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This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X Y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th« copy filmed h«r« ha* b««n r«proi;i)rrio.\ to north r,il.:|.|.,|,x^ ,,T^ _ NCHS TO AM) r.. G. DAVIS. A. M., M. !:>. >[ ^ C S M-«KH ..K .11, AKC.I.K....... A. ASSOOATI... ... ru. V.,lJ, I'liNNSVLVANIA, ETC. SITY OP W^//-// .)/.//• ..,A7) //./.rv/A'.-,7-/.)A'.s-. EDWARD STKRN & CO., J', jj ANLi 35 \. Tim,, stkkkt. 1892. CoI'YHIOHTim. l8y2, Hv K. N KKKI.Y, Jr., and C. G. IMVIS. /J 9:1 a. blbctkotyikh hy WHSTCOTT k THOMSIlS, I'HILADA. PRINTBU BV EDWARD STERN * CO , J'HILADA. PR H FACE THK authors have requested ine to write a preface to their story of the AY/r's voyage to the far North. I have jrladly consented, because I not only have a full knowledtj^e of the voyaji;e itself, but also of the book, the authors of which have been my intimate friends for many years. The book needs no apoloj^y. At a time when the whole country is interested in the efforts to rescue the little band of daring explorers who have risked their lives in the cause of science, everything that relates to their journey possesses value, particularly when it is told by one familiar with the members and with the cir- cumstances surrounding their journey to the North. The sentimental interest relating to their fate is scarcely less than was felt concerning that of Sir John Franklin. In the one case it was the sympathy for a devoted wife which caused expedition after expedition to be sent out in search of her courageous husband. In this case another devoted wife refused to leave her husband's side, but has faced the terrors of an Arctic winter with him, and it is to rescue and relieve her that the sympathy of the people has been awakened. The relief expedi- tion has the prayers of a nation that its quest may be successful. /•A'/;/-, ic/:. lint the present book has an interest quite its own in that it relates, in a straightforward wa\-, exactly what was seen and heard by Dr. Keely on his voyage to the North. and which was rect)rded with fi CHAITI-K \I. Coi.i.Ai'SiNr. oi' AN k'KiiiCKC..— In tiik Miuaimjc Hay I'ack. — I'l.oi.s AND Pans.— Hittinc, tiii-: Ick.— Arctic .Sport. — I.IKLTKNANT I'iCARY URKAKS MIS IjvO 85 CIIAITI-R vir. An Accidhnt to tin: Ship. — Num'kd :n tiik Ick.— Hi.ast- iNd.— \Vk Kim, a Bkah. — T.Mti.i-: Ickhkrcs. — C.m'K York Si(iirn:i).— Uriftino with tiik 1'ack 99 CHAI'TI-R VIII. Frkk oxck Mork.— Capk Tarry and Whai.k Sorxn.- An ]-;sKiMo Nil, i.Ac.i:. — Tiik Nativics.— Contrast with Tin: I'ricciANS. — Kki.ics i-ro.m Kski.mo (iR.wics ... 114 CHAI'TKR IX. HkriuvRT Island. — Fo.\-trai>s.— a C'.rkkn .Spot amonc. TIIK Ol.ACIKRS. — McCoRMICK BAY.— ClIOOSINC. A .SiTK i*()R Pkarys Camp. — Bih.dinc. tiik Hoisk.— A Cmmh TO TIIK Ick Cap 127 CHAPTER X. A School ok Whitk Whalks — Biddinc. Good-hy to thk Pkary Party. — An Arctic .Storm. — CiRowlkrs.— Saundkrs Island. — Soithward Boind. — Crimson Cliki's.— Ri:d Snow.— Thk Capk York Natiyks.— An ICsKiMo Tailor 141 co.v /■/■:. v/s cii.M'Ti'k xr. 1 1 ARCTIC Ci.oTiiiNC,.— A Sr.i-.DCi. KiMi;.— A\ Iniucnant Ivs- KiMo Laky, 'rm-: .\\ti\i; I) Harpooxs. -IIintinc. TIIK SlCAI. and WaI.RIS.— SCAKCnV i>|- \\()«)I..-Cllll,- nuK.N's Toys. — Mic Kiev .\\i> ms I' .•.- i:s 167 CIIAITI'R XIII. AscKsnixc, THH Ikon MorNT.MNs. -t ,i r.i.AciKus. — AC.AIX ox oiU W.VV IIoMi;. — TlIKi.fCll W.VIC.ATK ChAXXKI,. — A C.I.ORIOtS SrXSKT. — SKARCHIXC. 1-()K Coal Dki'o.sits ••>5 CIIAITKR XIV. At (ioDHAVX OXCK MoRK.— MKTIvORITF.S.— TUH r.AXI) OF I-)i:soi,ATi()x. T.xKiNc, ox Mai.i.ast.— Ox rm- ()i>i:x Ska.— Xic.iiT HiiciNs,— Oi-i- tmi-; Coa.st oi- I,.\1!k.\i)()I{. — Ai'i'RoAciiixc. St. Joiix's.— OiK Rix ki'tiox.— .V Rk- viKw OI- Till': Tuii' l.^S ILLUSTRATIONS. »r> -. ^ PACK The Midxicht Sun , . r'aiitispiiw. Captain- Richard 1»ikk An Ahaxdonhi) Boat CioniiAVN 45 IXSl'KCTOR'S HOI-SK. (lODHAVX. . . .1<> LlIAl'KL AT frODHAVN Native Womkx axd Chikdrex, C.odhavx 1^4 Voixc. KsKiMo CiiRi.p Axn Native Hit \i) vSTOREHorsE Axn (;roli> ok Natives, (Iodhavn 57 Hi.aizv Dael, or Wixdv Valley j^g Uperxavik ,. , 11 Kajak Axn Paodle ^ A Kajaker. Uperxavik o Dick Islaxds .... S^ Nest of the Kider-di-ck ^ A MiDxiGHT Scene The "Kite" ix Melville Bav r Ix Arctic Attire ... 102 The Dead Polar Bear .... * ' * I* *•> A r.REAT NoRTHERX ICEIJERO ,,^ The Native Camp at Whale vSoind ,,- KxiiE WITH Ivory Blade axd Woodex IIaxdle .... 118 Ivory Pix 118 Eski.mo Kxives . . . 120 Lamp made of vSoapstoxe ... 121 Ax Arctic Belle . . . 122 M //./.IS//x'.l//l).\S. I''SKIM() Stonic T)\VKI,I-IN«',S 12S I.IIUTKNANT I'ICAKY'S CamI'. McCoKMICK HaV I.Vl MoiNT AINS AM) 'rAltl.i; l,ANI> MACK «)!• I'KAKV'S CaMI- . . I.^H Cai'K Nokk 150 I'^SKiMo Hun:". Ni;i;i)i.k 15^ A (iuoi 1' r)i- Cai'i: \(tii' CiKickm.ani) Sci;ni;i I Ho iHr '«^ 201 .If/' ^■' ^K^ ,: f \o^ ^i^. \ '.,vy<»'\ rifti 0!wi:«1rh \ V ^7 I I I 4- to ■ Is INTRODLXTION. IX iSS6, Lieutenant Robert K. Peary, of the Knj^ineer- inj; Department of the United States Navy, having; secnred leave of absence, took passag^e on the sti-^anier Falcon from St. John's, Newfonndland, to Disko, in (Greenland. The Falcon was bound on a whalinti^ trip to Lancaster Sound, at the head of liaflfin Hay, but her captain aj^rced to put the lieutenant ashore at Disko and call for him on his relurn voyaj^e in the fall. Lieu- tenant Peary desired to examine the unknown interior ofCireeland, and took this means of reachinji^ his destina- tion. In due time he landed and made preparations for his journey. With only a sin<^le companion — a Dani.sh officer who, when the Eskimos refused, had volunteered to accompany him — the lieutenant scaled the steep cliffs which everywhere separate the known from the unknown land in Greenland, and set his foot on the mysterious ice cap. All Greenland, as far as it has been explored, with the exception of a strip borderinj^ the coast, is one vast ', to explain how the ori}jjinal plan of lyieutcnant Peary to reach his desired point and there deposit the supplies he would need was modified. ICveutu.ally it was determined