The Irish standard., 1888-01-07
TEE IRISH STANDARD: SATURDAY. JANUARY y 1895


unbroke zen in numb bers; and the summer
passed prosperously We obtained am
pie supplies Of fresh meats-seal. bear,
Walrus and smaller game--and parties
were sent out all along the coast-line
inland for many miles, gaining much
inf ormation which was considered val
liable in the interests of science.
'.Both men and dogs had suffered
considerably in these protracted sledge
Journeys, and as the autumn drew en-,
i the early migration Of birds, with many
similar signs, portended winter diff
ferent from the last Still, our COM
mander pressed on. We had not yet
made a single step toward the attain
ment of our primary purpose-the re-
lief OF an expedition which had pre-
ceded US on this track of doom. We
had been able to discover not trace as
yet-but by continuing our search we
might find some of the survivors or
their bones. At least-"the voice of
the narrator here took a tone of intense
bitterness in strong contrast with it's
heretofore quiet accenJ-"we could
leave our own bones to be sought for
in turn, by succeeding expeditions in
the perpetually repeated sacrifices of
common sense and human life to that
Moloch which is called Arctic Ex-
ploration.
I 'The winter was bitterly, almost un-
precedently cold, but thanks to the
wise fore-thought of our Captain, we
suffered scarcely so much as we did the
year before. With the most bountiful
abundance and best quality Of food tor
ourselves and the dogs, plenty of furs
and fuel, and plenty of light, went we'll
with us during the deep blackness of the
Arctic night. January was drawing to
a close. and the twilight that had just
begun to dawn upon us, frightened
almost hourly to our eager eyes. We
dreamed of the sun, talked of the sun;
some Of us began to dream and talk of
the green, heavenly, home world, that
in this spectral land of darkness had
seemed too far away, too unreal, for
Imagination even, to dwell upon before.
We were hopeful, cheerful, happy. The
winter night was nearly over-the sum
mer day was dawning, In month
the sun will be above the horizon the
Captain said.
I'VE went to sleep glad with that
thought; and we were reused by cry
lone Of the most fearful that human
lips can utter! The ship was on fire!
IF the fire had been discovered in
time--or if there had been possibility
of getting at it-there might have been
hope. But it had started in the bold
how originating we never knew-and
before we were awakened by the smoke,
the flames had made such way, that,
but for the GOODNESS and daring OF the
Captain, we should not all have es-
capped with our lives. AS it was, of the
full stores on board, we saved few
furs in addition to the clothes we were
wearing, and food enough to make
death more lingering. Two sledges
with their c2ntents were also saved.
They had been packed and left on the
ice foot at son.e distance from the ship.
in readiness for a accommodating party
On which the Captain was intending to
start as soon as the twilight increased
sufficiently to enable the eye to distin-
gulsh the outlines Of the ice belt and
Shore
The speaker paused here for the first
time. He had gone On in monoto1l-
orsly dull tone, like one hurrying over
an intolerably painful task But now
he stopped speaking, closed his eyes,
and breathed hard and !aboredly for
several minutes. Nevertheless. when
Father Rudolph would fain have per-
suaded him to rest, to defer the remain
der of his narrative TO another time. he
said, NO: let me 60 on--let me finish
Never was there a braver or nobler
spirit than our Captain. With courage
and patience that knew not falter,
and amid obstacles that would have
paralyZed a weaker nature, he led his
almost daily diminishing band of sick
and starving men. down from that
white home of death, toward the world
of the living. In nothing that was
possible to mans resolve and effort did
he fail-but the cold and the darkness
conquered and destroyed us. Our way
was marked by the cairns of our dead
comrades. At first we laid them care
fully to rest-6lling stones around and
above them; but as Our strength failed
and despair dul]ed our senses, we could
only cover them with snow.
AT last we were almost within sight
of the open water-and close to the
shore was situated our last depot--the
first cache that had been made. .IfE
we can reach our first cache the Cap
tain had said many times, we shall be
safe There he had buried boat, us
we'll as supplies of food and blankets.