The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-11-29

tits since leaving walden island. Our
weights are now down to about 1900
pounds, or somewhat more than 300
pounds to the man, and even with as good
an equipment as ours it must be fine ice
over which man can drag that much of
a load any considerable distance Six men
took one boat in which was loaded it's avn
ing, oars, mast, six extra clothing bags,
the same number of sleeping bags, the as
Economical and other scientific and sur
gical instruments, Photographic outfit a
few food supplies, part of the cooking
outfit and a great variety of small articles
which inevitably find their way into the
boats as well as large quantity of rein
deer meat, some of it cooked up in the
pots, and some driftwood for fires on the
ice. Behind this boat, trailing. were two
aluminium sledges, each weighing, with
its contents of food and alcohol about 400
pounds, and wooden or runner slcdge
weighing $50 pounds more. All this
made pretty heavy load for six men to
haul even over good ice, but we did it for
about two miles today, though it was
necessary for every man to put all his
strength into his harness all the time.
There was so little of reserve force that
when an obstacle was encountered in the
road and the captain Of the crew sang out,
''Rush her!' in order to get over, it was
almost impossible to add another pound
to the combined pull. 1t was Trojan work,
sure enough, but we have crew who
lump into their collars" as we say, like
draft horses ascending a hill. The other
boat was similarly loaded, with two alu-
minimum sledges in tow, and for fully half
yyaS IN nm
forces. About onethird of our days jour-
ney was made in water from one to twelve
inches deep, fresh water formed by the
melting of the snow. 1t is a great pleasure
to be able to find perfectly pure and fresh
water at every step without the necessity
of melting it in our pots, even at the in
convenience of wading through it. We do
not mind thu wading, for we have become
accustomed 90 that and plunge into the
icy pools without the slightest hesitation.
Even wet feet have no terrors for us now.
A Menagerie and Circus.
After dinner, which was eaten in a
broiling sun, with temperature of As de-
greeS, far too hot for comfort, we had a
menagerie and circus ombined under the
great sky of the arctic summer A big
polar bear was seen about half a mile
away making for a seal which was lying
upon the ice beside his water hole. Moth
ing could exceed the sly skill with which
bruin approached his prey. First he went
to the leeward of the SEAL so that the
scent should not betray his presence. Then
he picked his way from behind one piece
of high ice to another, always contriving
to keep some screen between himself and
he of
ing and peering out from behind his point
of vantage, it became necessary for the
willy brute to take to the open. The ice
bear is cunning enough to know that he
has very black nose, while the remainder
of his body is nearly the color of snow.
So he held his fore paws in front of his
nose, whose color might betray him to his
intended victim, and with his belly on the
surface of the ice showed himself rapidly
but noiselessly along with his powerful
rear legs. When he had reached within 40
feet of the SEAL this black and rather stu
pid animal had sense enough to PUNK
into his hole and swim away out of dan
ger. With two or three mighty bounds
the bear was at the water hole, where he
stuck his nose far down into the water in
a vain search for the dinner which he had
hoped to enjoy. When he realized that his
meal had disappeared, he gave vent to his
rage by loud growls, fierce shakings of his
head and scratching snow and ice and
throwing them high in the air with his
terrible paws. After this fit of anger he
appeared to feel better and concluded to
take bath, ducking half his body into
the seal hole and rolling in the snow and
kicking up his heels in manifest delight
The temperature appeared to be much too
high for his comfort, for several times aft
er leaving the water hole he stopped to
battle himself in the pools on the surface
of the ice
But the best of the afternoons enter
tainment was to come. BY this time the
bears attention had been attracted by the
noise of our camp, and, bearlike he could
not be content until he had investigated
this strange visitation to his realm. Some
what cautiously he approached us, now
and then sitting on his launches and put
ting his black nose in the air and moving
it from one side to the other to get the
scent. Evidently he could not quite make
it out, for it was mixture of meat, camp
fire odor and tobacco smoke, and so he
came nearer and nearer. At this juncture
Sailor Boervig. whose fondness for track
ing ice bear came near costing him his life
on the Parry island few weeks ago,
crawled out along the snow upon his hands
and knees, grunting like a seal and throw