to send out an exi)lorin,i^ expeditit)n by the Academy of Natural vScieiices. This expedition was to charter a shij), carr\- Lieutenant I*ear\-, his part\-, and such mate- rial as he deemed necessary, and land them on or al)out the shores of Whale vSound or lufrlcfield Gulf, in latitude y.S^ north, and there leave them. ( )n the return voyage the Academy part\', accordinj^ as Lime and opportunity permitted, proposed to make investi Iit Inmliii;^, eU., an ' warm ilotlnii;;. lie- had li(t]»t(l to >)ii))tliimnl liis ^iipplits hy llu' uhlaiii- \u'^ ol I'iskiiMu j^iiidfs, doj^s, ami skdv^is at (indhavii. Ill lliis Ik- \va> disappoiiilfd, a>. wtii' alxi his lApiiia- tioiis, to .soiiu- c'xti ut, ill thi- Mipph ol" Itcsh imat. ( Uhir- wisc all that lu' dointl was lakiu to Mc'Coniiii'k ISax and k'ft oil its >hous. TIk- kackr of what is j^uiurally known as the I'larv lv\j>L'dilion adopted iht- litk- ol" tlu' North (iic-tiiland J'.\])fdition of iS()i-(j2 Tl !(.• it-adinn 1 'i'^' tl K' re foil', (listin|^MiislK-d itstlf as the West ("iniiilaiid Ivxpfditioii of iN(ji. I'olli f.xpcditions wire- uiukr tlif t'oinniand of I^icntfiianl I'carx' nnlil he left tlu- xosil. Later, the- West (ireenland Ivxpedition was in charge of I'rokssor Anj^tlo Ileilprin. Tin- personnel was as follows: XoUTII (ikl.I.M.AXI) ICxi'liliirioN Ol' lStjl-92. Lieulcnant R. IC. l'ear\, the coiiiniaiider of the Xorth (ireenland ICxpeditioii, is a nati\e of l'enns\ Kania, bnl has hnv^ been a resident of the State of Maine. He is ahont forty years of a.^a-, and spare bnilt but hardy. He occnpies in the i^oxernnieiit ser\iee the position of ei\il enj^ineer, bein.t; attached to the Xa\\- Department with the rank of lieutenant. His wi*"e, Mrs. Josephine Diebitsch I'ear\\ was a resi- dent of WashiiijL^ton, I). C, and is .i member of a well- known family of that cit\-. She accompanied her hns- band on his perilous jonrncy, and has remained over winter at the northern headquarters. vShe is probably the first white woman to winter in such a hi'di latitude. 30 /\ /k'()/>l\//(>\ Lani(rks whic-h are acce])tt'd as standards on tlie subjects of o(.'o1()l;\- and i^t'Ueral natural hislorv. Professor P.c'ujamin .Sharp accompauii'!■( //ox. 21 vSialio!!. I'lnfc-ss.-r j. ].•. Iloh is ilK- I'n.lVs,s.,r,.r Xatural Ili.- t.M-v;,n ^"1(1 a wdl-kn..\vn ].rarliii,.,KT ..f nu-.liri„c. of I'hJla- (k'lpliia. Mr. I.c-vi W. AFnioc.], tlir uilcnioloo ist, is a rcsi.lcnt of Rra.lino, iVunsvlvania, and is uvll known asa o.l- lector of k'jiidopifra. !>'•• Willian. H. Hnrk, (h. botanist, was a o.a.lnaU- of tlu' rn.vnsitv of iVnnsvlvania, and is one <.r tl.e asso- ciate- editors of tlu- I'liikuldphia /'///V/r A,./;.,;, Mr. .Mexander C. Kenealv, a son of tlie\xle1.rated "'^■'"''^■•- "' I'arlianient, was detailed l.v the .\;,v );.;/• //rrn/,/ f, aeeon.panv the expedition as its correspond- ent. Mr. iM-azc-r .\shhnrst is a niend.er of a well-kn-.wn' '''"'•■"'^■''•'''••' '■'"'"■'-^- ^>"'l .-'ccon.panied the expedition llironji a love of advcntnre and travel. _ Hr. RobutX. Keelv,Jr., the snr;,eon to the cxpvdi- >■••••, was a. -radnate of the Jefferson Medical CoJlce- ,.f I'l"l:.delph,a, an,! had had an extensiveexperiene-e n, the hospitals of I'aris. ''''•^' l»endKTS of the- expe.Iition were co.nparat ivel v .v'>nnon,.n. hut all ae-cnslonud to travel. Thev iornud a most congenial con.panv, an,! lasting friendships were lornie'd on the- lon^ \-o\a<'e'. r^" 22 /.\'/A'(>/)/(//().V. TIk" t'xpt'dition left Hrooklyn, X. \'., on Juik- 6tli, on tlu- Arctic whaliuj;^ steamer /\'///\ which had been char- tered for tile ])ur|)ose from I'.owriii^ l>ros. of St. John's, Xewfonndland, hy the Academy of Natural vSciences, with a crew of fifteen men, inclndinj^- the captain. She retnrni'd to vSt. John's on .Xn^tist 23d. Th" l'ear\- j)arly had bi'cn landi-d at McCormick l'a\", in latitude 77" 4.;' north, and the mend)ers of the West (ireenland I'a- pedition returned to IMiiladelphia 1)\- way of lialliniore. Durin^i; tlu- voya-^e the e.\peers of curiosities, weapons, do- mestic utensils, and to\s were hro- j^ht hack from these distant rei^^ions. 'IMie di'scription in the following; pa.^es is, therefore, not merely a narrati\-e of a vovas^e, hut in- cludes also some account of the natives and their cus- toms. Ix Arctic Sr;As. CIIAl'TlvR I. Tin; STAin-.- C mtain I'iki;. ( x-r Cnkw. Tim: ]..\su,,v I^v \n- «.i:i,iNi:. Ai\v llu' ])ro])flkr svas of hcll-iiU'lal, Ix-iii;; (U't'plx- snnki.-n to :i\-oi(l (laiii^i-T iVoiii lloaliii!^- icr ; and (.Aplaiiic-d oIIkt ]ioiiits a])oul luT that \vf ai)|)ix-cialc(l uuich more full\- wiijii llic allack on llie- icc' l)(.'L;an. CAITAIN KKII \K1) I'lKT. ( )f all the sliii)'s conipa.iu-, I parliciilarl\- admired Captain Richard Pike. He was the most e.\))erieneed ice-sailor on Ixiaid. I'esides lia\in'>: made inan\- \()\- ^ v-^ '////■; I o) .!(,/: (>/■■ I III. All/.: .-iL^cs as a whaler and sc.ilcr, lu^ had ihc- honor to Ik- master ..f tlu- /WV,//. whc-n it carried the nmortnnate C.rc'.Iy c'X],c-dition (o its winter h..nK- at I'ort Con^^er, in iNSi, and had al.o carried r.]* the ex, edition of iLi- tenant ( ;arlin,L;t..n, which attempted to relicNc Creelv in i^N^, ill tlic same \c.ssel. On that jonniey the /'n,/r/,s was crnslied in the ice near Cape Sahine, Jnlv ,;,. iSS^. The v.va-ers never tired of havin- the (.Id captain tell of this terrihie adven- tnre, nor of his really won.Jerfid retreat to Cpernavik, travelling six lunnlred miles, in open whale-l,.,als, across a sea fdled with iceher-s and lloe ice. It was often necessary, he said, to nnload the l.oals and dra- them "verlon- stretches .,f ron-h ice for miles to rcudi an- •'ther leaa^ strict- ly obeyed and followed withont qnestion bv evervone, inchulinq: Lientenant Pear\' himself He was a <''ood navi<^ator, and did his best to impart some of his know- ledt^e to "his boys," as he affectionately called the yonn.y;er members of the expedition. It was, however, for his friendliness and patience that we admired him most. Always genial and even-tem- pered, whether the ship was jammed in the ice in ]\Iel- ville Bay or tied np to the wharf at vSydney or vSt. John's, whether the sea was smooth or rongh, his manner toward ns never changed. On deck he was the experienced Arctic seaman, ever watchfnl for danger, yet ever scorn- ing peril ; between decks he was a hearty, whole-sonled ////•; ID): !