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 MAP TO ACCOMPANY 
 
 TIIE VOYAGE of the "VITIAN/ 
 
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Adventures of Two Youths in tlie Open I'olur Sea 
 
 TlIK VOVAGK OK TIIK '^VIVIAN" 
 
 TO 
 
 THE NORTH POLE AND BEVOiND 
 
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 By THOMAS W. KNOX 
 
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 Q AlTlKm OK 
 
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 •THR BOY TRAVEM.EnS IN THE KAR EAST" "THE VOl'NG NIMRODS" ETC 
 
 
 ® 
 
 
 
 3llu0ti*atcb 
 
 >1 : . 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HAHPKR & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARK 
 
 18 8 5 
 
Entered according; to Aet of roiiRrcss. in tlie veftr 18«4. 1,y 
 IIAKPKK .V liUOTIIKHS, 
 
 I" the Office of the Lihnuian of Coi 
 
 iffiesii, at Wasliin<rton. 
 
 Alt rights reserved. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 .«!( 
 
 
 FOR nearly four centuries the arctic regions have been an interesting 
 field for explorers, and public attention 1ms been frequently drawn to 
 the vov.'iges and travels that have been made in the zones of ice and snow. 
 The fresh interest given to polar study by the story of the Jeannette and 
 the work of Lieutenant Greely, on Lady Franklin Bay, has led to the 
 preparation of the present volume. It is especially intended for youthful 
 readers, but the author indulges the hope that those of mature yeai-s may 
 find instruction and amusement in its pages. He has pursued the ])lan 
 ■which met with favor in his previous works, and endeavored to present an 
 array of facts upon a groundwork of fiction, in the same manner as in 
 " The l>oy Travellei's in the Far East." lie trusts that the youths who fol- 
 lowed the fortunes of Frank and Fred in their many wanderings will give 
 a kindly welcome to "The Voyage of the Vivian" and its young heroes. 
 
 The ship and its crew are fictitious, but the scenes of the voyage, and 
 the incidents and adventures herein described, are intended to be realities. 
 They have been mainly derived from the experiences of explorers, from 
 the time of Martin Frobisher down to the progent date. It was the author's 
 design to introduce all the important incidents of arctic voyages, together 
 with the most recent scientific discoveries, into a sinijle nari-ative. The 
 portion of the voyage from Herald Island to the North-pole, and thence to 
 Grant Land, is wholly imaginary. (The writer believes that the sea around 
 the pole is open in sunnner, and will yet be reached by a shij) fortunate 
 enough to find an opening through the icy barrier whicii surrounds it.) 
 Thus believing, he has permitted the Vivian and Gamhettd to pierce the 
 barrier, and explore the islands and waters which are as yet concealed 
 from mortal vision. lie asks the literal reader to remember that from 
 Chapters XII. to XVIL, inclusive, the geographical positions of the ex- 
 plorers are not to be regarded as actualities. 
 
 Many works jf arctic navigators and tra''ellei's have been consulted in 
 the preparation of the book. The history of polar exploration has been 
 
8 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 carefully studied, from the voyages of John and Sebastian Cabot, in 1497, 
 down to the most recent publications in England and America. Many of 
 the authorities are given in the text of the book. The author acknowledges 
 his personal obligations to Professor J. E. Noui*se, author of "American 
 Explorations in the Ice -zones," and other works; to Lieutenant Lucien 
 Young, of the United States Navy ; and , • Deputy Inspector-general Robert 
 M'Cormick, of the Royal Navy of England. He is also indebted to the 
 courtesy of his publishers for their kind permission to make use of illustra- 
 tions that have appeared in their previous publications relative to the arctic 
 regions and tlie adventures of polar explorers. 
 
 With this brief explanation of his motives, and plan of work, the 
 author submits "The Voyage of the Vivian'''' for the inspection of press 
 
 and public. 
 
 T. W. K. 
 
 Xkw Youk, Jmir, ] 884. 
 
 ( 
 
 P.S. — The pages of tins l)ook had been printed and made ready for 
 binding when, on the 17th of July, the country was electrified with the 
 news of the rescue of Lieutetumt Greely, at Cape Sabine, on the 22d of 
 the previoii'; month. Sorrow was mingled with joy when it was learned 
 that out of the twenty-three companions of the heroic explorer only five 
 survived; eighteen had perished of cold and starvation, and if the relief 
 expedition had been forty-eight hours later in arriving at Capo Sabine 
 not one would have been found alive ! 
 
 Lieutenant Greely's expedition has added materially to the work of 
 previous explorers. The coimtry to the east and west of Lady Franklin 
 Bay has been examined, and a large extent of coast-line carefully sur- 
 veyed ; valuable meteorological observations have been recorded ; iinporr 
 taut additions arc made to the map of Northern Greenland and the Polar 
 P)asin ; and the believei"s in an open sea around the Pole have received 
 fresh support to their theories. The flag of the United States has floated 
 nearer to the Pole thaji that of any other nation. In May, 1883, it was 
 unfurled by Lieutenant Lockwood in latitude 83° 24' 30" N., longitude 
 40° 45' W. Li the friendly contest in polar ex[)lorations the honors 
 luive been transferred from England to America, but tlio whole Avorld 
 Avill share in the additions which have been nuide to our knowlctlge of 
 tliG far North. 
 
 T. W. K. 
 
 New Youk, Aiipi»i 1. 1684. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PABB 
 
 TiiK DKPAnTtTRE.— Bound for the Xortii.— Description of the Party 13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 At Sea.— Stories from the Arctic Regions „. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Provisions tor an Arctic Voyage.— Whales and Whalers 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Meeting a Stranger.— Something about Kamchatka 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A Visit to Kamchatka 
 
 67 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Behrino's Island and Behring's Voyages.-Amono the Chjckchees gl 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Chuckchees and Koraks.— International Festivities 
 
 • yo 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 From Siberia to Wrangell Island.-Icebergs and a Bear-hunt „ 1 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 A Visit to Wrangell Island.-Hunting Seals, Walruses, and Polar Bears 127 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Herald Island.-Caught in the Ice.-A Narrow Escape ^^^ 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Fast in the Ice.— Going into Winter-quarters 
 
 154 
 
10 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. p^Q, 
 
 DiSAPPEARANCK OF THE SfN. — INCIDENTS OK IIlUERNATION. — TlIK ArilOnA BOREALIS 169 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ClIRISTUAS AND NeW-YEAR FESTIVITIES. — ENTERTAINMENTS. — ThE "(iAMBETTA" ON YiRE 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Arctic Newspapers and Comedies. — DRitTiNu with the Ice. — Discovering Land 200 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The Land Visited and Explored. — Perilous Journey. — The Ships in Danger 4.,.. 213 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Escape from the Ice. — In the Open Polau Sea.— Steaming and Sailing to the North.. 228 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 Icebergs and Glaciers. — "La Terre Lafayette." — The "Vivian" at the Pole 242 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL 
 Discoveries at the Pole. — Leaving the Polar Sea. — Escape through the Ice-barrier.. 267 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 The Signal Service Station. — From Littleton Island to Upernavik .,.,.,.,.,.,....,. 273 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Sights in Greenland. — News from Hom:£. — End of the Voyage ,...,,, i.m*. ...... 288 
 
 t i 
 
 I ; 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Rounding the Pole Fvont'mpiece 
 
 Map to Acconipiiny the Voyage of the Vivian Front Cover 
 
 Map of tlie I'ohir Regions Rear Cover 
 
 Outward Bound 13 
 
 Among tlie Icebergs 14 
 
 Arctic Diricovery Ships 1(5 
 
 Tlie "Old Stone Mill " at Newport 19 
 
 Scene in Southern (Jreenland 20 
 
 Norse Ruins in Greenland 21 
 
 Frobisher Helics 22 
 
 Sir John Ross 28 
 
 Relics of Sir John Franklin's Expedition ... 27 
 
 Captain Hall Among the Eskimos 28 
 
 Discovery of a Boat of the Franklin Exjie- 
 
 ditioii 29 
 
 Travelling by Sledge 31 
 
 Ice-drift of the Tyson Party . . 32 
 
 The Cabin of the " Resolute " 33 
 
 An Iceberg from Greenland 35 
 
 The Barrier of Ice 36 
 
 Arctic Birds 37 
 
 Over the Ice 42 
 
 Native and European Dress Contrasted 43 
 
 An Incident of the Whale-fishery 40 
 
 Lookout on an Iceberg 47 
 
 Captain Scoresby 50 
 
 A Nimrod of the Sea 31 
 
 A Carcass Adrift 53 
 
 Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka 57 
 
 Volcanoes of Koriatski, Avatcha, and Koseld- 
 
 skai 59 
 
 Fort St. Michaer?, or Michaelovski 61 
 
 Kamchatka Sables 62 
 
 Mounted Cossacks 64 
 
 A Village on the Amoor River 65 
 
 Russian Carpenters 06 
 
 Avatcha Moimtain 68 
 
 Churcli at Petropavlovsk 70 
 
 Dog-sledging in Kamchatka 71 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Dogs Catching Fish 73 
 
 Getting Ready for the Road 75 
 
 Boat Towed by Dogs 76 
 
 Monument to Behring, Petropavlov.sk 78 
 
 " The Three Brothers " 80 
 
 The Ermine 81 
 
 X Siberian Fox-trap 82 
 
 Sitka, or New Archangel 85 
 
 A Chuckchee Boat 85 
 
 Walrus Hunting among the Chuckchees . . . 89 
 
 Scenery near East Cape 91 
 
 FJrccting a Chuckchee Summer-house . ... 93 
 
 A (Jroup of Reindeer 95 
 
 A Reindeer Sled 97 
 
 Baron Von Wrangell 9!) 
 
 Locked in the Ice 101 
 
 A Summer Village in the Arctic Regions . . 104 
 
 A Portrait 105 
 
 A Korak Beau 106 
 
 A Korak Belle 107 
 
 A Ball on Shipboard 108 
 
 " All Hands Round " 108 
 
 " Balance " 109 
 
 Flower-gi'l 109 
 
 Fish-woman 1 09 
 
 The Cook 110 
 
 A Gothic Iceberg Ill 
 
 View of Icebergs 114 
 
 On an Ice-pack 115 
 
 Where an Iceberg is Formed 117 
 
 Vertical Section of a Glacier 118 
 
 In Front of a Greenland Glacier 119 
 
 The Bear »t Bay 121 
 
 Scene in Front of the Island 1 25 
 
 Winter-quarters of Barentz Three Hundred 
 
 126 
 
 Years Ago . 
 
I 
 
 12 
 
 ILLUSTUATIONS. 
 
 
 t 1 
 
 I 
 
 I I 
 
 Fcniiilo Rear and Cuba 
 
 The Auk at Home 
 
 A Fi},'lit with till! Seals 
 
 Hunting tlie Walrus 
 
 Iloistiiip; the Flag 
 
 The Siherian Mannnotii 
 
 The Maniiiioth Ucstored 
 
 Kxploriiif; the Coast . . . . 
 
 ()i> Shoie in the Far N'orth 
 
 Under the Midni<;lit Sun 
 
 Near the lee-paek 
 
 Cabin Scene in an Arctic Winter 
 
 Edg(! of the Ice-pack 
 
 Ice in Motion 
 
 In an Arctic Gale 
 
 Hummocks Afloat 
 
 How a Hummock is J'onned 
 
 Moored to an Ice-floe 
 
 Chasing a Hear on the Ico 
 
 A Village of Snow-huts 
 
 Eskimo Stone Lamp and Fire 
 
 A Hut Submerged 
 
 Walruses on the Ice 
 
 Arctic Wolves 
 
 In Winter-ijnarters , 
 
 Perils of the Polar Sea 
 
 Greenland Native Watching for a Seal . . . . 
 
 Sunset Scene in the Arctic Circle 
 
 Captain C. F. Ha'l, with Two Eskimo Com- 
 panions 
 
 An Arctic Aurora 
 
 Geographical Distribution of Auroras 
 
 Fred's Electric Nursery 
 
 Arches of Auroral Light 
 
 A Polar Hear failing to Sec the Point 
 
 I'AOK 
 
 135 
 
 i;{7 
 
 138 
 139 
 140 
 141 
 143 
 144 
 145 
 146 
 147 
 14!) 
 152 
 1 53 
 
 The Old Way of Melting Snow 
 
 The Captain's Souvenir of Christmas 
 
 "Tiie little Captain .... stirred the posset 
 
 with his sword " 
 
 Performance on the Vivian 
 
 George's " Punch and Judy " 
 
 A Fire on Shipboard 
 
 Frozen In 
 
 Captain Parry 
 
 Carolus Slyfoxsky 
 
 A Character 
 
 A Character in the French Play 
 
 On the Level Ice 
 
 Ice-log, Line, and Reel 
 
 In Camp 
 
 159 
 ICl 
 103 
 104 
 107 
 108 
 170 
 171 
 173 
 175 
 
 177 
 180 
 182 
 183 
 184 
 186 
 187 
 189 
 
 191 
 193 
 194 
 197 
 199 
 203 
 204 
 204 
 205 
 211 
 212 
 215 
 
 I PAOK 
 
 Crossing a Crevasse on a Bridge of Ice. . . . 217 
 
 I A Musk-ox 219 
 
 I Ducks on President Land 220 
 
 The " Devil's Thumb," near Melville Hay. . . 221 
 
 An Em])ty Sledge 222 
 
 Coast Scene in the Arctic Circle 224 
 
 A Shelter from the Ice 226 
 
 Effect of an Arctic Gale 227 
 
 j Near the Ice 229 
 
 I The North Foreland 231 
 
 I Cliuibing an Ice-collar 232 
 
 I The Lunune of the Nin-th 233 
 
 View from Tonncr's Island 235 
 
 French Head 237 
 
 Exploring the Channel 239 
 
 Curious Appearance of the Sun 241 
 
 The Belted Iceberg 243 
 
 A Snow-sipiaU among the Icebergs 245 
 
 Shooting Lummc 247 
 
 View in Lafayette Land 249 
 
 An Arctic Volcano 251 
 
 A View through the Clouds 253 
 
 " Ne Plus Ultra " 256 
 
 An Unwelcome Visitor 258 
 
 Marking a Carrier-pigeon 259 
 
 A Volcanic Eruption 261 
 
 A Whale-ship in Winter-quarters 264 
 
 Grave of Captain Hall 265 
 
 The Burial of Captain Hall 267 
 
 Map of Smith Sound, &e 209 
 
 Dr. I. I. Hayes 270 
 
 Polaris Camp 272 
 
 Eskimo in Winter Dress 270 
 
 Separation of the Polarin and the Floe Party 277 
 
 An Eskimo Afloat 279 
 
 Somersault in a Kjack 279 
 
 The most Northern House on the Globe . . . 281 
 
 A Greenland Governor 282 
 
 The Governor's Residence 283 
 
 A Greenland Parliament in Session 284 
 
 Julianshaab, Capital of (irec:iland 285 
 
 Ships loading with Kryolite at Iviktut, Green- 
 land 286 
 
 f]ntering a Harbor in Greenland 287 
 
 An Oomiak 289 
 
 The Oomiak and its Crew 290 
 
 Upernavik 291 
 
 The Inspector and his Family 292 
 
 The New Arrival 294 
 
 Reykjavik, Iceland 296 
 
THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE DEPARTURE.— BOUND FOR THE NORTH.— DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTY. 
 
 " \ LL ready tliere ?" 
 -^^ " Ay, ay, sir," was the rei)ly. 
 
 " dp with the anchor!'' 
 
 The capstan went slowly round, propelled by the arms of twenty 
 men ; the anchor left its bed at the bottom of San Francisco Bay, and 
 as the cabl*: shortened till it \nmix straight down from the bows of the 
 vessel, the order " Go ahead slow !" was shouted to the en<^inecr, who stood 
 at his post below. The machinery respond'id to his touch, and the whirl- 
 ing screw churned a ^.ijreat breadth of discolored foam around the stern 
 of the Vloian. Soon she was plou*ijhing her way throiii>h the water, turn- 
 ing now to port and now to starbo-ird to avoid collisions with anchored 
 or moving craft in the harbor 
 of the great city by the west- 
 ern sea. 
 
 The ships at the docks or 
 in the bay dipped their flags; 
 the steamers, great and small, 
 sounded their whistles pitched 
 to all the notes of the chromat- 
 ic scale ; camion boomed from 
 their embrasures on Alcatraz 
 Island and the other defences 
 of the city; and a military band 
 
 on a steamboat which followed closely in tlie wake of the Vivian filled 
 the air with its music. The decks of the steamboat were black with people 
 who kept up a perpetual waving of handkerchiefs and, in the pauses of 
 the band, replaced the music with shouts and cheers of farewell. 
 
 OUTWAUD BOUND. 
 
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 '1 
 
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 ;3 
 
 14 
 
 THE VOYAGK OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Without a pause tlio departing vessel lield her way to tlic Golden 
 Galo; then she stopped her en<ifiiie.s to permit the departure of the pilot, 
 tonjc'tluM" with several j^entleiiien who had aeeompanied her coiniiiander 
 fiom the anchorai^e in the harbor. The crowd on the steamboat cheered 
 more loudly than ever; the i)and played aijain, its notes prowini^ less 
 
 AMONG TIIK ICEUKKGS. 
 
 distinct at every pulsation of the engine, as the Vivian headed away 
 into the open ocean and left the shores of California fading in the dis- 
 tance. And to many on the deck of the steandjoat, as she I'eturned to 
 San Francisco, the quer}* arose, " Shall we ever see her again ?" 
 
 The Vivian was bound on a voyage to the arctic seas ; she added 
 a unit to the number of those that have sailed in quest of the Xorth-pole. 
 
 It was not her first visit to the regions of ice, although she had never 
 before gone in the character of an explorer. Originally she was built 
 for a whaler : as the whale has been driven from the open ocean, it has 
 been necessary for those who desire his oil to follow him to his retreat 
 in the region of perpetual ice. In the early part of this century, atid 
 down to thirty years ago, the huntsmen of the sea found their prey in the 
 broad expanse of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. But in these latter 
 days the whale is not to be found in his former haunts, and even in the 
 
THE DErAUTUKE. 
 
 15 
 
 far North he is by no rneuiis tibnnclant. The successful hunters must 
 pursue hhn where ice iihounds through the etitne year, and only dnring 
 a few mouths in sutnuier is it sufficiently open for ships to tind a way 
 through it. Frequently the whuie-ships are nipi»ed in the ice, ami a craft 
 of ordinary construction would be speedily crushed and destroyed. 
 
 "She was just as strong as wood and iion could make her," said the 
 
 former owner of the Vivian. 
 
 u 'P 
 
 That 
 
 IS, 
 
 mean 
 
 si 
 
 le was one o 
 
 f tl 
 
 le 
 
 strongest whalers ever launched, and that is saying a good deal. 
 
 all h 
 
 "She is a bark of 490 tons, old measurement; her ribs and all nor 
 timbers were t..e best wo could find ; her sides were twenty inches thick, 
 and we covered her with extra plaiddng till she looked as though she had 
 put on an ulster overcoat for a sleigh-ride. For ten feet back from her 
 stem the bow was solid oak, and then she was braced all through with 
 timbers, so that no ordinary pressure could break hei- in. 
 
 " We christened her the Fanny. She lias made five voyages to the 
 Arctic Ocean, and come home every time full of oil, and not a man in- 
 jured. IJnt she had some narrow chances in the ice, and two or three 
 times it looked as though her crew never would sec laud again." 
 
 We shall hear more of the adventures of this tough little craft, as her 
 former captain is now her sailing-master. When she left San Francisco, 
 as described in our opening lines, she was owned by some wealthy gentle- 
 men of that city, who had subscribed a sufficient amount to purchase 
 and fit her out for a voyage of exploration. 
 
 "What shall we call her?" was a question in dispute for several days, 
 as each of her joint -owners had a pet name wliich ho wished to have 
 adopted. 
 
 Masculine names were voted out of order on account of the feminine 
 character of a ship. The dictionary was consulted, and also the long list 
 of ships that have been in the arctic regions; finally, it was agreed 
 to call her the Vivian. 
 
 "Couldn't be bett r," said Captain Jones, who formerly commanded 
 her, wiien the result of the deliberation was reported to him. "No ship 
 of that name ever passed the Arctic Circle ; besides, you say that Vivian 
 means ' lively,' and when she's in a rough sea I don't know of a livelier 
 craft than the old FannyP 
 
 In spite of her excellent qualifications for an arctic voyage, it was 
 determined to improve upon them to a considerable extent. The solid 
 bows were extended about five feet faither aft than they were originally ; 
 additional braces were placed throughout the hull; the bow was plated 
 with steel half an inch thick to within a foot of the rail, and the rest of 
 
1(] 
 
 Tin: VOYAGE OF TIIK "VIVIAN." 
 
 the hull received n steel pliitinj^ tliree-ei<^litliH of an iiicli thick from the 
 water-line (h)\vnwar(l. TIiuh prepared, it was thought she could resist a 
 pressure sutlicient to lift her bodily from the water without straining her 
 enough to o[)en her seams and start a leak. 
 
 New sails were hent to her yards, and an extra new set was stowed 
 below; in addition to these, she had her old sails, which were laid away 
 in the hold. Thus she was provided with three sets of canvas to guard 
 against accidents; and, even if they were not needed for their legitimate 
 purposes, the sails would come handy to cut ni> into tents for camping on 
 the ice or on land. 
 
 ARCTIC DliiCOVERY SHIPS. 
 
 Her engines were not intended for steady use at sea; slie was to relv 
 on her sails under ordinary circumstances, and only make use of steam 
 when emergencies required. Four hours after she had dropped the pilot 
 at the Golden Gate the engines were stopped, the lires were extinguished, 
 and all canvas was spi-ead to bear the Vivian northward to her destina- 
 tion. The wind was blowing doA'n the coast, and almost directly in the 
 track the bark was to follow ; constv^ncntly, she M'as obliged to stretch 
 away to the westward and make a long " leg " by which to beat up towards 
 Bell ring Strait. 
 
 Three persons on the deck of the Vivian watched intently the reced- 
 
THK COMMANDKK AND HIS Sl'HOKIUNATKH. 17 
 
 ini; shore a-* tlio luirk hv\d lior coiirso. OtluTft would Imvc watcIuMl with 
 them hiid they not Iiimmi (»c(Mii)iL'(l with tho w<ti'k of clfjirini; tht; (ItJcks, 
 jiiid iirniniriiii: «uiidrv paitkaijcs which were Iviiii^ iiit'oiiveiiieiitlv about. 
 l*i(»l»ahly no M\) ever sailed from port for a lonn; voyage without having 
 iniuth to put in order as soon as slie got away from hmd. 
 
 Tlic trio in whi(;h we are sj)e(;ially interested were the eomnumdcr 
 of tlie expeditit)!! and two young men whom ho had selected to aeeom- 
 pany him. And, while we are on the subject, we may m well give a brief 
 description of tho princii)al characters in the story we are about to 
 narrate. 
 
 First aiul foremost was the gentleman to whoso energy the organiza- 
 tion of the expedition was dtic, Connnander IJronson, formerly an otlicer 
 in tho IFuited States Navy. lie had already made two voyages to the 
 Arctic Ocean in an effort to reach tho pole, and add to the discoveries 
 of other explorers, lie was a cousin of Dr. IJronson, with whom some of 
 the readers of this volume may bo familiar, and i)ossessed all tho good 
 (pialities of that indefatigable traveller.* 
 
 Second in command was Major Clapp, who had been granted a leave 
 of abseiure from his regiment, with which ho had been lighting Indians 
 on our northern frontier. His army rank was that of first lieutenant, 
 but for the purposes of this expedition he I'cceived the commission of 
 a Major of Volunteers from the Governor of California. 
 
 Third and fourth were Alfred Chapman and (leorge Uridgman, two 
 young men who had just graduated fron) college, where they were etpuilly 
 renowned for standing high in their classes and distinguishing themselves 
 in all the athletic sports that were encouraged by tho professors. Alfred, 
 or Fred as he was better known, had rowed "stroke" in the last boat-race 
 (wherein the rival college was badly beaten), and George was without 
 a superior in running, leaping, and in tlie national game of base -ball. 
 They had never visited the far Xortb, but had spent a good deal of time 
 out-of-doors in winter and thereby accustomed themselves to the cold. 
 
 As we have before said, the sailing-master was the former captain 
 of the Vivian when she rejoiced in the name of tho Fanny. He was 
 allowed to retain his title, and therefore we shall know him as Captain 
 Jones. 
 
 Dr. Tomier was the surgeon and historian of the expedition, and, as 
 he had a fondness for matters of science, be was intrusted with the col- 
 
 * "The Boy Travellera in the Fur East:" Adventures of Two Yoiitlis in Japan, Ciiina, Siani, 
 Java, the Philippine Islands, Burniah, Ceylon, India, Egypt, the Holy Land, and Central Africa. 
 Five volume-, published by Harper & Brothers, New York. 
 
 2 
 
i V 
 
 18 
 
 TIIK VOYACJE OF TIIK -VIVIAN.' 
 
 loctloii of iiiiiionilH, plants, m\\\ bucIi natural history ppocimoiiH ns iiiii^ht 
 bo wortli proseivinj^. JIo was c's[)t'(riallj eaiitiuiitiil not to waste liis time 
 in Kkinnin<; and stwt}in<.; polar l)eai's, aictit; foxes, seals, and other well- 
 known prodiiets of the far North. " Vou may brin^ l)a(;k the eai-s of the 
 bears and foxes as troi)hies," said the eoinniander, " but, as to loadiiii; the 
 ship with s|>eeiniens that aboinid in all the iniiseutns, we witiTt think of it/* 
 
 The eiew of twenty men had been earefnlly sehseted from a {jfreat 
 innnber of applicants. All were comparatively yoim<^, and at least twelve 
 of them had been to the North on whalinj? voyages, and knew something 
 of the dangei-s and hardships of the journey before them. We shall be- 
 come better aetpiainted with the entire party as time goes on. 
 
 Major ('lapp was occupied with the stowing of the cargo, so that Com- 
 mander Jhonson was left with Fred and (ieorgo to watch the land and 
 talk of the subject that was uppermost in their minds. Dr. Tonner was 
 busy with the journal of the expedition, and determined to record the 
 incidents of their departure before he had time to forget anything. We 
 are indebted to his notes for much that we shall present in this volume. 
 
 " I have not had time to explain fully the plans of the expedition," 
 said the commander, " and we may as well devote our leisure to them 
 now. Dr. Toi.iier has the whole story in his jomnal, and as soon as he 
 comes on deck wo will have him read it over to us." 
 
 Fred and George nodded assent, as they could hardly do otherwise, 
 and the conversation turned to other than arctic topics till the doctor 
 appeared. When the desire of Connnander IJronson was made known 
 to him, Dr. Tonner went for his journal and proceeded to read its open- 
 ing pages. They contained a brief history of arctic and antarctic explo- 
 ration, and included many names that have become famous in history. 
 
 Before beginning to read fron> his journal, the doctor requested his 
 listeners not to be reluctant about asking questions, as he wished to luake 
 every point perfectly clear to all of them. They agreed to the suggestion, 
 and, as it was fully carried out, the perusal of the journal took the form 
 of a dialogue, and resulted in the young men learning a great deal that 
 they did not know before. 
 
 "A good many people believe," began the Doctor, "that the discovery 
 (»f America by Europeans was made from the arctic regions, and not by 
 Columbus in his celebrated voyage from Spain." 
 
 "I have read something about it," said Fred, " but had forgotten the 
 fact till this moment." 
 
 "Nearly five hundred years before the time of Columbus," continued 
 the Doctor, " a Norwegian voyager came from Iceland to the coast of 
 
THE NOKTHMLN. 
 
 19 
 
 -•rill-". __ 4 .*-^_^j 
 
 "-^^^ii^^Vv::"": 
 
 THK ''OM) STOSK MILL" AT NKWl'OUT. 
 
 XortU America, wliich lie tlcsccmled as far ponth as Mapsaelinsctts and 
 Ilhode Island — at least such is the account. He named the country Yin- 
 land, owini^ to tiie larjije number of vines that ho found f]jro\vin£; wild, and 
 he is credited with the construction of the Old Stone Mill at Newport. 
 There has been a ji^reat deal of discussion about the antiquity of the ohl 
 mill, and its origin is not yet fully settled; but the claim for its construc- 
 tion by the Northmen has a largo number of supjwrters. Whether they 
 built the mill or not, it is pretty certain that they visited the coast of 
 North America, and on their return told what they had seen. About 
 that time the Northmen explored Baffin's Bay, where they built monu- 
 ments which were discovered in the early ])art of the present century. 
 They established colonies on the coast of Greenland which existed for 
 
20 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 llHi 
 
 >li 
 
 i, i j 
 
 J 
 I 
 
 IH 
 
 11 M 
 
 4! 
 
 i-r^ 
 
 several Imiulred years, and can still be traced in tiie "•iiins of buildings 
 where the villages stood. 
 
 " They also made settlements on the shores of Si)itxbei'gen, and their 
 expeditions were pushed far to the north in piu'suit of whales, seals, and 
 other ])r()duets of the sea. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries these 
 colonies flourished, and wo may credit the Northmen with being the first 
 explorers beyond the Arctic Circle." 
 
 One of the youths asked if tae Northmen left any history of their 
 discoveries. 
 
 " They did not," was the reply, " except a few fragmentary records 
 in some of the old chronicles of Iceland and Norway which tell the 
 adventures of Eric the Red and his sons. Eric planted the colonies in 
 Greenland, and his son Leif made the first vovaore to Newfoundland and 
 the coast of New England. The Icelandic chronicles mention other voy- 
 ages to the same region, and their 
 it - Jf >v. -^^ stories are confirmed by Adam of 
 
 Bremen and bv Nicolo Zeno, a Ve- 
 netian, who went to Greenland near 
 the end of the fourteenth centurv, 
 and heard while there about a great 
 country to the west and south. Ac- 
 cording to one account he visited the 
 country he described ; and, if the 
 story is true, the Venetian Zeno stood 
 on the soil of America a century in 
 advance of the Genoese Columbus." 
 " What a perfect cyclopaedia of 
 knowledge the Doctor is," said Fred, 
 in a whisper to George. 
 "Yes," replied the latter, "and I shouldn't wonder if his cabin is 
 stuffed full of cyclopiicdias and all the latest works on arctic exploration. 
 I hope so, at any rate, as we can best accomplish the objects of our voyage 
 by knowing what others have done before us." 
 
 " Tho Cabots, John and Sebastian, in 1497, were the next explorers of 
 the arctic seas, as they projected a voyage to the North-pole, and hoped 
 to go around America to the Pacific Ocean. They went beyond the sixty- 
 seventh degree of latitude, having previously visited Labrador, but were 
 turned back by the ice in Davis's Strait. They may be said to have been 
 the first seekers for the nortii-west passage, and have had many imitators 
 no more successful than themselves." 
 
 SCKNE IN SOUTHERN GREENLAND. 
 
 ! I' 
 
AN ANCIENT CllUHClI. 
 
 21 
 
 buildino;s 
 
 \m\ their 
 
 icals, and 
 
 ies these 
 
 the first 
 
 of their 
 
 ' records 
 tell the 
 lollies ill 
 hind and 
 tlier voy- 
 iiid their 
 \dani of 
 10, a Ye- 
 and near 
 centurv, 
 t a great 
 til. Ac- 
 sited the 
 :1, if the 
 jno stood 
 nitury in 
 uiiibus." 
 3j)edia of 
 lid Fred, 
 
 cabin is 
 )lonition. 
 r Ncyago 
 
 lorers of 
 d hoped 
 he sixty- 
 )at were 
 five been 
 imitators 
 
i 
 
 22 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 :1 ! i 1 
 
 rnOBISHEK RELICS. 
 
 "I have a lonj; list here," continued Dr. Tonner, "of the early advent- 
 urers in the arctic regions, and what they endeavored to accomplish. 
 Unhappily, the story is in many cases a story of disaster, and it is a credit 
 to the courage and persistence of mankind that where many have failed 
 
 others are always ready to come for- 
 ward to lill their places. The battle 
 for the pole v/ill never cease till 
 some one has stood on the point 
 where latitude and longitude cease 
 to exist, and has spread his country's 
 flag to the icy breeze. 
 
 "About A.D. 1500-02," the Doc- 
 tor read from his notes, "the Broth- 
 ei'S Cortereal made three vovaf»;es to 
 the North, but without impoitant 
 results; lifty years later Sir Hugh 
 Willoughby and his crew perished 
 in the effort to find the north-west 
 passage; and in 1570-78 Martin 
 Fi'obisher nuide three voyages among the fields of ice, and discovered 
 the strait which bears his name. Relics of Frobisher were found in ISOl 
 by Captain Hall, who sent them to the British Museum. Ten years 
 later came Davis, whose name is preserved in the strait he discovered 
 and explored ; and after him were a host of explorers from most of the 
 nations of Europe, all in search of a new road to the Indies by way of 
 the northern sea. English, French, Dutch, and Danes struggled for the 
 prize, but all in vain. Henry Hudson was sent to find a passage around 
 North America to India; and to his failure in this attempt we may 
 attribute his southerly voyage, which resulted in the discovery of the Bay 
 of New York and the river which flows into it from the north, and keeps 
 the name of Hudson fresh in our memorv. 
 
 " While these and later expeditions were in progress on the east, the 
 Russians were busy on the other side of the Arctic Ocean. The most 
 noted enterprise of the Russians in the last century was commanded by 
 Vitus Behring, who sailed in 1741 from Petropavlovsk, in Kamchatka ; the 
 Russian histories say that the sails of his ships were of deer-skins, and the 
 cordage was of thongs of the same material. Nothing important came of 
 his voyage, nor of the expeditions of Shalaroff, Andreyeff, and Captain 
 Billings; the latter an Englishman in the Russian service,who attempted 
 to reach the pole fi'om the mouth of the Kolyma River, in Siberia. The 
 
ROSS AND PARRY. 
 
 23 
 
 most famous of the Russiati expeditions is that of Von Vv^raiigell and 
 Anion, in 1820-23, which was made over the ice, but got no farther nortii 
 than Uititude 70° 51', where progress was stopped by open water. 
 
 "Coinin"- down to the present century," said the Doctor, partly reading 
 and partly in a conversational tone, ' we have the expedition of Jloss and 
 Parry in 1S18, and that of Captain Buchan and Lieutenant (afterwards 
 Sir John) Franklin in the same year. Ross and Parry went in search of 
 the north-west passage, while liuchan and Franklin were ordered to go to 
 the North-pole if possible. It is needless to say that both expeditions were 
 unsuccessful; the one did not tind the des.red road to India, and the other 
 failed to reach the pole. 
 
 el 
 
 SIK JOHN ROSS. 
 
 " Cai)tain Ross, who afterwards became Sir John Ross, made thi'ee 
 vo^-ages to the arctic regions, the last being in 1850 in search of Sir John 
 Franklin, He mnst not be confounded with his nephew. Sir James Ross, 
 who sailed with him on his first voyage, and afterwards was an ofHcer 
 under Captain Parry in his four voyages, between 1819 and 1827. In 
 1839 he went on a vovage of antarctic discoverv, and was absent four 
 years in the southern hemisphere." 
 
t 
 
 24 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 " Was ho the discoverer o^ the antarctic continent ?" one of the youths 
 inquired. 
 
 "He was, and he was not," replied tlie Doctor. " When he reached the 
 antarctic continent, and lioisted the EngHsh flag upon it, he supposed he 
 was the first to see that hitherto unknown land. But it happened that a 
 few months earlier Commander Wilkes of the United States Navy had 
 discovered the antarctic continent at a different point, and traced its 
 coast for several hundred miles. The discovery of Captain Ross was 
 entirely independent of that of Commander Wilkes, and neither knew 
 what the other had done until a long time after." 
 
 " Is it fully determined," asked Fred, " that the South-pole is sur- 
 rounded by land f 
 
 "Exploration in that direction has been so limited that it would be 
 rash to assert that there is an antarctic continent of any great extent. 
 Commander Wilkes saw the land at only a few points, as he was separated 
 from it by an immense field of ice ; and it is quite possible that what he 
 regarded as the coast-line was nothing more than a series of islands. At 
 the point reached by Captain Ross there were mountains ten or twelve 
 thousand feet high; one of them was an active volcano, wh'ch he named 
 Mount Erebus in honor of the ship he commanded. 
 
 " There has been," added the Doctor, " very little exploration of the 
 antarctic regions compared vvith the attempts to reach the North-pule ; 
 but it is the general belief of geographers that the South-pole is sur- 
 rounded by land, and the quantity oi ice there is much greater than at the 
 north. Thus far nothing resembling an open sea has been discovered 
 there, and every explorer has been stopped by immense fields of ice. On 
 the other hand, open water has been found as far north as most of the 
 explorers have ever been, and many geographers believe that the pole is 
 surrounded by an iceless sea, easy to navigate if we could only get to it." 
 
 " And what is really the case ?" 
 
 " That is what we want to find out," replied 'he Doctor with a smile, as 
 he closed his journal and promised to give them another talk on the sub- 
 ject of arctic discovery at a later date. "Is it polynia or paleocrystic ?" 
 
 " Polynia means an iceless sea around the pole," continued Dr. Tonner, 
 " and the name was given by the Russians. Paleocrystic means a sea of 
 ancient ice, and is the term used by those who believe that the pole is 
 surrounded by an area of ice that never melts, but is piled up in enor- 
 mous masses quite impassable by man. The advocates of each theory 
 are able to give sound reasons for their belief; let us hope that we may 
 prove which is the oorrect one." 
 
THE FIfiST NIGHT AT SEA. 
 
 25 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AT SEA.— STORIES FROM THE ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 ALL wlio were not required for duty on board the Vivian retired eaily 
 on the first night at sea. There had 1 "U little sleep on shore the 
 night before, as the officers were entertaintu .it a dinner given in their 
 honor at the Palace Hotel by the gentlemen who had contributed ^o the 
 enterprise, and tiie dinner had lasted until long after midnight. J ^d and 
 George consoled themselves for their late hoiu-s with the retiection that it 
 would be a long wliile before they could sit down to a similar ff?ast, and it 
 was well to make the most of it. 
 
 In accordance with the nautical custom. Captain Jones had divided the 
 crew into watches ; at eight o'clock the starboard watch was set, and the 
 men off duty weTit below. The night was clear, and the Vivian sped 
 along under full sail, heading into the wind as much as possible in the 
 effort to beat to the north. As the sun went down the land was visible 
 on the eastern horizon, but by morning all trace of it had disappeared, and 
 tl:e bark was in the open ocean, with nothing but sea and sky within the 
 line of vision. 
 
 Fred and Geoi-ge were on deck soon after six o'clock, and the freshness 
 of their faces showed that they had made up for previous loss of sleep. 
 Neither had bee. disturbed in the least by the motion of the vessel, and 
 as it was their lirst sea-voyage, each congratulated the other on the pros- 
 pect of their becoming good sailoi-s. 
 
 " I suppose, though," said George, " that we have not been tried yet, as 
 we have had very little rolling and pitching since we left port. Every 
 day of this sort of weather increases the chance that we will not be sea- 
 sick at all, and if it keeps up a week or so without change, we shall then 
 be ready for a blow." 
 
 " Don't feel too confident," said Captain Jones, who joined them from 
 below. " I've known men who were not disturbed in their digestion for 
 nearly a month; but became the m' at sea-sick of mortals when they caught 
 a strong gale from the north. This part of the Pacific is well enough, but 
 
26 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 wlien yon get above the fiftieth parallel you'll often find it as bad as the 
 Atlantic." 
 
 Tiien tlie captain ainnsed them with stories of his experiences as a 
 whaler amon*; the iceber<i:s until seven o'clock, when breakfast was an- 
 nonnced. Descending to the cabin they met the conitnander and Major 
 Clajjp, and soon after they were seated at table the Doctor made his ap- 
 pearance. He was not habitually an early riser, and often came late to 
 breakfast, always making the excuse that his .tppetite was light in the 
 morning, and a very little food would be sufticient for his pnrj>oso. 
 
 After the usual greetings had been made, the conversation naturally 
 turned upon the object of their voyage, and their hopes and fears for its 
 residt. 
 
 George asked how many arctic expeditions had been sent out. 
 
 " Nearly three hundred in all," replied the Doctor, " if we include those 
 which have gotie by land in America and Russia, instead of proceeding by 
 sea." 
 
 "And how many of these expeditions have been lost altogether?" Fred 
 inquired. 
 
 " Less than you would suppose," the Doctor replied. " Only two expe- 
 ditions have been completely lost, and their destruction was due to igno- 
 rance of facts which have since been demonstrated. More than three 
 hundred years ago Sir Hugh Willoughby and all his companions died of 
 starvation on the coast of Lapland, within a short distance of a native set- 
 tlement where there were plenty of reindeer. The expedition was poorly 
 provided, and totally unfitted for the severity of an arctic winter. It was 
 fitted out by an association of merchants, who hoped to reach India by the 
 north-west passage; and out of the entire company of one hundred and 
 thirt3'-six there were eighteen merchants engaged in the venture. 
 
 "The other expedition, which has been entii'ely lost, was, as you are 
 well aware, that of Sir John Franklin, consisting of the ships Erebus and 
 Terror, the latter commanded by Captain Crozier. The expedition sailed 
 from England in May, 1S45, and was last seen by a whaler in Baffin's 
 Bay, on the 26th of July of the same year. The ships were then moored 
 to an iceberg, waiting for an opportunity to enter Laiicaster Sound. For 
 a long time the fate of the ships and their crews was a mystery, but it is 
 now clearly known. 
 
 "The disappearance of the Erebus and Terror, g^^sa an impetus to 
 arctic exploration, as it led to more than twenty search expeditions, some 
 on Government account, and othem by private subscriptions. In a single 
 year (1850) no less than twelve vessels went to the polar regions in search 
 
MCLINTOCK'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 27 
 
 of Sir John Franklin, in addition to several t dj;ing parties and land ex- 
 peditions. No tra(!es of the niissin<ij shijjri and their erews were fonnd,hut 
 tlie search was continued at various intervals until (juite recently. 
 
 ItKLlCS OF SIR JOHN KRANKLIN's KXI'KDITION. 
 
 "The mystery was solved by M'Clintock's exj^cdition in ISoO, which 
 discovered records showing that Franklin died June 11, 1S47, and that 
 the crews had been forced to abandon the ships, which were 'Mished by 
 the ice. The natives reported that the party went southward o.or the ice, 
 with their boats mounted on sledges, and that many of the men fell and 
 died on the way." 
 
 One o? the youths asked if the records found by Captain l\IClintock 
 gave a history of the expedition down to the time the shii)s were al)an- 
 doned. 
 
 "They did not," was the reply. "The records consisted of a slip of 
 paper enclosed in a tin case. There were two memoranda, one dated 
 May 28, 1847, on board the ships, and the other April 25, 1S4S, on the 
 
28 
 
 THK VOYAOE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 same slii) of paper as tlio other, hut in a different liandwritiiinj. The 
 latter said the ships wore ahandoued Ai)ril 22, 184S, liaviii<j been heset 
 in tliO ice since Septoniher 12, 1S4G. It mentioned the date of Sir John 
 Franklin's death, and said that, down to the writing; of tlie record, out of 
 a total of one hundred and twenty-nine persons, twenty-four had died. 
 
 "A few days before the records were found, Captain M'Clintock dis- 
 covered a boat fitted to a sledj^e and containing two skeletons, some guns 
 and amnnmition, 8ir John Franklin's silver tea-set, some tea, chocolate, 
 tobacco, and other thinirs. Manv other relics of the expedition were found 
 HJ the neighborhood or bought from the natives, and from the accounts 
 given by the latter it was evident that the entire party had perished. 
 
 "Captain Hall, an Ameiican explorer, who made three voyages to the 
 Arctic Ocean and died in Greenland in 1871, discovered additional traces 
 and relics of Sir John Franklin's expedition, but made no material addi- 
 tion to its history. He was an enthusiast on the subject, and entertained 
 the belief that sotno of the Franklin i)arty remained alive foi* ten or 
 twelve years after the loss of the ships. His first voyage covered a period 
 
 of two years, and on his second 
 visit he renuiined five years 
 among the Eskimos, learning 
 their language and becoming 
 
 familiar M'ith their wavs. He 
 ?\ adopted their dress and mode of 
 life, and at length became so ac- 
 customed to the food of the na- 
 tives that he preferred it to the 
 dishes of civilization, 
 
 "He had a relish for raw seal- 
 meat, which he pronounced supe- 
 rior to the finest beefsteak ever cooked, and he was perfectly happy when 
 sitting down to dinner in an Eskimo hut — a performance that would 
 not result agreeably to the stomach of an ordinary man. In the account 
 of his travels he describes one of these parties, where a whole family, in- 
 cludino; half a dozen dogs, entertained him with a feast which began with 
 raw seal and frozen fish, and terminated with stewed seal, cooked in a pot 
 that had no other cleaning than what it received from the toncf-.es of the 
 dogs. Probably his appetite was sharpened by hunger, which in all ages 
 has been pronounced the best sauce. 
 
 "But we are wandering from the searches for Sir John Franklin, 
 which we may as well finish before we go on to other topics. 
 
 CAPTAIN HALL AMONG THK KSKIMOS. 
 
FINDING THE IJOAT. 
 
 29 
 
 f. The 
 
 ill beset 
 
 lir John 
 
 I, out of 
 
 ed. 
 
 ock dis- 
 
 ne <]CUTis 
 
 loeolate, 
 
 re found 
 
 accounts 
 
 d. 
 
 3S to the 
 
 al traces 
 
 •ial addi- 
 
 tertained 
 
 r ten or 
 a period 
 
 is second 
 
 ^•e years 
 learning 
 
 becoming 
 vs. He 
 mode of 
 
 me so ac- 
 : the na- 
 it to the 
 
 raw scal- 
 ced snpc- 
 py when 
 at would 
 D account 
 imilv, in- 
 jfran with 
 in a pot 
 .es of the 
 n all ages 
 
 Franklin, 
 
 % 
 
 H 
 
 O 
 
 H 
 B 
 
 A 
 
 > 
 
 r. 
 
 r 
 
 n 
 
 H 
 3 
 
 o 
 
r^i 
 
 w ■ 
 
 ililli 
 
 ' i i 
 
 80 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 " Aftor it was dofinitclv ascertained that all the members of the Fiank- 
 lin exi)e«Jition had periblied, there was a ji^reat desire to find its recordi*. 
 Information came fiom time to time concerning books which the retreat- 
 ing explorers carried with them after leaving the ship':, and soine of the 
 natives said these books had been bnried in a cairn of stones which the 
 white men erected. The most definite statement came in 187G. A party 
 of Eskimos were visiting the bark A. IIoxKjhton^ which was wintering 
 near Marble Island ; one of the natives was looking at the captain's log- 
 book, and said that the great white nit^n who visited them years before had 
 kept a similar book. Having said this he produced a spoon on which the 
 word 'Fianklin' was engraved, and thus made it evident that the book 
 he had seen was that of the missing explorer. 
 
 " These bits of information attracted the attention of Lieutenant 
 Sclnvatka of the United States Army, and led him to organize an expedi- 
 tion for the purpose of finding the missing records. lie sailed from New 
 York in the sunnner of 1878. The history of his journey has been pub- 
 lished under the title of " Schwatka's Search," and was written by Mr. 
 W. II. Gilder, who went with him as second in command. 
 
 " Quite likely we shall have occasion to speak again of Lieutenant 
 Schwatka and his expedition. To put it briefly, the lieutenant and Mr. 
 C Ider made the most remarkable sledge journey on record, having been 
 absent from their base of sujiplies an entire year, lacking only a few days. 
 In this time they travelled a distance of 3251 statute miles, or 2819 
 geographical miles, nearly all of it over an unexplored region, and in one 
 of the coldest seasons known in the arctic regions for many yeare. Once 
 the thermometer showed the temperature to be 71° below zero, Fahrenheit; 
 there were sixteen days averaging 100° below the freezing point, and 
 twent3'-t-t ven days when it was more than 90° below it. During all this 
 time the expedition was travelling, and its historian says it never stopped 
 at all on account of the cold," 
 
 "But von haven't told us what Schwatka learned about the records 
 of the Fraid\lin expedition," said the connnander with a smile. 
 
 "I was just getting to that," answered the Doctor. "He found that 
 the books had been destroyed by the natives ; not maliciously, but because 
 they were quite ignorant of the value of the property. They gave some 
 of the volumes to their children for playthings, and no doubt the 
 Eskimo urchins had a great deal of fun with. them. The rest of the 
 books were left on the rocks until they were destroyed by the wind and 
 storms: they had originally been deposited in a tin case, which the natives 
 broke open in the expectation of finding something valuable. Of course 
 
8('HWATKA'8 SEARCir. 
 
 81 
 
 tlie books wove of no use to tlioin, niul it sectus n profit pity tliiit tlio ofti- 
 cjere liHtl not iiifonned them tlint tlic records would bring a great pneo 
 if carried to where white men couhl see them. 
 
 "Schwatka brought back quite a collection of relics of the Franklin 
 expedition, and biu'ied tiic bones of numy of the men, which had been 
 King exposed for years. The grave of one oflicer, Lieutenant Irving, was 
 fo\md, and his remains were removed and sent to England. All the other 
 o-raves of officers had been opened by the natives and the contents s(;at- 
 tered about: that of Lieutenant Irving was opened like the rest, and a 
 portion of the bones had disappeared ; those that renuiined were gathered 
 as carefully as possible, and were identified by a silver medal awarded to 
 John Irving at the Koyal Xaval College, England, in 1S.3(). The nu'(lal 
 was lying on a stone near by, where it was probably placed by the natives 
 when they robbed the grave, and was forgotten by accident." 
 
 TRAVKLLINO BY SLKDQB. 
 
 The conversation which we have recorded was frequently interrupted 
 by the movements of the steward, who was busy with the work of serving 
 breakfast, and as the cabin was narrow he was obliged to display a good 
 deal of skill to avoid accidents. Once he upset the coffee-pot at the edge 
 of the table, but managed to catch it before the entire contents were 
 spilt. x\. few minutes later he allowed a fried egg to slip inside the col- 
 lar of George's coat, just as that young gentleman was leaning forward 
 to help himself to a sea-biscuit; consequently, George left the table for 
 a short period, and missed a part of the Doctor's lecture, lie consoled 
 liinjself with the double reflection that the Doctor's fund of informa- 
 
'II 
 
 i ■' ; 
 
 32 
 
 Tin: VOYAfiK OF TIIK "VIVIAN." 
 
 ICK-DKUT OF THE TYSON PAUTV. 
 
 iiill 
 
 tioii was by no means exhausted, but tlie store of fresh eggs would soon 
 give out. 
 
 After breaikfast there was an inspeetion of the list of provisions that 
 Imd been brought along for tlie use of the party in the Nortli. Previous 
 to the inspection the commander explained to the youths the plan of the 
 voyage, and his reasons for preferring San Francisco to New Yoi'k as a 
 point of departure. 
 
 " To make it clear to you," said he, ' I must first tell about the polar 
 currents. 
 
 " Most of the navigators who have entered the Arctic Ocean by way of 
 Davis's Strait and Baffin's Bay have found themselves opposed by tlie 
 currents flowing down to the south. Frequently, when their ships are 
 enclosed in the ice, they have been carried slowly but steadily along over 
 
KKCOVKUY OK THE "RKSOLLTi:." 
 
 88 
 
 tlio very truck hy wliiirli tlu'V usuundt'd to tho North, atiU witlumt auy 
 j.owcr to resist tli(; iiiovtMiioiit. 
 
 " Tluiro aro iiiuny instaiKios of tliin on rtutortl. (V.ptiiiii Tvs<iii, dii his 
 crtciipo from the l*i)lariii in Octohcr, 1S7-J, drifted south iieiirly t\v<» ihou- 
 siind iiiileH on a hirj^o tli)o of iee, from which hi; was rcscMied hy tht? 
 Hteimicr Tltjr<ss. In IS'JT ('uptuin Parry made a hhidi^i; jonrni'V <»ver 
 the ice, hut found that he (hifted to the Koiith nearly as fast as his sledues 
 carried him northward. Captain M'CHntoei\, in the steam-yacht Fi>j\ had 
 a (-iniihir experience: the J'\>x was hicked in the ice in I'atlin's I'ay, 
 Aui^unt 17, is,')", and wat* carried haitk on her (bourse until April L'.")th 
 of the followin;!^ year; when released she hail drifted oiiu thousand three 
 hundred antl niuetv-live miles southward. 
 
 TUK CABIN OK THE "HKSULUTE." 
 
 "In 1854 Sir Edward Belcher, witli a fleet of five ships, was caught in 
 the ice near Beechy Island; the ships were ahandoned, and given up as 
 totally lost. Sixteen months later one of the officers of the whaling ship 
 George Henry saw a vessel in the ice near the west shore of Baffin\s Bay, 
 in latitude 67°. Making his way to her with some difficulty, he found she 
 was the Resolute, o\w. of Sir Edward Belcher's ahandoned ships, perfectly 
 
 3 
 
34 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 'M 
 
 sound and sea-worth}-, tliongh locked fast in the Ice. The cabin was 
 mouldy and musty in appearance, but everything was in order, showing 
 that she had not been visited by the natives. Some decanters of wine 
 were on the table, and the discoverers helped themselves to the beverage 
 which they had fairly earned by their long tramp over the ice. 
 
 " The prize was a valuable one, and the captain of the George Henry 
 decided to go home with her as soon as he could get her free from the 
 ice. He divided his crew between the two vessels, going on board the 
 Reaoluie in person and leaving the George Henry in charge of his fii'st 
 mate. It was rather a curious circmnstance that in a day or two after 
 he had done so the Resolute was free and the George Henry frozen in. 
 She got free, however, shortly after, and the two vessels made the best 
 of their way to New London. The Resolute was bought by the United 
 States Govermnent, and, after being thoroughly refitted, was sent to Eng- 
 land as a present to the Queen. The British Govermnent accepted the 
 gift, but immediately dismantled the ship, and laid her up in the Wool- 
 wich dock-yard. 
 
 "From the time she was abandoned until picked up by the Ge<yrge 
 Henryy the Resolute had drifted a thousand miles, entirely by the force of 
 the current. Other instances of the steady drift of the currents could be 
 given, but those I have cited are sufficient." 
 
 One of the boys asked how the currents were made, and whether they 
 were the same throughout the whole year. 
 
 "The currents are generally stronger in winter than in the warm 
 months, but such is not always the case. They ai-e formed by the Gulf 
 Stream, in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Kuro Siwa, or Japan curi-ent, in 
 the Pacific. The Gnlf Stream, as you know, flows from the Gulf of Mex- 
 ico northward and eastward till it reaches the coast of Northern Eui'ope, 
 passes the North Cape, and strikes the western shore of Nova Zenibla. 
 Portions of it llo'y northward towards the pole, and naturally create a 
 counter current which sweeps down the coast of Greenland to the south. 
 It is this current which brings the icebergs that are one of the dangers 
 of navigation in the North Atlantic." 
 
 "I know them very well," said George. "When I came home from 
 Europe in the steamer Arizo7ia last year, we passed ten or twelve ice- 
 bei'gs in a single day. Captain Brooks, who commanded the Arizona^ 
 said tiiey had come from Greenland, and were brought down by the cur- 
 I'ent ; and he said they sometimes went as low as forty degrees north lati- 
 tude before they were melted by the warmth of the atmosphere." 
 
 " The other stream," continued Commander Bronson, " is the Kuro 
 
THE GATEWAY TO THE POLE. 
 
 35 
 
 Siwa, and flows from the coast of Japan northward tlirougli Beln-ing 
 Stiait. It greatly reseinhles the Gulf Stream, only it is much smaller, 
 the narrowness of the stiait preventing the passage of a great body of 
 water; still it is snfticiently extensive to sweep away the ice from that 
 part of the Arctic Ocean in ordinary sinnmers, and give an entrance for 
 whalers and other ships. Many scientists have thought that this current 
 would furnish the best mode of reaching the pole, and some of them 
 believe that it flows directly over it. While many explorers have sought 
 to reach the pole by the Greenland route, and been carried back by the 
 currents, others liave argued that the true way to get there is to take 
 advantage of the current through Behring Strait. Nine -tenths of the 
 sailing or steaming expeditions to the arctic regions have been by the 
 Greenland or the Spitzbergen route; 
 only a few have tried the other ap- 
 proach, and consequently its capa- 
 bilities have not been tested. 
 
 " It is my opinion that the gate- 
 way to the pole is through Behring 
 Strait; for that reason I wished to 
 sail from San Francisco rather than 
 from New York. Perhaps we may 
 be caught in the ice and drifted 
 across the pole by the Japan cur- 
 rent; then we may be brought down 
 with the ice along the coast of Green- 
 land or by Spitzbergen, and so make 
 our way to New York by the Atlan- 
 tic route. Wiio can say that we 
 shall not* 
 
 " Only a few years ago a whale- 
 ship that had entered the Arctic 
 Ocean through Behring Stra't, 
 found open water farther than it 
 had ever been seen before. She 
 sailed more than a hundred miles 
 
 along this water in pursuit of whales, but found noiie. As she was not 
 on a scientific voyage, she turned to the south and lost a valuable opjwr- 
 tnnity. It is not impossible that there was an open way to the pole, 
 caused by a combination of the winds and currents ; and if to the pole, 
 why may it not have continued southward on the other side ? Of course 
 
 AN ICKBEBQ FHOU OKEKNLAKD. 
 
36 
 
 IJijjJIl 
 
 i: 
 
 !i lilll !i 
 
 >-'mv 
 
 ■t 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 THK BAKKIKK OF ICE. 
 
 it is all conjecture, but wliere everything is guesswork, the guess of one 
 is as good as that of another." 
 
 "Do you think there is water at tlie pole," said one of the youths, "or 
 perhaps solid land ?" 
 
 " That is one of the vexed questions," replied the commander, with a 
 smile, " and it cannot be answered until somebody has actually been to 
 tlie pole and seen for himself. I have already told you of the discussions 
 relative to the sea at the pole (Giip^.>osing there is a sea there), whether it 
 is polyi;".* or paleocrjstic, open or eternally closed. All that the expe- 
 ditions have accomplished towards reaching the pole is to get within about 
 five hundred miles of it; ten houre of an express tiain on a railway might 
 finish the journey, but, unhappily, the railway has not been extended to it, 
 and Pullman cars are unavailable. Certainly the pole is surrounded by 
 an icy barrier, which does not remain the same at all times. One expe- 
 dition finds open water where another, a few years earlier or later, discov- 
 ers only solid ice ; and this experience has been repeated again and again. 
 The barrier of ice has been indented in a few places, but, practically, there 
 is an area of two and a half million square miles around the pole where 
 the foot of man has never trod." 
 
 "It seems to me," said one of the youths, "that the cold must in'irease 
 as we go towards the pole, and where there is so much ice at every point 
 four or five hundred miles from it, there must be a great deal more ice at 
 the pole itself." 
 
 " Evidently you adhere to the paleocrystic theory," was the reply, " but 
 
IS THERE AN ARCTIC CONTINENT? 
 
 37 
 
 less of one 
 jrouths, " Ol- 
 der, with a 
 ly been to 
 discussions 
 vvhetlier it 
 : the expe- 
 ithin about 
 way might 
 nded to it, 
 onnded by 
 One expe- 
 iter, discov- 
 and again, 
 cally, there 
 pole where 
 
 ist i:v!rease 
 every point 
 more ice at 
 
 reply, " but 
 
 on one question you are wrong. The point of greatest cold is not at the 
 pole itself, but away to the south ; observation shows tiiat thei'e are two 
 points of greatest cold, one in Northern Siberia and the other on Parry 
 Island, on the American side of the globe. North of these points the tem- 
 perature decreases as we approach tlie pole, but our progress is impeded 
 by the ice barrier ah-eady mentioned, and which has been sucli a hin- 
 derance to every explorer in that direction. 
 
 "The North-pole is not the magnetic pole any more than it is the pole 
 of greatest cold. Sir James Ross, in 1832, fixed the magnetic pole in 
 latitude 70° 5' 17" N., longitude 96° 46' 45" W. It is there the needle 
 of the mariner's C(jinpass points, and not to the spot over wiiich the North- 
 star is supposed to hang perpetually." 
 
 "What are the arguments in favor of an arctic continent?" was the 
 next inquiry. " . 
 
 "Here is the opinion of Lieutenant Lucien Young," was the reply; 
 and so saying. Com iriander Bronson drew from his pocket a slip cut from 
 a newspaper. " He has given much time to the study of arctic explora- 
 tion, and his theory is the result of careful deliberation. 
 
 
 
 AKCTIC UIHDS. 
 
 The wild-fowl of the higher arctic regions,' says Lieutenant Young, 
 'when winter comes on, do not go south, but north. There, somewhere 
 in the unknown, mysterious regions, they build their nests and hatch their 
 
^^^ 
 
 88 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVJAN." 
 
 young, retiiniing south in the spring. These birds do not build tlieir 
 nests on ice and snow, and are fond of vegetable substances. Again, the 
 Gulf Stream, as is well known, after leaving the coast of America, divides 
 into three currents. One of them breaks on the British Isles, and gives 
 them the temperature of New York ; another goes along the northern 
 coast of Europe and Siberia; and a third sweeps northward along the east- 
 ern coast of Greenland until it meets a cold current of greater specific 
 gravity coming from the north, when it sinks and becomes an undercur- 
 rent, still ruiming northward. Now it is only when the waters of the Gulf 
 Stream meet with a resistance that they give out their latent heat. For 
 instance, thov pass by the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, and do not ma- 
 terially rai!^ the temperature there, but when the resistance of the British 
 Isles is enci ufered, tiie heat is given ofP.' 
 
 " ' Now, continues Lieutenant Young, ' may not the portion of the 
 Gulf Stream running north meet with the obstruction of land around the 
 pole, and, coming to the surface and giving off its heat, raise the tenniera- 
 ture of the region very materially ? In support of this theory we find 
 Gulf Stream water in Smith's Strait ruiming south. I believe there is 
 land at tiie pole, and immortality for the man who shall place his foot 
 upon it.'" 
 
 Commandei' Bronson folded the paper and carefully replaced it in his 
 pocket. , 
 
 " I can understand the benefits of the currents flowing from the pole," 
 said one of the youths. " They bring away the ice and thus prevent a vast 
 accumulation. If it were not for tlie currents there would be a great 
 increase every year." 
 
 " Quite true," replied the commander, " but, in spite of the currents, 
 it is generally believed that the quantity of ice at tlie pole is increasing 
 every year. Here comes the Doctor; let us ask him to explain his theory 
 of the grand cataclysm." 
 
 Tlie query was made, and the Doctor readily assented to the proposal. 
 
 " My theory," said he, " is not by any means my own ; it was pro- 
 pounded years ago by M. Adhemar, a celebrated French mathematician, 
 and is supported partly or altogether by Lyell, Darwin, Ilebert, Hon, and 
 others. 
 
 " Briefly stated, it is tliat the centre of gravity of the earth is changed 
 at certain epochs by the accumulation of ice at one of the poles, until its 
 balance is lost. When this happens, the earth turns over: that is, it changes 
 its position in the heavens, so that what is now the North-star hangs over 
 the present South-pole. There is a grand cataclysm, or rush of waters, 
 
THE GRAND CATACLYSM. 
 
 39 
 
 build their 
 Again, the 
 ica, divides 
 \, and gives 
 e northern 
 Iff the cast' 
 iter specific 
 
 I nndercur- 
 of the Gulf 
 
 heat. Foi- 
 do not tna- 
 the Britisli 
 
 tion of the 
 around the 
 lie tenipera- 
 ory we find 
 eve there is 
 ace his fooi 
 
 ced it in his 
 
 n the pole," 
 
 event a vast 
 
 be a great 
 
 le currents, 
 i increasing 
 
 II his theory 
 
 e proposal, 
 it was pro- 
 theinatician, 
 ft, Hon, and 
 
 is changed 
 les, until its 
 s, it changes 
 
 hangs over 
 1 of waters, 
 
 making the inundations of which we see the traces all over the globe, 
 and forming Mie deposits that compose the different strata of the earth's 
 surface." 
 
 " How often do these upsets occur?" Fred inquired. 
 
 " About once in every twenty-one thousand years," replied the Doctor. 
 " The last is supposed to have been the Deluge, which is described in the 
 Genesis of the ]3ible. You needn't be alarmed for oin* present safety, he 
 added, "as the next cataclysm is not expected for at least ten thousand 
 years !" 
 
 "But I don't understand how.it all comes about," said George. 
 " What is it sets the cataclysm going ?" • 'j 
 
 "According to the geologists," the Doctor explained, " there is a differ- 
 ence in the amount of heat and cold in the two hemispheres. In the first 
 part of one of these great cycles of twenty-one thousand years there will 
 be more heat in one hemisphere than in the other, while at the last half 
 of the cycle the conditions are reversed. Humboldt estimated that at 
 the present time there are eight days more of winter in the South-pole 
 than at the North, and consequently eight days less of sunnner. It fol- 
 lows, therefore, that there is an accumulation of ice and snow at the 
 South-pole which increases slightly, but surely, every year. Thousands 
 of years hence the weight of ice, snow, and water there will be so great 
 that the centre of gravity will be changed, and then will come one of 
 ^hose terrible inundations already mentioned. According to this theory 
 we are now a little past the middle of tlie cj'cle. Ten thousand years 
 ago the North-pole was a warm region, and the mammoth and kindred 
 animals roamed through its forests. Since that time the temperature has 
 fallen in the Southern He?nisphere ; all the explorers in the direction of 
 the South-pole say there is a greater quantity of ice there than in the 
 North, and the hinderances to travel are everywhere insurmountable." 
 
 " Then, if we wait a few thousand years," said one of the yoiiths, " we 
 can have a better chance than now of getting to the North-pole, since 
 the cataclysm will sweep everything away, and there will be no ice to 
 hinder us." 
 
 "Quite ^ikely," responded the Doctor; "but we won't make this a 
 reason for giving up our present expedition." 
 
40 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 '' ''I 
 
 CHAPTER III. . 
 
 PROVISIONS FOR AN ARCTIC VOYAGE.— WHALES AND WHALERS. 
 
 "l^TE have observed that the inspection of the list of provisions \*a8 
 ' * interrupted by tlie talk concerning <^'"^ exploration of the arctic 
 i-egions and the searches for Sir John Franklin ; then came the disserta- 
 tion of the Doctor on the grand cataclysm which should change the rela- 
 tion of the poles and derange things generally, coupled with the re-assuring 
 assertion that it was not likely to come off immediately. Quiet having 
 been restored, as the reporters say, the list of provisions was produced. 
 
