The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-10-20


Indeed, the sunbeams seemed to make
the frost Of the air pierce with a more
painful sting.
There was a weird play of orgies.
seemingly most impressive at this
time-clouds Of steam rose from the
frozen a In marching over the
golden glitter snow scalds the face,
while the nose is bleached with frost.
In camp a grip of the knife left pain
full burns from cold metal. To the
frozen finger the water was 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 a
new hades. In our hard life there was
nothing genuinely warm. The congen-
1al 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 aching muscles
and an ~ovcrhearing languor. there could
be no real joys from the glories of ma
turc. The pleasure was reserved for a
later retrospect.
We now changed u working hours
from day to night, beginning usually
at 10 and ending at Z. The big march
es and prolonged hours of travel with
which fortune favored rs earlier were
no longer possible. Weather condi-
tons were more important in dctcG.
mining the days run than the hands
of the thermometers.
When the storms threatened the
start was delayed, and in strong blows
the march was shortened, but in one
way or another We usually found a
few hours in each turn of the dial dur
ing which a march could be forced be-
tween winds. 1t mattercd little wheth-
err we Travelled night or day-all hours
and all days were alike to us-for we
had no accustomed time of rest. no
Sundays. no holiday. no landmarks or
mileposts to pass. To advance and ex-
pend the energy accumulated during
n sleep at the cost of our pound OF
pemmican was the n sole aim in
life.
Tie observations OF April II gave
latitude 81 degrees 20 minutes, longi-
tude 95 minutes 10 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 crevassed.
We had now passed the highest
reaches Of all our predecessors and
had gained the inspiration of the far
thest north for. ourselves. The time
was at hand. 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 had been more literally used
than anticipated. and now II dog
teams were much reduced in numbers.
A hard necessity had forced the cruel
law of the survival of the tittest. for
the less useful dogs were fed to the
steady working survivors. Owing to
the food limits and the advancing sea-
o we could not prudently continue
the outward march a fortnight longer.
We had dragged ourselves 300 miles
over the polar sea in t~wenty-fOur days.
Including delays and detours. this gave
an average Of nearly thirteen miles
daily on IN air line in our course.
There remained an unknown line of
16O miles before our ambitions could
be satisfied. The same average ad-
vance which we had made ON the pack
would take us to the pole in thirteen
days. There were food and fuel enough
to risk this adventure.
In the diary of the succeeding days
dOings there appear numerous tabu-
lations of work and observations. In
the new cracks the thickness OF the
ice was measured. The water was eX-
amined for life. Atmospheric. surface
water and ice temperatures were TAX
en-, the barometer was noted, the
cloud formations. weather conditions
and ice drifts We're tabulated.
l watched daily for possible signs
of dangerous failure in strength, for
serious disability now meant a fatal
termination.
A disabled man could neither con-
tinue nor return. but every eXamina-
ton gave another reason t. push hui
man endurance to the limit Of the
strain of every fiber and cell. The
hard work which followed. under an
occasional burst Of burning sunbeams,
brought intense thirst.
Forcing the habit Of the camel. we
managed to take enough water before
starting to keep sufficient liquid in the
veins for the days march, but it was
difficult to await the melting Of the ice
at camping time.
In two sittings-evening and morn
ing-each took an average of three
quarts Of water daily. This included
the tea and also the luxury of an &C.
c%asional soup. There was water about
everywhere in heaps. but it was in