The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-12


the fur line we have are the reindeer sleep.
ing bags, and they are SO hot that wa
often sleep upon instead of in them.
We al, wear just such clothing az we
wear at homo spring and fall-tbick wool
en- underwear, strong boots, sweater
and common cont, vest and trousers For
two weeks we have had no use for gloves
or mittons and could always have manag-
ed 10 do without them, for the lowest
temperature we have seen Is / degrees f.,
not below zero, but above. The mean
temperature is about the freezing point,
but the thermometer often rises To 40 or
90 degrees in the shade and once register
ed as high as 5s degrees. The arctic sum
mer is simply delightful IL the wind does
not blow For windy weather we find
much comfort In light suits of gsbardine
made for us in London. They are better
than furs for keeping out the blasts that
come over the wastes Of ice and snow and
in wet weather arc as nearly waterproof
a. ono wishes Not being absolutely wa
terproof, they are self ventilating and
therefore ideal garments for use in this
climate.
An incident ut Walsh island was
ducking and camera tour at midnight It
is only in the arctics that one can 90 gun
the night, and it is the only country In
which should care 20 undress, as 1 did
on this occasion, for the purpose of diving
off the ice into ice cold water and bring
ing I'm duck which the tide was sweep
ing away from us.
The walrus are beginning to run to the
west. One evening while boating for
ducks In tho tide hole we found ourselves
surrounded by these big creatures, throw
ing up streams OF water and coughing as
If they had hay fever. Though immensely
powerful, these animals are not to be fear
ed They never attack man unless wound
cd or robbed of their young. when they
are ferocity itself, easily crushing a boat
in their mighty jaws. The walrus appear
TO have Their share OF that curiosity oUm-
mon to all arctic animals, for on this occa-
sion one big fellow left his herd and fol-
lowed us for several hundred yards He
was evidently eager to learn something OF
these strange visitors to his realm, for
he poked his nose out OF the water within
an oars length Of our boats, first on one
side and then on tho other, his little eyes
peering at us eagerly and almost mis-
chievously. The men wanted to shoot
him, but this we would not permit, be-
cause tho water was very deep, and when
killed n walrus sinks like shot to the
bottom.
We do not believe In shooting game that
we cannot get. One walrus would afford
meat for party like ours for several
months, but no one would eat Ii unless
all other supplies had failed Walrus beef
is black, oily anu disagreeable, but manya
shipwrecked Norwegian sealer or whaler
has saved his life by recourse TO it. After
following us some distance and coughing
and snorting at us TO his hearts content
this big follow made off to rejoin his COM
rades and perchance to tell them of the
strange things be- had seen. The wslrus
always travel In herds of three or four,
but years ago, when they were more nu-
morous than they are low on the Spitzber-
gen coasts, scores and hundreds Of them
could be seen together. Two hundred
miles to the southwest ono may TO this
day see on the beach long lines OF bleach
ing bones, scene ol wholesale walrus
slaughter by tho Norwegian hunters.
Finding herd on the shore, the hunters
approached In their boats and landed. The
walrus, alarmed, made for tho water, and
the foremost OF them were killed by the
guns and pixies of the hunters. Taking
refuge behind tho rampant formed Of tho
bodies of these first victims, the Norwe-
until not one of tho herd was left. IL is
not so easy to kill wnlrus. He must be
hit in the eye or at the base Of the neck,
where fold OF fat gives poor protection
to the i1rart.- A a+fy ether place -ia-his
big body the walrus' hide is so thick
that bullet Will not penetrate it. We
are thinking that when we get back TO
civilization we shall need the hide of
walrus Go enable us TO withstand the
darts OF the hindsioht critics who are 40
unpleasantly numerous in this world. The
walrus is not pretty 20 look at, but he
generally attends strictly To his own af-
fairs, aud hs has one good trait showing
in his poor way the possession OF pa
triotic spirit for AZ one Of herd bo at
tackled by man or an ice bear all the 9th
ers will rally round their threatened com
rade and il necessary give up their lives
in his defense.
We found at the edgo Of this little lake
great numbers of shrimps, such rs General
Greely and his brave companions caught
for food during that terrible winter at
Cape Sabine, except that many OF those
seen by us were larger than the specimens
illustrated i'm General Greely's report. We
tried mess Of these shrimps in salad
but should not like To be reduced to the
necessity of depending upon them for our
daily sustenanca
Near our tent wo picked ont II tho sand
a large bone, which Captain Peterson says
Is not from a whale, and which DIR. Mohun
pronounces part OF the remains Of mas
todon washed hither ny the same currents
which covered the beach with driftwooi
from tho siberian rivers.
A Desperate Chance.
Our hope that a south wind would move
the rough ice OF the shore and ensbleus
20 make northerly advance In Ice free
water proved futile. Once indeed rsr
row strip Of water did show itseif between
the land and tho u0ck. bat II gradually
closed up again, % our Intense disappoint
ment. June Cigasd with 80 hours Of strong
wind from tha -.4ath and southwest, iust
tho wind sc lad been waiting for. But
the i.s did net even move. IL huggcd the
SHIRE with provoking pcrsistency and was
every day getting In worse condition as
tho pools between the high pieces softoned