 • "We are provisioned for two years," said the commander, " and of 
 course we have the usual stores of a ship for a long voyage. They in- 
 clude salted meats, both dry and wet — the former carefully wrapped in 
 canvas, and the latter in strong casks. Then we have a liberal stock of 
 floui", meal, dried fruit, preserved vegetables of different kinds, canned 
 meats and fruits, and tea, coffee, and chocolate. Hard bread or sea-biscuit 
 has not been forgotten, as it is generally the first item in a ship's list of 
 provisions. 
 
 The Doctor remarked that the hardships of long sea-voyages had been 
 diminished by the abundance of canned goods, which were almost un- 
 known in the time of Sir John Franklin, and even at a much later date. 
 
 " As to that," said Commander Bronson, " we are less fortunate than 
 you nn'ght suppose, as there are many qualities of canned provisions which 
 will not bear transportation to the arctic regions. All articles that con- 
 tain water are undesirable, as they are injured by fieezing, and, besides, it 
 is not well to carry water where every ounce of weight is of serious con- 
 sequence. Our canned provisions have been specially prepared for us, 
 and contain the least possible amount of moistui-e. 
 
 "We have horseradish and lime-juice, in large quantities, to prevent 
 the disease called scurvy ; it has fi-equentl}' impaired tlie efficiency of 
 arctic expeditions, and in some instances has been the direct cause of 
 failure. I have had our lime-juice prepared in a new form, partly to 
 facilitate transportation, and partly to make it easier of distribution when 
 
PROVISIONS FOB ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. 
 
 %% 
 
 wanted. Instead of being in liquid sliape it is in the form of lozenges, 
 and in sticks like candy. When we are on the march over the ice we can 
 more easily distribute it than if it were frozen solid in bottles. 
 
 "Our peniinican was made by a man who thoroughly nnderstands its 
 preparation, and we have a liberal snpply of it." 
 
 One of the youths asked what pennnican was, and the commander 
 proceeded to enlighten him. 
 
 " Pemmican," said he, "is an im])ortant article of supply at the posts 
 of the Hudson's Bay Company and all through the northern regions. 
 There are two forms, raw and cooked; for 'le former, lean meat is cut 
 into thin strips and dried, and for the latter the meat is boiled before 
 cutting and drying. In either case the meat is reduced to powder, and 
 this is mixed with melted fat. A little seasoning is added, and in some 
 parts of the North the powder of certain leaves is introduced. When 
 thoroughly mixed, the substance is poured into a bag of green hide, the 
 end of the bag tightly sewed, and as the hide shrinks in drying it com- 
 presses the contents into a mass nearly as hard as a brick. The pemmican 
 is preserved from injury by its hide envelope, and is so solid that it must 
 be cut out with a hatchet or a stout knife. 
 
 " As an article of food it is admirably adapted to expeditions over the 
 ice, or in regions of intense cold ; the great quantity of fat contained in it 
 supplies the carbon required by the system for resisting the effects of a 
 low temperature, and it is so well protected by its covering that it may lie 
 for hours in the rain, or be immersed in salt-water, without injury. 
 
 "1 have tried an experiment," the commander continued, "or, rather, 
 I have repeated an experiment that was made by a recent Euglish expe- 
 dition, and found to work successfully." 
 
 "What is that?" ' • - * • • .. 
 
 "I have mixed lime-juice with the pemmican in such a proportion 
 that it will not be necessary to keep the anti-scorbutic Miediciue always at 
 hand. At ieast,I think the result will be that our men will keep in good 
 health without the necessity of frequent rations of lime juice. 
 
 " So much for the food provisions," he added," and with care they will 
 be all we need, in addition, of course, to the game wo hope to kill from 
 time to time. 
 
 "For killing our game we are well provided with arms and ammu- 
 nition. We have several rifles of the latest pattern, and we have revolver 
 sufficient to set up a small shop, in case we want to make a trading vent- 
 ure. We have a few rifles that can be loaded with loose powder and 
 ball, but the most of our weapons use fixed ammunition ; the shells can be 
 
m 
 
 ii 
 
 42 
 
 THE VOYAfSK OF TMK "VIVIAN." 
 
 OVKK TUK ICK. 
 
 rcloacled if we happen to run short, or are in danger of doing so, and there 
 is an abundance of material for reloading. 
 
 " There are only two sizes of fixed ammunition — one for the rifles and 
 one for the revolvers. Perhaps I might express it better by saying that 
 our weapons have only two calibres — the rifles one and the revolvers an- 
 other. 
 
 "We have an abundance of warm clothing, both for under and outer 
 wear; it will serve us in ordinary times very satisfactorily, but on long 
 journeys over the ice, or in the dead of winter, we shall adopt the native 
 dress, of \vhich we will learn more by-and-by. You remember the old 
 adage, 'when with the Eomans, do as the Romans do;' apply it to our case, 
 and when with the Hyperboreans, dress as the Hyperboreans dress. They 
 wear thick furs and skins, and so r ust we if wo would escape freezing in 
 the arctic winter. 
 
 " For fuel we have coal — as much as we can stow away in the ship's 
 bunkers ; and we may be able to replenish our stock at one of the inter- 
 national depots recently established in the arctic regions." 
 
 "I had not heard of theiii;" said the Doctor; "when were they estab- 
 lished?" 
 
IXTKUNATIONAL Sl'lTLY-STATIONS. 
 
 48 
 
 oivevs au- 
 
 " I miulc a 8\isrgcsti(Hi three or four years ago," wm the reply. " It was 
 favorably leeeived by our goveriniient, and the Secretary of the Navy 
 proceetied to act upon it. My suggestion was that every whaler, or other 
 ship, proceeding to the Arctic Ocean utider sail alone, and having spare 
 room in her iiold, should carry a (juantity of coal, to he left at certain des- 
 ignated points, for the use of any explorer who tnight need it. An ex- 
 ]>l(»ring ship of any nation might use this coal under certain restrictions, 
 repi'iting through her own admiralty the number of tons taken, so that 
 c(tui[>ensation could bo nnvde to the government that sent it out. It is 
 
 
 Jks*^?^ ^- ,»^5a»«*"^''"- 
 
 ii 
 
 ■11 
 
 
 NATIVE AND KUKOPKAN DRESS CONTRASTED. 
 
 not necessary to trouble yon with all the deiails of my scheme; it was 
 accepted, and communicated to the governments of England, France, Ger- 
 many, Denmark, Sweden, and other nations interested in polar explora- 
 tions, and there ougl " to be by this time several coal depots in the Arctic 
 Ocean, where an ex[ilorer should be reasonably sure of finding enough to 
 supply his wants." 
 
44 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE " VIVUN." 
 
 ■I 
 
 I 
 
 / ^ 1 
 
 
 ■'■i ''M 
 
 t 
 
 « ; 111 
 
 III 
 
 |i>U 
 
 " But w(ni't the natives steal the coal, as they do everything else?' one 
 of the yoiitlis inquired. < 
 
 " Undoubtedly, if it could ho of any use to them," was the reply, "hut 
 thus far they have not found out how to utilize it. They look with won- 
 der on the white man's ability to burn ' black stones,' but have not learned 
 how to perform tho feat themselves. As long as tliey have no stoves, and 
 are not taught how to create a draft through the coal, they will respect the 
 iieaps which we shall make on the barren rocks at East Cape, Littleton 
 Islaii 1, Point Barrow, and the other places selected for our depots. Then, 
 too, these depots will bo convenient post-oftices for the interchange of news 
 and information, 1 suggested that at each depot a mark should be made 
 on some pronn'nent rock, indicating the spot where letters were concealed 
 a short distance away. The distances should be in yards, and the direction 
 magnetic by compass; or it might be shown by an arrow, cut or painted on 
 the rock. Thus " N.E. 22 " would mean that a box had been buried twen- 
 ty-two yards away, in a north-easterly direction; " - — ► 27" would show 
 that the direction of the arrow must be followed twenty-seven yards to 
 find the place of concealment. The position of the deposits would be ac- 
 cording to the character of tho ground, the drift of the snows, and the 
 liability to discovery by the natives. 
 
 "It is of ver}' little use," he continued, "to deposit papers under cairns 
 of stones, as the natives invariably dig into the cairns and break open 
 the cases containing the papers. This was the fate of the records of the 
 Franklin expedition, as we have already seen. Now, if the records had 
 been buried in a dry spot, and all trace oi the digging of the ground ob- 
 literated, future explorers might have been directed to the place by marks 
 on the rocks some distance away." 
 
 " But some of the natives — two or three that have been to the United 
 States and England — have learned to read," said Fred, "and one of these 
 natives could discover the place of deposit." 
 
 "Quite likely," said the Doctor, "but he would be intelligent enough 
 to know tiiat the records would bring a Jiandsome reward to whoever 
 fotnid them, and there could be no danger from such a cause. Suppose 
 th(3re had been a native of King William Land able to read when the 
 Franklin records were lying about in the hands of the children, or ex- 
 posed to the winds on the rocks. Every scrap of paper would have been 
 carefully collected and carried to one of the stations on Hudson's Bay ; 
 instead of waiting more than ten years for deliuite information, we should 
 have known the fate of the expedition in a couple of years at farthest, and 
 the history of its work would have been preserved." 
 
COAL AND WHALES. 
 
 U 
 
 ' "But to return to tlio subject of coal," paid the Doctor; "there is 
 plenty of coal in the fur North, I believe, but it has never been utilized, 
 partly owing to the difficulties of njining it, and partly becaub„ it is of 
 very poor cpuility." 
 
 "Unless 1 am misinformed," re8i)onded Connnandor Bronson," the 
 most of the coal found in the islands and along the coast c" Hio far North 
 — with the exception of a large seam of anthracite at Lady Franklin JJay 
 — contains so much 8id[)hur that it is dangerous to burn it in the fiu'naces 
 of steamships, on account of its eating away the iron of the Hues." 
 
 "Yes," answered the Doctor; "one summer when I was in Alaska we 
 made a trip to the Aleutian Islands. On one of the islands there is a iino 
 bed of coal, so close to the water that it is an easy matter to get it out. 
 We stopped there a couple of days, and filled our bunkers, and then 
 steamed off in high spirits. But wo soon found that the sulphur in the 
 coal was destroying our flues, and the unconsumed stuff was pitched over- 
 board. We made the discovery just in time: our engineer said that if 
 we had gone on with it another day there would have been danger of 
 setting fire to the ship. When we returned to Sitka it was !!ccessary to 
 replace nearly all the flues with new ones, but we were consoled by learn- 
 ing that others had made the same mistake." 
 
 "There she blows!" said Captain Jones, pointing rather excitedly at 
 the spout of a whale a few hundred yards to windwaixl. 
 
 The convei-sation relative to the Arctic Ocean came to a sudden stop, 
 and the entire party rushed to the rail to see the " monster of the deep." 
 
 "Eighty barrels of oil in hiu)," said the captain. "Wouldn't he give 
 us a fine stock for winter evenings at the North-pole?" 
 
 "Then we wouldn't have so nnicl: occasion for the coal depots we 
 have just heard about," exclaimed George. 
 
 "Let's capture him," said Fred, "and cut up his blubber for the en- 
 gine-room. Wouldn't the propeller send us along, with such stuff as that 
 for fuel!" ' . 
 
 Evidently the whale was not at all frightened, and perhaps he mistook 
 the ship for one of his own family. He slowly came up, until he was net 
 fifty yards away, and then made a cotnplete circuit of the Vivian. Fred 
 wanted to shoot at hiip. "just for fun," and started below for a rifle; Cap- 
 tain Jones called him back, and said the shooting could not be allowed, 
 and with that the 3'outh resumed his place at the rail. 
 
 "It would have done no good to shoot at him," said the captain, "and 
 might have done harm. Perhaps he would have dived after getting your 
 shot, and come up a long distance away, and perhaps he might have come 
 
H 
 
 iil 
 
 kI 
 
 - ; ' 
 
 M 
 
 40 
 
 THE VOYAOE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 \\y directly Iioiicntli the sliip, niul j^ivoii ns a bIiocU tliut would Imvo 
 8ti'ai!K!(l lis Bt'vert'ly, or pof^siljly SL'iit us to tlie bottom. Sii«;h tiiiuj^s liuvo 
 hapjKMicd, mid there are several instances of wliales having attacked ships, 
 l)reuking in their sides and convertiiii; them into helj>less wrecks. The 
 whale-shi[) Emex was destroyed by a whale in this way, and so was the 
 Union; other shijts have been attacked, and thoro is no good in takinj; 
 a shot 'just for f nil,' as yon say." 
 
 AN INCIDENT OF THE WHALE-FUIIERT. 
 
 Fred assented readily to the captain's suggestion, and concluded that 
 a shot at anything for mere sport, whether on land or sea, was not to be 
 recommended. lie inwardly resolved that the lesson should not be lost 
 on him, and to strengthen his resolution he imparted it to George, tvho 
 promptly agreed with him. 
 
 Soon another whale, and in a little while another, were reported in 
 sight, somewhat to the discomfort of Captain Jones, who regretted passing 
 such magnificent game without trying to capture it. 
 
 "Why didn't we rig the sliip for a whaling cruise as well as for an 
 arctic exploration ?" said one of the youths ; " then we could have had 
 the sport of killing whales, and made a nice profit from the oil," 
 
 " Very good in theory," remarked the Doctor, " but the practice would 
 not have been so good. Whaling would delay our explorations, and per- 
 
WHALE-FI8HINU IN THE ICE. 
 
 47 
 
 haps rnlu tlioin nltoijotlier; you can't |)ut mmi'iico and coinmorcc fjiiito bo 
 cloHO to^etlior uifliout making ono or Ixitli of tliom Biifl'cr. A hotter way 
 woiikl bo to iiiako ono cruiso entirely as a whaler, aM<l ant»th(!r in the 
 interestrt of science; then you woiihhi't run tho risk of gettinj^ tliin^H 
 mixed." 
 
 "A voyage after whales would ho an excellent preparation for a 
 seleiititic one," remarked tho captain, as ho overheard the conversation 
 hetweon tho Doctor and tho youths. " Vou make an intimate ac(piaint- 
 ance with tho ice-tiolds, berijs, tloes, and packs, and what a man doesn't 
 know about ice after a few whaling; vttya^es is hardly worth findinii; out. 
 
 "The best whale-fishing is now close in upon tho ice, and very often 
 you <i;o for your game where tho bergs and packs are thic^k. Tho first 
 whale 1 ever struck in tho Anitic Ocean was along-side of a great berg, 
 lil«! a mountain, and when we hit him ho tried to get under the ice to 
 escape us. 
 
 "We sighted him from tho berg, where some of the sailors had been 
 sent to try to find fresh water, tho shi)) meantime standing on and off 
 mider full saii. Of course when they saw tho whale they dropped all 
 idea of water and we. it for the prize ; he cost us inoro than three hours 
 hard fighting, and at ono time it looked as though he would got off in 
 spite of us. lie doubled around tho 
 })oint of tho berg with the harpoon 
 in him, and if he had cut tho lino 
 against the ice wo should have lost 
 him. In ono way the ice helped tis, 
 as he finally went into a little nook 
 or (cove), in tho berg, where ho got 
 bewildered, and gave us a chiince 
 to finish him up. 
 
 " I once saw a whale caught in 
 an iceberg," the captain continued ; 
 " or, rather, he was pretty well up 
 towards the top of it." 
 
 " How did that happen ?" said 
 one of the listeners. 
 
 " I'll tell you," responded the mariner. " I was in the Robert Gihbft^ 
 of New Bedford, off the southern end of Greenland, and we hadn't seen a 
 whale for several days. But we kept a sh.arp lookout all the time, partly 
 for whales and partly to steer clear of the ice. One day we were sailing 
 along within a mile or so of a big berc: that was driftins: south with the 
 
 LOOKOUT ON AN ICEBERG. 
 
 
 [ 
 
48 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 current, and seeu)ed to have ever3'thing its own way. I was np in tlie 
 crow's-nest, and had my eyes on the berg, when suddenly about a third of it 
 broke off from one side with a report Lke tliuiider, and went crashing and 
 splashing into the water. 
 
 " The part that broke off changed the balance of the rest, so that the 
 berg turned about half-wa; over. One side went under water, while the 
 other canie out, and the side that came out brought a whale along with it, 
 and lifted him nearly a hundred feet into the air. lie was in a hollow in 
 the berg, not large enough for him to swim in, but high enough in the 
 sides to keep him from getting over. 
 
 " lie splashed about and made things lively, and the more he thrashed 
 the less water there was for him to live in. 1 shouted, 'there she blows!' 
 and pointed to the iceberg, and away went a boat to capture him. 
 
 " The boat made fast to tiie berg, and the boat-steerer went on the ice 
 with a lance, though he had a hard time getting up the slippc v side. But 
 he got to the whale after a while and finished him with the lance, and 
 then we wondered what to do with him. 
 
 "It wasn't exactly safe to go to chopping the ice enough to make a 
 channel for the whale to slip through to the water, as our blows would be 
 likely to split the berg again, and let us into the ocean among the falling 
 ice. Then it would be a long job to cut off the blubber where he was, 
 and carry it away in the boats, aftei* sliding the pieces into the watei", and 
 nobody could tell what minute the berg might turn over again. * 
 
 " It wasn't a large whale — about fifty barrels or so — but it was too good 
 to be lost. The captain looked the business all over, and then hit on a 
 plan which we at once carried out. 
 
 " We rove ropes around a dozen empty casks, and fastened the ends of 
 'em together, so that the lot looked like a bunch of toy balloons which the 
 peddlers sell on Broadway. Then we towed the casks along-side the berg, 
 close to where the whale was, and carried up the rope tliat held the bunch. 
 
 " We made it fast to his flukes to prevent its working loose, and then 
 we went back to the ship. « . . 
 
 " The boats were all hauled in, and then we made sail and brought the 
 bhip within aboiit five Inmdred yards of the perpendicular side of the 
 berg. We fired several times at the berg with a small cannon, in the hope 
 that the concussion might shatter it and make it turn over again ; but 
 though we brought off some large pieces it didn't turn as we wanted. 
 
 "Then we went back with one of the boats, taking along some powder 
 in a tin canister, a long piece of safety-fuse, and the tools we needed for 
 making a deep hole in the ice. We drilled a big hole just back of the 
 
 4 
 
 «4' 
 
SCORESBY'S VOYAGES. 
 
 49 
 
 wliale ; then we pnt down the canister of powder, with the fuse attached, 
 and filled the hole up with the line ice we had chiselled out of H. Wlien 
 all was ready, everybody but one man went back to the boat, and then he 
 lit the fuse and followed too. Yoi' can be sure he made the best of time 
 down the slope, and the boat's crew never did better pulling than when 
 they were getting away from that berg. 
 
 "We got to the ship's side before the powder blew up. It split off a 
 great piece of the berg and let the whale down into the water, where he 
 was kept from sinking by the casks tied to his tail. When the commotion 
 was over we went and picked him up, and in a little while had his carcass 
 along-side, and were cutting him in. I reckon that was about the only 
 whale ever killed on the top of an iceberg. 
 
 "Talking about mixing up the whaling business with arctic explora- 
 tion," continued Captain Jones, "you'll find we are indebted to the whalers 
 for a great deal that has been learned about the polar regions. For in- 
 stance, there was Captain Scoresliy, who flourished in the early part of this 
 century; he combined the capture of whales with the pursuit of science, 
 and when he was not busy with the chase of a whale, he was making ob- 
 servations on the ice-packs and currents. 
 
 " Scoresby made more than thirty voyages to the arctic regions ; he 
 believed in the open polar sea, and in 1806, when whales were scarce, he 
 endeavored to prove the correctness of his theory. He sailed into the ice- 
 barrier, and reached latitude 81° 30' N. before he was compelled to return, 
 riendrik Hudson had previously reached the same latitude in the Spitz- 
 bergen seas, but the record of Scoresby was the best made by a whaler 
 down to that time. Altogether he was full of adventure, as he passed the 
 SOth parallel in fifteen of his voyages, surpassing everybody else before o)- 
 since his time. 
 
 " He was full of courage in his fights with the whales, and had many 
 narrow escapes. Once his ship was in a bay that had been freshly frozen 
 over; the ice was so thin that it wonld not bear the weight of a man, and 
 too thick to be broken by rowing a boat through it. Whales were in the 
 bay, and there were holes where they came up to breathe, and Scoresby 
 wanted to get at thfem. ' " , ' '■: , ■ v ' ' . . 
 
 " He went to work and made what he called ' ice-shoes ;' they were of 
 thin plank, six feet long by a foot wide, and in the centre of each plank 
 he made a place where his foot could be held by straps. With these shoes 
 he slid along the ice to the holes where the whale: came up to breathe, 
 and there he harpooned them at his convenience. 
 
 " But after he had struck the harpoon into a whale the rough part of 
 
 4 
 
 !^;- il 
 
 t: 
 t 
 
 fe i 
 
50 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 the business came. The creature dived, and by-and-by came up to breathe, 
 and wlien lie rose lie wasn't particular whether he came to a hole or made 
 a new one with his back. Scoresby followed on his ice-shoes to where he 
 Jhought the whale would come up, and if he made a good guess, he gen- 
 erally succeeded in finishing him ofP. . 
 
 CAPTAIN 8CORK8BY. 
 
 " Once he calculated a little too closely, for the whale came up right 
 under where he stood, and sent the old captain into the air, ice-shoes and 
 all. But there happened to be some strong ice close by, so he skipped out 
 of his ice-shoes and made for the solid ice, where he could stand in safety." 
 
 "There were two Scoresbys," said the Doctor, "and I presume it is of 
 the elder you are speaking." 
 
 "Yes," answered Captain Jones; "I forgot to say there were two of 
 
ORIGIN OF BRITISH EXPEDITIONS. 
 
 51 
 
 them, father and son. Both were named William : the father did not be- 
 fr'm his seafaring life till 1790, when he was thirty yeare old, and he died 
 in 1829. The son ran away to sea in one of the father's ships when he 
 w^as only ten years old, and six yeare later he had risen to the rank of tiret 
 mate. The elder Scoresby made many improvements in whaling, and it 
 was he that invented and used the ice-shoes I told about. He commanded 
 the ship Resolution^ when she made the northward voyage in 1806 to lat- 
 itude 81° 30', and at that time his son was second officer under him. The 
 son was the first to make scientific observations on the electricity of the 
 polar regions, and he made so many contributions to the geography of the 
 far North tiiat his work has been long regarded as a high authority." 
 
 " He had a good deal of correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks," the 
 Doctor remarked, " and it was this correspondence, and the various reports 
 of Captain Scoresby, that led to the equipment of several important expe- 
 ditions by the British Government." 
 
 We doff our caps to the Scoresbys," said Commander Bronson, "and 
 they are worthy of all the honor their successors can give them." 
 
 The attention of the party was called to an object on the water almost 
 ahead of the ship, and, as they neared it, the eyes of the youths were 
 strained to their utmost to make out 
 the strarige sight. Flocks of birds 
 were circling about, or settling on the 
 waves, and there was a commotion 
 in the water that resembled a small 
 whirlpool. 
 
 " There she doesn't blow !" said 
 the captain, as soon as he turned his 
 gaze in that direction. 
 
 Then he explained that what they 
 saw was nothing but the stripped car- 
 cass of 
 had hold 
 "and his 
 
 verted into oil, somewhere beyond 
 the horizon. 
 
 " The birds are having a rare feast 
 on what l!ie huntsmen of the sea have left, and that is why you see so 
 Tuany of them. The sharks are in for their share as well, and they are 
 kicking up a lively commotion in the water. They are dangerous cus- 
 tomer for the birds ; anything is game for them that they can get hold 
 
 
 A MMROD OF THE SEA. 
 
 ' f 
 
 ^ 
 
 I : 
 
i 
 
 tit' 
 
 ^' 
 
 inttiii 
 
 R > MP -I 
 
 li 
 
 
 ■< 'k 
 
 '■'" ' ' 
 
 52 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 of, and if you were near enougli you would see a bird go uuder every 
 few miiMites, and become food for a shark. 
 
 "The sharks make it risky sometimes for the men who are cutting in 
 a whale. A man has to go down on the whale's back to start the strip 
 of blubber, and if he misses his footing while there, and slips into the 
 water, he runs a groat chance of being swallowed by a shark. The back 
 of a wiiale isn t the best footing in the world; you must have spikes in 
 your boots, or voollen stockings over them, and even then, when a ship 
 is rolhng and tlie whale is bobbing about, there is great danger of slipping. 
 After the strip is started the man climbs into 'the chains,' where he has 
 a better footing, and can chop away witii the spade as fast as tiie blubber 
 is unrolled." 
 
 As tiie Vinan passed the drifting carcass some of tlie birds flew awa}', 
 but their plac3S were promptly tilled by others, and there was no decrease 
 in the number. The captain said that sometimes the carcass of a whale 
 floated after being stripped and cast adi-ift, while at others it sank instant- 
 ly. Why it should float at one time and sink at another was a mystery 
 nobody had been able to explain. And he further said that, sometimes 
 when a whale is on the surface of the water, he will sink as rapidly as a 
 stone, without any apparent motion of fins or tail. 
 
 The conversation continued for some time, and touched a variety of 
 topics, until dinner was announced. The next day and the next there 
 were more stories about the whale-fishery, and for a wr .k or more Captain 
 Jones contributed freely to the amusement of the youths. 
 
 One day he was describing an adventure with a sperm-whale in the 
 South Pacific; just as he was in the middle of his story, it was suddenly 
 interrupted by the announcement of a sail ahead, which threw everybody 
 into a state of excitement. 
 
 I 
 
A FEAST FOR SHARKS AND SEA-BIRDS. 
 
 53 
 
 if^a''fl 
 
 > 
 
 o 
 >■ 
 
 V. 
 
 > 
 O 
 
 7> 
 
 
 1 , 
 
 I ; 
 
 
 
 4. . . i 
 
 
54 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 rJI: 
 
 hi -iV 
 
 w. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MEETING A STRANGER.— SOMETHING ABOUT KAMCHATKA. 
 
 GEORGE and ired looked for the sail that had been sighted, but it 
 was some time before they could »nake it out. Even when they did 
 see it there was little more than a speck on the horizon, but it was clearly 
 distinguishable to the experienced eyes of the commander and the cap- 
 tain. The latter declared it was a bark, even before he brought his glass 
 to bear upon it; after a long look at the stranger, he said it was probably 
 the Beliring^ on her way from Petropavlovsk to San Francisco. The 
 youths had a suspicion that the latter announcement wais entirely guess- 
 work, and based upon tlie captain's knowledge that the JBehring was on 
 her way southward, and was due about that titne. Whether they were 
 right or wrong in their supposition, they had no way, for the present at 
 least, of finding out. 
 
 On the course they were sailing they were not likely to come very 
 nesT-r the stranger, as she was a long distance to leeward. Captain Jones 
 ordered the Vivian to change her bearing, and thus the two vessels grad- 
 ually approached each other. An hour or so before sunset they were 
 within signalling distance, and the guess of Captain Jones turned out to 
 be correct. For the last two hours pens had been busy on board the 
 Vivian^ and lettere were ready for despatch to San Francisco. George 
 and Fred wrote brief accounts of their voyage, for the benefit of friends 
 at home, and Commander Bronson embraced the opportunity to say what 
 he thought best to the owners of the Vivian. The most that any of the 
 pa'ty could say was that everybody was well, the voyage had been delight- 
 ful thus far, the ship was all that could be desired, and the stores, so far 
 as they had been examined, were in excellent condition. 
 
 The signal, "we desire to communicate," was hoisted by the Vivian, 
 and the Bekring responded by announcing that she would heave to. 
 Then the Vivian signalled, " we will send a boat." As soon as the two 
 vessels were hove to away went the boat from the ViviarCs side, in charge 
 of the second officer. The captain suggested that one of the youths 
 
A VISIT ON THE OCEAN. 
 
 65 
 
 might go ill the boat : there was a passage of politeness between Fred and 
 George, each urging that the other should have the honor and novelty of 
 the expedition, and as they could not decide upon it, the question was sub- 
 mitted to the commander. The latter promptly declared that the elder 
 of the twain should go, and without another word Fred descended the 
 rope-ladder and took his seat in the boat. 
 
 She danced rapidly over the waves, and in a quarter of an hour Fred 
 was on the deck of the Behring, exchanging salutatioiia wUh her captain. 
 He was nearly knocked over by a large dog, that showed a desire to be 
 familiar without the formality of an introduction, and the brute continued 
 iiis attentions until dragged away by one of the sailors. The captain ex- 
 plained that the dog was from Ka: cliatka, and had never been used to 
 polite society ; he was on his way to San Francisco, where it was hop^d his 
 mannere would be improved. Fred observed that the animal was luontical 
 with wliat he had seen in the pictures of the Esquimaux dog, and the 
 captain confirmed his opinion by declaring that the Esquimaux and 
 Kamchatka dogs are precisely the same. • 
 
 ' Fred delivered the package of letters for San Francisco, and gave the 
 captain several newspapers of recent date. Then the second officer handed 
 over a small parcel addressed to "the bark Behring ;'''' it contained 
 letters that had been sent from San Francisco, on the chance that the 
 Vivian might meet her, or be able to leave the missives where they could 
 be delivered. On the way back to the Vivia7i the officer explained to 
 Fred that it is the custom to send letters in this way by every ship leav- 
 ing port for a direction in which another is supposed to be. 
 
 " My father,'' said he, " was the captain of a whaler in the old times, 
 when they sailed from New Bedford and came home again, three or four 
 years later, with the ship filled with oil and bone. My mother used to 
 write by every ship that sailed for the Pacific Ocean ; not more than one 
 letter in twenty ever reached my father, but of course that one was wel- 
 come enough to be a consolation for the loss of the rest." 
 
 The Behring had sailed from Petropavlovsk, in Kamchatka, and was 
 on her way to San Francisco, and her captain had nothing of consequence 
 to report. He invited our friends below, and of course they accepted the 
 invitation, but did not stay long, as it was getting late and there was no 
 occasion for further delay. Just as they were leaving the cabin he re- 
 marked that the officials at Petropavlovsk were preparing to receive a 
 French ship, which was shortly expected on its way to the Arctic Ocean. 
 Letters had been received from the French Government for the officers 
 of the ship, and with it came a message that the Gallic explorers had been 
 
 Ji I'll 
 
 n 
 
 \ f. 
 
 \ 
 
:il 
 
 III 
 
 50 
 
 Tin: VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 instructed to stop at Petropavlovsk fur their final iiistnietioiis. He could 
 not give the name of the ship, nor tell anything further than that such a 
 
 cr 
 
 aft 
 
 was ex pec 
 
 ^ted. 
 
 The Jichring filled away on her course for San Francisco, and her 
 (Mew joined in a farewell cheer to the Vivian^ as the boat of the latter 
 started on its i-etiu'ii. Just as the sun went below the horizon the boat 
 was hoisted in, and the Vivian turned her sails to the breeze that bore her 
 to the northward. Fi'cd was overjoyed at his part in the incident of visit- 
 ing a ship at sea, and George was not far behind in excitement. Only 
 those who have made long sea voyages can appreciate the feelings of the 
 youths. A meeting at sea is a great relief ; > the monotony of sailing 
 over the wide expanse of waters, and every inciuent, however trivial, be- 
 comes an event of the greatest importance. 
 
 When Fred nuide his report to Cuunnander Bronson, he caused some 
 perplexity'' to that gentleman. The story was a confirmation of what 
 lie liad heard while the Viviaii's preparations were going on — that a 
 French expedition was on its way to the Arctic Ocean by way of Behring 
 Strait. He desired to co-operate in a friendly way with any expedition to 
 the })olar seas, without regard to its nationality, and when the repoil 
 reached him lie wrote at once to the American minister in Paris for any 
 information he could obtain concerning it. The latter could learn nothing 
 definite on the subject, as the French are very reluctant to let their neigh- 
 bors know what they are doing in the line of explorations, and so the com- 
 mander had pretty nearly dismissed it from his thoughts. 
 
 The information derived from the captain of the Behriug had thrown 
 new light upon the subject, and he at once thought it would be of advan- 
 tage to meet the French ship at Petropavlovsk, with a view to co-operation. 
 
 " How much would it take us out of the direct course to Behring 
 Strait," he inquired of Captain Jones, "if we should touch at Petro- 
 pavlovsk ?" 
 
 " About a thousand miles," was the reply. " I can tell you almost to a 
 mile b}' measuring on our charts." 
 
 " Never mind for the present," responded the commander ; " perhaps 
 I will ask you more on the subject to-morrow." 
 
 "As we are now steering," the captain explained, " we shall go through 
 the Oonimak Passage of the Aleutian Islands, and enter Behring Sea. 
 If we steer for Petropavlovsk, we shall leave the whole Aleutian chain 
 to the northward, and go several degrees farther west than we expect to 
 at present." 
 
 Command' Bronson made no reply; the captain discreetly ventured 
 
Ic COlllll 
 
 t Buch a 
 
 and her 
 lie latter 
 the boat 
 bore her 
 ; of visit- 
 t. Only 
 rs of the 
 f sailiiii;; 
 'ivial, ho- 
 sed pome 
 
 of what 
 I — tliat a 
 ' JJehring 
 3dition to 
 10 repoi't 
 8 for any 
 1 nothing 
 }ir nelgh- 
 
 tho coui- 
 
 u thrown 
 of advan- 
 :)pe ration, 
 Ijohring 
 at Petro- 
 
 niost to a 
 
 " perhaps 
 
 
 
 tlirongh 
 
 rin<x Sea. 
 lau chain 
 expect to 
 
 AVATCHA AND ITS COMrAXlONS. 
 
 57 
 
 H 
 
 I 
 
 i \\:. 
 
 tl 
 
 
 
 \'m 
 
 ven 
 
 tured 
 
 
58 
 
 TIU: VOiACiE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 .1 
 
 a I'Ginai-k uhniit tlio woatlio', ami walked to tho biniiaelo to sec how the 
 
 m 
 
 
 sliij) was headed. 
 
 Tho coiumaiider went- ^i» his cal)hi, but tho yontlis reiiiaine<l on deek and 
 begati to discuss tiic |H'oh'il)ilitIes of their visiting Potropavlovsk. (leorgo 
 romarked that Petioi ;alovsk was the |)i'incipal scttlenient of tho penin- 
 sula of Kaniciiatka, and ho was sure it would bo a very interesting place. 
 
 Dr. Toinier joined then), and to the question as to whether he had ever 
 been in Kamchatka, he gave, to their delight, an affirmative answer. 
 
 "I was there several years ago," said he, "and prol>ably tho country 
 has not changed in any apprei^Mable degree since my visit. There is noth- 
 ing to change, or but very little, as the population is snnvll, and does not 
 devote iloolf to buildiiii' rp.ilwavs or otherwise nuikinj; imitroveinents.'' 
 
 O 4. CD I 
 
 "Please tell us something »bout Kamchatka, and what you saw there," 
 said George. "If wo go there tho information will bo useful, and if we 
 do not visit Potro[)avlovsk, or any other port, we shall have learned some- 
 thing at any rate," 
 
 "Well," replied the Doctor, settling himself into a deck-chair, and 
 evidently making preparations for a long di^sertation, " Kamchatka is at 
 the north-western e\i;remity of Asia, as you can sco by a glance at the map. 
 
 " It is not by any means as cold as you might suppose, from its position 
 so far to the north. In fact, it is too warm t( allow the inhabitants to 
 raise wheal." 
 
 The youths looked at each other with sm'prise, but were too well-bred 
 to indicate a disbelief in tho Doctor's assertion. 
 
 "That statement requires explanation/' continued Dr. Tonner, "and it 
 is simple enough when you understaiid it. Kamchatka is a country of 
 volcanoes and earthquakes ; three volcanoes, two of them extinct, and the 
 third Old}' acting sluggishly, are in sight froin Potropavlovsk, and there 
 are others in more distant parts of tho peninsula. The underground fires 
 make the earth warmer than it should be for agrieultui'al purposes, and 
 when I landed iii Kamchatka, and asked why they did not make their 
 own flour, they told me the summers were too short for the cultivation of 
 spring wheat; and as for winter wheat it was invariably killed, because the 
 warmth of the earth caused it to sprout before the juow Uiolted. 
 
 "Thoy have had no severe earthquakes for a long time, but there are 
 several mild shocks every year. When I was there I was invited to dine 
 with the govertior; we were about half thiough with our dinner when 
 there came a shock of an earthquake that threw down the chimney of the 
 house, and shook the building so violently that it nearly overturned the 
 table where we sat. I don't like dining under such circumstances, and we 
 
MOUNTAINS Ol' KAMCHATKA. 
 
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 Miiif'' 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 didn't fiiUBh tlio meul. The governor apologized, i\nd I tried to langli 
 over the oceurreneo, bnt the fiict is, I wus too scared to do so. The cap- 
 tain of our ship was of tiie party, and as ho lived in San Francisco when 
 not at sea ho was ahle to take tilings coolly, ami declared that ho always 
 had an earthquake for the third or fourth course at diiuier. 
 
 " Petropavlovsk is one of the prettiest places, so far as the situation is 
 concerned, that you over saw. It is on a great bay, nearly circular and 
 twenty miles across, with an entrance two miles wido frotn the ocean. 
 The bay is surrounded by mountains, and as you enter it the most majestic 
 of them all is directly in frow- The mountain gives its name to the bay, or 
 tho bay to the mountain, I don't know which. At all events, tho expanse 
 of water is called Avatcha IJay, and the mountain is Avatclm Mountain. 
 It is a magnificent huubnark, and can be seen through a clear atmosphere 
 nearly a hundred miles at sea. 
 
 " I shall never forget tho scene as wo entered the bay on a bright morn- 
 ing in July. The tops of tho mountains were white with snow; half-way 
 down their sides the color changed to a barren brown, while tho base of 
 every hill was covered with a thick growth of forest which half suggested 
 the tropics. Tho dark green of the forest was in several places relieved by 
 a strip of white beach, which separated it from tho waters of the bay, so 
 that altogether tho picture had a great deal of variety. Around the bay 
 there are some little harbore — eight in all — completely landlocked, and 
 furnishing admirable shelter to ships that seek them. On one of these 
 harbors Petropavlovsk is situated ; the anchorage is enclosed like a pond, 
 and the only winds that a ship has any occasion to fear are the sharp blasts 
 that come down from the mountains. 
 
 " We sailed into the great bay with tho breeze that was blowing in 
 from the ocean, but as we approached the little harbor it was necessary to 
 move with caution. Our sails were furled one by one, and for the last 
 mile or more we sent a line on shore and were warped to our anchorage. 
 All the population came out to meet us, and our line was grasped by dozens 
 of willing hands. Ordinarily, not more than half a dozen ships enter Pe- 
 tropavlovsk in a year, so that an arrival is an event of importance. 
 
 "From the time of Captain Cook and his fellow-exploi-ers Petropavlovsk 
 has been famous for its hospitality, and all travellers who have been there 
 are warm in its praise. Our party was kept in constant activity diu-ing our 
 stay, and the number of dinners and parties that were made in our honor 
 is frightful to contemplate. It was in tho middle of summer, with the 
 thermometer generally above 70°, and by the end of the first week I was 
 ])retty well used up." 
 
 ;!:ii 
 
A TOWN TENANTED HY D008. 
 
 01 
 
 Fred nsked if retropavlovHk wiw >i largo town, and what it lived upon. 
 
 ♦' It is not a lar<jjo town, from oiir point of view," responded Dr. "onner, 
 "hut it is the larjjjest in Kanu;hatka, uiul is tlio capital of tlio p'Miinsida. 
 IJefore the Crimean War it had nearly two thousand inhabitants, tne most 
 of them heinjjf laborers and sailors connected with the "government service. 
 It was attacked twice by the combined English aiul French lleets; in the 
 Hist attack the tlcet was repulsed, but in the following year seventeen ships 
 were too much for it and the town was abandoned, and thereby hangs an 
 annising story. 
 
 "The Ilussian authorities knew of the immense preparations for the 
 second assault, and sent orders for the inhabitants to retire when the fleet 
 arrived, and allow it to land without opposition. The fleet came into 
 Avatcha JJay, and the town was deserted; but the people left behind them 
 their dogs, which they use in winter for dragging their sledges. There 
 was one man, an American, in the town, and more than five hundred dogs. 
 
 FORT ST. Michael's, or michaelovski. 
 
 The brutes kept up a perpetual howling, and the commanders of the fleet 
 concluded that there must be a very large garrison in Petropavlovsk to 
 keep so many watch-dogs; and so the seventeen English and French ships 
 waited a whole day before venturing to send a boat on shore to a deserted 
 town ! When they did so, they had the consciousness of being beautifully 
 'sold.' 
 
 "The principal business of Kamchatka, in fact the only business 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 
 I 
 
 m 
 
6^ 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVUN." 
 
 f n 
 
 KAMCHATKA SAULKS. 
 
 aniountiiig to anything, is the fnr trade, and the chief contribntor of 
 furs is the sable. The animal is caught in a variety of ways, and the 
 annual catch is about six thousand. Thv yessak, or poll-tax, of the natives 
 is payable in salile-skins — one skin to every four pareoiis — and once a year 
 
 the governor makes the tour of the 
 country and collects the tax. The 
 trade is on the barter principle, as 
 there is very little money in the coun- 
 try; the people bring their furs to 
 the stoi'es of the merchants, and ex- 
 change them for whatever commodi- 
 ties they want." 
 
 George asked if they did not get 
 a good many bear-skins, and the skins 
 cf foxes and others, in addition to the 
 sable-skins. 
 
 " Yes," replied the Doctor, " they 
 
 do, but the sable is the animal of 
 
 greatest consequence. They get about 
 
 a thousand common fox-skins, and a few silver foxes and sea-otters, and 
 
 once in a while they get a curiosity in the shape of a black fox. 
 
 " The government claims evei'y black fox as the propei'ty of the em- 
 peror, and when the governor learns that one has been taken lie requires it 
 to be surrendered, as a present to his imperial master." 
 
 " And does the emperor get it? ' one of the youths inquired. 
 " He is more fortunate than I think lie is if iie does," said the Doctor, 
 in answer to the question. "Siberian governors are human, and it is not 
 impossible that the skin which should be sent to the emperor is privately 
 sold to an American, or other foreign mei'chant, and sent out of the coun- 
 try. The emperor is not likely to hoar anything about it — and even if he 
 does, the governor « m declare that it is a long time since a real black fox 
 was caught. 
 
 "The silver fox and the black fox are both liable to be demanded for 
 the enperor," he continued, " and the result is that the governor doesn't 
 usually hear about them. When a native catches a silver fox, or by great 
 good-luck a black one, he conceals the fact, and also the skin. Then he 
 goes to one of the foreign merchants, and pledges him to secrecy before 
 admitting what he has to sell. 
 
 "As the merchant has a chance to buy the skin for about half its 
 value, he is easily induced to be silent, especially as he might be compelled 
 
HOW A COW CAUGHT A BEAR. 
 
 to o-ive up the prize if the story sliould reach tlie ears of the governor. 
 Thus it happens that the silver and gray foxes do not adorn the neck of 
 the emperor as often as they might, if tlie subjects of the Imj)erial Gov- 
 ernment were better treated. They would be willing to sell it to the gov- 
 ernment at a fair price, but ro give it up for httle or nothing is not in 
 accordance with the feelings of human nature." 
 
 " But about the bears ?" queried George again. 
 
 "They have great numbers of bears in Kamchatka," replied the 
 Doctor, " but their skins are not used for exportation. The bpaoLs grow 
 very large, and they are not agreeable companions when one meets them 
 in the woods. The beai-s are brown or black; I have seen their skins 
 more than six feet long, and been assured that the animals they originally 
 belonged to were not considered at all extraordinary. Bear-hunting is 
 one of the amusements of the country, but there is a good deal of danger 
 to it. I went out on a bear-hunt one day with some friends, a few miles 
 from Petropavlovsk, and was not at all sori*y that we returned without 
 seeing any game. I remembered the story of the California hunter who 
 followed the track of a grizzly bear for nearly two days, and then gave it 
 lip because it was getting a little too fresh. As long as the bear is far off 
 I enjoy a hunt, which I can't say always when he is close at hand. 
 
 " They told me a stoi-y of a cow coming home, a year or two before 
 my visit, with a bear on her back. She had made his acquaintance a 
 short distance back of the town, and probably concluded that, as a dutiful 
 cow, she should take him to her master. She was not much hurt by the 
 performance, but it was observed afterwards that she pi'eferred to do her 
 grazing in the vicinity of her own stable. Formerly she had been ad- 
 dicted to wandering in the woods, but her habits were completely changed 
 by her adventure." 
 
 The Doctor rambled on with his experiences of Kamcliatka till it 
 was time to go to bed. The youths had a good many questions to ask, 
 and were by no means slow to ask them, and before the party broke up 
 they had accumulated knowledge enough for the production of a news- 
 paper article on this odd corner of the world. They learned that the 
 country had an aboriginal population of about six thousand, and loss than 
 a thousand Russiim inliabitants — the latter being pretty evenly divided 
 between Cossacks and the descendants of exiles. The Doctor explained 
 that there were no exiles in the country, as none had been sent there since 
 1830, and all these had been pardoned long ago. Hardly any of the 
 original exiles are living at present, but their children are often men- 
 tioned as exiles^ to distinguish them from the Cossack or native population. 
 
 ■ ' ■■ i . 
 
 4-1 
 
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 \um i 
 
 $ 
 
 64 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 MOUSTKD COSSACKS. 
 
 
 S«-::. 
 
 iiiiM^ 
 
 " What is a Cossack?" Fred inquired, "and in what does lie differ from 
 the soldier and the peasant?" 
 
 " I will try to explain," the Doctor answered, " and perhaps the best way 
 for beginning is to compare the Cossack to a militiaman in the United 
 States. lie is sort of half soldier, half peasant; ho lives with his family, 
 and is engaged in agricultural or other occupations, but is required to give 
 a certain number of days every year to the service of the government. 
 In some parts of Russia the Cossack is required to serve on horseback, 
 providing his own horse and equipments, but this is not the case in 
 Kamchatka. In war he becomes a soldier, and does excellent service in 
 annoying the enemy; in ordinary' times he does any kind of work the 
 government may require. He may be called on to row a boat, drive a 
 team, build roads, cut forests, tend the governor's garden, or possibly take 
 his children out to walk. 
 
 " To show the authority of the government over the Cossacks I will 
 give you an illustration: In 1856 it was determined to colonize the valley 
 of the A moor River in Siberia. There was a Cossack population in 
 Eastern Siberia, and the governor-general gave orders that a hundred 
 villaiies should be transferred to the Amoor. 
 
/ 1 
 
 RUSSIAN COSSACKS. 
 
 65 
 
 "The order was carried out without delay. In each case the old vil- 
 hvf^e was abandoned for the new one, a thousand miles away ; the people, 
 with their household goods, cattle, and other portable possessions, were 
 floated on rafts down the Anioor to the points that had been selected for 
 their homes. In the new village each family found itself with the same 
 nei<''hbors as of old, and everything went on as before. The government 
 supplied them with food, and paid a part of the expense of building new 
 houses, but of course the move was a severe loss to the people, as they 
 abandoned the fields they had cultivated, and were forced to make new ones 
 in the country to which they were carried. The oi'dinary peasant popula- 
 tion of Russia cannot be moved about in this way, but the government can 
 do pretty much as it pleases with the Cossacks." 
 
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 A VILLAUK ON THE AMOOll UIVKK. 
 
 " Haven't I read somewhere," said one of the youths, " that a Cossack 
 is a robber ?" 
 
 "Quite likely j'ou have," was the reply, "and in many cases you are 
 not so far out of the way. In some parts of Russia the Cossacks indulge 
 ill robbery to an extent greater than accords M-ith our notions of honesty, 
 and this is particularly the case along the frontier of Central Asia. The 
 
 v\\ 
 
I 111 
 
 ji||y: 
 
 III; 
 
 66 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 word 'kazak' in Turkish means robber, but its Tartar interpretation is 
 the equivalent of soldier. Most of the inhabitants of Eastern Siberia 
 are Cossacks; the whole country was originally explored and settled by 
 Cossacks escaping from punishment which had been decreed for some 
 improper conduct on the banks of the river Don. Their leader, Yermak, 
 received an imperial pardon for himself and his men, in consideration of 
 the addition they had made to the empire, and ior this reason the Cos- 
 sacks of Siberia are naturally proud of tiieir ancestry. 
 
 " The Cossack, in many parts of Russia though not in all, has a dress 
 peculiar to himself. He wears a tall hat of sheepskin with the wool out- 
 side ; sometimes its color is jet black, but more frequently it is of a dingy 
 white, caused by the contact of the wool with a good deal of dirt. He has 
 wide trousers and a flowing coat ; he carri< s his cartridges in a row across 
 his breast, and his arms consist cf a lance, a carbine, and, generally, a pair 
 of huge pistols stuck in his waist; if he is a mounted soldier, he has a 
 small but very tough horse. When an army is on the retreat, in Russia, 
 the Cossacks are a terror, as they pick off all the stragglers and make sud- 
 den attacks in unexpected places. If you have read the story of Napo- 
 leon's retreat from Moscow, you will remember what devastation was 
 caused by the Cossacks during the march." 
 
 With this desultory lecture on Kamchatka and its people the evening 
 came to an end. 
 
 RUSSIAN CARPENTERS. 
 
 ■■!t 
 
A CHANGE OF PLAN. 
 
 ftf 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A VISIT TO KAMCHATKA. 
 
 THERE was a long conference the next morning between Commander 
 Bronson and Captain Jones relative to the movements of the Vivian. 
 It was held in the cabin immediately after breakfast, and required fre- 
 quent consultation of the chari oi tlie North Pacific Ocean. The chart was 
 spread on the table, and several real or imaginary courses of the ship were 
 pencilled upon it. 
 
 " We shall have more sailing to do,'' said the captain, " if we go to 
 Kamchatka instead of steering directly for Behring Strait; but if the 
 wind continues to blow from the north, we shall make better headway by 
 going farther to the west than if we keep directly towards the strait. At 
 present it is almost a head-wind, and by steering more westerly we shall 
 iiave it on the beam. 
 
 "We shall be pretty certain to lose time at the Aleutian Islands on ac- 
 count of the fogs. I have been a week getting through the Oonimak Pas- 
 sage; the fog was so thick I could not get an observation, and it is dan- 
 gerous to beat around in that region without knowing exactly where you 
 are. I have known ships to be kept there a fortnight, waiting for a good 
 chance to pass the Aleutian Islands. Once, when I was second mate of 
 the Bover, we sailed through the passage and W3re shut in by the fog im- 
 mediately after. The fog lasted three days, without any wind, and when 
 it lifted we found we had been carried back by the current, and had to 
 make the passage over again," 
 
 The captain paused while Commander Bronson mada a calculation on 
 a slip of paper. As soon as it was concluded, he went on with the "pros 
 and cons" of the direct and indirect voyages to Behring Strait. 
 
 The result of the calculation was, that there would be a loss of about 
 ten days altogether in case the Vivian went to Petropavlovsk instead of 
 proceeding directly to the strait. Even with this loss there would be 
 ample time to get into the Arctic Ocean in season to take advantage of 
 thf, summer; consequently, Commander Bronson decided in favor of the 
 indirect voyage. 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 The course of tlie ship was immediately changed, and it was announced 
 to all on board tliat Petropavlovsk would be their first port. 
 
 There were light winds and fogs, fogs and light winds, with now and 
 then a corner of a galu, fc the rest of the way across the Pacific. Not a 
 sail was seen, and there « as little to break the monotony ; occasionally 
 
 AVATCHA MOUNTAIN. 
 
 the Vivian passed through schools of whales ; there was hardly a day 
 when she was not surrounded by sea-birds; and several times the youths 
 , found their attention drawn to seals swimming close to tl.e track of the 
 ship. The captain said it was not unusual to find these amphibious creat- 
 ures three or four hundred miles from land. They appear evtsry summer 
 on the Fur Seal Islands, in or near the Aleutian chain, and after raising 
 
• ARRIVAL AT PETROPAVLOVSK. 
 
 GO 
 
 rlieir families eloee to the liabitations of men they go away, nobody knows 
 where. 
 
 One day the captain made his observation at noon, and after figuring 
 out his position, announced that they ought to see Avatcha Moinitain 
 about four in the afternoon. At that hour everybody was on the lookout ; 
 and not five minutes after eight bells had been struck, the captain pointed 
 out something on the horizon closely resembling a cloud. 
 
 "That is Avatcha Mountain," said he, "and it is about eighty miles 
 from us." 
 
 It was two or three minutes before George and Fred could determine 
 the position of the mountain, which lay almost dead ahead on their course. 
 Even when they made it out, they were not altogether certain till tliey 
 compared it with the picture on the chart, and satisfied themselves it was 
 not a conical cloud. 
 
 The ship sailed slowly along durijig the night, and by morning was 
 within twenty miles of the coast. At nine o'clock fires were kindled un- 
 der the boilers, and by noon they were steaming inside the entrance to the 
 i)ay, and heading for the anchorage in front of the little town. Captain 
 Jones said that the sailing directions for reaching the harbor were practi- 
 cally the same as made by the ofiicers of Captain Cook's famous expe- 
 dition more than a century ago. Avatcha Bay and the harbor of Petro- 
 pavlovsk were surveyed by Lieutenant Bligh, who accompanied Captain 
 Cook, and afterwards became known to the world for his connection with 
 the romantic story of the mutiny of the Bounty. "From all accounts," 
 said the captain, " Bligh was an admirable navigator and a detestable 
 brute. He has left a record of splendid seamanship and the i »st heart- 
 less tyranny. The mutiny of the Bounty was the natural result of his 
 brutal treatment of her officers and (jrew, and his escape from the perils of 
 a voyage of four thousand miles in an open boat illustrates his skill as a 
 sailor." 
 
 The red roof of the little church at Petropavlovsk was a prominent 
 object in the picture before our friends as the Yiviaii steamed to her an- 
 chorage. George brought his glass to bear on the chVirch, and discovered 
 that the building, though crowned with a dome, had no belfry ; by looking 
 closely he made out that the bells were hung under a little roof at one end 
 of the church, and quite apart from it. Conunander Bronson explained 
 that it was not at all uncommon in Russia for the churches to have their 
 bell-towers entirely apart from the structure. Fred asked the reason for 
 it, but the conundrum was not answered. 
 
 The Russian flag floated from the staff in front of the governor's house. 
 
 m 
 
 Kill ;. 
 
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 H 
 
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70 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CHURCH AT PETROPAVLOVSK. 
 
 and a cannon at the little wharf near by boomed ont its welcome. Several 
 boats put ofE from shore, the first bringing the Captain of the Port, an 
 ofiicial without whose authority it was impossible to go on shore or do any- 
 thing else. He was a portly individual, wearing the uniform of his rank, 
 and decorated along his breast with a row of stars and crosses. Captain 
 Jones whispered to the youths that there is no country in the world where 
 the officers have so many decorations as in Russia, and they need not be 
 surprised to meet a young lieutenant, hardly out of his majority, wearing 
 at least half a dozen decorations which had been given for services in time 
 of peace. What a war might give him, provided he lived through it, was 
 hardly to be computed. 
 
 As soon as the Captain of the Port had completed his inspection and 
 retired there was liberty for others to come on board, or for the officers of 
 the Vivian to go on shore. Two or three resident merchants, ard the 
 ca[)tain of an American ship lying at anchor in the harbor, were soon on 
 her deck to make the acquaintance of the strangers, and invite them to tlie 
 hospitalities of the place ; last came an ofticer from a French bark which 
 lay just beyond the sand-spit marking tlie entrance of the harbor, and 
 which Commander Bronson had rightly conjectured to be the craft which 
 
// 
 
 ON SHORE IN KAMCHATKA. 
 
 '1 
 
 he wished to see. Excusing himself from the otliers, he turned his aiien- 
 tion to the latest visitor, and learned that the Gallic explorer was the bark 
 Gaiahetta, and had arrived only three days before. It was her comniav 
 (ler's intention to remain two or three days longer: he had been inforn^Ci; 
 of the voyage of the Vivian, and hoped she would visit Petropavlovsk ' '^• 
 fore his departure. 
 
 Captain Jones and Major Clapp, with the assistance of the Doctor 
 and our yoinig friends, did the hoiiors to the other visitors, and in a little 
 while the coinmander went on shore to pay his respects to the governor; 
 ho was accompanied by the major and the Doctor. Fred and George em- 
 braced the opportunity to have a stroll around tlie town, and on the hills 
 near the harbor, and we can be sure it was a great pleasure for them to set 
 foot on solid earth after nearly a month on boa' 'n?>. George declared 
 that his steps were unsteady for the first half irule so, and Fred could 
 not resist an inclination to adjust himself to . ^^t i . expected rolling or 
 pitching every time he raised a foot. 
 
 
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 • 
 
 ■5: 
 
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 m i, 
 
 DOG-SLEDGI.NO IN KAMCHATKA. 
 
 But they soon forgot all about their month at sea with the novelty 
 of the sights around them. They realized what they had been told of the 
 dogs of the place, as they encountered some of those animals at every turn, 
 and were rarely out of sound of their howls. They did not have a high 
 opinion of the courage of the dogs, as the most of them ran away as soon 
 
72 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Ull 
 
 I 
 
 F'l 
 
 liUi'l 
 
 ns they cang'lit sight of tlio Btrangers; occfisionally one would stop a mo- 
 iiiont to gaze, but he generally concluded to put a good distance between 
 himself and possible harm. Near the edge of the town a dozen or more 
 dogs were tied to a long pole supported on posts. Fred said the place was 
 either a stable or a dog boarding-house, and he was inclined to the latter 
 opinion from the smell of tish that rose from it. 
 
 One of the resident merchants who had visited them at the ship joined 
 them in their promenade, and explained some of the things they could not 
 understand. Fred asked about the dogs, and the gentleman said his theory 
 was correct. "The dogs," said he, "are generally tied up in summer, or 
 kept in pens; if allowed to run at large they get lost or injured, as they 
 are fond of fighting and can get into a quarrel without half trying. Wo 
 tie them up as you saw them, and each dog gets one fish daily as his ration. 
 In New York it would bo extravagant to feed dogs on salmon, but here it 
 is the cheapest arti(;le of food. The only cost of salmon is the trouble of 
 catching it. When we buy these fish we pay two or three cents apiece, 
 and if I agreed to take all that would be caught, and pay one cent each, 
 1 should have half the population at work for me. Ordinarily, in winter, 
 there are about two thousand dogs in and around Petropavlovsk, as every- 
 body has his dog-team, and many of us keep several teams for carrying 
 freight. In summer most of the dogs are sent to the country, so that there 
 are only four or five hundred of them around here at present. 
 
 "This place is just like New York," he continued. "The fashionable 
 part of the population passes the summer in the country or by the sea-side. 
 Board is cheaper there than here, as the streams in the interior abound in 
 salmon ; sometimes they are so thick that they fill up the stream altogethei" 
 and drive out the water, and a friend of mine says he has walked on them 
 as on a pile of shingles or a heap of potatoes! , - 
 
 " Perhaps you may think that statement is too strong, and I won't dis- 
 pute you ; but they really are so abundant that the bears and dogs catch 
 their own fish out of the brooks, and the bears soon get so dainty that they 
 will only eat the backs of those they catch. The fish keep on going up the 
 stream till their tails are worn off against the rocks, and I have repeatedly 
 seen them taken from the water with nothing but the bone protruding 
 where the tail ought to be ! 
 
 "And perhaps you may be sceptical about the dogs catching their own 
 fish? Look there!" 
 
 As he spoke he pointed to where a couple of dogs were standing in the 
 water at the edge of the bay, and evidently waiting for something to turn 
 up. They were so far out that little more than their backs were visible, 
 
THE USES OF SALMON, 
 
 18 
 
 nud tliey hold thoir noHcs just on a level with the siirfiice of the water. 
 They wore standing perfectly motionless, like sport ing-dog^-' on a "point," 
 jiiid the gentleman said they were foraging for their breakfast luid waiting 
 for salmon. 
 
 Suddenly one of the dogs darted his head under water with the 
 rapidity of a flash, and there was a lively commotion for a minute or 
 more. It ended in favor of the dog, who came ;ip triumphant with a 
 balnion of his own catching in his jaws, and brought him safely to shore. 
 
 DOUH CATCUINU FISH. 
 
 "Even the cows and horses oat salmon," said their guide, "but they 
 never imitate the example of the dogs, and catch their own food. It is 
 proper to explain that they pi-efer grass, and generally stick to it when 
 it can be obtained. We give them dried salmon in winter, and if we 
 run &liort of hay they soon get accustomed to this odd food. There is one 
 cow here that will leave grass in summer and make a meal off fresh sal- 
 mon ; but she is an exception, and not a rule. 
 
 " We feed the dogs on lish the whole year ronnd ; they eat it in every 
 shape — fresh, dry, putrid, boiled, smoked, or any other form yon can 
 imagine. One fish a day is a dog's ration ; when he is travelling he only 
 gets half that amount, and the day before he starts on a journey he gets 
 nothing at all." 
 
 " It seems cruel to treat them so," one of the youths remarked, " but o^ 
 course you know from experience what is best for them." 
 
 
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 74 
 
 THE VOYAdE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 " Yes," was the reply. " When I Hi-st came hero I thought it was very 
 hard on the do<;s to be only half fed while at work, and determined to 
 treat mine differently; but 1 fioon found I did not ;ifet so much out of 
 them. They did not travel as fast and far as teams that were kept in the 
 old way, were sooner broken down, and were in worse condition when the 
 summer came around again, so I concluded to do for the future as the 
 natives did. 
 
 " Perhaps you've heard enongli about dogs?" he continued, "and if so, 
 we'll talk about something else." 
 
 George assured him that they had not begun to got enough of the sub- 
 ject, as they were likely to make an intiumte acquaintance with di»gs in 
 their arctic expedition, and the sooner they knew about them the better. 
 
 "Well, then," said their informant, " let me give you a piece of advice 
 at the outset. When you get among the dogs, and are going to use them 
 for travel, the first thing to do is to make their intimate acquaintance. 
 You must feed them yourself, and give them all the care they require: 
 have them undei-stand that you are their master in every sense of the word. 
 When they do wrong, don't fail to punish them at once ; and when they do 
 well, you must be just as prompt to reward them. You won't bo able to 
 get up much affection for them, and they will obey you more from fear 
 than from love. They have treacherous dispositions, and are not usually 
 capable of warm attachments. You know what a reputation the spitz dog 
 bears in New York and elsewhere; well, the spitz is fii-st cousin to the 
 Kamchadale dog, and his name comes from Spitzbergen, whence his an- 
 cestors were imported. He has improved by domestication, but is yet the 
 most undesirable of family dogs. 
 
 " You must drive your own dogs as well as feed them, and when you 
 begin to practice dog-driving you will find it is no sport. The dogs will 
 take the first and every opportimity to run away. We harness them with 
 thongs of deer-skin, and they go in pairs with a leader, so that a team 
 always consists of an odd number. A great deal depends on the leader; 
 he is selected for his intelligence and docility, and a good leader is worth 
 four or five times as much as an ordinary team-dog. He turns to the right 
 or left at the order of his driver, and frequently when the team is tired 
 out, and drags slowly along, the leader will rouse them by barking, and 
 pretending that he is on the track of a wild animal. This will stir them 
 up, and the brutes forget their weariness in the excitement of the chase. 
 
 " There are two kinds of sledges that we use, one for travel and the 
 other for freight. The travelling sledge weighs about twenty-five pounds, 
 and is just large enough to carry one person with a little baggage. The 
 
TUAVELLINO WITH DOG-SLEDGES. 
 
 TB 
 
 driver sits vvitli his foot liai)f;in«]f ovor tho eido, and clinj^H to a luiw that 
 rises in front. In one hand iio holds an iron-[)uintod stuff (uillod an osio^ll,, 
 whieh ho nsos as a brake to retard the sledijo while deseending hills, (»r u^ 
 {mw* it to a halt. If yon drop tho ontoll the dogs know it as (piiekly as 
 V(tii do, and take tho opi)ortunity to rnn away or upset tho slodge, and 
 even the leader is apt to join in tho sport. 
 
 "Tho freight sledgo is mueh heavier than tho other, and sonietlines 
 as many as twenty-one dogs aro harnessed to it. Tiie team for a freight 
 sledge is not trained to high speed like tho travelling team, and it is never 
 well to allow yonr travelling dogs to bo used for freighting purposes, as it 
 id very hard to get them to ruti rapidly when they have onee practised a 
 slower gait. An ordinary team for travelling is live dogs — two pairs and 
 a leader — but very often wo use only thrco dogs iii a team." 
 
 
 OKTTINO READY FOR THE ROAD. 
 
 Fred asked how fast tiie dogs could travel, and what distances they 
 usually made in a day. 
 
 " That depends on the length of the journey and the condition of the 
 suuw," was the reply. " For a week or ten days we are satisfied with 
 foit or fifty miles a day, if the snow is good, and for two or three days' 
 travel under the same conditions we make fifty or sixty miles daily. I 
 have gone a hundred miles in little more than a dav with a sii.rrle team, 
 and once a team travelled from Bolcheretsk to I^«'tropavlovsk--a hundred 
 and twenty-five miles — in twenty-three hours. It made three or lour halts 
 of not more than fifteen minutes each time. Tiie snow was excellent, and 
 the dogs were in the very best condition, while tlie driver was a small man 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 and had no baggage of any kind, lie was a messenger bringing news of 
 the declaration of the Crimean War. 
 
 " We don't use tlie dogs for sledging in summer, as I told you before, 
 but occasionally some of the natives harness them up for towing boats 
 along the shore of the bay just to keep them in practice." 
 
 m . :l : 
 
 BOAT TOWED UY DOGS. 
 
 He pointed, as he spoke, to a boat which M'as coming along the shore, 
 and the youths saw that it was propelled in the manner described. Four 
 persons were in the boat, one of whom steered it, while another attended 
 to the tow-line ; two others were seated nearly amidships, and evidently 
 had nothing to do with the management of the craft. The team was walk- 
 ing along the bank, under the guidance of a man armed with a stick, and 
 whenever they showed a disposition to lag he impelled them forward with 
 his voice and occasional blows. 
 
 George said it was certainly a novel mode of travelling, and a re- 
 minder of the old days of going west by canal. 
 
