Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-06-08
LIFE in THE ARCTIC.
ADVENTURE AND & EXPLORATION IN
tFRANz-JoSEF LAND. IS. +, #

4 .-. 3 > ~
Four Months of solil Night livery
Year Depress tho SPIRITS and nIur-
der Sleep - A Hear Hunt--Trying
| Fluctuations In tho Temperature. :
Life In the arctic Is q serious matter
and ono not to be lightly undertaken
| Never to sleep IN a bed for three years.
or even in a bunk--suoh as our prison.
ers enjoy--is merely bagatelle, as the
floor and a reindeer skin made capital
substitute. Looking back On the expert.
once of 1000 days spent in the most
northerly Inhabited hut in tho world
for our quarters were on the eightieth
! degree north latitude--I certainly think
our greatest enemies were perpetual
darkness and want Of oonpanionship.
| For six mon to be boxed up three
years in hut 30 feet long by 30 feet
wide and only feet high, never seeing
any other being nor hearing a scrap Of
news, Is a trying existence, yet I can
unhesitatingly say no jollier or happier
little party ever lived in northern lati.
] tudos. -Four months Of solid night every
year has, however, u depressing effect
not only Oh the spirits, but Oh the nppe-
| tito, and it also destroys sleep. Morn
nizable, merged into one endless gloom,
and but for the welcome advent OF tho
moon once month, when tho sky was
| sufficiently clear for us to enjoy her
rays, we lived in a b!acl:acss the dreari.
ness If which is indescribable.
AS tho schoolboy counts tho days to
the holidays, SO we counted the hours
till tho return Of the sun, and even as
tho first rays became visible our spirits
rose. and oxistenoo altogether wore
| different complexion. Then exercise be-
camo enjoyable, instead of that dreary
| daily trudgo round u givon circlo in the
dark With the return of the light we
3elt now life and energy. And yet tho
| climate Of Franz.Josof Land, oven in
| tho spring, would not suit oil tastes
For example, out Of 90 days sledging,
ending in May, 1897, Mr.. Albert Armi-
tngo and enjoyed only 1875 tolerably
clear daysl Driving snow, wind and
bitter cold wero general, for, DO it un
| dorstood, in all these throo years the
| thermometer never rose higher than II
degrees above freezing point, and 70 to
| 80 degrees below that point was quite
| common.
| They say eels get used TO skinniug
| Woll, wo may havo fairly got used to
wind, mist and snow, but wo hardly
| liked it'll
Occasionally a boar hunt would give
us somo diversion. l always allowed
| two Or three dogs, which showed some
aptitude for bear hunting, to run loose
during tho winter and had ono dog,
| NimrOd, tied to rough kennel just
outside tho hut. These dogs would got
on tho track of bear on the foe and
set up a barking. Nimrod would take
up tho chorus and thus lot us know
what was going on.
One of my mon and I would then set
off in chase with our rifles and, guided
by the cry of tho dogs stumble through
tho mist and darkness over the foes
After proceedings milo or SO, gradually
tho noise would become moro and moro
distinct, and some small dark objects
jumping around largo yellow ono
from which proceed loud Kisses and
snarls, would appear in sight.
A halt is then called to enable us to
recover our wind after rough and
tumble pursuit.
The boar in tho meantime has been
engaged in making rushes at tho dogs,
ono of whom, with his tail tucked be.
tween his legs and looking as if he had
seen things ho would gladly forget, runs
up to whore wo are standing
We thon separate and advance from
opposite points until within about ten
yards Of our game, my rule being to
approach tho animal until the outlines
Of his head could bo distinctly made
out. He appears to bo n little undecided
as to whether to charge us or to beat
retreat, but dog taking advantage of
his indecision and encouraged by our
presence, makes insolent remarks almost
in his ear. and tho bear dashes round to
retaliate. At the samo moment two
shots ring out. and poor Mr.. Bear rolls
over dead.
One Of us thon returns to the hut to
bring out sledgo party to haul him in.
Wo drag him into a canvas hut, roserv-
cd for bear skinning during the dark
ness, and remove his skin and out up
tho carcass into convenient joints Tho
donso atmosphere caused by the rising
steam In the intensely cold air suggests
o laundry in full swing.
Tho fluctuations in tho tempera ture
wero very trying. Frequently with the
onset Of a southeast gale it rose from 40
degrees below zero to 80 degrees above
within SO 6hours-altering our garments,
which had previously beeil frozen as
hard as sheets Of galvanized iron, so
that 1t took us hours to got into vnem,
to state of nosome moistness, and ev-
erything inside the tent would be In q
condition Of drip. Down again would
60 tho temperature, and tho rockiness Of
our clothes and equipment would be in
creased. This addition Of moisture and
ioo in our olOthos besides being incon-
venient and uncomfortable, greatly In
creased our weights. TO give an In.
stance my militia (fur jumper), which
on leaving the hut weighcda little under
10 pounds. on our return scaled nearly
80 pounds. The rises OF temperature
and consequent wet In tho tont caused
our furs to rot, and the stenoh made
thereby was absolutely indesoribable. -
"Days In tho Arotic," by Frederick G.
jackson, in Harpor's Magazine
DR.. M. A. Simmons Liver Medicine
has national reputation, extending over
about sixty years, as most successful
liver regulator For salo by DR.. j. w.
Boil. WalbnlIa