The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-12-07
LIFE IN THE ARCTIC.
POPULAR ERRORS ABOUT CONpi.
TONS IN THE ICY NORTH.

] Luxury of n SleeDinU Bar,
There Is such perverted impression II
the popular mind about the actual arctic
conditions that always find 1t difficult tx
impress my listeners with real knowl
edge OF polar phenomena. The surround
ings are, OF course, wild enough to satisfy
the most savage longings, but 1t must moi
be inferred that the temperature Of the
air Is always below zero, nor that the land
is completely buried by perennial snow,
nor that the sea is always covered by
paleocrystic ice foes or mountainous Ice
masses. During the low arctic night such
conditions arc fairly constant, but for
much OF tho year the genial rays OF the
sun are felt.
Our headquarters the first Pcary ex.
4 pedltion) In 1891 were pitched on the
northwest coast of Greenland, near the
seventy-etghth parallel of latitude, which
is about midway between the north pole
and the Arctic circle. In this latitude the
seasons are brieily.As follows:
A long nightiess summer day of nearly
four months and an extended dayless win
ter night OF nearly four months. These
periods are separated from each other by
"a season OF advancing night during tho
autumn when the sun gradually recedes,
but reappears for shorter period every
succeeding day, until it finally remains
below the horizon on Oct. 25. In the
spring there Is similar period, but it is
tho dawn of tho coming day. The sun
reappears on Feb. a. 1t first remains
only few minutes, but each succeeding
day 1t rises higher and sweeps more Of tho
southern sky, until about May l 1t re.
mains above the horizon, and then the
long arctic day with its silvery glory be-
gins.
Tho specific effects of cold and darkness
and light are difficult Of analysis more so
| among the members of our party than
| among the native people and animals.
The effect of isolation, of change of food,
clothing and habits Of life, is SO potent
that any physical or mental peculiarities
must necessarily include these elements.
The withdrawal of heat is SO gradual
that the animal organisms have an oppor-
tnnity to protect themselves. During tho
summer (the only time when the extreme
north Is Accessibility the temperature and
some Of the meteorological conditions arc
much like our March and April weather.
Incredible myriads Of birds in summer
plumage, fresh from the temperate zone
now congregato on the off lying islands
and moss covered rocky cliffs, but with
the first warning of the polar night as the
sun drops below tho southern sky, they
quickly emigrate to more congenial
land, leaving apparently lifelcss tho cold
shores which have been animated by their
wild shrills of love and joy. Their powers
and Instincts arc such that they have only
to seek the lands which are best adapted
to their manner of living. Many of the
forms of sea life are able to do the same,
but men and all other land animals must
remain and become adapted to tho chang
ing conditions.
The polar bear changes his fur during
the summer to protect him from tho OK
pected cold next winter, but life is to him
an awful struggle during the long night.
Nevertheless no early develops an ability
to fast for prolonged periods, which Is a
faculty possessed by all the other arctic
land life. Tho nearly complete covering
of the sea by tho winter ice depriyes him
OF his accustomed source of food; hence
no must either hibernate or find his way
far out over a lifcless sea of leo to the
open water, where varying fortunes may
put him in possession of an unwary
meal. But with all bruins ingenuity and
hard earned adnptability long periods of
famine are always before him.
The native people, like the animals,
have evolved system of life and adapta-
ton to their habitat which could not be
much improved by civilized aid. They are
able to withstand long periods of famine,
like tho deer and bear with no apparent
injury, except a loss of bodily weight,
Their Cutaneous circulation is always pro-
fuse The muscular outlines are largely
obliterated by On development of flbro
fatty tissue like that of the seal and wal.
rus The intestinal capacity Is greatly in
creased to afford greater surface for the
absorption of heterogeneous and fatty foods.
I shall always remember our scamps
while travelling over the traokless wastes,
Of snow during this period, partiouiarly
tho stormy scenes. We undressed in the
open air, crept into our sleeping bags and
with rare delight stretched out upop the
virgin fields Of snow for long sleep,
There was nothing but the high blue sky
above us and often there were many hun
dred feet of snow and Ice beneath rs Al
first, after reclining, we were nearly stiff
from cold, but this was soon followed nv
o glowing reaction when We were con.
scious of bounding streams of heated
blood sent throbbln9 through tense arter-
los. We felt doubly the wild pleasures of
life, as we heard the roarinp
storms and felt tho snow CHARGED winds
blasting against our protected bodies
Such storms always brought us to sharp