 " In North-eastern Siberia," said their guide, " they use dogs for ascend- 
 ing the rivers in summer in the way you see. From Ghijiga light-house 
 to the village of that name they follow the liver a part of tiie way, and 
 
DOGS AND REINDEER. 
 
 77 
 
 tlie journey is not at all disagreeable. Occasionally tlie path shifts from 
 one bank of the stream to the other, and then the dogs and driver are 
 taken in the boat to be ferried over. At such times the dogs amuse them- 
 selves by shaking the mud and water from their shaggy coats, and it is 
 well for a passenger to wear his worst clothes on such journeys. 
 
 "The best dogs in Siberia are in the neighborhood of Ghijiga and 
 around Penjinsk Gulf, which is an arm of the Okhotsk Sea. Most of the 
 Russians buy their dogs from the natives, and there are several villages 
 where the raising of these animals is the main business. Like everything 
 else of value that we use, the price is regulated by the laws of supply and 
 demand ; sometimes dogs are very cheap, and at others very dear." 
 
 Fred asked if the dogs of Kamchatka were subject to the same diseases 
 as the canines of civilized life. 
 
 " Quite as much," said their informant ; " and perliaps we may say that 
 they are more so. They suffer greatly from hydropiiobia, and every few 
 years thousands of them are carried off by epidemics. The cause of these 
 epidemics is unknown, and it has happened that all the dogs in a village 
 will die off in the course of a fortnight without any apparent reason. Some 
 of the native tribes make sacrifices to their deities, and invariably take their 
 best dogs for the purpose. We have tried to convince them that the old 
 and useless, or even the dead dogs, would do just as well, but they refuse 
 to believe us. They show their faith in the power of the evil spirits by 
 offering up the best of their possessions." 
 
 George asked if there were any reindeer around Petropavlovsk, and 
 said if there were he would like to see them. 
 
 "We don't have reindeer in these parts," was the reply. "You will 
 see plenty of them on the shores of the Arctic Ocean when you have 
 passed Behring Strait. They are the principal possession of the Chnck- 
 chees, the tribe that occupies that part of the co.untry ; and when you ask 
 how mucix a man is worth, they state the amount in reindeer, just as you 
 state it in dollars in New York." 
 
 Then the conversation shifted to a variety of topics. The youths 
 learned that the place was named Petropavlovsk in honor of saints Peter 
 and Paul, but they could not ascertain how it happened to have two names 
 when one would have been quite enough. As before stated, it had nearly 
 two thousand iidiabitants previous to the Crimean War, but since that time 
 the government has transferred its arsenal and naval depot to Xicolayeff 
 and Vladivostok, farther to the south, and the port of St. Peter and St, 
 Paul is shorn of its importance. It now has about three hundred inhabi- 
 tants, including a garrison of fifty soldiers and half a dozen officials. 
 
 
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78 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 It ii 
 
 In tlie grounds of the residence of the Captain of the Port there is a 
 monninent in lionor of Vitus Behi'ing, whose name is preserved in the 
 strait between America and Asia. On a tongue of land is another monu- 
 ment, but without an inscrip- 
 tion; it is known as the monu- 
 ment to La Perouse, and the 
 Btory goes that a French ship- 
 of-war was once at Petropavl- 
 ovsk, and her captain was in- 
 vited to dine with the governor. 
 During dinner the Frenchman 
 said he supposed there was a 
 monument there to La Perouse, 
 as that navigator visited the 
 place on the voyage which re- 
 sulted in the destruction of his 
 ships and their entire company. 
 " Certainly there is," an- 
 swered the Russian, " and I will 
 show it to you to-morrow." 
 He had the monument made 
 and set up during the night. The next morning he invited the French 
 captain to go with him to see it. Of course the latter was delighted, and 
 it is to be hoped he did not observe the newness of the construction. The 
 memorial to Behring was paid for by the olKcers of a Russian ship, and 
 was made in St. Petersburg; the other is of sheet- iron, nailed over a 
 frame of wood, and was evidently constructed in a few houi-s. Fred re- 
 marked that it was riddled with bullet -holes, and learned that it was 
 a favorite target for the practice of anybody who chose to take a shot 
 at it. 
 
 For the next two or three days the strangers had an excellent oppor- 
 tunity to learn the extent of Russian hospitality, which has been already 
 mentioned. There was an endless succession of breakfasts, dinners, lunch- 
 eons, and suppers; and on the latter occasions it was not unusual for the 
 party to sit down at the table considerably past midtiight. Not only did 
 they have all the moals above enumerated, but whenever they entered 
 a Russian house, no matter how humble, and remained more than five 
 minutes, they were greeted with a steaming tei-urn and cups or glasses 
 of tea. lleic io the diary made by George of the repasts of a single 
 day: 
 
 MONUMENT TO SEHRINO, PETROPAVLOVSK. 
 
 ...a 
 
A POLYGLOT PICNIC. 
 
 t0 
 
 " Breakfast on board ship. 
 
 Two cups of tea witli Mr. Pfluger. 
 
 One cup of tea with Mr. Pierce. 
 Do. (Jo. with Captain Hunter. 
 
 Do. do. at a Russian house (owner's name unpronounceable.) 
 Do. do. do. do. do. do. do. 
 
 Luncheon with thu Captain of the Port. 
 
 Cup of tea at each of tliree houses where we called. 
 
 Dinner at the governor's house. 
 
 Tea at intervals of fifteen minutes during the evening. 
 
 Supper of broiled partridges at 11.30. 
 
 More tea. 
 P. S. — Headache next morning." 
 
 One day there was a picnic arranged by the ladies and gentlemen of 
 Petropavlovsk '^or the entertainment of the visitors. The latter included, 
 in addition to our friends, the officers of the Gambetta and the officers of 
 an American merchant-ship then in port. Tiie entertainment was held in 
 a little grove about a mile from town — a short distance from the spot 
 where the Russians i-epulsed the men that landed from the allied fleet 
 during the Crimean War. The picnickers sat on the grass under the trees, 
 after the custom of picnics all over the world, and our friends voted that 
 they had a jolly time. 
 
 George said it might be called a polyglot picnic, on account of the 
 nationalities represented. Tiie entertainers were Russians and Americans, 
 while t]'.9 guests were Americans and French, with the addition of an 
 Italian, a Swede, and a Dane. Conversation was somewhat restricted, as 
 none of the American or French visitors were fluent in Russian, and sev- 
 eral of the entertainers could speak nothing else. But what they lacked 
 in lingual facility was made np in good-will, and there was many a hearty 
 laugh over the difficulties of being understood. George and Fred made a 
 mental note of the strange dishes at the feast, though they had already 
 seen most of them at the dinner-tables of their hosts. There were sev- 
 eral pirogs, or pies, quite unknown to the American table, and some of 
 them were voted excellent. One was made of salmon and eggs, with a 
 crust above and below ; another was composed of the marrow of the back- 
 bone of the sturgeon ; while a third was filled with partn'^^^os, cut in 
 halves and alternated with slices of bacon. Of course they had tea in 
 abundance, and it was accompanied by numerous odds and ends of cakes 
 and patties, so that there was no danger of any one going away hungry. 
 In fact, when they returned to the ship for dinner all our friends confessed 
 their inability to do justice to the repast which their cook had prepared. 
 
 A return entertainment was given on board the Vivian^ and another 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE " VIVIAN." 
 
 on the Gambetta, the latter vessel saililig a few hoiii-s after the last of her 
 guests had left. The next day the Vivian foIloN.sd her example, and 
 continued her voyage to the northward. They passed the rocks known 
 as "The Three Druthers," in front of the light-house at the entrance of 
 Avatcha Bay, and were once more on the broad waters of the Pacific. 
 The liros were extinguislied, and as the ship spread her sails to the favor- 
 ing wind Fred made a hast}' sketch of the rocks, as a souvenir of his visit 
 to a remote but exceedingly friendly port. 
 
 "the three bhotueks." 
 
 liJ'; M I 
 
UEHEING'8 VOYAGES. 
 
 91 
 
 
 CHx\PTER VI. 
 
 f">>.. 
 
 BEIIRING'S ISLAND AND BEHRING'S VOYAGES.— AMONG THE CHUCKCHEES. 
 
 SAILING north from Avatclia Bay the Vivian passed Behrinoj's Island, 
 in the Sea of Kamchatka. The name of the island naturally caused 
 the youths to ask several questions concerning it, and they were promptly 
 answered by Dr. Tomiei". 
 
 " In that island," said the Doctor, as he pointed to one of its I'ocky 
 headlands, " the brave old navigator after whom it was named died and 
 was buried, but the location of his grave is unknown. He deserves much 
 renown for his arctic explorations, and is worthy of additional fame, as 
 he is one of the discoverers of America." 
 
 Fred and George were not a little sui'prised at this announcemeui, as 
 tliey had never hoard the name of Behring. associated with that of Colum- 
 biit* or Americus Vespucius. The Doctor went on with his story, which 
 was about as follows: > 
 
 •' Peter the Great formed a project 
 for making discoveries in the ocean be- 
 yond KAmchatAa, and several explorers 
 were sent to the eastern part of Asia 
 with that object in view. Very little 
 was accomplished in the lifetime of 
 that monarch, but his plans were car- 
 ried out by his suwjessors. 
 
 "Behring sailed from Avatcha Bav in Ju' 
 eastward. 'On the 16th of July,' says Stellei 
 who accompanied Beh.'ing, ' we saw a mountain whose height was so groat 
 that it -was visil)le at the distance of sixteen Dutch miles. The coast of 
 the continent was much broken, and indented with bays and harbors.' 
 
 " This discovery was made on the day of St. Elias, and accordingly the 
 nionntain -was named in honor of that saint. If "ou wish to become famil- 
 iar with its location you can look for Mount St. Elias on the map of North 
 America. • 
 
 \- I 
 
 THE KUM1N£. 
 
 1741, and steered to the 
 ,0 historian and natui'alist 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 " Behiing sailed a short distance along the coast, and visited several 
 islands. Then he steered for Kamchatka ; but it was his destiny never to 
 get there. In the latter pc»/t of the voyage he was conlined to his cabin 
 by illness, and the crew suffered severely fioin scurvy. Steller says that 
 at one time only ten persons were fit for duty, and they were so weak that 
 
 A SIBERIAN FOX-TliAP. 
 
 they could not furl the ^saiId. The ship was thus left almost at the mercy 
 of the wiiid'!, and in this condition it was drifted on a rocky island — the 
 one now before us. It was dashed to pieces on the rocks, but not until all 
 the crew had reached the land in safety. 
 
 "There were no human inhabitants on the island, but there were a 
 great many foxes, and they seemed to have no fear of the shipwrecked 
 mariners. Steller says, ' We killed many of them with our hatchets and 
 knives. They annoyed us greatly, and we were unable to keep them from 
 entering our shelters and stealing our clothing and food.' 
 
 " Many of the crew died soon after they got on shore, but on the whole 
 the life on land seems to have diminished the ravages of scurvy among 
 those who were not already far gone with the disease. Eehrint)' died on 
 the 8th of December, and was buried in the trench where he lay. The 
 survivors of the party built a small vessel from the pieces of the wreck, 
 and managed to reach Avatcha Bay with it. On tlieir arrival tuey learned 
 that they had been given up for dead, and the property they had left in 
 Kamf.iiatka had been appropriated b}' strangere. 
 
 "The report of the large number of fur-bearing animals on Behrlng's 
 
ORIGIN OF THE RUSSIAN FUR COMPANY. 89 
 
 Island and elsewhere stimulated several adventurers to fit out expeditions 
 ill the liojxj of making a handsome profit. The ships were built in Kam- 
 chatka, or ill tlie ports of the Okhotsk Sea; they were of the rudest eon- 
 strnction, the timbers being fastened with wooden pins, owing to the scarc- 
 ity or entire absence of metal nails, and in some cases tlicy were tied to- 
 ijcther with leathern tliongs. The crevices were calked wUh moss, the 
 sails were of reindeer skitis, and the rigging was made of thotiji(« of th<^ 
 same material. A good many of these ships were wrex^ked, bi»t (A))^v» 
 n»ade the voyage safely and brought back loads of furs. 
 
 "Out of these expeditions grew the Russian-American Tompany, w!i:i/4) 
 received the administration and control of North-western America, and had 
 the exclusive right to tlie commerce of a vast territory. The company 
 oc'Mi))ied Russian America and the Aleutian and KuriU' Islands, and 
 jniphed its traffic into the Arctic Ocean. It had a monopoly of trade, law, 
 and cvervthiriijr else; it reduced the inhabitants to a condition little better 
 than slavery, l)y compelling them to labor for the company at any time 
 they were wanted, and at whatever prices the <'.ompany chose to pay, and 
 it managed to coiitrol them by keeping them always in debt. 
 
 "The cotnpany\s centre of operati* i> was at Sitka, but it was not es- 
 taMished v/itiiont considerable opposition by the natives. At one time the 
 natives were victorious; the Russians were driven from Sitka, and the fort 
 they had erected was destroyed. But (he invaders came back and estab- 
 lished themselves firmly ; complaints of their tyranny and abuses reached 
 St. Petersburg, and a commission was .sent to investigate them. After that 
 time affairs went along more smoothly, the profits from the trade in furs 
 were large, and the company made fine dividends. But the fur-bearing an- 
 imals, principally the fur seal, were killed off too rapidly, the profits dimin- 
 ished, the company's aft'aii's ran down, and finally its title was extinguished, 
 and the country was sold by Russia to the United States. 
 
 " There, you have a whole page of history," said the Doctor, " and it all 
 grew out of our interest in the island we are passing. Perhaps you knew 
 it before, but a repetition will do no great harm. Sitka is now an Amer- 
 ican town, and the flag of the United States floats over the former resi- 
 dence of the Russian governor, on a high rock at the foot of Mount Edge- 
 combe. The fur trade is in the hands of an American company, which is 
 said to make much larger di\idends to its stockholders than the old Rus- 
 sian company was ever able to give." 
 
 "But what is Alaska good for, now that we have it?" was the veiy 
 iiatu'-al and practical query of one of the yoJiths. 
 
 "That question was very freely discussed at the time we bought the 
 
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 84 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 fi 
 
 country," the Doctor answered. "We acquired a good deal of ice, j)<)lar 
 bears, and eimilar property with our pin-chase, and as an investment of 
 money it is doubtful if the specuhition was a profitable one. From a pa- 
 triotic point of view it was better, as it gave us a large area of territory 
 and removed the possibility of trouble between ourselves and Russia at 
 some future time. It is a protection to the fisheries in the Noi'th Pacific 
 Ocean, and since the purchase they have grown to considerable impor- 
 tance. Gold has been discovered in several places, but gold mining can 
 hardly be cari-ied on with })rofit, on account of the long winters and the 
 deep snows that lie on the ground for so large a part of the year. It 
 is possible that some exceptionally rich mines may be found, similar 
 to those in (Siberia, but up to the present time they have not been dis- 
 covered. 
 
 " But the American eagle can scream more loudly than before we 
 bought Alaska, as there is more for him to scream about; and as the 
 lungs of that l)ird require to be well exercised, we are not so badly off as 
 we might be in the possession of this frigid I'egion." 
 
 It was arranged between the commanders of the Vivian and the Gaui- 
 betta that the ships would meet at East Cape, the most north-easterly point 
 of Asia, and forming one side of Behring Strait. Eacb was to make a 
 direct course under sail, and the first at the rendezvous would wait three 
 days for the other before proceeding. In case of her departure she would 
 lea\c; a memorandum where it could be found by the other. There was 
 usually a summer encampment of Chuckcliees at that point, but they could 
 not be relied on to be there ; in case there should be such an encampment, 
 the memorandum would be intrusted to its chief. 
 
 There was no incident of consequence during the voyage from Petro- 
 pavlovsk to East Cape, but there was enough to do in reading up the his- 
 tory of arctic research, and observing the peculiarities of the high northern 
 latitude, to prevent time hanging heavy on the hands of our young friends. 
 Every hour they were coming nearer to the Polar Circle ; the days length- 
 ened, till it seemed as though there would soon be no night, the air was 
 perceptibly cooler, the sea-birds were more numerous than in the dii'ect 
 voyage across the Pacific, whales and seals abounded in the waters, and 
 the shore, whenever they passed near enough to discern its character, was 
 a scene of desolation. Entering the strait and passing around the cape, 
 the captain said they were within the Arctic Circle, and had reached the 
 regions of the midnight sun. 
 
 The Gavibetta was at anchor in a little bay, sheltered from all winds 
 txcept from the no 'i and east; on the shore was an encampment of 
 
THE CAPITAL OF ALASKA. 
 
 8& 
 
 
 
 if '41 
 
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 86 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 natives, nnd in tlie waters around tlie Cftwil/etta several of tlio native boats 
 were plying. 
 
 As soon as the Vivian had dropped her anchor (commander Bronson 
 and Major (^lapp went on hoard the Gainhetta, while Dr. Tonner, with 
 PVed and George, proceeded to the shore. The youths were anxious to 
 visit the native village, and the good Doctor was by no means loath to 
 acconipany them. 
 
 A Chuckchee boat preceded them, and on the way to the shore 
 George made a sketch of the strange craft. Arrived at the land, the 
 native boat was drawn up along-side their own, and the youths examined 
 it critically. 
 
 Here is the description which (Jeorge entered in his note-book: 
 
 " The Chuckchee boat is uidike anything I ever saw in the waters 
 around New York. Its native name is hydara, and it consists of a frame- 
 work of wood, over which a covering of <leer-skins is stretched. The 
 skins are sewn together very tightly, and, when properly made ami 
 liandled, these boats are said to leak very rarely. In getting into the bo'xt 
 you must be careful not to step on the bottom, or you might put your ft>ot 
 through the skins, which are often kept in use until quite tender. 
 
 "They have a short mast, carrying a square sail which is also made 
 from deer-skins, unless the owner is lucky enough to get a piece of old 
 canvas from a whaling ship. On each side of the hydara they generally 
 carry a seal-skin blown up like a bladder and securely fastened to the 
 boat at each end ; these seal-skins serve to buoy the craft in case she heels 
 over from the effect of the wind or the waves, or is tipped by the clumsy 
 movement of an occupant. 
 
 "They carry heavy burdens in these boats, and venture fearlessly out 
 into the open sea. Occasionally they cross to the North American con- 
 tinent for the pui'pose of trading with the Eskimos, but their favorite 
 plan is to meet the Eskimos on Diomede Island, about midway between 
 the continents, so that neither is within the territory of the other." 
 
 Lvinij on the bank not far from the boat was an inflated seal-skin, at- 
 tached to a line ten or twelve feet long; the other end of the line was 
 tied to a harpoon, and the youths naturally wondered what was the use 
 of the apparatus. 
 
 " That is what they use for catching walrus and whales," said the 
 Doctor. " The way they do it is this : 
 
 "They iill the boat with as many men as it will hold, and in addition 
 to their paddles they carry long slips of whalebone, which are flat at the end 
 like a piece of board. They paddle to the spot whei-e a walrus has been 
 
h 
 
 WALRUS-Hl : TINCl. 
 
 87 
 
 soeti to dive, and then half tlie iiicii ixtimd on tlio water with tho whalo- 
 l)()iR's in such a way as to make a |)eiMihar craekiiijif sound. This rouses 
 rlie curiosity of the wah-us, and lie conies up to see what it all means. 
 If they are near enough to throw the harpoon it is darted hy the man in 
 tlie how; another in the middle of the boat i>oiseft the seal-skin and 
 throws it sinndtaueously with the harpoon. If they are lucky enough to 
 hit the walrus he draj^s the seal-skin after him as he dives; it pulls steadi- 
 ly on the har[)oon, and after a while hrinij^s him to the surface, where ho 
 i,'ets another hai'poon, and then another and another. 
 
 A CHL'CKCHKE BOAT. 
 
 "The old adage that 'it is the first step wliich costs,' is well illus- 
 trated by the C.uickchee mode of catching the walrus. A great many 
 efforts are made to get i\\Q first harpoon into him, and sometimes a whole 
 day will be passed in continuous failures. But when a har[)oon is prop- 
 erly fastened into one of these animals ho can bo easily traced by the 
 floating seal-skin, and the rest of the job is comparatively easy." 
 
 "And did you say they catch whales in the same way'^" one of the 
 youths asked. 
 
 " Certainly," was the reply, " but they need a great many floats to hold 
 Iiiui up, so that he cannot dive. It is only when a whale or a walrus is 
 prevented from diving by the number of floats attached to him, that they 
 can lance and kill him. Half a dozen will sufiice for an ordinary walrus, 
 and a dozen for a large one, but in the case of a whale a great many are 
 needed. lie has to be stuck full of harpoons, and the seal-skins and blad- 
 ders almost hide his body from sight. The capture of a whale is a matter 
 
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 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 
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 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 
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 23 WfST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTEt,N.Y. 145S0 
 
 (716) •72-4503 
 
 
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 88 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 of great importance to this people, as you will realize when you know 
 something of their habits and mode of life." 
 
 While our friends were examining the boat, and talkitig about it, they 
 were surrounded by a group of natives, who looked at theuj with a good 
 deal of on'iosity, but without any rudeness of manner. They wore a dress 
 of deer-skins from which the hair had been 8trii)ped. Dr. Toniier ex- 
 plained to the youths that this was the summer costume, the clothing for 
 winter being much heavier and lined with fur. The costume was a sim- 
 ple one, as it consisted of a tunic, like a shirt, which came nearly to the 
 knee, while the lower limbs were encased in garments which fitted rather 
 more closely than the trousers of civilization. 
 
 Fred noticed that all the strangers had the crown of the head shaven 
 smooth, and asked the Doctor if they were members of a priestly order. 
 Dr. Tonner replied that it is the custom of this people, and also of some 
 other tribes in Siberia, to sliave the head, and they are very careful in its 
 observance. Why they did so he could not say, except that it was the 
 fashion. Fashion rules as imperiously among savages all over the world 
 as in the extreme of civilization, and whatever she con)mands is obeyed. 
 A Chuckchee would no more think of rebelling against the shaving prac- 
 tices of his tribe than would a society man of New York venture to disre- 
 gard the rules of etiquette prevailing in that city. 
 
 "They have strange customs relative to the disposal of their old and 
 infirm people," said the Doctor. "According to the statements of several 
 who have been aioong them, they have a practice of killing the aged 
 members of their tribe, and the curious thing about it is, that the victims 
 are always entirely reconciled to being thus put away, and the sacrifice 
 is generally at their request. There seems to be no doubt that such is the 
 case ; one gentleman (Mr. Richard J. Bush), who has written a book about 
 this country, visited, a spot where one of these executions was about to 
 take place." 
 
 " Did he stay to witness it ?" George inquired. 
 
 " Not by any means," replied the Doctor — " partly because he was 
 greatly disinclined to do so, and partly because the natives did not seem 
 willing to go on with the ceremony in the presence of a stranger. When 
 you go back to the ship you had better read what Mr. Bush tells on the 
 subject." 
 
 George promised to do so, and faithfully kept his promise Here is 
 what he read, on page 439 of " Reindeer, Dogs, and Snowshoes :" 
 
 " During one of our visits to the lower end of the bay we saw quite a large group of natives 
 assembled at a spot on the rugged mountain-side, about half a mile back of the village, and being 
 
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AN EXCITING MOMENT. 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
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 ciiiioua to know wliiit tliuy were about, a hont was lowered and a party of us started for sliore. 
 We had to make nn ascent of a few hundred feet over the loose, jaj?t;ed fnignients of rock, and it 
 was not without some dittiuulty that we reached the place. On all sides, scattered over the rocks, 
 were crusiied human skulls and other hones, and we at once decided that this was the &pot where 
 they killed the old and disabled of their tribe. Our first impression was that we wore to witness 
 one of these acts of barbarity, and I confess to a feeling of reluctiinc; and sick-heartedness as we 
 upproaelied the group; but their lively chattering and occasional laughter disarmed otu- suspicions. 
 
 "There were about forty persons present, from old men and women down to mere babes, all 
 of whom appeared to be in the best of s|)irits. We thought they were about to make an offering 
 to their gods, and calling aside Naukum, one of the natives who had learned to speak a little 
 English from intercoursQ with whalers and traders, wc began to (juestion him about it. Pointing 
 to one in the group, he replied, 'See old man — no got eyes — bimeby kill um.' Looking where 
 he pointed, we beheld an old blind man seated upon a rock among the other natives, but his face 
 wore an expression of such perfect calmness and unconcern that I looked elsewhere to find the 
 victim, thinking I was mistaken in the person pointed to. No one was showing him any kind of 
 attention, neither was there anything in his appearance, nor in the actions of his companions, to 
 lead to the sus[>icion that he was so soon to be ushered into the next world. . . . 
 
 " We had some difficulty in making out Naukum's explanation of the matter, but at length 
 comprehended that it was by the old man's request they were going to kill him. He had plenty 
 of deer, and was beyond want, but the previous year he had lost his only son, whom he loved very 
 much, since which time life had become a burden to liim, and he wanted his tribe to put him out 
 of existence. The day had been once before fixed, but his little grandson begged so piteously that 
 the old man consented to live for his grandson's sake. But he had again changed his mind, and 
 his wishes were now about to be gratified." 
 
 The natives were unwilling to proceed with the sacrifice until the white 
 men had gone; the latter had no desire to retnain, and consequently re- 
 turned to their boat. Naukum afterwards said the old man again post- 
 poned his execiition out of deference to the wishes of his grandson, but 
 Mr. Bush thought the tribe wished to defer it till after the ships had left 
 the bav. 
 
 From where they landed our friends walked back a hr.ndred yards or 
 80 to the crest of a ridge, where the natives had their summer residence. 
 The group that had surrounded them walked with them and kept up a 
 continual chattering and laughter, not at all in accordance with the solem- 
 nity of many savage tribes. Dr. Tonner explained to the youths that the 
 Chuckchees are generally friendly with the whites, but sometimes they 
 have trouble with wna^ers and other traders, growing out of disputes in 
 commercial transactions. As far as can be ascertained, the fault is quite 
 as much that of the white men as of the natives, and generally a good de^l 
 more so. . 
 
 The natives have been demoralized by the whalers, who sell them 
 ardent spirits in exchange for furs, whalebone, walrus -ivory, and other 
 commodities. The use of fire-water leads to trouble, and it is a great pity 
 that it cannot be suppressed altogether. Apropos of this subject, a good 
 
A WONDERFUL DRINK. 
 
 91 
 
 SCESERV NEAR EAST CAPE. 
 
 Ptory is told by the officers of the expedition that was in Xorth-eastern 
 Siberia in 1865-G6, endeavoring to build a telegraph line from Europe to 
 America by way of Asia. 
 
 One party was landed near Behring Strait, and another at Ghijiga, 
 near the head of the bay of that name, and on the northern shore of the 
 Okhotsk Sea. During the winter the natives brought a report to Ghijiga 
 that there was a party of white men near Behring Sea who burned black 
 stones in a box, and had the most wonderful whiskey ever known. 
 
 The party at Ghijiga joined the other towards the end of winter, and 
 through all the journey across North-eastern Siberia the principal news 
 that came to them was the astonishment of the natives at the wonderful 
 whiskey in the possession of the white men. Nothing of the kind had ever 
 been seen before ; the liquid which the whalers sold was of no consequence 
 whatever in comparison with the new sort. 
 
 The sequel was interesting. It turned out that when the party landed 
 tlie natives began at once to beg for whiskey. Their demand was refused, 
 and they were told the white men had not brought any of the vile stuff. 
 To refute this assertion the natives pointed to several barrels that had been 
 I'iled in the camp, and were known to be full of liquid of some kind or 
 other. To put an end to their demands, some of it was given to them. 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Tlie natives dmnk and were delighted ; they had heard of tlie whito 
 man's l)cvenige called fire-water, hut never heforo had they found the 
 genuine articjle. Certainly this was the lire- water they had heard of; 
 there could be no doubt of its character, as it burned and blistered their 
 throats, and a little of it went a great way. This whiskey, that became so 
 famous tlu'ough the land, was nothing more than very strong pepper-sauce, 
 which was intended for the preservation of meat. 
 
 Dr. Tonner told the youths there was a curious custom among the 
 Chuckchees which was not likely to be adopted in America or England — 
 certaiidy not in a hurry. lie had been told that when a Chuckchee trader, 
 on a voyage to or from the Diomedc Islands, or elsewhere, was caught in a 
 storm and found it necessary to lighten his boat, he proceeded to throw 
 overboard the crew instead of the cargo. Goods are valuable, and camiot 
 be dropped into the sea without loss, but men are abundant, and a fresh 
 crew can be enj^aged at any time. The Doctor further stated that his 
 informant said the men made no objection to this novel process of salvage, 
 but went over the side of the boat when ordered, under the full conviction 
 that they were simply discharging their duty to their employer.* 
 
 At the edije of the village several men were at work on the erection of 
 a house, and of coui-se George and Fred stopped to have a look at thci. 
 Though the men were interesting, the house was a great deal more so, as 
 it was of a material entirely new to the yoimg travellers. 
 
 "You remember I told von how valuable the whale is to the Chuck- 
 chees," said the Doctor. "This house illustrates what I was saying." 
 
 The frame of the house was made of ribs of the whale and walrus, and 
 a good deal of ingenuity was shown in arranging it. Two or three poles 
 of wood that had been brought from Kamchatka, or some region far to 
 the south, served to support the ends of the ribs and other bones that 
 formed the sides, while the covering of the roof was kept in place by long 
 strips of whalebone. One by one the bones were put in their places, and 
 then the covering was stretched over it. The latter was like a piece of 
 patdiwork on an American quilt; it was composed principally of deer- 
 skins, but there were a good many sections of walrus hide among them, 
 and one or two strips of sail which had been begged or otherwise obtained 
 from the whalers that frequent this region. This covering serves its ptu'- 
 pose admirably, though it is apt to let in water in case of a long rain ; it is 
 fastened carefully, to prevent its disappearing in the poorgas, or high winds, 
 that prevail in these northern latitudes. 
 
 * This story was told in all seriousness to the writer of this volume bj' Governor Bilzukavitcli, 
 at Ghijiga, in 18(36, and was confirmed by another Russian official present at the interview. 
 
VALUE OF THE REIXDKEU. 
 
 98 
 
 Dr. Toniiei* said the ('liiu;kcliue house wus Jiot a eoinfortahle oiio for 
 ;i Kiiropean, but it met fully all the desires of the natives. On the score 
 of ventihition there was niueh to be desired, as there was no ehinmey, and 
 the best exit for the smoke was through a hole in the roof. Sometimes 
 it is necessary to close even this hole, on account of the weather, and then 
 the smoke has a hard time in gettinj; out. The natives live, without ap- 
 parent inconvenience, in an utmuspheru that wuuld stille u civili^ed being 
 in half an hour. 
 
 KRECTINO A CHfCKCHKK SUMMKnilOCSE. 
 
 A short distance back of the village a herd of reindeer was grazing, 
 aad after a glance at the house our friends went in their direction. Thev 
 were scattered over a considerable area, under the watchftd eyes of several 
 natives who kept them from stry.ying. 
 
 Nearly all were standing, and while some continued to pluck the moss 
 and other vegetation from the ground, others raised their heads and gave 
 an in(piiring look at the strangers. One old deer, with a magnificent pair 
 of antlers, was lying on the ground in the front of the group, and retained 
 his position with an air of content and independence. 
 
 " The reindeer is even more important to these people than the whale," 
 said the Doctor, " at least to the majority of them. The whale can only 
 1)0 taken in summer, but the reindeer is with them through the whole 
 vear; his skin supplies the material for clothing, and for the coverings 
 of the tents, his flesh is an important article of food, his bones form the 
 liaudles of knives and the head« of lances, his sinews are an excellent 
 
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94 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 WiJ 
 
 8nl)stitiite for tlircfttl, and his antlers are used for tlie runnel's and frame- 
 work of the sledges. 
 
 "Deer are the circulating jnediuin of the counti'v, and values are 
 reckoned in them ; a man with a hundred deer is in comfortable circum- 
 stances, one with five hundred is ' well to do,' and one with a thousand 
 looks conij)la<;ently on the future. When we go beyond a thousand we 
 are among the iud)ol)8 or millionaires, though the latter are not fairly 
 reached till we pass ten thousand. The wealthiest luitive of North-west- 
 ern Siberia is the owner of forty thousand deer; he is regarded as a 
 Vanderbilt or an Astor by his neighbors, and takes quite as much pleas- 
 ure in life as do the heads of the families I have just named." 
 
 "What an enormous herd of deer!" said one of the youths. "Forty 
 thousand together ! I should like to see them." 
 
 " It is doubtful if you ever have the opportunity," replied Dr. Tonner. 
 "and I hardly believe the owner has ever seen them together. AVhere 
 a man has a very great number of deer he divides them into herds of a 
 thousand or twelve hundred e.ach, and then scatters them over a large 
 area of country. He is obliged to do this in order to find pasturage for 
 them ; if they were all assembled in a single drove it would be very diffi- 
 cult to support them." 
 
 George asked what was the food of the reindeer. The Doctor replied 
 that the animal fed in summer on the scanty grass and shrubs that grow 
 in the valleys of the streams, and in the portions of the tundras or plains 
 that are least exposed ; in winter he lives altogether on moss, which he 
 searches for beneath the snow, and displays a wonderful instinct in finding 
 it. Nature has adapted his nose to timiing the snow in search of food, 
 and when he digs for moss he rarely fails to get it. 
 
 George wanted to mount one of the deer and take a ride. The Doc- 
 tor explained his wishes as well as he could to the natives in charge of 
 the herd, and one of them ran off to his tent and brought a saddle, and 
 also a long staff like a stout broom-handle. 
 
 The saddle was placed across the back of one of the animals, just be- 
 hind his shoulders; it was a pad like an ordinary racing saddle, but very 
 roughly made and without stirrups. George thought the man had for- 
 gotten the sti lups, and motioned for him to go back for them, but the 
 Doctor explained that they were not used in riding the reindeer. 
 
 Both the youths shook their headf. at the prospect of being mounted 
 in this fashion. While they hesitated, the native took the staff in one 
 hand to support himself and then swung into the saddle; the instant he 
 was seated the animal started off for a graceful circuit of a hundred vards 
 
THE CUKHENCY OF THE CUrCKCHEES. 
 
 95 
 
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 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
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 or 60, and then cnine hack to the 8tartln<;-iM)lnt. Tho nativo dismounted, 
 and (irooi'f^e endeavored to imitate liis m(>vemonts. 
 
 IIo Htipported liimti(>lf with the 8tufF, n8 iic had seen tho native (h), and 
 then vaidted into tlie saddle; the renidt was that ho went over, and fell 
 on tlio other «ide, triore to P'led's amusement than his own. He repeated 
 tho effort with tio better siiccesi*, and as Fred continued to hiugh at his 
 misfortunes, Gooriije resigned in the latter's favor. 
 
 Fred did exactly what George had done, and then the laugh was the 
 other way. Then the luitive assisted him for a few nu)ment8, and as soon 
 as tho youth could find his balance he got along very well. J)r, Toimer 
 explained that nearly every novice in mounting a deer goes over to the 
 other side, and for the fii'st day or so he spends most of his time in falling 
 off. The back of the deer is very weak, and consequently the weight t)t 
 rider or other burden must be jdnced over the shoulders; a weight of 
 fifty pounds, placed as a horse is loaded, would permanently disable a 
 strong reindeer. 
 
 The shoidders of the deer slide against each other as the animal walks, 
 and this makes the pad sway from ojie side to the other at every step. 
 As the rider has no stirrups he must keep his balance or run the risk of 
 falling off, and to prevent this he uses the polka or staff. Many persons 
 on beginning their experience with reindeer use two of these polJcuft, one 
 on each side, but even with this protection they get a good many falls. 
 The polka has a bag or net of deer thongs at the lower end to keep it 
 from sinking too deep in the snow ; the foot of the deer spreads out as he 
 steps on snow or on mai*shy soil, and is evidently admirably adapted to 
 its purpose. A horse would not be able to walk at all where a reindeer 
 can proceed with ease. 
 
 A very little riding of the sort we have desci-ibed was enough for our 
 young friends, and the inspection of the herd of deer did not require a 
 long time. On the way back to the landing-place the Doctor described 
 the sledges used in winter in North-eastern Siberia. He said thev were 
 similar to the dog-sledges, there being some for light travel, and others 
 for transporting freight. The deer were harnessed with straps or belts 
 around their necks, and to these straps leather thongs were attached that 
 extended back to the sledge. The animals were generally driven in pairs, 
 and as each had a separate harness, the one that went slowest was in 
 danger of having the sledge dragged on his heels. 
 
 The reins are fastened to the horns of the beasts, and the whip con- 
 sists of a long stick or rod with which the animals can be enlivened when 
 they grow weary. The sledge is made so that its body is at least a foot 
 
8PKKI) OF TIIK KKINDKER. 
 
 D7 
 
 :i1k)vo tho Hiiow, ftixl tlio j^rciitcht nuv, h tiikt'ii to Imve tlio niiiners slide 
 lis eftsil}' as posxihlo. Tlicv nio iisiuilly iimdo of tlu! antlcrrt of duur, or of 
 hones of tho whale, and polished so that they shine like ivory. Where 
 strips of ash timber ean he obtained they are preferred, (»n ueeonnt of 
 their elasticity whieh renders thcni less liable to be broken than hone. 
 
 O'dinarily the paee (»f tho reindeer is n<»t rapid, but the animals for 
 tlic travelling sledi^es aro trained to movo with u speed whieh justifies tho 
 reputation they have received in story-books. Instaiutes aro on record of 
 reindeer havin<^ {j;ono at tho rate of nineteen miles an hour for three or 
 litnr hours, and a single pair has been driven ono huiulred aiul fifty miles 
 in twenty hours. On such occasions thoy take a steady trot at starting, 
 mid if the roads aro good thoy rarely break from it until they have gono 
 :i dozen or twenty miles. In mnny parts of Siberia they are preferred to 
 (jitgs, as they find their own food; but on the other hand tho traveller 
 MMist follow a route where food is known to exist, or his team will break 
 lown. When reindeer aro wearied thoy stop, and refuse to move until 
 rested; if urged to go on they lio down, and no whipping in tho power of 
 Mian to administer can induce them to rise and proceed. 
 
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 A KEINDKEK 8I.KD. 
 
 7 
 
 
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98 
 
 THE VOYAOE OF TIIE "VIVIAN." 
 
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 ii iiii 
 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 CnUCKCIIEES AND KORAKS.— INTKKXATIOXAL FESTIVITIES. 
 
 (COMMANDER IHIONSOX foiiiul tho cnptaiii of the Gamhetta readv 
 ■^ to receive him, uiid talk over tlie plat)8 of their expeditions. B(jth 
 had the same purpose — to get as near as possible to the pole. 
 
 All the latest maps of the polar regions were spread on the table in the 
 cabin, and tho two explorers sat for some time in consultation over thcin. 
 Coinnumder JJronson pointed to the discoveries of Wrangell and Anjou in 
 tho eai'ly part of the century, and to those of De Long and others in recent 
 times. 
 
 " Wrangell was stopped at latitude 72° 2' north," said he, " not by ice. 
 but by open water. He had travelled to that point on sledges, and had no 
 boats with which he could proceed. Since his time the land which hi- 
 endeavored to reach has been visited, a!id found to be a large island, to 
 which his name has been given. The natives of the Siberian coast had 
 been there before him, but of course their stories concerning it could not 
 be relied upon." 
 
 " It was almost directly north of Wrangell Island," said Captain Girard. 
 of the Gamhetta, " tliat Do Long was beset in the ice on tho 4th of Sep- 
 tember, 1879. From that point Jio drifted, helplessly, till his ship was 
 crushed and sunk nearly two years later. He went five degrees nearer to 
 the polo than Wrangell had been able to get, and found solid ice where 
 the Russian discovered open water." 
 
 " The drift of the Jeannette^'' replied Commander Bronson, " shows 
 that the current, at that time at least, was setting northward and westward. 
 Now it is my intention to seek a more easterly direction, by keeping nearer 
 to the American coast. From this point where we are now anchored I 
 shall Keep as close as I can to the 170th meridian of longitude until I have 
 crossed the 70th parallel. We may then expect to encotmter the ice, but 
 we shall hope for the best, and keep a sharp watch for lanes of open water 
 to carry us towards the pole." . ' 
 
 Captain Girard said the route was so near what he had planned for \\'\> 
 
AN EXCMANCiK OF I'OLlThWKSH. 
 
 UU 
 
 own, that ho would ho iileiised to havo tho Bhi|« proccod hi company. 
 Tlicy could douhtlcss he of nuitiial asHisfaiico in tho ice, and if an accident 
 m-cuiTcd to one of thcni hho conhl l»c aiihnl hy tho other, and iKMhaps her 
 crew reh'ovod from danger. "Of conrso," ho added, " wo nntU-iKtand that 
 each of us is at liherty to make tho host t)f his way where tho <'ondition «»f 
 the Hcas will i»ermit. All new discoverieft whall holoni; to tho one who 
 makes them. If wo find an island not laid down on the charts, it shall he 
 named hy tho man that first sets fool ujxmi it ; and if neither ship is ahlo to 
 send an}hody to it, the discovery shall helong to the tirst who saw tho 
 laud and announced it hy 8i<;nal to the other," 
 
 i I 
 
 BARON VON WRANOKLL. 
 
 Commander Bronson agreed to this proposal, and said ho should :ry to 
 put the flag of his country in advance of tho hanner of the French. Cap- 
 tain Girard smilingly replied that the tri-color would he first at the pole, 
 and with these good-natiired expressions of patriotism the interview came 
 to an end. Commander Bronson invited Captain Girard to dinner on 
 hoard the Vivian; the invitation was promptly accepted, and the com- 
 mander hastened hack to his ship to give the necessary ordei-s, and to re- 
 call the Doctor and our young friends from their trip on shore. 
 
 McMASTER UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 ili 
 
 -Ci 
 
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100 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 1 ■■ 
 
 Soon after the signal was hoisted the boat came dancing over the 
 waves, and the Doctor and his companions went to their cabins to dress for 
 dinner. The cook was instructed to do his best, as the occasion was a mo- 
 mentous one : none of the party liad ever entertained guests at diimer in 
 the Arctic Ocean, and as they could not determine what tlie etiquette of 
 the country was, they agreed to stick to that of the civilized world. 
 
 The French captain came at the appointed time, wearing the full uni- 
 form of his rank, lie was accompanied by the surgeon of his ship, who 
 had also been invited to the festivity ; very cordial was tlie greeting be- 
 tween the latter and Dr. Tonner, as they had discovered in Kamchatka 
 that they were students together in Paris, and had met freqnently while 
 promenading the hospitals. The French surgeon spoke very little English, 
 while the American doctor was decidedlj' rusty in the language of Paris; 
 there was a good deal of blundering in their conversation, and occasion- 
 ally each managed to misunderstand completely what the other said. 
 However, they managed to get along, and the meeting was a real pleasure 
 to both. Their comparison of notes was interesting, as they found they 
 had been doing the same things in different parts of the world. While 
 Dr. Tomier was in the service of the American Armv in Arizona and New 
 Mexico his fellow-student had been in similar employment in Algeria; in 
 the same year that the former had started in private practice in San Fran- 
 cisco the latter had set up for himself in Marseilles, and almost in the 
 same week that the American went fiom San Fiancisco to reside in New 
 York the Frenchman emigrated from Marseilles to Paris. 
 
 "Z<?5 extremes se touchent^'' i-emarked the siu'geon of the Gamhetta 
 when their comparison of notes was ended. 
 
 " Yes," was the reply, " extremes meet, and perhaps we shall continue 
 on the same .Ines for the future. We may follow different roads and both 
 reach the pole." 
 
 The eyes of the Frenchman sparkled at the suggestion. He began to 
 say something, and suddenly checked himself; then he made a remark 
 about the hazards of a journey in the arctic regions, and closed with the 
 suggestion that he certainly hoped to reach the North pole. 
 
 Then he wanted to make a wager that the French flag would be the 
 first to float over the pole, and warming with excitement he next proposed 
 to double his wager and make it on behalf of his own ship. 
 
 Dr. Tonner grew interested, and asked why he was so confident of suc- 
 cess where all before had failed. 
 
 ^'JVhus verrons,''^ was the reply ; " or, as you says in Eengleesh, * we 
 shall see.'" ...•,' 
 
OLD AND NEW iMETHODS COMPARED. 
 
 101 
 
 Tlieii the conversation changed to other topics, and was interrupted by 
 the announcement that dinner was ready. In a few minutes entertainers 
 and guests were in their places, and the party did ample justice to the 
 products of the skill of the cook. The guests were loud in their praises of 
 the number and quality of the dishes, and paid a high compliment to the 
 skill of the Americans in preserving fresh meat and vegetables. 
 
 "You have carried the science of 'canning' to a higher degree than 
 any other country," said Captain Girard, " and have nuide long voyages 
 comparatively easy, so far as the health of the men is concerned." 
 
 LOCKKD IN THK ICK. 
 
 " But we have taken lessons from your nation in the science of cook- 
 ery," was the polite response of the American commander ; " and without 
 good cooking our efforts in the preserving line would be of comparatively 
 little use. The first must be jierfect, or the second will fail." 
 
 "For a comparison between the new way and the old," replied Captain 
 Girard, " let us take the voyage of the Jeannette and place it by the siue 
 of almost any long voyage of half a century ago. In old times nearly 
 every crew imprisoned for a single winter in the ice was disabled by 
 scurvy ; the Jeannette passed two winters among the bei-gs and floes, and 
 after the sinking of the ship her crew was three months on the ice before 
 leaching Siberia, but they wei-e in good condition w'hen the vessel sank, 
 and even when they landed at the mouth of the Lena. The}' were weak- 
 ened by hardship and exposure, it is true, but they suffered almost nothing 
 iroui the diseases formerly inseparable from an arctic voyage." 
 
 Commander Bronson then told about the arrangements for the distri- 
 bution of lime-juice to his men when unable to procure fresh provisions. 
 
 % 
 
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 •"! . 
 
102 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Uhl 
 
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 and gave other details of their preparation for the voyage. His guest re- 
 phed by detaihiig whatever was new in the mode of outfitting tiie Ga7n- 
 betta, and by the end of dinner a good deal of information had been 
 exchanged. 
 
 The p; '^y sat for some time after the dinner had been completed, and 
 finally the hour came for the guests to return to their ship. Tlie crew ol 
 Captain Girard's boat had been entertained by the sailors of the Vivian, 
 and a spectator of the affair would have had an amusing story to tell. 
 One man of the Vivian's crew could speak a little French, but only a 
 little, while not a man from the Gamhettiis boat knew a word of Euirlish. 
 Conversation was carried on in pantomime for a while, but this could not 
 last long; then the boatswain of the Vivian suggested a song and dance, 
 and the idea was immediately carried out. 
 
 Among the Viviari's men there were three musicians: one played the 
 violin, the second the flute, and the third had a high, rank on the accor- 
 dion. A quartette had been formed by adding a drummer, and on the 
 voyage up from San Francisco a drum was manufactured by the carpenter 
 which served its purpose very fairly. The violinist, known as " Fiddler 
 Jack," had been chosen leader of the band, and a good deal of his watch 
 below was devoted to the training of the musicians under his control. 
 Their knowledge of what the professors call techniqtie was very limited, 
 but they made up for it in the vigor of their execution. Nearly all the 
 crew could sing after the nautical fashion, and altogether the Vivian was 
 well equipped for a season of arctic opera. 
 
 Jack mustered his band, and several American airs were played, ac- 
 companied with variations which are not found in the scores of fashionable 
 performers. Then the crew sang "ITail Columbia" and "The Star-span- 
 gled Banner,'' followed by "The Old Folks at Home" and "Nancy Lee." 
 All these songs were assisted by the band, the drum included. Fiddler 
 Jack suggested in a mild way that the di'um had no business in " The Old 
 Folks at Home," though it might be all right for the rest. 
 
 One of the French sailors then hummed "The Marseillaise," in the 
 hope that Fiddler Jack could plaj' it, but the latter shook his head and 
 said he was not up to foreign music anyhow. The drummer thought he 
 might be able to beat the time on his drum, but the Frenchmen concluded 
 that no instrumentation was needed, and sang "The Marseillaise" without 
 assistance. 
 
 One of them gave the solo, and the rest joined in the chorus with a zest 
 that showed they were no strangers to the song. The boatswain of the 
 Vivian said it was lucky there was no more of the frog -eaters, or they 
 
AN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVITY. 
 
 108 
 
 would raise the ship's deck : id start all the timbers down to the water- 
 line. Tliis song was followed by a love ditty or two, and then by a nau- 
 tical air corresponding to "Tom Bowline" or "Nancy Dawson." Then 
 came a dance, in which tlie Yanlcees gave their French visitora a sample 
 of the "double shuffle" and other dances peculiar to America, to which 
 the latter responded by an "All Hands Round" and some lofty kicking 
 wiiich tln'eatened the safety of the deck more than did the singing. 
 
 When this was over Jack tuned his violin and sounded some of the 
 notes of " Pinafore." This brought one of the Frenchmen to his feet and 
 led to a discovery ! . ' , 
 
 Though the crews of the two ships had no language in common, and 
 their national airs were unlike, they had a mutual acquaintance through 
 the music of this operetta, which had gone out from England and invaded 
 both France and America. Its nautical cliaracter had caused it to be 
 received with favor by the cailors of both nations, and a little investigation 
 showed that the crews of the Vivian and Gamhetta were equally " up" in 
 their knowledge of it. 
 
 Jack and his attendant performers (the drum included) essayed the 
 music of the sailoi's' chorus in "Pinafore," and when the air had been 
 l)layed through to the satisfaction of all concerned he announced, " Now 
 we'll sing." % 
 
 " Chantons ! chantons !" shouted the Frenchmen in unison, and the 
 sailors of two nationalities joined in the performance with such energy 
 of action and volume of sound that the boatswain declared you couldn't 
 tell which was which. 
 
 While the Americans roared out, in fnir time with the instruments, 
 
 •Tor he's the captain of the Fjw-i-an, 
 And a right good captain too," 
 
 the Frenchmen were equally earnest in proclaiming, 
 
 " Car il est capitavie du Gam-bet-ta, 
 Et tres bon capitaine lui.^'' 
 
 Just as they had finished the song, and were wiping the perspiration 
 from their foreheads, there was a call from the deck for the Gamhetta' s 
 crew, and with hand-shakes and embraces between those who had had a 
 good time in spite cf their lingual difficulties, the evening's entertainment 
 came to an end. In a few minutes the visitors had gone, and the Vivian 
 resumed her wonted quiet. 
 
 The next day most of the officers of both ships were on shore, and the 
 little village of Chuckchees had quite a foreign aspect. Reindeer meat 
 
 ■'I 
 
 % 
 
 
 ■W 
 
 I 
 
 J" 
 
 i I 'i- 
 
 
 ill 
 
104 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVUN." 
 
 was piirchaBed in considerable quantities, and the cr^ws of tlie Vivian and 
 Gambetta were treated to Siberian venison with great liberality. The 
 Chuckchees almost uniformly refuse to sell live deer, on account of 
 a belief that they will bring misfortune X>n themselves by so doing, but 
 they have no objection to slaughtering the animals and selling the meat. 
 
 ffii: 
 
 A 8UMMKK VILI.AUG IN TllK ARCTIC REGIONS. 
 
 The purchases were paid for with beads, tobacco, hatchets, knives, and 
 kindred things ; rum was asked for, but refused in every instance, and the 
 orders of both the French and American commanders were strictly obeyed, 
 to give no opportunity for trouble. In bartering with the natives the cost 
 of a deer was not more than fifty cents ; and as the animals weighed from 
 eighty to a hundred pounds when dressed, the strangei*s had no occasion 
 to complain, while the natives seemed perfectly satisfied. George remarked 
 that deer at that price could not be considered dear; he was informed that 
 the joke had been made by every Etiglish- speaking visitor to that region 
 for the last hundred years. _ . ■ 
 
 Commander Bronson's first inquiry was for a village where he could 
 purchase dogs for sledging purposes ; both he and Captain Girard had in- 
 
CHUCKCHEE AND KORAK VILLAGES. 
 
 100 
 
 tended to buy dogs in Petropavlovsk, but had been advised not to take 
 tliein from that place, as they could be procured in the vicinity of Eaot 
 (ape or Cape Szerdze Kainen. The Chuckchees formerly had no dogs, 
 but a few yeare previous to the date of which we are speaking they made 
 !i friendly arrangement with the Koraks by which the latter had a settle- 
 ment in the Chuckchee country on payment of u tribute to the ownere of 
 the land. The Koraks had an abundance of dogs, while the Chuckchees 
 possessed thousands of reindeer: there was a Korak village close to a Chuck- 
 chee one, and at these villages it was possible to purchase dogs for arctic 
 travel, and plenty of meat on which to feed them. 
 
 The villages were about ten miles from where the ships were anchored, 
 and a guide was easily procured to lead the way to them. Major Clapp 
 and one of the French officers set out at once, accompanied by Fred and 
 a youth of about his age from the Gamhetta. They were mounted on rein- 
 deer from the herd our friends had visited the day before, and Fred esti- 
 mated that they made not less than half a dozen tumbles to the mile for 
 tlie first half of the journey. On arriving at the villages they began nego- 
 tiations for dogs, assisted by their guide, who could speak enough English 
 to make himself understood in conducting a bargain.' 
 
 It is easier to begin to talk business with these peo])le than to finish 
 it. There was a vexatious delay in bringing them to terms, and the 
 major found that his hope of return- 
 ing to the ships the same day was not 
 to be realized. They were invited to 
 partake of the native hospitality, but 
 the interior of the Korak tents was so 
 nninviting that they retreated outside 
 in a very short time, and concluded 
 to sleep in the open air. Through the 
 exertions of the guide a temporary 
 tent was erected, and beds of deer and 
 bear skins were provided. The stran- 
 gers shunned the stewpots of the na- 
 tives, and supped on steaks of deer- 
 meat cooked over the fire by themselves. 
 Fortunately the^^ had a good supply of biscuits and tea from the sliips. 
 
 But if the Korak tent in sunnner was unendurable by the strangers, 
 what would they have thought of the yourt, or winter residence of these 
 people? Wiiile Fred was relating his experience on his return to the ship. 
 Dr. Tonner proceeded to enlighten him further on the subject. *' . 
 
 A POBTRAIT. 
 
 -5' 
 5? 
 
 
 '■ »!. 
 
 \ ■ : 
 
 \m 
 
 
 fTl |i 
 
 11 
 

 lOG 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 .'*, 
 
 . -1^': 
 
 Imm- 
 
 A KORAK BKAU. 
 
 " I spent a winter in Siberia, as you know," said the Doctor, " nnd a 
 part of my experience was to travel among the Koraks. It used to give nie 
 a shudder to think of entering a yourt, but there was often no help for it, 
 and I had to go in and do my best. These buildings are of logs or poles, 
 banked around with earth, and made flat or tunnel-shaped on top. They 
 are half sunk in the ground, so that it is no gi'eat effort to reach the roof 
 
 from the outside. A hole in the 
 centre of the roof serves as a chim- 
 ney and door, and a pole, notched 
 like a fence-^wst, forms a ladder. 
 
 "You descend directly over the 
 fire, shutting your eyes and trusting 
 to luck. The heat and smoke are 
 blinding and stifling, so that you are 
 very apt to lose your way. When 
 you think you are near the floor 
 you jump from the ladder; you 
 should try to jump away from the 
 fire, but sometimes you go straight 
 into it, or possibly into the kettle in 
 • . which the dinner is stewing. The 
 
 smoke has no exit except through the hole mentioned, and the interior of 
 the yourt is dimly lighted by some oil burning in a basin. The dogs hang 
 about the hole above you, attracted by the heat and the smell of food ; 
 they are constantly quarrelling, and every little while one of them drops 
 through and tumbles into the fire or the diimer-kettle. In either event 
 he is flung outside, but the dinner is not spoiled by his intrusion. As the 
 Koraks cook the whole of a reindeer except the hide and hoi-ns, they are 
 not at all troubled by the presence of a few handfuls of dog's hair in 
 their soup." 
 
 Bargaining went on very well on the second day, and forty dogs were 
 procured for each ship, together with sledges and harness. Four drivers 
 were also engaged, two for each ship, and the party returned in high 
 spirits. It was not considered safe to come back without the dogs, for 
 fear the natives might interpose^ therefore the animals and their driv- 
 ers headed the procession on its return to the landing-place. Tiie whole 
 party was immediately taken on board, and the major and Fred were con- 
 gratulated on the success of their enterprise. 
 
 The rest of the officers had not been idle ; they had purchased all the 
 fur clothing the Chuckchees would sell, and all dressed deer -skins the 
 
PURCHASING FURS AND FUR GARMENTS. 
 
 107 
 
 liigh 
 
 • driv- 
 
 \vhole 
 
 VQ con- 
 
 inarlvet affoi'ded. Tliese would be made up by the sailore on bonrd the 
 ships after leaving the coast, and with the native garments as tnodels they 
 would have no diffieulty in performing the work. At Petropavlovsk they 
 l)uught a supply of kuklankers, together with fur boots and trousere, but 
 !is the French officers and sailors had been there ahead of them, they did 
 not get all they wanted. The kitklanker is a sort of frock with a hood, 
 and has to be put on over the head, like the ordinary shirt of civilized life. 
 In warm weather the hood hangs over the shoulders, but in the intense 
 cold of an arctic winter it is drawn ovrr the head, and forms an admi- 
 rable protection. The best quality of this garment is made of deer-skin, 
 with the hair outside, and has a liuing of the skins of very young deer 
 or some cheap fur. Trousers of the same material, with deer-skin boots, 
 complete the costume for the far North. 
 
 They were also fortunate in finding a supply of dried fish for dog's- 
 lood on sledge journeys; it was carefully stowed away where the animals 
 could not reach it, and for the present they were fed on deer-meat. As 
 soon as the dogs were quartered on board, it was evident that the ship 
 would be far less peaceful than before their arrival. The brutes had the 
 run of the dock, and were constantly fighting; George said they were 
 never at peace nnless they were hav- 
 ing a quarrel, a'ld the only way to 
 keep them quiet was to let them fight 
 whenever they wished. In the night 
 they iiowled almost constantly, and it 
 was not easy to sleep, on account of 
 their noise. Luckily, they did not hurt 
 each other much in their fights, and 
 their drivers had plenty of occupation 
 in beating them whenever they de- 
 served punishment. 
 
 Two sledges were bought from the 
 natives, and also a complete outfit of 
 liarness for tlie dogs. Then there were a kouak belle. 
 
 tiu'ee sledges which had been made in 
 
 San Francisco from the arctic models; but, with all tlie skill of the 
 American carpenter who constructed them, they were nearly twice as 
 lieavy as the sledges of the Koraks. The drivers, Alexy and Petroff, were 
 not favorably inclined to the American sledges, and before the ship sailed 
 they obtained the necessary materials from their people on shore, and of- 
 fered to construct sledges on their own models. 
 
 tv 
 
 \v 
 
 % 
 
 •J- 
 
 ■<■•- 
 
 =5 
 
 i; . 
 
 I 
 
 r 
 
 
 w 
 
 m 
 
 mk 
 
108 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 im 7 
 
 In a couple of days after the return from the purchase of the dogg 
 the ships were ready to sail in search of the pole. As hefore ai'rangcd, it 
 was understood that they wore to keep in company as hjng as possible and 
 
 A UALL ON SHIPBOARD. 
 
 convenient, but eacli was at liberty to seek its own course, and say "good- 
 bye" whenever it chose to do so. The evening before their departure was 
 marked by an event of considerable interest to our young heroes. 
 
 Captain Girard returned the compliment of Commander Bronson by 
 inviting him to dine on board the Gambetta, accompanied by Major Clapp 
 
 and Dr. Tonner, and also by Fred and 
 George. The crew of the Gamhetta had 
 obtained permission to get np an interna- 
 tional ball, to which the crew of the Vivian 
 was invited, and also some of the Chuck- 
 chees from the village on shore. The 
 French sailors decked tlieir ship with all 
 the flags they possessed, and so many of 
 them diessed in tancy costume that the 
 aifair took the form of a masked ball instead of a plain one. As tliere 
 were no ladies on board either ship, and the native belles were not accus- 
 
 'ALL HANDS ROUND. 
 
 Ill 
 
A DANCE ON THE "GAMBETTA." 
 
 109 
 
 "balanck." 
 
 toiiied to European dances, sevoml of tlio French 
 sailors jj;ot tlieniselvea np in feminine dress, and 
 played their parts adniirahly. 
 
 A spectator at the dance wonld have been easi- 
 ly deceived hy several of the couples and quar- 
 tettes as they balanced to each other, keeping time 
 to the music of the violins in the hands of the per- 
 formers, who were on a ])latform of hoards placed 
 over a couple of barrels. The disguise was excel- 
 lent, and would have done credit to actors nuide 
 up for the stage. One of the young sailors was 
 
 dressed as a flower-girl, and went around pre- 
 tending to sell bouquets made from moss and 
 shrubs among which artificial flowers were deft- 
 ly woven. Closely following the flower-girl was 
 a cook with a basket on her arm, and her head 
 neatly covered with the cap which is the badge 
 of her occupation at home. Tiien came a stout 
 old sailor disguised as a fish-woman, and another 
 who pretended to be a pe(Mler of cakes and 
 sweetmeats. Occasionally these perambulating 
 characters laid aside their baskets and other im- 
 pedimenta to join in the dance, which was as 
 lively as the music would pernut. Some of the 
 (lances were arransred for the accommodation of 
 the visitoi-s, and at such times the Americans did 
 their best to make a name for their country. 
 
 Fiddler Jack was there with his band, and sup- 
 l>lied the music for the performance whenever it 
 was desired to relieve the French violinists. Con- 
 sequently there was no lack of entertainment for 
 the Americans, and though they did not become as 
 excited as their hosts in the execution of the fig- 
 ures, they managed to work themselves into a con- 
 dition of great warmth. 
 
 The dinner in the cabin was over while the ball 
 was under way, and the gentlemen went on deck 
 to enjoy it. Jack's band happened to be playing 
 
 when they appeared, and at once the music was shifted to the strains of 
 "Pinafore:" the sailore of both ships took the hint, and at once the song 
 
 FLOWER-OIItU 
 
 FISH- WOMAN. 
 
 </) 
 
 * • It ■-■ 
 
 A 1 !• 
 
no 
 
 THK VOYAGE OF THK "VIVIAN." 
 
 ''^i 
 
 > if 
 
 tt y-- 
 
 was picked up, and ccliocd far over tlie watei-s of tlie Arctic Ocean, a!id 
 aloiij^ tlie desolate shore of North-eastern Siberia : 
 
 "For hf'H the cnptain of the Vii<i-an, 
 Car It M< en/tiliiine tin (/ain-hel-ta, 
 And a very ^<m>(I ea|itaiti, too. 
 ' El tret bon ca/iitaiiw, liti." 
 
 At ten o'clock the ball came to an end, and the officers, and crew of the 
 Vivian returned to tlieir ship. The sun was still above the horizon, and 
 consequently intiny of the attendants at the ball were unwillin<;f to close 
 the p rforinance. Geoi'jije sujjgested that it was not a good place for sing- 
 ing the popular air "Wo won't go Home till Morning," since the move- 
 ments of the sun would compel them to keep up a month or two, to com- 
 ply with the suggestion of the chorus. Candles were of little use in such 
 a latitude, and nobody was inclined to look forward to the arctic winter, 
 when darkness would be as continuous as was then the daylight. 
 
 THE COOK. 
 
 ii:|:;:' 
 
STUUlKti OF TH£ W1ULUU8, 
 
 lU 
 
 I CHAPTER VII!. 
 
 FROM SIBERIA TO WRAXGELL lyLAND.— ICEBERGS AND A BEAR- HUNT. 
 
 AT the appointed time the two exploring ships sailed from the coast 
 and headed to the north. A few honrs before their departure a 
 whaler camo to anchor near their moorings; Commander lironson sent 
 Captain Jones, accompanied by Fred and George, to ascertain if there 
 was any news of imjwrtance. 
 
 The whaler reported ice in small patches to the north and east, and 
 said another whaler had told iiim there was atj extensive barrier of ice 
 between the coast of Siberia and Wrangell Island. There were several 
 whalers at work tliere, and they had met with \ery good luck. Two of 
 them were nearly full, and would complete their cargoes before the end 
 of summer, when they would sail 
 directly for the Sandwich Islands 
 or San Francisco. One whaler had 
 lost a boat in a battle witii a whale, 
 but the crew was saved, so that the 
 accident was of little consequence. 
 Another whaler had been nipped in 
 the ice, and got off without much 
 damage; on the whole the season's 
 work was satisfactory, and the whal- 
 ers were hai>py. 
 
 " I hope they'll get out of the 
 Arctic Ocean before the ice comes 
 down," said Captain Jones, as the 
 boat was returning to the Vivian. 
 
 " Every few years some of them get caught by the ice before they pass 
 the capes, and when it comes down with full force it crushes them like 
 egg-shells. In 1S71 thirty-three whaling sliips, almost in sight of each 
 other, were caught, and crushed between the ice and the shore ; the wind 
 was against them, and the ice di'ifted faster than they could work ahead." 
 
 A r.UTHIC ICEUKIta. 
 
 H' 
 
 ii 
 
 c 
 
 n 
 
 S?. 
 -a 
 
 r*. I' 
 
 
 
112 
 
 THE VOYAUK OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 "H 4: 
 
 
 One of the youths aAkcd how it hnppenod that bo mnny of them were 
 oncloHed at once. 
 
 "They were chasiiij?; n hirge school of whales," was the reply, "and 
 went farther than it was safe to j^o. Finding the ivo was closing on them, 
 and that a ]>art of the fleet would (;ertainly ho lost, the captains decided to 
 abandon the ships that were in the most dangerous positions, and go on 
 board those which had the best chance of escaping. A few had already 
 been crushed between the ice and the shore before this decision was nuule, 
 but ha])pily no lives were lost. Some of the ships were nearly full of oil, 
 and the loss of ])roperty was estimated at a million and a half of dollai's." 
 
 "The whalers have had a hard time in this part of the world," said 
 one of the youths. " I was reading yesterday how the rebel steamer 
 iShenandoah came here during the civil war and burned all the whale- 
 ships she could find." 
 
