The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-11-29

Gaining out that the hoe on which we ha0
camped was being broken up by the heavy
ice from the north. For the second time
in our journey we had to crawl out in the
high cold wind and literally take up our
beds and walk. In half an hour we were
settled down again in a safer place.
We continued our efforts all day over a
fightful road, which constantly grew
worse. In many places we found it neces-
sary to chop way through the difficult
places and to double up our crews. Not
only was the road full of difficulties, re-
quiring all our strength all the time to
move the boats, but the weather was the
worst we have yet encountered-a high
wind with driving snow and much hu-
midity In the air. To add to our discom-
fort, nearly every man in the party broke
through snow covered holes and wet his
feet. Most of us kept along without chang
ing, having learned that wet feet soon be.
come warm and half comfortable even In
the arctics. But Mr.. Heyerdahl, who is
not well, hut who bravely keeps to his
work, did not dare 60 on with wet feet and
made four changes of foot wear within
two hours, using up every dry stocking in
his bag. The men had a miserable day of
1t and were glad to reach camp late in the
afternoon, when Professor French, who
had been ahead picking the road, came In
with the bad news that the ice was i'm
passable ahead.
AL through the evening the wind con-
tinued from the northwest. with heavy
fall of snow and dropping barometer.
Meteorologist Alme predicts southerly
wind within "a hours, and we hope he is
a prophet whom we shall have chance to
honor in this strange country, where, as
DR.. Mohun says, 1.-The climate is so devil
ish that chickens won't live in it.
A Mile an Hour.
JUNE 13.-We are still in pocket.
Captain Petersen, accompanied by the
sailor Boervig, made long trip to the
east today to settle once for all the ques-
ton of the practicability of the road to-
ward the Rep island. In four hours the
pair returned with the discouraging re-
port that the ice in that direction is i'm
passable. The continued gales from the
northwest have crushed what was q week
or two ago apparently good ice, with
smooth, level foes, into hopeless confu-
sion. It is about all man can do to pick
his way through it at q rate Of mile an
hour, with nothing to carry but the bam-
boo stick with which he helps himself
along. OF course it is out of the question
to move our boats and sledges through
such ice.
JUNE 14.-We decide to make for the
land. about 81 miles south and q little
west. There we can find better camping
place, driftwood for fuel and doubtless
both bear and reindeer for our pots. Be-
sides, in case the wind changes and the ice
moves out from the shore, we shall avert
danger of moving out with it against our
will. Three men are sent ahead to cut c
road; but, despite their best efforts, con-
tinued through several hours. they are
able to make but an Indifferent path
through the rough pieces. 1t is frightfully
hard work for the men with the boats and
even the sledges, for after rod or two of
good surface they must by main strength
and one two, three pulls and pushes, an
inch or two at a time, fight their way over
ragged lines of hummocks where the ice
has broken under the great pressure of the
gale and piled up in all the confusion of
rocks which have been distributed by an
earthquake. AS luck would have it, where
the ice was roughest the snow was deep
est, and either side of the bad spots there
crust of soft snow. 1t was today as COM
mon to see one of our men crawling along
on his knees in the heavy snow, pushing
boat or sledge, as to behold one or more of
them drawing their soaked legs out of the
cold water. The work was trying both to
men and equipment, and we stopped early
in the afternoon and sent five men ashore
about IA miles, after driftwood and
game, should they be lucky enough to get
any of the latter. We soon heard shots on
the beach and saw our men running after
reindeer, of which there seemed to be quite
herd. Anxiously we awaited the return
of the hunters, with our anticipations of
feast of rein meat raised to high pitch
In an hour or two the men arrived, Mr.
Dodge in the lead, proud of having killed
his first reindeer. Out of herd Of five
rein the hunters shot three and brought a
brace of launches with them.
Mr.. Dodge was shrewd enough to shoot
the buck first, and the others refused to
run away until they were wounded, when
they gave the men a lively chase before
they could be secured. The first shot was
fired at distance of $50 yards, though if
the sportsmen had known it they could
have walked right up to the poor little
animals and murdered them like sheep at
the shambles. The reindeer in this part of
Spitzbergen, which is rarely visited by the
Norwegian hunters, have no fear of man
because they know nothing of him. If ap-
preached quietly, they stand in open eyed
wonder, apparently nonplused at the queer
animal with two legs which they for the
first time behold. By killing the buck first
of all the hunters frequently bag a whole
herd without stirring from their tracks.
There is tradition that all the Spitzber-
gen reindeer have Sits in their ears, the
presumption being that the parent stock
found its way hither from Lapland or ST.
IBERIA by means of the ice, and, those do
mestic animals having been marked by
their owners, nature then by some freak
perpetuating the incision. 1t is a very
pretty theory, but we did not discover any
slits in the ears of the reindeers which our
men shot this evening.
Uses of the Reindeer.
Our hunters had no sooner returned
with meat and firewood than we all set to
work to prepare the FEAST There was un-
exampled willingness to assist in the task.
Two men chopped wood, one superintend-
ed the iremaking. one fetched water, fair
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