The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-29

were delighted to find they had suffered so
littlo during the ordeal to which they had
been subjected. The Parry was intact.
The Kane had been bent n little by COLI
sions with the ice. but was tight and
whole. The Lockwood had n hole in it
about quarter of an inch in diameter,
which was easily stopped up. The rivets in
all the plating OF the boats seemed as well
set as the day the craft came from the
builders shop. In al incredibly short
time the saicrmen had put up masts with
bamboo poles and rigged sail TO them. The
loads in the boats were restowed for a voy-
age.
Twelve of the dogs are led away behind
.he high ice ard shot, poor rocompense
Tor the services which they have rendered
us. Ut was not a cheerful scene, that Of
.heir execution They looked up with
friendly eyes at tho mon who held the
deadly rifles over ther1, wholly unmindful
Of their impending fate. Tho brutes had
served us faithfully and had suffered more
than their share OF the hardships of thc
journey. They had slept In the snow and
shiyered In the wind, had left trail Of
blood behind them from their sore feet,
had missed many meal and dined half
the time on short rations. But the neces-
as pity where dogs are concerned, and the
rifles cracked one after another, and tho
ice was soon strewn with the bloody
corpses Of our faithful soryitors. a dozen
dogs remain, and their fate hangs In the
balance Wo have not yet decided wheth-
er we shall take them with Us on the boats
or mercifully put an end TO their careers
with our winchostcrs before cmbarking.
The boats being made ready kor launch
ing. IL was found that no room remained
for dogs They couldn't be carried with
out filing the boats so full that there
would be no room for any one to stir, and
thcro being no other way out Of tho difsi-
Guilty it was with great sorrow we gave the
order TO have the remaining dozen shot
III we are able To reach land to the north
east, dozen OF these dogs wout1 be OF In
estimablo value to us in our sledging oper
ations there. We havo been compelled to
kill today at least 30 good draft animals,
dogs that pull heavy load and keep It up
oil day long, strong and of great endur-
ance able TO Withstand any sort Of wealth
or, and with their feet, at first somewhat
sore, constantly gettingBettcr. OF the So
dogs which we bought in Belgium perhaps
80 or 80 were useful In arctic work. We
lost some by accident, others strayod away,
and few were spoiled by inconsidorate
treatment and lack OF patience on tho part
of the men. During the first week Of their
service they wero at their worst, but i'm
proved daily. Had we exercised little
more care In buying larger and sounder
dogs and little more patience in their use
our experiment with Belgian draft dogs
would have been marked success. 10 was
a success as 10 was, notwithstandix tho
long confinement OF tho animals In the
hold of the ship and the peculiar difficult
ties under which they labored when final
~ put TO work. They are well adapted to
sledging work and we regret exceedingly
that the change OF plan mado necessary in
our expedition Ivy tho adoption OF the east.
ern route and the early launching Of tho
boats I'm open water has made it impossi
BILE for us Co carry the experiment 10 a
conclusion. We Go n0t say that " we were
20 organize another arctic expedition we
should employ European dogs, but arc I'm.
clined to think we would. taking care TO
procure very large and strong dogs and 10
have them well accustomed TO the Ian
guaRe of the men who were 10 work with
them. As o. g. we conioss that no moro
than 80 or 60 per ccpt OF the degs which
we brought from Belgium wc-c Of useful
, ness TO us, hat that percentages might
casily have been raised 90 SO or so by the
exercise Of greater c.ution In purchasing
and other conditions. We have therefore
spent nearly $1,000 In eprdog experiinent