 "You are not exactly right on that point," replied the captain. "The 
 Shenandoah came to the Arctic Ocean in 1865, at the close of the rebel- 
 lion, and destroyed all the whaling ships she could find; I was hero at the 
 time, and my ship barely escaped destruction. I left Plover Bay one 
 night, and sailed out into Behring Sea, and the next day the Shenandoah 
 uamo in and burned ten whalers. All the captains knew that the war 
 was over, and showed newspapers and letters to confirm their assertion 
 to the captain of the Shenandoah, but he refused to believe them. Al- 
 together he destroyed thirty whale -ships. The captain of an English 
 whaler, the Robert Tawns, warned some of the Americans of their dan- 
 ger, and enabled them to escape, and was consequently threatened by the 
 Shenandoah. 
 
 " It's an old story now," he continued, " but every whaleman feels a 
 grudge against Waddell, the captain of the Shenandoah, and will hold it 
 as long as he lives. As the Shenandoah was an English ship, fitted out in 
 Liverpool, and well known to be bound on a piratical enterprise, we don't 
 feel very kindly towards England in consequence; especially so when she 
 was allowed to recruit a crew openly in Melbourne, and received facil- 
 ities in that and other ports which were denied to United States ships. 
 But here we arc at the Viviaii's side, and in half an hour we'll be on our 
 way to sea." 
 
 The ships went under sail, and did not even light theii- fires to get 
 away from land. The wind was blowing off the shore, and the breeze was 
 fair towards the north. 
 
 The course was laid for Herald Island, in latitude 72° north, longitude 
 176° west. The youths supposed it had been named after the iTijto York 
 
 '■']\mM 
 
 f;iif 
 
THE t'lIAKACTEU OF I'OLAU IfK. 
 
 113 
 
 Ifi rahl^ hut lonrnnd, on roforonco to tlui hooks, tlmt it was (li«coverc(l nnd 
 iiiuncd hy (.'rtptiiin Kollt'tt, of the Hrifish Khip //imA/, in 1840. Othor 
 iiuvi<^nitiii-H chiiitied to liiivu 8(>(>m it hufom (Jtiittuiii Kullutt, hnt thu luttur 
 was tho first to hitul on its Hhoriss. 
 
 The day after leaving the coast (Captain .Tt)ncs ordered tho (irowVnest 
 to '.)e ri^<^ed on the foremast. Fred nnd (Jetjrgo watched tho t r ration 
 with a ji;o()d deal of interest, as thoy had alre.'idy seen tho crow's-nest 
 (•II eonio of tho whalers, hut had heen too busy to investigate its con- 
 Htniction. 
 
 Captain Jones told them that tho crow's-nest was an invention of Cap- 
 tiiin Scoreshv, or at all events he had tho credit of it. Ordinarily a man 
 is stationed aloft to watch for whales, and as tho air is very cold ho is apt 
 to hccomc beniimhed,and runs tho risk of fallinjjf off. To protect him from 
 (huigor and from tho cold a cask is rigged aloft, and in this cask ho stands 
 wlien on duty. Its sides shelter him from the wind, and in case ho is he- 
 ninnhed ho cannot fall to the deck ; theio is a trap-door in the bottom for 
 entering it, but no sailor who respects himself would think of getting in 
 tliiit way. He invariably clambers over tho side, unless he has been so- 
 cliilled as to partially lose tho use of his limbs. 
 
 "Tho crow's-nest is a point of observation when wo are looking for 
 whales," said tho captain, " and also when we are in the ice. We are not 
 going to chase whales now," ho continued, " but we must keep a sharp eye 
 on the ice to preserve the ship from iujury. 
 
 "And now that mo are in the region of ice, I may as well tell yoa 
 some of its peculiarities. 
 
 " There are two kinds of ice in the Arctic Ocean — that which comes 
 from the rivers, and is made from fresh-water, while the other is formed, 
 from the salt-water of the sea. * 
 
 "All the rivere that flow into the Arctic Ocean bring down large quan- 
 tities of ice at their annual floods. This amount of ice would alone be 
 enough to flU up the entire regions within thirty degrees of the pole, in 
 tiie course of a few centuries, if it were not melted by the heat of summer 
 or drifted away by the currents. 
 
 "The ice brought down by tho flowing rivers, such as the Lena, Ivoly- 
 Mia, Yenisei, Mackenzie, and others, is in great floes, sucli as you may see 
 ill the rivers of the Northern States of America in the spring of tho year, 
 lint there are other rivers, exactly similar to the glaciers of Switzerland, 
 that bring down masses of ice in the form of bergs. Greenland has great 
 numbers of glaciere, and they are the sources of the bergs which float 
 south in the Atlantic Ocean, and in May and June lie in the track of the' 
 
 8 . 
 
 59 
 
iili-^^ 
 
 114 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 steamers between America and Europe. If 3'on want to know about tlieiii 
 in detail I advise you to read 'The Land of Desolation,' by Dr. Hayes." 
 
 The youths promised to do so as soon as their talk was ended, but 
 meatitime they wanted to k)iow about the ice of the Polar Sea. 
 
 VIEW OK ICKUKUOiS. 
 
 "Well," continued the captain, " the whalemen have distinct names 
 for all the varieties of polar ice. Of course all the salt-water ice is flat, 
 as it is formed by freeziiifjj the surface of the sea; it never forms a berji', 
 and whenever 3'ou see a berg you may know that the ice is fresh. If the 
 salt-water ice spreads over a large area it is called &, fields find if it is a 
 fleld broken into smaller expanses, each one of these is called ■cijloe. A 
 fleld or floe broken into smaller pieces, not more than forty or flfty yards 
 in diameter, is called a pacJc^ and the fragments composing a pack arc 
 crowded together by the action of the wind and waves, so that their sur- 
 face is often exceedingly difficult to cross. A broad pack is 9. patch, mmX 
 a long and narrow pack is a stream ; when the pieces of the pack are suf- 
 iiciently separated to allow a ship to sail through, it is dvift-ice, and is said 
 to be loose or open / when it is greatly broken up, it is brush-ice / and 
 when the pieces crowd each other, so as to force some of them to rise 
 
THE ICE-BLINK. 
 
 115 
 
 Iiiijhci' than the rest, the elevated portions are called hummocks. In heavy 
 1 icks there are often a great many hnminocks, and I have seen them not 
 less than thirty feet high. They are very pretty to look at, hnt are the 
 dread of all who are obliged to travel among them, as they greatly hinder 
 progress, whether on sledges or on foot." 
 
 Fred asked what tlie iceblink Was, as the captain paused after his de- 
 seription of the different kinds of ice. 
 
 " That," replied the captain, " is the name given by the Dutch sailors 
 to the singular appearance of the horizon where it is bounded by the ice. 
 It is a stratum of lucid whiteness, occasioned by the glare of light reflected 
 a<:ainst the atmosphere from the surface of the ice ; it is generally in the 
 f(»riu of a shining streak, and always looks brightest in clear weather. An 
 experienced navigator knows by the ice-blink when he is approaching ice, 
 even when it is twenty or thirty miles beyond the line of direct vision, 
 lie can even make out the quality of the ice: the blink from the packs 
 appears of a pure white, while that from snow-fields has a tinge of yellow. 
 Many a ship has been saved from danger by the ice-blink, which warned 
 her commander what to do win'le he had plenty of sea-room before him.'' 
 
 1 
 
 t »• 
 
 •CI 
 
 :a^ 
 
 'A 
 
 ON AN ICK-PACK. 
 
 Just then the captain's attention was required in another part of tlie 
 ship, and the interview was abruptly terminated. The youths went below 
 to look up the book which Captain Jones had recommended for their 
 perusal. 
 
 They learned from it that the glaciers from which the icebergs are 
 formed are sometimes several miles in width and hinidi-eds of feet high; 
 
 !•■'! m 
 

 • if 
 
 116 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 they All many of tlie valleys rnniiiii"; down to the sea, and as their proi^- 
 ress is slo'v, it often takes nianv months for the formation of a sincrle 
 bei'g. But so many of the glaciers are at work that the aggregate mnn- 
 l)er of bergs annually born and set afloat is very large. 
 
 This is the process: the glacier flows slowly along, its rate varying 
 according to the season of the year and the temperature of the atmos- 
 ])here. Souietiines it may be only an inch or two daily, and at others it 
 may advance ten or twelve inches in the same time. As it reaches the 
 sea the end is pushed out into the water, and gradually sinks beneath it; 
 after a time the buoyancy of the water, lifting on the immoise mass of 
 ice, causes it to break off and float away. Thus the iceberg is formed. 
 
 Fresh ice floatinij in sea-water has seven-eighths of its body below tiie 
 surface and one-eighth above; consequently, before the lifting force of 
 the water can be exerted on the end of the glacier, more than seven- 
 eighths of it must be forced out beneath the surface of the sea, or of the 
 narrow bay where the glacier frequently has its termination. When the 
 break occurs the commotion is like that of an earthquake, and the position 
 of a ship or boat in front of the glacier is full of danger. Dr. Hayes 
 describes an incident of this sort where a party from his ship had gone 
 on shore to take photographic vieM'S of the glacier and the mountains 
 around it. The ship was anchored in the bay, some distance below the 
 glacier, and her captain thought she was in no danger. 
 
 The boat reached the shore without difficulty, and the Jiai'ty proceeded 
 to set up their instruments on the rocks, some distance above the landing- 
 place. Those on the ship were busy with their ordinary work, or loitering 
 around, when they heard some loud reports which indicated the breaking 
 off of pieces of the glacier. The fragments fell into the sea; the commo- 
 tion they created caused the ship to roll at her anchor, and waves of con- 
 siderable extent broke on the rocks. 
 
 While thev were retjarding the stransre occurrence, and tliinkinij it 
 was all over, there was a report louder than all the others, followed by 
 the fall of a grcit mass of ice, at least half a mile long and a quarter of 
 a mile in width ; simultaneously another mass, equally large, rose from 
 beneath the bay, and then the whole front of the glacier seemed to 
 crumble and fall. 
 
 Wonder at the magnificent spectacle was changed to thoughts of the 
 peril of the ship; the waves rolled up with tremendous force, one greater 
 than all the rest sweeping from the front of the glacier down the bay in 
 the direction of the ship. 
 
 As it passed beneath her she was lifted on its surface and borne to- 
 
SCKNE ON THE GKEIaLAND COAST. 
 
 117 
 
 > 
 
 a: 
 
 o 
 S 
 o 
 
 I »• » 
 
 « »• 
 
 .?• 
 
 =1 
 
 "9 
 
 I 
 
 I f. 
 
IHii 
 
 118 
 
 THE VOYAGl': OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 wards tlie rocks; but fortunately her anclior held, and slie swung Ijack to 
 her place uninjured. The wave broke on the cliffs above the ship, its 
 force being so great that the sfjectators estimated its height at a hundred 
 feet; the top of the wave, as it struck the rocks, curled backward and fe" 
 on the deck of the ship, which it deluged with water, but not enough to 
 sink her. Another wave followed, and then another and another, but eacli 
 was less violent than its predecessor, and after a while the bay rr'suined 
 its wonted quiet. 
 
 The party on shore had quite as narrow an escape as those on the ship. 
 They were a short distance from the beach when the wave reached them, 
 but by throwing themselves flat on the rocks, and clinging with all their 
 might, they managed to hold on. One of them lost his grasp and was 
 thrown sevei-al yaids by the wave, but though considerably bruised, he 
 seized another rock and was saved. They lost all their imi)lements, and 
 if they had been on the beach when the wave swept down the bay, it is 
 l)robable that not one would have escaped. 
 
 ■f-'-T- 
 
 \^< 
 
 ^^ «»*'ir-^. 
 
 .^; ^^?*c\. \ ^<^^^.W 
 
 VERTICAL SECTION OF A GLACIER. 
 
 Bergs are sometimes seen two or three miles long and several hundred 
 feet high floating in the Atlantic; remember that only one-eighth of their 
 mass is visible, and then think how enormous must be the quantity con- 
 cealed below. Frequently several large bergs will be found close together, 
 which were evidently from the same glacier and broken off at the same 
 time. When the cc-'vulsion took place by which they were thrown from 
 the front of the glacier it was split asunder, and thus their escape was 
 facilitated. In some places where the glaciers come down to the sea, the 
 water is too shallow to allow the bergs to float off; they become crowded 
 toirether, and as the heat of the sun is not sufficient to melt them thev 
 lie for years close to the place of their formation. 
 
 For the present we will drop the consideration of the iceberg, and its 
 parent the glacier, and return to our friends on the Vivian. 
 
 Captain Jones did not put his crow's-nest in order any too soon, for not 
 more than an hour atter it had been completed, the lookout forward re- 
 ported fragments of ice dead ahead. In a little while the ship was among 
 
A MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE. 
 
 Ill) 
 
 r 
 
 i 
 
 
 Q 
 
 t" 
 
 g 
 
 :«l 
 
 
 i 1 ■ 
 
 
 
 ■•5J 
 
 
i.i iiji! 
 
 f:l:: 
 l;f: 
 
 •f , |ii 
 
 120 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 them, but tliey were neither nmnerous nor large; Ijeyond indicating what 
 might be expected before long, they were of no particular consequence. 
 Captain Jones caused a piece to be fished up as they sailed slowly along, 
 and on examination he pronounced it pack-ice that had probably drifted 
 from the eastward. Orders were given to shorte.. sail during the night, 
 and to keep a sharp lookout lest they might suddenly be brought against 
 something more serious than the fragments they had thus far encountered. 
 
 The air was perceptibly colder than the day before, although the wind 
 blew from the south, and had not changed its direction a single point since 
 their departure from land. The next day the scene was unchanged, with 
 the exception that the drift-ice was somewhat more abundant, and the 
 lookout thought there was an indication of an ice-blink on the horizon, 
 betokening serious work before them. 
 
 Both vessels held their course for Herald Island, and it was aijrreed 
 that if they were separated during the night from any cause, they would 
 endeavor to meet at its eastern extremity. There was no special glory in 
 landing there, as the island had been several times visited since Captain 
 Kellett's exploration, but it contained an arctic post-office, whei'' Com- 
 mander Bronson desired to leave letters for future ships. 
 
 The ice increased as the ships advanced, and by the next morning there 
 was " more ice than ocean," as Captain Jones expressed it. On the eastern 
 horizon there was an appearance of a solid pack, while to the west only 
 loose ice was visible. The signal-flags were set at work between the Giiin- 
 betta and Vivian, and it was agreed that they would steer to the north- 
 west, and i)robably sight Wrangell Island if the condition of the ice re- 
 mained nnchanged. At the time this agreement was made they were 
 exactly on the 70th parallel of latitude, and Wrangell Island was thought 
 to be about one hundred miles away, in a north-westerly direction. As 
 they changed their course the wind died out, and there was not enough 
 breeze to fill the sails. 
 
 An hour or so after the signalling was over the man aloft called out, 
 
 " Bear on the ice on the port bow !" 
 
 Of course there was a rush to that side of the ship. Fred ran below 
 for liis glass, and speedily returned. It did not take long to discover the 
 bear, who was sitting on the ice as though wondering how he got there. 
 George remarked that the brute was evidently monarch of all he surveyed, 
 to which Fred retorted that he couldn't be much of a surveyor, as his do- 
 main was not more than a hundred feet from side to side. 
 
 A boat was loweied to go in pursuit of the game ; Major Clapp and 
 Dr. Tonner formed the hunting party, each armed with a heavy rifle with 
 
AWAllLNY" HIS PL'KSUEKS. 
 
 ll>l 
 
 »» 
 
 -/J 
 
 CI 
 
 •St 
 
 TUK UKMl AT UAY. 
 
122 
 
 TIIK VOYAGE OF THK "VIVIAN." 
 
 g,, ' '' 
 
 II: ■'■i 
 
 < 
 
 wliich to do efFc'ctive work on the occiiinint of tlio Hoo. Tlit; bout liud iim 
 euHV task before it, as tlie sea was pretty well tilieci with loose ice, aiui it 
 was hii^hly desirable to avoid coiiiiiijjf in violent contact with any of the 
 floatiiii^ cakes. The Doctor acted as ice- j)iiiit, and performed his work 
 very well; standini^ in the bow he directed the course of the boat, keep- 
 ing the bear steadily in view, except when he was hidden by hummocks ot 
 ice. Thev had about a mile to ijo in a direct line, but so tortuous was the 
 course that it took them a full hour to reach the tioe where the bear had 
 his sunnner residence. 
 
 As they drew near, Bruin came close to the edge of his domain, as 
 though intending to dispute its possession. The major I'aised his ritie to 
 tire when within a himdred yards, but with a wave t)l" his hand the Doctor 
 restrained him. 
 
 " Don't tire as long as he stands thei-e," whis|)ered the Doctor. '' The 
 closer we can get, the better will be our chance of dropping him." 
 
 The major saw the force of Dr. Tonner's suggestion, and allowed the 
 l)oat to proceed, but he held his rifle ready for action at the lii'st movement 
 of the beast. Evidently the bear was not accustomed to the sight of boats, 
 and looked upon the new-comer as an inhabitant of the waters wIio>c 
 acquaintance he had not yet made. 
 
 He allowed the boat to approach within twenty yards, and then the 
 nuijor told the men to stop rowi.g. As the boat reduced its speed the 
 i-iHe sent a bullet directly into the breast of the bear; he gave a leap back- 
 ward and fell heavily on his side, luit was up in a few seconds. 
 
 It was now the Doctor's turn, and he was quick to embrace it. The 
 nt'jor had a front view of the bear when he tired ; as the animal rose, it 
 looked as though he intended to seek safety in flight, and present only a 
 rear view to the Doctor. But the beast was not devoid of curiosity, and 
 tliis was fatal to him. 
 
 He turned to look at his assailants, and as he did so the Doctor fired as 
 closely to the heart as he was able to aim. Instead of the ordinary bullet 
 he used an explosive one; as it struck the bear's side, and was fairly em- 
 bedded in the flesh, it exploded, tearing a hole large enough for the inser- 
 tion of one's hand. By this time the major had a fresh cartridge in his 
 Remington ritle, and sent another brllet not more than two or three sec- 
 onds behind the Doctor's. Down w-ent the bear. The boat was now at the 
 edge of the ice ; one of the men lield it with an ice-hook, and the Doctor 
 sprang on the floe, closely followed by the major. 
 
 Both thought the bear was dead, l)ut they had learned prudence from 
 experience. " Always approach a dead mule by the head," said the Doc- 
 
\ 1 
 
 KEfSULT OF A HKAK-HIJNT. 
 
 123 
 
 tor, "iiii'l 11 tlcud lu'iii- l>y tliu hido. A deud imdo has been known to kick, 
 iind a dead bear will rise and hitu." As they put fresh cartrid<^es in their 
 ritles the bear snddeidy rose again ; he was not more than a dozen feet 
 iVoin his assailants, and as they were standing opposite his side they had 
 iui excellent mark. 
 
 The two bidU't broun;!.«'i; him to the ground again, or rather to the Ice, 
 and the major said he ought to be killed by ihls time. An uar was brought 
 i lom the boat, and one of the sailors prodded the recumbent beast with it, 
 wliile the huntei's stood ready to shoot in case he stirred. There was no 
 movement, and the game was evidently theirs; but to make assurance 
 doubly sure, the Doctor sent a solid bullet through the animal's skull, re- 
 iiiarkiiig as he did so, that probably such a thing never entered the bear's 
 head before. 
 
 It was a full-grown arctic bear, in excellent condition, and estimated to 
 weigh not far from twelve hundred pounds. The next thing to consider 
 was the question of removal: it was not easy to handle such a i)urden and 
 place it in the boat, and it would be a difficult matter to tow it back to 
 the ship. The major decided to skin and divide the animal where he lay, 
 and as each sailor was provided with a knife, and the Doctor had bi'ought 
 along a pair of sharp blades for use in case of need, the operation was 
 (piickly accomplished. 
 
 Of course the party had been carefully watched from the ship, and the 
 death of the bear was known there as soon as it occurred. Meantime the 
 course of the ship had been changed, so as to bi'ing it within less than half 
 a mile of the floe where the prize was taken ; another boat was sent to 
 assist in bringing home the provisions, and in little more than an hour 
 from the time the iirst shot was lired, the entire party was back again. 
 The major and the Doctor received the congratulations of their friends at 
 the success of the hunt, which had been a pleasant episode, and supplied 
 fresh meat for the table. The signal " we wish to communicate " Avas 
 hoisted; the Gamhetta was a couple of miles to windward, and on seeing 
 the signal she bore down to come nearer her consort. The breeze con- 
 tinued light, and it was some time before she was near enough for the 
 Vli'ianHs purpose. When the ships were about half a mile ai)art a boat 
 was sent to Captain Girard with one of the quarters of the bear, accompa- 
 nied by the conq^liments of Commander Bronson, and those of the two 
 heroes of the frav. 
 
 Tn the cabin of the Vivicm they had steaks of polar bear for dinner, 
 and the party was unanimous in declaring it equal to the best beefsteak 
 they had ever tasted. The Doctor intimated that the fatness of the bear, 
 
 i:i 
 
 »> 
 ;l 
 
 CI 
 
 13 
 
 a 
 
124 
 
 Tin: v()YA(ii: OF Tin: "Vivian." 
 
 
 c 
 
 r 
 
 and i>rol»!il)ly his youth, had a fj^ood deal to do with thu favt»ral)lo opiiiimi 
 passed ii[)uii him. " If he had ha[)i)eiied to he old and lean," said the 
 man of medicine, " we should have heard a different story. I have tried 
 to eat the flesh of the polar bear when it was like devouring a section of a 
 hoot-sole." 
 
 Fred asked what was the pr()[)er name of the animal : nhould he he 
 called white, jtolar, or arctic bear i! 
 
 "As to .liat," replied the Doctor, "there is a difference of opinion. 
 Scientifically he is Cfrsus uiaritlmns^ or ' bear of the sea;' his home is un 
 the ice of the northern seas, and the name fits him perfectly, lie is a 
 good swinnnei', and takes readily to the water when occasion reipiires; 
 when he lives on land it is rather from necessity than choice, as liis food 
 comes mostly from the sea, or the bays that empty into it. His chief prey 
 is the seal, and one of these days we nuiy see the ingemiity of the bear in 
 securing his dinner. 
 
 "lie is a dingy yellow, rather than white, and therefore 'white bear' 
 does not properly describe him; we don't know whether he is found at the 
 North-jjole or not, and consequently 'polar bear' may be a misnomer; his 
 liome is in the arctic regions, and you may call him 'arctic bear' without 
 fear of contradiction. IJut if you employ any other of the names already 
 mentioned, none of us will dispute you ; huiguage was made for the use of 
 man, and not man for language, and nobody should lose his digestion if 
 our prize of to-day is set down as a white or a jtolar bear. Ursus luariti- 
 vius is too long for practical service." 
 
 The crew was regaled on bear-meat, and so were the dogs; the former 
 took their allowance in peace, but not so the four-footed members of the 
 ship's company. Tlie scent of the meat excited them, and they came near 
 eating up their drivers in their eagerness to get at their allowance of the 
 new food. In spite of all efforts to restrain them, they had as many fights 
 as there were dogs in the paity, with several extra quarrels thrown in to 
 keep things lively. 
 
 The morning after the incident of the bear-hunt the lookout reported 
 land in sight, and the commander mounted to the cross-trees to inspect it. 
 There were mountains in the background, and the coast was fringed witli 
 ice, which threatened to be an effectual barrier to a near approach. The 
 position on the chart indicated that th'3y were in sight of Wrangell Island, 
 and the ships were headed for it as directly as possible. As the Vivian 
 approached the land a strip of gravelly beach was made o\it, but there 
 were no signs of vegetation or animal life, greatly to the disappointment 
 of o'U' young friends. 
 
WKAXCiKLL ISF.ANI). 
 
 Ul 
 
 Tlio ico was not so ivhiiiitlimt iis on flm previous dsiy, l>iit the floos woi'o 
 l;ir<;cM', and Cinitjiin Joik'h itnicccdcd with ciintion, tlii'oni,di four ot" s])iiii<;- 
 iiii; 11 leak in tlio sides of his (trait. Freciuentlv it was necessary to shorten 
 ~,iil, and so nnieh time was lost in this way that the Ion"; ai'ctic; tluy was 
 drawing to a close when they were yut u dozen miles from shore. 
 
 \ 
 
 t. 
 
 »• 
 
 »< 
 
 CI 
 
 aCKXK IN KUONT OK TIIK ISLAND. 
 
 rnllowiniif the eiiarts, and the directions laid down in Mr. Gilder's " Ice- 
 pack and Tundra," the two ships, early the next njcrnini!^, headed foi- the 
 sotithorn end of the island, and entered the harhor where the Uinhjcrs 
 anchored on her cruise in searcli of the Jeannette. They found ])lenty of 
 water and good anchorage, just as Mr, Gilder described, though the bay 
 was encumbered with ice that had evidently been blown there !>}• the wind. 
 As there were two ships, it required considerable mandMivring to get them 
 I'lviperlv anchored M'here there was no danijer of their interferin<<: with 
 cai.'h other; the best part of the forenoon was gone before this work was 
 liver, and Captain Jones decided not to send a boat on shore until the men 
 ii id eaten their dinnei-s. 
 
 The captain of the Gamhetta was less consitlerate, as his ship had not 
 settled to rest after dropping her anchor before a boat was seen stealing 
 away from her side and heading for the land. The French flag waved over 
 Iicr stern, and it was evident that the explorers intended to lioist the tri- 
 ciplor in advance of the stars and stripes. 
 
 
I.: n 
 
 120 
 
 TIIK V()YA(ii: OF Tin; "VIVIAN." 
 
 Fled 1111(1 (rcoi'^ro wanted to start at oiico mid <;et iiliond of their rival. 
 but tliuir |>ro|Misiil was prdiiiptly ('li('cl<cd l>y tlio coiiiiiiaiidcr. 
 
 " Niivor iiiitid what tliey do now," caid lie; '* tlic! islaiul lias hocn visifdl 
 Itoforc, and ro nol)odv can dist;ov(M' it. American wlialers liavo Ixmmi here, 
 and HO liavo Aiiieri(tan exi>loiin<r siiips. The rexenno eiittor ('i)nrin w;i- 
 her(! in ISSI, a month or more in advance of the litidtjers, and they hotli 
 hoisted tlie American flag over Wrani^ell Island and left records t)f tlicii' 
 visit. Let the Frenchmen enjoy themselves. Think of what the j)eo|ilr 
 of Florida say of the Northerners who «;(» to that State and shoot at tli<' 
 allii^ators: 'The Northerners are amused, and the allij^ators don't iniinl 
 it.'" 
 
 "1 
 
 i 
 
 •3 
 •r 
 
 r 
 
 WINTKn-QUAUTKnS OF BARENTZ TIIRKK HU.NniiKn YEARS AOO. 
 
HHniT UN WUANXIKLL I8LAND. 
 
 197 
 
 1 
 
 ClIAITKU IX 
 
 A VISIT TO \Vi{A\(iF,I,l, ISI,AM>.— III'NTINC SKALS, W'AIJM'SKS. AND i'OI.AU 
 
 ilKAIlS. 
 
 r wns no on-^y !natt(M' for the Fioiicli I'oat to push tlimntjli flio ciikcN of 
 
 ice, Imt the c 
 
 ffort 
 
 w 
 
 •Mi siu'cossfiil ; iiiul just iw the lucn (»!' the Vli'inn 
 
 ueroeiilleil t(Mliiiii(>r th(^ French tliii; was seen Wiivini^on ii rock just iihovo 
 
 the si 
 
 lore 
 
 As so(»n as dinner was over a 
 
 l)oat 
 
 was sen 
 
 toff 
 
 Ironi 
 
 the I 
 
 inan. 
 
 rarrvinir the two yonths, with the major and Doctor. A hine throiii^h tho 
 i('(! at oiK! side of the Iniy had slowly opeiuvl fiiiice the (iamhettiiK Itoat 
 made its journey, and enabled tho Americans to reach the land much moro 
 rapidly than their I'ivals. 
 
 Meantime tho French party had wandered off to tho northward, leav- 
 ini; two men in charu:(? of their boat; most of them were out of sight 
 licyond tho rocks, and just as the Americans reache(l the shore the; report 
 nf a rifle was heard, followed (piickly hy anotiier and another. Fred and 
 ( u'or<;(! started in the direcition of the sounds, hut before they had gone a 
 dozen yards one of tho French ofllcers appeared from behind a largo rock 
 and waved his handkerchief, so that it (;onld bo seen from the shij)S. 
 
 ''They've probably killed a boar," said (fcorge, "and ho wants a boat 
 to carry the prize on board." 
 
 The signal was answered from the Gamoeiin., and in a few* minutes a 
 boat was on its way from that ship to the land. The officer then disap- 
 peared tho way ho had come, and the youths concluded not to follow him. 
 '"Let them have their bear all to themselves," said Fred; "and if wo get 
 one thev won't have anv excuse for interfering with us." 
 
 They rejoined tho major and the Doctor, and accompanied by two sailors 
 from the boat, the four explorers started in a direction different from that 
 taken by the Frenchmen. It led them along tho beach for half a mile or 
 more, where the ice lay piled up in great winrows, with here and there a 
 lew open lanes.- At the highest point where the tide rose there were many 
 l)ieces of driftwood, and our friends were able to corroborate the testimony 
 <»f Mr. Gilder, that the coast of Wrangell Island is strewn with fragments 
 of logs which have been borne thither l)y the currents. Mr. Gilder says 
 
 »• 
 
 k. 
 
 \ 
 
 »• 
 
 i 
 
 i* 
 
128 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 that the Ilod<jers party found many utensils of wood here tliat were mado 
 by the natives of the Siberian and American coasts, some of them present- 
 ing a very ancient appearance. Occasionally there are articles of civilized 
 inamifactnre, but no one can tell whether they came from ^\recks of siiips 
 or were dropped overboard from whalers. Fi-ed looked for a portion of a 
 spar mentioned by that gentleman, and found it lying apparently undis- 
 tm-bed since the visit of the Rodgers. "Tliere could be very little reason 
 for its absence," said Fred, as he touched the spar with his foot, " as there 
 is no record that any ship has been here since the Eodgers, and the na- 
 tives are not in the iiabit of venturing as far as this from the coast." 
 
 Moralizing on the origin of the driftwood on "VVrangell Island resulted 
 in the conclusion that it had been brought there from America and Siberia, 
 principally the former. It is evident that the prevailing tendency of the 
 currents is towards the west, and this theoi-y was contirmed by observation 
 of the masses of ice that ground against the headlands protecting the har- 
 bor where the Vivian and Gambetta wei-e lying. Even when the wind 
 blew from the east the flow of the ice was M'estward. Mr. Gilder had pre- 
 viouslv recorded a similar circumstance, and said that sometimes when the 
 people of the Rodgevs went to bed, while they lay at Wrangell Island, they 
 would see pack-ice tilling the sea as far as the eye conld i-each; and when 
 they went on deck next morning there was a vast expanse of open water, 
 with only a cake of ice floating here and there on the surface. Quite as 
 often they found the solid pack in the morning where it was clear water 
 the night before; these sudden changes had given rise to a theory which 
 prevails among the whalers, that the ice sinks and rises in obedience to 
 some unknown law of nature. 
 
 After a time our friends left the beach and ascended to the higher 
 ground. Major Clapp was a little in advance, when he suddenly waved 
 his hand and intimated that there was fun ahead. Guns were set at half- 
 cock, and the hunting blood was apparently high. As the rest of the party 
 reached the major's side the reason for his action was apparent. 
 
 Two bears, one of goodly size and the other a partly-grown cub, were 
 walking leisin-ely among the rocks on their way to the sea-shore, where 
 they evidently hoped to pick up a breakfast. They had not seen the in- 
 truders in their domain, or at all events did not indicate any alarm. It 
 was decided that the major and the Doctor would attend to the old bear, 
 while Fred and George looked after the cub. "And as the cub will stick 
 by his parent," said the major, "you had better let us do our part of the 
 work first." 
 
 Keeping among the rocks as much as possible, the party edged in the 
 
ARCTIC GAME. 
 
 129 
 
 Ilk 
 
 > 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 9. 
 
 in tlie 
 
130 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 ft-ff 
 
 direction of the beare, and soon had them at short range. The Doctor 
 fired lirst; the effect of his shot was to bring the old bear on her liannches, 
 and cause her to look aronnd to discover tiie source of the attack ; then 
 the major put in a bullet, and as all occasion for further concealment was 
 over, the whole party rushed forward, the two hunters taking the lead. 
 
 Evidently the bear was severely wounded, but not enough to prevent 
 her turning on her assailants with a savage roar. The major told the 
 youths to fire, and they did so without hesitation ; the older hands added 
 their leaden contribntion, and together their efforts brought the bear to 
 the ground. 
 
 " Now go forward and finish the work," said the major, as he handed 
 his rifle to Fred. " Step close up and put a bullet through the skull, but 
 be ready to spring out of her way in case she rises suddenly." 
 
 Fred obeyed the instructions, and the bear was a prize to the hunters 
 from the Vivian. 
 
 The cub did not attempt to run away, but stood as though quite dazed 
 at the whole business. It seemed a pity to shoot the innocent little fellow, 
 and George proposed that he should be captured, and canied on bouid 
 the ship. Fred seconded the suggestion, but the major and Doctor ex- 
 plained to the youtiis that it would not be feasible to do as they wished. 
 "We have no place for him," said the major; "and even if wo had, his 
 presence would excite our dogs so that their fury could not be restrained. 
 They would u3 more difficult than ever to manage, and we could not have 
 even the semblance of peace until he was killed and devoured. The best 
 way out of the perplexity is to shoot him as mercifully as possible, and we 
 shall doubtless find his flesh an agreeable addition to our table supplies." 
 
 The cub was promptly despatched, skinned, dressed, quartered, and 
 carried to the boat, and the skin of the old one was also taken along as 
 a trophy. While the work was going on, Dr. Tonnei told the youths of 
 an incident in the experience of the author of "Seasons with the Sea- 
 horses," when hunting beai-s in Spitzbergen. 
 
 This gentleman and his friend one day saw a bear and two cubs on 
 the shore, and started in pursuit of them. He says it was touching to see 
 the devotion of the old bear to her young ; she could have escaped with 
 ease had it not been for the cubs, who did not seem to realize their danger, 
 and needed constant assistance to get over the rough places in their way. 
 
 The hunters could move faster than the cubs, and at length they ovei-- 
 took the group and succeeded in killing the old bear. When they came 
 up to where she lay, the cubs growled viciously, and would not allow them- 
 selves to be touched till the men brought lines from the boat and lassoed 
 
 niir 
 
TRACES OF PREVIOUS VISITS. 
 
 131 
 
 tlie little fellows. Tliey were tied together, like dogs in a leash ; ou find- 
 ing themselves fast they began to fight vicionsly, and evidently each re- 
 garded the other as the canse of his misfortune. It was no small task to 
 get them to the boat, and then to the ship, as they resisted at every step 
 and used their teeth freely. A cage was made for them, and they fought 
 against entering it; they embraced every opportunity to escape, and one 
 day one of them got out of his cage and jumped overboard. A boat was 
 lowered for his recapture, and he wounded one of the sailore quite severe- 
 ly while being restored to his old cpiarters. With a good deal of trouble 
 their owners brought them to civilization, and deposited them in a public 
 garden, where they rece'ved much admiration. 
 
 Birds were rumerous, and easy of approach; evidentl}' visitors were 
 rare in that locality, and the birds liad not learned to beware of the white 
 man and his means of destruction. No more bears were in sight, and it 
 was decided to bag a few ducks and other game-birds for the table. For 
 this purpose the shot-guns of Fred and George were better adapted than 
 the rifles of the major and Doctor; the latter suggested that the youths 
 would have a good time for practice by providing the birds for the table, 
 and might take easy lessons where the prey was so taine. 
 
 Ducks and plover were the principal attractions, and our friends suc- 
 ceeded so well that in less than an hour they had all that were needed 
 for the day. The two sailors acted as retrievei-s to bring in the game, and 
 when the' p^arted for the boat with the proceeds of the shooting they had 
 all they wanted to carry. The ducks proved to be tender, and of delicious 
 fiavor, and evidently had not changed their character since the visit of the 
 llodfjers. The Doctor was excellent authority on birds, and after dinner 
 was over he declared that the plover of Wrangell Island surpassed anything 
 of the kind he had ever seen. He nun-mured somethir ' about Taft's, at 
 Point Shirley, but the whole of his remark was inaudible to the rest of 
 the i)artv. 
 
 1 V 
 
 AVhile the youths were busy among the game-birds the elders of the 
 shoro pai'^y occupied themselves with searches for the trace of previous 
 visitors. At the head of the little harbor was a cairn of stones, which 
 they reached a few minutes in advance of one of the FiOnch officers, who 
 was evidently chagrined that the Americans were ahead of him. Keniov- 
 ing the stones of the cairn one by one. a wooden box was found, and in 
 the box was a bottle carefully corked and sealed. Inside the bottle was 
 a roll of paper which proved on examination to be the record of the visit 
 of the Corwin in August, 1881, and of the Rodgers a month later. Bottle 
 and paper were taken on board the Vivian^ and returned the next day 
 
 t 
 
 5: 
 
 
 % 
 
 ? 
 
132 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 to the cairn, witli a recoixl of the visit of that ship and the Gamhettn 
 attached to tlie original paper. 
 
 The rocks near the sea were covered with water-fowl, and eacli report 
 of the gnns sent linndreds of theui flying into the air. The youtlis 
 
 wanted to shoot some of them, hut 
 were restrained by the Doctor, who 
 said they were of no nse as food, and 
 it would be a waste of ammunition 
 to kill them. There were several 
 varieties of these birds ; among 
 them were the mollemoke, and the 
 great and little auk, the latter a 
 comical looking fellow who sat n|)- 
 right on the shore, and held his 
 wings as though they were intended 
 for hands. The auk is well known 
 to all arctic travellers in the regions 
 of GreenHnd and Spitzbergen ; he 
 lives upon lish, and his diet gives 
 his flesh a flavor not at all to the 
 taste of the European. 
 
 It was getting late in the after- 
 noon, and the major ordered a re- 
 turn to the ship. During their ab- 
 sence the ice had drifted out of the 
 bay, so that they had an easier jour- 
 ney than when coming ashore; the 
 Fi'ench boat started ba(!k at the same time, and they had a fiiendly race 
 for a part of the distance, which was won by the latter. , - 
 
 During the afternoon the lookout espied several seals on the rocks a 
 little farther down the bay, and a boat was sent in pursuit of them. 
 The second mate of the Vivian had been in the Greenland seal-flshery, 
 and consequently the expedition was placed in his charge; he carried a 
 couple of rifles, but his chief reliance was on some clubs, which he pro- 
 nounced far more effecti^'e. " You must kill them at short range," said 
 he, " and when you come to close quarters the club is a better weapon 
 than the rifle. You don't have to stop to put in fresh cartridges every 
 minute, and besides, when you hit one there's no report to frighten the 
 rest." ... . . . > 
 
 The boat reached the shore in such a position as to cut off the retreat 
 
 THE AUK AT HOME. 
 
HUNTING THE SEAL. 
 
 133 
 
 of tlie seals to the water. The mate sprang on shore, followed by two 
 of the sailors, all armed with clubs; with no other weapons they I'ushed 
 among the seals, and in a short time a dozen or more iiad been killed. A 
 violent blow on the nose is fatal to the seal, but it is not easy to hit him in 
 tiie right spot, as he does not stand still, and besides, he shows fight when 
 in close quarters. The male seal is particularly fierce, and will make a 
 stout defence; woe be to the assailant who slips on the rocks and gives 
 one of these fellows a chance for a bite on arm or leg. lie can sever an 
 urni at a single movement of his jaws, and can break the bone of a man's 
 leg without much effort. 
 
 No accident happened to the sealers, and they returned with a fidl load 
 of meat as the reward of their exertions. Not only was the boat laden as 
 low as was safe to fill her, but several of the seals were towed astern, and 
 had to be hoisted in with a tackle at the end of one of the spars. The 
 tiesh of the seal is excellent eating, and sailors generally prefer it to beef. 
 
 A FIGHT WITH THK SKALS, 
 
 The crew were liberally provided with it, and so were the dogs; what 
 with young bear, ducks, and plover, in the cabin and waidroom, and soal- 
 nieat in the forecastle, there was no scarcity of fresh provisions on board 
 
 9* 
 
 II. 
 »• 
 
 
 mi 
 
134 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 the Vivian. The Gcmihetta had followed her consort's example and sent 
 a boat among the seals, bnt evidently her men were not skilful in the pur- 
 suit of that amphibious gair.3, as they secured less than half as many as 
 the other boat. 
 
 "As fat as a seal" is an old saying in the eastern States, and certainly 
 it is an expressive one. The seal is usually in excellent condition, and at 
 certain seasons of the year contains so much oil that he is a valuable ])rize 
 to his captors. The seal-fisheries of Greenland employ great numbers of 
 men, principally from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and also from Ice- 
 land, Norway, and Denmark. Some of the s^als are taken for their skins, 
 but the main purpose of capture is for the oil. We have already heard of 
 the fur seal of the north-west coast of America, who is quite different 
 from his cousin of Greenland, and far more valuable. Fur seals abound 
 in only a few localities on the surface of the globe, and if they were not 
 prottiited by stringent laws they would soon disappear. 
 
 During the evening Commander Bronson went on board the Gambetta 
 for a conference with Captain Girard. It was decided to remain a day or 
 two longer at Wrangell Island, to lay in a plentiful store of food for the 
 dogs, and to make observations that might be of advantage to themselves 
 or future navigators. A boat was to go from each ship in ])ursuit of seals 
 and walruses; as the Viviati's mate was an experienced hunter after this 
 game, he was placed in command of the joint expedition, and while he 
 and his crew attended to securing the prizes, the Frenchmen were to look 
 after the transportation. Then each ship was to send out an exploring 
 party, the Frenchmen going to the north, while the Americans took a 
 southei'ly course. 
 
 Fi-ed went with the sealers, while George was with the exploring party. 
 The former were off before six in the morning, and within two hours they 
 had killed nearly thirty seals. While waiting for the French sailors to re- 
 move the game to the shore, and thence to the ships, they espied some wal 
 ruses on the ice, beyond a poiiit of land which formed me side of the ba\, 
 and away they went in chase. They were screened from the view of their 
 game by the intervening point of land, and managed to get quite close to 
 the ice without being perceived. 
 
 " We'll shoot one, and perhaps two of them," said the mate, " and then 
 we'll take to the harpoons." 
 
 Fred asked why they did not rely altogether on shooting, as it ouglit 
 to be quicker work than with the harpoon. The mate explained that the 
 vulnerable part of a walrus is about the size of an orange, and unless yon 
 hit him on that spot your shot goes for nothing. " We may be able to get 
 
ARCTIC SrOKT. 
 
 135 
 
 5 
 I- 
 
 'S 
 
 a, 
 I 
 
 > 
 
 »• 
 
Miii 
 
 i 
 
 [1 
 
 136 
 
 THE VOYAGE OE THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 'II '{ 
 
 :2i 
 p.: 
 
 i iinS 
 Ik: 
 
 IS 
 
 I:' 
 
 
 2 ' f', 
 
 one or two of tlicin in that way before they take alarm," said he, "hr.t 
 after that it's hard work to liit 'oin. Yoifll know more about wah'iis hinit- 
 ing an hour from now, and tiien you'll see the i-eason of our relying on the 
 harpoon." 
 
 Fred was willing to wait and be instructed. Tiiey reached the edi^e 
 of the ilea where half a d.-zen walruses were taking the sun, and all un- 
 conscious of the impending danger. The side of the floe was about Ave 
 feet above the water, and so the boat and its occupants were quite ei of 
 sight as they livy along-side. 
 
 With a repeating rifle in his hand, the mate stood up in the bow of the 
 boat, while the men held it as steady as they could with ilio ice-hooks 
 against the floe. One, two, three shots were flred almost as qnickly as 
 you could count, and each bullet went crashing into the skull of a walrus. 
 
 Then the rifle was passed back to one of the men, and the mate seized 
 the harpoon. As he did so, the frightened animals that had not been 
 touched by the bullets went sliding from the floe into the water. 
 
 To the sui'prise of Fred, the mate threw the harpoon into the smallest 
 of the herd, a little fellow less than half the size of any of the others. 
 lie began to cry immediately, and then his motlier came to his relief, and 
 with her several others. They showed their tusks, and threatened to at- 
 tack the boat; four of them were killed, and then the cub was slaugh- 
 tered, and as soon as he ceased crying the rest went away. The mate 
 said the walrus hunters always did this when they had the opportunity, 
 as the n 4her will stay by her yoimg, and the rest will come to assist her 
 to defend it. At such times the walruses are very fierce, and they have 
 been known to attack and sink a boat; they come along-side and hook their 
 tusks over the gunwales, and when they get a good hold something must go. 
 
 Fred tlmnght that seven walruses were enough for a day's catch, but 
 the mate said they must make it eight, in order to have no trouble about 
 division between the ships. They waited near the i"e-floe for some time, 
 and finally a walrus came to the surface close to the boat; the mate threw 
 a harpoon and caught him, and in a little while he was finished with the 
 lance. Then signal was made to the ship to send another boat, and mean- 
 time they I rarted off with two of tha prizes in tow. Slow progress was 
 made, and before they rounded the point they met the boat from the 
 Vivian, and also one from the Gainhetta. All the game of the morning 
 was brought in before nightfall, and Fred was congratulated on the part 
 he had borne in the affair. He declared he had only been a spectator, to 
 which Commander Bronson replied that a good spectator was not always 
 easy to find. 
 
INLAND EXI'LORATIONS. 
 
 137 
 
 The land party had a more wciarlsoino journey than did the Heal and 
 -widrus hunters, with less excitement to sustain tluMii. (feorj^o was amhi- 
 tious to [tlant the American tla^ hi«;her than the French 1 ' piiKied the 
 tricolor the day before, and couscfinently fixed his eye on *■ 'liil about a 
 thousand feet high, at least a couple of miles back fron .e head of the 
 l)ay. lie carried ashore a small Hag, with its staff, and str. 'ed as soon as 
 tliey were landed for the hill iu question, accompanied by one of the sail- 
 ors. The French boat was close be- 
 hind them, and as the sailor was a 
 better climber than George, he I'an 
 ahead and planted the flag at the 
 top of the hill before the French 
 men had reached its base. The fit- 
 ter stopped, and gave three cheers 
 for the Americans, who luid got 
 uhead of them, and then made for 
 another hill farther inland. 
 
 There was not much to be seen 
 on the hill, as the country was desti- 
 tute of vegetation save a few patch- 
 es of moss, and now and then some 
 tiny shrubs that evidently had a 
 hard struggle for existence. George 
 
 found an enormous bone, which Dr. Tonner pronounced to be the bone 
 of a mammoth; other bones were found in the vicinity, and they looked 
 around for the tusk of the animal. No tusk could be found, and they 
 concluded it had fallen to the possession of some previous visitor. 
 
 Later in the day the tusk of a mammoth was discovered, and it was 
 so lai-ge that two men found it a heavy burden. They were pf'tit to the 
 boat to bring an oai', and some cords for lashing it, but near the land- 
 ing they found a L-ieuder pole, which seemed better for the purpose, and 
 it M'as taken along. The pole had drifted across the Arctic Ocean ; 
 whether it grew on the banks of an American or a Siberian river nobody 
 could tell, but in either case the forest of its origin wps n.any hundreds 
 of miles away. The tusk when weighed on shipboard was found to tip 
 the beam at a hundred and fifteen pounds, and it was aftei'wards ascer- 
 tained that the people from the Gambetta had found a tusk weighing a 
 hundred and six pounds. America w'as therefore nine pounds ahead ! 
 
 The incident naturally led to a conversation of which the mammoth 
 was the chief topic. Dj-. Tonner said so mai'y mammoths' tusks had been 
 
 HOISTlNif T»K FLAG. 
 
 u 
 
 '% 
 
 I 
 
 t: 
 
h A) 
 
 138 
 
 H'i'- 
 
 •r> 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE ' VIVIAN." 
 
 I 
 
 THE 8IBEKIAN MAMMOTH. 
 
 found in Sibei'ia that the}' had become a regnlar r.rticlG of commerce for 
 more than a century, though in recent years the number liad somewhat 
 diminished. 
 
 "The scientific name of the animal," said he, " is Elej^has jyrimigenius, 
 and he was in !iis time tl' • elephant of the period. lie was somewhat 
 larger than the elephant of to-day, but not mnch ; his body was heavier 
 and clumsier, and covered with liair that enabled him to live in a colder 
 climate than the natural home of the elephant we are familiar with." 
 
 Fred asked if anv livinj; mammoth had been known in modern times. 
 
 "No," was the reply; "but as the bones have been fonnd with nmrks 
 upon them, it is conjectured that they lived with man du.fing the Stone 
 Age. The climate of Siberia was evidently warmer than it is now, prob- 
 ably like that of New Yor': or Pennsylvania, and the mammoth found 
 plenty of food to eat. lie had three kinds of hair: one long and coarse, 
 a second of finer quality, and a third like wool. Tlie first was like horse- 
 hair, and ineasnv'd twelve or fifteen inches ; the second resembled the 
 hair of a deer, and wfts nine or ten inches long ; and the third was woolly, 
 and four or five inches thick. So you see he could stand the cold a great 
 deal better than the modern elephant, which has to be housed in the win- 
 ter of our northern climate. 
 
 " You may wonder how we know all this. In the year 1799 a Tungn- 
 
THE AGE OF THE MAMMOTH. 
 
 139 
 
 siiiii fisherman diacovered a inammotli frozen into a bank of earth near 
 the river J^ena. lie kept tlie diseo 'M*y to himself, and after a time re- 
 moved the tuHks and sold thenj ; the wolves, heara, ami foxes fed npon the 
 tk'Kh of the dead aninjal which had been so wonderfully preserved, and 
 when the spot was visited in 1805 by Adams, an Kni^lish naturalist, not 
 oven the whole skeleton remained. One fore-leg had dis^appeared, and a 
 few of the other bonos were gone, but the brains were in the skidl and 
 the eyes in their sockets. A good deal of the skin and hair was fomid ; 
 as much as possible was gathered and taken to St. Petersburg, wheie the 
 skeleton now is. 
 
 " Elephant remains are found in America, where the extinct animal is 
 called the mastodon. They have also been discovered in England and all 
 over Europe, especially in Germany, and the evidence is very conclusive that 
 this animal had the range ol' a large part of the globe ages and ages ago." 
 
 " But how did that one get frozen into the bank where the lisherinan 
 found him?" one of the youths inquired. 
 
 " Probably in the grand cataclysm we were talking about some time 
 ago," replied the Doctor. " The earth cooled suddenly, or rather this pait 
 of it did, and the mammoth was caught in the congelation in the same 
 way that fishes are sometimes found frozen in the ice of rivers. There 
 was this difference, though, that the fishes are frozen in their natural habi- 
 tation, while the mammoth was doubtless drowned by the upheaval of the 
 watei-s, and then covered with the drift of eartii, where he lay for thou- 
 sands of years until brought to light in the way I have described." 
 
 to 
 
 s 
 
 
 THE MAMMOTH UESTORKD. 
 
140 
 
 THE VOYA(iE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 ..'C 
 
 
 m^ 
 
 CIIAPTEll X. 
 
 HERALD ISLAND.— CAl'CillT 1\ TIIH ICE.— A NARROW ESCAI'R. 
 
 IT wns not duetned jvdvisiihle to devote any time to tlic exploration of 
 the eoast of Wrangell Island, nor to make lon<:i; excursions into the in- 
 terior, as that work had already been perfoiined by the officers of the 
 Itodgevs in 1881. So, on the third day after their arrival, the two bliips 
 left the bay where they had been anchored, and headed for Herald Island 
 as directly as the drifting ice would permit. 
 
 The visit of the Ilodgers demonstrated that Wrangell was not a con- 
 tinent but an island, and contained two ranges of mountains whoso highest 
 peaks were less than three thousand feet high. One of these ranges lies 
 
 along the southern coast, and 
 the other near the centre of the 
 island, from east to west; nortli 
 of the backbone, or central 
 range, there is a rolling land, 
 with occasional detached peaks, 
 and along the entire coast line 
 there are numei'ous sand-bars 
 w'hich render navigation both 
 difficult and dangerous. As 
 befoi'e stated, there is very 
 little vegetation, and the an- 
 imal life is confined to polar 
 bears, seals, walruses, and numerous water-fowl. 
 
 Before they lost sight of Wrangell Island our friends had Herald 
 Island in full view, so that there was no necessity of an observation ex- 
 cept for verifying or correcting the figures of previous navigators. Near 
 tne coast of Herald Island they met a whaling ship, and sent a boat on 
 board ; it returned shortly, with the announcement that the whaler had 
 been successful and was nearly full of oil; one whale more would com- 
 plete the cargo, and then she would steer for San Francisco. This an- 
 
 EXPLOIUNG THE COAST. 
 
 Hti-a i' i: 
 
 »:i-r 
 
LANDING ON IIKUALD IHI.ANI). 
 
 141 
 
 nniniccment led to a Imsty co!in»l('tli»u of lettoi's ftiid dcsimtclM*!', wliidi 
 wero et'iilc'd in ti !m<; and (k'spiitclied to Aiiiciicu. Tlio (iiuahittn also 
 Hciit a I'ftjj; of UittiMv, and as wtun as tliev were t)n Itoard, tlio whaler tilled 
 away and steered to the southward. Her eaptain was eontident that in 
 a few days his (■ai'<:jo would he <!oin|»lete, and ho hoped boom to bo out ot 
 the Arctic Ocean, and lieaded for homo. 
 
 . 
 
 ON SHORK IN THB FAR NORTH. 
 
 The approach to Herald Island was rendered difficult by masses of 
 lloatiug ice, and also by a reef which extended al)out two miles from its 
 south-western extremity. There was no sign of a harbor, ami so the ships 
 lay-to off the shore, while each sent a boat inside the reef, where a small 
 strip of beach afforded a convenient landing-place. The party from the 
 Vivian included the Doctor and the major, together with George and 
 Fred; they got off a little ahead of the GanihetUCs boat, and by energetic 
 pulling were tlie first on shore. The major and George cliiid)ed to the 
 top of the island, while the Doctor and Fred busied themselves with the 
 inspection of the beach. 
 
 The climbers did not have an easy time of it, as the rock was loose, and 
 liable to break off at any moment, while the sides of the ascent were very 
 btec\ George said they made the most of their upward journey " coon- 
 fashioi. " and the return "sled-fashion." They had to go up on hands and 
 feet, clin»|,'Mg to the projections and running the risk of a tumble; they 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 II 
 
 
142 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 IE:' -t 
 
 came down the same way to where the broken shale lay piled np, like tlio 
 cinders on Monnt Vesuvius. On this they sat dowji and coasted, to tlio 
 detriment of their garments, especially as they acqniied a rapid rate of 
 progress before reaching tlie beach. The major estimated the central 
 elevation at about six hundred feet, and said the whole island was visible 
 from it. He described the island as a ridge about six miles long and 
 less than half a mile wide, without a harbor where ships could anchor. 
 Wrangell Island was visible, but no other land could be seen in anv 
 direction. 
 
 The beach party did not fatigue themselves with climbing, but were 
 by no means idle. They found drift-wood abundant, and j^roceeded to 
 light a fire, and then they looked about for records of previous visits. 
 None were discovered, although it is certain that several ships had touched 
 there at different times, A cairn of stones was foimd at the western 
 extremity of the island, but it had evidently been despoiled, as it contained 
 nothing to reveal its origin, and there was no mark on the rocks in the 
 neighborhood. They looked for the plank erected by the liodgers, but it 
 had disappeared. Assisted by the men from the Gamhetta, our fjiends 
 erected a cairn in which they placed a bottle containing a record of the 
 visit, and to make sure that it should be seen, a cross formed of two pieces 
 of drift-wood was placed above it. No bears or other quadrupeds were 
 visible, but there was an abundance of water-fowl similar to those on 
 Wrangell Island. The rifles were of little use, but there was abundant 
 occupation for the shot-guns in killing ducks and plover for the cabin 
 table. Dr. Tonner killed a duck which he pronounced an eider, the pro- 
 ducer of the down famous the world over for its usefulness in fillins: 
 quilts. Whether the duck belonged on the island or was only there by 
 accident no one could tell. 
 
 The best part of tlie day was speiit in the visit to Herald Island, and 
 when the boats returned to the ship the travellers, were weary and hungry. 
 Major Clapp reported ice to the north of Herald Island as the result of 
 hi. observation from the summit, but said it did not appear to be very 
 thick. While the boats were on shore, the two commanders had met in 
 the cabin of the Gamhetta^ and decided to steer to the north-east, unless 
 pre\ ented by circumstances then unforeseen. When the boats were hoisted 
 in, the ships filled their sails with the southerly breeze and steered as 
 agreed upon. 
 
 They were now in the domains of the midnight sun, and it was not 
 always easy to keep the time; as Fred expressed it, "you couldn't say 
 whether it was to-day or to-morrow." The sun did not go below the 
 
THE FAR NORTH IN SUMMER. 
 
 143 
 
 , I 1 > 
 m 
 
 UNDER THE MIDMGHT SUN, 
 
144 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
 horizon at midnight, though it just touched it, and the assertion that tlio 
 sun rises in the east and sets in the west had lost its correctness. The uses 
 of a clock on which the hours are marked from one to twenty-four became 
 apparent, and Fied and George adopted the plan of dividing the day in 
 
 NEAR THE ICE-PACK. 
 
 that way. "Eighteen o'clock " served to indicate six in the afternoon, 
 and " twentj'-three o'clock" meant eleven at night. It was rather trying 
 to go to bed in broad daylight, but they soon got used to it. Fred said he 
 couldn't think of staying awake for three months, and then sleeping for 
 the same length of time, find so he accepted the situation without a single 
 break. 
 
 As they sailed away from Herald Island, Avith the prow of the Vivian 
 in the direction of the pole. Commander Bronson recalled tlie fate of the 
 Jeannette. 
 
 " We are now," said he, " almost at the point wheie the Jeannette was 
 beset in the ice on the 6th of September, 1870. She never escaped fi-oni 
 it until she sank to the depths of tiie Arctic Ocean, nearly two years later, 
 and left her crew to the perils of a journey over ice atid open water to tlu; 
 shores of Siberia." 
 
 " Yes," responded the Doctor, " and who can tell how soon we shall bo 
 enclosed in the icy walls, and compelled to drift wherever the currents may 
 take us ?" 
 
 " There was one remarkable feature of the drift of the Jeannette^'' said 
 the major. "It was not on a reasonably direct line, as though driven by a 
 steady current, like what we find on the coast of Greenland. The Jean- 
 nette seemed to moye as though propelled by shifting currents, and her 
 
THE STORY OF THE "JEANNETTE." 
 
 145 
 
 track was very irregular. On the published chart it is in the form of zig- 
 zags, and crosses itself repeatedly. Tiiis was the case soon after she was 
 frozen in near Herald Island; slie drifted north, then east, and then south- 
 west, and then to the westward. On the 3d of November, 18S0, she was 
 in almost exactly the same position as on the 26th of the previous April, 
 l)iit in the mean time she had drifted, or rather had been borne by the ice 
 to every point of the compass, and her wanderings covered fully ten de- 
 grees of longitude." 
 
 "What was the rate of the drift?" one of the listeners inquired. 
 
 "It varied considerably," was the reply. "Some days it was as high 
 as twenty miles or more, and at other times not more than half a mile. 
 Occasionally the ship was almost stationary for days together; this hap- 
 pened in the coldest weather, and showed that at such times there was very 
 little current. 
 
 Hi 
 
 ■ LOiSI\S QARRin. 
 CABIN SCENE IN AN ARCTIC WINTER. 
 
 IS 
 
 " Captain De Long was of the opinion," the major continued, " that 
 oven the lightest winds caused a movement of the ice, except when it was 
 of great thickness. We shall probably have occasion to make practical 
 observations on this point before many days; we'll drop the subject now, 
 and follow the Jeannette in her monotonous career after she was er jlosed 
 in the ice. • • . • 
 
 10 
 
 I is 
 
146 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 " From the time she was frozen in, the life on shipboard was full of 
 dreariness. For more than a jcar she moved in the zigzags I have de- 
 scribed to the north of Herald and Wrangell Islands, and then drifted 
 slowly to the westward. Sometimes the ice broke, and promised to set 
 them free ; when the liopes of Captain De Long and his companions were 
 thus raised tlie ice closed again, and escape was as far off as ever. As the 
 winter came on, the cold increased and the ice thickened. Terrible gales 
 
 EDGE OF THE ICE-PACK. 
 
 swept over the surface of the Arctic Ocean, and caused a continual grind- 
 ing and crushing of the great floes, which threatened the instant destruc- 
 tion of the ship. 
 
 "The captain in Ms journal gives a vivid description of the noise 
 caused by these movements of the ice. There were loud crashes as the 
 floes broke against each other, mingled with the peculiar grinding sounds 
 of the attrition of the smaller pieces, and the roar of the wind as it im- 
 pinged on the roughened surface. Frequently they were called from their 
 beds at night, in momentary expectation that the ship would be crushed, 
 and for months and months together everything was kept in readiness for 
 sudden departure. The sledges and boats were on the ice near the ship^ 
 where the floes seemed to promise the greatest security. The dogs were 
 quartered there, though they came aboard the ship whenever they liked, 
 and quantities of provisions were stored near the boats or on the sledges. 
 
 " The first serious alarm occurred on the 19th of January, 1880, an 
 
ft?!'- 
 
 WINTERING IN THE ICE. 
 
 141 
 
 liour or so past midnight. The captain was seated in his room," when he 
 heard a sound as though souie of the sliip's timbers were cracl;ing; he ran 
 out and found there was no movement of the ice, and after looking around 
 and discovering no cause for tlie sound, lie went to bed under tl»e impres- 
 sion that nothing more had happened than a bolt drawn by the extreme 
 cold. About eight o'clock in the morning the wind suddenly shifted 
 from north to north- weiit, and the ice began to move ; it came witii tre- 
 mendous force against the bow, and piled up largo masses in front of the 
 siiip ; but as that was the strongest part of the Jeannette, it was thought 
 she could stand the strain without injury. 
 
 " But when the men went below to serve out coal for the day's nse, 
 tliey found a stream pouring in throufjh a crack in tlie fore-foot; there 
 were three feet of water in the fore-hold, and a corresponding amount in 
 the store-room and fire-room. All the crew was called, and while some 
 workod at the pumps the rest removed the stores from the part of the ship 
 that was most seriously threatened. 
 
 " From tliat day until she disappeared beneath the watere the Jeannette 
 was constantly leaking, and it required the steady attention and exertion 
 of her crew to keep her afloat. The supply of coal was exhausted in work- 
 ing the steam-pumps, so that if the ship had been released from the ice she 
 would have been com- 
 pelled to work under sail 
 alone. After this inci- 
 dent orders were given to 
 have the sledges packed 
 ready for instant depart- 
 ure, and duritig the galea 
 everybody lay down to 
 rest with his knapsack on 
 his back or by his side. 
 Captain De Long de- 
 scribed their situation 
 * like living over a pow- 
 der magazine, with a train laid for instant firing.' The excitement grow- 
 ing out of their constant peril, varied with occasional hunts after beai"s 
 and walruses, were the only variations to the monotony of their existence, 
 and everybody suffered from the enforced inactivity. • ' 
 
 "Of course they hoped to be released during the summer of. 1880, and 
 have an opportimity to add to the discoveries of previous explorers. But 
 the Ice-king did not relent, and they remained in their prison until winter 
 
 ICE IN MOTION. 
 
 p 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 I \ w 
 
 tH 
 
148 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 m a 
 
 I!;* 
 
 \H 
 
 catne agjiiii. Then followed the loiicj darkness, then tlie arctic spring and 
 snininei', with the snn at midnight, and it was in this second period of con- 
 tinnons day that the great eahiniity occnrred to t\\e Jeannette. 
 
 "The iee opened, and for some time the ship was afloat; then it closed 
 again, crnshing her sides as though they iiad been of pasteboard, but hoh'- 
 ing her firmly in their grasp. She remained afloat, nearly twelve hours, su 
 that there was time for everybody to escape to the ice, with a fairly good 
 stock of provisions. Then followed the preparations for the joui'ney to tliu 
 Siberian coast, and seven days after the sinking of the ship the inarch be- 
 gan to the southward. 
 
 "The boats were on sledges drawn by the men and dogs, and there was 
 a stock of provisions sufficient for reaching the Siberian coast. The jour- 
 ney occupied more than three months, including a rest of eight days on 
 Bennett Island, Mhere the sledges were abandoned and the boats launched 
 in the water, which had become sufiiciently open for navigation. 
 
 " The party landed on one of the islands of the New Siberia group, and 
 afterwards on Semenovski Island. The}' were separated by a gale on the 
 12th of September, and one of the boats, commanded by Lieutenant 
 Chipp, was never heard from. Another, commanded by Engineer Mel- 
 ville, reached the coast safely, and her party soon fell in with the natives 
 and were saved from starvation. The other boat, in which were Command- 
 er De Long and thirteen others, was less fortunate than that of the en- 
 gineer; it reached one of the mouths of the Lena, which it ascended as far 
 as the ice would permit, and there the crew went on shore. It was neces- 
 sary to abandon many things on leaving the boat; when they reached the 
 land the stock of provisions was very small, and there was but a limited 
 amount of clothing for the weary aiid frost-bitten men. Two sailors, Xin- 
 dermami and Xoros, wei-e sent away to procure help, and when nearly dead 
 with fatiffue and starvation fell in with some wanderin<j; natives. Thev 
 could not induce these people to go with them to relieve the shipwrecked 
 crew, and so all of their party that had been left behind died of hunger 
 and cold on the banks of the Lena. The two sailors were taken to a Rus- 
 sian village, where they met Mr. Melville, their old officer; he did every- 
 thing in his power for the rescue of De Long and his companions, but all 
 in vain. The records which were afterwards found by the side of De Long 
 at the spot where he died showed that before Melville started on his search 
 the whole party had perished. 
 
 "In the following spring an expedition was sent to the month of the 
 Lena to find the last camp of the explorers, and secure the records o'i. the 
 voyage of the Jeannette. All the papers were found and preserved, the 
 
A NARROW ESCAPE. 
 
 141) 
 
 -y. 
 
 ft 
 
 
 M 
 
150 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 iff' I'' .) 
 
 ■mn 
 
 
 ii'l 
 
 ■1' \h% 
 
 y m 
 
 bodies were buried, and a inonnment was erected over their grave. Quo 
 by one the survivors returned to the LTnited States; and iinally, in the 
 early ])art of 1S84, tlio bodies of Do Long and those who died with liini 
 Avero brought home for bin-ial in their native hmd. The stoiy of the Jian- 
 iiette is one of the most pathetic that has been given to us in the annals of 
 arctic exploration," 
 
 As the major ended his account of the adventures of Do Long and 
 his companions, there was not a dry eye among liis group of listeners. 
 Not a worc^ was spoken, but silently, one by one, tliey sought the deck, 
 and did not reven '■'1 the subject of the conversation. 
 
 "The ice is growing thicker in the nortli," said the Doctor, as he 
 waved his hand in the direction indicated. "The wind seems to be press- 
 ing the Hoes together, and I should not be surprised if the pack closes in 
 upon ue before another twenty hours." 
 
 Hour by hour the ice became moi'e abund it, and the Doctoi''s predic- 
 t on was verified. AVithin twenty hours from the time he made it, they 
 were surrounded by drifting ice, so closely that it w:i^ practically turned 
 into a pack. Here and there lanes of Avater were open, and the sliips 
 pressed through them to make as much northing as possibhi before their 
 progress was arrested. The lanes nari'owed, and finally disappeared alto- 
 gether, and the ships were enclosed where both sails and steam were pow- 
 erless. It was not deemed advisable to light tho fires and use the engines 
 until there should be a pros[)ect of reaching open water by so doing. 
 
 Where the ice came from that closed in behind them after their prog- 
 ress was arrested nobody could tell. In ten hours from the time they 
 stopped, the entire horizon to the south had changed from water to ice, 
 with an ajipearance of solidity which was anything but encouraging. 
 The wind was variable, as it shifted from south to east, then to south- 
 Avest, and afterwards to south-east, all witliin a few houi"s; the change 
 of wind caused an irregular motion to the ice-fields, and the crashing and 
 jjrindins: of the floes and cakes was continuous. 
 
 Fred and (Teorge asked permission to go out on the ice, but their 
 request was denied. Captain Jones explained that there might be a break- 
 up at any moment, and they would run great risk of being cut off from 
 their floating home. "The pack," said he, "is not yet solidly closed, how- 
 ever much it njay appear so; a change of wind may open long lanes of 
 water, and you miglit suddenly And yourself with one of these lanes be- 
 tween you and the ship. We could not send a boat for you, as it would 
 be impossible to launch one, and your only chance would be to swim 
 across the lanes and clamber over the cakes and floes." 
 
T 
 
 A SUDDEN PERIL. 
 
 151 
 
 Such a risk was not to be tlionsjlit of for a moment, and thev con- 
 tented tliemselves with lool<ing at the i*;e from tlic deck of the Vivian. 
 George had a glass in his hand, and was endeavoring to find a space of 
 open water wlien he suddenly caught sight of a bear. 
 
 The animal was at least two miles awav, and comiuij towards the 
 ship, as though desirous of investigating it and ascertaining its character. 
 Kiflcs were brought, and everybody was ready for a shot in case there 
 was a chance for it. Captain Jones said that, if the boar catne near 
 enough, the hunters m'ght go out on the ice in pursuit of him ; but they 
 must be under strict orders to return at a signal from the ship. 
 
 The bear continued to approach, and when he was within half a 
 mile of the Vivian tlie captain gave his permission, and the Doctor and 
 major went over the side and down upon the ice, accoMipam'ed, or rather 
 followed, by Fred and George, fc reening themselves as well as ])ossible 
 behind the hummocks scattered over the ice-pack, they got along very 
 well, and were soon within range of the game. Evidently the bear was 
 suspicious; ho stopped in his advance and stood erect, in order to take in 
 as wide a field of view as possible. This ga\o an excellent mark for the 
 rifios, and the major took a shot at the denizen of the ice. The Doctor 
 followed his example almost at the same instant; the bullets went true 
 to their mark, and the bear fell to the ice apparently dead. 
 
 The hunters advanced cautiously, and it was well they did so. The 
 bear rose to his feet when they were not more than half a dozen yards 
 away, and sprang directly towards them ; already his paws seemed to be 
 within reach of the major's face, when the Doctor fired again and brought 
 him down once more. The shot was fatal, and there was no further sign 
 of life. ' 
 
 The major drew his handkerchief and waved it, as an intimation that 
 they haa killed their bear and wanted help to carry it on board. As he 
 did so, a rifle was fired on the deck of the Vivian : it was the signal 
 agreed npon for their return, and indicated danger. 
 
 There was no delay in attempting to save the bear, though ail the 
 party regretted leaving such a prize to be eaten by wolves or to sink 
 beneath the waves. Thev know that the signal would not have been 
 given without good reason, and possibly they might be in great peril with- 
 out knowing it. 
 
 Wherever the condition of the ice permitted, the}' ran at the top of 
 their speed; but there were many places where running was impossible, 
 owing to the roughness of the way. To prevent acciJents M'itli their 
 weapons, the major ordered that all cartridges should be removed, and 
 
 r 
 
 . ^-^osew ■"• , 
 
!l;i 
 
 15S 
 
 TllK VOYAGE OF TIIK "VIVIAN." 
 
 ' .V 
 
 I u 
 
 IICMMOCKH AKLOAT. 
 
 OH no accoiiTit WaH ono of tlic party to stop to shoot at atijtliing except 
 in sulf-duronee. Tlioy vvoro near tlieir nliip, and tlie only hear thev hiid 
 seen was dead; conseipiently, there wiih not nnich likehhood (;f *heir full- 
 iujr inWj temptation, 
 
 Thoy weie ahont half-way to tlio ship when two shots were tired in 
 quick succcbsion. They luiuirally looked in the Vioiaii's dii-eetion, and 
 
 saw one of i.ie t)tliecrs stand- 
 ing at tlie <ifan<;way waving u 
 small flag. The movements 
 of the flag indicated that they 
 were to make a detonr to the 
 right and reach tlie ship near 
 her hows. Tliey tnined as in- 
 dicated, and the flag ceased its 
 motion. 
 
 " There's oi)en water he- 
 tween us and the ship," said 
 the major, '-and we must go 
 about to weather it." 
 Again the flag waved, and another shot was fii-ed. 
 " AWre iri great danger," said the Doctor. " linn for your lives !" 
 The pace was quickened, the major taking the lead. 
 A hnndred yards from the ship they reached a great fissure or lane, 
 at least twei.ty feet across, with bits of ice floating at intervals of a yard 
 or two. Those cakes were too small to rendei- it safe to try to. jump from 
 one to another, and the only way of escape was to pass around the end 
 of the lane. To thulr disma\', the lane extended perhaps an eighth of a 
 mile, and was widenir.g and lengthening every moment. 
 
 There was a commotion below the sm-faee which indicated a c^neral 
 disruption of the pack. Every few minntos an npheaval thi-ew pieces of 
 ice into the air with the sound of an explosion, and formed a hummock 
 like the top of a miniature volcano. What if the mass should separate 
 altogetlier while they were on its surface! 
 
 Faster than evei- they ran along the side of the lane till they neared its 
 end. There was a width of four or five feet over which the nuijor sprang 
 with the agil'ty of a deer; he turned to catch the Doctor, who naiTOwlv 
 escajied a fall, and then the two men received Fred and Geoi-go without 
 accident. Each of the party clung to his rifle; the major admitted after- 
 wards that lie was too scared to thiidc of droppmg his burden, his whole 
 thought being to waste no time in getting to the ship. 
 
A NAKUUVV ESCAl'E 
 
 103 
 
 They approached the sh'p nider lier bowsprit. Their coinini:^ wivs pro- 
 vided for, as the ouptiiiii hud ordered rope-hichkirs htwered from the bows, 
 so that the time of i?oiiii^ a.5 far aft as the ^uniijway was saved. The 
 major and Fred sprang to one of the lachU-rs, wliile the Doctor and 
 (ie(»rgc seized the other. In a few seconds they were on the deck of the 
 Vii'ian,iiUi\ safe from their p(!ril. 
 
 The hvne of water continued to widen and k'ngthen, and the commo- 
 tion below the ieo increased. Wlnle our friends were still pantinj; from 
 the fatiiifiie of their enforced run over the ice, the tloes came to<ijether with 
 <;reat violence, and formed a huge wiiirow of irregidar blocks and frag- 
 ments, perhaps a dozen feet high. Then it oi)ened again, and in a few 
 minutes the Hoes were sei)arated and water was visible in a dozen direc- 
 tions. The ice around the ship gave way and she floated free. With the 
 iiid of the glass tin v could see that the same disturbance was i^oin;; on in 
 the vicinity of the Gatnhettn. 
 
 The latter vessel had been lying with her prow to the westward, l)Ut 
 she was gradually turned by the ice until she headed due north. Then 
 she snread her foresail to catch the breeze, and soon was foi'ging slowly 
 ahead. 
 
 " She's determined to sail to the pole," said the Doctor. 
 
 "Yes," answered Major Clap|), "and so are we." 
 
 As he spoke he pointed to the foresail of the Vivian, which was fol- 
 lowing the example of the Frenchman. Captain Jones was aloft in the 
 crowVnest, and his quick eye had noted the movement of the Gamhettn. 
 As her men were ascending the riirging he gave the necessary ordei', and 
 was evidently determined not to be left behind. 
 
 HOW A HlllMOCK IS FORMED. 
 
 "■■flit 
 
154 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 vi^ 
 
 CHAPTER XT. 
 
 FAST IN' THE ICE.— GOING INTO WINTER QUARTERS. 
 
 OBSERVATION at noon showed the ships to bo in latitude 72° 15' 
 noi'th, longitude 170° 20' west; the lookout reported signs of open 
 water to the eastward, and after a shoi-t dialogue with the signal-flags tlio 
 ships were headed in that direction, the Vivian leading. In a couple of 
 hours the coiu'se was changed to the north-east, and the promise of opiii 
 water was increased, since there was no indication of ice-blink on the horizon 
 towards which they were steering. Jjctween seven and eight o'clock, or, as 
 Fred ex])ressed it, " at half-past nineteen," the open water was distinctly 
 visible eight or ten miles ahead of their position, and by midnight they 
 were practically free of the ice. 
 
 Just as they had reached clear sailing a fog set in, and it was neces- 
 sary to proceed with great caution. Very little way was made by eitliei- 
 ship, as it was impossible to determine when the ice would be reached 
 again, and it would be a serious matter to run against a floe while proceed- 
 ing at the rate of live or six knots an hour. Sail was shortened to little 
 more than the extent of a pocket-handkerchief, and the Vivian and Gam- 
 betta drifted along, and literally felt their way. They did not make more 
 than a mile an hour in this sort of progress, and it was especially tantaliz- 
 ing, as there was a favoring breeze that would have borne them merrily 
 along if circumstances permitted. The wisdom of their precaution was 
 shown when a huge floe aj^peared through the fog and effectually barred 
 their way. The captain ordered an ice-anchor to be put out, and in a 
 little while the Vivian was moored to the floO; and the Ganibetta followed 
 her example. 
 
 The fog lifted after a time, and showed that the floe .ras of great ex- 
 tent ; it embraced several small icebergs, the iir.'5t they had seen, and as 
 soon as it was considered safe to do so a party went oif to examine theni. 
 The largest of the bergs was about a hundred feet hi.</li and five hundred 
 
 O Cj 1.-' 
 
 yards long, and the ice of which it was composed was remarkably clear 
 for the product of a glacier. Captain Jones said he thought it must have 
 
TAKING A KE8T. 
 
 15.5 
 
 ^1 1 
 
15G 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 !».• 
 
 V; ■•"Vl 
 
 i» rT"» 
 
 come from the American coast, though possibly it may liave originated in 
 one of t: e islands discovered by Captain De Long on hi" retreat southward, 
 after the sinking of the Jeanneite. In the joujnal from which the ac- 
 count of his voyage was written, he says that he saw on Bennett Island 
 one glacier which was three miles across at its front, and another, some- 
 what smaller, a little farther along the coast. 
 
 Several blocks were cut from the berg and taken on boai'd the Vivian; 
 they incited one of tiiese blocks, and the water obtained from it was per- 
 fectly fresh ; this proved unmistakably that it was from a glacier. Floe- 
 ice is formed by the freezing of salt- water, but occasionally cakes and 
 fragments are found which have drifted down fi-om Siberian or American 
 rivers, and are therefore fresh. In the heat of summer the surface of 
 a floe is often covered in many places with water two or three inches 
 deep; sometimes this water comes from the melting of the surface of tlie 
 ice, and occasionally it is blown there by the action of the wind ; in either 
 case it is salt, and can never be mistaken for the j)rudiict of a berg. 
 
 Fred took an ice-auger and endeavored to ascertain the thickness of 
 the floe, but after boring to a depth of eleven feet he gave up the attempt. 
 Captain Jones said he might easily go down twenty feet without finding 
 bottom, and George reminded him that arctic explorers had found ice 
 upward of forty feet thick. "NVeyprecht and Payer, in the voyage of the 
 Tegetlwff^ reported a depth of forty-seven feet in the ice M'hich surioundcd 
 the ship in her last winter in the Xorth; this great thickness shows the 
 eltec't of long continued and intense cold. If the congelation sets in earlv 
 in the buginning of an arctic winter, and the weatiier is steadily cold, with- 
 out wind, the water becomes chilled to such an extent that a few more 
 weeks and a few more degrees ol' cold would convert the entire ocean 
 around the pole into a solid mass. 
 
 Jjiberty was given to half the crew to go out on the ice and amuse 
 themselves in any way they liked; but it was understood that they should 
 return with all speed at a signal from the ship. They had a good time, 
 chasing each other like school-boys at play, climbiiig on the iceberg, sliding 
 wherever there was a smooth surface favorable to that amusement, and 
 searching for shells and pieces of drift-wood. The latter sport wns 
 mainly left to Fred and Geoi'ge, as it was more scieutitic than exciting, 
 and the sailors were not specially interested in it. Geoi'ge picked up a 
 piece of drift-wood similar to what had been found on Herald and 
 Wrangell Islands, and with the help of one of the men carried it to tlie 
 ship. Commander Bronson said it demonstrated that the ice was formed 
 in the part '>f the Arctic Ocean west of Behring Strait ; its position, to- 
 
HUNTING ON THE ICE. 
 
 157 
 
 gether with tlie iceberg imbedded in it, was an indication of an easterly 
 current which might prove exactly wliat they wanted to find. 
 
 While George was busy with the dri^t ■./ood, Fred, who had abandoned 
 tlie ice-auger, ,)roceeded to investigate the berg from which the blocks had 
 already been cut and carried to the ship. With considerable difficulty he 
 climbed to the top, cutting steps for his feet at every advance and narrow- 
 ly escaping a serious fall. A few minutes after he stood upon the sum- 
 mit, and waved his hat as a signal of triumph, a large slice broke from the 
 farther end of tlie berg and slid down with a tremendous crash. This was 
 a warning of the peril of his position, and he prudently descended to the 
 surface of the floe. Safely at the bottom, he realized the force of what 
 he had heard and read, that an iceberg is not to be depended on at any 
 time, and should be approached and mounted with caution. 
 
 A commotion amoni; the men who had straved to the farther end of 
 the berg attracted the youth's attention, and he hastened to ascertain the 
 cause. lie had not long to wait. 
 
 " A bear! a bear!" said one of the sailore who came running from the 
 group. 
 
 " And a big one, too !" said another, who was following close behind 
 his comrade. 
 
 None of the sailors had any weapons, and Fred was without his gun. 
 The major and the Doctor, together with the commander, were walking on 
 the ice not far from the ship, engaged in investigating it, and not one of 
 them had anvthing to shoot with. 
 
 "Bring tlie rifles !" shouted all three of the gentlemen at nearly the 
 same instant. Soon the rifles were in their hands, and they started for the 
 H'atne. 
 
 The bear seemed to understand the situation, a<id gave them a long 
 ciiase. lie could move faster than his biped pursuers, and every minute 
 the distance between them increased. Finding there was no hope of over- 
 taking him. Commander Bronson dropped on one knee and took a long 
 siiot, but without perceptible effect. The bear kept on as though nothing 
 liiid happened, and the chase was abandoned at the end of half a lile. 
 The Doctor said he was reminded of a similar chase after a bear on the 
 ice near the Siberian coast, a few years before; he followed the animal 
 for at least Ave miles, and the brute seemed to lead him on fur the pur- 
 pose of tantalizing him. 
 
 Whene\er he stopped and gave up the chase, the bear halted and came 
 towards him, almost within range. Then the bear would stop and look at 
 him; the Doctor would creep forward, and when about ready for a shot, 
 
 ^1 
 
 
158 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 ri < 
 
 
 .m 
 
 i!ri 
 
 •I f 
 
 the bear invariably tni-necl and made off. Then the Doctor followed on a 
 while ; when he stopped the bear stopped ; and thus the performance was 
 repeated several times. Finally he took a long shot, with little expectation 
 of hitting his object; he aimed high, to allow for the conrse of the bnlJct, 
 and to his snrprise bronght the bear to the ice and disabled him. Then 
 he followed np and Unished the bear with a shot throngh the skull. The 
 first bullet had broken a fore-leg and opened one of the large veins, but in 
 spite of the severe woimd the bear rushed at him as he ai)proached, and 
 was only stopped by the iinal shot. 
 
 O'n* friends looked about for seals and Aval ruses, but none were to be 
 seen. It is probable that, if any were in the vicinity, they had been scared 
 off by the noise on the ice, as these creatures are very wary and must be 
 pursued in silence. There's an old saying, " you don't hunt ducks with a 
 brass band," and it may well apply to seals and walruses. Quiet must be 
 observed when pursuing these animals on the ice, as they slip into the 
 water at the least sound. When you have a walrus harpooned yon may 
 shout as much as you please, and you can do the same thing when killing 
 seals with a club, after their reti'cat to the water is cut off. 
 
 A gun from the ship drew attention to the signal at the peak, and 
 everybody went on board without delay. The dogs had been let out for a 
 run on the ice, and there was some trouble in getting them in again ; they 
 resisted all control, until one of the diivers came to the gang-plank and 
 threw out a few pieces of seal-meat. The whole drove then went aboard 
 with a rush, and had their usual quarrel over the repast on the ship's deck. 
 
 The recall had been made in consequence of the clearhig up of the 
 fog and the prospect of being able to make a farther advance. When 
 all were safe on board, the Vivian cast off from the floe and the Gambetta 
 followed her example. A few scattered cakes and floefi were visible in 
 the north-east, but there was none as large as the one to which they had 
 been fastened, and the captain considered the opportunity too good to be 
 lost. 
 
 The ships made about thirty-five or forty miles on their course, and 
 then the drift-ice became so thick as to necessitate caution. The captain 
 mounted to the crow's-nest, and in an hour or so he announced that he 
 could make out the ice-blink filling the horizon in the distance. It ex- 
 tended so far that he thought it indicated an end of their progress under 
 sail for the present. 
 
 Steadily the ice increased, and in ten or twelve hours after the blink 
 was discovered they found themselves hemmed in on all sides. The floes 
 were large, and the lanes became so narrow that sailing vas out of the 
 
, A TANTALIZING PURSUIT. 
 
 159 
 
I' 
 
 160 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 1*: 
 
 i^'ii 
 
 l^r^ 
 
 question. Once mure the ships were tied np, and as a matter of precaution 
 Captain Jones ordered the Vivian to be warped into a little nook on one 
 side of a floe, where the chances of being "nipped" were greatly diinin- 
 iehed. 
 
 " We are now," said the captain, "about as far to the north as we can 
 expect to get by 6.Jling. In a few hours we sliall probably be frozen in, 
 and muot trust to the currents to cany us on our way. The wind is in our 
 favor, and 1 think the ice is carrying us towards the pole." 
 
 Then he ordered soundings to be made on the side of the ship farthest 
 from the ice. The lead showed forty-five fathoms of water, with muddy 
 bottom; after the depth had been ascertained the lead was again cast, in 
 order to ascertain the drift of the ice, and consecpiently of the ship. Tliis 
 proved to Le north-east ; the wind was blowing from the south, and conse- 
 quently the drift was not exactly in accordance with the wind, and showed 
 the existence of a current. 
 
 During the night the ice closed in more firmly than before, and the 
 drift to the north-east continued. Observation at noon the next day 
 showed their position, latitude 74° 20' north, longi'tude 172° 18' west; and 
 it was practically at this point they were enclosed by the ice and held finuly 
 in its grasp. 
 
 And now began a period of monotony whicli we will not attempt to 
 record day by da}^ Such a narrative would be tedious, and could not 
 differ materially from the stoi'ics that many navigators have given us in 
 the accounts of their hibernation in the arctic regions. Our friends fol- 
 lowed the example of Kane, Parry, De Long, M'Clintock, and other arctic 
 explorers, and proceeded to make their preparations for the season of long- 
 continued cold. Lumber was brought from below for building a house 
 over the deck; the structure was nuide as close as possible, in order to 
 keep out the cold, and a siiflicient pitch was given to the roof to let the 
 snow slide ofl! as fast as it fell. In the centre the roof was supi)orted by 
 stout rafters, and the space was made so roomy that it virtually added an- 
 other deck to the ship. The dogs were allowed the run of this enclosed 
 space at certain hours of the day, but the most of their time was passed 
 on the ice, where shelters were erected for them. They were not long in 
 finding out the hour for meals. It was the custom to feed tl^em at f«»ur 
 in the afternoon, and when the marine signal of eight bells was given 
 they walked up the gang-plank and indicated their readiness for duty. 
 Had they been the patrons of a well-regulated boarding-house they could 
 not have been more prompt. . 
 
 The dog-shelters were made of boards, like the housing of the deck. 
 
A WINTER RESIDENCE AMONG THE ESKIMOS. 
 
 161 
 
 t- 
 
 c 
 > 
 
 C 
 W 
 
 e 
 
 all 
 
 f 
 
 11 
 
162 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 
 Fred and George wanted to have some huts of snow or ice, and with tlio 
 assistance of the dog-drivers they constructed some. It required a good 
 deal of engineering, as the Chukcliees are not to be compared with the 
 E;ikimos in this kind of work; in fact, tlie Eskimo snow-iiut is tlie finest 
 dwelHng of the kind in the whole vorld. Fred and George made use uf 
 the drawings given by Captain Hall, and others familiar with the Eskimos, 
 and tiien projected their edilices as an architect makes his plans. Evei-y 
 block was hewn from the ice, as a block of stone is cut for a building; tho 
 joints were cemented with water; a tunnel was made for the entrance, on 
 the same plan as in Greenland ; and altogether the huts, when completed, 
 were highly creditable to the builders. 
 
 We will describe the mode of construction of the Eskimo snow-hut bv 
 telling how our friends made theirs. 
 
 Tliey levelled a space on the ice to form the floor, and in order to 
 have as little transportation as possible for their nniterial they selected 
 a spot close to a solid hummock. The Eskimos use blocks of snow which 
 liave been packed hai'd by the wind, but as these were not available, our 
 friends used ice, which they quarried from tlic hummock. As before 
 stated, each block was carefully shaped before being set in its }dace ; 
 George attended to the cutting of the blocks, assisted by one of the 
 drivers, while Fred and the other driver performed the work on the hut. 
 
 The iirst hut they built was about ten feet in diameter at the base, ami 
 was intended to be six feet clear on the inside. Of course the centre of 
 the dome was the only point where this height was maintained. Opposite 
 the entrance the floor was raised about six inches higher than in the other 
 half of the hut; this raised space was understood to be parlor and bed- 
 room, while the other was more practical in its uses, and served as kitchen, 
 and a lodging for the dogs when they chose to come in. The dogs, by-the- 
 way, seemed to understand from the outset that they were prohibited from 
 mounting to the parlor, and only on a few occasions did tliey ever attempt it. 
 
 Tlie flrst row of blocks was laid with mathematical accuracy, the circle 
 having been formed by means of a string fastened to a peg in the centre 
 of the prepared floor; then the second row was laid a little inside tlie 
 line of the first; and then the rows followed in regular succession till the 
 top was reached. Three holes for windows were left at different eleva- 
 tions ; two of these were covered with plates of clear ice an inch or more 
 in thickness, whih; the third was closed with the membrane of the stomach 
 of a deer. It was found that these windows admitted sufficient light for 
 all practical purposes, but the ice-windows were not to be relied on during 
 the period that the sun came above the horizon. 
 
BUILDING AN ICE-HUT. 
 
 163 
 
 
 ■*.<%%■< 
 
 The youths made a hulicrous blunder in their first effort at building a 
 hut. Fred was on the inside, assisting in laying the blocks in i)lace; his 
 attendant native was outside the hut, engaged in handing up the blocks 
 as they were received from George and. his assistant. As they were about 
 to put the final block on the top it occurred to (Jeorge that they had quite 
 forgotten to make a door for entrance. They had planned it originally, 
 but in the excitement of laying out the circle the door had been omitted, 
 and was not again thought or. And there was Fred, almost walled up 
 inside without means of escape ! 
 
 The ice-axes soon remedied this oversight, and Fred was able to come 
 to daylight, after assisting in covering the dome with its cap. Then the 
 tuimel leading up to the door was finished, and the youths wei'e ready for 
 the inspection of their work. 
 
 They held a reception the next day at noon. Calls were made by all 
 the officers of the ship, and each visitor was regaled with a cup of hot tea 
 from a kettle prepared on ship- 
 board, and kept at the right temper- 
 ature by an alcohol lamp. George 
 said they were not quite up to the 
 native custom of burning oil in a 
 stone lamp, but they might come to 
 it in time. 
 
 George was ready to answer all 
 inquiries relative to the construction 
 of huts of this sort ; he sai ^ they 
 were peculiar to the arctic regions, 
 and were rarely, if ever, seen in the 
 
 torrid zone; Stanley and other African explorers made no mention of 
 tiiein, and therefore it was to be inferred that snow-huts were not built 
 in th") dark continent. Even in the far North they do not last through 
 the sunimer,. as the sun quickly destroys them ; the snow-hut is only a 
 winter residence, and the Eskimos take to skin tents during the warm 
 months. 
 
 The winter huts of the Eskiihos are usually on the ice, or near it, on 
 account of the convenience of fishing or sealing, but their sunimer tents 
 are on the land. For a winter residence they select a bay where the ice 
 is not likely to drift, and the nearer they cati get to the haunts of the seal 
 the better they like it. It not unfrequently happens that the ice under 
 a village breal.13 up in a storm ; in such case the occupants must run for 
 safety, and they are not always able to do this, especially if a severe gale 
 
 KSKIMO STONE I,AMP AM) HUK. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 I; 
 
 ;i 
 ^1 
 
 15'; K^,i5j!' fi'l 
 
ICA 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 is blowing, and there is a general disruption of the floe In some in- 
 stances whole villages have Ijeen swept; away, and in others only a few 
 individnals escaped to tell how the rest were lost. 
 
 Hi, 
 
 r" 
 
 A HUT SUBMEKGKD. 
 
 Fi-ed and George spent the most of the afternoon in their ice-hut to 
 receive the congratulations of their friends and become accustomed to the 
 novelty of the situation. "When evening came tliey abandoned it to the 
 dog-drivers, and on the next day it was the object of much interest to the 
 sailors, who were allowed to visit it in small pa) ties till all had been given 
 an opportunity of iiispection and criticism. 
 
 Evidently the 3'ouths were not in a hurry to occupy the new house they 
 had built, and they frankly admitted that the cabin of the Vivian was 
 greatly to be preferred. " J3ut we'll build more of them," said Fred, " in 
 case they are needed for sheltering O'Q dogs, or for any other purpose. 
 We've got our hands in now, and can turn them off very quickly. We can 
 make a whole village of tliese huts, and comiect them by short galleries, as 
 the Eskimos do, so that we may step from one to another without going 
 out-of-doors." , 
 
 The early part of the hibernation of the ships was not at all dangerous, 
 as the ice-floes were not crowding each other, and there were no gales to 
 
 .^f 
 
A WALPUS-HUNT, 
 
 1C5 
 
 break np the fields and create the coininotious that we have already men- 
 tioned. SoMietinios the wind shifted sn ' lenlj, but in most cases there was 
 a calm interval of a few hours. The ather steadily increased in cold- 
 ness, and by the middle of Septombci' <- iC thermometer at night was fre- 
 (juently lieluw zero. 
 
 E\ery day the dog-teams were harnessed for sledge journeys over the 
 ice as far as practicable. Visits were exchanged with the officers of the 
 Gamhetta, and both ships made preparations for long explorations as soon 
 as circumstances favored. Fred and George tried their hands at driving 
 the dogs, and had many overturns and mishaps. No serious accident oc- 
 curred, however, and they coimted their bruises as the honorable scars of 
 their warfare v ■> the regions of ice. 
 
 liears and tnil vere occasionally seen, and when seen thc}' were pur- 
 sued with Vii ing jcess. One day a returning dog-team reported wal- 
 ruses on t ' "<;( ".ear some open water six or eigiit miles to the south; of 
 course there w . . a desire on the part of everybody to go in pursuit of them, 
 and early oxt morning a party was off. Two dog-teams were taken, and 
 it was arrti .g'.d that if any walruses were killed the other teams should bo 
 sent out as soon as intelligence could be brought to the ship. 
 
 Thev succeeded in killing three walruses out of a dozen or jnore that 
 were making themselves comfortalde on the surface of a floe. The sledges 
 were loaded with the meat, and Fred started back with them ; a sharp 
 lookout had been kept on board ship for the hunters, so that Fred and his 
 sledges were discovered before he had made half the distance homeward. 
 The flag of the Vioimi was dipped three times, as had been arranged, and 
 then the youth mounted to the top of a hummock, and with the small flag 
 that he carried he told the result of the day's sport. In a few minutes the 
 extra teams were off, and making the best of their way in the direction of 
 the hunting region. The dogs enioved the run immensely, and needed no 
 urging; in many places the ice was rough, but by making occasional 
 detours the sledges found a fairlv good road. 
 
 Fred did not retui-n to where the M'alruses were killed, as it was too 
 late in the day when he reached the ship to make a second journey. The 
 sledges were loaded with all they could carry, and by dark all wei-e safely 
 at tiie side of the Vivian. The Doctor said 'Jicy had been obliged to leave 
 several hundred pounds of walrus-ineat, and hoped to be able to bring it in 
 the next morning; Captain Jones thought there would be very little use in 
 going for it, as the flesh could be scented a long difitance i>y the beai-s, and 
 the chances were in favor of their devouring every oimce of it before the 
 hnntere could get around to the spot. 
 
 I 
 
 11 
 
 * 
 

 166 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 Tf ■'^'i 
 
 " If that's tlio caK'," said George, " we'll go for it anyway, and if the 
 hears have eaten up the meat they will he likely to stay around for more, 
 and we can have the fim of a hear-hunt." 
 
 The suggestion was acjcepted as a sensihle one, and early in the morn- 
 ing the party was off. It consisted of the major, with George and Fied. 
 and they agreed that, as the suggestion came from George, he should have 
 the first shot at the hear in case thev encountered one. 
 
 As they approached the scene of the previous day's sport they pro- 
 ceeded very cautiously; every few minutes the youths mounted to the 
 summit of a hmnmock and swept the horizon with a glass, in the hoj)e of 
 discovei'ing a hear. Their i)atience was rewarded, as a bear was revealed 
 where the dead walrus lay ; ho was so busy with his breakfast that he did 
 not look up for an instant, and the major thought it would be easy to ap- 
 proach him. 
 
 The sledge was left with the dogs behind a hummock ; the animals had 
 not seen or scented the bear, otherwise it would have been a difficult mat. 
 ter to keep them quiet. The three hunters went forward with their rifles, 
 George taking the lead in accordance with the agreement. 
 
 Tiiey crept along, shielding themselves as best they could, though there 
 was little need of precaution, since the bear was so intently occupied 
 with his feast of >valrus-meat. Keeping the wind in their favor, so that 
 he should not discover their presence by his sense of smell, they reached a 
 little hummock not more than twenty yards ^.om where the bear stood. 
 
 "Don't be in a hurry," whispered the major; "get a good aim at his 
 heart, and rest your rifle against the hummock to steady it. Wait till you 
 have a first-rate chance, as he won't be in a hurry to move oft'." 
 
 George obeyed the major's directions, and secured an excellent aim 
 before firing. 
 
 As the report of his rifle rang out, the major and Fred sprang from 
 their concealment, and were ready to give their assistance in case it was 
 wanted. 
 
 The bear fell on his side, but was up in an instant. He rose to his 
 hind-feet, and thus gave the opportunity for George's companions. They 
 fired almost simultaneously, and the bear dropped once more. Then 
 George ran forward and smashed the skull of the bmite with another bul- 
 let. The bi'ief and brilliant encounter was over, and the party had ex- 
 changed the meat of the walrus for that of the bear. 
 
 While they were engaged in skinring their prize and preparing it for 
 the homeward journe}', Fred discovered a large bear on the ice not more 
 than a quarter of a mile away. The youth desired to go on another hunt. 
 
A HAPPY FAMILY. 
 
 107 
 
 J" 
 
 '■| 
 
1: 
 
 m 
 
 1 
 
 1? 
 
 
 r '^' 
 
 
 pi 
 
 ■i, 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 m 
 
 1 
 
 m' 
 
 1 
 
 ..lb 
 
 168 
 
 TIIK V()YA(Jli OF TIIK "VlViAN." 
 
 l)iit was rostniinod by tlio inujor, who argued tliat tliey already had a* 
 iniu'li game a* thoy conUl tako caro of; and if they killed aiit»ther luiir 
 thoy would bo oblij^ed to leavo him for his brethren and the wolves to 
 devour. 
 
 " Do bears eat each others" said Fred, in a tone of surprise. 
 
 *' Certainly they do," was the reply; "they kill >ind devour one anotlici- 
 in their battles, and if a bear is killed by a hunte>', and abandniied, he will 
 be 8[)ee(lily devoured by his kindred. They are not at ail fastidious in 
 their tastes, and if the thing was not a physical ineonvenienee, 1 believe 
 a bear would eat hinjself up, and pick all his bones so clean that there 
 wouldn't be enough tlesh on them to bait a mouse-trap with. 
 
 "And if the bears didn't come around, the wolves would be sure to 
 find their way here before numv hours. The meat that an arctic wolf will 
 decline to devcmr hasn't yet been discovered." 
 
 So the solitary bear on the ice was left to himself, and no doubt he 
 fared sum[)tuously on what the hunters left on their return to the ship. 
 
 ARCTIC WOLVES. 
 
TAKING SOUNUINCIS TllUOUOU THE ICE. 
 
 1GI» 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 I 
 
 DFSAPPEAnANTE OF THE SlW. — INCIDKXTS OF IIinERXATlON. — THE AURORA 
 
 illoltEALIS. 
 
 ^■^IIE ships contimuid (lay by day to drift with tho ico as it was ])orno 
 -^ i)y tho wind and tMn'ronts, A trood doal deponded on tho wind, and 
 fortunafolv it was ni<»stlv from tho sonthorn (inartor of tho horizon: sonio- 
 tinios, when not a hrcath was hlowini;, s(Mnidin<j;s were made throiigli tho 
 ico in order to ascertain tlio force of tho current. At such tinios the load 
 was droj)j»od to tho bottom, and allowed to remain there nntil tho slojw of 
 tho lino became so j^roat that it was time to take it in. Connnander Hron- 
 son applied one of tho problems of iMiclid to the demt»nstration on the 
 drift of the shi]>, and perhaps the knowledge of his system may be of use 
 to others. 
 
 In the first place, the lead was dropped porpendicnlarly to the bottom, 
 and the length of line paid out was carefnlly noted. Then, as the ship 
 drifted with the ice, the observations wore made at a hole throngh the ice. 
 The line was rnn out nntil it sloped off at an angle of forty-five degrees. 
 Tlie additional line given ont was noted, and thus the pci'pondicular and 
 the hypothennse were known, together with the angle between them. 
 Henceforth it was easy enough to find the length of the base; the latter 
 represented the distance over which they had travelled, and as the time 
 occupied was carefnlly kept, the daily drift of the ship C(udd be averaged. 
 
 It could not be exactly obtained in this way, as tho drift might vary 
 from one hour to another, but it was near enough for all pi-actical pur- 
 poses. Similar observations wore made on board the Ganibetta, and at 
 hours different from th';se of tho Vivian / the residt of the observations 
 was exchanged from time to time, and careful comparisons wore made. 
 The truth of the old adage that '* t^vo heads are better than one" was well 
 exemplified in this i;ase. 
 
 Sounding load.* and diedg3s were frequently used for ascertaining the 
 character of the bottom of the ocean, and the results of the dredging were 
 sometimes quite interesting. Usually the dredge brought up nothing but 
 
170 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 soft mild, but once in a while it revealed cnrions forms of marine shells, 
 the most of them so small as to need a microscope for their investigation. 
 One day a tiny branch of coral was secured, bnt whether it was formed 
 •where they fonnd it, or had been drifted northward from warmer regions, 
 nobody could tell. No fishes were caught, but for all that there nn'glit 
 have been an abundance of them in the water. It would require a good 
 deal of stupidity as well as sluggishness for a fish to be taken in a dredge 
 which was moving so slowly as to seem almost at rest. Fred tried several 
 tiuii s to catch somethin<>' on a hook which he lowered through a hole 
 drilled in the ice, after carefully baiting it with a piece of seal-fat. But 
 his efforts were not rewarded with a bite, nor even a nibble. 
 
 liII*^iV:;t 
 
 IN WINTER QUARTERS. 
 
 The depth of water varied from thirty-five to fifty fathoms, being rare- 
 ly less than the former figure or more than the latter. The observations 
 on the depth of water corresponded very nearly with those made on the 
 Jeannette. It is probable that the Arctic Occ-an is nowhere of the great 
 depth of the Atlantic or the Pacific, though it nuiy have been much deep- 
 er tlian at present in ages long gone by. The mud that forms the bottom 
 has been drifted down from the numerous riveis flowing into the Arctic 
 Sea, and has gradually accumulated, just as the mud of the Mississij^pi 
 River has partially filled the Gulf ot Mexico. 
 
 Fred and George were anxious to emulate the examples of other navi- 
 gators and domesticate young seals and walruses, but they did not have the 
 opportunity. It is doubtful if tiiey could have kept these strange pets for 
 any length of time, as their surroundings were not favorable. A walrus or 
 
A DANGEROUS POSITION. 
 
 171 
 
 PERILS OF THE POLAU SEA. 
 
 
172 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 If 
 
 3fi I "S? 
 
 seal in the cabin would not have been an agreeable companion, while out- 
 side it would have been liable to escape, or be eaten up by the dogs. 
 
 Xext to having one of these creatures, George concluded he would like 
 the skin of a bear without a bullet-hole in it. Now the way has not boon 
 found for shooting a bear without breaking his skin, and tlie youtli detor- 
 luined, with the proper authority, to set a trap for one. Permission was 
 readily given, on condition that the trap should be far enougli from the 
 ship to bo out of reach of the dogs. It was tiiought that a mile and a half 
 would be a sufficient distance, and the trap was set accordingly. 
 
 It was one of the largest bear -traps sold in the San Francisco market, 
 and required all the strength of two men to press the spring downward 
 far enough to bring the catch into its place. It was baited with a piece 
 of seal- meat; the snow and ice around it were arranged to appear as 
 innocent and undisturbed as possible, and then the trappers returned to 
 the ship. 
 
 Tlie next morning word was brought to George that a bear was in the 
 trap, and that young gentleman, accompanied by Fred, lost no time in 
 going to look at it. Sure enough, a bear had been taken, but he had also 
 taken the trap {ind walked off with it. There was a strong chain, about 
 two yards long, attached to the trap, and at the end of the chain was a 
 "grapple," or three- pronged hook, like the anchor for a row-boat. They 
 could see where the chain had been dragged over the ice, and '.ad fre- 
 quently caught and compelled the bear to stop to disengage it. 
 
 They followed up the trail of the chain with no great difficulty; some- 
 times they lost it for a few minutes, but soon discovered it again through 
 the marks made by the hook, and also through occasional drops of blood. 
 About two miles from v.-here the trap had been set the}' came up to the 
 bear, who had become badly entangled and was tugging violently at the 
 chain with his free foot. lie had been caught by the right fore-foot ; evi- 
 dently he had stepped fully upon the trap, and gave the jaws an excellent 
 chance for closino; in on him. 
 
 When they approached him he growled fmiously, and pulled harder 
 than ever in his efforts to escape. Thus pulling, he succeeded in loosening 
 the chain from the ice, and as soon as he had done so he performed one of 
 those feats of intelligence for which the polar bear is famous. 
 
 Recognizing that the chain was the cause of his frequent detentions, he 
 stood upright on his hind -feet and gave the confined paw a twirl which 
 wound the chain abound it close to the trap. A foot or more of the chain 
 hung down, and this he seized in his mouth and then started off over the 
 ice as fast as his three unencumbered feet would carry him. 
 
A TRIAL OF PATIENCE. 
 
 173 
 
 UKIiliM-AND NATIVE WATCHING FOR A SEAL. 
 
174 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 II l'> 
 
 ''•'^ ' ^Jil 
 
 
 Our young friends looked on in astonishment at this manifestation of 
 sagacity ; fur at least a minute neither of them spoke or moved, 
 
 Fi-ed broke silence by asking George what he would do with the skin 
 of that bear. 
 
 " Better catch it first," was the reply ; " and we're evidently a long way 
 vet from doin<r so." 
 
 '• 1 don't see how he can be taken without making a hole in his skin," 
 said Fred ; "and unless we're quick about it we shall lose our trap." 
 
 They followed as fast as they could, and luckily for them the bear 
 could not make good progress with one leg disabled. But they had a 
 chase of at least half an hour before coming up to him ; he rose to growl 
 his defiance ar, them, and this caused him to drop the chain, so that at his 
 very next step forward the hook caught on the ice and lield him. 
 
 "Never mind the whole skin," said George; " let us finish him as quick 
 as we can, and unless the holes are too bad we can sew them up." 
 
 The trap, with its hook caught in the ice, served the very important 
 ])ur})ose of preventing the bear fi'om running away, and also of rushing on 
 his assailants. Thus protected from danger, the young sportsmen made 
 quick work with their rifles at short range, and gave an agreeable addition 
 to the stock of provisions on the ship. 
 
 On the way back over the ice George repeated a story, which was first 
 told by Sir Francis M'Clintock, of a native of Western Greenland who was 
 out one day examining his seal-nets. He found a seal in o*>e of the nets, 
 and while stooping on the ice over his prize he received u lieavy slap on 
 the back. lie supposed it was from his companion, and paid ik>» attention 
 to it ; a second and harder slap made him look around, when he found that 
 instead of his coMipanion it was a grim old bear. The bear took no fur- 
 ther notice of the man, but proceeded to tear the seal out of the net and 
 eat it ; the native did not stay to see the end of the meal, through fear that 
 the bear might not be averse to human flesh, and he had no wish to serve 
 as an ursine j)icce de resistance. 
 
 They met the dog-sledges when about half-way to the ship. Their 
 movements had been watched from the cross-trees, and as soon as they had 
 despatched the bear the order had been given for the sledges to start to 
 bring in the meat. Of course there was no lack of bear-meat as long as the 
 catch of tiie morning lasted ; before it was gone another bear was taken, 
 and from that time onward they were fairly supplied with fresh provisions. 
 There were bears, seals, and walruses in almost regular rotation, though 
 the youths thought that sometimes they stuck too long to a single kind 
 without change ; but you cannot always have your hunting as you would 
 
ICEBERG AND GLACIER. 
 
 1>'X 
 to 
 
 \u-\i was first 
 and who was 
 ! of the nets, 
 leavy slap on 
 
 iK-> attention 
 le found that 
 
 took no fur- 
 : the net and 
 uo;h fear that 
 wish to ser\(' 
 
 an 
 
 n 
 
 o 
 
 F. 
 if. 
 IS 
 
 H 
 O 
 
 f 
 
 a single kind 
 
 11 
 
17G 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 cr 
 
 like it, and m this respect tliey were far better off than many arctic vov- 
 agers who preceded them — thanks to the improved weapons for pursuiui; 
 lai'ge game. 
 
 Eacli day the snn remained below tlie horizon longer tlian on flic ])re- 
 cedlng one, and in a little while the nights were longer than the days. 
 The decrease continned, and bv-and-bv came the tinjo wlien the snn oiih' 
 peered above the lino of ice for a moment, and then sank below it. 
 Everybody was on deck to see it, as they all knew the snn would not re- 
 appear again for nearly two months. The next day there was a lUiish of 
 light on the liorizon, and Fred thought he caught a glimpse of the upper 
 edge of the orb's disc, but according to the Doctor's calculation he was 
 mistaken. 
 
 Even after the sun failed to appear there was a pei'iod of light every 
 day for more than a fortnight. It was the 17th of November ujien they 
 had their last view of the sun, and the observations showed that they wore 
 very near the 77th parallel of latitude. 
 
 "The farther north you go," said the Doctor to the youths, "the 
 sooner will the smi disapjx^ar in the autumn, and the later wi.'l he re'ui'n 
 in the spring. For example, M'hen Captain Tyson was wintering on board 
 the Jholaris, in latitude 81° 38', the sini disappeared October 17th, and was 
 not visible for one hundred and thirty -five days. The following year, 
 M'hile he was drifting south on the ice-lloe, and was about latitude 70', 
 the sun re-api)eared January 19th, after an absence of eighty-tlu-ee days. 
 He does not record the day of its disappearance, which must have been 
 farther to the north, as the ice-floe was drifting steadily southward." 
 
 "The popular idea," said George, "is that they have six montlis of 
 day and six months of night at the North-pole every year." 
 
 " At the pole itself," replied the Doctor, " the sun would have but two 
 motions to the spectator, and the popular idea might not be so far out of 
 the way. For six months of the year the sun would be moving in a series 
 of circles in the heavens, and then for six months it would make a similar 
 series of circles below the horizon. There have been interminable dis- 
 cussions on this subject, and much divergence of opinion, and the only 
 wa}' to settle the question will be for somebody to go to the i)olo and 
 niake an observation," 
 
 "I remember," said Fred, "a classmate of mine at college who was 
 constantly bringing up a perplexing question for discussion. One of h\>. 
 theories was that there could not be 'sound' where there was no ear to 
 hear it; and he used to argue that if a tree should fall in a forest a hun- 
 dred miles from anything with ears no sound would be produced. 
 
AN ARCTIC EXPLORING PARTY. 
 
 177 
 
 CAPTAIN C. F. HALL, WITH TWO ESKIMO COMPANIONS. 
 
 12 
 
178 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 iii 
 
 I M 
 
 "He would argue that question at great length, and whenever he j^tt 
 anybody to agree with him he would shift to the other side and have the 
 discussion over again. Another question he used to ask was, 
 
 "What would be the latitude and longitude of a mail at the Nortii- 
 pole, a:id his points of compass? 
 
 "No matter what answer you made he would dis[)ute its correctness, 
 and proceed to demonstrate your error. lie said he did all this talking 
 in order to make himself ready in debate, and he kept it up so constantly 
 that we all set him down as a nuisance. We used to ho})e he would go 
 to the North-pole and see for himself, and nobody ever wished him to 
 hurry in coming back." 
 
 " But how would we recognize the pole in case we were there ?" 
 George inquired. 
 
 " That could be done," was the Doctor's reply, " by means of scieritific 
 instruments, though some astronomers think otherwise. Captain Hall 
 was confident of reaching the pole when he sailed on his last expedition. 
 and in reply to the questions on this sul)ject he used to say, ' on reaching 
 that point called the North-pole the North-star will be directly overhead. 
 Without an instrument, with merely the eye, a man can define his position 
 when there. Some astronomers tell me I will find a difficultv in deter- 
 mining my position. It will bo the easiest thing in the world. Suppose 
 I arrive at the North-pole, and the sun has descended. Suppose there is 
 an island at the North-pole; around it is the sea. I see a star upon the 
 horizon. If I were to I'emain a thousand years at the pole, that star Mill 
 remain on the horizon without varying one iota in height. Then, again, 
 when I am at the pole, on the 23d of June, I take the latitude of the sun : 
 just 23^° high at one and all hours. Five days before the 24th of 
 June, and five days after, with the finest instruments we have, you cannot 
 determine one iota of change. Therefore, you will see that it is the easiest 
 thing in the world to determi.ie when you arrive at the North-pole. The 
 phenomena displayed there will be deeply interesting, provided thei'e is 
 land there; and I am satisiied, from the traditions I have learned from 
 the Eskimos, that I will find land there.' 
 
 " Captain Hall had not the slightest doubt that he would be able to 
 recognize the geographical pole if he once reached it, and other explorers 
 have been equally certain of doing so. The measurements of the angles 
 of certain stars with each other, and with the sun and moon, would be 
 the first necessities, and the ])osition of the North- star should be care- 
 fully observed. But the North -star would not be directly overhead, as 
 asserted by Captain Hall, at least not for the astronomer, though it might 
 
A TELEGRAPH LINE OVER THE ICE. 
 
 170 
 
 euffice for tlie inan iiiii)rovided with iiistrunients, or igiioiant of their 
 
 use." 
 
 One of the youtlis asked wliat was tlie exact position of tlie Xurth-star. 
 
 "Tliat depends upon the time of the year and the rehitive positions of 
 tlie sun and earth," -vas the reply. "The polar star is one of the thirty- 
 six fundaniental stars used fcjr ohservations by astronomers and naviga- 
 tors, and its position at any time of the year is shown in the " Nautical 
 Almanac." The old astronomers made Ion"; cataloi^ues of the stars, 
 llipparchns, one hundred and thirty years before the Christian Era, and 
 without any instruments to aid him, composed a catalogue showing the 
 positions of nearly eleven hundred stars, with their ascension and declen- 
 sion. Ptolemy, two hundred and sixty-seven years later, made a similar 
 and lai'ger catalogue, and this was extended by Albatengi, an Arab as- 
 tronomer, seven hundi'ed and eighty-three years after Ptolemy. Thiec or 
 four other catalogues appeared from that time until 1712, when the cata- 
 logue of Flamsteed, an English a.troncuner, came out, with an exact loca- 
 tion of two thousand nine hundred and nineteen stars. Since Flanjsteed's 
 time a good many catalogues have been made, and now we have the posi- 
 tions of nearly a hundred thousand stars in both hemisi)heres. But, as I 
 before said, the astronomers and navigators have settled upon thirty-six 
 stars which are suflrtcient for their purposes; every year the nautical and 
 astronomical almanacs publish the positions, variations, ascensions, and 
 longitudes of these stars, so that they are ready for rise at any moment. 
 This number is qjiite sufficient for the purjioses of science all over the 
 globe, or at any rate to all parts where man has been able to go." 
 
 "Suppose you drop stellar science and come to limch," said the major, 
 whose mind had a practical turn. Prompt assent was given to his sug- 
 gestion by a simultaneous movement in the direction of the cabin. 
 
 Before the sun went altogether below the horizon for his hibernation, 
 Fred and George, with the assistance of two of the younger officers of the 
 Gambetta, QveiiteA a telegraph line between the ships, for convenience of 
 counnunication in case of accident during the prolonged night. A com- 
 plete apparatus for the telephone and telegraph had been brought by both 
 ships ; each had a good supply of the kind of wire used by armies in the 
 field, and it was arranged so that it could be strung very rapidly on light 
 poles specially prepared for the purpose. The ships were about a mile 
 apart, and the line was easily set up by fastening the poles in the tops of 
 hummocks along the way. Holes were cut in the ice to the depth of three 
 or four inches, and then each pole was firmly fixed in its place by tamping 
 the line ice into the hole and pouring water upon it. The telephone was 
 
\'U 
 
 180 
 
 THE VOVAGK OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 I 
 
 1^ 
 
 rr 
 
 U> 
 
 I a' 
 
 used in profertMico tc» the tulegi'ai>li, and it was found that in the dry air 
 of tlio aix'tii! winter tlio insulation was |KM'fect. Oi'casionally the atmos- 
 pheric electricity pwo them some trouble, and doubtless if the lino had 
 been a long one, the ditHcnilties from this cause would have been ^reat. 
 
 The electricral conditions of the atmosphere were dependent on the 
 aurora ; when the latter was tine there was a great deal of disturi)ance, 
 and when there was no aui'oru there was rarely any electricity i)cr(reptible. 
 The Doctor said this was the case in all ]>arts of the world, and established 
 beyond question the cause of the aurora. Long before the invention of 
 
 AN ARCTIC AURORA. 
 
 the telegraph it had been attributed to electrical causes by scientific men ; 
 this idea had been ridiculed by many, but since the spread of the wires 
 over the globe, and the observations in consequence, all opposition to it hud 
 ceased. 
 
 Sometimes for davs together there was no aurora, and then again it 
 woidd be almost continuous for a week or more. Natiwallv our vouni^ 
 friends desired to investigate this phenomenon, and asked the Doctor 
 about it. 
 
 " I am not an authority on the aurora borealis, or northern lights," was 
 his reply, " and can only give you what others have said on the subject. 
 
TlIK Al'KOUA MOHKAI-IH. 
 
 181 
 
 For centuries it lias been stiulieil hv scientific men, and there is no lonjicr 
 any donbt that it comes from electricity." 
 
 "I suppose it is the electric li^ht pat^siniij tlir(»ni^h the air," said one 
 of the youths. '* It goes irregularly, and undies the wuves and Hashes that 
 we see." 
 
 "According to Professor Loomis and others you are wrong," replied 
 the Doctor. "The professor says that the light is rarely within forty-live 
 miles of the earth, and usually is from one hundred to tive hundred miles 
 from it; consequently it is beyond our atm(isi)here, or oidy touches the 
 most rarefied i>art of it. He descu'ibes (Uie aurora that tilled all the spacu; 
 above the earth, beginning at furty-tive miles distance and ending at tive 
 hundred miles." 
 
 " How do they find that out?" 
 
 " l]y observing the points from which an aurora is visible at the same 
 time. These observations, when carefully noted and the result computed, 
 will show the height and extent of the aurora. For example, the display 
 of August 28, 1850, was observed simultaneously at a great many points; 
 calculations showed that it M'as everywhere forty-six miles from the earth, 
 and it extended to a height of five hundred and thirty-four miles. The 
 linninous beams of light in this aurora were five hundred miles lon<^ and 
 from tive to fifty miles in diameter. Other auroras have been measured 
 in the same waj', and the average height assigned to them is four hundred 
 and fifty miles," 
 
 "But I've seen the aurora behind the hills at home," said Fred, " and 
 even hero we see it close to the horizon." 
 
 "Yes," replied the Doctor, "and you see the sun on tlic horizon, or set- 
 ting or rising behind the hills. But do you suppose it is any nearer the 
 earth for that reason than when it is high in the heavens?" 
 
 Fred admitted that his argmnent was fallacious, and that the appear- 
 ance of the aurt)ra ner.r the earth was in appearance only. The Doctor 
 explained, however, that sometimes on rare occasions the aurora might 
 come within a few miles of the earth, but thus far no observer had ever 
 discovered it within the highest range of the clouds. 
 
 "The farther north you go," said Dr. Tonner, " the more brilliant are 
 the auroras, at least in the Western Ilemispliere. The ])henomena prevail 
 more in America than in Northern Europe and Asia; they cover a large 
 area of the heavens, but seem to be ?nore numerous in the region of the 
 magnetic polo than anywhere else. In the Southern Hemisphere there is 
 a similar display known as the aurora australis. 
 
 " As to their electrical origin we have other proofs than the effect on 
 
IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
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 6" 
 
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 Hiotogr^hic 
 
 Sciences 
 
 Corporalion 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 
 
 (716)873-4503 
 
 <^ 
 
 
182 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 the niagtieti'c needle and the telegraph wires. The auroral flashes are the 
 Bunie as tliose of a spark of electricity sent through rarefied air or through 
 
 GKOGRAPUICAL DItiTKlUUTlON OP AURORAS. 
 
 a vacuum. The fluorescence of the electric light is repeated in the aurora, 
 and also — " 
 
 " I beg pardon for interrupting," said George, " but what is meant by 
 fluorescence ?" 
 
 "There are certain substances," was the reply, "that seem perfectly 
 transparent when seen in the solar light, but if you illumine them with an 
 
 tr« ii 
 
THE USES OF ELECTRICITY. 
 
 183 
 
 aurora, 
 
 electric simrk tliey appear to be self-limiinoiis. AV^heii these substances are 
 illuiniiied by the auroral light they present the same appearance as though 
 charged from an electrical machine. This property is called fluorescence. 
 
 " Electricity develops heat," contiiuied the Doctor, " when it passes 
 through poor condiictors, like wood and paper. In several instances the 
 auroral influence has set Are to these substances, and the experiment has 
 been made so often as to be well known to all scientists. In fact, all the 
 effects of electricity have been obtained from the aurora — such as working 
 telegraph instruments, making sparks of light, giving shocks to the animal 
 system, and developing magnetism in soft iron." 
 
 "But where does this electricity come from?" inquired one of the lis- 
 teners. "Thero must be a vast storehouse or factory for it somewhere." 
 
 " That is yet a conundrum," the Doctor answered. " Some have sup- 
 ])0sed that the earth becomes char<;ed with electricity to such a dei;ree that 
 it cannot longer retain it; the surplus is thrown off^, and it is the discharge 
 of this electricity that makes the aurora. It has been observed that the 
 prevalence of auroras is in exact proportion to the presence or absence of 
 spots on the sun ; when there are nmny spots there are numerous auroras, 
 and when the sun is 
 fi'ee of spots there are 
 few or none of them. 
 Then, too, the influence 
 of the positions of other 
 planets has been noted, 
 and the whole subject 
 id full of mysteries and 
 speculations." 
 
 " We are getting 
 into deep water," said 
 George, " or rather we 
 should be if there was 
 less ice about us. When 
 we have time to spare 
 we will set about devis- 
 ing a machine where- 
 by the electricity of the 
 
 aurora borealis may be harnessed, and made to do duty in a practical 
 \\'A\ . We will make it run the dynamos to supply our houses and streets 
 with electric light; it shall propel our machinery, and thus take the place 
 of steam ; it shall be used for forcing our gardens, in the way that elec- 
 
 FKICD S ELECTRIC NURSERY. 
 
 W 
 
 f 
 
Hi 
 
 184 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 tricity Is supposed to make pluiits grow; and it sliall develop the brains 
 of our statesmen and legislators, to nuike them wiser and better and of 
 more practical use than they are at i>resent. liens shall lay more eggs, 
 cows must give cream in place of milk, trees shall bear fruit of gold or 
 silver, tear-drops shall be diamonds, and the rocks of the fields shall be- 
 come alabaster or amber. Wonderful things will be done when we get 
 the electricity of the aurora under our control." 
 
 "Yes," responded Fred, " babies shall be taken from the nursery and 
 reared on electricity, which will be far more nutritious than their ordinary 
 food. When tiie world is filled with giants nourished from the aurora, 
 the ordinary mortal will tremble. We'll think it over, and see what we 
 can do." 
 
 And with this cautious suggestion the conversation was changed to a 
 more commonplace topic. 
 
 
 ARCUiCS or AURORAL LIQUT. 
 
ARCTIC OBSERVATORIES. 
 
 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 CHRISTMAS AND NEW-YEAR FESTIVITIES— MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS.— THE 
 
 "GAMBETTA" ON FIRE. 
 
 Tj^ORTUNE favored our friends in wind and weather. Tiie beginning 
 -*- of the arctic winter was a period of intense cold, but unaccompanied 
 by winds ; consequently the ice formed to a great depth, and was pcn-fectly 
 solid for many miles around. For two or three weeks after they entered 
 the ice, and before it attained its winter thickness, there were frequent 
 alarms that the floes were crushing and grinding together; but before the 
 beijinning of December tiiere was little fear on this account. Holes were 
 drilled in many places within a mile or more of the ships, for the purpose 
 of ascertaining the thickness of the ice; in no place was it less than thirty 
 feet, and in several localities it measured nearly forty. Fred thought there 
 was not the least danger of breaking through, and he regretted greatly that 
 the surface was not smooth enough for skating, even if the intense cold 
 would render that amusement possible. 
 
 Observatories were established a little distance from the ship, and on 
 each side of it, in order to keep a record of the cold. At each observatory 
 tiiere was a thermouieter, graduated to tenths of a degree, and an anemom- 
 eter by which the direction and velocity of the wind could be noted. Both 
 observatories were visited every four hours, and this duty was divided be- 
 tween the major and the Doctor — the former assisted by George and the 
 latter by Fred. A lantern of the "bull's-eye" pattern was carried by the 
 observer on his round, and the rays of this lantern, projected on the scale 
 of the thermometer, enabled him to read it without approaching near 
 enough to affect the instrument by his presence. It was not an easy mat- 
 ter to nuike entries in a note-book when clad in heavy furs, and with the 
 hands encased in mittens, and Fred set his wits to work to devise a more 
 convenient mode of making his records. 
 
 Taking an alpenstock, or ice-staff, he niarked upon it the degrees which 
 were likely to comprise all the variations of the thermometer, and also a 
 single degree divided into tenths. Then lie arranged sliding rings or 
 hoops which could move freely up or down the staff, but were held firmly 
 
 1 I 
 
 t i 
 
 'i , I 
 
 i 
 
 1^ 
 

 186 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 in place by means of little knobs on the inside, passim^ through a slot in 
 the wood. Similar rings were arranged for the points of compass and the 
 velocity (»f the wind, and by means of these rings the whole record of ;i 
 visit to one of the observatories could l)e taken. A staff was arranged for 
 each observatory, but it was found rather burdensome to carry two of these 
 aids to the memory, and they settled down upon one. For the thermonict- 
 rical readings a third ring was added, to show the variation between the 
 
 A POLAR BEAR FAILING TO 8EE THE POINT. 
 
 m\i 
 
 two instruments, which rarely exceeded one or two tenths of a degree, 
 while the record of the anemometer was made on a shorter staff, that was 
 carried at the waist like a policeman's club. The staff, or alpenstock, was 
 of material assistance in going over the ice in the arctic darkness, and it 
 might serve as a weapon of defence, better ':han nothing at all, in case of 
 interference by a bear. 
 
 " In case you meet a bear," said the Doctor, " and he shows no disposi- 
 tion to retreat, your best plan will be to hold your alpenstock like a spear, 
 
MELTING SNOW TO OIITAIN WATKR. 
 
 187 
 
 and let liiiii come on. Munv a bear has riislied to his tlentli iji this wav. 
 It requires a j^ooil deal of nerve to meet him with no better weapon than 
 this, and I sincerely hope the emergency may never occur. 
 
 " It is one of the favorite methods of huntini' the bear in Norway ; 
 the principal danger arises from the ability of the animal to turn the sj)ear 
 aside, which he can do with a single blow of his tremendous i)aw. The 
 Norwegian hunter generally manages to get him so etu'aged that he is 
 wholly occupied with rushing upon his intended victim, regardless of the 
 consequences.'' 
 
 Fresh water for the use of the ship's company was obtained by melting 
 snow, and great care was exercised to preve.it its mingling with the salt 
 of the ice. Whenever there was a fresh fail of snow all hands were set 
 to work to pile it up for future use, and for this pui-j)ose all that gathered 
 on the roof of the deck-house and away from the lloe-ice was preserved. 
 Snow in the arctic regions is generally like line sand; the intense cold 
 causes the moisture to congeal in the smallest particles, and not in the 
 form in which we usually find it in the Northern States. " Goose-feather 
 snow" is unusual in the Arc- 
 tic Circle, except in the sum- 
 mer mon'.s. 
 
 The uses of steam on 
 board the Vivian were vari- 
 ous. The cabin and the quar- 
 ters of the men were warmed 
 by it, the ship having been 
 fitted with steam-pipes and 
 radiators for this purpose. 
 When it had performed this 
 work, it escaped into a large 
 tub that was always kept 
 full of snow to be melted, as 
 already mentioned; another 
 tub, where the steam was 
 occasionally turned, was used 
 
 for softenins the food of the dogs, and there is no doubt that the brutes 
 would have passed a vote of thanks to the engineer of t'le Vivian if the 
 subject had been brought to their comprehension. The Is^.st of the wal- 
 ruses which were taken before the ice closed for the winter were piled 
 up near the ship, and from time to time huge chunks were chopi^cd out 
 with axes and taken to the softening tub for the dogs. In its frozcti 
 
 THE OLD WAY OP VELTINO SNOW. 
 
 i I 
 
 
 :'■ " I 
 
 ■??•• 
 
v.i 
 
 188 
 
 THE VOYAGE OP THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 condition, and \\U]\ the skin perfccttly solid, it was safo from their attacks. 
 A frozen walrus liido is about as easy of j)cnotration as a plate of iron, 
 and the doj^s never attempted to gnaw it; hut they kept a careful watch 
 over the deposit, and whenever the inen went to chop out a supply of 
 food for them, they were in a state of great impatience until it was served. 
 
 Visits wer'5 frerpiently exchanged between the Vivian and (riunbettn, 
 and the tele[)hone was in daily use. As the end of JJecember approached, 
 preparations were made for celebrating that event, and also for a festivity 
 on New-year's Day. It was arranged that Cai)tain (iirard and some of 
 his officers would eat their Christmas dinner on the Vivian^ and that they 
 should give a return entertainment on New-year's Eve. 
 
 In spite of the disadvantages of the surroundings, Fred and George 
 determined to have a Christmas-tree, and readily obtained the ])ermission 
 of Commander I3ronson to get it up. Trees were not to be found near 
 their residence, atid the forest was too far off to be invaded. George 
 thought the best aees they could get would be the cross-trees ; but these 
 were nnhoppily too high in air for their purpose. They managed to 
 improvise a tree by providing limbs for a small log recently found on the 
 ice and brought to the ship by one of the hunting parties. Holes were 
 bored in the log for the insertion of sticks which served as limbs; the ends 
 of the sticks were festooned with strips of bear and seal skin, together 
 with bits of canvas and kindred thitjgs. George had prepared some 
 oakum fiom old rope, which would have decorated the tree very well, but 
 lie was restrained by Cajitain Jones from using such inflammable mate- 
 rial. The captain had a wholesome and proper dread of tire, and was not 
 slow to see the risk they would run in trimming their Christmas-tree 
 with oakum pickings ; hence the less dangerous substances, although less 
 picturesque. 
 
 The number of candles was limited to twelve, and as a matter of precau- 
 tion a man was stationed l)v the tree with a bucket of water, to be thrown 
 over it in case of fire. Presents were hung to the limbs or piled at the 
 foot of the tree, which was set in a thick plank at the end of the Vivian « 
 cabin. Everybody leceived something, and to make the occasion as mucli 
 as possible like a Christmas at home, a box of goods originally intended 
 for trading purposes among the Ind1 ns was opened and distributed. 
 Gaudy handkerchiefs were received by sevei-al of the men, and sheath- 
 knives, pocket-mirrors, combs, and kindred things by others. Christmas 
 cards were sent to Commander Bronsou, Major Clapp, and the Doctor, 
 while Captain Jones was made happy with a picture of part of the upper 
 rigging of a ship with the crow's-nest. On the sails of the ship were in- 
 
CHRISTalAS rUKSENTS. 
 
