Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-16
THE ARCTIC.
4 polt Undertaking with Party Of Is
quinaax he wiz rashf for
the North.


uYss. my aim Is ths North Pole this
&ins.p said Colonel Glider, the Arctic
traveller, to representative of the He
raid. who met him at the Victoria Ho-
tsl last evening, end asked IL that was
really the object Of his proposed expe.
dition. Though he smiled rs he replied
TO the reporters question, it was not
difficult TO believe that he was tho
roughly in earnest, and after brief de-
scription Of his plans, which no gave
freely and clearly, the listener was so
thoroughly convinced OF the feasibility
Of the project that he felt like replying,
"Almost thou persuadest me to be On
Arctic explorer"
"when did you first conceive the
idea Of attempting to reach the Pole ~
was asked.
al don't remember any especial date
when the idea was born. IL did not
come upon me suddenly, like spoplexy
ora sun. stroke, but was evolved gradual
" from an absorbing desire to do
something which, though difficult, al
ways seemed TO me possible. After
several years. experience of Arctic
slcdei and after thinking Of how my
experience could be applied to the
task, . plan began to develop in my
mind and was very frequently matter
of discussion between Lieutenant
Schwatka and myself during many
long and tedious periods Of en-
forced idleness while waiting
for weather that would permit
. resumption Of our journey. On one
point we invariably agreed, and that
was the use of the Esquitnaux, with
their dogs and sledges as assistants j.;
that is, adapting ourselves to their
method of travelling in their country as
we would avail ourselves Of civilized
mans methods in this land. We also
agreed that safety, when thrown upon
the resources Of the country, there as
elsewhere, could only be assured with
the smallest party Of white men posi-
ble-the fewer the better"
"Plesse explain why you con1der
the reduction Of the number OF white
assistants so important "
"Thst is not difficult. You under
stand that the native Esquimaux live
in that desolate land, maintain them
selves and their families Of women and
children, and are as safe and, indeed,
as comfortable and happy there as peo-
pie are here. To BIO sure they some
times have periods when game is scarce
and they sometimes suffer and perish
from hunger. Famines are not un-
known in the temperate zone, either.
Sometimes, too, the Esquimaux are
carried away on the moving ice aud
lost. But in this land of pleasant
and rapid communication there are
railroad disasters, boiler explosions,
and sbipwrecks. There are com
penssting dangers in all countries, so
il is fair to presume that the Esqui-
maux can live in the North as we'll as
We can in the United States, and as
comfortably, according to their notion.
Their dangers are not increased when
travelling, and know from experience
that one white man could accompany
them anywhereifposSessed Of health and
a stout stomach to disregard inconve-
niences in support Of his resolution.
The addition Of one person for them to
care for would be but trifling charge, |
and IL the Esquimaux can live and travel |
there their white guest can also live
and travel with them with equal
safety"
CAUSE or DISASTERS.
: "That seems reasonable, and | sup
pose you would continue your argu-
nent by saying the more membranes
there are put upon them in the matter
of white passengers the more the con-
ditions Of safety and comfort are di-
eThat is exactly my idea. Now,
suppose you take away the Esquimaux
and leave the white party to its own
resources, and the result is apt to be
what we have too often seen--a terri
bic disaster. This is what | avoid by
taking small party. In fact, | shall
take but one person, If even he."
But, Mr.. Glider, can you travel in
that country with natives alone and
with dog teams as well as with men
sledges?"
"Infnitely better. You no doubt
would consider it presumptuous in an
Esquirnsu to come to New York and
tell us that we do not know how to
travel here that our elevated roads
and street. cars are q failure. And we
might be interested, though sceptical,
If he tried to convince us that We should
move by dog sledges in winter and pack
our baggage on the backs Of the dogs
in SKINNER. Yet that is what | con-
slider man does when he tells me that
tho Esquimaux do not know how TO
travel in their own land"
In your journeys within the Arctic
Circle have yOu always travelled in the
manner you have just explained-with
the Esquimsux and their dog teams?"
In Northern America, yes; but in
Northern Siberia, with the Tchonktchis
and other savage tribes, who are TO
Asia what the Esquimaux are to
America. The Russians who We're
born In Northern Siberia, and are ex-
posed to precisely the same conditions
- the surrounding ssvages, are as good
dog-drivers as their neighbcrs, and can
manage q sledge as we'll but do not
think that any other white men ever
could approach the Esquimaux IN re-
spect 70 the management Of dogs and
sledges. I never attempted to drive
my dog teams except, perhaps, for q
short distance, but have ever found that
1 gained much by availing myself
Of the willing services Of the
experienced transfers always at
hand. could call to mind more
than one fearful tragedy resulting from
tho foolish determination Of strangers
in the North to manage their own
sledges, rejecting the skilled drivers
who would only too gladly have piloted
them safely through. Lieutenant
Schwalka and l, with our two white
men, were scarcely more than psssen-
gers on that remarkable sledge journey