The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-22

run upon the Ice and shore. Several tons
OF stores were TO no sledged ashore and
slowed away In the loft of the house for
the use of tho keeper Of the headquarters
during the summer and to carry our on
tire party through tho coming winter
should the exigencios Of arctic exploration
force US to this alternative. There was
work enough for all, and all turned to 10
with will.
Trouble with the Dogs.
Such gambol as our pack OF dogs did
have upon the icel The|wore csazy with
delight upon being liberated from the hold
In which they had been SO long confined.
They ran about I'm circle, rolled over In
the snow, bathed in the icy waters OF the
leads between the fioos, and, we are sorry
10 say, when all other sources OF amuse-
ment failed them, fell TO fighting like do
mons. Half the forenoon we spent In try
Ing to prevent the brutes eating each other
up, and though wo 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
quarter of their French cognomens--had
made frightful nuisance OF himself
aboard ship, swapping at all his compan-
ions and making Rome howl with his
nightly wailings. Evidently dogs have
good memories, for the moment Brindle's
feet touched the foe dozen of the others
set upon him, with suddenness and una
nimity which indicated a preconcerted
agreement to get even with Brindle for
all his cussedness, and would have torn
n -. t., hal la had t.a
the rescue.
Later In the day we gave n number Of
the dogs chance TO see what they could
do In harness. Some of them took kindly
TO their work, and others did not 1t was
not TO be expected that all should go at
their tasks with enthusiasm after va
cation of several weeks and with their
feet sore from constant rubbing against
tho planks of their deck in the hold OF
the Jari 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 a 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
not accustomed TO work in snow and will
need little time in which to adapt them
selves to their new surroundings Anoth-
or disadvantage, and great one, Is that
Mr. Winship is the only man in tho party
who can talk to the dogs In language
which they understand, and Of course Mr.
Winship, active young man that he Is, can
not be in 45 places at once After their ex-
perience of the past month, being hauled
about from pillar to post, and now In
strange country, surrounded by strange
faces and hearing chiefly words which
are strange Co them as Greek 10 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 20 or
80 good draft animals, we shall be con-
tent That Is all we need, and we brought
more than 90 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
the midst of civilization or in the remote
regions of tho arotics.
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 doni-
cile. 1t looks as If thea, would all be need
ed in case OF winterSlg, for appetites up
here are something appalling. We eat an
average of five times n day, and some
times go TO bed hungry, after all. Mr..
Alme, who does not speak English very
fluontly, 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 great deal
of game about A big seal disports him
self in the ford ali 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,
IL is an interesting scene which presents
itself from the bridge Of the RagEvald
Jarl. Professors French and Oyen are out
taking some astronomical observations,
Mr.. Dodge is trying the virtues of a mid
night sun in photography with excellent
effect, the Norwegian sportsmen and scien-
fists 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-
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