The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1910-01-06
Of the Pole
The Pole At Last--Amid
Singing Of Eskimos and
howlins9 Dogs Explor-
er Reaches "Bis Nail"
lTEErH ARTICLE

pcu. bOuic ilue u1ubt CTosd OUT uoIiLou.
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 fDpry turvy. In
yerted lands and queer objects ever
rose and fell IN shrouds Of mystery.
but all OF rhls was due to the atmos-
pheric magic OF the midnight sun.
With a lucky serleS Of daily astro-
nomical observations our position was
now accurately died for each stage OF
progress. Az we neared the pole the
imagination quickened. and d restless.
almost hysteric excitement came over
us. The boys faneied they saw beaver
and seals. and | had new land under
observation frequently. but with
change In the direction OF llght or an
altered trend in our temperament the
horizon cleared and we became eager
only 10 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 II was about the
same as below the eighty-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 a less angular ouaine.
The color of he sky and the 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 hattened at the pole
perhaps a widened horizon should be
detected.
AT s O'Clock on the morning of April
10 we camped on a picturesque old
field with convenient hummocks. to
which we could easily rise for the fire.
uuent outlook which we now maintain
ed The tent was pitched. The dogs
were silenced by blocks OF pemmican-
In US new enthusiasm was aroused by
a liberal pot Of pea soup and few
chips of fr1ssA -nsat. and then we
bathed In n0HiAS ssnbeams. screen
ed from fhs- pierctng air by silk
strands. h IN beautiful day. and
had our sea~~f 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
profound sleep. the only comfort in
their hard lives. but remained awake.
as had been my habit on succeeding
days, TO get nautical observations. The
longitude calculations lined us at "a
degrees 3 minutes. AT noon the suns
altitude was carefully set on the sex
rant. and the latitude quickly reduced
gave 50 degrees ~ enthusiastically
nine miles from the pole.
Ny heart jumped for joy. and the
unconscious coInmotion which | was
creating awakened Etukishuk. l told
him that in two average marches we
would reach the ''tigi shu" 1.-THE big
nall.
AhweIah was awakened with a kick.
and together they went out TO hum
mock and through glasses sought for
a mark to locate so important a place
as the terrestrial axis. IL but one
sleep beyond il must be seen.
l tried TO explain that. the pole was
not visible 10 the eye: that its position
was located only by a 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