Year: 1873

THE FRIGID ZONE.


The news of the failure of Capt
Halls Arctic expedition, the rescue of
a portion of his party, and the recital
of their thrilling adventures in the Arc
tic regions, has awakened fresh inter
est in that mysterious and ,mexplored
region. ..Dr. Isaac 1. Hayes has re-
Gently been delivering series of lee
lures in the East, in which he relates
many interesting things connected with
his search for the North Pole, that have
peculiar interest at this time. Dr.
Hayes was first inspired with the idsa
of visiting the Polar sea III 1857, and
realized his dream in 1860. The expe-
dition, consisting of fifteen men, sailed
from Boston i'll July of the latter year.
The vessel that conveyed the party was
of 1873 tons burden. In two weeks from
the time of sailing the coast of Green
land was reached. Here began Batfin's
Bay, where all the best of whales are
caught. No ice was encountered in this
bay, because the ice carried it further
north and detained it there. Smiths
Sound was then entered, and it was in
these waters that large icebergs were
first met. Difficulties were experienced
i'll penetrating the thick masses that
were constantly accommodating but Sue
cess rewarded perseverance, and moder-
ate headway was finally secured. Just
as they were floating along nicely, and
as everything indicated that in short
time they might be in the Polar sea, Il
heavy gale set in from the north, and
brought the ice down ON them in fearful
quantities. Anchor was cast, but this
afforded no security whatever. The
gale increased, and the ice became
massed around the vessel, lifting it high
in the air, and resting it finally on a
sharp point, from which it might have
been precipitated any moment, and all
on board killed When the lecturers
terror was at its highest pitch, he
sought for sympathy from his sailors,
but he found these worthless playing
mumble-pig' i'll the forecastle upon
the chances of the further ascent or
rapid descent of the ship. Suddenly
the ice gave way, and the vessel gently
slid into the water. With men at the
pumps land was nearly reached, but at
the critical moment another iceberg
swept down upon them and fastened
them in the ice. From this position
they could not extricate themselves, and
decided to remain all winter. A cover
ing was rugged for the boat, and be-
meath its shelter the party remained
throughout the gloom of an Arctic win
ter. The prominent features of this
season are the temperature at eighty
degrees 6clOW zero, utter darkness for
one hundred and thirty five days, and
intense monotony. To amuse them
selves they played school, constructed
phantom cellar doors and slid down on
them, started newspapers, in which
were reported proceedings of Congress
more interesting and praiseworthy, DR..
Hayes tells us, than that body had ever
been guilty of. In this profitable way
the long, dark and terribly dreary win
ter dragged by. One day in March they
caught the first glimpse of the long hid
den sun. They were so overioyed that
they climbed 10 the top of an icy peak
and cheered and waved their caps the
whole day long. But then it wasn't
very long day; it lasted just ten min
utcs. At length the weather moderated,
and they were enabled to push further
northward Their vessel they could not
take with them. They tied her to a
temporary iceberg, and Travelled on over
the ice-clad sea until they reached
point of land in whose center is high
mountain, from the top of which they
had view of the great Polar sea, and
We're exactly 834 miles from the North
Pole. One man of the party thought he
saw the pole. For his ill-timed wit he
was ordered to cut pole, fasten the
American flag to it, and unfurl it from
a height where no other man had ever
been. The flag is probably still flying,
if some stray whale, searching around
for something to eat, has not cast his
eye upon it and devoured it.