Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-03-06

= Unexpected Adventures in
Little kn own Regions.
Dl-enmas, Some Of them Ridiculous an3
Others Dangerous.

49, 1aaeh cAOueu " iiiiiic>4iAAGt.
eAt:lcate themselves, the results are
serious. Lieut. Cheyne's
adventure with a polar bear in the
arctic regions shows tile advantage of
keepirg ones wits about him in an
emergency.
Lieut.. Cheyne was an English officer
in one Of the Franklin search expedi- /
tions. Early one spring he was sent |
with couple Of sledgemen to examine
the condition of some provision depots
that had been laid down the previous |
fall. They took nothing with them |
but tent and sleeping bags. rations
of pemmican and hard tack, and a
small supply OF lallow to be used as
fuel in thawing their pemmican and
boiling ther tea> One morning, after
they had travelled about $50 miles
from the ship. Lieut. Cheyne was
awakened by something pulling at the
corner of the tent. lie lifted the tent
flap just in time to frighten big
white bear, and the animal was in full
retreat over the ice before Cheyne had
extricated himself from his sleeping
bag. The party had more serious work
on hand than bear hunting, aud they
would have let the animal go if it had
not been suddenly discovered that his
bearship had torn open the tallow bag
and eaten every ounce ofzftlel. Here
was a predicament. The men were
five days journey from the ship the
weather was terribly cold, and they
could not eat the solidly frozen pemmi-
can. 1t was necessary to get that tai
low back, and SO Cheyne, shouting to
his comrades to follow, set out after
the bear. The chase was an exciting
and anxious one, but the animal was
at last overhauled and killed No time
was lost in opening the creatures
stomach, and the men returned to
camp in triumph with all the tallow
Of which the unfortunate brute had
robbed them.
During last winter the James broth
ers succeeded in exploring part of
SOmauli, in East Africa, where sever
al explorers had been killed. The re-
gion has remained almost wholly un-
known on account Of the hostility of
the natives. The bravery Of the
Messrs. James's escort rapidly oozed
out as they advanced into the hostile
country. They refused once or twice
to 90 any further. and finally the
brothers hit upon this expedient for
infusing them with little courage.
A great noise in their own camp gen
orally has an inspiring effect on the
natives Of Africa The Jameses had
their sentinels fire their guns at fire.
quent intervals during the night
They report tlat this practice greatly
pleased and inspired their people. who
always felt more secure when firing.
The young explorer Thompson, two
years ago. was considerably nonpiuss
ed by 4 lot of smart and suspicion:
natives whom he encountered nea
Mount kenia in East Africa He hat
few tricks which he very impressive
" performed when the inhabtant
were unfr.en lily, and it was necessar,
TO exhibit MS great power as a wlzar
to induce them to sell him food IL
! had two artificial teeth on d plate, an
the feat that usually overcane al o.
=, position when everything else falle
was L. extract these teeth. Thes
Mount kenia natives were very niue
pleased with this feat, hut they sal
thai If he could take out two teeth 4.
could remove the Others a.so and the
: insisted upon seeing the entire shoV
Finally they not only r. usel 10 Sc
him fool. but threatened - attac
hIm unless he took his teeth out, an
he thought best ID make a force
L march or night TO escape his too 6.
acting a~3uaiHtaaces-
: N- Iaompson's white conrad
Martin. h.sd II more serious experie1'
with so.ne suspicious natives. and i
haps II served him night He "
=.