The Princeton union., 1891-03-26
FROM AN ICY LAND.
An English Explorer Returns to Win
nipeg From Journey to the
Arctic Circle.
With a Party Of Natives He Visited
Parts Never Explored by
White Man.

WINNIPEG. Man., Special Telegram,
March 25-Washberton Pike, an English
explorer has just returned from the Arctic
circle. .. = ..a,. s.# H.. Z
Leaving Calgary in June, 1889, Mr.. Pike
proceeded to Athabasca Landing and from
there to Fort Resolution on Slave river.
Here he secured the services of two Indian
guides and helpers and started for the bar
rem lands in search of musk OK, caribou
and other large game, packing" provision
and wood via dog trains, and altogether
had very successful hunt, killing about
forty musk OK and as many caribou as they
were in position to handle. ~
On this trip Mr.. Pike went as far north as
Fish river, this being the river on which
Franklins first expedition to the North
pole was lost. He experienced many ad-
ventures. The party was lost tor fourteen
days last fall and endured terrible suffer
ings.
They started to cross the Yukon range of
mountains to the Pacific coast, when, alter
journeyng for some twelve days. they
found that, instead of being. as they sup
posed, on Mcleod river they were on what
afterward turned out to be the Nation.
Here the guides admitted they were
lost and nothing remained for
the members Of the party to
do but retrace their steps, which they did,
with but enough provisions for few days.
In two days they were out of grub, and, to
make a long story short, they starved for
fourteen days.
Mr.. Pike absolutely refuses to say any
thing OF their tortures during this time
but many facts were cleaned from those
who saw them on their return to the Rapids.
and who We're compelled to iced them as
they would babe. AS an example Of the
terrible state of affairs, some hundreds OF
miles were
TRAMPED WITH BARE FEET
on ice, and their frozen condition, when
rescued, was simply horrible, while some OF
the party were SO reduced from cold and
hunger as to be totally helpless. 1t was
alterward learned that they were but a
short distance from tie lake, and that had
they been in position to have understood
the location their destination could have
been reached in very short time.
When asked to describe the barren lands,
Mr.. Pike said that it was an immense tract
of barren rock, on which grew kind
of moss and shrub on which deer that
fond Of There are numerous lakes among
rocky bluffs, the waters freezing in the cold
season to the depth Of from seven to nine
feet: He reports the temperature as low as
70 degrees below in winter but the months
Of July and August, he says are very hot
Six months during the year the sun never
shines on these barren parts.
Mr.. Pike reports moose very scarce, but
says there are large numbers of musk OK
and thousands of caribou deer, the latter
taking to the woods in winter. .-4-..
Mr.. Pike is one Of the few white men who
have succeeded in killing an OK and the
only white man who has trod the path of
the Franklin sufferers on the Fish river.
The travel during this trip was almost en-
tirely done on loot, the dog trains being
used for carrying provisions and wood.
There are no laws in the country but those
Of the Hudson's Bay company, and bust
ness is carried on entirely without the aid
of money, their currency being so MANY
skins, skin being valued at so cents.