Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
NJ r. PIXIES USE.

possibility, we again noticed with supreme
satisfaction that a water sky covered the
| horizon.
Mr.. Pixies House.
1t was a little after 10 O'Clock that Mr..
Pixies house, on the northern shore of
Danes Island. appeared, and at 1870 we
rounded to in the little bay which answers
as harbor for this far northern habita-
ton. We could not call it a settlement.
because no human beings are here except
| ourselves and have not been since last
autumn. Though MIR. Dodge facetiously
plew the whistle of the Jarl for the custom
house officer and though We ran the
american colors to the fore peak, no boat
came on. and no responsive signal was
made on shore. We had rather a cold wei
come to Danes Island, for the east wind.
veerlng rather to the north, funneled
through the gat with terrlfs force and
made the temperature of IL +. difficult to
endure. We had the satisfaction of know
ing, however. that all the population there
to receive us.
We were happy two dozen men and a
boy In beat when we retired that night
We had arrived at Danes Island from six
10 ten days earlier chan we had dared
hope, and three four weeks before the
time our good friends the critics and the
orists had set for us. Never before had
an arctic expedition reached so high a lat
itude in such a short time with so little
trouble.
The extraordinary nature of our advance
may be judged by the fact that had a man
left New York on Wednesday, the 18th day
or April. on board enc of the fast White
Star steamers for Liverpool, and Travelled
through by the regular lines without delay,
he could have overtaken us at Tromsoe and
arrived here within the shadow of the
eightieth parallel in twelve days from his
sailing out of the port of New York. Many
arctic travellers of the past-heroic, daring
hardy men-have spent months and years
n arnnOll nd q rug wifi QUAR-
reaching the latitude which we have at
tained amid all the comfort of a yachting
tour. OF scores and scores of arctic expedi-
lions known to history the number that
have passed the eightieth parallel could be
counted upon the fingers of ones hands.
The farthest north Is only do geographical
miles beyond the strait in which the Ragn-
valid Jarl came to anchor six days from
Tromsoe.
Only those who have had experience in
plotting arctic expeditions, with RESPONSE
bilities. uncertainties and anxietes multi
piled a hundredfold beyond the imagina-
ton of the layman, viii be able to appre-
ciate the satisfaction with which- we
crawled into our hunks, with the snow-clad
and sun-lit mountains about US at mid
night on the 7th Gay of May.
A Comfortable Place.
May 1O.-This is our third day at our
summer headquarters, and we are nearly
ready to try our luck farther north. BY
evening We shall finish our work here, the
headquarters will be fully fitted out, and II
the wind will permit we shall steam out for
the true arctic waters, which are the bor-
ders of the unknown region.
The Jarl had been driven between two
foes. the shore ends of which were fast, and
afforded, therefore, a safe haven for the
ship.
Less than half a mile from the steamer
at the foot of a rugged mountain, stood the
house of Mr.. Pike, an English gentleman
who comes nearly every year to SpitZ-
bergen to hunt for deer. seal and birds.
his house rent free. a courtesy which, you
may be sure, we fully appreciate, as 1t
saves us not only a considerable expense
but also vast deal of annoyance and time
II Is surprisingly good house that Mr.
Pike uses as his shooting box away I'D here