The Redwood gazette., 1894-06-21
WELLMAN IN ICY WATERS.
From first page

necessity, weapons, ammunition, tools by
the hundred, including miniature ma
chine shop, all sorts of articles for repairs
on the field, alcohol for fuel upon the ice
and barrels of petroleum for light in case
winter overtakes us at the headquarters,
groceries enough to start grocery shop
with, boots enough for a very respectable
shoe store, medicine sufficient to stock an
ordinary druggist, enough bedding for a
small hotel, culinary and table articles in
quantity and variety most astounding,
scientific and Photographic instruments by
the score, bamboo poles from the i'll fated
Spectatorium at Chicago for use upon the
ice, mountain rope from the Alpine clubs,
clothing enough to start up an ambitious
olothier in a smart town, and about two
million other things ''too numerous to
mention" as the auctioneers say. Think
Of anything you please, except money. and
the chances are we have it. We even have
passport-not to the realms of the ice
king, but to the Russian dominions, issued
specially for us by the czar at the request
Of Secretary Gresham through Minister
White. 1t commands the subjects of the
czar to give us help should we require it,
and this we take along not because there
Is one chance in ten thousand of our meet
ing Russian subjects or touching Russian
soil, but because wo wish to be provided
against even that remote contingency
should our return be made via Franz Josef
Land, Nova Zembla and Russian Lapland.
Coal and Dogs and Fleas.
In Tromso we took aboard all the coal
the Ragnvald Jarl could hold. Every
ohink and corner is filled with fuel, for in
the arctics coal is sometimes worth it's
weight in gold. Where there is no coal,
there dog may be found. The Ragnvald
Jarl is as full Of dogs as our dogs are of
feas, and that is more than enough. Our
Belgian dogs are giving us good deal of
trouble not because they are weakly or
vicious, for they are neither, but simply be-
cause they are dogs. Imprisoned below
deck, with nothing to do but eat and sleep,
they fill in their superabundance of leisure
time by trying to chew each other into
small pieces. Bob we had to bring on deck
because he broke his chain three times
and every time had one of his mates for
breakfast.
Milord big poodle sort of chap, with
corkscrew curls all over his dirty body,
has set out TO be the king dog, and being
armed with sharp teeth and thick wool,
which fills his assailants' mouths and pro-
tects his hide, he is likely to succeed,
though it is easy to see all the other dogs are
craving chance to get at him. The pack
have more wounds and bites than DR.
Moburn could attend to in a week, but
luckily they are in most cases hurts which
quickly heal. We had our first funeral
just as we crossed the arctic circle, con-
signing to the waves poor pup who had
been bitten to death by his mates. Two
more have succumbed to the same disease,
and we have found it necessary to organ
ize regular dogwatch. Fortunately we
have more dogs than we need and can still
afford to lose a few, if the brutes must have
amusement at one another's expense.
Letters For the Peary Party.
The Ragnvald Jarl is perhaps the first
steamer that ever carried mail to the
north pole. Besides the American and
Norwegian colors, which have been salut-
ed by all passing steamers and by the
lighthouse keepers, we have the right to
fly the post pennant If we wish so to do,
for we have on board letters for Mr..
Astrup, the young Norwegian who is with
Lieutenant Peary, from his mother, and
also for number Of the members of DR..
Nansen's brave party. The writer's asked
us to carry them in view of the bare pos
sibility of there being a meeting Of two or
more Of the polar exploring parties now in
the field in the region Of the pole.
Unless we are fortunate enough to get
another opportunity to dispatch letters by
a fishing smack it is not likely we shall
be again heard from till the return Of the
Ragnvald Jarl from Spitzbergen in July.
At first we had intended to send her back
to Tromso about the lst of June, but now
it is probable we may have need Of her in
the north throughout May, and that she
will not reappear in port till after the re-
turn Of our supporting party from the
ice pack. No news from us until the mid
die or latter part of July will be good
news, and what do you think we shall
have to send you then!
WALTER WELLMAN.