The National tribune., 1902-07-31

ll.
the position of Acting Masters Mate,
learned that feet comprising about 60
sail had passed up through Behring'S Straits
into the Arctic Ocean but short time
previous. OF course they were still some
where in the ice-bound sea. from which
there WIS no exit save the passage by
which they had entered it, and We deter
mined to overhaul them.
At II d. M June %, We hove up our
kedge and once more commenced Steamlng
north. and by 10 o'clock on the morning OF
the 29th we had passed through Bering $
Straits within sight. at the same time, OF
the extreme frontiers of Asia and North
America. and were fairly within the Arctic
Circle.
1t was a desolate prospect that met our
view We were at last launched on the
Arctic Ocean, within whose cold embrace
was clasped the prize We so much coveted;
but now. as far as the eye could reach. eX-
tended cne vast unhroken sea of ice. where
two weeks before had been comparatively
open water.
To attempt to penetrate such barriers
would have been sheer madness. The un-
dertaking would have been attended with
the gravest peril. even with the auxiliary
of a vessel expressly fortified and strength
, ened for the rough encounter, and after
brief consideration, Capt. Waddell decided
to make no further effort to penetrate the
Polar Sea, and | do not think there was
an officer or man on board who did not
acquiesce in the wisdom of the decision.
SOUTHWARK BOUND.
The same afternoon, therefore, we put
about and steamed southwark. and ere the
hour which should have brought nishtfall
passed the burning hulks We had set on
fire the preceding day, and we also had
view of the two ships containing our prs
Oners, something over 100 all told.
IA 1,.Nf-A Goal hnt xt-a N
again bound for the genial region OF the
tropics our intention now being TO cruise
on the Pacific coast in the hopes of cap
turing one or more of the rich steamers
that ply between San Francisco and Pan
anna.
How others may have felt know not.
but for myself, l am free to confess that
had had enough of Arctic cruising, and
if never look again upon those icy seas
and barren shores fit residences only for
Esquimaux. seals. and Polar bears. it will
not occasion me one moments regret
In our outward passage through the
Straits we had an Illustration of the cx-
uberancc of animal life existing i'll these
rigorous waters. Hundreds OF walruscs
were disporting around US, now raising
their huge bulks above the surface of the
water and uttering their strange. roaring
cry, and anon disappearing beneath their
native element.
We We're much annoyed by the eyerlast-
ing fogs prevailing in these Attitudes, on
our passage out, and several times were in
imminent danger from this cause.
On the evening of tie 30th, just as the
sun was dipping below the horizon, our
ship suddenly brought up all standing on
q heavy cake Of field ice. Officers were
thrown from their berths and men from
their hammOcks by the force of the colll-
sion, and for a time the impression was
general that we had struck upon a rock
md -. oil carinuS If Sot bal
1t was not long before we ascertained
our real situation. The yards were braced
back to permit the ship to 90 astern, while
number of men went over the side upon
the foe and made lines fast by means of
crowbars and Hedges secured in the ice.
By such means and appliances we at
last succeeded in escaping from the dan
gerous locality into which we had wan
dered unwittingly in consequence Of the
fog; but it was a narrow escape. and had
we not struck upon the foe, we should
probably have been -beset for a consider
able time
When daylight returned a cheerless
spectacle was revealed to US. Ahead of
us and on both bows We're great fields of
floating ice extending to the utmost verge
Of vision, and for awhile it seemed as
though We were to experience another
jam, but ere long another stretch of wafer
opened, into which We steamed, more be-
cause it was the only space Of open water
than because it promised an avenue of
escape, and continued our slow and pain
full progress southwark, the ice parting be-
fore us as we advanced, as though on
purpose to let our good ship through.
After four or five hours Of such anxious
navigation we sighted the open water
again, and finally. thank God, reached it,
having passed almost scathless the many
perils by which we had been menaeed.
The next day we passed a small island
owned by the Russians, which was widely
celebrated among the frequenters of these
waters for the fur seals with which il
abounded.
We were still fairly within the right
whaling ground, and of course entertained
|, the hope of falling in with few more
prizes before bidding final adieu to the
Arctic Seas, but in this we We're disap
pointed. We saw no more whalers after
leaving Bering' Straits. and about July
we passed out between two of the island.
that form chain running east and west
about o3 degrees north latitude, and saw
the open Pacific stretching away broad
and inviting before us.
A few sheets of copper chafed off b,
our rude encounters was the most scriou!
loss we had sustained.
The principal part of the duty assigned
us had been discharged in the destruction
and dispensing of the New England whal
ing feet. and il was with feelings of pro
found relief that we at last saw thess
frozen seas, with their many perlls seer
and unseen, where for weeks we had beer
battling with ice, or cropping blindly in i'm
penetrable foGs, fading in the distance.
Three weeks took us fairly into warn
weather again, and never was the adven
of balmy air and soft breezes hailed Will
more genuine delight. Heavy woollei
clothing began TO be no longer an indis
pensable cOncomitant of comfort, and
watch on deck, instead of an irksome duty
had become 4 pleasant pastime. TIL
crew was engaged in cleaning and paint
ing the ship, and ere many days the bat
tered and weather-wom look she had &C
quired while boxing about in Arctic ic
had disappeared. and she once more as
sumed her old time tidiness
We saw no sail after leaving the Strait
on June 80 until Aug. 2, when we sighte
bark. The wind was very light. 50 W
got mp steam, and stood toward her, fyin
the English ensign at our peak As W
approached she showed the same color:
and although we had no reason to dout
from her general appearance but that sh
had a perfect right tc carry the flag sh
flew, we stopped our engines and di.
patched an officer on board. in the hop
OF obtaining some comparatively receI
news from the world OF which we ha
known so little for many weary month
A CRUISER WITHOUT FLAG OR coUNTR'
In the course of half an hour the bo: