The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-27


dear of.the weather was bad, with fog and
rain, and never hah cold enough. The
Temperature ranged about the freezing
point, rarely going much above or below,
though we wanted the mercury 10 fall
about 90 degrscs.
There Is one good thing about the arctic
climate--it Is difficult to "catch a cold up
here" Goodness knows l tried hard
enough. i took cold plunges i'm ice pools
Tith my clothing on inadvertently and
cold plunges with no clothing on pur-
posely AT the noon balts, when covered
with perspiration, j lay down upon the
! know To take q nap At midnight occa-
sionally i stripped in the open air and
bathod in hot water from the camp kettle.
This is the only country in tho world I'm
which one would dare SO expose himself.
i took no cold, and colds were rare in our
party. The Americans seemed harder in
this respect than the NOrwegians, and
though we have all had the same work,
fare and exposure, the Norsemen have suf-
fered more ills and aches and needed more
attention at the doctors hands than have
the Americans of the party We have not
even had any rheumatism, though work
Ing day after day wet Co the skin.
As we advanced the fee became softer.
tops Of our boots The surface of the ice
was covered with innumerable little pools
of fresh water from TO IS inches in
depth. At first we tried to keep out Of
these, winding our way TO right or left in
order to avoid them. But as they grow
more numerous and partook Of the nature
of lanes instead of pools, we purposely
went into them and found that they help
I'd US along materially. 1t was rather cold
work. wading hour after hour and occa-
Eionally slipping through air holes or
cracks up TO ones shoulders, but the water
was for the most part deep enough 60 float
tho boats and sledges aud thus our work
of dragging was much lightenod. The
hardest part Of tho Job was lifting the
boats out Of pool, and this had TO be
done by main strength, often whilo stand
Ing up TO our waists In the ice cold water.
But it Is nothing when you got used 10 it.
On two or three occasions tho wind was
fresh and favorable, and Of course our
sailors had TO have the canvas up on the
boat masts, and a very pretty scene our
little caravan made, tho sails driving the
boats through these leads of fresh water
npon the ice on the salt sea and we walk
ing beside the craft to guide them along
The tortuous path or lift thcm from one
rsnal TO another.
tt Bruin as "a Pathfinder.
-Four days ago determined TO set out
for Walden Island by myseTT, BGTng eagur
10 communicate with Captain Bottelfsen
II be had not already started down the
coast. But Captain Petersen advised me
against going alone on account Of the dan
ger of falling into a tidal crack and drown
Ing for lack Of help. So DR. Mohun started
with me. We had four days rations and
. sleeping bag on wooden sled and ox-
pected to reach Walden island in about "a
hours. For a mile or more, after saying
goodby 20 orr companions, we followed
the tracks Of n big bear, winding in and
out through the little huumocks Of ice.
Right glad were we 70 do this, not because
we were anxious TO ovcrtake the bear, but
because bruin is the best road picker i'm
the business. He is even shrewder than
Professor French. If there is any easy way
~ get through the obstacles. the ice bear is
cure TO find it. His instinct is infalible.
BY following his tracks as long as they
led In our direction we made much more
rapid progress than we could have made
by ourselves. When some six hours out,
we came 20 a tidal crack that rcsomblod "A
ship canal II was about 40 feet wido and
ns deep as tho sea. In vain we searched for
"a
small piece Of ice which we took our sled
R. npon and with our ski sticks pushed out
into the channel, hoping the tide would
carry us 20 the other side. II stopped
half wny over, and there we were afloat
on an Ice bit and no help in sight. Fully
an hour we waited before the tide turned
and bl ought us again 90 the margin q che
fast roe, but on the side whcrce wo had
tarted- proposed % DR. Mohuu that we
"trip ana swim across, dragging the sled
after us, but tho good doctor didn't fancy
That sort q bath, and as "A search for two
or three miles along the river showed us
10 better means Of crossing there was
Nothing 70 DO but turn hack To the boats
We were nfterward glad We did.
at the Ps11 island we found driftwood
az plenty. aud having been lucky enough
g. XIII a bonr tie day bcfore--a big fellow,
WHO showed fSht before giving up the
fh1st. nnd probably the same one the doc-
Cor and had boon 50 glad 70 follow-we
enjoyed once more tie luxury of bear
ftcaks and stow. a LOT Of our arlnCbis
sincEtrs bad hoen vet, and the men took
the soaked biscuit and fried them in bears