(./■: of ////; a/t/:. companion, older in years bnt >onn- seas. He was exceedingly watchfnl and attentive to his duties, Init nevertheless found time to instruct and entertain us. Patrick Dumphy, who acted as second mate, was a sturdy ice-pilot, and s'eered the ship throu-h the narrow and tortuous passa-es in the ice-pack with -reat skill and discretion. We had two en-ineers, William Jardine and his assist- ant, Alexander McKinley. Mr. Jardine was a man of sui)erior knowled,o;e and lari,re experience. At first he was somewhat reserved, but after he had become thor- onohlv acquainted with us showed his companiona- bility as well as the force of his intellect. He was an excellent mechanic, as was also his assistant, .Air. Mc- Kinley, who likewise was whole-souled and ocuial. Their ability and skill are shown by the fact that, al- thou,o;h the en-ines of the k'ifr were many >ears old, and repeatedly subjected, in the course of the vo>aoe, to the most severe strains at brief intervals, from full sjx-ed ahead to full speed astern, the entire run of nu.re than six thousand miles was made with onl>- a sin-le stojv pa-e for repairs, and this only delayed us about an hour. It was to their watchful care alone that this most satis- factory result was due. A full list of the crew was as follows : Captain, Rich- ard Pike; chief mate, Kdward Tracy; second mate, Pat- rick Dumphy; chief engineer, William Jardine; second n 28 /.\' ./A'(7/C s/:.is. c-n.^iiKxT, Alcxaiitkr McKiiik-\ ; steward, Lawrence Ilacl^fU; assistant steward, I'atrick \\\ls]i; cix^k, 'riiiiMias I'tVITer; SfaiiKU. Tiniollu '1\)()1r-\, 'IMiDiiias Collins, John Cununin^, John W'r^c-; fircnKii, Andrew Roost, I'.dward Crook. John Cnnnin^ham. The \{)\a^e from Brooklyn to Xorlh Sxdney was nn- exenlfnl. Uucv in a while some one wonld remind ns that the land we saw was historic or romantic, bnl we wc-re far offshore, and e\en the reminder of the fact that we were passini^ the home of Ivvangeline, where, " In tlie Aeadian land, on tlie short- of the l)asin of Minas, Distant, seclnded. still, the little villa;,,a- of (irand Pre Lav in a frnilful vallev," Liiled tt) arouse enthnsiasm. We were compelled to enter either vSt. John's, Xew- fonndland, (jr .Sydney, on Cape lireton, to obtain a stt])i)ly of coal. The hitter port was selected, for several reasons. There is a small amount on the nurth.ern side of Disko Island, (ireeidand, bnt it is of poor (piality and shale\-, and there are no proper means of obtainine spires formed a series of beacons on e\-er\ projectinjj^ clifT. The town of vSydney is divided by Spanish I'ay into three distinct settlements, Xortli Sydney, St)Uth S\(lne\', and vSydney I>ar. These i)laccs are six or se\en miles apart, and ha\e distinct local j;o\ernments and post- offices, but arc usually classified to,L;elher as vSydne\-. A little steamboat plies from one to another e\er\' half hour throu.^h the da\', so communication is easy. ( )nr ship la\- at \'ictoria Piers, near vSouth vSydney, where coal is easilv secured direct from the mines. Some of our party went to vSouth vSydney, but a majority took the steamboat for Xorth S\dne\-, just across the bay. Disappointed at not iL:[ettin_i; mail at the post-office, we wandered through the town, ])urchasin<4- little items of supplies which had been forgotten in Xew York. .\ SaKation Arnu' meetino- in the streets attracted us some- what, but otherwise the village was dull and uuinter- estitiir. The next daN-, I-'ridav'. was eiitireh' consumed in filli \uis the coal in tl -bunkers, the members of the two expedi- th tious in the meantime enjoying themseUes 111 wirious directions. vSome visited the settlements, while others explored tlie natural histor\- in the vicinit}' of \'ictoria Piers. iii I 3^^ /N ARCTIC SIIAS. In tlie afternoon the water of the bay looked so ])leas- ant and invitin,!;i[ and the snn was shinint; so l)riii,ditlv that six (}f ns took a ])hin!:i^e, bnt, as nii.i^ht have been ex- pected, the water was fonnd to be icy cold, and a very short experience satisfied onr longings. « 11 CHAPTKR II, Ckossin-c, thk Cvi.v or St. I..\\\|{i:nci;.--()ii< 1'ikst Ki;, .\n Al!.\.\l)().\i:i> lidAT. — lN Till-, .MiDS'I oi- Till- iM.oi;. \i:\v- lor.NDi.ANi) 1'"isiii:k.mi:n.— oi). yon Capi; Dksoi.ation. \/\7'^'' ^^^^ vSvdney at ^.^o \: m.. June 121I1, tlic iii-lit » V \}L-'uv^ clear and the water smooth. Tlie sliii) was licavily loaded with coal at Sydney, ha\in,!L;- taken on one hnndred and ei<^dity tons additional, which was piU-d ever\ where. The hold and bunkers were fnll, and there was also a lar^e anionnt on deck, altoocther niakin,<4 tl'i'i-'t' hnndred and twenty tons, sufficient, it was hoped, to take ns np to the far Xoith and retnrn. Steaniin. on r first view of what is known as fioe ice, was iii^hly imi)ressive. It was in the form of lar^-e masses jammed tii^htly together, movin.i^ uj) and down with the waves and ij^rindinj^ a<.;ainst each other with a dull, ruuddin-'-, mournful sound, resemblin'>- surf breakimr on /'///; rowic/-: <>/■• ////; a-/'//:. .\^ a loiic'ly short'. The si.i^hl of this imiiR'iisc aiiiouiit »»f ice so soon aflt-T kaxiiii^ l\\v <|uict waters of" S>a\- afTeclcd us (jiiile iiiarkedlx , and j^axe ti^ >oiiie slij^hl con- ception of what nii.i^ht he expected A f t w sea-iL^lllls Hew ahonl here auvl there, conlrihnlin,;; to the \veir(hiess of the scene. To add to the j^hjoni, there was seen, some (hstance aheach an abandoned boat. Whence it i-anie no one knew. It was e\idcntly a fisherman's \awl which ha■ such an accident as had overtaken this boat. Senti- ment, howe\cr, had but little enduring- place in such a ])ractical company. We steamed as near as ])(jssible to the castaway, but, nndin;^^ no evidence of life, left it to its fate and a,<^ain made our wa\- toward the o])en water that skirted tlie ice-floe, hoping; b\- so doinj^ to find a clear channel which would enal^lc us to pass the strait and enier<>;e on the open sea. The whole day was spent searching in vain for such ! 