The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-09-20

tiers nearly e'-ery year, coming sometimes
in their old tube and little sloops as early
as we are he1e, b Id under especially favor
able circumstances even earlier. The most
prosperous whale fishery the world has
ever known was that of the Spitzbergen
waters during the last century. The Rus
slams and the Dutch once had pitched
battle on Prince Charles foreland not far
from here, owing to contention about ter
ritory, and at the northern end of the fore.
land you may to this day see the graves Of
= number of the victims of that combat,
ying in rectangular boxes open both at
cop and bottom, and with their skeletons
in a perfect state of preservation and their
garments of green and red cloth still main
tanning their original appearance and
form.
The result of the consultation between
Captain Bottelfsen and myself in the
crows nest-he hanging by his eyelids, as
it were, on the rim of it while occupied the
interior, and Bottelfsen furnishing about
all the information and judgment-was
that we should go forward first toward
the coast, and, if no opening could be found
in that direction, then out toward the sea
where a water sky indicated open way.
The arctic navigator depends much upon
the color of the sky near the horizon. If
it is dark or brown, there is water under
meath. If it is white, rosy or orange, there
is ice, the tint being formed by the re-
Fiction of the suns rays, or of the light
even, if the sun is not shining, upon the
ice. This unfailing indication of pack or
frozen surface is called the ice blink.
Anchored to Berg.
Luckily we had not permitted the Nor
wegian gentlemen to go ashore, for on
making steam and approaching the coast
we found way through and were able to
proceed until within few miles of the
north end of the foreland, where we were
again stopped by closely packed ice. De-
terminlng to wait for the tide to open out
the mass, advantage was taken of the
presence of large iceberg, against which
the PROV of the ship was gently run, while
a nimble sailor line in hand, jumped from
the bowsprit to the foe and made fast to a
couple of protrusions from the surface of
the berg, which greatly resembled mooring
posts and appeared as if they had been put
there by the kind hand of Dame Nature
for our convenience. No better harbor
could be desired. The berg, nearly square
in shape and about 100 feet on each of it's
sides, rose an average of Is feet from the
water, and was deep enough therefore,
one-sixth perhaps Of its bulk being above
the surface, to ground in water IL faith
oms deep. Though the tide was carrying
the light ioe to the south at rate of fully
two miles an hour, our anchor berg re-
NAMED fast, and in the lee of it we found
perfect haven.
This device Of tying up to icebergs is Of
ten employed in the arctics and Is some
times of prime advantage to the naviga-
tor. But it has its disadvantages as well,
as many a skipper has found to his sor-
row. Ships made fast to icebergs have
been damaged or even sunk by the over
turning OF the mass, caused by disturb
ance OF the center of gravity through vast
ing away In its lower parts. 1t is one Of
the axioms of arctic navigation that ships
should never be made fast to icebergs I'M
less circumstances make it absolutely nee
essary, but in our case there was no dan
ger because the mass was SO large ard
square that it could not by any possibility
be overturned. 1t is by far the largest berg
we have seen, and we could not avoid the
thought that if we had it safely anchored
in New York harbor it would make our
fortunes as summer resort.
While tied to the big berg occurred one
Of the tragic incidents common enough
to the arctics, but quite shocking to anna
teurs like ourselves A big seal was seen
in the water several hundred yards from
the ship, and Captain Petersen, who is
as sly dog as ever navigated these parts
and up to all the tricks of the trade, be-
gan calling out in a siren voice: ''Oo-lah,
oo-lah! Lab, lab, lah! Oo-lah, oolah!
Lab, lab, lahp' whereupon the seal, filed
with curiosity to know what these cries
meant, was lured nearer and nearer to the
Jarl. As he came within about so yards
and was in the act of climbing upon
piece of ice Mr.. Franklin let drive with
his rifle, hitting the poor brute in the head
and causing the blood to discolor the
sea. Though we made every effort to get
a boat hook into the dying victim in time
to rescue his carcass, he died too quickly
for us and sank to the bottom of the sea.
1t looks like cruel sport to lure poor
devil of a seal to his fate in this manner
especially when we neither need his flesh
nor have much chance Of getting it before
the waters swallow him up.
Divine services were held in the cabin
this evening, at which all the members Of
the expedition were present Dr. Mohun
read the sermon on the mount, Mr. Dodge
led in singing Nearer, Ny God. to Thee