The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-29

upon n box OF timed meats was really de-
Ightful. One could even bask in the warm
sunshine before dressing. 1t was rather
unkind OF Mr.. Dodge, our expedition
photographer, TO sneak behind large
piece OF Ice near by and snap his camera
at us in the act. Some OF the Norwegian
members OF our party werc surprised to SEQ
hn American bathing in an ice pool in
temperature Of s6 degrees f., but none of
them, save Mr.. Juell, cared to initiate oui
example
Our road tonight was very rough, skirt
ing the edge Of the frightfully rough ice
and over constant series Of littlo hum
mocks. This sort of travel is trying upon
the strength Of the men aud boats and the
patience of every one in the party. II our
aluminium boats can endure this sort of
knocking about wrenching and straining,
they can endure anything, for in addition
TO the strain incidental to the travel when
ever one of the craft sticks In the snow the
men take hold of the gunwales and rock
IL TO and fro in order TO loosen and start
It. This is exceedingly trying upon the
boat hut it is the only way in which we
can get along at all, SO the risk OF injury
TO our little craft must be endured. AS
yet we notice no damage. The riyets have
not even started.
Dkcoursging Difficulties.
10 must be confessed that the difficulties
which we have encountered, the loss of
our steamer, the unfavorable nature of the
season and the slow rate OF our travel, arc
very dlscouraging. Our original plan of
reaching tho heavy leo to the north was
frustrated first by the wido belt OF impas-
sable drift ice between the pack and the
- =. a. L. a 4
the land and comparatively smooth, af-
fording surface on which we could have
travelled to the northeast, though perhaps
slowly, as we had originally intended.
Then came the loss of the steamer while
we were trying the experiment Of sledging
10 the eastward, prccluding the possibility
OF carrying out our alternativc-that OF
return to the ship in case the wind chang
ed and afforded an opportunity TO push
northward by steam. In our journey over
the ice we have had great deal of bad
road, but in tho face of all these discour-
sSeinents wo have kept to our work, de-
termined TO 10 all that can be prudently
done to achieve success. We now often
joke one another about the high spirits we
were in when fortune was smiling her
sweetest upon us and IL seemed as if we
had found ro~al road to the highest .Eti-
tudes. But we remind one another also
81 our prediction, made at that time, TO
the effect that we should gst our share Of
hard luck before the year was over, and
that when IL came we should fight it out
like men and smile ai4a-siHg even in the
midst of our misfortunes. Well, that is
just what we are doing nov.
AS we sit writing up our journal this
juno morning at n. m, with the lap for
a desk and the gunwalo Of a boat for
chair, the sceno Is one of rare beauty--a
perfectly blue sky from horizon to hori
ron, a warm sun in the heavens, not
breath of air stirring, the sharp or conical
peaks of Spitzbergen and high inland ice
a hundred miles away gltstoring like n
city of domes, towers and minarets. Cape
Platen looms up dark and shadowy eight
or ten miles to the eastward OF U.S. Thirty
miles northwest we can just see Walden
island, on whose fen shore the RaGnvald
Jarl lies n hopeless wreck, with Captain
Esttelfsen and his crew camped on the Ice
foot near by. Absolute stiffness rcigns,
or would reign save for the snoring Of
draft dog under the boat and tho screech-
ing of an arctic fowl over tho heavy ice
AS write in the journal DR.. Mohun sits
near by, with his eyes alert for bear. We
are In the bear country, sure enough, for
we sec tracks every half mile, but not a
shot has tho good doctor yet had.
Supper camp was made at / O'Clock, tho
last mile having fatigued all hands very
much, being succession of icy hummocks
and deep pockets OF snow. The meal con-
sisted Of the cartridge soup, so onlled,
made In two pots and giving every man
the second cupful; biscuit, two pounds OF
corned beef In slices, apples and tea Some
Of the men having complained of lato OF
the fare, we took occasion us the first
course was served To address the party and
ask Mr.. Franklin to interpret for us, re-
minding them that no other arctic sle6ging
party had ever had such rich and whole
some food In the field nor SO much in nu.
tritioneor variety rs we are having. Where
other arctic expeditions had simply frozen
pemmican and tea we have our concon-
tratod food in hot dishes and fruit and tea
besides all hot. 1t was even necessary TO
remind some of the men that what they
have jokingly and perhaps in one or two
instances sneeringly called soup thrco
times day" was really only one portion
of soup per day, the other two dishes being
an improvement upon tho old style penn
mican in that IL was richer in nourish-
ment and always served hot. These re-
marks, when Interpreted into Norsk, were
greeted with "MadRet goodl" from the
Norwegian contingent.
Another dog was sacrificed tonight for
the breakfast OF his mates nearly all of
whom have learned to enjoy the cannibnl.
istic feast The men jokingly undresscd
the vict.R and prepared him for the exc
cution by taking of his collar and har-
ness Mr.. Dahl is our lord high oxecu-
toner.
just after retiring TO our sleeping bngs,
and while all hands were smoking, ther'
momctor was swung for five minutes over
our heads and within the awnings To
our great surprise, II registered 30 degrees
r. The temperature ouraic was 90 de
grecs. About midday We were all reused
from slumber by the heat Though we
had crswlod only half way into our sleep
ing bug and had raised the awning before
going TO sleep, the trmpcraAlre was not 10
be endured. We had TO get out Of the
rcinskins entirely and pass The remainder
OF the day under the half blanket which
NE uSo for a pillow This Qv,pfuy ubQftt a