The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-13
THE MIDNIGHT SUN
A WILMNGT0NlAH ON AVlSIT TO
WONDERLAND.
Mr.. George II. French and His Party
Have Been In the Attic RESPONSIBLE
Writes q FiLe Descriptive Letter OF
the sights They Saw.

this city n his brother-in-iaw and /
sister, Mr.. and Mrs. L Christian, OF
Minneapolis. Mimi, in their European
tour have been to the land of the mid
night sun and are now we'll on their
way back TO finish up their tour. pre-
paratory to returning home- Mr.. |
French writes a very interesting letter |
to his brother Mr.. w. A. French and
by his permission We publish that por-
ton OF it which refers to their trip TO |
the arctic region. 1t is as follows:
Dear Brother: / sent you q postal
from Trondhjem on the V OF our de- |
parture for the North Cape on h
night of the 18th of July on the steam
er, King Harald. The sail through the
ford that night was pleasant and We
slept comfortably as we raj between
the islands and not on the open sea.
The next day Tuesday the 18th instant,
was beautiful and bright and took us
amid some fine which was like
a moving picture. Great tall cliffs
clad in verdure. and some OF them bare,
and in every conceivable shape, but
wherever there was any valley or n
spot on the mountain side where a
house could be located, there you would
see the Norwegian farmer, with his
little plot of grain and potatoes. The
tops might be covered with
snow and the face of the hills scanned
with the rush of waters from the melt
ing of the snow for years, and it would
look as if these houses would be pushed
by the rushing floods from their foun-
dationS into the k but there they
rest and have their habitation and
homes. living l suppose in sweet con-
tentment of their lot in life, knowing
but little of the outside world, fishing
in summer, and sleeping in winter.
shut out from the rude world with all
it's cares n imaginary wants. We
have seen snow on the mountains and
glaciers at a distance but today we get
near one. We have watched 1t on the
mountain tops for miles and u a
turns it's prov into a cove or bay and
just in front of us is the mass of ice
that has run down the side of the
mountain to the sea- We cast anchor
and lower the a and we go ashore
to see it. We had to walk about a
half a mile though it looked just at our
feet. 1t vas a wonderful sight to me
to see this frozen mass with its color
ing of white, green, blue, and stretch
ing from the ground to the distant
peaks as it is some t~hirty-five miles
long and ten miles wide and no n
seems to know it's depth, but the pieces
1 saw broken off at the base were from
Is to 20 feet thick wen after having I'M
dergone the melting process. Strange
as it may seem the grass was growing
green and lowers blooming right at the
foot of all this sea of ice and snow,
while we were clad in thick clothing
n wearing OVercoatS.
About 6 o'clock we gather on deck
to witness our passing into the arctic
region. They raise a flag and fire a
a small cannon as we cross from the
temperate to the frigid circle. Tromso
a town we soon make Is quite a city
and is the largest town in the world in
| SO high a latitude, a population of $500.
! 1t is in latitude So degrees SO minutes
north SO you will note it is well up.
| Here we have some Laplanders the
| aborigines of this country. They are
| very small people n clad in skins, and
| very dirty and do not smell very sweet.
They live in huts and fish and hunt.
| They carry the infants very much as
the indians, save the Lapps put them in
a kind of basket, in which they just
fit, instead of Strapping to q board,
You can get some idea of how far north
we are at Tromso when J. tell you that
we are actually north of the spot
where Sir John Franklin's ships Were
abandoned after being beset by ice fol
a year n a half while DR.. n in
1888 across the ice fields of Greenland
made his journey over the enexploreC
pIateaux of that land some six de-
greeS further south or some $50 miles
! further south of us. The weather o
is cloudy and cold and we feel that we
are in the arctic regions sure enough
On Wednesday we had some grand
views of the snow and ice clad noun
tainS with the huge glaciers covering
the tops and running over the sides
wherever there was a depression. The
mountains were devoid of any vegita-
ton save just at the bases where tbs
grass seemed to be extra green. Il
looked like the arctic region as it was
and the grandeur of the sight 1 car
never forget. The whole day there
vas a moving picture before us chang.
ing from bleak mountain to those part.
ly green and even varying shapes. Or
Thursday morning at 8 o'clock We
drop anchor at Hammerfest and we al
go ashore. 1t was raining and colo
but we went between showers as W.
wanted TO put our foot on the land o.
the town farthest north, it being il
20 degrees 40 minues IL seconds NORTH
latitude and has a population OF Zoo
The harbor vas full of vessels anC
: steamers showing it has considerable
commerce. Here we see more Laps
and We visit the shops, look at the fur
i dIlu lllllhtlSr Ouy SOAlV DoSloi %oAN
and talk with the people
After leaving Hammerfest we &c
into the open sea and as there is con
siderable wind the boat rocks consid
cradle and the girls are unhappy. w
anchor in a cove so as to eat Dime
and afterward start again for the Mort
Cape. We pass close under the hug
rocks known as the bird cliff wher
thousands of birds roost n nest. w
sailed opposite and fired some rocket
into the cliff II h startled bird
filed the air while many still sat undis
[ urbed Starting up again we 90 in tn
teeth of the wind 10 the North Cape
where we anchor in the bay at Z D. n
and wait to see the sun at midnigh
1t is cold the wind sweeping down fror
the high peaks blowing a fine raj
Which makes US seek the leasids of til
boat. All who wish to go to the 70
Of the cape or mountain are landed an
several go up, among them some We
1 men. Lines are brought out and "
fish from the deck of the steamer al
Il nofzh ca--z-a1 Gna God IT. -.