 189 
 
 scribed the words, " Voyage in Sciirdi 
 of Sir John Franklin;" the captain 
 having freqnently remarked that they 
 lioped to come npon fresh traces of the 
 work of tliat nnfortunate navigator of 
 the arctic regions. 
 
 Jack and his fellow-musicians play- 
 ed their liveliest airs as the curtain was 
 removed from the tree, and (ieorge, in 
 the character of Santa Clans, distributed 
 the gifts. All the officers of the Viv- 
 iim, with t]»e exception of the one in 
 charge of the deck, were present at the unveiling of the tree; the men 
 were admitted in groui)s of four to receive what the youths liad prepared 
 fur them. At four o'clock the ceremonies ended, and then the cabin 
 was cleared, as the guests from the Gamhetta were due an hour later. 
 
 Christmas cards were hung on the tree for the visitors, and then the 
 veil was drawn again. As the guests arrived, each was provided with a 
 button-hole bouquet made of tissue-paper and fastened to a wooden tooth- 
 pick. 
 
 Dinner passed off pleasantly, and there was a great deal of conversa- 
 tion about home and home scenes at that time of the year. At a signal 
 
 TIIK CAPTAIN S SOUVENIR OF CHRISTMAS. 
 
 * 
 tv 
 
 
 
 w 
 
I'JU 
 
 Tin: voYAiii: OF Till: 'VIViax.' 
 
 '1?^ 
 
 from tlie civiitiilii the iiiusiciiuis were slip^ted into tlieir pliiees so qiiietlv 
 that the ujiiests did not see them. 
 
 " Whut a i)itv it in," said Captain (lirard, " that we have no forest here, 
 and cannot have an arhtr d<- Xo','1^ what yon eall 'Christmas-tree/" 
 
 " \'es," replied (-ommaniU'r Ihoiisoii, " hnt we ean't expect the comforts 
 of the ci\ ili/ed world while shut up here in the ice." 
 
 Geori^e and Fred had carelessly left their seats a moment hefore, ami 
 waited a 8i«^n from their chief. Ab the hitter Ihiiahed hie response to the 
 French captain he nodded. 
 
 Down came the curtain, the candles were lii::hted in a few seconds, the 
 music stru(^lv up a lively' air, and to tlic astonishment of the visitors they 
 had an arbre de Xo'il before them ! 
 
 The Frenchmen rose from their seats and gave a rin<:fini; ])laudit for 
 the Christmas-tree, which had taken them so cttmpletely l»y surp»'ise. Then 
 the cards tliat had been pre[)ared for them were liandcd aiound ; each card 
 hore the post-mark of Paris oidy one day before, and (tonscipiently the en- 
 thusiasm of the recipients increased. 
 
 Then there were songs in French and songs in English, and songs in 
 botli Languages at once. One of the Frenchmen lecited scmiio verses dT 
 IV'ranger, and another gave a sele(;tion froui one of the stately poems of 
 Victor lingo. The Christmas punch was brought in by the steward, and 
 as it was placed on the table, (Jeorgo recited a portion of the lines of Dr. 
 Holmes, "On Lending a Punch-bowl." lie began with the stanza, 
 
 " 'Twas on a dreary wintoi's eve, the nij^lit was closing illm, 
 When old Milea Standish took the bowl and filled it to tlie brim. 
 The little eaptain stood and stirred the posset with his sword, 
 And all his sturdy nien-at-arins were ranged around the board." 
 
 In this way the Christmas in the Arctic Ocean was prolonged to a 
 late hour. When the officers of the Garnhetta returned to the ship it re- 
 quired several minutes to muster the sailors who had accomp.anied them ; 
 the Clnistmas in the forecastle had been qu.te as jolly as the one in the 
 cabin, and the men of two nations were in no hurry to separate. 
 
 For another week things went on quietly enough, and then came the 
 festivity on board the Garnhetta. All who had taken part in the enter- 
 tainment of the officers of the French ship were invited to dinner, and it 
 was annonnced that there would be a musical entertainment afterwards, 
 for which Captain Jones was requested to grant leave to as many of his 
 crew as could be spared from duty. 
 
 The dinner must have taxed the ijenius of the steward and cook of the 
 
NKW-VKAIf'S HAY ON Till: '• (iAMUKTIA." 
 
 101 
 
 (iamheita ^ imkUt tlio (MriMiiiistimcos it wu.s a jjastnmomic Kiirpiisr, uimI 
 t'vokcd the luliiiinitioii of all \\\v. <riH'sts. Outof tlir matcriiils at tlioir <'(»m- 
 niiiiul they hud iiiiule a (litiiiei' which would do honor to Wd'oiif or the 6'//" 
 IiU'h(\,\\\\y\ so neatly had they disj^iiised the familiar hear and seal that no- 
 hody could <j;uess at their eharaeter. Conunander IhonsoP retnaiked that 
 
 
 'TIIK LITTLE CAPTAIN 
 
 sTinnKD THE rosiitT with his swtun.' 
 
 if good dinners could take an explorer to the pole, the French would have 
 discovered it lonjr aire 
 
 The entertainment was given in the house on dec^k, as there was not 
 room for it anywhere below% The deck-house was lighted with lanterns 
 and festooned with flags, and there was an attemj)t to represent trees by 
 means of green cloth stretched over fantastic frames. Two of the officers 
 of the Gambetta were quite skilful with the pencil and brush, and had pre- 
 
l!»li 
 
 Tin: v(>YA(ii: OK Tin: "Vivian." 
 
 ll 
 
 H rt 
 
 \m\vi\ Boino <li'a\vin^rt on a liiri^c^ sciilf, wliieli wcro fiistcMicd to tlio wnlh 
 wlicrevfi* tin* I'^l't ^^'W l)ost. I'Ik'V rcprcsriittvl lioiiiu sroiics of the iNcw 
 Year, and ahsoilK-d tlie atti'Utioii ol' \\n>. visitois for Kintiral niiinitcrt. 
 
 Of coiu'sc it was iinpoxKildo to lii-at tlu! dcclv-lioiir^n lik(^ tliotiaMii Iwlow, 
 and tlu'irfori; tliu wliolu party donni'il its furs licfon; /^'oini^ tlicn;. Scuts 
 had been idaccd for cnNTtainiTs and ;^iu'sts in front, of tlu! Ktai;t', wiiicli 
 (■on^is^('d of a raised |ilutforni close to tlu> niain-niast ; tin; rest of tlu; spacH! 
 was devoted to "standing-room oidy" for tlio (trews of tlio two Hlii|K. 
 
 Inasnineh as onlv a few of the visitors nndtM'stood French, and there- 
 fore dialo<;n(; wonid be tedii>Ms, tlu; entertaiinnent was u tniisieal one; it 
 consisted of a liu'it operotta ("6^/1 Jour (/<• luti") of one act and four 
 characters, tlu; latter played by thnu; of the; jnnior oflicerrt and one of tlic 
 yonn^er sailors. The sailor was made np as a jrirl, whoso mother was per- 
 sonated by one (d" the oflicers; coiisiderintj all the disadvantai^es (d" the sit- 
 uation, the "makeup" was (piite snccessfnl. The fcminini! costume was 
 donned outside a suit of fur; but tht; latter had been made of S(piiri'el-skin 
 and fitted (doselv, so that it tlid not add to the st(tntness of the wearers to 
 any disagreeable extcMit. The mas(rnline costumes were also iilled with 
 fms, and as tlieir wearers were naturally of «'oodlv size tho effect was 
 ludicrous; but since the operetta was a comic one, anythiii<; that added 
 to the hihirity was not objectionable. 
 
 Tho thermometor was about ten dei^rocs below zero, Fahreulieit, in the 
 temporary theatre, and tho breath of tho audience rose like a chuid of 
 steam. Frost gathered on the li[)s of tho performers, and several times it 
 choked their utterance; tho girl in the play carried a l'a!i, but she had 
 little use for it, and tho same was tho case with the parasol in her nu)tlier"s 
 hands. jNIothcr and daughter kissed onco in the course <d' tho })erform- 
 anco, and their lips ran a narrow risk of l)eing frozen together. Tho 
 audience applauded freely, perhaps from a desire to keep warm, and alto- 
 gether the poifornjanco went off merrily. Tho (juartotto of voices was by 
 no means a ba<l one, and our friends of the Vivian felt themselves more 
 than rejiaid for their efforts at Christnuis. 
 
 The operetta was soon over, and then followed a dance. There was 
 no fear of being overheated, and everybody exorcised to the full ability of 
 his limbs. It was so late that wo dare nctt tell the hoin* when the boat- 
 swain called "Vivians away!" and tho visitors returned to their ship. 
 
 A week later the officers and part of the crew of tho Gainbettd were 
 invited to an entertainment on board tho Vivian. They accepted, and 
 came promptly to find the deck-house decorated and lighted as their own 
 had been on the New-year festivities, and, fortunately for them, a fall in 
 
nn:i)'H joki: in tiik i'i;urnuMAN( k. 
 
 1. 
 
 tlio tCMupj'mtun' li;i<l iicwlc! tlio place <piit(! fdtnfortaltk'. TIh! riitiTtiiiii- 
 iiiuiit cDinpi'isnl ii iiiiiistrcl pcrfoniijitici', in wliicli oiir yoiini; IVicndrt liiul n 
 proiiiiiu'iit part mid \vcri> assisted liy tlu; vocal and iiistnitnciital iiitiHici:iim 
 t)t' tliu crow. 'I'lioii two of tliu sailors who had hccii trained to acruhatiu 
 
 ' §M 
 
 PKKKOIIMANCK OS TIIK "VIVIAN. 
 
 performances amused the company hy tnrninj^ somersaults, balancing can- 
 nun-shot on their arms and iieads, and going through other evolutions pe- 
 culiar to the circus. A joke arranged hy Fred was perpetrated at the 
 close of the "ground and lofty tumbling" whicih produced a momentary 
 panic, and then set everybody in a roar of laughter. 
 
 Part of the performance consisted in handling a fifty-six pound weight 
 as though it were the merest trifle ; and to prove that there was no decep- 
 
 13 
 
194 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 m^ 
 
 m- 
 
 A^»C 
 
 tion, the weight was passed around in the audience before and after beiiiij 
 handled by the acrobat. 
 
 When he was through with the weight, tlie performer aUowed it to fall 
 on the stage with a Ijeavy thud, close to the screen at one side ; tlien iio 
 threw a somersault, wliile his companion essayed certain tricks with tlu; 
 cannon-ball. Attention being thus drawn from tlio fifty-six pound weight, 
 it was skilfully removed and a pasteboard imitation took its place. 
 
 Tlien the performer picked up the weight again and tied a small rope 
 to it; by means of the rope he whirled it in the air precisely as though ir 
 had been a solid mass of iron ; then, as if by accident, it slipped from his 
 
 George's "punch and judy." 
 
 hand and went flying over the audience. Heads were "ducked," and 
 there was a sigh of alarm from several mouths ; the sigh was changed to 
 laughter when the weight was returned to its place b}' means of the rope, 
 in which a strip of India-rubber had been concealed. Nobody was hurt 
 except by the expansion of ribs, produced by excessive mirth. 
 
 Then George gave a short exhibition of a Punch and Judy show. His 
 imitation of the time-honored amusement of London children was admira- 
 ble, and as a part of it was given in French, he secured the earnest ap- 
 plause of all the visitors. Then there was a dance^ ?.nd after two houre of 
 fun the audience dispersed. .. ..... 
 
% 
 
 THE "GAMBETTA" ON FIRE. 
 
 195 
 
 The next week there was a return entertainment on the Gambetta, and 
 every week during their liibernation wlien the weather i^erniitted, and as 
 long as communication was feasible over the ice, ^;here was something 
 amusing on one of the ships. There was a good-natured rivalry between 
 them, and each trie(i to have something that would interest the other; it 
 was not easy to do this when the difficulties of language were to be con- 
 sidered, and the success of tiie enterprise showed a great deal of ingenuity 
 on the part of all concerned. Music, jugglery, and pantomime were the 
 principal features of the performances, and to these may be added displays 
 of the magic lantern and occasional ex])eriments in chemistry. 
 
 One night, while the people of the Vivian were entertaining their 
 friends from the (rainbetta, there was a sudden interruption. 
 
 The bell of the telephone sounded, and the cabin steward called Fred 
 to see what was wanted. As soon as he had placed his ear to the instru- 
 ment he heard the appalling words, 
 
 "Ze (iavihetta est en feu T — ("The Gambetta is on fire!") 
 
 Fred ran to Commander Bronson with the news, and the latter imme- 
 diately informed his visitors. Of course the performance closed at once, 
 the men went to their quarters, and Captain Girard and his officers and 
 crew started with all speed for their ship. Commander Bronson tendered 
 the services of his men, and at once prepared to follow to the endangered 
 vessel. 
 
 Everything was done in order, and without any excitement whatever. 
 There was excellent discipline on board both the ships, and every man fell 
 at once into his place. The relief party included Commander Bronson, 
 the first officer of the Vivian^ two petty officers. Dr. Tonuer and George, 
 together with ten men from tlie crew. They followed closely on the steps 
 of the GanibettcCs men, and were at the side of that ship not more than a 
 couple of minutes behind them. The men brought axes and fire-buckets 
 from the Vivian^ and Dr. Tcjimer was provided with whatever might be 
 needed for the relief of the men of either crew who should be overcome 
 by the smoke or flame, or exhausted in the efforts of controlling the fire. 
 
 Smoke was pouring from the ventilating shaft in the top of the deck- 
 house, and as they entered the door-way leading from the gang-plank into 
 the covered space on deck, the cloud was of almost stifling thickness. Cap- 
 tain Girard and his party were already below. 
 
 The deck was in charge of a petty officer and one man, all the rest be- 
 ing below endeavoring to suppress the conflagration Commander Bron- 
 son sent his compli.nents to Captain Girard, and asked if he and his men 
 could be of service; the answer was returned that they could do nothing 
 
 
 \\\ 
 
 
'1 
 
 190 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 below for the monieut, as the GambettcCs crew was filling all the workiiiL' 
 space. As a matter of precaution it was desirable to remove the stores 
 that were kept always ready in the deck-house, and the Viviati's party pro- 
 ceeded at once to perform this service. 
 
 Boxes and barrels were thrown down the gang-plank by some of tlic 
 men, while the others slid them along im; ice to a place of safety, in case 
 the ship should be bm-ned. The work was performed with great rapidity, 
 and in a quarter of an hour the deck was pretty well cleared. The pack- 
 ages had been previously arranged in such a manner that they could be 
 hastily removed in case of necessity. The same precaution was observed 
 on iheVlvian, and in thus acting, the commanders were only following the 
 example of their predecessors in arctic exploration. 
 
 As the last of the packages was deposited on the ice, word was brouglit 
 from below that the fire was under control and would shortly bo ex- 
 tinguished. In another quarter of an hour the danger was over, and Cap- 
 tain Girard invited Commander Bronson and his officers to join him in the 
 cabin. With the politeness of his nation he apologized for having kept 
 them waiting on deck, and explained that he had been extremely occupied 
 since his return from the delightful entertainment on the Vivian. 
 
 Then he told the story of the fire, and the narration fell upon interested 
 ears. 
 
 The watch below were in their bunks, having laid aside their furs on 
 descending from the deck, as was their invariable custom, and donned 
 their ordinary clothing. All were asleep except two; one of the waking 
 ones thought he detected the smell of smoke;, and after a few mimites of 
 hesitation mentioned it to the other. The latter was of the same mind ; 
 and while one roused their companions, the other went to report the dis- 
 covery to the officer on duty. Of course the matter was immediately in- 
 vestigated. 
 
 The smoke was found to be issuing from a stoi-e-room just forward of 
 the men's quarters; the partition was torn away to gain an entrance to 
 the store-room, which was so densely filled with smoke that the men who 
 entered it were nearly stifled. By creeping close to the deck and holding 
 a sponge to his nose, one of the officers found the source of the smoke, 
 which Avas below. 
 
 There was no hatch in the immediate vicinity, and so a hole was cut 
 in the deck for the admission of water. By this time a hose was ready 
 from the donkey-engine, and a stream was directed to the locality of the 
 fire ; buckets were brought into requisition, and the first supply of water 
 was obtained from a tank which was kept constantly full, for use in just 
 
HOW THE FIRE WAS SUBDUED. 
 
 107 
 
 siieh an emergency as this. Then a liose was passed 'Mitslde to draw 
 water from a hole in tlie ice ; this hole was opened daii\ , partly in order 
 to take soundings, and partly to Jiave a supi)ly of water in case of fire, 
 since only a limited amount could be kept on board. Of course it fro/.e 
 over almost as soon as it was opened, but it was not a sei'ious matter to 
 drill it clear a<i;ain. There was one mon in each watch whose dutv it was 
 to open this hole whenever an alarm of tire was given ; in the present 
 instance the man on duty was j)romptly at his post, so that the water-sup- 
 ply was ready the moment the hose was brought outside. 
 
 A riUE ON SIIIPBOAHO. 
 
 HM 
 
 .'ho fire had not gained nmch head-M-ay, and Avhon Captain Girard 
 reached the Gmnbetta on his return from the Vivian the water was pour- 
 ing steadily into the hold and subduing the smoke. As soon as it was 
 thought safe to do so, one of tlie officers descended, having taken the pre- 
 caution to tie a sponge in front of his nose and mouth to prevent inhaling 
 the smoke. Carrying the end of the hose, he directed it against the fire 
 wherever it was visible, and in a little while it was extinguished. The 
 Gamhetta was saved, and her crew were s[)ared the horror of beiu'*- driven 
 

 m 
 
 I 
 
 ir 
 
 n 
 
 
 198 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 h: 
 
 from their liome in the middle of an arctic night to seek shelter with 
 tlieir American friends. • " 
 
 Of couree the extent of the damage conld only he ascertained by a 
 thorough investigation, and this could not be made until the hold was free 
 from smoke. A careful watch was kept to see that the fiie did not break 
 out afresh, and in the course of some twenty houi-s or more it was an- 
 nounced that all the smoke had disappeared. The party from the Vivian 
 returned to their ship at the end of their interview with Captain Girard ; 
 George had already told Fred, by means of the telephone, that the lire 
 had been subdued, and \A\eu Commander Bronson and his companions 
 reached the Vivian^s side, they were greeted with three cheers by the 
 assembled officers and crew. i 
 
 The origin of the fire was a good deal of a mystery, but it was finally 
 attributed to the spontaneous combustion of «ome articles stored in tiie 
 fore-hold. It conld be accounted for in no other way, as there was no 
 means of reaching the spot with a spark from outside, and no lamp or 
 candle had been carried there for some time. If it had been in the vicin- 
 ity of the donkey-engine, it might have been caused by the heating of the 
 pipes and the charring of the timbers, as in the case of the Hodgers in 
 the winter of 1881 ; but from the position of the engine this was not pos- 
 sible. Some of the French sailors were superstitious, and thought the fire 
 originated from supernatural causes ; one of them solemnly declared that 
 it must have been the work of the Ice-king, who was angry at the invasion 
 of his dominions. Sailors of all nations have many superstitions, and the 
 French mariner is not behind his brother navigator in this respect. 
 
 " It is the peculiarity of fire," said Connnander Bronson, " that it de- 
 stroj's the evidence of its origin. For this reason the cause of a fire is 
 frequently a mystery, and it will always be so until the habits of confla- 
 grations are changed." 
 
 A little while after the return fi-om the Gamhetta everybody who was 
 not required for duty was safely in bed. There was not nnich sleep, how- 
 ever, as most of the company had dreams of fire and the perils that ac- 
 company it. Fred was the victim of a nightmare, in which he imagined 
 the Vivian to be on fire and her crew escaping to the ice. Ho waked 
 with a sc:eam that startled his companions; he apologized for disturbing 
 them, but explained that he was in the act of carrying the hose to the 
 fore-hatch, where the fire was burning fiercely, M'hen he slipped on tlie 
 ladder and went tumbling headlong below. Naturally enough he jumped 
 for safety, and found himself outside his bunk, and sitting on the cold 
 floor of the cabin. 
 
ARRANGING THE FIRE- WATCH. 
 
 199 
 
 At the very outset of the voyage tlie fire-watch on the Vivian was 
 carefully arrangor'. and exery possiblo precaution taken against the de- 
 struction of the ship by fire. To ensure the proper tiaining of the crew, 
 after the accident on tlie Gambetta, alarms were given at frequent inter- 
 vals; every man ran to his post of duty at these alarms, and it was felt 
 that a serious fire could not occur on the Vivian except under the most 
 extraordinary circumstances. 
 
 FROZKN IN. 
 
 rv 
 
200 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 \:i- 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ARCTIC NEWSPAPERS AND COMEDIES.— DRIFTIXCr WITH THE ICE. 
 
 JOURNEYS.— DISCOVERING LAND. 
 
 -SLEDGE 
 
 A MATEUR theatricals and musical entertainments were not by any 
 -^^ means the sole amusements of the parties on the Vivian and Ga7n- 
 hetta. In arctic hibernation it is necessary to have both mind and body 
 occupied, and only by doing so can disease be kept from making its ravages 
 among the crew. The prolonged darkness has a depressing effect on the 
 mental organization, and not infrequently the results are disastrous. Thi^ 
 is particularly the case with the men in the forecastle, as tlie officers are 
 more or less occupied with scientific observations and the care of the ship. 
 The crew have little regular work to do, and consequently are liable to 
 become despondent, quarrelsome, and insubordinate, and cases of insanity 
 are not uncommon. To prevent such a calamity, a prudent commander 
 will devise employments and amusements for the men; the officers of the 
 Vivian and Gamhetta had a clear understanding on this point, and en- 
 couraged in every way the occasional interchanges of courtesies at the 
 entertaimnents we have described. 
 
 On each ship schools were organized for the instruction of the sailors, 
 and though the proposition was not favorably received at first, the men 
 soon entered enthusiastically into the plans for their mental improvement. 
 Fred and George were the manasjers of the schools on the Vivian; thev 
 received a good deal of assistance from the Doctor and the major, together 
 with all the other officers of the ship. They had classes in mathematics, 
 geography, astronomy, and navigation, and once a week there was a lecture 
 by one of the officers in the house on deck. The le(;tures covered a variety 
 of topics, and the programme which was prepared l)y the youths announced 
 that it was the celebrated "North-star Course: to be delivered in Vivian 
 Hall, corner of Bear Street and Walrus Avenue. Admission free. Holders 
 of tickets requested not to appear in evening dress." 
 
 The lecturing was performed under disadvantages, as both speakers 
 and audieuce were clad in fm-s, and their breath often filled the enclosed 
 
WINTER SPORTS IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 
 
 201 
 
 spftce like a cloud of steam. Soijjo of tl<3 lectui-es were original, hut as 
 the season went on the speakers helped themselves to whatever material 
 they had oji hand. Dr. Tonner gave an amusing .account of his cxpeiiences 
 among the Indians of Arizona, and suhseijuently made a decided liit with 
 an abridgment of John Phenix's Lectures on Astronomy. Major Chi|>p 
 was eloquent over the mysteries of Ichthyology, and gave a good many 
 facts about the habits of the bine-fish, and other products of the sea-shore, 
 in the vicinity of New York, but he was mortilied to find that the sailors 
 laughed more heartily at his reading of Artemus Ward's "Sixty Minutes 
 in Africa." George and Fred tried their hands at lecturing, and tliey nUo 
 gave readings and recitations whenever the occasion required. They had 
 a liberal repertoire, and altogether the season may be said to have passed 
 off brilliantly. Prizes were given ''n the schools for the pupils who made 
 the greatest progress, and thei-e was not a sailor in the ship who did not 
 add materially to his stock of knowledge before the winter was over. 
 
 The physical amusements included skating, sliding, and other athletic 
 exercise on the ice. When the weather peruntted, the men indulged ia 
 the construction of snow forts and monuments, and some of them carved 
 grotesque f'gures out of the never-ending supply of material under their 
 feet and around them. As the sun returned, and the ships were retained in 
 their icy prison, the short period of dayliglit was frequently utilized by giv- 
 ing half the crew of each ship liberty on the ice, and stinnilating them to 
 get up international matches of various kinds. They had running races in 
 different forms — sometimes on the roads they had laid out, and at others 
 over the roughest ice that could be found. The " tug-of-war," where an 
 equal number from each ship pulled at a rope, was one of their favorite 
 sports ; the Americans were most frequently the victors at this game, but 
 when it came to running on a smooth road they were usually left behind 
 by the more agile Frenchmen. 
 
 Fred announced one day that no society could be complete without a 
 newspaper; everybody shared his opinion, and the result was that the 
 "Arctic Journal Publishing Company" was organized, with limited capi- 
 tal and liability, but unlimited ability, as the prospectus described it. 
 Fred was appointed editor, under the restriction of not being allowed to 
 suppress anything, but to give every correspondent the fullest liberty to 
 say what he pleased. In the prospectus he announced that all communi- 
 cations would be used and not paid for, and that advertisers must invariably 
 pay in advance. The paper was issued fortnightly, or rather it was read 
 from manuscript by the editor and his assistant, George. It was made up 
 of comments on the occurrences of the day, speculation on the prospect 
 
\t. 
 
 202 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 of reaching tlie pole, social, political, and scientific intelligeneo, together 
 with jokes and advertisements. The paper was a pleasant diversion to all 
 on board the Vltrian, and after the fiist number appeared a similar pub- 
 lication was started on the (Jambetta. 
 
 In his first issue the editor of the Arctic Journal paid a handsome 
 tribute to the memory of his predecessors in this field of literary work. 
 lie said that the first paper of the kind was called the Winter Chrontch\ 
 or the North Geonjlan Gazette^ and was edited by Captain Sabine on 
 board the Ilecla, in Parry's second expedition to the polar seas. It was 
 in manuscript, like the Arctic Journal, and ajipeared every Monday during 
 the five winter months of 1820 : the first number is still in existence, and 
 contains a column of miscellanies, including a list of "Arctic Miseries." 
 Among them is the following: "To go out in the morning for an airiiijTf, 
 and when setting foot out of the vessel to find a frozon bath in the cook^s 
 hut. To go out with a piece of soft biead in your pocket, and when you 
 feel hungry to find it so hardened by the frost that, instead of breaking 
 under the teeth, it is rather they that are broken. To give yourself up to 
 deep and useful meditations when out on a walk, and then to be suddenly 
 awakened from your perplexities by the hug of a bear." 
 
 George endeavored to rival Fred's efforts by composing a comedy for 
 performance by the company of the Vivian. It was voted that he might 
 imitate the example of other and more gifted dramatic authors by making 
 " adaptations" from the French without credit. He innnediately opened 
 negotiations with one of the younger officers of the Gamhetta, with the 
 result that he was liberally supplied with French comedies from Avhich he 
 might steal with a clear conscience. In less than a week he completed his 
 comedy ar J submitted it to himself; as he was one of the managers of the 
 theatre, it was entirely proper that he should examine his own work, and 
 it is hardly necessary to add that the play was promptly accepted, and un- 
 derlined for production. 
 
 The play was entitled " Parry and Paris ; or. The Search for the Pole." 
 When Captain Parry was in the Arctic Circle, endeavoring to get to the 
 North-pole, he received a despatch from his government offering him an 
 important position as soon as he reached home. It seems that the Russian 
 Government was anxious to capture one Carolus Slyfoxsky, a Polish ref- 
 ugee, who was giving them a great deal of trouble, and as the English 
 navigator had got nearer the arctic pole than anybody else, they wanted 
 him to try his skill on this Pole from Warsaw. The first act was supposed 
 to occur oh board the Ilecla, in her winter quarters, the second was located 
 in Paris, and the third in Parry's last journey in the arctic regions, where 
 
DRAMATIC CRITICISM. 
 
 203 
 
 t 
 
 lie was seeking the Nortli-pole with Sljfoxsky as one of his crew. As sug- 
 gested by the title, the play was largely made up of puns, and the young 
 author felt confident of success. 
 
 Tickets were freely distributed for the first night, and in rhis respect 
 the affair was not uidike an initial performance in l^iris or ^^ew York. 
 Tliere was not the array of hair- 
 loss heads in the front rows 
 which one sees at a first night 
 in New York, and as there was 
 only one editor present, he was 
 unable to congregate in the lob- 
 by, and discuss the points of 
 the play with his fellow-critics, 
 Fred had received a ticket for 
 a " box," but in consequence of 
 the distance from home he was 
 unaccompanied by the ladies of 
 his family; perhaps it was just 
 as well, since his ticket only en- 
 titled him to an empty candle- 
 box that was utilized as a seat. 
 Chairs were scarce on board the 
 Vivian, and everythijig which 
 could serve as a substitute was 
 brought into use. 
 
 In order that Fred might be entirely without bias in writing his criti- 
 cism of the play, George invited the yoimg editor to supper immediately 
 aftei' the performance. The supper was the best that the Delmonico of 
 the Vivian could get up, and when it was over, Fred was clearly of opinion 
 that the author of " Parry and Paris" w-as the most gifted dramatist of 
 the age. " The play that shall move the world to laughter and tears, and 
 to all the emotions ever found in the human heart or in 'Webster's Una- 
 bridged Dictionary,' will come from his talented pen. ' Parry and Paris' 
 gives promise of future greatness; it contains passages surpassing those of 
 'Richelieu' and 'The Lady of Lyons,' and there are scenes and situations 
 such as Shakspeare never incorporated in his plays ; and we will add that 
 Shakspeare never gave such a supper to the editor after the play was ovei-, 
 and we have yet to learn of mince-pies made of pemmican, and steaks of 
 seal-meat on toast." . - 
 
 George's play was repeated for the benefit of the officers of \\\q Gam- 
 
 CAPTAIN PARUV. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 
il 
 
 I 
 
 204 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CAR0LP8 8LTF0XHKT. 
 
 fxtta, and the example of the young dramatist wa8 followed by the i^ontlo. 
 
 man who had furnished him with part of the material for " l*arrv and 
 
 Paris." The American play was given once on board the Ga7nhetta, while 
 
 the French one was transferred, "for one night 
 
 only," to the boards of the Viimin. In this way 
 
 everybody had an (tpportnnity of seeing both 
 
 productions, and it was a noticeable fact that 
 
 there was a full attendance on all occasions, and 
 
 nobody went out between the acts. In the mat- 
 ter of scenery both ships were -adly deficient, 
 
 and there was a placard in front of the stage 
 
 requesting the audience to imagine a forest, a 
 
 town, or an ice-Held, according to the conditions 
 
 of the play. 
 
 So the winter passed away. On and on they 
 
 drifted, eastward and northward ; sometimes they 
 
 moved so slowly that it was difficult to discover 
 
 any movement at all, and at other times their progress was from twenty 
 
 to thirty miles a day. The cold at times was intense; the thermomctor 
 
 fell to —74:° Fahreidieit on several occasions, and 
 once it reached — Sl°, or a hundred and thiiteen 
 degrees below the freezing-point of fresh water. 
 Ordinarily the winter tetnperature was from ten to 
 twenty degrees below zero; our friends soon be- 
 came accustomed to these figures, but when the 
 lowest points of the scale were reached they were 
 very cautious about exposing themselves to tlie 
 weather. They were all agreed oa one ]ioint, that 
 a temperature of fifty degrees below zero, with the 
 air perfectly still, is easier to endure than twelve 
 or fifteen degrees below zero with the wind blow- 
 ing. At such times nobody ventured out except 
 on urgent duty, and all communication between 
 the ships ceased except through the telephone. 
 
 Fred and George made note of the curious ef- 
 fects of intense cold. One day the forme" incau- 
 tiously toadied his rifle barrel with his naked hand 
 
 when the thermometer stood at —70°. His hand was blistered as though 
 
 the iron had been red hot; the youth did not repeat the experiment, and 
 
 ever afterwards he handled cold iron with his mittens on. Fresh bread 
 
 A CHARACTER. 
 
TUE EFFECTS OF INTENSE COLD. 
 
 205 
 
 
 A CIURACTKIl IN TIIK >'11KNCI1 I'LAY. 
 
 exposed to tlic cold bccuinc solid us Btoii", nud could only ho cut with a 
 hntchct, and us for hoof, it resoiiihlud red granite. The moisture in the 
 cans of preserved meat and vegetahles caused them to hecoiue a solid nuiss, 
 from which the tin was chopped, leaving the contents like a section from 
 a geological sjMJcimen. If it was desired to 
 soften the contents hefore opening the can, 
 it was placed in the steam-box and gradtial- 
 ly thawed into a condition of nialleahility. 
 Those articles suffered least that had the 
 smallest amount of moisture in them, as 
 there was less to be frozen. Hard -tack, or 
 sea-biscuit, was therefore better for carry- 
 ing outside than fresh bread, and diied beef 
 was preferable to the canned article. 
 
 Arctic explorers have recorded that, on 
 their exjieditions over the ice, the supply of 
 brandy and rum which they carried became 
 frozen solid, and the only thing that did not 
 congeal was the alcohol used for making 
 
 coffee and tea, or melting snow in order to procure water. Pemmican and 
 hard bread are the best articles of food for a sledging party in severe 
 weather, as they contain little moisture, and will yield more readily than 
 other substances to the efforts of the hungry man to devour them. In the 
 severest weather the wind on the face has the same feeling as would be 
 produced by the blows of a small whip, and the victim feels as though the 
 fx'sh were being i^eeled off in shreds. This sensation is followed by numb- 
 ness, and then by the blood leaving the exposed places; then the skin be- 
 comes blue, which is an indication that freezing is about to commeTice. 
 If the face turns white it is a sure sign that it is frozen, and unless it is 
 violently rubbed with snow, to bring the blood back again, the consequences 
 are disastrous. 
 
 The face cannot be kept entirely covered, as the congelation of the 
 breath on the f ui-s that surround it will speedily cause the formation of a 
 mass of ice. Inexperienced travellei"s who have covered their faces with 
 wrappers and mufflers are sometimes unable to remove them, as they be- 
 come converted into muzzles and collars as hard and stiff as iron ; the best 
 way of avoiding trouble, and at the same time to protect the face, is to 
 hold the hood with one hand, allowing the breath to pass outside, and 
 leaving a narrow opening for the eyes to see the way. In the severest 
 weather it is next to impossible to move at all ; and if a storm arises 
 
 |: 
 
206 
 
 THE VOYAC.K OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 M 
 
 M ■ 
 
 It- 
 t 
 
 
 tlio iti()8t prttdutit coursu is to wait in tliu bust uttuiitublo shelter until it 
 coast'A. . 
 
 Witli every storrii there were fejii« tliut the ice-fields nii<?lit bo broken 
 np and the whips threatened with derttnictiun. Prepunitions for retreat in 
 ease of accident had been made early in the winter, but ovcrvbody knew 
 how Binall was the chanco of escape in case of the Iohs of their floating 
 homes. The ice-field in which they weio enclosed was of immeiise extent 
 and great thickness, so that it was not affected by ordinary winds; on two 
 or three occiasions the winds rose to the force of gales, and then the ice 
 rocked visibly beiteath thenj, and the ships groaned and creaked in their 
 beds. The snow flew in blinding nuisses, and the wind blew with such 
 force that it was impossible to stand up against it. If the fields hud 
 broken, and the ships gone down in one of these gales, it is not likely that. 
 any trace of the expedition woidd ever have reached us. Travel over the 
 broken ice would have been slow at best, and it was far indeed to the near- 
 est land where assistance coidd be obtained. 
 
 As the spring advanced, and the sun each day remained longer and 
 lojiger above the horizon, there was great anxiety to find a release from the 
 iey [trison. Early in April, observation showed that they were in latitude 
 80° 23' north, and longitude 120° west. This placed them to the north- 
 ward of the Parry Archipelago, in a part of the polar sea not hitherto 
 visited by any explorers; by the end of April they were five degrees far- 
 ther to the east, and two degrees nearer the pole; not oidy were they pro- 
 gressing in the direction they desired to go, but they had another motion 
 which showed that some new force was at work. In the last nitie days of 
 April the ice-field turned nearly one quarter around; the bows of the shipa 
 had pointed towards the north, but were now directed to the west As 
 they drifted with the ice, they might be said to be sailing very nearly stern 
 foremost. 
 
 A'atnrally the new movement of the ships was disenssed by the officers, 
 and various theories were advanced. 
 
 "Perhaps the motion of the ice-field is caused by currents opposed to 
 each other," the major suggested. " If there is an easterly current to the 
 north of us, and a westerly one to the south, it would tend to give the ice- 
 field a circular motion." , . 
 
 All the party agreed that the major's ground was well taken. 
 
 "What is more probable," said Commander I3ronson,"i8 that there is 
 land on one side of us, and the ice has grounded against it. Explorations 
 have shown that there is an extensive archipelago to the north of the 
 American continent; we know we are to the northward of the Parry Isles, 
 
AN KXI'EDITION OVEU TIIK ICK. 
 
 i07 
 
 Rtid tlio i>r(»l)a1)iHticH am that wc aro nitjonjj islundrt not yet known to tlio 
 gcogmplieirt. 
 
 "Tims fur," ho coiitiniiod, •* wo oainiot say whothor tho land on which 
 onr i<;o-tiohl iiii|>iii^(;K is to th(( north or «(»uth of our |t!»siti()ii. Wo nnist 
 Hnd that out by ol)8orvatioii, and m Huun an our minds aro nuido up wu 
 will jjjo in search of it." 
 
 Then tliu cuniniandur dotuilud his plana for observing thu inovunient 
 of tho ico, 
 
 Slod;^in<5 parties were to i^o from tlio ship as far as n sinj^dc day's travel 
 would carry them, ono to tho north and tho other to the 8»»uth. There 
 they were to ohservo tho drift of tho ice as accurately as possible; a sinj- 
 ilar observation would bo nuido at the ship, and a comparison of tho notes 
 woidd tell him what he wished to know. 
 
 "If it is as I suspect," said tho commander, "we shall find that there 
 is a more rapid movement of tho ico to tho south of us than there is to tho 
 north. Tho ice is turnin<^, as we have seen by tho chanj^o in the shij/s 
 position, aTid if we can learn the drift at the points indicated wo can cal- 
 cidate with tolerable accuracy the distance wo aro from the land." 
 
 Everything was made ready, and early tho next morning the two sledges 
 got away on their journeys, each carrying tho necossai-y tools and instru- 
 ments for making the observations. Major Clapp and George went with 
 ono of tho sledges, while Dr. Tonner and Fred had tho othoi*. The 
 major's sledge made about seven miles to the north; but owing to the 
 ruiiglmccs of the ice to the south, and some ugly breaks in it, tho Do(!tor 
 found himseli: little more than four miles away when it was time to stop. 
 Both camped on the ice, each using one of tho hummocks for a shelter to 
 protect tho tent from the wind, in case it should come on to blow. Snow 
 was melted by the aid of an alcohol lamp, and coffee was made in the 
 same way ; pemmican and biscuit were tho solid part of the provisions, and 
 it is unnecessary to say that the exposure and exercise gave everybody an 
 admirable appetite. 
 
 George and Fred had their first experience of sleeping on tho ice, and 
 the novelty of it was a compensation for the discomfort. Each of the 
 party had a sleeping-bag, which was nothing more nor less than a huge 
 sack of deer-skin, amply large enough to hold its owner. To go to bed was 
 to creep ijito the bag feet-foremost and then close the top, with the excep- 
 tion of a small aperture for the admission of fresh air. To get up, ono had 
 simply to creep out of the bag; and as they all slept with their clothes on, 
 there was no toilet to be made other than a few shakes and twists to get 
 the body into working arder and the joints in their proper places. 
 
M 
 
 208 
 
 THE VOYAGP: of the "VIVIAN." 
 
 m-' 
 
 mi 
 
 Sleeping-bags are an indispensable part of an ontfit for an arctic sledge 
 jonrney. They have been nsed by every exploior from the days of Wran- 
 gell and Parry, and probably were employed by their predecessors. In 
 addition to the bag there is a sort of coverlid of furs, which is spread over 
 the feet of the sleepers after they have taken their places. The spreading 
 of this protector is no easy matter, as it must be done when evei-ybody is 
 in his bag and has very little use of liis arms. After being used a few 
 times it absorbs moistnie, which freezes as fast as it is taken in ; the cov- 
 erlid becomes like a piece of sheet-iron, and the same is the case with the 
 tent and the sleeping-bags. 
 
 " It is a curious circumstance," said the Doctor, " that the sleeping-bag 
 belongs alike to the frigid and the torrid zones. When I travelled in the 
 deserts of Arabia we had bags of muslin in which we slej)t at niglit to 
 shield us from mosquitoes; here we have bags of deer-skin with which to 
 protect ourselves from the intense cold." 
 
 Breakfast was very much like the supper; at any rate, it consisted of 
 the same provisions, but Fred managed to get up a change in it. " When 
 I went to supper," said he, " I first took a bite of pemmican and then a 
 l)ite of biscuit. For breakfast I began with the biscuit and followed with 
 the pemmican, so that breakfast and supper are not tlie same after all." 
 
 Both parties were foitunate enough to find crevices where the field had 
 recently broken and left only a covering of young ice a couple of feet 
 thick. Cutting through this young ice they were able to make tiie sound- 
 ings they desired, and also to use the lead for obtaining the direction and 
 rate of the drift. As soon as they had carried out the ordei-s of the com- 
 mander they returned to the ship. One of the parties saw a bear, but the 
 animal was not inclined to familiarity, and made off as fast as he could go. 
 As an attempt to capture him would have caused delay, it was wisely de- 
 cided to let him alone. 
 
 . The result of the observations was given to the commander, together 
 with notes concerning the character of the ice over which the parties had 
 travelled, and the crevices where the soundings were made. Commander 
 Bronson made a careful computation, in which he was assisted bj' Major 
 Ciapp and Captain Jones, and in a couple of hours arrived at his decision 
 concerninar the movement of the ice. 
 
 "According to my calculations the field where we are is resting against 
 the land, or, at all events, is aground about twenty-five miles north of us. 
 The current is bearing it in a circular direction, or rather in the segment 
 of a circle, and if we go north the distance I have indicated we shall find 
 solid ground, or perhaps a reef or shoal on which the ice has touched. If 
 
AN INTERNATIONAL RACE. 
 
 209 
 
 it were not for the haze which has filled the northern horizon for several 
 davs I think we should see the land easily." 
 
 " Tlien," said the major, " 1 move that we go in search of it. If we 
 find land we shall add something to the geograpliy of the world, as nobody 
 has ever been here before." 
 
 His opinion was echoed by the rest, and it was at once decided to go 
 in search of land. 
 
 The expedition was arranged like the one of the day before, with the 
 exception that the pai-ty was to carry provisions for ten days, and the 
 sledges were to travel in company. In their eagerness to be off they got 
 away two or three hours before daylight, and made such good progress 
 that they M'ere nowhere to be seen when the sun came above the horizon. 
 The commander was so busy with matters that required his attention that 
 he did not have time to call through the telephone to Captain Girard, and 
 tell Ir'm that the sledges had gone on a voyage of discovery ! We have a 
 susp: ion that he did not wish the Frenchman to know anything about it 
 until too late for a party bearing tlie tricolor to get ahead of the Americans. 
 
 With the early start, and their enthusiasm to help them along, oiu' 
 friends made nearly eleven miles before camping for the night. The Jiext 
 morning they were somewhat stiff and sore, but keen as ever for going on ; 
 George and Fred showed a great deal of energy in getting things i-eady 
 for the start, and the drivers had their dogs harnessed and everything in 
 place before the sun was up. Soon as it was fairly above the horizon the 
 sharp eyes of Fred made a discovery which filled the whole party with 
 excitement. 
 
 There was the land they had been looking for, and it was exactly in 
 the direction and apparently at the distance predicted by Connnander 
 Bronson ! 
 
 Everybody was in great glee at tiie siglit, and needed no incentive to 
 be off. They made the best progress they could, but there were so many 
 hummocks and rough places that by noon the sledges were less than five 
 miles from their camp of the previous night. A halt was ordered, and 
 men and dogs rested from their labors. George was impatient to know 
 something of the strange land they were approaching, and so he climbed 
 to the top of the highest hummock in the neighborhood, and scanned the 
 distant shore with a glass. 
 
 Having made ont all that was possible, he looked to the south, to ascer- 
 tain if he could see the ship. Suddenly a speck on the ice caught his 
 eye; it was a speck of red, and was moving. Adjusting the lemes of the 
 glass to bring the speck into focus, he was not long in making it out. 
 
 14 
 
m 
 
 •1 
 
 I 1 
 
 1 i 
 
 H«r 
 
 "> 
 
 \ % 
 
 
 K H^ 
 
 1^ 
 
 I hM 
 
 
 
 If 
 
 ■ 
 
 210 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 It was tlie tricolor, carried in front of tlie sledges from the Gamhetta. 
 
 The young man came down from the hnininock with the alacrity of 
 a school-boy escaping from a hornet's nest, and in a few strides he was 
 at the spot were his companions were halted. 
 
 " Hurry uj) ! hurry up !" he shouted. " The Frenchmen are after us, 
 and not more than three or four miles away." 
 
 Xo further incentive was needed for the American part of the expe- 
 ditiot), but the dogs and their drivers were not so quick of comprehension. 
 While they were ])reparing to be off again, George mounted a hummock 
 to pick out the best road, and to his great delight he espied a stretch of 
 smooth ice, which began not moi-e than a mile from where they were, and 
 apparently continued nearly up to the laud. 
 
 This smooth ice did not lie directly between them and the shore, but 
 farther to the westward. He reported it to the major, and the Intter or- 
 dered the route to be changed so as to reach the level stretch, where the 
 greater distance could be more than equalized by the superior speed at 
 which they could travel. From that time till the edge of the smooth ice 
 was reached, one of the party was constantly at the top of a hummock, 
 or proceeding ahead of the sledges in order to find the best road ; and 
 we can be sure that they frequently looked behind, to ascertain if the 
 Frenchmen were lessening the distance between them. 
 
 The major conjectured that the moving field had broken in such a 
 way as to leave an expanse of open water wliich had been speedily frozen 
 over, |)robably in a single night. There were ridges here and there, but 
 nothing serious, and when they were fairly upon it the teams dashed mer- 
 rily along. The major had taken a hint from Captain Hall and prepared 
 a log, which he threw occasionally, to ascertain the speed they were mak- 
 ing. It was difficult to have anything like an accurate estimate, as they 
 were obliged to make frequent halts to remove tangles from the harness, 
 and otherwise straighten out the teams. A dog-team will manage to get 
 into a good mj-.ny snarls in the course of a day's travel; it is a severe trial 
 of the explorer's patience, but there seems to be no help for it. 
 
 The log was constructed on the principle of the log of a ship, and con- 
 sisted of a fishing-line divided into knots and wound on a reel that turned 
 freely on a handle in its centre. At the end of the line was an iron bolt 
 weighing a pound or more, and serving the same purpose as the float on 
 the nautical log. It was inconvenient to manipulate a sand-glass on board 
 a dog-sledge, or to hold a Avatcli with mittened hands to count the time; 
 to get over this difficulty the major had practised counting " one, two, 
 three," and so on up to ten, in almost exact unison with the beats of a 
 
If't 
 
 GOING AT FULL SPEED. 
 
 211 
 
 ti'iiil 
 
 o 
 
 IK 
 
 
 r 
 
 
 
lir 
 
 212 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Avntcli. With tliis contrivance lie ascertaineci that the sledge sonietinie^i 
 went as fast as eleven miles an hour, but it rarely did so for more than h 
 few minutes at a time. 
 
 They estimated that in their first hour on the ice they made fullv six 
 miles, and somewhat less than that distance in the second hour. I3v sun- 
 set they were within half a mile of land ; but, unfoi-tunately, their progress 
 was again impeded by rough ice, which was piled on the coast in a way 
 far from welcome to the anxious explorers. 
 
 ICE-LOO, LINE .ND REKL. 
 
 ii- t 
 
 1 3.*' 
 
 1 1 
 
 i 
 
 If 
 
 i 
 
 t4. 
 
I'KESIDENT LAND. 
 
 2ia 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE LAND VISITED AND EXPLORED.— THE AMERICANS IX POSSESSIOX.- 
 OUS JOURNEY OVER THE ICE.— THE SHU'S IN GREAT DANGER. 
 
 a 
 
 -PERIL- 
 
 TTT'E mustn't let the GamhetUCs people ijet ahead of us," said the 
 
 ' * major, as the sledges came to a halt ' he edge of the smooth ice. 
 
 "Suppose you and George go ahead with the flag," replied the Doe- 
 tor, "while Fred and I look after the teams. We must be the ti'st to 
 hoist our flag on the land, and claim it for our nation." 
 
 "All right," the major answered. " Get the flag immediately," he con- 
 tinued, turning to George, " and we'll show our friends of the Gamhetta that 
 we have not forgotten Wrangell Island," 
 
 Action was suited to the word without a moment's delav, and the 
 major and George made the best possible speed to the shore. They had 
 a rough road among the hummocks, and through the broken ice, but 
 under the circumstarces they made excellent progress. 
 
 Just above the point where they landed there was a rocky hill perhaps 
 a hundred feet high. Pausing a moment to take breath, and make sure 
 the}' were not pursued, George flxed his eye on the summit of this hill ; 
 then, with an expression and attitude that would have done honor to the 
 hero of "Excelsior," in the act which Longfellow has made immortal, he 
 climbed to the summit and proceeded to place the American flag where 
 it could wave in the arctic breeze. 
 
 " I take possession of this land in the name of the President of the 
 United States !" said George, as he planted the point of the slender staff 
 in a crevice of the rock. 
 
 "And it shall be called President Land," added the major, who had 
 been obliged to ascend more slowly than his youthful companion. 
 
 " Wonder where our French friends are now ?" said George, as the 
 ceremony of taking possession was concluded. 
 
 " They'll be along as soon as they ca!i get here," was the reply, " and 
 
 perhaps they won't like it when they find we've got ahead of them." 
 
 The glass had been left with Fred, and so our friends had onlv their 
 
 14* 
 
'J 14 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 P 
 
 Jill'" 'J 
 
 
 unassisted eyes to see witli. They scanned the hoi'izon in the direction 
 they liad come, but could not discover any indication of the French 
 sledges. 
 
 "We'll leave the flag here for the present," said the major, "and see 
 what we can do to help Fred along. There they are, struggling amoii"- 
 the hummocks; see, there is a sort of lane right from the edge of the 
 smooth ice close up to the shore, and evidently they haven't seen it." 
 
 Geoi'ge proposed to go and guide the sledges into the lane the major 
 had pointed out; the latter was to remain and watch the flag, and also keei; 
 possession of the land they had discovered and annexed to the possessions 
 of the United States, The major approved the suggestion, and away 
 went the yonth down the hill, but hardly with more rapidity than he had 
 climbed it. 
 
 The sledges were quickly guided in the right direction, and by dusk 
 the whole party was on shore. The tent was put up at the foot of the 
 hill, and to make the possession of the land beyond question, a flag which 
 Fred drew from the baggage was hung above it, and waved a greeting to 
 the one on the sunnnit of the hill. 
 
 " Two souls with but a single thought," said the Doctor, as he looked 
 at Fred and George, who stood adiniring the banners they had spread to 
 the breeze. 
 
 " Yes," responded the major. " If two heads are better than one, why 
 are not two flags, even though they be small ?" 
 
 " They're lai'ge enough to hold President Land against all comers," 
 said George, " and I don't care now how soon our French friends come 
 along." 
 
 Fred scanned the expanse of ice with his field-glass, but the growing 
 darkness impeded his vision ; he could see nothing of their I'ivals, and 
 as all hands were heartily weary, they proceeded to get supper and pre- 
 pare for sleep. The dogs were fed by their drivers, and aided by the 
 alcohol lamp the party was soon provided for as liberally as circumstances 
 M-ould allow. Soon as supper was over they crawled into their bags, and 
 slept soundly till early in the morning. 
 
 Fred was the first to rise, and immediately on getting out of the tent 
 he looked to see if the flags were where they had been left. Both were 
 unharmed, and when satisfied on this point the young man took his glass, 
 and climbed the hill to ascertain what had become of the party from the 
 Gambetta. 
 
 They were at the edge of the rough ice that had given the Americans 
 so much trouble the day before, and were just starting in among the hum- 
 
EXPLORING THE COUNTRY. 
 
 215 
 
 IN CAMP. 
 
 mocks to make their way to the shore. Evi-' mtly tliey were i*u;iioraiit of 
 the existence of the laii'i which liad been discovered from the hill-top the 
 day before, and were in the sanio error that had befallen the Doctor and 
 himself. Without a moment's delay he descended the hill, and went out 
 among the rough ice, to put the 
 Frenchmen in the proper way. In 
 a little while tiiey were in the right 
 road and safe on land ; they i)itched 
 their tent about three hundred vards 
 from that of the Americans, not from 
 any spirit of unfriendliness, but in 
 order to keep the dogs from fighting. 
 The party from the Gambetta gra- 
 ciously accepted their defeat in not 
 being first on land, but promised to 
 be ahead of the Americans the next 
 time anything of the kind was un- 
 dertaken. 
 
 It seemed tliat they were not 
 able to get over the smooth ice until after sunset, and the latter part of 
 their ride across it had been done rather slowly, for fear of accidents in 
 the growing darkness. When they reached the rough ice they saw the 
 case was hopeless, and the Americans were certainly ahead of them in 
 getting to land. Very sensibly they spread their tent where they were, 
 and waited till morning before going on. 
 
 It was decided that the two parties should act together in exploring 
 the newly discovered land ; and as the Americans had given the title to 
 it, the French should have the right to name the highest mountain. It 
 M'as further agreed that all mines of gold, silver, or other valuable product 
 of the earth, should be the joint property of the two expeditions, and no 
 concession to work mines or till the soil should bo valid without the 
 signatures of the captains of the Vivian and Gamhetta. red suggested 
 that it would be well to arrange for the establishment of an armv and 
 navy, and also for a police force to maintain order in President Land, but 
 his idea did not secure speedy adoption. It was agreed, however, that the 
 government of the country must be republican, and the inhabitants would 
 have the right to make their own laws without danger of interference 
 from the home authorities. 
 
 These preliminaries settled, it was agreed that the exploration should 
 be made to the westward by the party from the Vivian, while the Gatn- 
 
 ■f ' 
 
216 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 W 1 
 
 w- 
 
 HSiT 
 
 
 
 
 
 hetta'a people would examine the country east of the catnp. One entire 
 day was to be allowed fur the exploration ; if either party was detained 
 from camp overnight, it was to bo understood that a serious accident had 
 luii)pened. 
 
 The ground was too rough for the sledges to be of any use, and conse- 
 quently they were left at the camp, together with everything else not need- 
 t'] for the day's journey. During the remainder of that day the region 
 around the camp was examined, and the next morning both pai'ties made 
 an early start. Of. course the dog-drivers remained at the camp to keep 
 the dogs from straying, but all the rest of the party went to explore the land. 
 
 It did not take long for them to decide that the scheme for the gov- 
 ernment of the country would bo of little use, as the inhabitants would not 
 submit to it. The only residents they could lind were bears, foxes, and 
 other wild beasts, and a republican form of government has never been 
 popular among these creatures. They are autocratic in their dispositions, 
 and generally adhere to the principle that might makes right. 
 
 Fred got a shot at a white bear before they had gone half a nn'le fi'om 
 camp, but the animal made off altogether too fast for anybody to follow. 
 Then the rifle was handed to the Doctor, but no game was discovered for 
 some time. There was very little vegetation, only a few mosses and stunt- 
 ed shrubs, and our friends were unanimously of the opinion that it would 
 i\yjt pay to attempt to colonize the country. Back of the camp, and [lei*- 
 haps a couple of miles inland, there was a hilly ridge about three hundred 
 feet high. It was quite steep, and composed of broken shale, which made 
 it difficult of ascent. The Doctor and Fred climbed to the top of the ridge, 
 while the major and George proceeded along its base. 
 
 Back of the ridge was a b/'oad extent of ice which proved to be a 
 glacier, the first that Fred had ever seen. Dr. Tonner shouted his discov- 
 ery to the major, and then followed along the ridge to find a good point 
 for venturing on the surface of the ice. As there was nothing to be seen 
 at the base of the ridge, the major and George climbed up to join their 
 companions, and then it was decided to cross the ice, or at least make an 
 investigation of its character. 
 
 The glacier was evidently an ancient and permanent one, as the sides 
 of its channel were worn into precipices by the long continued flow of the 
 river of ice. It was no easy matter to get fairly on the ice, owing to its 
 broken character at the edge, and our friends walked a considerable dis- 
 tance before finding a satisfactory spot. There were deep fissures in the 
 ice, and as the party was unprovided with the proper apparatus for glacier- 
 climbing, it was necessary to proceed with great caution. 
 
A DANGEROUS POSITION. 
 
 217 
 
 •?* 
 
 CUCSSING A CREVASSE ON A BUIDGE OF ICE. 
 
218 
 
 THE VOYAGE OP THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 'I 
 4 
 
 li ■: s: 
 
 At length a bridgo of ico seemoil to proiuiso secjiiro footing, and one 
 after unotlier they ventnied npon it. George slipped when nearly over; 
 fortunately ho fell on the side where the depth of the fissure was only a 
 few feet, and escaped without injury. On the o[)p08iiG side there was a 
 sheer descent of some thirty or forty feet, and the consecpiences of a tuiuhlc 
 there would have been serious. 
 
 Close to the ridge the ice was dirty, and mingled with the dihris of 
 rock and earth it luid gatliered in its contact with the wall that kept it in 
 place, but towards the centre the appeorance changed to a piu-e wliitc. 
 Evidently the air was not tilled with dust in this locality, or the surface of 
 the glacier would have revealed it. George thought the bank of the ghicier 
 offered an excellent spot for building a summer-house, as the site was a 
 cool one, and the expense of having the ice-carts call every morning would 
 be avoided. 
 
 Fissures were numerous, and some of them were concealed by freshly 
 fallen snow, which greatly incieased the danger. The major ordered a 
 return to the land at the first favorable opportunity, and their intention of 
 .crossitig the glacier was abandoned. Following down two or three hini- 
 dred yards they found a place where the solid ice touched the wall of rock 
 r id enabled them to set foot on the earth again. 
 
 From this point it was decided to follow the glacier to its mouth, if not 
 too far away. The fall was so slight that the surface was apparently level, 
 but still there must be a fall in oider to give the mass a movement on- 
 v.ard. There was no living thing on the surface of the glacier, but in a 
 little valley enclosed by some of the hills which formed the ridge the Doc- 
 tor saw a herd of musk-cattle plucking the very scanty herbage that giew 
 there. Creeping around, so as not to alarm them, he managed to get a 
 shot at close range, and brought down one of these animals of the far 
 North. The rest ran away at the report of the rifle, and at the apparition 
 of the strange beings that rose from the ground as soon as the shot was 
 fired. 
 
 " Now that we have a musk-ox," said the major, '' what will we do 
 with it?" 
 
 The question was a perplexing one. As they were unable to carry the 
 meat to camp, and had no means of cooking it where they were, it was 
 decided that they would return that way if practicable, and take enough 
 of the meat to camp to have some fresh steaks for supper, provided the 
 beat's and foxes did not come upon the prize in their absence. 
 
 As this is the first of these animals that we have seen, we may as well 
 give a description of him. 
 
we CIO 
 
 an-y the 
 
 ), it was 
 
 enongli 
 
 ided the 
 
 : as well 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THK MUSK-OX. 
 
 219 
 
 A MUSK-OX. 
 
 The tniibk-ox is peculiar to the polar re<:jioiis of America, and its ranijo 
 is contiiifd to the Arctic Circle, or very near it. It is twice as hir<^'e as the 
 reindeer, and when full grown is little if any smaller than a cow two years 
 old; it has strotig horns that hend around the head like those of tlio wild 
 sheep of tiie llocky Mountains, or 
 wilil goat of the Himalayas, and 
 its hody is covered with long hair 
 to prote(!t it from the cold. The 
 flesli when fat is not much unlike 
 beef, and has an agreealdo flavor; 
 hut when the animal is lean, it has 
 a strong siriell of musk which oidy 
 a ravenous appetite can overcome. 
 Expeditions in the arctic regions 
 have frequently relied on the musk- 
 ox for their supply of fresh meat, 
 and in several instances these ani- 
 mals have been the sole support 
 
 of parties for several months. They are not easy to approach, and can 
 run very fast in spite of the shortness of their legs. 
 
 So nnich for the musk-ox, which our friends left with a sigh, and the 
 Doctor half regretted having wasted a bullet upon. "What a pity he did 
 not come down to our camp to be shot," said Fred, " as lie would then have 
 been handy for us to use. The only proper way of hunting is to bring 
 in your game alive, and then kill it when it is wanted." 
 
 They traced the course of the glacier to the sea, but found nothing oi 
 consequence after walking Ave or six miles. Then it was time to return, 
 and they decided to follow the shore back to camp — or rather the Doctor 
 and the major did so, while the youtiis went to bring in the steaks for sup- 
 per. The walking was not so easy along the shore as it was at the ridge 
 farther iidand. A good deal of the ground was covered with snow, and 
 all the hollows were filled with it; generally it was hard enough to bear 
 the weight of a man, but this was not always the case, and whenever it 
 gave way the walking was laborious. 
 
 In some places the shore sloped from tlie ridge down to the water, or 
 rather to the ice, while in others it was steep and precipitous. Wherever 
 there were any cliffs there was a great number of birds, and their tameness 
 showed that they were not accustomed to the visits of man. There were 
 gulls, auks, eider-ducks, lumme, and several other members of the feathered 
 tribe, but it was too early in the season to find tiieir nests. Ten or twelve 
 
 I 
 
w 
 
 220 
 
 THK VOYAOE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 i. 
 
 Pn 
 
 (lucks wore olttaiiu'd l)y kiiockin*^ tlioin down witli PtoJios, nnd tlio iiuijot* 
 Hiiid lio could have killed a liuiidrcd in this way if ho hud wished to do bo. 
 Ileio and there, where the fj;roun(l Hloped to tho water, they found pieces 
 of drift-wood, and when they nMurluul the canii) tho nnijor waft rejoiced to 
 find that tho do<if-drivors had had the forefho\ii^ht to gather enou<^h \N(mm| 
 during tin; day to make an excellent tiro. Thus the (iookinir ''f their focil 
 was provided for, and they were not lonj^ in irettiui; th(> diurks ready foi- 
 hroilinj^, Tho youths arrived a few minutes after tho major and l)u(;tor 
 had. reached camp, hringing as much of the moat of the ox as they could 
 well curry. 
 
 DL'CKS ON PKKSIDEM LAND. 
 
 In a quarter of an houi or so the French explorers appealed, and were 
 welcomed with a loud chee» by the Americans. They had been about ten 
 miles to the eastward, over ground similar to that traversed by the Ameri- 
 cans, but somewhat more broken, and their progress had been stopped l)y 
 a ridge of rocks and a glacier which they were unable to cross without 
 the proper appliances for ice-travel. Just beyond the I'idge was a conical 
 rock two or three hundred feet high, and so far as they could ascertain it 
 was the most elevated point in the neighborhood. One of the officers 
 
DIHCUVEUY OF A COALHi;i). 
 
 001 
 
 TlIK " UKVIl/s TIILMH," NEAK MKLVll.LK IIAV. 
 
 niade a Rkcteli of the rock, wliich lio named tlie "Biitto Napoleon;" tlio 
 major said it resembled the "Devil's Tluimb," at the entrance of Melville 
 JJav, which had been so named on acconnl of Its fancied similarity to an 
 enormons thumb pointin<^ in the air. Near the base of this ridi^e a seam 
 of coal was found, and the indications on the surfa(!e showed that it was 
 aiii)arently of great extent. George and Fred at once suggested the for- 
 mation of the " Vivian-Gambetta Coal Company, Limited," but the party 
 was altogether too weary from the day's exertions to draw up the articles 
 of incorporation. 
 
 The Gamhetta party had been successful in hunting, as they had killed 
 a bear which proved botli young and fat, and what was of more conse- 
 quence, he was shot within less than half a mile of camp. The skin was 
 
222 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 liii 
 
 ll. 
 
 Utilized as a sledge for transporting the meat to the sea-shore, and by tlio 
 time the sun went down all the explorers were at their tents. The Amer- 
 icans divided their ducks and beefsteaks with their French allies, and the 
 latter returned the compliment with an abundant supply of bear-meat, for 
 feeding the dogs from the Vivian. Men and dogs went to sleep with full 
 stomachs — an excellent pre[)aration for the fatigues of the return journey 
 to the ships. 
 
 In the morning there was some difficulty in getting the sledges on the 
 ice again, as there was a movement of the field along the shore. During 
 the night a strong breeze blew from the south-west, and an hour or so 
 after it set in the crashing and grinding of the ice along the shore showed 
 that it was in ujotion. Cracks and narrow lanes were opened in two or 
 three places, and a good many huge blocks were forced upon the beach. 
 It was evident that the explorers ought to get back to the ships as bpeedily 
 as possible, or they nn'ght find themselves altogether cut off from reti-eat 
 by the breaking up of the ice. 
 
 
 AN KMPTY SLEDGK. 
 
 A practicable spot was found close to the French tent, and, without 
 waiting for breahfast, all the teams started over the route they had come 
 a couple of days before. Following the lane already described, through 
 the rough ice, they reached the smooth field and then iialted for rest and 
 food, Tlie remains of the supper of the previous evening served for the 
 morning meal, with the addition of pemmican and tea; the dogs looked 
 wistfully on, but it would have been contrary to custom to feed thoni im- 
 mediately before the long run which they were to make. Soon as breakfast 
 was over the journey was resumed; but it was not accomplished as quickly 
 as the outward one, owing to several cracks in the ice, over which it was 
 necessary to lift the sledges. Before the line of hummocks was reached 
 the ships were plainly discernible, and each had a large flag flying, to 
 enable them to be made out as easily as possible. The major thought 
 the position of the ships had been changed considerably since the party 
 
AGAIN ON THE SHIPS.— A GALE. 
 
 223 
 
 left them, and the Doctor agreed with him. It seemed that they were 
 further to the cast tlian before, and evidently the drifting had increased 
 during their absence. 
 
