Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-13

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of the subject on the fact that no woman
had ever before ventured into the Arctic
regions, preferring rather to be guided By
one to whom was everything. who had
visited Greenland only five years before
and who based his opinions on actual ex.
perience.
We left Godhaven on the afternoon of
Monday, June %, amid the firing of cannon
and dipping of flags for Upernavik, the most
northerly white settlement in the world,
This we reached early the next morning,
and we found there decay and apparent
poverty. The houses were built in the mud
and the natives had an exceedingly dirty
and poverty stricken aspect.
A Salute to an American Woman.
found Governor and Mrs Beyer very
pleasant people; Mrs. Boyer especially won
my heart While seated at the table the
Governor rose, glass in hand, and said, "All
honor to the American woman; for only to
Rn American woman would we look for such
q sacrifce-who follows her husband even
into the dreary Arctic regions. Nav God
bless her and keep her in safety Mrs.
Peary, salute you"
Az lne Woru saIute the booming of the
cannon in front of his house startled us for
an instant, and then We understood this was
his salute.
We left these pleasant people on the after
noon Of the day of our arrival, Tuesday.
July l, and headed for the Duck islands. so
called because the elder duck breeds there
in thousands Here We hoped to lay in a
supply of ducks and eggs for our new home
which should last US until the house was
built and the hunting parties established.
I was particularly anxious to have the eggs.
for every housekeeper knows how necessary
they are in the culinary department, and it
was the only thing with which we could not
provide ourselves at home
AT 4 A M. Captain Pike knocked at our
door and said: 'In half an hour we will be
at the islands,
We rose at once and at o'clock had
cup of hot coffee and went ashore. Then
began days sport such as never expected
TO see The ducks flew in thick fiocks all
about us, and on every side and all over
this island were the nests, as large as do
mestic ducks nest, but made entirely of
elder down, each one containing from three
TO SIX eggs The nests were not hidden, but
were made right out on the ground, though
so nearly the color of the rocks about them
that, had it not been for the blush white
eggs, we might easily have passed them BY.
Gathering the Down of the Elder.
To nv great disappointment we were too
late for the eggs. They were already incu-
bated. did not take my gun ashore, as I
had intende d to denote my time to gather.
ing the eggs, and now that this occupation
wss denied me busted myself with gather
ing the down, leaving only enough in each
nest to protect the eggs temporarily, for L
knew the duck would pluck herself again
and make up the amount i had taken. In
five hours 1 gathered 43 pounds, which.
cleaned and put in pillow cases made cf
cretonne, served us as mattress in our cot
at Redcliffe, and a very nice one it was.
Altogether 81 ducks were shot, Mr.. Gibson,
the lion of the day, having alone shot 81.
The Glorious Fourth Celebrated.
Immediately after dinner we steamed
away and headed for the dreaded Melville
Bay. In few hours we ecountered the
mack ice opposite the DEVILS Thumb, and
from this time, the evening of July ., we
rammed our way through the ice. There
were davs and days when we never moved. |
These we're spent in shooting the gulls that |
hoyered about the Kite and in hunting the |
seal out on the ice. At midnight of July |
3 the ships guns we're fired, the flags which |
had been run up were dipped and greeted |
with yolley Of small arms, then toast |
was drunk to the Red, White and Blue, and |