The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-10-14


vii any sppreciable sense of warmth
Indeed. the sunbeams seemed to make
the frost of the air pierce with a more
painful sting.
There was weird play Of orgies.
seemingly most impressive Mt this
time-cloudS of steam rose from the
frozen seas. In marching over the
golden glitter snow ScaldS the face,
while the nose is bicarhcd with frost
In camp a grip OF the knife left pain
full burns from cold metal To the
frozen finger the water WIS hot. With
wine spirits the fire WAS lighted. while
oil delighted the stomach. In dreams
heaven was hot. the other place was
cold
All nature was false. We seemed
TO be nearing the chilled flame Of Il
new hades. In our hard life there was
nothing genuinely warm. The congen-
ial appearances were all deception. but
death offered only cold comfort. There
was no advantage in suicide.
We should have enjoyed this curious
experience but with endless bodily dis
| comforts. combined in achin" muscles
| and an overbearinC languOr. there could
be no real joys from the glories OF ma
| ture The pleasure was reserved for
| later retrospect
We now changed our working hours
| from day to night. beginning usually
| at 10 and ending ut I. The big march
| eS and prolonged hours Of travel with
which fortune favored us earlier were
| lnnonp nnndf-
lions were more important in deter
mining the days run than the hands
Of the chronometerS.
When the storms threatened the
start was delayed. and in strong blows
the march was shortened. but i'll one
way or another we usually found Il
few hours in each turn Of the dial dur
ing which march could he forced be-
tween winds. 1t mattered little wheth-
er We travelled nght Or day-all hours
4 and all days We're alike to us-fOr We
> had no accustomed time OF rest. no
! Sundays, no holiday. no landmarks Or
" miIelosts 10 rhss. rs advance aid ex-
pend the energy accumulated during
one sleep at he cost Of our pound OF
; i,afimicAn was The one sole aim in
! life
The observations or April II gave
latitude 81 degrees % minutes. longf-
| tude % minutes 80 seconds. The PACK
! disturbance of Bradley Land WAS less
| ! and less noted in the northward move
! ment The fields became heavier, lar
! ger and less cTevasSed.
| We had now passed the highest
| reaches Of all our predecessors and
| had gained the inspiration OF the far
| thcsr north for ourselves. The time
! was at ha nd. however. to consider seri-
| ously the necessity of an early return.
| Nearly half OF the food allowance
/ had been used. In the long marches
supplies bad heen more literally used
! than anticipated. and now our dog
| teams were much reduced in numbers
hard necessity had forced the cruel
! Law of the survival Of the htteSt. for
Al ! the less useful dogs were fed to the
Z steady working survivors. Owing to
the food limits aud the advancing sea
son we could not prudently continue
the outward march q fortnight longer
We had dragged ourselves 800 miles
- over the polar sea in twenty-four days
Including delays and detours. this gave
an average Of nearly thirteen mile;
" daily on an air line in our course
There remained an unknown line o.
1G0 miles before cur ambitions coulC
" be satisfied. The same average ad
- vance which we had made on the paci
-" would take us to the pole in thirteen
DAYS. There were food and fuel enongl
to risk this adventure.
In the diary of the succeeding days
" doings there appear numerous tabu
B." iations OF work and observations. Ii
~ the new c.acks the thickness of tn
ice was nffSured. The water was ey
amined for life. Atmospheric. surfac
.P water and ice temperatures were tai
nc en-, the barometer was noted. tn
"e cloud formations weather condition
ne and ice drifts were tabulated.
!" l watched daily for possible Sigu
az. ~. Of dangerous failure in strength. 70
a" serious disability now meant a fats
- termination.
- A disabled man could neither cor
~ tinue nor return. but every examius
-, tion gave another reason to push hl
man endurance to the limit of To
~ strain OF every uDef ana CELL LII
oa hard work which followed, under a
-, occasional burst of burning sunbeam
as brought intense thirst.
MO Forcing the habit OF the camel. W
1O6 managed to take enough water befol
,rd starting to keep sufficient liquid in tt
Sis veins for the days march. but it WI
,nd difficult to await the melting Of the il
ice. at camping time.
the In two sittings-eFenlng ana NOR
us ing-each took an average OF TUT
to quarts Of water daily. This include
avs the tea and also the luxury of aa Q
we'd caSicnal soup. There was water abo
everywhere in heaps. but it was
cen crystals, and before the thirst cou