1 '1 34 /.V .IA'(/7C s/:.is a ciiaiiMc'l, j^oiii;^ hark ward and forward iVoiii our side of till' strait to till- other, l)iit iiothiii!:; was accoiMi)hshc) . K,/: ('/■■ ////. A//A 35 lliits, c\i(K'lit1v tliosf of tlir ii;iti\i' XcwIouiidhiiKl lislui- iiuii. A Ixtal c'onl.ii iiiii;,' llmr nun put oil Ikhu .sliou, ami altri coiisid.-rahlv I'Xittioii in woikiiisj lliioiiijli tlu \vv suc-cTi'drd ill rniuiii'' alttli'-SKU' tlu- AVA lu\ ^tat^•d that inaii\ olllu' piojik' wvw sit'k. and s<)\\\v had dird. 'I' U' disrasi' appi'aird to hi.' ipKU iiiu-, and houi w hat (.'oiild 1)1' Kanud iVoiii lluin wc jnd,m'd it to h anal()''<»us to that known to us as iiilhu.n/.a u\ said no ship had ii'arlu'd llu' siltlcnunt lor main uioiilhs, and that tlu'\ WfH' sadl\- in nci'd ol assistauci'. Alter ha\ Iiiil; a loii;.; talk \vi' ,i;a\(.- tlu ui soiiu- nii'diciius, and tlu\' kit \t.'r\- i^ratrfnl, takiiin; aloiii; Uttias tVoiM scMial of the pail\- to mail Iioiiu-, as a shi|) was cxpicttd to call in ahoiit leu da\s. Tlusi' lettiTs were ncniNed all lii^ht 1»\' llu' parties to whom the\' wire addiissid, hut oul\ allei a loU<' dela\, lor the strait, as we afterward learned, was closed lor iiiaiu' wt'cks. Alter our \isitors had departed wt' made aiiollur des- perati' attempt to iL;i't the ship through llu' ici', hut W(H' "id. Ill default of aii\ lllill'> heltii !o do. a>>ain uusiiccess w e resoiti'd to lishiu"' tlirou' h tlu' fissures or Ka(i> ice, and succeided in catching a uumhei of laii^e codfish, which fuiuislu-d a line mess for sui)i)i'i and suniilied us with pleut\ of food for the uiorii iw. C\i]itaiii I'iki- assured us that we would ha\e pleiit\ of i^aiiu' and fresh uieal on reaching ( Iniulaud, which of course was \i'r\- eiicouia.niuL; information. The meat ohtaiucdat ,S\diu\- was Iiuul; up from tlu- luoss-trces, as the wi.ithcr was suf- !icieiitl\- 'oh! to pii'seiw il wilhout re(|uiiiti^ toheslond in an ict-chesl. ! f : ] I 36 A\' iA'C/VC s/:. IS. I 1 , Havin.ij;^ found it impossible to proceed onward, the ship was fastened to a hiri^e floe on which was a yood- sized pinnacle, for the purpose of securing; enough ice to replenish our water-tanks. The sailors were some time in cuttin_n and storin_t; lars^e pieces which were to be melted as fresh water was required. While they were at work our party wandered over the ice, induls^in.t,^ in snow-ball inia; one another and takini^ photo<>;raphs. Several gjood pictures were obtained of the vessel a^: .seen from the ice-floe, and on our return to the ship \( all eujo\ed a j^ood supper of fresh codfish and potatoes. To the north and south ice was seen as far as the eye could reach; to the east was the Xewfoundland coast, and on the west were the bleak shores of Labrador. Ni; up, they would ])robably have found it iinpossil)le to re<;ain the ship, and would have had to remain on the ice all iiij^ht. This illustrates one of the difficulties and dangers of Arctic travellintj;-, and served to warn tne less experienced of the risks incurred in wanderin^tj;- too far awa)-. Later, the weather having cleared, it was found possible to force the ship a few miles further throu<(h the pack, and b\- working all night about thirty additional miles were made. At this season of the year, in these latitudes, daylight begins at 2.30 A. .M. and lasts until 9.30 i'. ai., so there was much more time to see to navigate tiie ship than when farther south. A strong wind afterward siiringing up from the south moved the ice, and the ship with it, in the' direction we wished to go. By this time we were opposite the liglit- hou.se on Cape Norman, which is the north-western extremity of Newfoundland. Although surrounded l)y 'ce, and the temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it did not .seem at all cold, and we were able to be out on deck in our shirt-sleeves, with mo liea\-ier clothing (ju than when we left home. This feeling of warmth was attrib- uted to the reflection of the sun on the ice, and the ex- planation was made to aj^jiear all the more plausible b\' our getting much sunburnt during the time of our con- finement in the ice-floe. vSoon after the sun went down the air became markedh' colder and the thermometer de- »ij 38 IN ARCTIC SEAS. sceiuled to about or below freczin<;-poiiit, making us all appreciate the comfortable quarters below decks. The ice now became more broken and loose, r.!id at davlifjht we aerous passnges of the Strait of lielle Isle. There was a possibility of our meetini^ vessels bound from the far North, but this was extremely improbable at this period of the year. Almost the only ships that trav- erse what is known as the (ireenland vSea arc whalers on their way home late in the season, and, farther north, a few from Denmark to their colonies in (ireenland. Our course was set a little west of north, headinj; for Cape Desolation, which is somewhat to the westward of Cape Farewell, the most southern extremity of (ireen- land. The passa,y;e across Greenland Sea was expected to be accomplished in from six to eif^^ht days, provided no detention was occasioned by the ice, which mioht be encountered at any time, and the winds were favorable. The water bein^:;- clear of floe ice, we steamed at about ei^jht knots an hour, haviu'as nevertheless, owin*^ to the clearness of the atmosphere, distinctly visible to the unaided e\e. On this island is situated (iodhavn, the principal .set- tlement of Northern Dani.sh (ireenland. This settle- ment is on the south side of the island of Disko, in lati- tude 69^ 17'. It is about half a mile from the sea, and ■sSg ////■; r(>):i(,/: oi- riii: kin:. 45 u) m't a Ljood anch<)ia>;(.' it is necessary lo ctilcr ihu liord or l)a\- for llii> dislaiicc. Tlif si'llk'Hiciit is not \isil)k' iVoiu llic ocean, l)cin<' liiddtn 1)\- llif inouiilaius at llic III ■i It h \ i i.ll.