The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-10-14

seemingly most impressive at this
ttmc-clouds of steam rose from the
frozen seas. In marching over the
golden glitter snow scalds the face.
while the nose is bleachcd with frost
In camp a grip of the knife left pain.
ful burns from cold metal 70 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
new hades. In our hard life there was
nothing genuinely warm. The cougcn.
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 i'm aching muscles
and an overbcaring languor. there could
be no real joys from the gloricS of ma
ture. The pleasure was reserved for a
later retrospect.
We now changed our working hours
from day TO night beginning usually
at 10 ana ending ut l. The big march
es and prolonged hours of travel with
which fortune favored us earlier were
no longer possible. Weather condi-
tions were more important in dctcr-
mining the days run than the hand,
Of the chronomctcrs.
Nhnn tbp St,p,ny tLr,, t,,,I e,
start was delayed, and i'm strong blows
the march was shortened, but in one
way or another we usually found
few hours in each turn of the dial dur
Ing which a march could he forced he
tween winds. 1t mattercd little whcth-
er we Travelled night or day-all hours
and all days We're alike to us-for we
had no accustomed time of rest, no
sundays. no holiday, no landmarks or
mileposts to pass. To advance and oX-
pend the energy accumulated during
one sleep at the cost of our pound of
pemmican was the one sole aim in
life.
The observations of April II gave
latitude 81 degrees 20 minutes, longi-
tude % 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 ut hand. however. to consider scri-
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 our dog
teams were much reduced in numbers
\ hard necessity had forced the cruel
law of the survival of the fittest, for
the less useful dogs We're fed to the
steady working survivors Owing to
the food limits and the advancing sea-
son we could not prudently continue
the outward march Il fortnight longer
We had dragged ourselves 800 miles
over the polar sea in twcnty-four days.
Including delays and detours, this gave
an average of nearly thirteen miles
daily ON an air line in our course.
There remained an unknown line of
100 miles before our ambitions could
be satisfied, The same average adj
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 were tabulated.
| watched daily for possible signs
of dangerous failure in strength, for
serious disability now meant fatal
termination.
A disabled man could neither con-
tlnue nor return, but every eXamina-
tion gave another reason to push hui
man endurance to the limit of the
SlIulll VI every UDeI anu Ctll. ne
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-evenlng and morn
ing-each took an average of three
quarts of water daily. This included
the tea and also the luxury Of an oc-
casiOnal soup. There was water about
everywhere in heaps, but ii was in
crystals, and before the thirst could
be quenched several ounces of pre-
clOus fuel, which had been carried
thousands of miles, must be used And
still this water, so expensive and 50
necessary to us, ultimately became the
greatest bane to comfort. 1t escaped
through the pores of the skin, satu-
t,.I - to.