The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-03
old, the Temperature gradually dropping

It Is with the wish that the mercury will
drop lower still, not only To make our
sleep more comfortable, but 20 freeze and
thus improve the road over which we are
to travel tomorrow.
JUNE 21.--The longest day Of the year,
the day on which the days and nights be-
come equal the world over and the sun
circles about the north pole with but a ,
trifiing difference between his height at |
midday and midnight, we find ourselves
working slowly along on che north coas.
OF Northeast Land. We are about In lati-
tude 80. 80, or 90 miles farther south than
we were five weeks ago. This does not
look much like making a high northing
with the midsl0lmer day, astronomically
considered, at hand, though as a matter of
fact the arctic summer has just begun,
and no progress made to the northward.
But we do not despair. We have had all
sorts of bad luck since the 18th day OF
May, when we reached the Seven islands.
That phenomenal advance 10 the north
seemed TO exhaust the fayors which Dame
Fortune was willing To bcstow upon us.
We cannot help contrasting Peary's ex
perienoe with ours. He had his Ill luck at
the start and his good luck later ON.
Reaching the northern coast OF Spltzbergen
the middle OF May his ship soon became
beset In the Ice and drifted about for five
weeks before he could get her safely at an
chor Ii was on this very day, the 2lst of
June, that Peary finally started In his
boats for the north. He was then farther
south than we are at the present moment.
But he had In his favor one of thoge open
seasons when there is great deal Of open
water off these shoSes. Ho used his boats
without encountering Ice To a point IL
miles north of Little Table island. Where
Peary got this splendid start on his north
ward way without the necessity of slcdg-
ing it is now heavy ice as far as the eye
can reach. The whole northern coast Of
Spitzbergon is enveloped in white Not
only Is there ice everywhere, but IL is ice
that has been drifted and shifted about all
winter and spring and has therefore been
screwed and broken into fragments piled
one upon another, with deep snow now
melting into deep pools OF water between
them. 1t Is a surface over which man un-
encumbercd by load Of any sort could walk
no more than fac or six miles day and
over which sledging with boats and food
Is simply impossible This ice Is not the
pack proper, as we have several times not
ed in this journal. IL is belt OF drift ice
isiHk btINtNh Ahc BpioA fhSh ahN VIZ a"A'tt
too rough and too wide 10 be covered.
Peary's good fortune was in being able TO
boat his way to the main pack III we
could do that now, we could easily beat
his record, for our facilities for travelling
are much better than his were. But we
have never had and etill have not prac-
ticable thoroughfare to the heavy pack or
foe ice of the farther north.
On Restricted Diet.
JUNE 22.-After good nights rest,
during which the little camp rcsounded
with mighty noises, we set out at o'clock
this morning determined TO cover half
the remaining distance to the other side
Of the bay. AS usual, the road was alter
nately good and bad, and we had To make
two loads all the way. Mr.. Dodge is still
under the doctors care, suffering from a
strained ligament between his ribs, the
result Of jumping too hard i'm his har-
ness" while helping TO pull one of the
boats Three or four of the men are suffer
ing with diarrheal troubles, which not
only weaken them very much, but make
1t necessary for Dr. Mohun TO place them
on restricted diet, greatly to their dis
gust. Under the circumstances we do not
think 1t wise to push the men too hard,
oBu lOI tusb tbt Nllt'i has DhN %
''rucraddy," as our men call the pulling
harness, over his shoulder and taken his
place in the crew. If there is such "a thing
in the world, which we very much doabt,
this Is an easy way to do hard work. 1t is
easy because it is steady and slow, and be-
cause while trudging along beside one of
the boats one can take hold OF tho gun
vale with his right or left hand, as tho
ms ha mud fhna hftnsalf
a slip and sprawl in the Ice and slush
The men all prefer pulling on the boats to
dragging a slcdge, where there is nothing
to take hold OF, and where in rough ice
progress Is made only by suffering n series
OF jerks upon the shoulders For this rea-
son we trail the sledges after the boats,
but tho work Is hard and monotonous
nevertheless. With from eight To ten men
TO one boat you step into the tracks of the
man ahead OF you a second after he has
lifted his feet. Half the time this is In wa
ter or slush up TO your ankles, but that
does not matter. You are even denied tho
pleasure of looking ahead to watch for the
best road.
The two leaders must do that, and every
other mans duty is to bend his shoulders
forward and downward and pull with all
the strength there is in him. In rough
places or deep snow the captain calls
out, Rush her through and we all put
on few pounds more of steam, and with
prodigious pulls and yanks, and often 10y
working the boat little from one sido 10
the other on her sledge bottom, somehow
manage To get over the difficulty.
The Grateful Shade.
JUNE 23.-The arctic summer Is upon
us. Though the night was chill and cloudy,
with n temperature of about 30, tho morn
ipg dawned with a hot sun and rising
mercury. One may judge tho pleasant ma
ture of the weather from the fact that
after breakfast this morning and the de.
parture Of one of the boats we sit down
upon the Parry, with coat of and hands
bare, 20 write these words in the journal.
We even contrivo 10 get in the shade. II
Is perfectly calm morning and not
speck of cloud is 20 be seen. The sky Is
moro deeply blue than even Italy oan
boast. IL is so still that ono can hear the
gurgling of the little streams of water fall
Ing down tho hillside, four miles away
The Lockwood and its crew arc now fully
n mila ayaV apd tbo opv.rsa afIpu az tho