Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-29

The tent was quite sumcient protecuOh
during sleep.
The temperature began to rise. In many
places the snow melted entirely away,
and great patches of water appeared
Hunting was not forgotten during the
march, for fresh meat was a necessity
Altamont and Bell kept their guns load
ed. and shot ptRrmigans, guillemots' geese
and a few young hares.
Hatteras advised them not to go moro
than a mile away, as there was not
day, nor even an hour, to lose, for three
months OF fine weather was the utmost
they could count upon. Besides, the
sledge often coming to difficult places,
when each man was needed to lend
helping hand.
For several days the expedition had
been attended with no fatigue. The travel
ers had only suffered from the intense
glare on the snow, which threatened them
with snow-blindness.
At another time Of the year they might
have avoided this by walking during the
night, but at present there was no night
at all Happily the snow was beginning
to melt, and the brilliancy would dimin-
lsh as the process OF dissolution advanc-
ed
On the sth of June the thermometer
rose to IS degrees, and the rain fell In
torrents. HatterasN and his companions,
however marched stoically on, and even
hailed the downpour with delight, know
Ing that II would hasten the disappear
ance OF the snow.
As they went along, the doctor often
picked up stones, both round ones and the
fat pebbles, as II worn away by he
tide. He thought from this they must be
near the polar basin, and yet far as the'
eye could reach was one interminaole
plain.
There was not a trace Of houses, or
huts, or cairns visible. 1t was evident
that the Greenlanders had not pushed
their way so far north, and yet the fam
ished tribes would have found their &C
count in coming, for the country abounded
ir game Bears were frequently seen,
and numerous herds of musk-oxen and
deer.
On the 18th Bell killed a fox apd Al
lamont a musk-ox. These suppliea Of
fresh food were very acceptable, and
even the doctor surveyed, with consider
able satisfaction, the launches of meat
they managed to procure from time to
time.
Don't let us stint ourselves" he used
TO say on these occasions; food is no
unimportant matter in expeditions like
OURS"
Especially" said johnson, when a
man depends on lucky shot"
think so much about dinner when he
knows the soup-pot is simmering by the
kitchen fire."
On the 3Oth, they came 20 a district
which seemed to have been upturned by
some volcanic CONFUSION, so covered was
it with cones and sharp, lofty peaks
A strong breeze from the southeast was
blowing, which soon increased tea hur-
ricsne, sweeping over the rocks covered
with snow and the huge masses of ice.
which took the forms of icebergs and
hummocks, though on dry land.
On all sides nothing could be heard
but the noise Of cracking ice and fall
ing avalanches.
The travellers had to be very careful In
avoiding hills, and even in speaking
aloud, for the slightest agitation in the
air might have caused a catastrophe. In
deed, the suddenness is the peculiar feat
ure in arctic avalanches, distinguishing
them from those of Switzerland and Nor
way.
Often the dislodgement of a block OF
ice is instantaneous, and not even a cam
non ball or thunderbolt could be more
rapid in it's descent. The loosenIng, the
fall and the crash happen Almost stimuli
taneously.
Happily however, no accident befel
any Of the party, and three Gays after
wards they came to smooth. level ground
again.
On the Fourth of July there was such
an exceedingly dense fog that 1t was very
difficult to keep the straight course for
the north. No misadventure, however, be-
Eel the party during the darkness, excepN
the loss OF Bells snowshoeS.
At Bells suggestion torches were con-
trived, made OF tow STEPPED in spirits of
wine and fastened on the end of stick,
and these served somewhat to help them
on, %hough they made but small progress;
for, on the sixth, after the fog had cleared
OF, the doctor took their bearings, and
found that they had only been marching
at the rate of eight miles a day,
Determined to make up for lost time,
they rose next morning very early and
started off, Bell and Altamont as usual
going ahead Of the rest and acting as
scouts. Johnson and the others kept be-
side the sledge, and were soon nearly two
miles behind the guidesy but the weather
was so dry and clear that all their move
ments could be distinctly observed.
! Storms blew up again and the tent was
! pitched in a ravine for shelter. as the sky
was dark and threatening, and a violent
north wind was blowing.
I'm afraid Wen have a bad night, -
said Johnson.
| "a pretty noisy one, I expect" replied
the doctor, but not cold. We had better
take every precaution. and fasten down
our tent with good big stones"
! You are right, Mr.. Clawbonny, II the
hurricane swept away out tent. don't
know where we should find 1t again"
The tent held fast, but sleep was i'm
| possible. for the tempest was let loose and
ragged with tremendous violence.
cit seems to me-" said the doctor, dur
! ing a brief lull in the deafening roar, "as
, If I could hear the sound of collisions be-
| tween icebergs and ice fields. If we were
near the sea, I could really believe there
was a general break up in the ice."
81 can't explain the noises any other
way" said Johnson.
Can we have reached the coast. I won-
| der7'' asked Hatteras.
'It is not impossible" replied Clawbon-
ny. Listen! Do you hear that crash?
j That is certainly the sound of icebergs
| fallings. We cannot be very far from the
| ocean"
well, IL it turns out to be so, I shall
push right on over the Ice fields"
/ "Oh, they'll be all broken UP after such
a storm as this. We shall see what to-
morrow brings; but all can say is, If
] any poor fellows are wandering about in
/ a night like this, pity them"
| The storm lasted for ten hours, and
| the weary travellers anxiously watched