The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-17

dergo another surgical operation on
the frozen foot, part of which has al
ready been amputated The last time
he was home it was plain to see that
his hardships have been many. for.
though still young man, his hair is
streaked with gray and his face is
deeply lined with the chisel marks Of
care. OF course, the Pole remains un-
discovered, as doubtless it always will
remain; and all these sufferings and
heroic efforts, loss of life and limb and
expenditure of money go for compare
lively nothing.
I called on Mrs. Peary just before
she went way, and in course of con-
versation asked if her husband would
make any more expeditions into the
Arctic regions. Indeed, he will not"
she replied. mot if 1 have any inf1u-
ence over him. 1 don't think he wants
to go again 1t is so awfully far from
nome, where no news can travel to
and fro, that man might as we'll be
dead, so far as communicating with his
family is concerned. His mother died
in November of 1900, and he did not
know of 1t until the following August
nine months afterwards"
l learned a good many interesting
things in regard to Arctic life from
Mrs. Peary. Speaking of her hus-
bands winter quarters, she said that
the deckhouse of the Windward was
moved ashore, sheathed and packed
outside with snow, which wade it warm
and comfortable, though in perpetual
darkness inside. Among the supplies
left him were forty saddles of Veni-
sion and two hundred walrus for food
for the dogs. AS the average walrus
weighs about two hundred pounds, the
dogs are not likely to go hungry, an
less accidents befall. The country is
depended upon for fresh meat, and
generally there is plenty in camp A
number of natives have become great
ly attached to Lieut.. Peary and re-
main about the camp, serving him as
faithfully as their antipodes, the
plantation darkys of the South, serve
their masters. If Mr.. Peary is long
away from headquarters, they scour
the country for him, until he is found
and brought safely back. The time his
feet were frozen he would have prob
ably lost his life had it not been for
the vigilance of his Eskimo friends.
When he first went North there were
places where the natives refused to
go, believing that evil spirits dweIt
there; but when Peary went boldly
into the tabooed regions and nothing
happened to him, they got over their
superstitious fears and will now go
anywhere with him. In reply to my
question whether she ever ate Walrus
meat, Mrs. Peary said: "Oh. yes, when
the carniverous animal was young
The steaks are tough and have no
flavor. The first time / tasted it was
when 1 took a small piece from Mr.
Peary's plate and found it was not
much worse than some of the twenty
cents-a-pound beef people are buying
now in Washington. One of the mem
bers of our party thought he could
endure 1t if could; so that started it,
and by degrees all fell into the habit
of eating it and liked it fairly we'll"
The winter fashions that prevail
among the Peary party have the merit
of adaptability to below-zero weather,
but will probably not be copied by any
of my readers. 1t is the Eskimo cos
tune, slightly improved upon, worn
by men and women alike, Mrs. Peary
and the Snow Baby" as well. The
garments are all of fur, over the heav-
lest kind of a wooden combination suit.
Bear skin knee breeches, deer skin
shirt, fox skin coat. rabbit skin stock
ings and seal skin boots The coat
has a hood, made so tight and snug
that the head has to be forcibly push
ed into 1t. A drawstrlng attachment
pulls II over the face. leaving only
narrow slit for the eyes; or II can be
regulated so as 20 entirely conceal the
face Of the wearer. All kinds Of nit
tens are used-and mittens Of some
sort are indispensable as a part OF the
Toilette unless one wants 20 lose bis
6rgers. The natives make their clothes
shorter than the Peary people-so snort