News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-07-01

and Ice.
The report of the International Polar
Expedition to Point Barrow, Alaska, in
1881, 1889 and 1888, under command of
Lieut.. 2. H. Ray, has lust been issued
from the government press. 1t will be
remembered that Lieut.. Ray was sent
from San Francisco in June, 1881, with
instructions to proceed to Point Barrow,
latitude seventy-one degrees, twenty
seven minutes north, and the most
northerly point at which extended mete-
geological observations have ever been
made. The observations covered
period of over two years Lady Frank
lin Bay, where detached observations
were taken, was further north than
Point Barrow, but the irregular charac-
ter of the observations taken there rend-
cred them of less scientific value than
those at Point Barrow. The volume
contains seven hundred pages and is pro-
fusely illustrated with prototype views
ofpoints of interest on the coast Point
Barrow is situated seventy degrees,
twenty-three minutes north latitude and
one hundred and fifty-six degrees, forty
minutes west longitude. 1t is the most
northern point of the continent 1t was
discovered by the British schooner
Blossom in August, 1926. White men
visited 1t in 1887 and 1854, since which
time 1T has been frequently visited by
American whaling fleets.
THE EXPEDITION STARTS.
Lieut.. Ray begins his narrative from
July Is, 1881, when his party left San
Francisco on board the schooner Golden
Fleece. September 8, they debarked at
Point Barrow, after stormy voyage, in
which there had been forty eight hours
at stretch when twas impossible to
have fire aboard for any purpose what
ever. The natives came around in
umiaks, and helped unload the goods.
Says Lieut.. Ray. "We landed the last
of the cargo during the afternoon (Sep-
TENDER 49, and the Golden Fleece was
cleared the next morning, and sailed at
noon She was the last link that bound
US to civilization, and we knew that
nearly year must roll around before we
could hope to hear from the civilized |
world again. The sun was not visible |
for two weeks. Every clear night the |
sky was illuminated by the most beau
tiful displays of aurora it has ever been |
my fortune to witness; they always COM
menced in the northeast and northwest,
and seemed to spring from low bank
of clouds. The lights were never sta
tionary for a single second; neither did
| they ever take the form of bows or
arches so often seen in other ATTITUDES,
but great curtains of light, flashing with
all the prismatic colors, seemed to be
| drawn across the heaven, ever rising and
changing and often eliminating in a
corona at the zenith, falling like a
shower of meteoric fire. AS the winter
advanced, these displays were more
brilliant, and were always of a character
that deties description, either by pen or
pencil, as they were never for two sec
onds alike. They were unaccompanied
by any sounds, so far as we were able to
observe, and the deadly stiffness that
always prevails in this region when the
sea is closed. gave US an excellent Cd
portunlty to detect any sound had there
been any.
GETTING READY FOR WINTER.
During the last days of September,
when the ice In the fresh water ponds
and lakes was from ten inches to one
foot thick, a sufficient quantity was cut
and stored for winter use. In Decem-
Der, as soon as the drifted snow was
sufficiently hard to cut into cakes, COW
cred ways were constructed leading to
the observatories and the ice piled up so
that during severe weather no person
was obliged to go into the open air to I
carry on the regular work of the sta ;
ton.
SIN the spring of 1882 cider ducks
were first seen on April 21, flying to 1
the northeast, and few Struggling
tiocks were seen from time to time until
May y, when they appeared IN immense
numbers. This migration continued
until June l, and then almost entire ly
ceased. All species were represented
in this fight, the king, Pacific, spec
tacled and steliars. The Canada goose
was never seen, but few brent, white
fronted and snow or Arctic geese came
this season and brought forth their
young there. The elder ducks contin-
ued their fight north and east. By the
last of June the snow disappeared.
Among the flowers indigenous to the
soil were the buttercup and the dande- !
lion, and small species of yellow pop
Ply. June %, 1882, vessel hove in
sight, bringing to the observers the
first news of the death of President
Garfield"
The expedition was formally disband-
cd October 10, after sailing over $500
miles and penetrating into the interior
further than any civilized man had
hitherto been.
CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES
The natives of the region eat raw
fish and meat, and chew tobacco They
are robust, healthy people, fairer than
the Mort American Indian, with brown
eyes and straight black hair. The men
are beardleSs until they attain the age
OF 20 to % years, and always wear their
whiskers clipped close in the winter, as
well as cut off their eyebrows and ton
SURE their crown, with bangs over their ,
forehead. Their hands and feet are
extremely small and symmetrical They
have no form of government, but live
in condition of anarchy; they make
no combinations, either for offensive or
defensive purposes, having no common
enemies to guard against, nor have they
any punishment for crimes. With the
return OF the sun every year then their
active life commences. Those that
have arms and dogs go into the interior
about February l to hunt reindeer.
They return to their winter huts May .
~, anu HldhC up tuelF crews LOT ble
whale fishing season.
They have little ceremony. The :
dead people are merely carried out and
laid in the plain without any ceremony ;
other than the near relative following
the body to its last resting place; it is :
usually wrapped in deer-skins, and if a
man, his sled and hunting gear are
broken and laid over his body; if a (
woman, her sewing kit and some few
household utensils are placed at her
head, but everything is broken and {
rendered useless The bodies are usu-
ally eaten by the dogs. AS rule the
Nunamisinik or
THE DEAD, ARE SOON FORGOTTEN.
and the names of the noted whalemen
or hunters only live in legend. There
is no marriage ceremony. and children
are often betrothed by their parents at
an early age. They enter upon their
marriage relations at the age of 10 or IS
years. Where there has been no child
hood engagement the mother makes the
selection of a wife for her son, and the
girl selected is invited to the house.
where she takes the place of a servant
for a short time. Large families are
very rare, and a couple is rarely met c
with that has more than three children. 1
Where the people are poor it is not un- I
usual for mother to give away all her I.