Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-02

gion Of the strangest contrasts. where ac-
tive volcanoes are found surrounded oy
eternal snow and Ice. and where the
poppy. symbol Of warmth and sleep and
luxury, blossoms at the very foot Ok the
crags of icy glaciers. some material were
found which would make possible some
yet unknown necessity of our future civii-
zation.
But suppose we admit that Arctic ex-
ploration Is only matter Of sentiment,
with no money return, no increase OF |
commerce, no fruit of colonization, no |
harvest OF great good for many men. Let |
1t stand as sentiment; II has good COM |
pany. Love and patriotism and religion |
are matters Of sentiment, and we ask no !
money return for them.
Yet q question which claimed the lives |
of such men as Kane. Hall, De Long, |
Chip. and Lockwood. of our own coun-
trymen, and Franklin. Bellot. Crozier, and
many more from across the water, and
has inspired the pens Of Markham. Poster
mann, Barrow, Melville, and others, needs
no apologies or defence. There are no
pages OF England's history on which she
prides herself more than those on which
are inscribed the work and the discoveries
OF her sons within the realms OF MONDAY
nights and midnight suns. and there is no
American that is not proud OF the re-
cords Of De Haven, Kane, Hayes, Hall.
De Long. Greedy, Lockwood, and Schley.
Whatever may be said against Arctic
exploration, IL remains a definite fact
that no other portion of the globe pos
sesses such universal attraction FOR young
and old, illiterate and intelligent, weak
and strong, as this. And one thing Is as
certain as that the North star will con-
tiDue to shine, regardless CT utility or nom
utility, the inherent charm OF Arctic work,
and that irrepressible restlessness of the
human animal, as long as there remains
a corner of the earth unknown to him.
will keep up efforts In the White North
till every square inch of sea and land
has been charted."
The illustrations are profuse, but a
great many OF them do not go to Illus
trate the writing and could have been
easily dispensed with. What Mr.. Peary
has said In these two volumes could have
been put in one with the greatest ease.
In the introduction he gives a brief his
tory Of the land and Its dimensions, &c.
Mr.. Peary certainly seems to have bene-
flied the inhabitants in marked ways. He
says: THE effect OF my expeditions upon
those children Of the North has been to
raise the entire tribe TO a condition OF
affiuence. The difference between their
condition five years ago and to-day can
perhaps be best illustrated by imagining
the case OF community or village OF
farm or day .aborers working at sl.S
day and possessing nothing but their
wages; and then suppose each member
of this community to have given him a
furnished house and lot and $4,000 bank
account. Seven years ago many a man
| in this tribe possessed no knife and many
| woman no needle. Few OF the men pos
sessed kayaks, or skin canoes, and he
was indeed well off who had a spear or
harpoon shaft made OF single piece OF
wood. To-day men and women are am
ply supplied with knives and needles;
| every adult man and boy has his canoe;
| most OF the men have guns, and every
| hunter is supplied with the best or wood
| for his lance, his harpoon, his seal spear.
and his sledge. The effect Of these inn
! provements in their weapons has shown
itself at once in an improved condition of
| the tribe, resulting from the great in
crease in the effectiveness Of the hunters
The people are better clothed; they can
support a larger number OF dogs their
only domestic animaD. and as result OF
| their more ample nourishment and conse-
ouent greater ability to Withstand the
constant hardships of their life, the
death-rate has decreased and the birth
rate perceptibly Increased within the past
six years"
There mas been a question among the
| Arctic explorers as to the most suitaoi'
clothing, and Mr.. Peary gives a para
graph or two to the discussion or II, ni'
| experience being that fur Is the only ma
terial that can resist the penetration o
the winds. which are never still and max
the explorers hardships doubly severe
Another cause OF suffering is the intens
glare, necessitatlng the constant wearing
of smoked glasses. Some of the descrip
lions of scenery are very picturesque
| especiaIly the one OF the Aurora, Whlc
wa here quote: In regard TO the auror
OF high northern ATTITUDES the populS
idea Is almost as erroneous as in regar
to the night. In the whale-sound regio
a dazzling auroral display Is of extrem
rarity. Usually the display takes III
form of curtains and steamers OF MODE
rate intensity, and as frequently In IN
south as elsewhere. But when one of III
rare brilliant auroras does occur In IN
heart Of the "Great Night" the effect
Infinitely grand and inspiring.
For days, or even weeks the sIed
northern consultations Cassiopela, Orloi
the Great Bear. Gemini, and those spdfS
ling brillianIs, Arcturus, Aldeoaran' an
Vega, and the rest have gltterea uhoiii
med bv rival light, when suddenly tn
, ebon dome is rent and slashed by iasf
ing blades of light, which dart like "a
piers athwart the blue-black SKY, the
rush together to form a blazing arcI
snanning the heavens and bristiing VII
noints which leap and flash ike the vi
lifted sabres OF charging cavalry Inc
= arch and sabres melt into rant, Iuih
nous cloud. which breaks into nunure
E luminous, futtering banners. Iheh'
E the Celestial electrician turns on III
= force. with an instant, simultaneol
. movement the banners leap ana meIs
!, into a radiant waving curtain, the lol'
= OF which sway to and fro Tar out acFo'
' me desolate. rigid sea.
LAS the ghostly fluctuations sweep aIot
the curtains edge, pale flashes OF req al
] | green spring out, and, stahulhs III u
j | utter silence of the frozen nlsnt' one
S most fancies that he hears the WaVn
: of the mighty folds shaping ltseh
7 sound. ,..o
= ana the stars. the ebon dome, and u
?. nnIif,ad aesolation OF the Great &c
j holds full sway again"
e Mr. Peary's account Of his journey WI
e two companions TO the great Ice cap al
r ,ortbern extremity OF Greenland. In wnl'
= the aim of his expedition is accomplishe
! Is pathetically given in four chapters {
}, titled the white March
n AS a specimen Of the publishers a
Y the work IS a success; as an example
!, literary lite art it is not. Yet with all Of
II shortcomings in this latter respe'
d ..Northward over the Great Ice" mas
s distinct value in the field OF lteratu
Z, hearing upon Arctic explorations and 60 60
e S,,ions In it Mr.. Peary tells much IN
e, M other man has told. and on the "h'