\VN. entrance of the fiord; indeed, were it not for the two stone iK-acons placed to mark the snot, one would have ivn heen liable to have passed it by nnrecoj^nized. /■ ////•; av//:. 47 Till' land coiitaimd iiiouj^li soil lo luniish suhsistfiice to a small aiiioimt of vt-jj^t-tatioii, which added a intlU- j^rcL'U to the landscapr. 'PIk- aiiciior was droj)i)i'd and a salute find, which was ri'SpoiuU'd to 1)\ oik- Iron i tlu' land, and Cajuiin I'iki' with IJcnlfnant I'c.nrN' ;ind Prof. Ikilprin wtnl ashoii' and c\alk'd on ihf insptctor, Mr. Andfrstn. The ktttr of introduction from the I);inish minister at Washington, to,L;cllK'r with oilier ])apers e.\])lainint;- onr mission in (Greenland, was shown to him, ;ind he recei\ed tlu- \isitors \er\- i)leasantl\-, hoping that their sta\- at (iod- hax'ii would be an enjo\al)le one. .\fler their return to the ship iiearh- all the ]>art\- landed and proceeded lo in\-esti_y;atc the villaj^c and snr- ronndin.ii; connlr\-. The few nniainin^ on board receixed a visit from the natives, who came lo the ship to trade and t^ratifx' iheir curiosity. The\' i)ro\'ed so inlereslin<^- that I decided lo slay aboard al! mornin;e, or even a semblance of the caricatures one sees of the Indian in hi^i^h hat and red blanket, we found men like ourselves, dressed in fairly civilized fashion, and at fl' I'm,, M ii 111 48 /A' .1A'C7/C s/:.is. first sii'iil r.ol rcmarkaljlc tor ll iiu llini<; This first i 111- ])iX'ssi()ii, liowewr, 1,1 l)()tli cases soon wears off. TIu' ])li\ sioL;iioniy, race characteristics, and customs arc seen to (liffer widely from tliose of otlier nations, and an interest all the more intense (jH account of its prc\ions absence was felt in stnd\ in<; this (to ns) new variety of nnnkind. Ahont noon a conple of natives rowed me a!-hore, and after a few minutes s[)ent in lookiii\ernor's house, talkin,^, as I approached and introduced invself lM)rtunately for me, they all s])oke some Vav^- iversiny; about the exjxdi- lisl 1, and A'e were soon coi tioil. A deli<;htful half hour was thus passed, after which I received an invitation from the <4()\-eriU)r to »line with him. On my acceiHiniL;, we entered the li(»usc- and were ushered into the ])arlor, through the open doorway of which, lea('in>' to the dininir-room, could be seen the e sa\'()r\' odors o )f tl serxants j)repaiin,n' the meal. Th food, the s])i)tless liiU'U table-cloth, and home-like sur- frc roundiui^s were '.ndeed an agreeable cnan<'e Irom s'lip- life. The part\- at dinner, which was soon announced, consisted of the mow riior and his wife, Mr. Koch with his wife and child, and nuself Then followed a most rur. I -( )):!(,/■: ,)/■■ ////■: a///;. 49 oiijovahk' meal. It hc.^au with a scup of most (klicious flavor, made from the eider-duck, followed 1)\ hroiled eider-duck breasts and potatoes, with bread and winc'. A dessert of jelly and almonds ended the rejja.st. The \'arietv of tin.- v''<;i'tables was neeessariK" restricted, be- cause the\' had all to be broui^ht from Denmark, and conimunication with that count r\- is only possible duriu;^ the summer nuMiths. The servants seemed to be (piite familiar with their duties, and moved about noiselessly in their soft skin boots. A slij^ht look or j^esture from the host or hostess was readih' understood and innnedialeh' ol)e\'ed. T'hey were iCskimo wonivii, and dressed in fur trousers with lancy-colorcd soft leather boots which reached to the knees; a short jacket made of the skin of the hair seal and a fancy handkerchief or cloth about the heafl com- ])letcd their attire. It was indeed a sensible cosuime, and both becominj^ and picturescjue. The convcr.sation at the table, which was principally in the Danish t()n<;ne, was kiuuiy translated for nu', from time to nine, by Mr. Koch, who spoke l\n<^lish with considerable fluency. This courlesx', and the kindness and geniality of the host, added considerably to the pleasure of the occasion. ( )n risin*.;, ai. the conclusion of the dinner, those at the table shoek hands with their host and with one another, and exchant^ed jj^reetinj^s. This was an ancient D:uiish custom, ane of the water, where the ships nnloaded, and ahont tliirtv or fortv Eskimo hnts. All INSI'l.l'TilK S IlnI'Si:, (;nI)|lA\'N. the bnildins^s except those of the Eskimos were made of Inmber bron,y;ht from Denmark. The\- were abont a story and a half hij^h, with steep peaked roofs covered with pitch. The windows, and the panes also, were qnite small, both the windows and the doors being deep- ly cased to provide against the bitter cold of winter. At 'Jill-: ro.H,/-: o/- ////■: a///-: 51 this season of the year the double windows were unneces- sar\, f(jr the temperature was about the freeziuf^-point and in the l)ri<^ht sunliji^ht it was quite warm. Both the sides and roofs of tlie houses were covered with coal-tar, and the casings and window-sashes were painted white, the contrast of the two colors producinj^ a strikinj^ and by no means unpleasinc^ effect. All were scrupulously clean, and presented a neat and cosy appearance. vSev- cral houses were fenced in, and nicely-kept jiebble walks led up to the front door. As one entered, he found a short hall from which two doors opened; one of these led into a sittinji^-room, which was also fitted up for the transaction of business relatin,u;- to the colony. This room was quite cheerful and neatly furnished, containinji; a piano, a book -case filled with books, and other evidences of refinenKut. There were windows on three sides of the • 'Ui, which looked out on the bay and the pleasant land -.wv around. The other door, on the opposite side of the iiall i^avv.