Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06

brought the big white fellow to his knees,
and as he was showing himself through
the snow with his hind legs. maddened
with rage, a second shot finished him with
In ten feet of the bold sailor. In a second
Boervig was upon the body of his pros
trate foe, dancing hornpipe OF victory.
Return of the Party.
With two magnificent skins on their
sledga the party started on the return trip
at o'clock this morning. Yesterdays
warm sun had softened the snow, and they
had a hard pull, their labor being greatly
Increased by thirst. They tried snow eat
ing, only to have their threats burn with
hotter fires. Boervig was so thirsty. that
he scooped the blood of the bear up in his
two hands and drank his full of it, They
had used all their spirits in making sup
per AMI could melt no more snow. The
process or obtaining water from snow
placed in rubber bottles and worn inside
their shirts seemed provokingly slow, but
1t helped little, and in this way they man
aged TO cover the twelve or thirteen miles
that lay between them and the ship
The report which they brought of the
condition of the ice was not very encour-
aging. To the east and south OF the Seven
Islands, in the bay between them and
Northeast Land, the surface was fiat and
smooth. we had expected they would
find it. Eut farther out was a wide belt
of drift ice that had been screwed into con-
fusion. Beyond it lay the great polar pack,
seen, even from an elevation of LOO feet.
Decide to Leave the Ship.
Tuesday. May 22-Oiiicer of the day. Mr..
Dodge.
After consultation between the officers
of the expedition and Captain Bottelfsen a
n decision is reached that 1t is not worth
while to spend more time looking for an
opening to the north with the ship. Be-
tween US and the main pack lies that well
nigh impossible belt of drift ice, and there
is not much chance of its clearing out or
opening up for weeks to come. While we
have been very fortunate in reaching the
Seven Islands thus early without accident
or much trouble, it is not to be denied that
we have met extraordinary unfavorable
conditions to the north of this point. But
We are not content 10 sit down and wait
for 4 change for the better We prefer in
stead to push out and work our way along
the smooth Ice to the east. our plan being
TO cross from the eXtrcIir north lying is
lands OF Northeast Land to ellis Land and
to the other islands which are believed to
exist in that direction. W hiie We must
travel considerable distance 10 the east
ward before We can go north probably we
shall gain in the end. We shall certainly
do so II we are able to make the land and
use it as a base of future operations. We
do not disguise the fact that we should
much prefer to adhere strictly to our origi-
nal plan of going straight to the north
from this point over the pack, but 1t being
SO difficult or next to impossible to cross
the belt of drift ice without waiting an in
definite period we believe our best chance
lies to the the east and north.
This change, of course, necessitates lit
tie change in the Instructions given to
Captain Bottefsen. The Jarl is now or
iered to remain a week here, looking after
our rear IS it WERE and then to proceed
to Tromsoe as rapidly the state of the
ice will permit. There. taking on a large
quantity of coal, she will without delay
return to the Seven Islands. II we should
be defeated in our effort to reach land to
The northeast in our small boats we might
still have another chance. and that would
be to fall back upon the Seven Islands
about July 1, here again taking the stea M
and pushing north with an ample sup
ply Of coal aboard. We should still have
about seventy days for our journey, and
the ship in that season might push her
way as far the eighty-third parallel of
north latitude. While We have every rea-
son to believe we shall succeed along our
northeasterly route. making both high lat
itude and exploring new land We still have
another chancc-a second string to our
bow.
This morning the orders are given to pre-
pare to leave the ship within twenty-fcur
hours. There is much to be done, not
withstauding our weeks and months of
preparation. 1t was evening before our
equipment of boats and sledgeS, with all
their contents and accessories, were mass
ed upon the ice, ready to move forward.
1t Is not a very imposing array in size,
but in weight it seems to US as big as a
mountain. Tomorrow We shall have our
first days real hard work. To get away
from Walden Island and upon the smoother
ice to the east we must cross first the three
or four hundred yards of pressed up shore
ice, indescribable In its rough confusion,
through which we have worn and cut some
sort of a road. Then must somehow
get our loads over a steep hill, snow COW
cred. and thence down to the plain of ice
below. Our men are eager for the work,
Ia nrTir, vbnf a
10 morning in this country of constant
daylight, we shall be I'd and at It.
WALTER WELLMAN