The Redwood gazette., 1894-10-18

pally winter and young ice. Wherever
the ice is heavy, reaching we'll down into
the water, it drifts more slowly. The main
pack drifts slower still, and while there is
q generally southerly and southwesterly
set to all the ice of this region the main
ice moves at rate of speed scarcely ap-
preciable except when the set is accentu
ated by northeasterly winds. That was
Parry's experience. AS long as the winds
were favorable he did not notice the drift
age, but with several days together of
winds from the north he found his high
way moving south at an average rate of
four miles per day. We are not afraid Of
the drift nor of the conditions of travel
upon the main pack after we are once
there. The question is how to get across
the belt of debris from both pack and
shore that now lies between us and the
main ice, probably 20 or 80 miles in
width, exceedingly rough and moving to
and fro with every change of wind. To
make this crossing with the ship we need
but a day or two of favorable winds. We
had so much good luck up to last Tuesday
that we can well afford to be patient dur
ing this week, or even longer if necessary.
Making the Waiting Hours Merry.
While waiting we are having some rare
sport. It was long ago determined by the
American members of our party that we
were going to avoid solemnity as long as
possible and not suffer ourselves to be
made miserable as long as there was no
absolute necessity for it. So we have had
our jokes and song, our books and games.
Into this spirit our Norwegian members
have heartily entered. Last night, for in
stance, they renewed their celebration of
the Norwegian holiday. From some mys-
terious quarter they managed to fish up a
bottle of spirits, and this they supplement-
ed with alcohol and eggs and produced out
of the combination very fair quality and
q comfortable quantity of eggnog. With
song and speeches-some of the latter ex-
ceedingly funny efforts in Norwegian by
Americans, and even more comical strug-
giles of Norwegians with the English
they made merry until late hour. Cap
tain Petersen was delegated by his Norwe-
gian comrades to propose q toast to the
health of the leader of the expedition, and
in his neat little speech he thanked the
officers of the expedition for the kindness
they had invariably shown the members
from Norway, and to bespeak their conf
dence in the result of our effort in the
north.
For most Of us this was without doubt
the last drink for pleasures s sake for many
month. We have no spirits in our equip
ment, with the exception of very small
quantity in the medical stores. We do
not believe in the use of intoxicants as a
field ration. The old idea that a man
must have so much rum every day in Or
der to endure cold was long ago exploded.
In old time arctic expeditions the rum ra-
tion was considered indispensable. If IS
pounds of food was carried for each man,
then about 25 pounds of rum was consid-
cred necessary. It is true that small
drink of spirits is good thing on special
occasions, as when men come to camp aft
er day Of unusually severe exposure or
labor, but all its virtues even in such cases
are psychological and not physiological.
1t does not help the body to repair waste
or retain strength, but it may induce
cheerfulness and contentment under try
ing circumstances. We have enough
brandy in our kit to issue once in a while
for this purpose or in cases of illness.
This morning the Ragnvald Jarl was
brought to a mooring in little cove on
the southwest shore Of Walden island in
latitude 80. 81, where we are safe against
the pack coming from the northeast, and
where we could also be secure should the
wind shift to the northwest. Here we have
had some rare sport. First all hands that
could be spared from the ship started bear
hunting on Walden island. To reach the
island it was necessary to work ones Way
through several hundred yards Of inde-
scribably rough shore ice. Bergs rising 40
feet from the waters level were thrown
among pieces ranging in size down to a
foot thick. Heavy pieces stood on edge
against the big blocks, leaving crevasses 90
feet deep, blue as indigo. All was covered
with thick layer of soft snow. At one
step a man would be standing upon the
edge of piece Of ice standing perpendicu-
larly, and the next he would go into