Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1909-12-17
of the Pole
The Pole at Last---Amid
Singing Of Eskimos and
EOwlingof Dogs ExplOr-
er Reaches big Nail"
TENTH ARTICLEl


to mark the important area into which
we were pressing.
When the sun was low The eye ran
over moving plains in brilliant waves
of color to dancing horizons. The mi
RACES turned things tOpsy turvy. In
verified lands and queer objects ever
rose and fell in shrouds of mystery.
but all of this was due to the atmos-
pheric magic Of the midnight sun.
With a lucky series Of daily astro-
nOmical observations our position was
now accurately fixed for each stage of
progress. AS we neared the pole the
imagination quickcned. and restless,
almost hysteric excitement came over
us. The boys fancied they saw beaver
and seals. and | had Il new land under
observation frequently, but with Il
change in the direction of light or an
altered trend in our temperament the
horizon cleared and we became eager
only to push farther into the mystery
From the eighty-eiGhth to the eighty
ninth the ice was in very large fields
and the surface was less Irregular. but
in other respects it was about the
same as below the cighty-seventh. We
noticed here also an extension Of the
range of vision. We seemed To see
longer distances and the ice along the
horizon had Il less angular outline.
Whe color of the sky and thp ice also
changed TO deeper purple blues. We
had no way of checking these impress
sions by other observations. The
eagernesS to find something unusual
may have fired the Imagination. but
since the earth is fHttened ut the pole
perhaps a widcned horizon should be
detected.
At o'clock on the morning of April
10 we camped on picturesque old
field with convenient hummocks. to
which we could easily rise for the fire.
quent outlook which we now maintain
ed. The tent was pitched. The dogs
were silenced by blocks Of pemmcan.
In us new enthusiasm was aroused by
n liberal pot of pea soup and Il few
chips of frozen meat, and then we
bathed in life giving sunbeams. screen
ed from the piercing air by silk
strands. 1t was.a beautiful day, and
had our sense of appreciation not been
blunted by accumulated fatigue we
would have greatly enjoyed the play
Of light and color in the ever changing
scene of sparkle.
The Eskimos were soon lost in q
profound sleep. the only comfort i'll
their hard lives. but remained awake
as had been my habit on succeeding
days, to get nautical observations. The
longitude calculation lined us ut 81
degrees 3 minutes. At noon the suns
altitude was carefully set on the sex
tant. and the latitude quickly reduced
gave 50 degrees 81 enthusiastically
nine miles from the pole.
Ny heart jumped for joy. and the
unconscious commotion which l was
creating awakened Etukishuk. / told
him that in two average marches we
would reach the "tigi shu' (the big
naiD.
Ahwelah was awakened with a kick.
and together they went out to hum
mock and through glasses sought for
a mark to locate so important place
as the terrestrial axis. If but one
sleep beyond it must be seen.
tried to explain that the pole was
not visible TO the eye; that its position
was located only by repeated use of
the various instruments. This entirely
satisfied their curiosity. and they burst
out in hurrahs OF joy. For two hours
they chanted and danced the passions
of wild life.
Sleep Is impossible.
1t was the first real sign of pleasure
or rational emotion which they had
shown for several weeks. For some
time | had entertained the fear that
we no longer possessed the strength to
return to land. but the unbridled flow
of vigor dispelled that idea.
More sleep was quite impossible. We
brewed an extra pot Of tea. prepared
favorite broth Of pemmican. dug up
surprise of fancy biscuits and filled up
on good things to the limit of the al
lowance for our final feast days. The
dogs. which had Joined the chorus of
gladness. were given an extra lump of
pemmican. A few hours more were
agreeably spent in the tent. and then
we started with Il new spirit for the
uttermost north.
We were excited to a fever heat.
The feet were light on this run. Even
the dogs caught the infectious enthusi-
asm and rushed along ut II pace which
made it difficult for me TO keep suttl-
cient advance TO set Il good course.
The horizon was still searched for
something to mark the approaching
boreal center. but nothing unusual was
seen 1t was the same eXpanse OF