The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-09-08
PEARTS HOUSE At MCOHMICvS BAY.
The Explorer In a Region o, Abur.
dance.
A Settlement. Of Natives Across the
Sound.
Letter from Lieut.. Peary to his
Mother.

The following letter has just been received
by Mrs. Peary, from her son, Lieut. Pear
the Arctic explorer:
MCCORMICK BAY, GREENLAND,
July 30, 1891.
DEAR MOTHER Here / am ashore II.
Greenland again, seated i'm my little tent
overlooking the bay, and experimenting the
construction OF our home. 1 wish you could
view the scene. The water OF the bay be-
fore me Is smooth as glass; cakes OF Ice and
iceberzs dot the surface and across the bay
rise grand cliffs and mountains. brown, or
black or purple with the varying of lights and
shadows. Above some Of them can be seen
the ice cap smooth and white as polished
marble, and deep gOrges and valleys between
them, purple with warm shadows. The
site OF the house Is on a mound between two
little streams, hundred feet from the
beach. The earth Of the mound seems dark
and rich, almost as good as soil at home and
all around the site Of the house, the ground
Is covered with yellow poppies and purple
and white flowers. Reindeer. fox and
rabbit tracks are numerous everywhere on
the shore; and one cannot 90 any distance
from the shore, uD any Of the valleys, with
out seeing one, two or three deer
Last night drove OF white whales spurted
and grunted in the water close to the beach
In front Of the tent for more than two hours
and every now and then a seal or walrus
poked his head out Of water and looked at
us. As for birds, 1t Is no exaggeratlon to
say, that they are here In millions | never
saw anything like 1t before. Across the
sound Is settlement Of natives and on
Herbert Island, few miles from US. Is a
settlement of nine or ten large houses. some
OF them double, from which the inhabitants
are temporarily absent on a summer hunting
excursion. Everywhere that we have landed
traces Of natives In the shape Of balted fox
traps. and seals and narwhal buried under
piles OF stones have been found aud there is
every indication that we are In region Of
abundance. am constantly Interrupted so
that my letter will be necessarily discOnnect-
cd. Iwill put things down as they EOecur
to me.
Some Of academy party have already been
up on the inland Ice, and they find my mos1
sangulne expectations . and pr0phesles
fully realized. Not crevasse or gully, or
glacier river to interrupt progress. only a
smooth, gently rolling marble surface stretch
Ing away TO the interior. l long for the time
when l shall be stretching out across Ii, on
my way to the northern terminus.
JOS Mrs. Pearyl enthusiasm only leads
her to more activity than would wish. She
is busy all the time.
As to my party, am very well pleased
with 1t, and feel very much confidence In the
members. They are all gentlemen as far as
l can discover. DIR. Cook feel very much
confidence in. He Is undoubted thoroughly
posted In his profession, has a complete sup
ply of medicines, &C., and Is patient, careful
and unruffied to degree. This have had
opportunity to tessslnee my aggravatlng mis-
hap Of three weeks ago. l was standing on
the deck OF the Kite when she struck a piece
OF Ice, which forced her Tudder round and
banged the iron tlller against my right leg
so hard as to cause simple fracture above
the ankle. 1t Is annoying. however, as ii
keeps me confined for the present, but the
bones are already knitting together and by
the time this reaches you shall be out
again and none the worse.
l enclose flower or two from the site Of
our house. which will. / think, recall
lhdclln house.
Goodbye until next fall.
Yours,
RENT