The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-09-27

work enough for all, and all turned to II
with will.
Trouble with the Dogs.
Such a gambol as our pack of dogs did
have upon the ice They were crazy with
delight upon being liberated from the hold
in which they had been SO long confined.
They ran about in a circle, rolled over in
the snow, bathed in the icy waters of the
leads between the foes, and, we are sorry
to say, when all other sources OF amuse-
ment failed them, fell to fighting like de-
mons. Half the forenoon we spent in try
ing to prevent the brutes eating each other
up, and though we did the best we could,
with beating whipping, kicking and
swearing, the snow about the ship was
soon covered with streaks of blood, and
fully dozen animals were limping about
with wounds in their legs. One we have
named Brindle-we can't remember q
quarter of their French cognomens-had
made frightful nuisance of himself
aboard ship, swapping at ell his compan-
ions and making Rome howl with his
IL
good memories, for the moment Brindle's
feet touched the foe dozen of the others
set upon him, with suddenness and una
niynity which indicated a preconcerted
agreement to get even with Brindle for
all his cussedness, and would have torn
him in pieces had not the men rushed to
the rescue.
Later in the day we gave number of
%l,x,7 nhAvn TO hot how
do in harness. Some of them took kindly
to their work, and others did not. 1t was
not to be expected that all should 60 at
their tasks with enthusiasm after va
cation of several weeks and with their
feet sore from constant rubbing against
the planks of their deck in the hold of
the Jarl while that good little ship was
crossing the stormy ocean.
Inasmuch as we determined before
leaving America that during the progress
of this exposition we should tell the whole
truth about our experiences, even at the
risk of being compelled to record the fail
ure of some of our pet features we now
confess to slight feeling of disappoint-
ment in our draft dogs. At the same time
it must be considered that as yet they have
had no chance to get into form. They are
need little time in which to adapt them
selves to their new surroundings. Anoth-
er disadvantage, and great one, is that
Mr.. Winship is the only man in the party
who can talk to the dogs in language
which they understand, and of course Mr..
Winship, active young man that he u.s. can
not be in 45 places at once. After their ex-
perience of the past month, being hauled
1,, 10 IT,,
strange country, surrounded by strange
faces and hearing chiefly words which
are strange to them as Greek to the Sioux
Indians, it is not surprising that they
should make but an Indifferent showing.
Time and patience, will bring many of
them around all right. If out of the pack
-Of AZ which we now have we get IS or
80 good draft animals, we shall be con-
tent. That is all we need, and we brought
more than so in the expectation that after
few weeks operation Of the law of the
survival Of the fittest not more than one
half of them would be left. Trouble with
dogs during the first days of an arctic
journey is an old story, and it does not
seem to matter much whether the dogs
are Siberian, Eskimo or Belgian. Dogs
will be dogs the world over, whether in
regions of the arctics.
Employment Ashore.
All day long we were busy putting
stores ashore, and Professor Oyen's eyes
danced with delight as he saw the large
quantities of good American provisions
that were being slowed away in his domi-
cile. 1t looks as if they would all be need
ed in case of wintering, for appetites up
here are something appalling. We eat an
average of five times day, and some
times go to bed hungry, after all. Mr..
Alme, who does not speak English very
fiuently, but who appears to have genu-
inc Yankee appreciation of the funny side
of things, remarked at breakfast that
''our appetites appear to increase as with
the square of the latitude attained"
Bleak and barren as Danes island is,
already there appears to be a great deal
Of game about A big seal disports him
self in the ford all day near the ship, but
is very careful not to come within gun
shot. On the shore about the house bear
and deer tracks have been seen, and there
are plenty of white or Spitzbergen foxes
about. The ducks are already making
their appearance in great numbers and
we have secured few. A little later in
the season these fiords and hills are liter
ally black with ducks and ptarmigan. In
what corresponds to the evening, though
the sun is still high above the mountains,
it is an interesting scene which presents
itself from the bridge of the Ragnvald
Jarl. Professors French and Oyen are out
taking some astronomical observations,
Mr.. Dodge is trying the virtues of mid
night sun in photography with excellent
effect, the Norwegian sportsmen and scien-
lists are climbing the mountain sides and
tobogganing down at a terrific rate upon
their skis, while Shippers Bottelfsen and
Petersen are out cunning till after
O'Clock, though they see nothing but a
few birds to shoot at Our party has lit
orally taken the country, and in an atmos-
j.
/. lMM 49,: