the ability 10 strike q spir-
it lamp from this remaining match,
and the man now dead wrote this des.
crintion: stThe match snapped,
cracked and showed a little flame
which by dexterous management was
communicated TO the wood and tri-
umphantly applied to the wick Of the
spirit lamp. But, great heavens /! the
wick is wet from the falling moisture
of the tent! It sputters-fzzles-th
match itself is burned TO the be-
numbed fingers of the holder, wher
one of che agonized spectators springs
from his bag and, with admirable pres
ence Of mind, WithdraWs from hi
breast pocket q document, which hi
holds to the expiring match In time tt
p~erpetuate it's fire. They are saved
We must show that the action was he,
roic. The paper 30 promptly sacri
feed in the interests of science ant
humanity was one received by its pos
/ SCISSOR at the last moment before leav,
ing civilization, and it wac snrmisee
that it contained the last fond evi
Idence of the tender emotion enter
tanned for him by a fair writer, VIII,
may perhaps penned the loving
missive with trembling hands ant
binding tears. No doubt a gentl,
hand had traced IN that Wel.-Worn let
ter sweet words that breaJned boil
vows of devotion and prayers for sue
cess. It was apparently worn as a,
amulet or talisi0an. The romance i
mt yet unraveied. for the hero is-a
heraes are-refieent But are we no
reminded Of the Bible. which, place,
BY tender hands with t~honghtful car,
Id the breast pocket of the soldier
stops the fatal bullet, or of the Cru
sader's cross turning the deadly seine
tar OF, the Saracen We a only hop
that the fire was indeed Promethea
and that the epissle may assist a mattel
that was made in heaven rs well a
one that was lighted on the desolat'
Greenland coast
When Sergeant Rice and part.
reached Floeburg Beach. the white
quarters of the Alert expedition il
1856, and 10 50 deg. ~ min. nortl
latitude, the highest position o. thl