River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-10-29

the range. l now III tHe Stove. "a IL
was getting sharp and cold. for the
sun was no higher in the heavens than
il had been two hours earlier. though
il had, Of course, swung further o the
south. | also spread out my charts
upon the table. and at - noon { took a
seXtant observation, and determined
the latitude 10 be 81 degrees 40 minutes
north, while the river which ran be-
meath concluded to be the Mackenzie
river, in longitude l2l degrees 90 min
utes west. The variation of the com
pass had increa sed since leaving Cali
fOrnia; but. ~ consulting my tables of
magnetic variation and DETECTION.
was enabled 10 frame an approximate
northern course; and determined low,
as there were no more mountain ranges
TO cross. to keep as closely as ] could
to the 12Ist meridian.
After passing Great Bear lake, no ex-
animation of the chart was necessary TO
tell us that we had entered the Arctic
circle. The biting breeze from the
east, and the sun which. though skirt
ing dhe horizon, seemed never to ap-
proach it, were sufficient to acquaint
US with this fact. The air of the cabin,
excepting in the immediate region of
the stove, was keen and bitter in the
extreme. Auchincloss' business, ex-
cept that of Oiling the machinery, hav-
ing been found TO be a sinecure, with
such regularity did all portions do their
work. he had. half an hour previously.
come into the CT bin, and was engaged
in cooking some food for dinner;
previous to doing which he had con-
veTted two IF the buffalo robes and
blankets into very rough leggiugs with
the aid of a brad-awl and some leather
laces. At 3:15, while engaged in taxi
ing 4 hasty meal with the welcome adj
ditiOn of hot grog, one of us eating
while the other attended to the charg-
ing of the condenser, deserted an un-
broken line of water, and i'm a few min
utes we were flying over the Arctic
ocean. At BIAS, we again deserted land.
which a reference to the map showed
me must be Barring island. An hours
passage brought rs again 10 an open
sea, which examination proved to be
Banks strait. At five p. m, we again
reached a line of coast, which / pre-
sumed 10 be Prince Patrick's island.
and accordingly knew that we had
reached the nth parallel of lati-
tude, or less than 900 miles from the
pole, having actually traversed the dis
lance of $500 miles in a little over 10
hours!
As t was not my object to approach
the region of the pole until nearly mid
night, when ! could take an observa-
ton to determine its true location, /
resolved if possible 10 find some Es-
kimo village where we could obtain
suitable wraps to continue our yoy-
age, since neither of US now
dared TO leave the vicinity of
the stove for more than a minute or
two at a time, or without quickening
the circulation Of the blood with copi-
Gus draughts of spirits This latter
seemed 10 he wholly appropriated by
the eNtremities and external portions
of the body without being conveyed to
the brain.
We now slackened our speed and rose
into the air, so that l might have a
more extended view through my binOc-
ular of the region beneath me, and if
possible catch sight of an Eskimo VII
lage. | was able to sweep a circle of
some ten miles radius. aud, after GO
ing over some 20 miles of territory. /
deserted on the horizon what thought
we wanted. Again turning on our pro-
pelling power, a run of few minutes
brought us over the place. which proved
To be a settlement of some 30 huts. so
W. proceeded TO drop down upon them
at a few yards distance. When we got
TO within 500 or COO feet we had evident
IL attracted their attention. Each pig
my hut poured out two or three deui-
zens of every age and size. They looked
at us for several moments motionless
with Gmazement, then suddenly dis
peTscd. some running to their sledges
and dogs. which they proceeded to har-
ness with every sign OF alacrity. others
taking refuge within their huts, but
not one staying TO look further at the
strange visitors. We descended very
gradually. and at length alightcd quiet
| Is on the ground. We next got out and
walked about to show that we were
men; and Auchincloss, who had brought
out a bottle of brandy and lumber,
held them out and beckoned TO one
pigmy who was peeTing from the door
of his hut. This individual must at
some previous time have become ac-
quainted with the merits of strangers
and black bottles. for, under the infiu-
ence of the continued signs of Auchin-
Gloss, he at length approached and re-
ceived n tumbler of the beverage. which
he swallowed with evident relish. 1t
acted like magic. lie called to his kins-
folk, who reappeared as speedily as
they had previously vanished, and
while Auchincloss administered the re-
mains of the bottle. went to the yes
sci and returned with a demijohn.
During the hilarity which ensued. |
made them understand by signs that l
would give a demijOhn of spirits and a
dozen plugs of tobacco for two suits of
furs. The suits were brought. the de-
sired exchange was made. and we were
again ascending into mid-air, amid the
admiring glances of the Esllimos, ten
minutes after alighting among them.
Leaving Prince Patricla's island, we
shortly passed into the unknown sea.
\ reference to the chart showed me
that explorers, though penetrating fur
Their TO the north in more easterly
meridiaus, had left the geography of the
earth a terra incognita. We were now,
i'm fact. breaking upon the isothe.mll
/ Inc which passes through the twin
POLES of intensest cold, and which runs
/ IN a zigzag curve through the north
ernmost regions of America and Sibe-
ria. We kept the stove nearly red hot 4:
we kept the kettle singing: congratu-
lated ourselves on the acquisition of the
/ fur robes. lit our Partagas. and took
/ turns of five minutes each in the duty
Of charging the condenser and oiling
the machinery. We were now running
| across tract of ocean blocked, for the
most part. with ice, in uncouth. irreg-
| lar masses. but with here and there
straits of open water. varying from a
/ few hundred yards to hundred miles
/ in width. The scene was " bite. drear.
/ bleak. monotOnous and CHASTITY. no
| vegetation. and the animal kingdom
but sparsely represented by an occa-
sioual bear or walrus-looking like
mere dots beneath US. The compass
| had now become entirely untrust-
worthy. for | had no data on which to
/ base its probable gariation. was,
/ therefore. compelled TO steer by an en-
| piricat angle. committed from the SIMS