- access to the living-rooms of the family. I did n> ■ sec the upper rooms, Avhich must have been small, and were possibly used for storage purposes or for the accommoda- tion of the servants. On the sheltered side of the house, under one of the windows, was a miniature garden five or six feet square. It contained lettuce, peas, and one or tw(^ other hardy veg- etables. This garden was more a thingof ornament than service, as the amount grown in it was insignificant and the short .season prevented the ])lants from becoming pro])erly matured. It was inclosed by a neat and pretty 11 ■i ' ( 1. ■i ■ :Ul ■< 'h 4 " --; t \ 1 : s» AV ARCTIC SEAS. fence of wood, which reseiiibled the toy fences used to surround our Christinas trees. The houses have no ceHars, being built on the solid rock or on <,aound which is frozen perpetually from a few inches below the surface, the sun during the summer months thawing the ground to the depth of only half a foot or more, depending on its situation. There were but three of these wooden dwelling-houses, the inspec tor's, the governor's, and assistant governor's. CIIAPEI. AT GonilAVN. The chapel and storehouses, built also of wood, were painted black with white windows, similar to the dwellings. The chapel was situated on the top f a hill in the rear of the village. While not large, it was nevertheless THE \-OYAC.F. OF Till-: KITE h}^ attractive-lookin,<^, and resembled in j^eiieral the small Lutlif^rau churches of Northern Europe. It possessed a single room with wooden benches, and was used for both church and school purposes. In the front was a rather elaborate altar, also used as the schoolmaster's desk. An organ and a blackboard completed the furnishing of the interior, with the exception of a number of gaily- colored religious prints on the walls. Tlie storehouses were nothing more than large barns, strongly constructed to withstand the storms of winter. The Eskimo dwellings were huts built of turf, with a roof made of boards covered with the same material. They were about fifteen feet square, and usually built on the slope of a hill. Ivacli house contained a single window with a sash of glass composed of several panes. They were entered by a tunnel about ten feet in length and two or three feet in height, running out from its side. Before entering, it is quite essential to call to some of the inmates, who then knock out two or three of the ugly-looking dogs which congregate in and about the openings of all the huts. After this precaution one goes down on hands and knees and crawls through the tunnel, a small door giving acL.iission to the hut. The interior consists of but one room, half of which has a floor of wood raised a couple of feet above the ground. On this the inmates spend most of their time, eating, sleeping, and working. The rest of the room is given up to cooking, curing of skins, and the storage of hunt- ing and other implements. The raised floor is ueces- sarv to utilize the heat and warmth of the room, which :ii < i 1 .'if Ux "\\ :r i^ f 54 IN ARCTIC SEAS. is j^reater nearer the roof. The heij^ht inside the hnt from the gronnd to the roof is hardly seven feet, it beino; im- possible for any except the smaller inmates to stand np- ri;le women dress their hair in varions styles as fancy dictates, the YULNd KhKIMU GIKl.S AM) NATIVK HUT. female children wearing it sometimes like that of their mothers, as shown in the illustration. I saw not a single slovenly-looking woman, and if they had not such an abominable odor of grease and rank fish oil about them they might have been quite attractive. They were able to obtain from the store in the settle- m '////•; lOY.ic/': OF THE kitr. 57 inent fancy-colored cloths, beads, etc., and with these they made and decorated their picturesque fur costumes. The men arc neither so well dressed nor thrifty look- ing;, much of their clolhino; beinj^^ composed of the cast- off garments of sailors. ^lany of them wore pantaloons of STOREHOUSK ANU GKOUl' Ul" NATIVES, GODHAVN. seal-skin, skin boots, and, at this season, a combined hood and shirt called " neitsek," made of a rather heavy calico sort of material supplied by the government. They were quite anxious to trade anything they had for cloth panta- loons, but as they desired only those which were in good I 111 I i'i,: III m \\ Ifcfi I . ■ , F ■ 58 IN ARCTIC SEAS. condition, we had very few to spare. They wished to have them for two reasons: first, to satisfy a desire to imitate tlie Enropean metliod of dress; and second, as be- ing a more comfortable article of clothing for snnimer use than their own seal garments. I llij , ; I CHAPTKR rV. A Xativi; Danci:.— Polaris Hknkick.— Rkmciox oi- tiim Ivs- KiMos. — MoDic oi' (i()\i;uN.MivNT. — MosoiiTc )i:s. — A ri.rNc.i': IN Tn:c Arctic Ocicax. — Tiiic Xativi-; Aim'i:titi;. ON the following day I was fortunate eiiouo;h to meet Mr. Carstens, the assistant ^^overnor. I le had been busy, previously, supervising the unloading of supplies from the Danish brig in the harbor, but the day being Sunday, all work in the settlement was suspended, and he was therefore at leisure. Most of us went ashore to see a native dance which took place in one of the storehouses. This dance it is customary to have during the stay of the Danish ship in port, the petty officers and crew also taking part in the festivities, which constitute one of the inducements held out to them to visit these o.'t-of-the-way shores. I was told that the Danish gov- ernment had considerable difficulty in getting desirable crews for this trade, and so allows a dance and vSunday ashore to the men, to vary the monotony of their long and dangerous voyage to and from Denmark. The ships are quite small, generally brigs or barks, and are rarely manned by over ten men; there were about this number of sailors present at the dance, and they seemed to enjoy themselves hugely. Everything was quite orderly, and the good behavior of all was much commented on by us. •'J .l r It ; t ^■J 'I }■ J It; t \:n id 6o /A' .lAxv/c .sv;./.v. vSevcral of our sailors also took part, j^rcatly to their (U'lij^lit, and sonic of the menibcrs of our own party did not refrain from joininj^^ in the more familiar dances, which consisted jirinciiKilly of a mixture of hornpipes, ji}j^s, and qiuulrilles, evidently learned from the sailors of whaliuiT shijis that had been callin*^ here for years. Most of the dances included the clappinj^ of hands and slampin;^- of feet, not unlike our Indian war-dances. The music was made by two old Eskimos with fiddles, and it