The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-12


gun, ana the oear had screwed his courage
to the point of sliding down tho snow for
o hand 10 hand scrap with Boervig. Tho
first shot from Mr. Dodges winchester
brought the big white fellow 60 his knees,
and as he was showing himself through
She snow with his hind legs maddened
with rage. a second shot finished him
within ten feet Of the bold sailor. In
second Boervig was upon the body of his
PROSTATE foe, dancing hornpipe of VIC
tory.
Return of the Party.
With two magnificent skins on their
sledge the party started on tho return trip
at o'clock this morning Yesterdays
warm sun had softened the snow, and
they had hard pull their labor being
greatly Increased 10y thirst. They tried
snow eating, only TO have their threats
burn with hotter fires Boervig w6s 30
thirsty that he scooped the blood Of the
bear up in his two hands and drank his
full of it. They had used all their spirits
in making supper and could melt no more
snow. The process of obtaining water
from snow placed in rubber bottles and
worn inside their shirts seemed provok-
ingly slow, but it helped little, and in
this way they managed 20 cover the ~ or
l3 miles that lay between them and the
ship.
The report which they brought Of the
condition of the ice was not very encour-
aging To the east and south Of tho Seven
islands, in tho bay between them and
Northeast Land, the surface was fat and
smooth, as we had expected they would
find It, But farther out was a wide belt
Of drift ice that had been screwed into con-
fusion Beyond it lay the great polar
pack, but 81 far beyond that 81 was not to
be seen, even from an elevation OF 200
feet
Decide to Leave the Ship.
TUESDAY, May 22.--Ohicer Of the day,
Mr. Dodge.
After consultation between tho officers
of the expedition and Captain Bottelfsen
decision is reached that IL Is not worth
while 20 spend more time looking for an
opening To the north with the ship Be
tween US and the main pack lies that well
nigh impossible belt Of drift Ice, and there
is not much chance Of its clearing out or
opening MP for weeks 10 come While We
bavc been very fortunate In reaching the
Seven islands thus early without accident
or much trouble, 1t it not to be denied
that we haye met extraordinary unfavora-
But we are not content to sit down and
wait for change for the better. We pre-
fer instead to push out and work our way
along the smooth Ice TO the east, our plan
being to cross from tho extreme north ly
ing islands of Northeast Land to ellis
Land and TO the Other Islands which are
believed TO e. t In that direction. While
we must travel "a considerable distance 20
the eastward before we can go north, prob
ably we shall gain in the end. We shall
certainly do SO il we are able TO make the
land and use IL as base OF future opera
tions. We dc not disguise the fact that we
should much prefer To adhere strictly ID
our original pan of going straight to the
north from this point over the pack, bat IL
being so diiiiodlt or next TO impossible
TO cross tho bolt OF drift ice without wait
inc an indefinite period we believe our
best chance lies To tho east and north.
This change, OF course nocessitates lit
tie change in the instructions given TO
Captain BOttelfscn. The Jarl is now or
derod TO remain a week here looking after
our rear - IL were and then to proceed
TO Tromso as rapidly as the state of the
ice will permit. There, taking on a largo
quantity OF coal, she will without delay
return to- the Seven islands. Ii we should
be defeated In our effort to reach land to
the northeast i'm our small boats, we might
still have another chance, and that would
bo 70 fall back upon the Seven islands
about July /, here again taking the steam
er and pushing north with an ample supply
Of coal aboard. We should still have
about 20 days for our journey, and tho
ship in that season might push her way as
far as the oighty-thigd parallel Of north
latitude While we have every reason 10
believe we shall succeed along our north
easterly route, making both high latitude
and exploring new land, we still have an
othor chanco---a second string TO our bow
This morning tho orders are given 20
prepare to leave the ship within % hours
There j. much 90 be- done, notwithstand-
ing our weeks and months of preparation
It was evening before Our equipment OF
boats and slcdgos with ell their contents
and accessories. were ainassed upon the
ice, ready to move forward. IL IS not
very imposing array in size, but in weight
SC seems 20 us as big as mountain. To
morrow we shnll have our first days real
hard work To Get away from Walden is-
land and upon tho smoother ice 10 the east
we must cross first the three or four hun
drcd yards of pressed UP shore ice, indie
scribable an It's rough confusion, through
which we have worn and cut some sort OF
n road Then we must somehow get our
loads over u steep hill, snow covered, and
thcncc down t. tho plain OF ice below
Our mon arc eager for tho work, and in
the morning, or what corresponds %
morning in this country Of constant day.
light, we shall be up and at &c.
The Equipmcnt ON tIe Ice.
Our Cauiufuqnt has n novel an1 pVCn
handsome appearance as &c lies upon the
Ice by the side Of the ship. The aluminium
boats are of graceful lines. ard even tho
aluminium sicdgcs. with their tanks or
aAsss Of the same metal. are NOT ugly