Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-28
PLENTY OF ADVENTURE.
EXCITING EXPERIENCES OF CORRE-
sPoNDENT HARRY DE wINDT.
Representative of the Pail Mall Ga
zette Forced to subsist for Weeks
on a Diet of Whale BIubber
lis Now in Denver.

Mr.. C. D. McComb. OF Denver, who was
at the Coates House yesterday. entertained
= few friends during the afternoon in tell
ing for their ediilcation the experiences OF
Harry de Windt, who is stopping at Denver
TO recover his health. De windt is the
special correspondent OF tho Pail Mall Ca
Zette, OF London, and is Just returning to
civilization after one OF the most exciting
experiences of his entire life among the
tribes along the coast of the Arctic ocean.
He was at the same hotel with Mr.. Nc
Comb in Denver and told his experiences to
him.
Harry ds Widt has been for twelve
years the travelling representative of the
Gazette and in that time has visited nearly
all of the dark places in the world. having
taken trips through India. China. Japan,
Siberia and the Arctic countries He is
now almost Frustrated with an attack OF
scurvy caused by having to subsist for
three months on whale bluhber while hs
was detained as Il captive among the Arctic
tribes. He expects 10 remain in Colorado
until he is well recovered and then return
to London.
The trip tSat came so nearly being his
Il
to Paris. 1t was his intention to cross the
Behring straits on the ice, but as II was
bioken up. after waiting seven weeks. he
took passage in the United States revenue
cutter Bear. That was last summer He
was anxious to penetrate the penal Colo
MES of the border and find out something
of what was done there. He expected to
land at Anadirsk and then had sure roads
overland to st. Petersburg. After tvyinl;
in vain to make that port the corresponds
ent and his companion were landed at the
village of Oumwaidiik Il dirty VILLAGE of
valrus huts. where the tribe of the TchIls-
tChiS, to the number OF 200, was located.
They were received cordially and assured
OF proper treatment. but the chief was u
drunken old hypocrite and the men We're
literally imprisoned in Il dirty hut and
treated to many shameful indignities
which they dared not try to resent. the
natives were liberally supplied with arms
ana were savage in their nature when
drinking. The supplies that were landed
with them We're devoured by the natives
and they were fed on straight diet Of
whale blubber for weeks.
The men finally succeeded in holsting n
signal from their hut. The savages laughed
at 1t, for vessels scarcely ever came that
way, especially at that season of the year.
Still they were successful in one way, for
two whalerS came near and answered the
signal. but refused to carry the men away
and left them to what appeared to be GER
tain death. Finally the whaler Beividere
answered the signal and carried the men
away and brought them finally back to
civilization. Both men were nearly dead
with scurvy and are still In serious con-
dition. The treatment OF the men will be
reported to the Russian government and
the savages will be disciplined. Mr.. De
Windt expects to remain in Colorado for a
few weeks before trying to make the jour
ney home.
Mr.. De Windt is the author of book
that made an impassioned attack on the
writings and lectures of George Kennan.
the Russian traveller. De Wlndt has made
three trips through the land of the mid
night sun. and takes issue with other au-
thorities on the matter of treatment OF the
convicts In the penal colonies there. His
broad contradictions Of the statements
made by Kennan led to fierce exchange
of argument two years ago, but the English
government sent another emissary, and
confirmed what De windt had said.