was ver\- evident that this acconijdishnient orij^inated from the same source, as three or four of the tunes ]dayed were a medley of Xe<^ro and Irish tunes that were familiar at home. I sent to the ship for a guitar, and accompanied this "orchestra" forsometime. The)' ])layed (piile well both as rej^ards time and tune, and I had not much difficulty in kee])in<^ with them. The natives seemed quite pleased with this addition to their music, and looked much and curiously at the guitar. It was evidently the first one ever seen in the locality, and produced quite a sensation. The natives were found extremely fond of music. ]\I^'. Carstens, who was so kind and courteous during our short acquaintance, gave me a large amount of val- uable information about this peculiar and interesting people. During his residence of over four years he had acquired considerable knowledge of the subject, which, with the information he had obtained from other sources, made him a most charming and interesting companion. He informed me that the natives were looked after by the Danish government. They are well-behaved, hon- THE ro). !(./■: 01- nil', kite 6r 1 W est, and siu-iul their tinu' in 'lie sprinj; catch iiijj^ seals and walrus and obtainint^ skins, ixorx-, and oil, which are sent to Denmark. They receive their pay in a special kind of money, consistin<^ of coins and scrip made for this ]mrpose in Denmark. It is taken in payment at the store for jj^oods sold to the natives. Inspector Andersen pointed ont to us a lad about ei<;h- teen years of age as being the son of Mans Henrick, the Ivskimo hunter, guide, and companion of Kane and Hayes, and mentioned so often by them in their famous books on Arctic travel and hardships. The yotmg fellow is now an orphan, and lives with his step-mother. His smiling face and cheerful disposition show that he is evidently contented with his lot. He enjoys the distin- guished name of Polaris Henrick, having been called after the United States steamship Polaris, which during Hall's expedition, in the year 1872, was crushed in the ice. The boy was interesting from the fact of his having been born on an ice-floe at a time wdien the Polaris was firndy locked in the ice, in latitude 7- the following occurrence: Some >ears ago an inspector and native, on going over the ice to a distant settlement, became separated from the shore by the for- mation of a crack or seam. The native was able to jump across the fissure, but the inspector, being a much heavier man and unused to such feats, found it impos- sible to follow. The native was unwilling to leave him and proceed to the settlement for assistance unless the inspector furnished him with a note stating the nature of the accident, and thus relieve him of blame. This the inspector refused to do, and the native remained with him. determined to share his fate. Fortunately, the next day the ice came together and enabled both to proceed on their journey in safet\-. j\Ian\- of the Eskimos in Danish Cireenland show un- mistakable signs of admixture with the white race. The resemblance of many of them to Europeans both in color and physiognomy was quite marked, being due to the in- termarriage of the natives and Danes practised in the early history of the settlements. This was encouraged at that time by the Danish government, with the idea of civilizing the inhabitants and improving their condition, thus making them a more desirable class of colonists. The result of the experiment was, howe\er, far from sat- isfactory, a'.id they were forced to abandon it long ago. Instead of the half-breeds being better than the pure 'In! I ■I'll ' '■ ? ,■ ! I'' Hi ■ ' 1' ^1:J !; » Ijfij I- i\ ki \'\ ill m ' 66 IN ARCTIC SEAS. natives, I was informed that they retained all the objec- tionable characteristics of the Eskimos pins the vices and bad habits which the Danes themselves had imported. So injnrions were the effects fonnd to be that, some time later, the Danish .government ne<;otiated treaties with foreij^n nations, havin_u; the especial object of protectinij^ the natives b\- preventing all interconrse between them and visitors to their shores except nnder the strictest pre- cantions and after a special permission had been ob- tained from the home government. A copy of the law on this subject, now in force, was handed to ns by the governor of Upernavik. Its contents are given under the description of our visit to that ])lace. It has been found almost impossible to civilize or ele- vate the native population to any marked extent. The white inhabitants are too few in number to exert any great modifying influence. If they arrive in the settle- ment after having grown to adult age in a more civilized country, then, of course, they retain their accustomed manners and mode of life ; but if a child is born to any of the Danish residents in Greenland, they do not dare allow it to grow to maturity in the country of its birth, but soon transport it to a more civilized community. It so happened that just before our last visit to Godhavn, on our way home, one of the Danish officials of the place had had a son born to him. While exhibiting great delight at this addition to his family, he at the same time ex- pressed great regret that it would be with him but a short time. He stated that the children who were born of Danish parents and reared in Greenland invariably 'if -'. :» THE VCVAGE OF THE KITE. 67 acquired the iiirde of life and habits of the natives. Their nurses and playmates are necessarily Eskimos, and, even when sent to Denmark at (juite an early age to be raised and educated, it is difficult to eradicate the traits acquired from their Kskimo associates. This is indeed a sad feature of the life of the few whites in these far-awa\- regions. The parents iiave to ftice the terrible alternatives of either seeing their children growing up ignorant and uncultured at home, or of parting with them in a short time and confiding them to the care of strangers in a more enlightened communitv thousands of miles away. The Danish officials in these settlements are