 AVhen they readied home again they were welcomed with all the hon- 
 ors. Both ships were dressed in Hags, a salute of two guns was tired by 
 the Vivian and a similar one by the Gambetia^ and the crews were ranged 
 at the gangway to greet the travellers with three ringing cheers. Com- 
 mander Ih'onson said he had been watching for their return since morn- 
 ing, and the movement of the ice had caused a good deal of alarm for 
 their safety. A man had been kept in the crow's-nest with the most pow- 
 erful glass the ship possessed, to watch out for them and report their ap- 
 proach ; and the same precaution had been taken on the Gambetta. The 
 lookout on the latter ship was the first to announce the return of the 
 sledges, and therefore the French captain was consoled, to some extent at 
 least, foi the march the Americans had stolen on him in starting ahead 
 of his party, and taking possession of the land before his people could get 
 there. 
 
 It was late .in the afternoon of the second day from land when the 
 sledges reached the ships, and the wearisome journey was ended. The 
 best supper that could be provided on board the Vivian was ready for 
 our friends, and they sat down to it with the keenest of appetites. During 
 the progress of the meal they told the story of their adventures, and of 
 the addition they had made to the geography of the arctic regions. After 
 supper Fred proceeded to designate on the map the position of President 
 Land; the point where the sledges reached it was set down as latitude 
 83° 24' north, longitude 115° 10' west. It M'as known to extend about 
 ten miles east and west from that point, but of its area to the north they 
 were entirely ignorant. 
 
 The breeze continued to blow from the south-west, and by morning it 
 had increased to half a gale. The ice heaved and cracked in many places, 
 and the progress of the field to the north and east was more rajnd than 
 ever. Everybody was on the alert, and tli'; developments of each hour 
 were looked forward to with the greatest an icty. The dogs and sledges 
 were taken on board the ship, but the casks of provisions that had been 
 placed there in the event of the sinking of the Vivian were allowed to 
 remain, as they might be needed at any moment. While it was desirable 
 to be prepared for the loss of the ship, it was equally necessary to be 
 ready to float away in her in case she should be released from her icy 
 prison. The boats were made ready for launching; clothing, provisions, 
 and equipments v.-ere piled close to the rail, ready to be thrown out at a 
 

 224 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 motneiit's warning; and those who were not on duty went to sleep with 
 their clothes on and their kuapsauks by their sides. It is hardly necessary 
 to add that, under the circumstances, nobody slept soundly. 
 
 Discipline was carefully maintained. The watches were changed as 
 regularly as though the weather was of the linest and the ship weve sail- 
 ing across the Pacific under the steady influence of the trade-wind. As 
 the day advanced, the movement of the ice increased ; a little past noon 
 a large crack opened from the bow directly ahead, and another parallel to 
 it a hundred yards away. About the middle of the afternoon the man in 
 the crow's nest called out "Za/jc?/" and of course everybody was full of 
 anxiety to see it. 
 
 COAST SCENE IN THE ABCTIC CIRCLE. 
 
 h-i,: i, 
 
 It was fully half an hour before it could be made out from the deck, 
 and then only faintly. From the course they had been drifting it was 
 evident that the land in sight was the region lately visited by the sledges, 
 and if they continued to go on as they were then proceeding, they wouM 
 be close upon it by the following morning. The Doctor went t<> the 
 crow's-nest, and was quite positive he could recognize the "Butte iS^upo- 
 leon" from the description and drawing of the French ofticers. It was 
 thouirht that the land was about fifteen miles distant, and in the course 
 fchey were drifting they would pass to the eastward of it. 
 
 
IN A HIGH LATITUDE. 
 
 225 
 
 Some of our readers may wonder that they were so near the land be- 
 fore seeing it. It must be remembered that the island was covered with 
 snow, except in a few places, and consequently its appearance was almost 
 identical with that of the ice-tields which surrounded it. The weather 
 was hazy, and a clear horizon was the exception rather than the rule ; and 
 furthermore, the land was not sufficiently elevated to be visible at a great 
 distance, even if all the other conditions had been favorable. 
 
 " Well, we can't go ashore just now," said the Doctor, when he returned 
 to the deck, "and it's lucky wo embraced the opportunity when we did." 
 
 " Yes," responded the major, "and it's luckier that we embraced the 
 opportunity to get back again. If we had remained there another day 
 it is doubtfid if we would have returned at all." 
 
 The subject was not a pleasant one for contemplation. Nobody liked 
 to think what would have been their fate if left on that desolate and 
 hitherto unknown island, and the conversation took another turn. 
 
 "If we go on hi this way without accident," said the commander," we 
 may be at the pole before the middle of summer. But I confess I don't 
 understand it altogether." 
 
 "Nor do I," said Captain Jones, who had just joined the groiij). 
 "Here is the ice threatening to break up in the beginning of May, fully 
 two tnonths before we have iiuy reason to expect it. It looks very much 
 as thouffh we were on the holders of the Polvnia of the Russians, and the 
 barrier was about to divide, and let t s into the open polar sea." 
 
 "At any rate," replied the conunander, "we are beyond the latitude 
 of any previous navigator, and must not be surprised at anything. By to- 
 ujorrow noon we will be north of the 84th parallel of latitude, which has 
 never yet been passed by man. Parry turned back at 82° 45' ; Hayes at 
 81° 37'. Captain Markham, of the British Expedition of 1876, reached 
 the highest point yet attained, S3° 20' 20." In 1881 the United States ship 
 AUlance, in search of the Jeaniutte, went along the coast of Spitzbergen to 
 80° 10' north, and longitude 11° 22' east. Aiid here we are, within six 
 degrees or three liundred and sixty miles of the pole ! If we can — " 
 
 x\ call from the lookout aloft arrested their attention. Captain Jones 
 mounted rapidly to the crow's-nest, and then, with more excitement than 
 was usual with him, he shouted to Commander Bronson. 
 
 The latter lost no time in ascending to the captain's side. The rest 
 of the party waited breathlessly below while their superiors were observ- 
 ing the state of the ice, and the conditions ahead of the drifting floe. 
 After what seemed hours to our friends, but was really less than twenty 
 minutes, the commander returned to the deck, leaving the captain aloft. 
 
 16 
 

 1- * , r- 
 
 220 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 '•The way we are now drifting," said lie, '•will eariy ns close to what 
 appears to be a point of land projecting to the eastward of the 'Euttc 
 Napoleon.' The ice is being forced on this point, and we can see it heav- 
 ing and breaking, and piling np as it is pushed onward by the wind and 
 current. Outside the point the floes are niuch broken, and our position 
 is a i)erilous one. If we drift upon the point we shall be hopelessly 
 wrecked, unless something little short of a miracle should save us; if we 
 
 A SllKLTKU FROM TllK ICK. 
 
 clear the point we shall be in da?iger from the floes that are crashing 
 against each other, and our hope must rest in the unusual strength of our 
 ship. As we are going we can hope to clear the point, but may not do so; 
 the Gamhetta will certainly clear it, but then she will be in the peril I have 
 mentioned from the breaking of the ice." 
 
A GLOOMY PROSPECT. 
 
 227 
 
 wlmt 
 Butte 
 lieav- 
 d and 
 ositiuii 
 lessl V 
 if Wii 
 
 The casks of provisions were hoisted on board and piled close to the 
 rail, where they could he thrown overboard in case of necessity. 
 
 The sun had set, and the twilight of the arctic was upon them. " Shall 
 we ever see the sun again ?" was the question which each asked himself as 
 ho watched the disappearance of the orb of day. 
 
 The captain descended from tiie rigging, and the party retired to the 
 cabin. They could plainly hear the creaking and groaning of the shi[) 
 as the ice moved around her, and occasionally there catne a sound louder 
 than usual wiiich told of the exti-aordiiiary strain upon their floating home. 
 There was little conversation at supi)er, and as sooii as the meal was over 
 the commander said they nnist get what sleep they could during the ni^ht, 
 and be prepared to leave the ship at any moment. The same precautions 
 were taken as on the night before, but every one realized that the peril 
 was more imminent, and escape froni the ship was by no means indicative 
 of an escape with life. 
 
 There was little sleep on the Vivian, and the same was doubtless the 
 case on the Gambetta. All were anxious for the morning, and for hours 
 and hours it seemed to Fred and George that the darkness was without 
 end. 
 
 
 EFFECT OF AN ARCTIC GALE. 
 
228 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 
 'ti 
 
 
 M'J 
 
 ESCAPE FROM THE ICE.— IX THE OPEN" POLAR SEA.— STEAMIXG AND SAILING TO 
 
 THE NORTH. 
 
 w 
 
 ITII the first blush of dawn our vouiii. iiiends were on deck. Fred 
 recalled the hues in one of his school-books: 
 
 " The night, the long, dark night at lust 
 
 Passed fearfully away. 
 'Mid crashing ice and howling blast 
 
 They hailed the dawn of day, 
 Which broke to cheer tlie whaler'.s crew. 
 And wide around its gray ligiit threw." 
 
 The Vivian was standing npright in the ice, as she had stood for 
 weeks, but the Gainbetta was heeled over so that her 3'ards almost touched 
 the water. The point of land, concerning which there had been so much 
 anxiety on the previous evening, was about a mile away, on the port side 
 of the Vivian^ and thb ice was piled upon it in great masses, which ap- 
 peared in some places hundreds of feet in height. It was an innnense 
 relief to know that the ship had weathered this miniature cape, and they 
 had not to contend with the horror of being dashed upon it. And oh ! 
 welcome sight, which they had not known through all that long winter, 
 beyond the jutting point there was an expanse of open water! True, it was 
 encumbered with cakes of ice that stippled its surface as far as the eye 
 could see, but compared with what they had known during their iniprison- 
 n)ent, it was like a pellucid lake in the mountains. 
 
 Around them the ice-tield was cracked and broken in many places, 
 and several lanes of water were visible. The telegraph line connecting 
 the ships had been taken up soon after the return of the explorers from 
 the island, and when the increasing wind made it probable that the ice 
 would move more rapidly to the noithward. The route where the M'iro 
 had been stretched could be traced over the mounds of ice, except in two 
 or three places where there had been extensive breaks in the field, and 
 some of the mounds had altogether disappeared. Communication between 
 
RELEASED FROM THE ICY PRISON. 
 
 229 
 
 the ships was conducted by signal-flags; when the Gambetta heeled over, 
 our friends expected every moment the announcement that she was sink- 
 ing, but as she disphiyed no signal, it was concluded that there was no 
 immediate danger. 
 
 They drifted with the ice as befoio, but nppcared to move in a circui- 
 tous direction, in consequence of the edge of the field impinging on the 
 land. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and the ice split in front of them, 
 directly in line of the crack which had opened the evening before. The 
 land-ice, as we may call it, swung away from the ship, while the rest re- 
 mained practically in its former positi' '» ; then the Vivian heeled over, 
 broke loose from the floe, righted to an even keel, and was afloat! 
 
 lifii 
 
 
 NEAR THE ICE. 
 
 Tue captain ordered the engineer to get up steam as soon as possible. 
 The fires were ready for lighting, and in a few minutes a dense volume of 
 smoke was pouring from the funnel. 
 
 The lane in front of them widened as the floes swung apart from each 
 other, and though the water was full of floating cakes, it was comparatively 
 open and suitable for navigation. Pending the readiness of the engines 
 to propel the ship, the sails were spread; their influence was quickly felt, 
 and almost instantly the Vivian was forging ahead, with the water rippling 
 beneath her bows. 
 
 In spite of the peril of their position, witli the ice on three sides and 
 
Il 
 
 m 
 
 CUP-. 
 
 ■4 
 
 .!'"l 
 
 230 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 the land on the fourth, Capttiiii Jones called for three cheers as the ship 
 hega; to move. Officers and men ret^ponded with all the vigor of their 
 lungs; whatever dano^er might threaten them, it was a great delight to he 
 free once more, and they signified their feelings by the energy with whicli 
 they cheered. As the last cheer died away the (fanthetta i'dsc from her 
 reclining position to an even keel ; the Viviati lirel a gnn and ran up a 
 flag in token of congratulation, to which the French ship responded in the 
 same manner. 
 
 The lead showed ten fathoms of water; the captain ordered tlie helm 
 aport, so that the Vivian could reach tiie expanse of water formed on the 
 lee side of the point of land we have described. In a little while there 
 was sufficient steam for turning the screw, and with engines to aid the 
 sails the Vivian soon found a harbor. 
 
 At the same time the Gambetta was in motion. The ice did not open 
 as readily around her as around the Vivian, for the reason that it was not 
 drawn to one side by its contact with the land ; but a lane formed, through 
 which she crept slowly forward, partly through the aid of engines and 
 sails, and partly by the efforts of her crew. The men were sent out with 
 ice-andiors, which they made fast under the direction of an officer sta- 
 tioned in the cross-trees; as soon as an anchor was fixed it was drawn in 
 by the steam-winch, and thus the ship was slowly advanced. Finally, only 
 a narrow line of ice separated her from the clear water ; this was blown 
 up with a can of powder, and then by hard pushing with her engines the 
 Gambetta was afloat !'i the harbo" that lield the Vivian. 
 
 Afloat and uninjured after all the peril they had passed through! It 
 was an occasion for rejoicing, and as the Gambetta swung parallel with 
 the Vivian and slowed her engines, the yards of both ships were manned 
 by their crews, and the cheering that went up from the throats of those 
 happy sailors must have astonished the listening bears and musk-cattle on 
 President Land. Never before were the echoes of that harbor awakened 
 by human voices, nor yet by the guns which fired a salute, each ship to 
 tiie other, in congratulation over their release from imprisonment in the 
 ice-field and the perils of the escape. 
 
 They were in unknown watere, \ ith the land close aboard ; consequent- 
 ly it was necessary to proceed with caution, and the ships moved with only 
 enough speed to give steerage - way. The Vivian was in advance, and 
 nearer shore than the Gambetta, und therefore in more danger of taking 
 the ground; slie kept the lead going steadily, but in no place did it show 
 less than six fathoms, and there was no danger except from hidden rocks 
 or shoals. ' 
 
ENTERING A NEW IIAKDOU. 
 
 231 
 
 1 
 
 T 
 
 
 T 
 
 The buy was about four miles in lon^th from the point of the pciiinsulu 
 which had served to break »ip tlie ice, and the next i)rojection to the north. 
 Its depth was something more than two niih's, ])erhaps two and a half, 
 and in the direction the wind was then blowing it was well sheltered. 
 The farther side was terminated by a 
 promontory or foreland which closely 
 resembled the North Foreland of Fro- 
 bi slier, at the entrance of the bay 
 named after the entei'prising mariner 
 of the early days of arctic explora- 
 tion. Tlie waves were breaking at 
 the foot of this promontory, and be- 
 yond it the ice was pressing north- 
 ward nnde the influence of the wind 
 and current. As an attempt to pass 
 out of the bay might l)ring the ships 
 into the icd again, it was deemed pru- 
 dent to anchor, and make an investi- 
 gaf ion with the boats before proceed- 
 ing. 
 
 Down went the anchors for the 
 first time in many weeks, and the 
 chains rattling tluough the hawse- 
 hole was a welcon)e sound. Then 
 a boat was lowered fi'oin the Vivian, 
 and another from the Gamhetta: the 
 
 Vlviati^s I)oat rowed to the side of the Gamhetta, and it was hastily agreed 
 that she should proceed to investigate the condition of the water as far as 
 it could be seen from the top of the jOi'omontory. Meantime the Gam- 
 hetta's boat would take soundings in the direction of the foreland, and as 
 far beyond it as would be safe to ventni'e. 
 
 George and the major weixi assigned to the work of exploration with 
 the boat's crew from the Fiymn, and away they went in the direction of 
 the land. It was easy enough to row over the water, but not so easy to 
 find a landing-place. 
 
 Apparently the tide was out, and the l^each was concealed by an ice- 
 collar eighteen or twenty feet high, exactly similar to the ice-collars which 
 exploiers in ot'ier parts of the arctic seas have described. A rope with 
 an ice -anchor formed part of the boat's equipment; this anchor was 
 thrown over the ice, and after several failures it caught and held firmly. 
 
 THK NORTH FORELAND. 
 
 Si'liiii 
 
 1 4 
 
i 
 
 r —^^~ 
 
 232 THE VOYACJi: OF TTIE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Two iiicn |»ullin<^ upon it wirli tlu'ir entire woi 
 
 •jht were not able to move 
 
 it, and then the most nimble of tlie sailors el 
 
 imbed nj) and assisted ihe 
 
 others to fallow. Two men were left in the 
 
 boat, and the rest of the 
 
 party aseendeci the promontory. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 t/ "'^ ' ' "•''^■^'#-#'^«. 
 
 - ^ 
 
 1 
 s 
 
 H 
 
 h /\ 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 
 ki«^' 
 
 
 t" • <\ 
 
 ^S^>J 
 
 ;;^'/ 
 
 ia^d^ 
 
 ''?|! 
 
 W 
 
 ^?^^ 
 
 ^^-^i^* 
 
 CLIMUINO ilN ICK-COI.LAll. 
 
 Ii- ;( ;. 
 
 I Pi 
 
 1 
 
 mil 
 
 Pll 
 
 Their attention was attracted to the vast ntnrd)r/3 of birds that filled 
 the air, and flew so close to the explorers as to be easily knocked down 
 witii sticks. George wanted to stop long enough to get a snpi)ly for the 
 ship, but the major commanded that no delay should be made, as the 
 birds were altogether a secondary consideration. 
 
 They had an hour of the hardest kind of climbing to reach the top of 
 the hill, as the broken shale which lay in many places retarded their foot- 
 steps and frequently compelled them to fall on hands and knees. Geoi'ge 
 was the first at the top, w)iere he waved his cap and gave a loud hm'rah ; 
 evidently his progress "was noted from the ships, as the Vivian dipped 
 her flag three times in honor of his achievement, and the Gamhetta did 
 likewise. 
 
 The view beyond the hill was encouraging, as it revealed a wide stri[) 
 of open water between the land and the pack of heavy ice which spread 
 away to the eastwaid. This water extended as far as they could see, and 
 the major decided without hesitation that it would be quite safe to vent- 
 ure into it. In front of the hill the ice-pack was not more than a quartei 
 
GATIIKHINCJ IIIKUS' i:(i(;s. 
 
 )>3'.i 
 
 <»f a mile from liiml ; tlio imlieatioiM wore tliiit tlicro was plenty of wiiter 
 lictwet'ii the I'oivlaiKl iiiid tiie ice, though this coiiUl only l>e iimdo eeituiii 
 i»y actual somidiii^s. 
 
 Deseendiiii; the hill they took a route <lil'feieiit from the one hy which 
 thev went up: on their wav down, when near tin; l»a.se, thev had the yood- 
 fortune to come npon several nests of the eider-duck, •'^ the variety known 
 as the " kinir," which breeds earlier and farther n'>rth than the conmi««n 
 eider. The birds weie just hei^inninjij their period of nestinj;; no nest 
 contained more than one eiji::, with the exception of two or three which 
 
 TIIK I,UMMK OK TIIK NOUTH, 
 
 had two eggs each. The major said the eider-duck usually lays from five 
 to seven effijs, and does not begin incubation until about the end of Mav. 
 
 They gathered all the eggs they could find, and managed to get nearly 
 three dozen. Thev killed eiijht or ten ducks bv knockin"- them down with 
 
t>y4 
 
 Tin: VOYAUE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Hticks, anil on reiKrliiuH^ the boat tlioy toiind tliut the hniloi'H luul Hccmotl 
 as many more by tlio Kiinplo process of strikini^ tliein with the oars wlieii 
 tliey tlew or Kwani near tlie boat. tSeverul binune and anks luul been 
 taken in tlio same way, and when the boat returned to the I'iridn it had 
 a good siijujly of food f»»r the caiiin table. 
 
 (reoi'i^e was surprised to find that tlie o<;iif of the eider-duck is about 
 twice as large as a hen's egg; and when the harvest of the day had passed 
 through the hands of the cook, he decided t!uit the eggs were as delicious 
 .as they were lai'ge. While the party was discussing the novel dinner, 
 Captain Jones said these eggs were considered the greatest of all delica- 
 cies by the Labrador tishennen; and in the season when they were obtain- 
 able the whalers in the far North had all they wanted to eat. He said 
 ho luul frequently gathered fifteen or twenty dozen in half aji hour or so 
 on the islautls where the ducks have their breed iug-i)lace8, and that the 
 down fronj the nests paid them handsomely for their work. 
 
 Cieorge's ciwiosity was aroused, and he wished to know more of the 
 process of obtaining down from the eider-diM;k. 
 
 "I can't tell you exactly," replied the captain, "as 1 liave never studied 
 the habits of the bird very carefully ; but 1 bidieve that when the eggs arc 
 laid the fenuvlo plucks the down fn^m her breast and places it around 
 and beneath them. After she begins incubation the male bird deserts 
 her, and when she has occasion to leave the nest in search of food, she 
 l)ulls the down over the eggs to keep them warm during her absence. 
 If the nest is robbed of e<rgs and down, she finds another mate and beirins 
 the work over again; and if she is robbed a second time, she seeks a new 
 mate. As she has stripped her breast of all its down to 8U[)ply the two 
 nests, the third is supplied by her last companio)». 
 
 "The down from a nest will till vour hat, but it doesn't wei<;h more 
 than an oinice, and generally less. I have seen nests that yielded two 
 or three ounces, and have heard of some that contained half a pound of 
 down, but I never saw them, and vei'y much doubt if anybody else ever 
 did." 
 
 The captain further said that the down was worth three or four dol- 
 lars a pound in the English market, and was highly prized on account of 
 its lightness and warmth. 
 
 While our friends were absent on land another boat had been making 
 a survey of the harbor under the charge of the Doctor and Fred. They 
 had taken soundings in several places, finding plenty of water for anchor- 
 ing within a hundred yards of the shore, and made a tracing of the shore- 
 line, together with the bearings, both true and magnetic. They named 
 
li:avin(j ijh()X8()n ha v. 
 
 235 
 
 tlio plivco "IJmnson I'liy," in lioiioi* ttf tliyir comnmiKlcr, and with tlm 
 jisHcnt (tf tlin iniijur the ]n<Mn(»ntniT which tho hitter hud uscciKh'd was 
 dcwiijnutcd "("lapp's CiitT," in cuiiMnotnonifion ul" the event of tht; diiy. 
 
 Mejintinie the crew of the (lainhiWCm hctiit hud math! honiidiiiix.s ti> the 
 I'ntnt of the forehind, and foinid pk'iity of water; they were in some 
 duni^er from the waves, which hroke rather furiously at the huso (»f tho 
 Hteep rock, hnt hy keepinj^ well out from tho shore they escu[)ed accident. 
 It was decided to steam aronnd tho ft)relund and into tho open Mutor 
 hoyond it, und us tho (Jatnhetta hud made tho boimdings sho took tho load. 
 
 VIEW FKOM TONNKIIS ISLAND. 
 
 Steaming slowly as before she made tho passage withont hinderance, 
 and then tho Vivian followed. Once around the foreland they had plenty 
 ot" water; and though it was full of fragments of ice, like the hay they 
 had just left, there was not enough to trouble them. Keeping n, ^harp 
 watch for shoals and rocks, throwing the lead continually, and holding 
 themselves as far from land as the ice-pack would permit, the vessels kept 
 on for some twenty miles or more, when they were stopped by another 
 projection of land. The ice-})ack was crowded close np to this projection, 
 and WJ18 80 dense that it was not deemed prudent to veuturo into it with- 
 out further investiijation. 
 
230 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 J' 
 
 Again t'ley anchored, and this time the fires were drawn, in order that 
 thoi'c might be no nnnecessary consnmption of coal. Besides, it was tlie end 
 of the long arctic day, and everybody was snfticiently tired ont to need a rest. 
 
 Tlie next morning there was great activity on both ships. Each of 
 them sent a boat to land, and another to explore the bay where they were 
 anchored; the land partie.^ were provided with rifles and shot-gmis, as 
 well as scientific instruments, and were instructed to bring in any game 
 they could find, in addition to determining the position of the bay and the 
 chai-acter of the water beyond, if any could be seen. The Vivian\s boat 
 was the first to get away, but it was thought proper to allow the Gamhetta.^ 
 people to be first on shore, inasmuch as they had given the Vlvlan-s 
 party the exclusive occupation on the previous day. 
 
 Without following the movements of all the parties in detail we will 
 see what they accomplished. 
 
 The bay was simply an indentation in the land, about \. 'enty miles 
 long, sheltered from southerly and north-westerly winds, and other M'inds 
 between them to the west, i)ut open to all others. It was named "Girard 
 J3ay," in honor of the captain of the Gamhetta. 
 
 At the northern end of the bay there was a steep cliff or bluff about 
 three hundred feet high, which was named " French Head," to commemo- 
 rate the nationality of the flag that was unfurled from its summit. 
 
 The position of French Head was found to be latitude 84° 31' north, 
 longitude 114° 45' west. 
 
 About four miles sonth of French Head the bay was studded with 
 rocky islands, of which only two or three could be visited, on account of 
 the ice that filled the chaimels. The Doctor and Fred climbed to the top 
 of one of these islands (which was named in the Doctor's honor), and the 
 young man made a sketch of the scene while they rested from the fatigue 
 of the ascent. 
 
 The party tliat ascended French Head reported that the pack-ice filled 
 the hoi'izon to the eastward, and there was no hope of escape in that direc- 
 tion ; but there was open wpter north of the cliff, and the coast seemed 
 to trend away to the westward. If they could manage to pass the cliff, it 
 was the opinion of the officer in charge of the observation that they could 
 go at least twenty-five miles, and perhaps twice or three times tlfht dis- 
 tance, without obstruction 
 
 At one time the ice seemed inclined to sweep away from French Head 
 and allow them to pass. Steam was ordered on the ships, and the signal 
 of recall for the boats was set; but before they could return, and the vessels 
 got rerJv to move, the ice closed in again. 
 
A CHANNEL DISCOVERED. 
 
 237 
 
 The parties were not especially successful in hunting, us they saw noth- 
 ing larger than birds. The fa^t was they had no time to spend in sport, 
 as they were chiefly occni>ied with their observations. The second day of 
 their stay in Girard Uay was principally devoted to hunting; and as the 
 birds were very tame, they were knocked down by hundreds. The crews 
 of both ships had an am[)le repast from this source of supply, and so did 
 the dogs, though the latter wotdd have ])refejTed tisli or beef. They 
 bolted the birds, feathei's and all, and when a dog had linished his oi'ni- 
 tholoijical breakfast he had a fi'in<je of feathers around his muzzle which 
 seemed to change him i.ito a hitherto unknown specimen of the canine 
 race. 
 
 FUKSCH HKAD. 
 
 One of the hunting parties came back Mith a report of the existence 
 of a channel just back of French Head, wiiicli might let tlie shii)s through 
 into the open water to tiie north. They had entered it from the little 
 group of islands explored by Dr. Tonncr and Fred, and in tlieir cliase for 
 birds they ascended it a mile or more. The 'ide was runniui; throiiirh it 
 very ijentlv, but enough to show that there was communication betwecji 
 Girard Bay and some other body of water. 
 
J rtji 
 
 23S 
 
 THK VOYAGE OF THE "VTVIAN." 
 
 n^i 
 
 Ni 
 
 
 A couple of days were spent in exploring tliis channel, a boat ij^oinf 
 from eacii ship for that purpose. Tlie result of the exploration was that 
 the channel was found a dangerous one for the ships to enter; it was 
 narrow in many places and quite tortuous, and there were several uglv 
 rocks along the way. Tiie passage was possible, but very hazardous, and 
 it was determined not to attempt it until all chance of escape around 
 French Head was hopeless. 
 
 For nearly a fortnight the ships remained at anchor in Girard Bav, 
 waiting a favorable opportunity to continue their journey. All the S(!ion- 
 tific men of the expeditions were busy with observations on the floi'a, the 
 fauna, and other productions of President Land, and on the character of 
 the rocks, the ti'aces of miocene and pliocene formations, and other things 
 that interest the geologists and students of natural history. George and 
 Fred were of great assistance to their elders in making the records of the 
 observations, and in ])acking away the specimens of the products of this 
 hitherto unknown land. 
 
 One afternoon the wind chopped suddenly round to the westward, and 
 gradually increased as the hours went on. I3y six o'clock it was a strong 
 breeze, at nine it was a high wind, at twelve it was half a gale, and by 
 three in the morning it was a full-fledged gale " with its coat off," as tiie 
 captain exprobsed it. 
 
 Each ship put out an extra anchor, and everything Avas made snug 
 aloft. "I think something '11 come of this gale," said the captain, "and 
 we must make the most of it." 
 
 Evidently " something was to come of it," as the force of the wind car- 
 ried the ice out to sea and left the front of Fi<'iich Head quite free of 
 it. Here and there scattered fragments were visible, but nothing to im- 
 pede the progress of a ship. 
 
 For twenty hours the gale blew steadily, and was of the kind tliat 
 sliaves the hair from the back of a dog, or removes the shoestrings even 
 when properly tied. Then it subsided as slowly as it had risen ; the fall 
 of the barometer was more moderate than is the case in southern latitudes, 
 and it did not begin until an hour or so before the cessation of the gale. 
 
 Now was the opportunity for the ships! 
 
 When the tempest had reached the condition of half a gale the fires 
 were started in the furnaces of the ships, and by the time it was down to 
 a higli W'ind they were ready to proceed. Up came the anchors, and in 
 a little while the Vivian and Gtunhetta had rounded French Head and 
 were steaminc: through "International Reach," the name which had been 
 given to the stretch of water beyond the promontory. 
 
AN ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY. 
 
 200 
 
 %: 
 
 
 KXI'I-OKIXG THE CIIAXNKL. 
 
240 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 
 T' 
 
 in 
 
 m' 
 
 "Didn't I say something would come o' that gale?" said Captain 
 Jones, as they steamed northward. " How I wish we had a good chart 
 of this reach, 80 that wo could go ahead at full speed. It's less than four 
 hinidred miles to the North-pole, and who knows but what we've got an 
 open I'oad to it ? 
 
 "1 guess it's the same hero as it is in Smith's Sound," he continued. 
 " From the looks of thingR we've got the land-water same as we have it 
 there. Frequently, when the sound is full of ice, there's an open stri[) 
 along the western side, and not a few ships and boats have nuvdo their 
 way north through that water." 
 
 Yes, they had the land-waier, and what was more, the strip widened 
 as they went north ; or, rather, the land trended away to the north-west, 
 while the edge of the ice-pack seemed about on a due north-and-south 
 Hue. As they hauled away from land the sounding-lead showed a steady 
 deepening of the water. Five miles from the shore-line they had thirty 
 fathoms, and then it was deemed safe to increase the speed to eight knots. 
 But all the time the lead was kept going, and a sharp lookout was main- 
 tained in the crow's-nest, on the cross-trees, and on the bowe Occasion- 
 ally the lead indicated the shoaling of the water, and whenever this was 
 the case the pace was reduced to little more than steerage-way until the 
 soundings deepened again. 
 
 "There's one thing in onr favor," said George to Fred, as they wore 
 looking over the ship's side and studying the line ol the coast they were 
 passing, "we are in no danger of collision with other ships trying to cross 
 our track." 
 
 "Don't be so sure of that," was the re])ly. "Who knows bnt we may 
 encounter a ship that has forced its way through the ice above Smith's 
 Sound and is making for the pule, just as we are. The same conditions 
 that have favored us may give somebody else a similar chance." 
 
 George admitted the possibility of such an event, but was still inclined 
 to the opinion that they would have plenty of sea-room. 
 
 (3bservation at noon showed they were in latitude 85° 10' north, longi- 
 tude 113" 50' west. Oidy three hundred miles to the pole I 
 
 The advancing season and their high latitude had dispelled the arctic 
 darkness. Daylight was continuous, and there was no necessity for lying 
 by for the night, since practically the night had ceased to exist. But for 
 the convenience of chronology they continued to talk of day and night 
 the same as in more southern latitudes, and we will follow their custom. 
 
 By noon of the second da}', after they had ])assed French Head, the 
 land was nothing more than a faint lino along the western horizon, while 
 
AMONG THE WHALES. 
 
 241 
 
 tlie ice-blink to the eastward showed that the pack was still in their nc'gh- 
 horliood. The wind was steady from the west, and as a prudential nieas- 
 nre the fires were extinguished, and the ships relied altogether upon their 
 sails. 
 
 The farther the ships went from land the less numerous were the sea- 
 birds; but not so the whales, which were visible in great numbei's. Dozens 
 of tliem were in sight at once, and they did not appear disturbed by the 
 presence of the ships. Evidently they were ignorant of the destructive 
 propensities of man, as they played around the ships, and sometimes were 
 altogetiier more familiar than was desirable. Several times, after diving, 
 they came up beneath the bows of the Vivian, and were so near that they 
 could have been harpooned from the ship. Once a whale scraped his back 
 against the vessel's keel, but fortunately for our friends he seeuic 1 to treat 
 the affair as a joke, and did not resent it. While the thickness of the Viv- 
 ian^s sides might have saved her from injury, it would have been a serious 
 matter if he had dashed at her with the immense momentum of his huge 
 body. 
 
 "What a place for a whaler!" said Captain Jones, as he looked at 
 the huge cetaceans playing in the waters. '• It beats the old days of the 
 Okhotsk Sea and Scammon's Bay, when a ship could fill up in a month 
 and go home. Some of 'em are good for two hundred barrels, and they're 
 all to be had for the taking." 
 
 "Sail ho!" shouted the man in the crow's-nest, and the captain's dream 
 of the w'.aler came to an abrupt termination. 
 
 CURIOUS APPEAUANCK OF THE SUM. 
 
 16 
 

 :242 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 ICEBERGS AND GLACIERS. — LAND AGAIN. — "LA TERRE LAFAYETTE."- 
 
 " VIVIAN " AT THE POLE. 
 
 •THE 
 
 "npiIE last place in tlie world for a sail!" exclaimed the captain, as lie 
 
 -*~ sprang into the rigging, and mounted with the agility of a cat. " It's 
 
 a Yankee pole-hunter, or one of those Scotch whalers from Dinidee, I'm 
 
 sure 
 
 V 
 
 Of course there was great excitement in the party on deck during the 
 captain's absence aloft, and all sorts of conjectures were made, and vai'ious 
 theories propounded. The captain eyed the strange sail through a glass 
 for at least a quarter of an iiour; then he scanned the horizon in every 
 direction, again looked intently at the sail for ten minutes or so, and finally 
 closed his glass and returned to the deck. 
 
 " It's no sail at all," said he, with a mingled expression of satisfaction 
 and disappointment on his face. "It's an iceberg, but it looks so much 
 like a ship under full sail that I don't wonder the lookout was deceived. 
 
 "It's a big one, too," he continued, "and we shall probably see moie 
 of 'em. It's lai'ger than any berg we've come across yet, and I'm curious 
 to know where it came from." 
 
 A couple of hours later another iceberg was reported, and some time 
 afterwards another. 
 
 By observation and dead-reckoning, when the sail was announced, they 
 were within less than two hundred miles of the pole. The presence of 
 the icebergs reduced greatly the probability of an unobstructed voyage to 
 the point where there is neither latitude nor longitude. 
 
 The iceberg first seen was about four points off the port bow, while 
 the second was almost dead ahead. It was not considered advisable to 
 change the course of the ship in order to look at one jnountain of ice, 
 when another could be reached without any di\ergence. The Vivian held 
 her. way, and in due time reached and passed the second iceberg ; it was 
 so nearly in her course that she was obliged to turn aside a little in order 
 to keep at a respectfid distance. 
 
NEAR AN ICEBEHG. 
 
 243 
 
 As well a8 they could estimate its size, it was fully half a mile \ou<^ 
 and a third of a mile broad; ati enormous belt seemed to encircle it, as 
 tliou<^h the layer of snow in one year had been different from what pre- 
 ceded and f'tlloM'od it. This appearance is not at all unusual in icebergs; 
 Captain Hall describes one of exactly the same formation, and says he 
 gds:) it the name of "the belted iceberg," on account of its enormous 
 girdle. 
 
 THK UKLTED ICKUKHO. 
 
 The part of the berg below the water was much broader than the por 
 tion above, and accounted for its ability to float in the depth they were 
 navigating. Just as they wei*e in front of it a mass " as lai'ge as a church " 
 broke off from one side and fell into the water with a loud splash. The 
 wave it created caused the Vivian to pitch and roll as though in a heavy 
 sea. 
 
 " You see the advantage of not going very near those fellows," said the 
 captain. "If w'e had been close uj) to the side of that berg we might 
 have been swamped." 
 
 Everybody coidd see the force of the captain's assertion, and there was 
 no inclination for a nearer view of the white-robed stranijer. Naturally 
 they discussed the origin of the bergs, and wondered whence they had come. 
 
 " I think," said the captain, " we shall find land before long, and that 
 
244 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 fiij 
 
 M 
 
 I.,, i 
 
 i 
 
 
 it contains glaciers which have given birtli to these bergs. It's a pity wo 
 could not explore President Land more thoroughly than we did; it would 
 bo interesting to know whether it had more glaciers in it than what we 
 saw there." • , . • . . 
 
 There were many fragments of i(!e floating in the water; in fact, during 
 all their voyage in the polar sea thus far, they had never been entirely free 
 from them. After passing the bergs wo have described, the number of 
 floating fragments increased, and it began to look as though the way to 
 the pole was far from being an open one. 
 
 The weather changed for the woi-se : it became colder, and the sky 
 was frequently overcast. Once in a while a snow-squall set in, and mudo 
 it impossible to see far ahead ; at stich times the ice was decidedly dan- 
 gerous, and it becanje necessary for the ships to shorten sail. 
 
 "After all," said Connnander Uronson, while they were passing through 
 one of these squalls, " w j could not expect a long continuance of the flue 
 weather that followed tls gale. The polar regions can hardly be uimke 
 the rest of the world ; stor.. . and calms follow each other, and so wo may 
 expect an offset to the weather that has favored us." 
 
 The squall lasted for an hour or more, and then the sky became clear 
 again. The wind continued favorable, and by varying her course now 
 and then the Vivian managed to make good progress and avoid all injury 
 from the ice. 
 
 The captain's prediction was realized, for within less than twenty hours 
 after he made it land was sighted. It proved to be some win, t more moun- 
 tainous than President Land, and as the Vivian approached it the front 
 of a glacier was plainly to bo seen at the end of a triangular bay. An 
 iceberg which had recently broken off was lying inside the entrance of the 
 bay and nearly fllled it; the berg appeared to be resting on the ground, 
 and the captain said it would be necessary for a good deal of it to be 
 melted away by the sun before the rest could float and find its way out 
 to sea. 
 
 They coasted along the land, looking for a good point to send a boat 
 on shore, as the bay where the iceberg lay w\'is not considered favoi'ablo. 
 At length an opening was seen through a cliff, and as there was good an- 
 chorage in the vicinity, the Vivian furled her sails and came to a stop. 
 The Gamhetta continued, with the evidtnt intention of sending a boat on 
 shore at another point and making the exploration as extensive as possible. 
 
 Great flocks of birds were seen on the cliffs, and while the boat with 
 the Doc' >r and Fred was gone to explore the land, another carrying the 
 major and Georgo went to lay in a stock of game for the table. 
 
A DANOEROL'S POSITION, 
 
 245 
 
 as 
 o 
 
 01 
 
 >■ 
 f 
 c 
 
 > 
 
 o 
 m 
 
 Q 
 
 o 
 n 
 
 69 
 « 
 
 J" 
 
♦ ■ . iii 
 
 246 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF TIIL "VIVIAN." 
 
 -. m 
 
 r,; it: 
 
 •i 
 
 
 
 -I' 'i 
 
 ii. 
 
 They row.d along towards tlie base of the cliff, and as they did bo a 
 souijd reached their Ctvi-s like the runjhiing of a railway train or the fall 
 of a cascade. It increased as they approached the cliflf, and finally be- 
 came so loud th;'.!. they co.ild hardly hear each other. The noise was 
 made by the birds that had just begun their period of nesting, or, as 
 George expressed it after seeing the way the birde lay their eggs, "their 
 period of rocking." 
 
 " r^ou observo," said the major, " that the face of the clifF consists of 
 a series of steps or ledges from one to two or three feet deep. These birds 
 are the lumme, which we saw on President Land, and they are connnoii 
 tlnoj.gh ul! the arctic '-egions. 
 
 "The female lays only one egg, and this she deposits on the bare ledge 
 of rock. Look at the creatures and see how they t^re stowed away there." 
 
 Geovgo looked, and saw that the birds were sitting close together, with 
 their heads outward, but they were not keeping very quiet. In some 
 places they were packed in solid rows, and so near were they to each 
 otiier that where the ledges were narrow 8nd frequent they almost hid the 
 face of the rock from view. 
 
 " The female bird can only cover her e^^ lyy placing it upright," the 
 major contiinied. " This she does with her bill, and then she sits down 
 on it and waits for the hatching. If she doesn't keep quiet she may top- 
 ple the egg over the ledge, where it is broken by the fall, and then she is 
 eggless. 
 
 " When she has lost her ei^'g, she watches her chance to steal another. 
 Tlie birds are obliged to leave tfieir eggs occasionally in search of food, 
 and when one does so shr generally finds on her return that some other 
 bird has stolen her property and is sitting ui>on it. She accuses somebody 
 of the theft, and there is a fight ; and time's what all that noise is about. 
 
 "Sometimes the fight becomes general, and dozens of birds will be 
 engaged in it. In the tumult many of their eggs are rolled over the cliff, 
 and the losers content themselves by stealing the first they can seize. For 
 this reason one of these lumme rookeries is the noisiest place you can 
 
 imagme. 
 
 5> 
 
 The first shot sent a great many birds into the air, and for a time it 
 looked as though a cloud had com ", between the boat and the sun. Each 
 shot bronght down several birds, aiid the work did not reqiiire any exercise 
 of skill. In a little while they had all the boat could carry, and then made 
 the best of their way back to the ship. 
 
 As there M'as no probability that the shore-party would return for sev- 
 eral hours. Captain Jones decided to change his anchorage and send out 
 
ABUNDANCE OF OAMK. 
 
 247 
 
 two boats to secure more Mrds. Tho Gttinbitta nncliored two or three 
 miles farther north than the Vivian, tiWi\ sfiiit a boat on shore; then she 
 followed i\\QVivian''H oxaiiiiilo and sent two boats after liumno, so that the 
 flociks were a good deal disturbed. 
 
 SHOOTINO LDMME. 
 
 Two or three honrs sufficed to supply both ships with all the birds rhey 
 wanted. The Inmme is less desirable than the duck as an article of food, 
 but he is a great deal better than no bird at all. Officers, men, and dogs 
 had all the Inmme they wanted, and the feast was enjoyed by all con- 
 cerned. 
 
 The shore-parties had been ordered not to remain on land more than 
 ten or twelve hours, and to return immediately in case of a signal to do 
 
248 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 I'a 
 
 BO. A Bnow- squall arose, but was of short duration, and as there was 
 enough to do in examining the coast where the ships were lying, the ex- 
 plorers on land were allo'red to stay the full time allotted to them. 
 
 Twelve houre after their departure Fred and the Doctor returned; 
 they were pretty well tired out with their excursion, and had excellent ap- 
 petites for the dinner which awaited them. They reported that the land 
 was principally a mass of rock, and they had been able to go only about 
 two miles from where they left the boat. They had gone to the rear of 
 the cliff, which they estimated to be not far from five hundred feet high, 
 and found that there was a range of hills in the interior, bordering a bioad 
 valley filled with a gla(;ier. It was the same glacier they had seen in the 
 bay, and was much wider where they saw it than at its entrance into the 
 sea. Through an opening in the hills they could see another glacier, but 
 could give no estimate as to its extent. 
 
 Of coui'se they hoisted their flag at the highest point they reached, and 
 allowed it to wave for several mimites in the arctic breeze. The Doctor 
 gave the name of ''Mount Lincoln" to the peak, but the naming of the 
 land, of whose extent they could not be certain, was courteously left for 
 their French allies. 
 
 As soon as the boat returned from shore the Vivian made sail, and 
 hoisted the signal " we wish to communicate." The Gambetta remained 
 at her anchorage, and the Vivian stopped again within five hundred yards 
 or so of her consort. Meantime, while the Vivian was changing her posi- 
 tion, the OarnhettaSa boat returned, and the Doctor went on board the 
 French ship to compare notes, and ascertain what name would be given 
 to their latest discovery. 
 
 Captain Girard felt highly complimented at the politeness of the 
 Americans, and after a brieiE conference it was decided that the new land 
 should be set down on their chart as " La Terre Lafayette " (Lafayette 
 Land). The position was fixed at latitude 87° 10' north, longitude 112° 
 50' west. 
 
 IjOss than three degrees from the pole ! 
 
 The French explorers had discovered a glacier, evidently identical with 
 the one seen by the Doctor and Fred. They had found the rocks very 
 difi^cult of ascent, and though keeping a sharp lookout for bears, musk- 
 oxen, and other animals, they had seen none. One of the Frenchmen 
 found the tracks of a bear, but the animal that made them was evidently 
 far away. At all events he did not show himself, and the party returned 
 without any trophies of the chase. 
 
 Then the Doctor returned to the Vivian^ and the two ships filled away 
 
CAUGHT IN A FOO. 
 
 240 
 
 on their vo3'ago to the North. It was understood that they would follow 
 the coast uiilesg it trein'cd too far to the westward, but neither was to be 
 hampered by the ntovrjiients of the other. As fur as tliuy could see, the 
 coast-line was about north and souMi, and if it continued in that direction 
 it would not carry them out of their way. 
 
 VIEW IN LAFAYETTE LAND. 
 
 On they went, but unforeseen difficulties arose. They had not been 
 three houre under way when a dense fog set in, and toinpelled them to 
 lay to. "What with the ice and the unknown coast it would be dangerous 
 to go on; any moment they might come in collision with an iceberg or be 
 dashed on the rocks, and either fate was not to be risked. The fog lay 
 thick about them for several hours, and when it lifted, the Vivian was un- 
 pleasantly near a jutting headland, which terminated in a mass of rough 
 and ugly rocks. The Gambetta was about a mile to the eastward, and close 
 under her lee lay a huge iceberg, towards which the ship was slowly drift- 
 ing. Evidently the escape was a narrow one for both navigators! 
 
 The sounding-lead showed a depth of eighty or a hundred fathoms \\\ 
 some places, and not more than half that amount a short distance away. 
 The bottom of the eea was as uneven as the land in its neighborhood, and 
 any minute they might come on a rocky islet, with no shoals around it to 
 give warning of its proximity. 
 
 The fog cleared away and they made sail again. When they had 
 gone three or four- miles, the Gambetta suddenly backed her sails and 
 made signal " I am aground." The Vivian answered that she would go 
 

 r^ 
 
 I 
 
 250 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 1-^ 
 
 to the assistance of her companion, and as soon as she could get up steam 
 she moved to within half a cable's length of the stranded ship. Mean- 
 time the Gamletta had made steam, and a "?ble wJis passed to the Viviati. 
 The latter pulling and the former backing with all the force of their en- 
 gines, the Gambetta was soon afloat and apparently uninjured. 
 
 "Lucky it wasn't a rock instead of a shoal," said Captain .Tones, as they 
 dropped the Gambctta's cable and saw it pulled on board. " I think we 
 want water more than land, and we'll give the shore a wide berth." 
 
 The Vivian headed off in a north-easterly direction, and the Gambetta 
 did likewise. In a couple of hours they had a hundred and tifty fathoms 
 under their keels, and no sign of rocks or shoals. Then Captain Jones 
 ordered the northerly course to be resumed, but commanded the officer 
 of the deck to maintain their present distance from land. " If you find 
 we're making it closer than ten miles," said he, "you will steer to the 
 eastward. Keep a sharp lookout for islands or icebergs, and gi'e 'em all 
 the offing they want." 
 
 Steaming cautiously along when the weather favored, and slowi^ig 
 down or stopping altogether in fogs or squalls, the ships advanced to the 
 north. In clear weather the land was distinctly visible over the port side, 
 but too far off for detailed observation. It seemed to be a series of cliffs 
 and headlands, with now and then a stretch of comparatively level land 
 of two or three miles. George thought he saw a house at the base of one 
 of the hills, but a careful observation showed it to be a mass of rock curi- 
 ously shaped like a human jiabitation. Fred was not to be outdone in 
 discoveries, and excitedly annoiuiced that he had found a church over- 
 looking a small village at the edge of one of the sloping plaim^. But the 
 telescope brought him to grief as readily as it had disappointed George ; 
 the church and village were clusters of large rocks, evidently dcjposited by 
 a glacier or swept down by a flood in ages gone by. 
 
 Every few miles the white face of a glacier was visible, and the origin 
 of the icebergs tl. t abounded in the waters was no longer a mystery. 
 
 All things have an end, arid this voyage to the North-pole was not to 
 be an exception to the rule. Three days after the grounding of the Gam- 
 bett'i there was unusual excitement on board the Viviafi, and we may 
 presume that the same was the case on the French ship. 
 
 The ship's position was announced as latitude 89° 30' north, longitude 
 111° west. The pole was only thirty miles away ! 
 
 But this was not all. On their left the land seemed to terminate in a 
 conical mountain eight or ten thousand feet high, and from the top of this 
 mountain a coUnnn of smoke and steam floated away on the wind. 
 
SYMMES'S HOLE. 
 
 251 
 
 AN ARCTIC VOLCANO, 
 
 " Who would Lave thought there was a volcano at the pole ?" said one 
 of the youths, as lie gazed upon the novel spectacle. 
 
 "Better, a good deal, than Sjniines's Hole," remarked the Doctor, in 
 reply. " Better for us, at any rate." 
 
 " Please tell us about Synunes's Hole," said George. " Who was 
 Synunes, and what was his theory ?" 
 
 "John Cleves Syinnies was born in New Jersey about 1780," Dr. 
 Tonner answered, "and died in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1829. 
 
 "lie was a captain in the United States Army, who fought bravely 
 and honorably through the war of 1812, and was afterwards engaged in 
 supplying the troops on the upper Mississippi with provisions. For the 
 last ten years of his life he devoted himself to the elaboration of his theo- 
 ries concerning the formation of the earth, and making them known to 
 the public by lectures and pamphlets." ■ •; • 
 
 "Was he what they call a 'crank' in these modern times?" one of the 
 youths inquired. 
 
 " It is not always easy to define the boundary between the scientific 
 theorist and the crank," answered the Doctor, " and so I cannot answer 
 your qno?tion by a simple 'yes' or 'no.' 
 
 " Cuptain Symmes believed that the earth wjis a hollow globe, open at 
 the poles, the southern opening being somewhat larger than the northern 
 
252 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 «(■*■! 
 
 ii ■ 
 
 one. According to his theory the shell of the earth was abont a thonsand 
 miles thick, and the northern opening two thonsand miles in diameter. 
 Take an orange four inches in diameter, with a very thick rind, cut holes 
 at top and bottom, each of them one inch across, scoop ortt the interior 
 till only the thick rind is left, and you have a fair idea of the shape of the 
 earth according to Captain Symines." 
 
 " But what did he have on the inside of his globe ?" said Fred. 
 
 " Tho inside was composed of land and water, like the outside," was 
 the reply. " It was warmed and lighted by the sun shining in through the 
 openings, first at one end of tho earth and then at the other. The waters 
 flowed through these openings, just as the currents flow on the outside, and 
 hi'$ theory was that only by such a formation of the earth could the eoua- 
 torial, G ulf Stream, and polar currents be satisfactorily accounted for. The 
 inhabitants of the inside of the earth, if there were any, lived on a concav- 
 ity, just as we live on a convexity, and they had land and water in about 
 the same pi'oportions as ourselves, 
 
 " Captain Synnnes brought forward a formidable array of facts in 
 support of his theory, and he had a great many followers. His ideas were 
 based on scientific reasoning, however incorrect may have been his deduc- 
 tions, and his pamphlets were read with interest at the time. He delivered 
 Jiis 'ectures in various parts of the country, principally in the west; in the 
 winter of 1826-27 he lectured before the faculty of Union College, and 
 was listened to with profound respect by the well-known doctors, Knott 
 and Wayland, Ridicule was excited by the peculiarity of his theory, and 
 'Synnnes's Hole' became a by-word; but there is no doubt that he was a 
 num of intelligence, honor, and integrity. He secured the attention of 
 the scientific and scholarly men of his day, and was so confident of the 
 correctness of his theory that he offered to command an expedition to 
 verify it." 
 
 At times the clotids closed in upon the volcano and concealed it from 
 sight, and at others only the sharp cone at the summit was visible. Our 
 young friends longed to go on shore , and be the first to ascend this hither- 
 to unknown mountain, but the suggestion was not favorably received. 
 *'We will visit the pole first of all," said Commander Bronson, "and then, 
 if circumstances favoi", we'll explore the land in tho vicinity. The oppor- 
 tunity to get to the pole does not come every day." 
 
 They left the smoking mountain behind tliem as they moved onward 
 towards the north. Before them the sea was stippled with fragments and 
 patches of ice, but there was no indication of solid earth. The Gamhetta 
 was abeam of the Vivian, and about half a mile distant; as the land 
 
 v.-^ 
 
 ■■ii'- 
 
INCREASING THE SPEED. 
 
 253 
 
 began to recede, Cuptain Jones observed that the cloud of smoke from the 
 French fumiel was l)ecoming more dense, and the ship was increasing lier 
 speed. Just as lie did so the fog fell around them, and the Gamhetta was 
 liidden from sight. 
 
 "The Frenciiman's trying to beat us to the pole," said the captain, as 
 he sprang to the speaking-tube communicating with the engineer. 
 
 ■ \ 
 
 
 
 
 -^"^ / .-" .— :j.'.-.^4-?£:^.:<^J^;.ri^_ 
 
 ^ --^^^'.•"--.- "^c^ 
 
 A VIEW THROUGH THE CLOUDS. 
 
 What lie said to the engineer was not andiljle to those on deck, as they 
 were too far from the bridge to hear distinctly, but its effect was to in- 
 crease the speed of the Vivicm. As soon as the steam could perform its 
 work the screw was making its maximum number of revolutions every 
 minute. The captain caught the first puff of a breeze on his cheek, and 
 instantly gave the order for making sail. In five minutes the sails were 
 filled, and away went the Vivian at the highest speed she had made since 
 passing the icy barrier. 
 
 " We'll show him a trick or two," said tlie captain, displaying more 
 excitement than was his custom. " We got that breeze just in time, and 
 
254 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 k %:' 
 
 I *. ' 
 
 if we can lead him a couple of r^iles' before the fog lifts he'll have hard 
 work to make it up. A stern chase is a long chase." 
 
 The man at the wheel had plenty of occupation. The lookouts were 
 continually announcing cakes of ice, and the captain had to think quickly 
 in giving his orders. For two or three hundred yards around the ship 
 there was comparatively clear vision, but beyond it they had to trust to 
 good-fortune. The smaller cakes were not heeded, but the larger ones re- 
 quired to be treated with respect, fo/ fear of serious consequences. 
 
 For more than an hour this excitement continued, and then the foo- 
 lifted. There was the Gambetta, with her engines working at their best, 
 but she had neglected to make use of her sails; the result was she was 
 fully a mile astern of the Vivian, and before she could follow the latter's 
 example and spread her sails another ha f mile had been lost. 
 
 And the pole was less than ten miles away ! 
 
 " Good-bye, sweetheart, good-bye !" said the captain, \.'aving his hand 
 in the direction of the Gam^etta. " The American flag will be the first 
 to float over the pole." 
 
 Land was announced on the port bow. The captain mounted to the 
 crovi Vnest, and soon descended with the report that there appeared to be 
 an island in the direction indicated. As well as he could make out, it was 
 a mass of conical peaks with a volcano in the centi'e ; but considering that 
 it didn't cover the pole, he was not concerned about it for the present. 
 
 To the surprise of every one, the disappearance of the fog was followed 
 by the disappearance of the ice. Hai-dly a speck was visible in front of 
 tiiem, and there was no hinderance to their pi-ogress. As there was no 
 chance that the Gmnbetta could pass them, the sails were taken in one by 
 one, but they were only partially clewed up, lest their rival nn'ght steal a 
 march on them by an unexpected slant f)f the wind. Occasionally the 
 engines were slowed a little to enable the crew to take soundings, but as 
 no bottuiu could be found with thirty fathoms of line, it was considered 
 safe to go ahead again at full speed. 
 
 The elements combined in favor of our friends, as the clouds and fog 
 rolled away and gave them a clear horizon all around. The horizon seemed 
 farther off tiian usual, but whether this was the eifect of imagination, or 
 the peculiarity of the atmosphere, or because the earth is flattened at the 
 poles, nobody could say. Whether the sun. was stationary or not, as Cap- 
 tain Ilall claimed it would be at the pole, they were then unable to de- 
 termine, but with the activity that prevailed in the use of instruments, a 
 speedy solution of the problem was likely. All the quadrants and sex- 
 tants tiiat the ship contained had been brought on deck, ancj were being 
 
THE POLE AT LAST! 
 
 255 
 
 applied to every nse of whitili they were capable. Of course there were 
 no stars to aid them while the sun was shining, but fortunately the moon 
 was in the heavens, and proved of great assistance to the navigatore in 
 determining their position. 
 
 Whales and seals played about the ship in great numbers, and flocks 
 of birds filled the air. The pole was far froi i being a scene of desolation, 
 so far as animal life was concerned ; the captain endeavored to be calm, 
 but when the whales in their total absence of fear lazily rolled on the sur- 
 face within fifty yards of tlie Vivian, he could not help thinking what 
 havoc he would make if his mission had been for oil instead of science. 
 
 When the chronometer indicated twenty-two minutes past three o'clock 
 in the afternoon (Greenwich time) of the ninth day of June, the Vivian 
 described a circle in Tha Arctic Sea, and tlien stopped her engines. The 
 captain announced that they were exactly over tlie North-pole. 
 
 The ship was dressed in bunting, the American flag being at the fore, 
 and the tricolor holding the place' of second honor. Tlie sailors mounted 
 the rigging and gave three hearty cheers, tlie guns fired a salute in honor 
 of the achievement, and while it was in progress the flags were dipped 
 three times, and then three times again. The Gambetta ranged along-side 
 and joined in the demonstration, and when the noisy part of the ceremonial 
 was over the crew were mustered on deck, and oflicers and men stood 
 with uncovered heads while Commander Bronson read, with deep feeling 
 expressed in his rich voice, the following , 
 
 li'l: 
 
 PRATER AT THE NORTH-POLE. 
 
 Written for the use of Captain Hall's A'orth Polar Expedition, hy Rev. Dr. Xeieman, of Washington, to he tued 
 
 only on reaching the Pole, 
 
 Great God of the universe ! our hearts are full of joy and glAdness for all Thy marvellous good- 
 ness unto us. We have seen Thy woudere upon the deep, and amidst the everlasting hills of ice, 
 and now we behold the glory of Thy power in this place so long secluded from the gaze of civilized 
 man. Unto Thee, who stretchest out the norih over the empty place, and hangest the earth upon 
 nothing ; who hath compassed the waters with bounds until day and night come to an end ; we 
 give Thee thanks for what our eyes now behold, and for what our hearts now feel. 
 
 Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men ! We praise Thee ; we bless 
 Thee ; we worship Thee ; we glorify Thee ; we give Thee thanks for Thy great gloiy, O Lord God, 
 our heavenly King! God the Father Almighty! Praise Him all ye llis works. Praise Him sun, 
 moon, and stars of light. Praise Him ye heaven of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heav- 
 ens. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps. Are and hail, snow and vapor, 
 stormy winds fulfilling His word; praise Him frost and cold, snow and ice, day and night, summer 
 and winter, seas and floods. Praise Him all ye rulers and peoples of the earth. Let every thing 
 that hath breath praise the Lord. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, 
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. 
 
 In Thy name, Lord, we consecrate this poi-tion of our globe to liberty, education, and religion, 
 
\'v:>\ 
 
 256 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 and may future generations reap the advantage of our discoveries. Bless tlie nation tliat sent us 
 forth; bless the President of our great republic; bless all the people of our favored land, whose 
 national banner we now wave over this di.-tant country. ^ 
 
 And now may the God of our fathers guide and direct our returning footsteps to those who 
 wait to greet us witli joy in i,'>e homes and land we love. May no evil befall us ; no sin stain our 
 souls; no error lead us at,- .ay from Thee and duty. Hear us for the sake of Ilim who hath taught 
 us to pray: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingd' ti come; Tiiy will 
 be done on earth as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread; forgive us our trespasses as 
 we forgive them who trespass against us ; lead us not into temptation, but deliver ua from evil ; for 
 Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen I 
 
 ! S 
 
 
 : ^ 1 
 
 
 
 
 ,1^ 
 
 
 ■ 1 
 
 
 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 it 
 
 J 
 
 "nk pu;s ultra." 
 
 w 
 
 lu 
 
 a 
 
 % ! 
 
A SAILOK'S IDEA OF THE NOBTH-POLE. 
 
 257 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 DISCOVERIES AT THE POLE.— LEAVING THE POLAR SEA.— ESCAPE THROUGH THE 
 
 ICE-BARKIER. 
 
 FOR a description of the land discovered by the Vivian as she ap- 
 proached the pole, and of the scientitic observations made by both 
 ships during their stay in tlie open polar sea, we must ask the reader's in- 
 dulgence. AVe are permitted to state, howevei-, that nothing out of the 
 usual order of things M'as found there. Disappointment awaits those who 
 liave supposed that the North-pole is nothing more than a flag-staff firmly 
 set in tlie eartli at tlie point wiiere there is neither latitude nor longitude. 
 One of the sailors of the Vivian was possessed with this idea, which he 
 expressed in the hearing of Frank. The young gentleman good-naturedly 
 endeavored to undeceive the illiterate mariner, and made the following 
 explanation : 
 
 "The word 'pole,' as applied to this part of the earth, does not mean a 
 staff or pole of wood. It is derived from the Greek ttoAo^ (polos), which 
 means a pivot or axis, and is supposed to be the pivot on which the earth 
 turns around once in twenty-four hours." 
 
 " But I don't see any pivot at all," responded the sailor; " a'ld if there's 
 a shaft for the world to turn on, it seems to me there ought to be a gudgeon 
 for it to turn in." 
 
 Fred abandoned the attempt to give instruction in physical geography 
 to one who was so literal" he contented himself with the reflection that 
 the sailor was not alone in believing that the axis of the earth is something 
 more than imaginary. 
 
 Disappointment also awaits those who have imagined that the open 
 polar sea is more like the tropics than the arctic regions. It is warmer 
 there than farther south, as had been established by the observations of 
 several explorers previous to the Viviati's voyage, but it is by no means 
 like the Gulf of Mexico or the Sea of Arabia, as some writers would have 
 us believe. The birds that fly to the north make their summer homes 
 and their nests on the islands of the polar sea, but at the approach of 
 
 17 
 
fll 
 
 m 
 
 -si 
 
 258 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 winter tliey retreat to the southward, like the feathered inhabitants of 
 
 Greenland and Labrador. 
 
 Birds are very abundant on all the islands of the polar sea, as naviira- 
 
 tors have long believed through observing the vast numbers that fly north- 
 ward. There is no one to distur!) 
 them, and tliey ean breed in perfect 
 security, so far as the presence of man 
 is concerned. The arctic foxes may 
 trouble their nests occasionallv, but 
 
 
 AN UXWKLCOMK VISITOR. 
 
 the number they can devour, in the egg or out of it, can make no per- 
 ceptible impression on the size of the flocks. The fox goes long distances 
 in search of food, and generally knows where it is to be obtained. It is 
 
(JEORGK'S CARUIKR riOEONS. 
 
 259 
 
 proliablo that he exists tlirongli sill the ishuuls of the far North, and iiiij^ht 
 tell the story of the pole if ho could speak or write. 
 
 One day George made a suggestion, whicli was adopted hy 'oinniander 
 Brousoti, and also by Captain (iirard as soon as he heard of It 
 
 "Here are these birds all about us," said George, "a t they'll go 
 south at the end of their breeding season. Suppose we catch as numy as 
 we can, and mark their wings with the date of our reaching the })ole, aiul 
 the name of the shij) ; we can do this when there is nothing else to occupy 
 our time; and, besides, it will not di'aw our attention from the scientiH(! 
 work, as the catching and marking can be done by the sailors. If we 
 should be so unfortunate as not to escai)c from this polar sea, or be de- 
 layed here for a winter or two, perhaps one of these birds will be the 
 means of telling how far we came t' m^ vorth. 
 
 li 
 
 MAUKIXG A CAIUUKU-PIOEON. 
 
 "They mark the wings of carrier-pigeons in the way I propose," he 
 continued, "and it will be an easy matter to do so with these birds. Of 
 course there is not one chance in a thousand, or even ten thousand, that 
 one of them Mill fall into the hands of anybody who will find the mark, 
 and know wliat it means; but that is a risk we must take." 
 
 Stamps similar to those used in post-offices were pi-epared from mov- 
 able types, giving the names of the ships and the dates of their reaching 
 the pole; after that time, whenever a bird not needed for focnl was taken, 
 the mark was placed on his Aving and he was libei-ated. Indelible ink 
 
;; |) 
 
 u i li 
 
 20) 
 
 THE VOYAUli OF Tllli "VIVIAN." 
 
 |!i 
 
 f I 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 .j 
 
 li 
 
 i 
 
 S 
 
 was tiscfl for the stampiiij^, so fliat the mark couM not be washed out I)v 
 the "^ea- water. Tlie birds objected to the business, and frequently the 
 sailors W(!re scratched and bitten in a way that would have discouraged 
 persons less hardy thau they were after their winter in the ice. The men 
 considered it cai)ital sport, and while the explorin<^ and 8urv(;ying parties 
 were busy on the islands, the sailors occupied themselves with the con- 
 version of geese, ducks, molloniokes, auks, himmc, and other feathered deni- 
 zens of the polar regions, into carrier-pigeons. 
 
 On one of the islands where they were lookitig for birds, the major 
 and (leorge found a vein of excellent coal coming out close to the water's 
 edge. The disijovery was reported to Commander I'ronson and Captain 
 (lirard, and an examination of the specimens showed that the coal was 
 identical \vith what the Vivla/i'ti bunkers had been tilled when she left 
 San Francisco. 
 
 Already there had been anxiety at the consumption of fuel, atid this 
 discovery was of great importance. The ships were taken into the little 
 bay where the coal was found, mining operations were begun, and in a 
 few days every available place on the Vivian and Gambetta was filled 
 with fuel. 
 
 As the end of Jidy ai)proached it became necessary to consider the 
 future. Should they pass a winter in the polar sea or make their way 
 out at once, if possible ? 
 
