The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-09-05

the Ice, ana lett us on Gne SOuCn SnOreS OF
Erebus Bay, Is miles overland from Terror
Bay, which l was extremely anxious to
search, for here it was, according to native
testimony, where the greater portion of
Sir John Franklin's ill-fated party had
starved to death in their futile attempt to
reach the Hudson's Bay Company's settle
ments The month of August was con-
sumed in crossing the peninsula and prose-
cutting the long search. After the break
ing up of the ice had stopped sledging we
continued our search along Erebus Bay for
few days and then started south, making
camp about five miles apart and carrying
everything from one to the other on our
backs and those of the dogs, and making
several trips between each camp. The
whalebone shoes were removed from the
sledge runners to prevent their being bro
ken, while the empty sledge was drawn
overland by the dogs. We attempted to
fasten the tent poles to the sides of the
dogs and put the load therein, as | had
seen done among the Indians, but in a
malicious manner, apparently, they would
seek every pond and puddle on the way
and drag the load through it. If the
water was above their knees they would
take an especial pleasure in having free
fight right there, until the dry goods of
the party were saturated.
The Esquimau method of utilizing dog
power in the Summer is to pack them as
we pack mules, but without the saddle
When one reflects that dogs hide is only
attached to his flesh at the end of his nose
and the tip of his tail, and so loose as to
slide around all over him, an idea can be
formed of how well these polar packers must
put on load to keep it there among lot
of wrangling, struggling dogs, although
they only make five or six miles day in
this manner. One of the worst features of
walking in this country was the disposition
of the small clay stones, reduced oftentimes
to the thinnest and razor-edged states, and
these were again turned on end over areas
many acres in extent. Our sealskin boots
were wet nearly all the time, and when they
were in this condition these sharp-edged
rocks left feeling in the foot as if there
was only piece Of mosquito net between
the foot and the burning stones beneath.
Add go to IS pounds on persons back,
just enough to make them hesitate about
attempting to avoid these stony places by
long detours, and some of the miseries of
Summer foot marching in the arctic, or at
least this part of it, can be imagined. |
had thought Terror Bay on the south side
of King Williams Land would be easy to
search, there being only II miles between
the bounding capes and the water being
about as deep. Two or three days would
be ample, it was surmised by all, but there
is nothing more deceptive than these arctic
bays in their outline, and this was the
crowning one of them all. If person had
deliberately charted an imaginary sheet of
water in order to get the greatest length of
coast line between capes II miles apart they
could hardly have done much better than
nature herself in making Terror Bay, for a
careful survey of it shows 92 miles follow
ing the deep and inger-like 60rds that put
back inland from its waters. In many places
it was impossible to get nearer than 300 or
400 yards of the bay at low water, so de-
pressed, fat, and marshy were the shores.
On these muddy banks the gulls congre-
gated in vast focks at times, evidently
finding good feeding ground, but what
they fed on never could find out. At
the heads of the f6rds there were pretty
streams, and by following them up until
the sea was out of sight, with its floating
packs of ice, and the fields of flowers were
the only things in sight the view was quite
unarctic. This August gave US 13 nights
when the thermometer sank below freezing
point, increasing in frequency toward the
end of the month, SO that by the time
September arrived there was about an inch
of ice on the fresh-water lakes, the largest
of them being open except around the
shores The last three days of August in
fact, gave us rousing snow storm from
the northwest that would have been aecep-
table as Christmas gift in lower ATTITUDES,
at times threatening to blow our frail tent
into shreds, and putting four or five inches
of snow on the ground as a welcome to
September.
The sun set for the first time about Aug,
s, it having been above the horizon over
two months, although might add that so
foggy and stormy had been the summer,
especially the latter part, that We had prob
ably seen less of this luminary during this
time than one would in lower latitudes of
better weather There was strong twi-
light at midnight for some time afterward,
and not much before Aug. 20 did We see a
star of the first magnitude-Vega at that
time; and September was upon US between
the bad weather and slowly fading light
before Polaris could be made out. Yet
during all these times we spoke of "the
daytime" ''the morning" "the evening,
and ''the night" although there was no
distinction between them ON account of the
light. The cold weather at the end of the
month gave due notice to the birds that it
was time to get ready to start on their
southern tour for better climate, and the
elder ducks began to seek the salt water OF
the bay and inlets to avoid the light ice
forming on the fresher kind.
The third August saw me in Hudson S
Bay again, and on the very first of the
month we put our effects on the whaleI
George and Mary for New Bedford, and
left our Innuit friends behind, possibly for
ever. Not sign of ice had been seen in
the bay from our camp on Depot Island
for ten days or so, but as we left our master
thought he would take peep in Roe's
Welcome ."to raise" whale, and that sheet
of water, 40 miles wide, we yet found frozen
over from shore to shore, most amply cor
roborating the Esquimaux who had said
that the past winter was the severest within
their knowledge, winter my party had
occupied wholly out of doors.
If there is any heaven on earth, it i;
where just the right man marries just the
right woman, and there is no way to be
happy except with perfect liberty: | hate
man who thinks woman should obey him
[ had rather be a slave than be master
| had rather be robbed than be a robber
All that | ask for womankind is simple
liberty, and let the man love the woman
as she should be loved. AS one of the
old sacred books of the Hindu says: "Mar
is strength-woman is beauty, man is cour
age-woman is prudence, man is strength,
acd woman is wisdom, and where thereis one
man loving one woman, in that house the
very angels love to come and sit and sing.
[ believe, then in perfect freedom; | be
| ,,oreoat ,,,st;ao onJ uhora mar