Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-09-11
ADRIFT ON AN ICE CAKE.
An Eskimo Seal Hunters Days and Nights
of Extreme Peril

OF Extreme Perh
Cast away on cake of tloatln ice,
drifting toward the frozen sea, be-
yond the sight of land, enduring in
tense cold, finally coming in contact
with an icy pack that permitted him
to travel by lcaping from one piece
OF ice TO another. and after three
days and two nights of vigil and dan
gerous travelling over fields Of float
ing ice, reaching the Diomede
islands, where he slept under the
shelter Of rock, is the experience Of
a Cape Prince Of Wales native, says
the Seattle Post lntelligencer.
When Judge Wickersham and
Louis Lane were at Cape Prince of
Wales, in January, an Esquimaux
seal hunter Of the name of NetaXite
was lost in a foe. Nothing was heard
of him for weeks. One day, March ] 4,
he surprised the village of kingegan,
and brought JOY to the hearts Of his
relatives, by returning. He was ac-
companIcd 10y natives from the Do
mcdcs and looking fine They had
walked over from the Diomedes.
NctaNitc's sister was glad TO see him,
but she did not fall on his neck and
weep. She just smiled, but there
was a wonderful light Of happiness in
her eyes.
When NetaXitc, in quest Of seals,
discovered that he had foated away
from the ice pack, and was being car
rlcd northwest by one Of those cur
rents that are rivers between shores
Of ice, he could do nothing but wait
for his precarious ice raft to carry
him 10 the pack. The cake upon
which he was ailoat was then eight
or nine feet in diameter, and it was
a long time before he could leave il.
He drlfted from view, and finally the
high ridge back Of the village faded,
and in the dreary perspective there
was nothing but water and ice.
The next day he reached the ice
pack, and began his journey TO the
Dlomedcs. He found smooth foes
and travelled rapidly. When night
came he was forced to stop, as the GO
ing was too dangerous to be attempt
cd after dark. He had had no sleep
since he began his perilous trip, and
did not dare to sleep. Weary and
drowsy he began another night Of
waiting. When day dawned he
started again, but in his exhausted
condition he was compelled TO travel
slowly. As evening approached he
saw an island, the Little Diomede,
and succeeded in reaching it before
darkness came on.
lie found a sheltered spot beneath
a rock and slept. Next morning he
proceeded to walk around the south
ern end Of the island TO the settle
ment, which was probably IL miles
distant. The shore ice clinging TO
the steep base Of the island is very
narrow and rugged, and as this was
his fourth day out since he left his
home to 20 hunting his suffering in
his weakened condition must have
been intense. When he left home he
had some dried apples in his pocket,
and these he had eaten the first day.
His toes and one of his feet were
slightly frozen. When he reached
the settlement he found friends and
relatives, and received the best care.
He said:
IL was all right then, but ! could
not sleep for thinking about my peo-
pie grieying for me. saw one white
bear, but did not try to kill it. The
ice is smooth and two Diomede ma
tiyes have gone in East Cape"
A big dance was given in the vii
lage at Cape Prince Of Wales in honor
of NetaXlte's saAc return, and he and
his relatives distributed presents to
the people.-Seattle Post-lntelli-
gcncer.