The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-12


be eaten without distress. This food con
sists of frozen fish and meat. One of its
peculiarities, and the pleasantest of all, Is
that it fortihes the body against cold--in
fact, generates internal heat.
After eight months passed in season
ing" the party set out northward on the
longest sledge journey known up to that
date. The outfit comprised three sledges
drawn by AZ dogs. The natives, aside
from Joe, numbered 10, including two
children. The slcdges were not loaded
down with food for man and beast, as had
been the case on previous expeditions of
the kind, but with guns and ammunition
for hunting as well as for barter and with
other articles of trade. Only one months
provisions had been gathered for trip that
was destined to last nearly year for
Schwatka remembered one good lesson
from his army life and resolved to live off
the country or perish in the attempt He
proved in all respects an able commander
and an ingenious explorer. The intorprc-
ter Joe sIylle the dialects of many tribes.
The chief guide and hunter, Toolooah,
proved master with the dogs and
mighty Nimrod Mt the chase. Armed with
q repeating carhinc, he often brought down
half a dozen of the fleet reindeer before
they could get beyond range after Tie
alarm of the first shot. Two or three hunt
ers would kill dozen out of n single herd.
Another expcdient saved the party from
the unwelcomc presence of the wolves. BY
burning Coston signals these ravenous
animals could be scared from the vicinity
of the camps. A trick learned of the ma
tives and successfully practiced was that
Of shoeing the sledge runners with ice.
The route at first lay over hills, which
| in MAY became almost entirely bare of
snow, and travel was very difficult Later
| they struck the course of river running
northward and followed it 40 miles
Along the river they fell in with n party
Of Eskimo belonging To tribe that hno
been - PEELED from King William Land by
enemies. One old man and two approach.
Ing middle age remembered 10 have seen
white men on tho shores of William Land
and also "a ship fast in the ice in the straits
south of tho island Passing on, the cx-
plorers reached Back river, previously
known to white men. On the last day Of
May an Eskimo camp was discovered, and
the natives proved To be the enemies of the
tribe first mrt, and, for the time being, the
masters of King William Land They sent
an cnihgssadrcSi to meet the strangers, the
| warriors mrnn1vlilo e'~--''''sr - u-..- ~
battle in front Of their igloos, or Ice huts
II the newcomers were enemies and
killed IA woman, the loss would be slight
compared to that of a fighting man. When
the signal sent back betokened peace, the
warriors, with one exception, Joined in n
hearty welcome. The exception proved to
be a man who had lost Il relative, and nc
cording 10 "A superstition of the tribe the
killing of stranger would give happiness
TO tho dead; hence he was for fighting
anyhow.
Among the members Of this tribe a mine
of recollections could be clearly traced,
One old woman remembered having seen
white men in boats and tents and recalled
names which the interpreters declared an
swered to some Of Franklin's people. She
said that tn whites and her people became
separated one summer by the rotting OF
the tee and afterward the empty tents were
found with dead bodies in and around
them She described knives, spoons,
watches and clothing in way to leave nc
doubt but the unfortunates belonged tC
Franklin's crews.
After searching Adelaide peninsula and
the shores of Washington hay, where the
ships had been seen, without result
| Schwatka crossed Simpson straits to KIM
William Land Owing to the melting heal
of summer, travelling was exceedingly diff
hcult. The snow became reduced to slnsf
during the daytime, and ice melted upoI
the lakes SO that the surface was covered
with several inches of water, Occasional
ly the men would sink to the waist II
deep holes, the dogs iloundered in slusf
and deep water, and the sledges disap
peared between the hummocks Of snow
: and ice Fortunately Toolooah brough
down game sufficient for all the explorer
and natives as well as the dogs, although
the other hunters Ind no luck at the chase
On the northwestern shore Of the islan'
the white men Of the party spread OUT &
make thorough search of the coast ad