The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-02
A DESERTER IN THE ARCTIC
CHICAGO ChronicleN

N1HiNaSO AtlibnlNlt.J
IT is a prOverb among sailors that no
man can desert from a whaling YES
Sci within the Arctic circle because
the vast uninhabited wastes lying be-
tween the northern coasts and ciViliza-
ton are more trouble than the clouts
and irons of the most inhuman of mas
tiers. But Walter Wells. recently ar
rived at Sar Francisco as u stowaway
in the Norwhal, is an example or the
fallibility of proverbs and the lengths
to which i'll usage and desperation VIII
drive man in accomplishing the SEEM
ingly impossible. Wells was a COM
mon seaman on the steam whaler Bow
head, under Captain John Cook, ana
deserted the vessel on June % last,
when she was lying frozen III at Her
schel island, about eight miles from
the mainland British coast and 10 miles
north of the Mackenzie river, in Beau
fort sea. This is above latitude 10 de-
grees and near the desoiate region
which Du Chaillu christened many
years ago in his famous Land or the
Midnight Sun. 4 was disconnected
from the start. as are most fOrecastle
hands when it is too late to turn back,
and Captain Cook made il hot for Us,
even within the circle" he says
determined to get away or die in the
attempt and while the ship lay frozen
in at winter quarters at Herschel IS
land, 1 began to plan way of escape
Every day 1 saved little OF the coarse
grub that was served us and cached II
at a bluff at the north end of the island.
L also managed to get fifty cartridges
from the cabin and bought a rifle from
the Naualamie Indians, and L was
ready TO set out
1T is about eight miles from the is
land to the mainland, and the strait
Fp-alr ice
break at $3.50 O'Clock on the 23d Of June,
and had two hours start before the
alarm was given The captain had
standing orders to shoot any man
caught deserving. and he often SAID that
if one came back TO him without being
frozen he would fix him so that he
could not run away again They sent
an officer and two dogs to look over the
way [ was supposed to have gone, ana
the officer reported that the ice was
solid and that it would be easy 70 fol-
low me to the mainland. linen announcer
officer. some natives and three boat
steerers-'pole pusheTs,' as we call them
! we're nut on the trail. They followed
il for a few miles. and then put back,
/ telling the captain that the ice was i'm
passable and full of assures The Ice
was full of gaps, chasms six or eight
| feet wide, which 1 had 10 risk my neck
/ in jumping. 1 started south, hoping 10
make the Yukon
The country I passed through Was
/ terrifying. and nothing can describe the
| feeling of loneliness which comes over
! one up there within the Arctic circle,
| with no living thing for miles and miles
/ around and with nothing but Dogs I'M
der foot. These boys were the worst
I things had to contend with. They are
called nigger-heads. and sometimes are
as high as your knee. The only way to
! walk among them is to step over them.
as they will bear no weight, and this
| is thing that only an Indian can DO
/ for any distance. Some days L only
made five miles, and the most ] ever
! Travelled was fifteen. OF course, il was
ALWAYS light as the sun never went
| below the horizon 1 had to sleep on
the ground. for I had no tent. The
mosquitoes too. were terrible-in a way
people who have never been in that lat
itude cannot understand
For three days / went south as
nearly as / could judge by the course OF
the streams. These streams We're every
| where varying from little slOughS tC
rivers l could hardly ford. The whole
region is a network of these little water
| courses. and som etimeS had to wade
i'm them to avoid the niggerheads. Al
/ times l could only stagger to the banks
and drop down with exhaustion and
cold There WAS no game of any sort
eXceDt an occasional duck, and as l haC
only a rife ducks were hard to set
| But 1 managed to get few, and afte
the things l had brought in my pacl
were gone duck was all L had TO ca
| during the whole journey. On TIT
fourth day after deserving the ship
! struck the foothills and was able 4
, | climb to peak and take a look at tn
country ahead of me The sight com
; pIetely discouraged me. l had hope
: for better going beyond, but there wa
nothing but the same desolation Q
: boys and hills. On the eighth day
= struck out for the nearest coast, hopin
2 TO find the cabin OF "A miner that wa
D said to be i'm that vicinity After muc
; / fioundering among the niggerheads