 The shi])s had remained nominally in company after the coaling was 
 completed, though frecpiently out of sight of each other among the islands 
 around the pole, or driven apart by the winds. It was understood that 
 when separated they would endeavor to meet again at the spot where they 
 last exchanged signals. It was further understood that if a ship was Jiot 
 at the rendezvous four days after the last exchange of signals, she would 
 not be there for four days more ; but ntdess she was there at the end of 
 the second four days, she was detained by accident or stress of weather. 
 The plan worked very well, and at each meeting notes of the surveys were 
 exchan<::ed, and much valuable information was obtained relative to the 
 winds and currents, by means of simultaneous observations in different 
 localities. 
 
 On the 26tli of July they madx3 a rendezvous in front of the volcanic 
 island which was discovered when the ships first approached the pole. 
 It was a collection of sharp conical peaks, of which the central one was 
 an active volcano. Ordinaril}' there was little more than a thin cloud of 
 smoke and steam pouring from its summit, but when the Vivian ap- 
 proached it on the 2Gth of July it was more active than usual. 
 
AN INTi:UKSTIN(J SIMXTACLK. 
 
 ;'01 
 
 A VOLCANIC KiaiMlO.N. 
 
 "It looks as tliongli wo inij^lit witness a polar oniptioii," said Frtul, as 
 tlioy regarded the volcano from the deck of the ship. 
 
 '"Yes," replied George, "a pyrotechnic disi)lay in honor of our fare- 
 well." 
 
 As they drew near they foinid the violence increasing. Colnnins of 
 smoke and steam rose high in air, and foi'ined a dense cloud above them ; 
 ashes fell on the Vivicvi^n deck, and with the aid of their glasses they 
 could see stones ejected with great force, as though thrown from a cannon. 
 A stream of lava poured down the side of the mountain, and reached the 
 sea at the end of a nai'row bay at its base. There Avere loud reports, re- 
 sembling the crashiui" of whole batteries of aitillcrv tired at once, and 
 altogether the scene was like what may be witnessed at the eruption of a 
 volcano in more accessilde regions. 
 
 Both the youths desired to go on shore, and asked the permission of 
 the commander to do so. But the request was refused, and strict orders 
 were given that no boat should leave the ship except for communication 
 with the Gambetta. There was nothing peculiar about this polar erup- 
 tion, and it was not deemed prudent, under the circumstances, to risk an 
 accident which might prove very serious. 
 
 The Gambetta met the Vivian at the time and ])lu i; agreed ; Captain 
 Girard came on board the Vivian with two of his othcers, and there was 
 
Ki 
 
 !l 
 
 i 
 
 i t 
 
 T 
 
 5 * 
 
 ^. i 
 
 > I 
 
 
 2C2 
 
 TIIK VOYAUE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 n eoiifuronco of mi hour or more on tlie 8ul>jo(!t of thuir fiituro movoinenta. 
 It WHS uj^rc'iul tlmt no j^ood wiw to be gjiincd by Hpoiidiii:^ u winter in tlio 
 Arctic! Sen sntlicient to coniijonsiite for the iittenilunt danger, and it wtw 
 lulvisiiblo to get out of it before tlie advent of the season of cold and 
 darkness. 
 
 " Tliero are two routes wo can follow," said Connnander i'ronson : 
 " we can try that i)y Spitzbergen, or the one through Smith's Sound. 
 
 "If wo enter the ice-barrier, by following the meridian of Greenwich." 
 he continued, "we shall eon)e very nearly upon the track of Pairy, where 
 he found the ice drifting lujuth ahnost as fast as he progressed to the north." 
 
 '•" Trh b'leii^'' renuirked Captain (Jirard. 
 
 "And bv fulluwing the meridian of 150° west," Commander IJronson 
 responded, " we shall strike the ice-belt in the line of the farthest northing 
 of the Nares expedition of 1875-70. Then if we are fortiuiatc in liuding 
 a passage through the barrier wo shall enter Ilobeson Channel, and thence 
 go through Kennedy Channel to Smith's Sound. Once there we liave a 
 well-known route before us through Baliiu's Jiay, Davis's Strait, and the 
 Atlantic Ocean, to an anchorage in New Ycu'k harbor." 
 
 ^^Cest vi(((//uji<jue,^^ iiuawiMvd the French captain. " Je j)roj)ose les 
 deux roitti'tiy 
 
 Connnander I>ronson thought well of the ])roposItiofi, and it was ar- 
 ranged that the Gduibetta should endeavor to find her way out of the polar 
 sea by the route of Spitzbergen, while the Vivian would seek the passage 
 through Smith's Sound. Each would carry despatches and lettei-s for the 
 other, and, in order to give time for their preparation, the ships were to 
 meet four days later, at or near latitude 87° north, longitude 30° west. 
 At that point they would separate, and each was to make the best of its 
 way homeward. 
 
 For the next four days writing materials were iti great demand on 
 board tlie Vivian, and we may be sure the same was the case on the Gaia- 
 hetta. The letters and official despatches were carefully enclosed in a rub- 
 ber bag, whose outside bore in conspicuous letters the address of the Xavy 
 Department, Washington. It was to be delivered to the American consul 
 at the first port of Europe reached by the Ganihetta, and forwarded thence 
 to its destination. 
 
 The ships met as agreed, the letter-bags were exchanged, and then each 
 steered away on its own course. Flags were dipped and guns fired, and 
 the officers and men of both vessels cheei-ed themselves into a condition 
 of huskiness before the freshening breeze carried them out of each other's 
 hearing. Would they ever meet again il 
 
IN 8I0HT OF (IKANT LAND. 
 
 2G3 
 
 JijHt beyond tlio SOth i)aiiillcl a liii'«;o island coinpollrd tho Vivian t<» 
 nuiko a dHoitr to tlic eastward, and when hIio tnnied ai;ain ti> the south 
 she found tlie ieo inereasin^ in ([uantity. Careful ol)Kei'vati(»n dMMired that 
 it wart driftin<^ to tho south, and tho "^ullant craft holdly entered tliy.' pack, 
 and trurtted hersolf to ho carried where it chose to take her. 
 
 Steam was raised on tho enj^ines as soon as the VUian entered the liMi 
 and every advantaj^o was taken of lanes of water, or breaks in the pack, to 
 work tho Hhi|) to tho south. The paijk was not a close one, and tho skill of 
 Captain Jones as an ice-j)il()t, combined with tho elliciency and persever- 
 ance of his otHcers and <M'ew, <^avo a <;o()d result. J»y the noon observation 
 on tho 5th of Au<rust thoy w«'re in latitude S4^ ^5' north, lonjjitude 00" 
 10' west. Seventy-tive miles farther they would be at tho highest point 
 reached by the Nares expedition. 
 
 The ice now closed in, so that the on«j;ine8 wore of little iiso, and tho 
 iires wore put out. The usual [)recautions fur escape in case of tho loss of 
 the ship were taken, and tho deck was piled with provisions, clothin<^, and 
 nuiterials for a journey over tho ice, in the same way as on the [)rovious 
 winter. For the present there was no great danger, as the ice was not as 
 heavy as that which surrounded them to the north of Herald Ishmd. JJut 
 it was pi'oper to bo prepared for anything that might happen, and every- 
 body was ordered to have his knapsack ready at his side whenever he lay 
 down to sleep. 
 
 To describe the oxperioTice of our fiionds in tho ice-pack would bo toll- 
 ing over again the story of their di'ift to tho northward, before their release 
 ill front of President Land. Their progress was slow, often not more than 
 three or four n)iles a day, but sometimes it reached fifteen or twenty miles. 
 On the 20th of August tho coast of Grant Land was in full view, and on 
 tho 23d a sledge expedition was sent out in charge of ]\Iajor Clap]), with 
 instructions to visit the land and seek tho traces of ])revious navigatoi*s. 
 
 According to the calculations they were close to Capo Sherman, and the 
 little harbor where the AUrt passed the winter. 
 
 The major was accompanied by Fred and two sailors, with a team of 
 fifteen dogs and one of the drivers; these dogs were all that remained 
 of the origiiuil foi'ty. Some had died of dis^ease, others had strayed from 
 the ship at different times, and four had jumped overboard while the Viv- 
 ian was cruising in the polar sea. 
 
 The major was insti'ucted to ol>f or-ve carefully tiio bearings of the sliip, 
 and during his absence a large fla/^' w is kept coni=t!U) ; jy flying. He reached 
 the land after about forty hours' travelling, and found that their calcula- 
 tions were con-ect. A cairn sujjposeJ to have been erected by the Aleris 
 
26-1: 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 ¥-n 
 
 f 
 
 crew was discovered ; but though it was carefully taken down, no record 
 could be found. The major killed a musk-ox in good condition, and the 
 whole party was regaled Jipon the flesh of the animal. Choice steaks were 
 reserved, and brought back in sufficient quantity to supply the cabin table 
 
 for a single dinner. 
 
 A WHALE-SHIP IN WINTER QUARTKUS. 
 
 The expedition was absent three days and a half, and in the mean time 
 the Vivian drifted about fifteen miles to the south. The season was so 
 late that the chance of getting through Smith's Sound was very doubtful ; 
 already the weatiier was cold, and the young ice, wherever there were an}- 
 open spaces, formed to a tiiickness of two inches in a few hours when the 
 wind was not blowing. 
 
 On the 1st of September they were fairly within Robeson Chaniiel. 
 For a week the ice seemed to be very nearly stationary, and Connnander 
 Bronson determined to look for a good place for passing the winter, as 't 
 was pretty certain that Kennedy Channel would close before they could 
 reach it. • 
 
 Under the influence of a strong wind from the north, the pack broke 
 sufficiently to allow the ship to be warped through several leads close up 
 to the eastern shore. A favorable opportunity offered to get the Vivian 
 into Polaris Bay, and it was promptly embraced ; immediately afterwards 
 
WINTERING IN POLARIS BAY. 
 
 26^ 
 
 the ice shut in solidly to the south, and it was decided to pass the wiiitei- 
 where they were. 
 
 The Vivian was laid up about a mile from where the Polaris passed 
 the winter of 1S71-72, and there she remained until the followin«; Julv. 
 She was housed over in the same way as on the previous winter, and a 
 hi"rh bank of snow was built around her. This bank of snow is a ijreat 
 protection against the cold, and makes a great economy of fuel during the 
 long hibernation. Tlie Hudson's Bay and other northern whalers invari- 
 ably surround their ships with snow while lying up diu'ing the winter, 
 and sometimes they give the embankment the appearance of a miniature 
 fort. 
 
 Fred and George were greatly interested when they learned i were 
 at the scene of Captain Hall's last winter in the far North. As soon as 
 they cculd obtain permission tliey visited his grave, which they had no dif- 
 liculty in finding through the description by Captain Tyson. They found 
 
 GRAVE OF CAPTAIN HALL. 
 
 that the board originally placed tliei-e had been blown down by the wind, 
 and the ins(!ription almost wholly obliterated. Tlie brass tablet, whicli 
 was placed at the foot of the grave by the Nares Expedition, wa? undis- 
 turbed. The tablet was prepared in England, and the inscription closes 
 
2GG 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 with tlie words, " Erected by the British Pohir Expedition of 1875, who 
 following in his footsteps, have profited by his experience." 
 
 Another board was prepared, with a copy of the inscription taken from 
 the old one, as follows: 
 
 TO THE MEMOR7 OF C. F. HALL, 
 
 LATE COMMANDER OP THE NOUTH POLAR EXPEDITION, 
 
 DIED NOV. 8, 1871. 
 
 A.GKD GO YKA.RS. 
 
 When this board was ready all the officers and sailoi-s of the Vivian 
 who conld be spured from duty went in procession to the grave of the 
 zealous explorer, and solemnly placed the memorial at the head of his last 
 resting-place. All were silent while Commander Bronson pronounced a 
 brief eulogy in honor of the man whose earnestness, perseverance, and 
 endurance are familiar to all those who have studied the history of arctic 
 explorations. Their memories went back to that sad occasion in the long 
 dai'kness of the arctic wiuter when the crew of the Polaris buried the re- 
 mains of their late commander. Here is the account in Captain Tyson's 
 journal : 
 
 '■'■Nov. 11. — At half-past eleven this morning we placed all tiiat was mortal of our lato com- 
 mander in the frozen ground. Even at tliat hour of tlie day it was almost darlc, so tliat I had to 
 iiold a lantern for Mr. Bryan to read the prayers. I believe all the ship's company was present, 
 unless, perhaps, the steward and cook. It was a gloomy day, and well befitting the event. The 
 place, also, is rugged and desolate in the extreme. Away off, as far as the dim light enables us to 
 see, we are bound in by huge masses of slate rock, which stand like a barricade, guarding the bar- 
 ren land of the interior; between these rugged hills lies the snow-covered plain; behind us the 
 frozen waters of Polaris Bay, the shore strewn with great ice-blocks. The little hut which they 
 call an observatory bears aloft, upon a tall flag-staff, the only cheering object in sight; and that is 
 sad enough to-day, for the stars and stripes droop at half-mast. 
 
 " As we went to the grave this morning, the coffin hauled on a sledge, over which was spread, 
 instead of a pall, the American flag, we walked in procession. I walked on with my lantern a little 
 in advance; then came the captain and officers, the engineer. Dr. Bessel, and Myer? ; and then the 
 crew, hauling the body by a rope attached to the sledge, one of the men on the right holding an- 
 other lantern. Nearly all are dressed in skins, and, were there other eyes to see ns, we should 
 look like anything but a funeral eortlirfc. The Eskimos followed the crew. There is a weird sort of 
 light in the air, partly boreal or electric, through which the stars shone brightly at 11 a.m., while 
 on our way to the grave." 
 
 Lest wo might weary our readers wc will pass briefly over ihe Vivians 
 second winter in the ice. The ingenuity of everybody was taxed to the 
 utmost to make the long night ])ass witluut the inroads of physical and 
 mental disease among the officers and crew, tmd it is our pleasure to record 
 that the effort was successful. Hunting parties were organized whenever 
 
LAST HONORS TO A BRAVE MAN. 
 
 207 
 
 X 
 p; 
 
 c: 
 r: 
 
 r 
 
 
2CS 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 IT) 
 
 'ii 
 
 i 
 
 I*' 
 
 I 
 
 circumstances favored; there were skating, leap-frog, base-ball, and other 
 games in the open air; theatrical and other entertainments were given, as 
 in the previous winter; classes were organized for instruction in various 
 brandies of education ; lectures were delivered ; and altogether, as the 
 chronicles record, " the season passed off pleasantl}'." There was not a 
 single case of serious illness in the entire crew, and nobody " sulked " or 
 became despondent. What an improvement over the experiences of arctic 
 wintering a hundred years ago ! 
 
 The spring came and then the summer, or rather the spring ran so 
 quickly into sinnmer that it required a (piick observer to note the period 
 of transition. AVhen the sun returned above the horizon, several expedi- 
 tions were sent out to explore the interior of the country; but they added 
 nothing of consequence to the data of previous navigators. A sharp look- 
 out was kept for the Urst sign of open water, and after the middle of June 
 no one was allowed to go far from the ship. 
 
 By the 1st of July there was open water both north and south of 
 Polaiis Bay, but the ship still renuiined in her winter position. The ice- 
 drift had begun some time before, and the movement through Robeson 
 Channel into Hall's Basin, and thence into Kennedy Channel, was continu- 
 ous. On the 3d of July the ice in the bay broke in many places, and 
 on the morning of the 4th the Vhnan was free. The anniversary of 
 American independence was henceforth to be doubly remembered by 
 every individual of the ship's company ! 
 
 The wind carried the ice out of the bay, and the Vlvicm followed it. 
 Until the head of Kennedy Channel wat reached, the water was compara- 
 tively clear; steam was ordered on the ei gines, and with its aid they made 
 good progress and p^osed Cape Morton, at ,iie end of PetermauTi Peninsula. 
 Beyond this cape the channel was thickly blvocked with ice, and the engines 
 were powerless to force the vessel through it. 
 
 Captain Jones watched his o[)portunity and made fast to a floe, in a 
 position similar to that taken by the Vloicm when beset in the ice off 
 Herald Island. Tims protected from danger of a "nip," the vessel drifted 
 south with ihe ice through Kennedy Chaimel into Smith's Sound, the speed 
 varying from one to one and three-quarter miles an hour. On the fourth 
 day after leaving the winter position the Vioian was fairly in Smith's 
 Sound, and the opening of the ice allowed her to make use of her engines 
 once more. 
 
 SJje i»as.sed near Tlensselaer Harbor, vdiere Dr. Kane wintered with the 
 Advitnce dui-'ng 1853-55, Here she was caught again in the ice, and drift- 
 ed tlu'ongh Smith's Channel past Port Fouike, a well-known name in arctic 
 
A GATEWAY TO THE POL' 
 
 269 
 
 I ''!'' 
 
 
 MAP OK SMIiH SOUND, AND KKNNKDY' AND llOUESON CHA.N.NKLS. 
 
270 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 diroTiology. It is the place where Dr. llajes wuitered in lSGO-61, in the 
 schooner United States. From that point he made a sledge journey over 
 the ice, and renched latitude 81° 37' north. Dr. Hayes was a firm believer 
 in the open ]K)lar sea, and down to the time of his death he entertained 
 the hope of one day reaching the pole by way of Smith's Sound. 
 
 :if 
 
 ■tail ~ 
 
 m : t 
 
 'I- I I 
 
 V 
 
 i I, 
 
 i 
 
 t.; 
 
 ■ '$ I 
 
 I' 
 
 Littleton Island is at the narrowest part of Smith's Sound, in latitntlo 
 78° 24' north. Of late years it has been a place of deposit of coal and 
 stores for exploring expeditions, and it contains a post-office wliere ships 
 may obtain information of each other. Commander Bronson desired t«> 
 visit the island, and accordinglv thcVivian steamed into a little nook not 
 far from the scene of the loss of the Polaris, and neai-ly opposite Lifeboat 
 Cove, where Dr. Kane found shelter. As the Viinan dropi)ed her anchor, 
 two skin-clad forms came out from among the rocks a quarter of a mile 
 away and advanced to the watei'^s edge. Soon as a boat cuuld be lowered 
 the commander and Major Clapp went on shore, and were eagerly wel- 
 comed by "the whole population." 
 
 The inhabitants included the two individuals already mentioned, the 
 
AN ARCTIC J'OST-OFFICE. 
 
 271 
 
 first strangers our friends had seen since leaving the coast of Siberia. 
 They prined to bo Innnits or Eskimos, and luckily one of them had 
 worked on an American whale-ship, and could speak enough English to 
 make himself understood. He and his comi)anion Jiad come over from 
 the main-land two or three days before, and warn preparing to hme when 
 they saw the Vioian. 
 
 They guided our friends to a heap of coal, which hud hc(u left tlmm 
 tlie previous year by an American supply-ship, in aco^/rdaW'Ce with the ar- 
 rangements mentioned in the early part of this bouk. It was pro^/'cted 
 from the weather by a roof of flat stones, and on one »\de of the roof 
 were painted the directions for finding the " J.ittleton Island J''ost-office..^ 
 Ap|iendcd to the directions were the words, "don't allow natives to acc-o«i»- 
 panv YOU." 
 
 Signal was made for another boat to come ashore, and in a few min- 
 utes it was dancing over the water and among the cakes of ice, bringing 
 l.)r, Tonner with Fred and George. The situation was quickly explained, 
 and while the youths went with the natives to see the spot where the 
 Polaris went ashore, the eU'-'v of the party sought the post-office. 
 
 It was a hole in the soliu' r tck, about a foot square and two feet deep. 
 To its mouth was fitted an inui <Joor, fastened in its place with cement, 
 and so solid was the construction that no tools possessed by the natives 
 could ;nake an ifnpressi(;n on it. The surface of the door was studded 
 \vith the heads of bolts; turning two of these one quarter round, accord- 
 ing to the printed directions issued by the Navy Department to arctic ex- 
 ploring ships, and then sliding two others frt/in the sides towards the 
 centre, Cotnnumder Ih'onson unlocked the door of the safe where tiie 
 letters were concealed. 
 
 The contents of the safe were taken on board ship for examination, and 
 the door was relocked. The bolts were rusty, and the opei-ation had re- 
 quired fully half an hour, which was well enii)l(tyed by the youths. Ac- 
 companying the luitivcs, they liad visited the spot where Ca|)tain IJudding- 
 ton, and those of the crew of the Palarls who were not left on the ice- 
 floe with Captain Tyson, had passed the winter. The English-speaking 
 native, who answered to the name of " Jacsk," said he was at the island 
 wheji Captain Ihiddington and his party sailed away in the two boats they 
 built from the timber of the Polaris. 
 
 lie said the white men passed the winter on the island, living in a 
 house they ere(;f('d on shore, and fitting it up with bunks brought from 
 the ship. In the spring the natives came there, and pitched their tents 
 close by, so that "Polaris Camp" had for a tiuie a lively ap[)earance. 
 
272 
 
 THE VOYxVGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 Before Csiptuin IJuadington left lie gave the wreck of tlie steamer and 
 everything on shore to the chief of the Eskimos, but shortly after the trans- 
 fer the steamer broke loose from her moorings in a gale and drifted out 
 to deep water, where she sank. The natives were obliged to content them- 
 selves Nvith what was left on shore, but they mourned earnestly the loss of 
 the ship and the abundant store of wood of which she was constructed. 
 
 t 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 POLARIS CAMP. 
 
 iiJ 
 
INTEKNATIONAL ODSEUVING STATIONS. 
 
 273 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 TIIK SIGNAL SERVICE STATION'.— FROM LITTLETON' ISLAND TO rPERN'AVIK. 
 
 Tj^YIDENTLY tlic post-oftictc on Littleton Island was nof extensively 
 -^-^ pntronizetl, as it contained only three letters and a newspaper, tlie 
 latter more than a year old. The lettei's were for the nse of any one who 
 choose to read them ; they recorded the visits of e\[)l()i'in<!; slii[)s, hnt there 
 was no news of special interest to our friends. There was a memorandnm 
 concerning- the sijiijnal service party nnder Lieutenant (irreely, which is 
 known to the readers of the news[)apers as " The Greely Colony." 
 
 Connnander JJronson read this [)aper curetidly, and then exi)lained 
 as follows, partly in his own words and partly from the notes: 
 
 "Lieutenant Weyprecht, of the Austrian North-pole Expedition, recom- 
 mended that a ring of ohscrving stations should bo placed around the 
 pole, as near as was consistent with safety, for the }iin"i)ose of making 
 meteorological observations for the period of one year. His plan included 
 the joint action of several nations, and at the thiee Interiuitional Polar 
 Cotiferences, held at Ilandjurg, in 1S79, at IJei-ne, in 1S80, and at St. 
 Petersburg, in ISSl, the pi-ogramme and details were settled. At the last 
 meeting it was decided to delay the beginning of the enterpi-ise from 1881, 
 as first proposed, until 1SS2. .Preparations had been made in the L'nited 
 States, however, for carrying out the original programme, and in the smn- 
 mer of 1881 two ex[)editions set out, one for the northernmost point of 
 Alaska, under Lieutenant P. II. Ray, the other, under Lieutenant A. W. 
 (jlreelv, for Disco\erv ILirbor, Lady Fraidclin Bav, 81° 50' north latitude, 
 and 65° west longitude, 500 miles from the pole. The other ten stations 
 selected were Fort Ray, north of Manitoba, by the Riitish ; Cund)erland 
 Island, north of Hudson's Bay, by the Germans; Goodhaab, Greenland, by 
 the Danes; Jan Mayen Island, by Austria; Spitzbei'gen, by the Swedes; 
 Dosskopp, near North Cai)e, by Norway; a point near the White Sea, by 
 Finland; Nova Zeml)la, by the Russians, who had another station at the 
 mouth of the Lena River iti Siberia; and Dickson Haven, near the mouth 
 of the Yenisei River, by ♦:iie Dutch. 
 
 IS 
 
M ' 
 
 fe'i 
 
 I ). 
 
 " 1 
 
 ■rl 
 
 27-1 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 "The Dutch expedition failed to reach its destination, liaving been 
 caught in tlie ice in the Kara Sea. Observations were made during the 
 winter, however, and the j)aity made tlieir escape when their vessel sunk, 
 on the breaking uj) of the ice in the following summer. 
 
 "The most northerly of these stations was manned by officers and 
 men of the United States Signal Service, under command of Lieutenant 
 Greely, and they went there in the sunitner of 18S1, a year in advance 
 of the rest. The expedition was carried to its destination on the steamer 
 Proteus, and it was agreed that a ship should be sent to its relief in the 
 following year, or in the sunnner of 1S83 at fartliest." 
 
 "Then they have all been taken away by this time," one of the youths 
 remarked. 
 
 " Not yet," was the answer. " Lieutenant Greely was to start south by 
 the 1st of Septembei', 1883, if no help reached him before that time, and 
 it had been arranged that the relief st» umer should land stores at Littleton 
 Island on her way up. Thus, in case of the loss of the steamer, he would 
 accomplish his retreat in boats or on sledges, and fuel sure of finding stores 
 at Littleton Island. Uut this memorandum savs the relief steamer, the 
 Proteus, the same that carried him north in 1881, did not stop here on 
 her way north, and she was crushed in the ice before she c(jukl reach Ladv 
 Franklin Bav. Her crew returned to the south, and thus there was no 
 comnnmication with the men who had passed two winters in this very 
 liigh latitude." 
 
 " And what became of them ?" 
 
 " Hopes and fears are about equally balanced," was the commander's 
 answer. "We may believe that Lieutenant Gieely remained at Lady 
 Franklin Bay for a third winter, and found sufficient food by killing 
 musk -cattle, bears, seals, and walruses before winter set in; or we may 
 think he started south, was relieved by the Eskin)os of Cai)e York, and 
 reached the Danish settlements of Northern Greenland. Then there is 
 ground to fear that he and his men endeavored to carry out the programme 
 laid down for them, but perished of hunger on reaching Littleton Island 
 and tinding that the promise of a deposit of provisions had not been car- 
 ried out. Of course there has been a court of incpiir}^; everybody con- 
 cerned is endeavoring to shift the responsibility on the shoulders of some- 
 body else, and with a fair prospect of success." 
 
 "What a pity we did not know about it when we were on our way 
 south !" one of the youths remarked. 
 
 "It is indeed," answered the commander, "as we might have searched 
 the bay and perhaps found the members of the observing party ; besides, 
 
.SKAHIH :()1{ THK GKKKLV COLONS. 
 
 275 
 
 wo could liave reiieu't'cl our Btock of fuel. TIicmc is suid to l)o a fine feeiiin 
 of antlirac-ite coal at Discovery Harbor; sonio hay it is the fiiieht in tlio 
 wctrld, ami could furiiisili an inexliaustililu stij)i)|y for all the wants of 
 iiaviij'atioii." 
 
 " A vei-y sitiiill seam would supply all that will he wanted for navi<;a- 
 tion here," said Captain doiies, "and there is no chance that it (;an ever ho 
 carried to anotlier market. " 
 
 " Well, at any rate," responded the major, "Lieutenant Clreely did not 
 suffer for want of fuel." 
 
 " No, it was the existence of this vein of coal that caused the selection 
 of Lady Franklin IJay as an ol)8erving station. Y\)n nuiy he sni-o there 
 have been plenty of denunciations of the selection since the mishap of 
 IS.SJ}, and dozens of scientiiic men can demonstrate that it w'as unwise. 
 
 "Public attention has doubtless been roused by this time, and you may 
 be sure there will be plenty of relief sent in the suimner of hSS-t, perhaps 
 when it is too late. Some of the ships used for whale or seal tishing will 
 be bought or chai'tered, and sent here as soon as the season will permit."* 
 
 A record of the visit of thiiViu/aii was prepared, and then the whole 
 party returned to the island, carrying the letters and })aper that had been 
 taken from the strong-box in the rock. The most interesting reading to 
 our friends, apart from the account of the signal service, was in a letter 
 from 8an Fiaucisco, printed in the newspaper which was found in the 
 box. It gave a long account of the outfitting and dei)artnre of the Vivian, 
 and her vovaije across the Pacific Ocean. It said the latest news from her 
 had just arrived by a whaling shij), which received a bag of letters from 
 the Vivian in the vicinity of Herald Island. " Actcording to what I can 
 learn of the contents of the letters," said the wi'iter of the communication, 
 "the Vivian was about to enter the icy harrier in the hope of finding her 
 wa\' to the pole. Perhaps she will come out through Smith's Soimd, or 
 1)}' way of Spitzbergen, and it is to be hoped the government will keep a 
 sharp watch for her, as it did for the Jeannette in 18SL" 
 
 "Perhaps we shall meet a relief expedition before wo get far from 
 here," said the commander, as he finished the printed letter. " Who knows 
 but they will send to this very island to find us?" 
 
 "And we're ready to be found," said the nuijor, "although we ai" not 
 sadly in need of relief." 
 
 * Tlie autlior earnestly hopes to be able to add a note, at the end of this vohime, announcing 
 tlie safety of tlie Greely jtarty. Thonsli not without misgivings, lie believes they I'oniained at Lady 
 Franklin Bay during the winter of 1883-84, subsisting on the products of the country, as already 
 indicated, and came south in the spring to meet a relief party at Littleton Island or UpernaviU. 
 
^^ vis* 
 
 IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-3) 
 
 // 
 
 O 
 
 1.0 If "^ 1^ 
 
 I.I 
 
 m Iii2 
 
 ■ 2.2 
 !£ |i£ 12.0 
 
 I' 
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 WUu 
 
 1.8 
 
 L25 Hiu 
 
 1^ 
 
 y] 
 
 7 
 
 
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 /M 
 
 Fhotogr^hic 
 
 Sciences 
 
 Corpomlion 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 

 , ■ 
 
 1 
 
 '37G 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 "If yon see an oj)enin«^ in tlie ice, and a <;liaiue of ^ettini^ away from 
 here," said tlie cominaiider to the captain, as they started for tlic shore 
 ajrain, " lire a «]fnn and lioist the recall 8i<^na]. We'll come back in a hurry, 
 and you can trip the anchor as soon as you sec us on our way. 
 
 KSKIMO IN WINTER DRESS. 
 
 "We niijjht take some of this coal," he continued, as they reached 
 the land, "hut I don't think we'll need it as badly as some that may come 
 after us. We've enonirh to jjet to Upernavik, unless we have a hard time 
 in the ice on our wav down." 
 
 They returned the letters and })aper to the box, and with them the rec- 
 ord of the Vivimi's visit. Then they clos-ed the box again, according to 
 the directions, and restored the Littleton Island Post-office to its original 
 condition. Of course they had been joined by their Eskimo friends as 
 
A NIGHT OF TERIL. 
 
 277 
 
278 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN. 
 
 W: ■ : 
 
 poon as they landed, but these fellows had been judiciously taken to one 
 bide, and kept there by Fred and the major wliile the box was beinj^ closed. 
 
 Then they looked around for traces of the visit of any of the Greely 
 party, but found none. Evidently nobody had lived on the island since 
 the crew of the Polaris wintered there, with the excejHion of the wander- 
 ing Eskimos who had occasionally visited it for a very brief stay. 
 
 A gun from the steamer attracted their attention, and they hastened to 
 obey the signal. When they reached her side she was ready to start, and 
 before they had mounted to the deck the water was churned into foam by 
 the screw. 
 
 "There's an opening in the ice around the point," said the captain, 
 " and I want to make the most of it." 
 
 "Make it as fast as you like," answered the commander; "you can't 
 go south too rapidly for us. 
 
 " It was not far from this ])oint," said he, " that the Polaris separated 
 from the floe party, as described by Captain Tyson in his narrative. The 
 ship was drifting south with the ice, and was about opposite Littleton 
 Island on the iifteenth day of October. A gale arose, the ship was nipped 
 by the ice, and there was great fear that she would be crushed and sunk. 
 Boats and provisions had been placed on the ice in anticipation of such 
 ail event, and while Captain Tyson and eighteen others were engaged in 
 arranging things, so as to save as much as ix)ssible, the ship, to use his 
 words, 'broke away in the darkness and was lost to sight in a moment!' 
 
 "It was in the nii^ht, and a fearful snow-storm was rai'ins;. Some of 
 the men were left on small cakes of ice, but were gradually brought to- 
 gether by their shipmates, who made good use of the boats for this work. 
 When all were assembled the boats were hauled on the ice, and everybody 
 sought what shelter he could get till morning. 
 
 " It was in this way that the renjarkable voyage of T^'son and his party 
 on the ice-floe had its beginning. Fortunately there were several natives 
 with Captain Tyson who ujiderstood how to catch seals, and it was on seal 
 and bear meat that the shipwrecked mariners mainly lived until they were 
 rescued. Let us hope that we may not have to rei)eat their experience by 
 a journey on an ice-floe." 
 
 As the Vivian steamed away from her anchorage, she was followed a 
 short distance by one of the natives whom they had left on shore. lie was 
 an object of great curiosity to our young friends, as they had not yet seen 
 an Eskimo in a skin canoe. 
 
 The skin canoe, or hyach^ of the Eskimo is very much like the haidar 
 of the inhabitant of North-eastern Siberia, both in shape and the material 
 
AN ESKIMO KYACK. 
 
 2V0 
 
 of wliifh it 18 constrncted. It is made of seal-skin Rtretclied over a fnune, 
 
 and is sharp at both ends; it curves ulniost in the funu of a bow from 
 
 stem to stern, and the occupant sits 
 
 in a hole near the centre. The skin - » ^ 
 
 that forms the deck is drawn tij^ht- 
 
 Iv around him, so that he suffers no 
 
 injury if the water breaks over the 
 
 boat. 
 
 The natives go fearlessly on the 
 water in these apparently frail boats, 
 and will often venture where the 
 white man hesitates with his strong- 
 er constriK'tion of wood and iron. 
 To propel this craft they have oars, 
 or paddles, with blades at both ends; 
 the blades are dipped alternately in 
 the water, and the little /'yac/t* goes 
 along at a wonderful rate. 
 
 "They perform curious feats with these /ryncl's,''^ sai<l the major, as the 
 party were looking over the side of the ship and admiring the dexteiity 
 with which the native handled his little craft. 
 
 "They will tm-n somersaults in the water," he continued, "and keep it 
 np a dozen times in succession." 
 
 Of <;c»urse this assertion caused some suri»rise, and the major went on 
 to explain : 
 
 AN KSKIMU AKl.UAT. 
 
 80Mlil::iALI.l' IN A KVAt'K. 
 
2S0 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 \i ' : 
 
 ■.I' 
 
 iil 
 
 " It is proper to say tliat only a few can do it, and tliey never make the 
 attempt nnlcss a friend is present with his hijack to render any needed 
 assistance. 
 
 " I once saw a Greenland Eskimo perform it. lie tnrned over and 
 over till we thought he did not intend to stop, and felt himself well paid 
 for the feat with the present of a pocket-knife. One n)oment he was com- 
 pletely nnder water and the next ahove it, and he was so well secm'ed in 
 his place that only his hands and face were v.et. The danger of the ])er- 
 f(»rniance lies iii the risk of his paddle breaking while he is under water, 
 and also the chance that he mav make a false stroke. 
 
 '"Another trick they j)erform is for a native to run his hyack over an- 
 other without injur}' to either. This he does by dashing forward at the 
 greatest speed and jjassing the bow of his own boat over the centre of hi? 
 friend's, just in front of where its owner sits. There is less liability to in- 
 jury to either craft than to the occiipant of the one that is overrun ; a 
 little miscalculation may send the point of liie lyack through the man, who 
 is so bound in his place that he cannot get out of the way." 
 
 The steamer turned the point of Littleton Island and put her prow in 
 the direction of Baffin's I'av. The ice covered the water to the eastward, 
 close up i^ the Greenland shore, but along the western side of the strait 
 there was oikmi water, and the Vivian went through the loose pack with- 
 out much difficulty. It was ten or twelve hours before she was fairly out 
 of the ice, and where she could get along without nsinfj her enfjines. 
 
 The tires were extinguished and the ship proceeded nnder sail, passing 
 Ellesmere Land and North Devon without hinderance. Off the entrance 
 of Lancaster Sound the ice became thick again and the fires were re- 
 kindled. 
 
 From Lancaster Sound the Vivian headed sonth-easterl}' across Baffin's 
 Bay, and live days and four hours after she left Littleton Island she was 
 within twenty miles of the coast of Greeidand, in latitude 73° 35' north, 
 lontfitude 5G° 25' west. 
 
 "We are now," said the captain, "in the latitude of Tossac, and directly 
 in front of it. It is the most northerly inhabited spot on the globe, not 
 counting the dwellings of Eskimos at Cape York and other points. It 
 consists of a single frame house with several huts and tents. The owner 
 is a Dane, and has command of the northern district of Greenland ; he 
 rules over a vast territory, and his most ninnerous subjects are bears, seals, 
 and other denizens of the regiouii of ice." 
 
 " How far off are his neighbors?" somebody asked. 
 
 " It is about iifty miles from Tossac to Upernavik" (U-j?ern-a-vik), was 
 
ARCTIC "HIGH LIFE." 
 
 281 
 
 tlic reply. "The latter Is tlie capitsil of a district of the same name; tlio 
 district extends fntiii latitude 70*^ to 74°, and includes K(»n)e cij^ht or ten 
 settlements, each with a local governor and a few other inhabitants. In 
 some of these settlements the govenu»r is the only vhite inhabitant, and 
 if he has any family his wife is pretty certain to he a native. 
 
 "Dr. Hayes describes the Governor of Karsuk,'' the captain contin- 
 ued, "as a native of Denmark, who was married to an Eskimo woman and 
 lived in a hut rudely constructed of earth and stones; but it differed from 
 
 THK MOST NUUTIIKUN UOL!>E UN TIIK ULOBG. 
 
 the native huts around it in having; a section of government stove-pipe 
 sticking through the roof, and in bjing lined with pine boards^ obtained 
 from the chief of the district at Upernavik. Xo other house was per- 
 mitted to be as elegant as the governor's, and by comparison with the rest 
 it might be called a palace. 
 
 "In the common houses the family and the dogs lived together, but 
 the governor had a separn'.e residence for his dogs a short distance from 
 his own. His house had a window, while the others had none ; and while 
 the single room of his dwelling was sixteen feet by twenty, the others 
 
282 
 
 Tin: V()YA(ii: OF TIIK 'VIVIAN." 
 
 * 1- 
 
 A nUKKNI.AM) COVKUNOIt. 
 
 wore only eiijlit feet by twelvi'. Tliu ijovcnior liud no troMhli! to niiiiii- 
 tiiin liis iiiitlioiity with the few natives under Iiis eontrol. T\\v\ piiid the 
 taxes in oil and eeal-tskins with great pronn)tne!j8, and altogethi'r eondiietcd 
 themselves like well-ilisposed hultjeets. 
 The <^(»vernnient jxu-chases all the 
 whalehonc;, oil, narwhal - ivory, eider- 
 down, and other |»i"odiict.s ol" the re<j;ion 
 that the natives have to srll, and pays 
 for them in money, or in goods from the 
 storehouses." 
 
 "And thcv do one thini' whieh otlier 
 govennncMits mi:;) it iiuitiito to lulvan- 
 taj^e," said the maj<»r; "they sell to the 
 native anythinn: he wants in the way of 
 food, clothinij;, tea, eolTee, or (tther goods, 
 with the single exeeption of spirits. All 
 tralK'. in spii-its is forbidden, and thus 
 the natives are not in sueh a eonditiou 
 
 of demoralization as those of the Siberian coast. It is a pity Russia will 
 not follow the example of Denmark, and forbid the traffic in spirits in her 
 Siberian ports and aniong tlie natives." 
 
 "The rule of Denmark in Clreenland has been of tlie most ])atornal 
 and conciliatory character," added Dr. Tomier. "Its object has been to 
 make the natives useful subjects, instead of keeping them in a state of 
 de[)endence ; tlusy are encouraged to be industrious and provident, and as 
 they tind their rulers set them a good example, they have nearly all em- 
 braced Christianity." 
 
 George wished to know something of the Greenland form of govern- 
 ment. 
 
 "Circenland is a province of Denmark," was the reply, "and the ca)> 
 ital is at Julianshaab, near the southern extremity of the peninsula. It 
 has a population of about seven thousand, and is divided into twelve dis- 
 tricts; the inhabitants live along the coast, as the interior is quite unfit 
 for human beings to dwell in. The governor lives at Juliau-ihaab and has 
 general jurisdiction over the (country, but his power is far from absolute. 
 The six northern districits aic united into one inspectorate, and the six 
 southern districts into another. Each inspectorate is eontroUed by an 'in- 
 spector;' the governor at Jidianshaab cannot overturn an inspector's de- 
 crees, tlough ho mav secure his removal. Each town or hunting-station 
 can send a representative to the parliament which meets at Julianshaab; 
 
T!IK OOVKKNMKNT (»K (iK'KKM.AM). 
 
 2S3 
 
 tlic govcniment !« tlicroforo one in wliiitli tlio people have a voice, iiiid 
 any inattor, however tri\ijil, iiiiiy bo brought up lor the eoiitiiilunitioii of 
 parliiiiiient. 
 
 " Dr. Haves visited the Piirliament hoiit^e. while the tlirttiiii;iii>he(l ImmIv 
 was in session. He t^uNs, ' 'I'lu; honse is a (tne st«»rv plain bnihlinir, about 
 sixteen by twenty feet, an<l bnilt of itine boards. Tliert^ is a siM«d(^ r» nn 
 inside whieh contains a loni; table llanked with roni^h benches, on which 
 the parliamentarians hit. 'I'heio are twelve nienibcrs of pailiainent, and 
 the thirteenth seat at the head of the fable is occupied by the past(»r of 
 Jiilianshaab, who presides over the sessions. The members are (b'essed 
 in seal-skin trousers and Gnernsey frocks, and such a thini^ as a coat to 
 
 ^^^fr^^ivk'^^'j^H''^^^ \ 
 
 TIIK UOVKUNoKS UKSIIJKNCK. 
 
 cover the broad suspenders which cross the back would seem to be un- 
 known.' 
 
 *' The ijovernment presents a cap to each member as a badi:^e of ofKce, 
 and this cap must be worn while parliament is in session. It is ma(h^ of 
 sc;ii'let cloth, with a br )ad "rilt band around it; on the fi'ont of the caj) are 
 t.jie royal emblems of Denmark, and above them the insiirnia (tf the colony 
 of Greenland, in the shape of a polar bear standing on his hind-legs. The 
 
2S4 
 
 THK VOVAfii: OF TMi: "VIVIAN." 
 
 il 
 
 { 
 
 air of tlie lo<;islativ(» liiill is riHlolcnt of fish, mid iicurlv all tlio transactions 
 relati; in Honiu way to tisliinj; or litintinjj;, <jjL'nt'rally tlio former, 
 
 "For example: while Dr. Iluytrt was prescMit at the session a native 
 came to present a petition. He had lost his /t't/ncl- while tishin<^, and pro- 
 duced eviden(t(! that it was (rriished l>v the ice. He had a family to sno- 
 port, and no means of living: ince he lo.-t his hoat. l*arlian»ent consitleieil 
 his ease, and sent him to the /xovermnent storehouse to woi'k at eleven 
 <-ents a dav ; hib wife was all Aved to draw a bmall allowance of food for 
 
 A (iltKKNI.AM) PAKI.IAMKNT IN SKS!<IU.N. 
 
 herself and children from the storehouse every week, and the value of it 
 was to he charged to the account of parliament. 
 
 "There were several cases in which men had lost their boats or fishinir 
 implements; where the accident was not caused by their own carelessness, 
 and the sufferers were thrown out of employment by their losses, they were 
 reind)nrsed by the parlianient. The i-eason of this is that it is desirable to 
 keep the peoi)le from idleness; and, fni'thermore, the public revenues are 
 increased by the industry of the inhabitants. In some cases the nioney is 
 not given, but loaned to the applicant for relief, and lie is allowed to repay 
 it in one or two years." 
 
 " But suppose," said Fred, "a man repudiates his debt, and doesn't pay 
 at all, what will the government do about it?" 
 
 " If he does so from further misfortune," was the reply, " and the 
 facts are shown, the time for payment is extended ; but if his refusal to 
 pay is based on idleness, or unwillingness to meet his debts, there is a very 
 effective way of bringing him to terms." 
 
Tin: SKAT or (iovi:un.mi:nt. 
 
 L'Jj5 
 
280 
 
 TMK VUVA(Ji: OF TlIK "VIVIAN." 
 
 "Wlmtirttlmtr 
 
 "The amount of tlic lonn is dcdimtGd from wlint lie briii'jB to the ffov- 
 cnimciit htoiclioiisu for buIu; uiid if this plan fiiiJH, he iii not uMowiMl to 
 buy unythin<; thv.n^ on any terms. The i^ovcrnmcnt has tho only hhops 
 or 8toi('s in the country, and it is im|>o>sihk! to ohtain tea, cofl'i'i', sujumr, 
 broad, ^ii!ih, H.'.hini; impli'mcnts, ammunition, or anytliiui; cl^o, excH'pt at 
 its warehouhcs. Tiiu obstinate man can't hold out lon<; imdcr these cir- 
 iMunstances. Crinjcs are wvy rare in (ireenland; snnill ones are punislual 
 by tines, and in capital cases tho accused is sent to Copcnha<;en for trial. 
 
 '•Tiiev have hero an excrellont system for encourai'inj' incbisfrv. The 
 government buys everythin<; the native has to sell, and |iays him in money 
 or goods as he nuiy ])refer. There is a certain standard of prices for 
 
 SHIPS LOADINQ WITH KRYOLITE AT IVIKTCT, OREENLASD. 
 
 every article brought in by a native until he has readied a certain figure; 
 above that figure there is a sliding-scale of higher prices as an inducement 
 to industry. 
 
 " Perhaps yon may not fully understand me. "Well, suppose the stand- 
 ard price of seal-skins to l)e ten cents, and that each man is expected to 
 catch a thousand seals every year; he gets ten cents for each skin, whether 
 
TIIK UOYAL liKLENLAND FISHING AND TKAUINd COMrANV. 287 
 
 he hrinufs in a tlioiiPiiiKl or <uily n limiflicd. Hut for every bkiti Itetsvecn 
 one tlioiiHUiid mid tuelvo liimdied lie r«.'(;ei\ort twelve cents; lietweoii 
 twelve limidred and foiirteeti liiiiHlred, iifU'eii (rents a skin; and Itetween 
 tilfeeii hundred and two thousand he receives twenty cents a hkin, or 
 donhio tlie Hi-Ht stamlard. These are not the exact tij^nreu, hut are j^iven 
 to illustrate the system." 
 
 George wished to kiU)W when this plan was adopted, and how long 
 Greenland had heen under the ctnitrol of Dennuirk. 
 
 "In the vcar 1781," said the Doctor, ' the Iloval Cireetdand Fishlni' 
 and Trailin<j; ('( inpany wa» formed on nuich the name plan as the Hudson 
 ]5ay and the Kast India comj)anies. It received a charter |i;ivini( it the 
 exclusive control oi conunerce in Greenland and the iiMina^cment of the 
 natives; fortumitely the company was in the hands <»f men who thoujrht 
 
 more o 
 
 f duiii 
 
 >ir trood amon;; tne savaj'es tnan o 
 
 )f mal 
 
 Kmir inone 
 
 y 
 
 Its profits. 
 
 while fair, have not heen larj^e, and the prosperity of the ])eopIe has heen 
 carefully looked after. Spirits and other injiuious thinu;s have heen ex- 
 eluded, and no foreigner is allowed to trade with any Danish snhject in 
 Greenland. The natives have all the civilization they need, and for more 
 than a century everythinji^ has gone on i)eaceahly." 
 
 Here the conversation was interrupted by the announcement thrl tlicy 
 would soon be in the harbor of Upernavik, uidess prevented by accident. 
 
 ENTERING A HARBOR IN GREENLAND. 
 
 II. u, I 
 
288 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 SIGHTS IN GREENLAND.— NEWS FROM HOME.— END OF THE VOYAGE. 
 
 AS they neared the shore Fred espied a boat of a different construction 
 from the hyaclc^ but evidently of native manufacture. It was com- 
 inj5 out of a narrow passage near one of the islands, and the crew was 
 evidently having a good time, to judge by the laughter that rung over the 
 water. 
 
 Fred called the attention of his friends to the novel craft, and wondered 
 what it was. 
 
 " That is an onmiaJc^ or women's boat," said the captain. " If you 
 permit an Irish bull, you may say it is manned by women." 
 
 " Do you mean that all the crew are women V asked tlie youth ; " there 
 are six or eight at the oars, and one in the stern with the steering-oar." 
 
 AN OOMIAK. 
 
 "Those at the oars are certainly women," replied the captain, "and the 
 other may be either a man or a woman. This is how it happens: 
 
 " The lajack that you saw at Littleton Island is a man's boat, and 
 women are not allowed to use it. The open boat, sucli as you see, is only 
 for women, and a man would consider himself disgraced by being one of 
 
11 
 
 BOATS ROWED BY WOMEN. 
 
 289 
 
 its crew. He nii^lit sit in the stern and steer the boat, but it would be 
 contrary to custom for him to handle an oar." 
 
 "Anyway it is a comfortable looking craft," replied the youth, "and 
 the women seem to understand perfectly how to manage it." 
 
 "They are very expert in the management of tlie oomiah^'' was the 
 response, " and are accustomed to it from infancy. The boat is apparently 
 frail in construction, but it can sail well, and is of great use to the natives 
 for purposes of transportation, A hijack is Mitended for hunting and tish- 
 ing, and has no place for carrying anything more tlian its occupant, while 
 an ooitiiak can hold a great deal of freight." 
 
 Further investigation led to a description of this style of boat. 
 
 The oomlah may be anywhere from fifteen to forty feet in length. It 
 consists of a framework of poles securely lashed together with thongs of 
 seal-skin, and held apart at the top by thwarts which serve as seats. The 
 bottom is flat, and has a rude floor, but a stranger must step very carefully 
 to keep his feet from going through the bottom. 
 
 When the framework is ready it is covered with seal-skins, and as no 
 single skin can be largo enough for a boat, there must be a number of 
 skins sewn together. The women perform this work with sinews, and 
 they do it so well that not a drop of water can leak through. The frame 
 is turned bottom upward and the covering is spread over it, and fastened 
 to the rail with strong thongs. When 'le covering iii put on it is moist ; 
 it shrivels as it dries in the sun, and becomes hard as leather, but it is so 
 full of oil that it has a very slippery feeling. It is impervious to water, 
 and will last a long time unless brought against hard substances. When 
 it dries it becomes translucent, and when you are a passenger in an oomiak 
 you can see how deep you are in the water without looking over the side. 
 
 The next da}^ Fred had an opportunity to inspect an oom'iaJc which 
 was drawn up on the beach at Upernavik, and also to have a near view 
 of its crew. It is safe to say he was fully as much interested in the latter 
 as in the former. 
 
 The crew consisted of seven voung women, six of them " before the 
 mast," wliile the seventh was the commander. Their costume was the 
 funniest that the youth had ever seen worn by a boat's crew, and he was 
 quite sure it would make a sensation among the young ladies of his ac- 
 quaintance who are fond of rowing. 
 
 The dress was of furs and skins. Beginning at the feet, there were 
 long boots of seal-skin reaching to the knee, where they met pantaloons of 
 the same nuiterial ; the boots were of various colors, and some of them 
 quite tastefully painted, and the trousers had bright stripes on the side or 
 
 19 
 
M ' ■ 
 
 2U0 
 
 THE VOYAGK OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 ill front, formed by sewing in pieces of leather of bi-ight lines. Above 
 the trousers was a jacket, witli a bright stripe jnst below tiie waist, and 
 terminating at the throat in white fur or some other ornamental material. 
 The hair was gathered in a knot at the top of the head, and altogether the 
 eostnme of these Greenland boat-women was by no means nnhandsome. 
 
 TUK OOMIAK A.ND ITS CltEW. 
 
 Fred asked what were the uses to which this boat was applied. lie 
 was told that it carried the governor wherever he wished to go in tlie 
 neighborhood ; and when the men went out hunting or fishing in their 
 hjacks, the women frequently followed in the oom'iah to bring home the 
 game or lisli that might be obtained. "They go long distances," said his 
 informant, " and the women do not hesitate to go out in any kind of 
 weather." Ordinai'ily the boat is rowed by its crew, but it has a mast, 
 and when the wind is fair a sail is spread and the l^reeze utilized. If the 
 owner can afford to buy. canvas for his sail, it is made out of that material; 
 but if he cannot endure the expense, the sail is made of seal-skins. 
 
 There are two anchorages at Upernavik, one being an open roadstead, 
 where ships have no shelter from southerly or westerly winds, while the 
 other is a landlocked harbor. The former is directl}' in front of the set- 
 tlement, and is used by ships that intend to remain only a few hours; the 
 latter is behind the town, and beyond a rocky ridge, but, though giving 
 perfect shelter to ships, it is not very easy to enter. Captain Jones de- 
 cided to anchor in the outer harbor until they could communicate with 
 the governor, and determine whether they would proceed at once or re- 
 main a few days. 
 
ARKIVAL IN A GREENLAND PORT. 
 
 2!)1 
 
 Major Clapp and Dr. Tonner wtMit cm shore as soon as the Vivian liad 
 ancliored, and made a call ni>oti the ins[)ector. The latter said he was ex- 
 pecting ships from the South, but none had arrived, with the exception of 
 two or three Scotch whalers who had gone forward to look for whales in 
 Melville I>ay. The yearly ship from Copenhagen would be due in a few 
 days — in fact, sh.o might arrive at any moment — and meantime the stran- 
 gers were welcome to anything in his power to give them. 
 
 He was greatly surprised on learning the route by which the Vivian 
 had arrived at Upernavik, and heartily congrattdated our friends on their 
 success in reaching the ])ole. He said that a sui>ply of provisions and live 
 hundred tons of coal had been left there the ])revious year by an Ameri- 
 can war-ship, for the use of any exi)loring expedition that might need it, 
 and especially any ship fiom the United States. 
 
 
 
 ;!(i 
 
 UPKUNAVIK. 
 
 The major and Doctor returned to the Vivian with the information 
 they had obtained. Commander Jbonsou said he thought no one could 
 have a better right to the coal than themselves; he had exjjected to find 
 coal at Ui)ernavik and was not disappointed. The engineer reported that 
 
292 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 :;i 
 
 u 
 
 tl:* 
 
 ft i 
 
 If 
 
 v' I i 
 
 tlicy Imd lcs3 tliau seven tons loiiirtining, ami therefore a new supply 
 would be very a(H;oi)tiible. 
 
 The Vivian iiniiiediately proceeded to the inner harbor, and in a little 
 while M'as safely anchored where no ordinary wind could distui'b her. 
 While she was beini^ taken from the outer to the inner anchorage, Com- 
 mander I'rouson went on shore with the major to pay a visit to the in- 
 si>ector, and arrange for such assistance as th(!y could have f(tr taking in 
 coal. Fivd and (Jeorge occujjied their time in an inspection of Uperna- 
 vik, and as the })lace was snuill it did not take long. 
 
 The inspector's h(»nso was, as might be expected, the most elaborate 
 building; but even that was not large. There were about twenty other 
 houses, all occupied by Eskimos, and altogether the town had less than a 
 hundred inhabitants. There were a u;ot)d many doijrs wand(!rin<; about: 
 some of them were iiutlined to familiarity not of a friendly nature, but by 
 vigorous nourishing of sticks and Hinging an occasional stone they kept 
 the brutes from doing harm. The houses were anything but cleanly in 
 ap[)earance, and neither of the youths h;',d any desire for a pernuinent res- 
 idence in llpernavik. 
 
 IJack of the settlement, and on the slope of the ridge separating it 
 from the inner harbor, is the cemetery. There are crosses and stones to 
 indicate the position of the graves, and little enclosures (or mounds) of 
 stone. Very little vegetation can be seen at llpernavik, and the ground 
 is so hard that there is rarely any attempt to dig deeply to foi'ui a gi'ave. 
 Bodies are phuted on the surface and covered with stoii'^s: unless the work 
 is thoroughly done, the renuiins become exposed in course of time. The 
 youths foimd one of the coffins nearly uncovered, and through its broken 
 lid the occupant coidd be plainly discerned. 
 
 The inspector returned the visit of the officers of the Vioimi, and re- 
 mained to dine with them. Most of the men of Upernavik were away in 
 pursuit of seal or walrus, and the inspector said he would not be able to 
 give any assistance in loading the coal beyond showing the best way of 
 getting around the harbor. There were two whale-boats in the harbor, 
 which he kindly loaned to the captain; the latter said that by using these 
 boats he could easily load in two or three days all the coal he needed for 
 
 getting to Xew Yoi'k. 
 
 A hundred tons of coal were taken on board by using the whale-boats 
 as barges, and towing them back and forth between shij) and shore. "While 
 the coaling was in progress the inspector asked Commander Bronson and 
 his officers to take tea with him ; the invitation included Fred and George, 
 Cind was gladly accepted by all concerned. 
 
RKCEITION IN TIIK INSPKCTOK'S HOUSE. 
 
 293 
 
 id re- 
 
 Thc lioiipc was cotnfortable, tlioiigli not larnfo, and our friends passed a 
 didiij;litfid hour in tl'c society of the host and liis family. They had tea 
 and coffee, and a variety of little cakes and ^ood thijii^s ])r(^pared by the 
 lady of the honsc?, toi^cther with some cainied fruits which came from 
 Europe or Ainericra. They wore particidarly struck with tlu^ {lowers which 
 were kejtt i:;rowinuj in the windows of the house, and learned that eveiy 
 iiduihitant of (ireenland who can affoid it keeps an abundance of liviui; 
 ]>lants in his dwelliu*'. Dr. Tomier said he had obs(!rved the same thini; 
 in Siberia, where tiie homes of people in comfortable circumstances often 
 resemble conservatories. 
 
 !ir 
 
 TJIE INflPIXTOU AM) I11.S FAMILY. 
 
 AVhen the coal was all on board, and farewell visits had been made to 
 the governor's house, the order for departure was given. Just as the an- 
 chor left the bottom, and the ship was beginning to move, a native came 
 
204 
 
 THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 paddling his hyock into the liarbor in great haste, and yelling at the top of 
 his voice. 
 
 It was not easy to make ont his meaning, but a streak of smoke on the 
 sky served as an interpreter. A steamer was coming! 
 
 The engines were stopped, and the anchor dropped once more to tlie 
 hotlom. The cloud of smoke increased, and in a little while a steamer 
 Hying the American flag came in sight in front of Upernavik and cast an- 
 chor in the outer harbor. The crew of the y voian cheered lustily as they 
 caught sight of their national banner, and there were tears of joy in the eyes 
 of our young friends. Our country's flag is a most welcome sight when 
 we are far from home and in a foreign land. Especially dear must it have 
 seemed to those arctic explorers after their sojourn of two long winters in 
 the regions around the pole ! 
 
 THE NEW ARRIVAL. 
 
 
 It was a ship of the United States Nav}', and as soon as the anchor was 
 dropped she sent an ofl[icer on board the Vivian, with a letter-bag addressed 
 to Connnander Bronson. And what recent dates ! Twenty-two days from 
 New York ! It seemed to carry them home in an instant, and for a while 
 some of the party forgot that they were }et in the far North and within 
 the Arctic Circle. 
 
 There were letters for everybody — for Fred and George, as well as for 
 the eldei's of the party, and also for the junior ofticers and the crew. For 
 an hour or more there was silence on board the ship as the seals were bro- 
 ken and the contents of the missives eagerly devoured. 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 205 
 
 The majority of tlic letters were private, and therefore wo will not ex- 
 amine them. Fred wondered how it had been found out that tliey were 
 coming that way, and why a ship had been sent to meet them at Uperna- 
 vik. A slij) cut from a news[)ai)er and enclosed in one of his letters told 
 the story. It read as f(jllows : 
 
 " It will be remembered tlmt in October of lust year a wild-goose was killed on Lake St. Clmrles, 
 near Quebec, wliieli had the words " Vivian, Xorth-pole, June 9, 18 — ," stamped on the feathers of 
 one wing. As the Vivian was known to have gone in search of the pole, the stunip is supposed to 
 indicate the accomplishment of her object. It was thouglit she would return by way of Smith's 
 Sound, if possible, and the Government will send a steamer in the hope of meeting her at one of 
 the Greenland ports early in July. Letters intended for this ship should be sent in care of the 
 commandant at the Brooklyn Xavy Yard not later than June 10th. The steamer will pr()ceed north 
 as far as uscy be consistent with safety, and if no news is obtained of the explorers, it will return 
 to New York during the month of September." 
 
 So it was one of the carrier-pi<;eons, improvised acciordinir to George's 
 suggestion, that gave the news of the Vivian and her successful voyage to 
 the North-pole ! 
 
 Both ships remained at Upernavik long enough for the Vit'ian to re- 
 ceive a plentiful supply of all the provisions she needed for her voyage to 
 New York. They sailed together, but were sepai-ated in a gale just after 
 passing Cape Farewell, at the southern extremity of Greenland, and did 
 not meet again until they were off Fire Island, about forty miles from 
 Sandy Hook. Almost side by side they crossed the bar and entered the 
 capacious harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River, made a brief halt at 
 Quarantine, and then continued on their course till they dropped anchor 
 between the Battery and Bedloe's Island. Tlte Vivian thus completed the 
 voyage from the Golden Gate to Manhattan Island by way of the north- 
 west passage and the polar sea. 
 
 Four days after her arrival a telegram from Granton, Scotland, an- 
 nounced that the Gamhetta had reached Reykjavik, in Iceland, and after 
 taking coal and stores would proceed to Havre. The youths could not 
 understand why the telegram should be dated at Granton until the major 
 informed them that Hiere was a line of steamers between that port and 
 Reykjavik. " We shall probably i-e(teive letters from our Fi-ench friends," 
 said he, "as soon as the mail can bring them, and also the letter-bag we 
 intrusted to the Gamhetta. They would be very sure not to miss the 
 steamer to Granton." 
 
 Sure enough, the Liverpool steamer, a fortnight later, brought the 
 ViviarCs letter-bag for the Xavy Department, and also a packet of letters 
 in care of the postmaster of New York. The packet was to be delivered 
 
 ! i 
 
290 
 
 THE VOYAGE OE THE "VIVIAN." 
 
 
 REYKJAVIK, ICELAND. 
 
 to Commander Bronson, or any officer of the Vivian, or held to await tlic 
 
 arrival of that vessel. Among- tlie letters was one for George from the 
 
 Yonng officer who assisted him in the preparation of " Parry and Paris." 
 
 With George's permission we translate the material part of his friend's 
 
 missive : 
 
 * -x- *'* * * 4e- * 
 
 " After separating from the Vivian we steered sonth-east, and reached 
 the meridian of Greenwich ahont latitude 85°. There we encountered 
 much ice, and hesitated two or three days before entering the pack, which 
 contained so many bergs as to be very dangerous. At last we found an 
 opening in the pack, and worked our way slowl}' through the lanes and 
 among t!ie floes to latitude 84°. There the pack closed in npon ns, and 
 we had a narrow escape from being (trushed between two enorincs floes. 
 With a great deal of difficulty we sawed and blasted away the ice sufficient- 
 ly to reduce the pressure, and bring the vessel to an even keel. 
 
THE END OF THE VOYAGE. 
 
 297 
 
 "We found that the Ico wiis driftinjif southward, tho same as in Cu|»- 
 tain Pane's sledge journey, and for some time wu had hcjpes that it woiiM 
 enaltle us to j:ijet out before tlie elose of tho season. JJut our proi^ress was 
 so slow that the end of Anyjust fouiul us in latitude 81° 2<»' north, loni^i- 
 tiide 20° east, and it became necessary to look for winter-quarters. On 
 the 1st of Septeujber the ice opened sufliciently to enable ns to enter a 
 small bay in the most westerly of the 'Seven Islands,' and as soon as we 
 were inside it closed again. Wo had hoped to reach Ilecla Cove, where 
 Parry's shij) renniined during his attempt to reach the pole, but this was 
 impossible, owing to the drift of the ice. 
 
 " We passed the winter in much the same way as the previous one, 
 but missed greatly the company of our good friends the Americans. We 
 ■were in less danger from the ice than before, on account of the shelter 
 which our bay nlforded, and we were able to make limiting excm-sions on 
 the ice. We found that tho Dutch navigators had been there before us, 
 and on the rockv shores there were the skeletons of unfortunate sailors 
 who had died there. The solid ground makes it imi)ossible to dig a grave, 
 and the only mode of sepulture is to place the cofhn on the ground hikI 
 cover it with a few stones. Sometimes even this was not done, and in 
 course of time the skeletons became lieshless through the action of the 
 winds and the intense cold. 
 
 "In the spring w'e had some hunting experiences, and made sledge 
 journeys over tho ice to tho northern extremity of Spitzbergen, but dis- 
 covered nothing of importance. We were all glad when the breaking up 
 of the ice released us, and the drift carried us to the westward. We 
 escai)ed from the ice-fields without serious injury, and then sailed past 
 the island of Jan Mayen to Iceland. We tried to land on Jan IMayen, but 
 M'ere prevented by the fog, which made it extremely dangerous to seek a 
 harbor. From Jan Mayen wo sailed to Keykjavik, and here we are once 
 more in connnunication with tho civilized world. Wo hoped to learn soine- 
 thincT about tho Vivian on our arrival here, but are disapj)ointed ; we shall 
 look for letters from you when we reach Havre, and feel confident that 
 
 vou will uot bo far behind us in i-eaching homo." 
 
 * -X- ***** * 
 
 Letters had been sent to Havre, bearing the congratulations of the Viv- 
 iaii's party to all on board the Gainhetta, immediately on tho publication 
 of the despatch from Granton ; consequently each expedition learned of 
 the safety of the other. And so ends the story of 
 
 THE "VIVIAN'S" VOYAGE. 
 
Y 
 
 THOMAS W. KNOX'S WOKKS. Hvo, Cloth. Copiously Illustrate.]. 
 THE HOY Tlt.WELLKHS IN THE FAR EAST. Five I'artH. fl (M) iiuli. 
 FAHT I. AnvKNTiiiKH ok Two Yoi.'TUh in a Jouuney to .Japan and China. 
 
 FAUT II. Si.vM AM) .Iava. Willi DcHcriptioiis of Cocliiii Cliinii, CainlxMliu, 
 Bunmtra, aiitl l\w .Malay Arcliipclagu. 
 
 FAUT III. Ckylon and India. With Descriptions of Borrn'o, the Fhilippiiiu 
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