cultured, intelligent men, and their greatest pleasure is of necessity tlieir domestic life. The self-denial that it requires of them to send their children away to be raised can only be appreciated by those who have seen and felt the utter loneliness that pervades this desolate land. As a reward of their devotion, however, after serving a terui of years in Greenland the\- may return to Denmark, and then receive a more desirable position in their country's service at home. Godhavn is situated on a peninsula which was former- Iv an island on the southern coast of the island of Disko. This peninsula is joined to the mainland by an almost level stretch of sandy beach. Crossing this, the firsc ob- ject in sight is the gravcxard where the Christian Eskimos lie buried. The rude wooden crosses and well- kept mounc's made it look like a village cemetery at home. IMany of the graves had wreaths of immortelles and little oflferings upon them, and all showed the care 'i I. jiii; Mill ' ^? i !l i.rfl :i : r ' 68 /A' .lA'c/vc s/:.is. and attention which was devoted ])y the livin"; to these restin<;-phiccs of the dead. A simple wooden cross marked the head of each grave, and in this conntry, where wood is so valnable, tin's sacrifice represents a hiV'^Q amount of self-denial in order to keep alive the memory of the dead. Two graves interested ns. ( )ne was marked by a grave-stone of white marble elaboratelv carved and evidLUily from Denmark, It marked the grave of Sophns Theodore Krarnp vSmith, formerlv in- .spector of the settlement. The letters were deeply en- graved in the stone and gilded, and a wreath of native flowers hanging about the arms of the cross showed that in the hearts of some at least their former ruler was not forgotten. The other grave was certainly that of an Englishn'.an; a small cross bore the name David Hume, though wdio he was and whether or not he was a mem- ber of any Arctic exploring party we were unable to a.scertain. Just back of the cemetery rose a basaltic ridge form- ing a sort of retaining-wall to the great cliff which towered two thousand feet or more into the air. It ended on a level plateau, eternally snow-crowned and forming an inland ice cap exactly similar to that of the mainland of (xreenland. Several of the party ascended the mountains under the guidance of Lieutenant Pearv, who had lived at (iodhavn several weeks on his former trip to Greenland. They described the climb as rough, but not excessively difficult, and the views from the mountain-top as indescribably magnificent. At their feet lay the peninsula and town of Godhavn, with Disko Bay t'i 'Ij ' ( . Hi'l i ■ t > 'I ■ill , I J \i\:l THE VOYAGE OF THE KITE 71 and Baffin Bav bevond. Both were dotted with urtat and little icebergs shining like silver in the snnlight. The ice cap was fonnd almost as level as a floor. Another party explored the valley of a river called on the map the Red River, which rnns into Disko Bay abont a mile west of Godhavn. It deserved its name, for the red mnd which it carried down from the sandstone cliffs above ga\e it a decidedly reddish line. It occnpied what had anciently been a glacier's bed, and the beauti- fnl valley (called Blanzy Dael, or Windy \'alle\) showed every mark of former glacier action. Protected by tow- ering cliffs, it was, at the season we visited it, a perfect flower-garden of wild plants. Yellow poppies nodded on every side, while many other flowers, bine, red, and white, were fonnd everywdiere. The ground was carpeted with moss and a few grasses, while the apologies for trees spread their twisted limbs close to the gronnd wherever the roots could find a foothold. As the valley was as- cended the view became magnificent, for the river ran through a narrow gorge at places more than a hundred feet in depth, and all around were towering mountains from wdiich icy streams ran and dashed in foaming cas- cades over the cliffs into the water below. Looking backward, Disko Bay was seen, studded with icebergs, some huge in size, some only floating blocks of ice. The air was balmy, and the water of the bay lay calm and tranquil under the bright sun, and all was as pleasant as a spring day in our own country. Birds and insects flew about us; among them were the snow bunting and several pretty little butterflies of various hues. Altogether, it 1 i , . ■^ 1 i ' -i • \ ' ( ' ■■ i'il '4 i m i'; w\ il «l I '/a IN ARCTIC SEAS. was hard to realize that one was so deep in the land of the niidnij^ht sun. We had another reminder of lionic in tlie shape of niosqnitoes, which flew about us in clouds whenever we reached the lower levels. The\' were hardly as venom- ous as our New Jersey product, but at times were very persistent and annoyinj^-. The only tliin<;s that failed to remind us of a land nearer home were the absence of u])- rij^ht trees and the ])resence of the icebergs. The trees, so called, were mere bushes, perfectly flattened to the ground, and sending up a few shoots six or eight inches high, but with leaves and flowers exactly like those of our own willows. They often formed convenient cush- ions when we wished to rest. After we had returned to the ship Mr. Verhoeff" de- clared that the water looked so pleasant that he would swim from the ship to the shore and back again. Those wdio heard the assertion attempted to dissuade him, pointing to the numerous icebergs which floated about in every direction. Even when he stripped we all thought that a single plunge would serve to make him change his mind. Meanwhile a crowd of curious natives had gathered around, and were gazing at him in mild astonishment. Finally he took the plunge, and at once started swimming vigorously for the shore. Alarmed for his .safety, and fearing that a cramp might overtake him, I jumped into Mr. Carsten's little boat, which was moored alongside the ship, and followed him, being prepared to render assistance if it was needed. He reached the shore in safety, however, and, turning resolutely around, swam Tin: loY.K.E OF HIE kite. n back to the vessel, a distance of abuiil two liiuulied yards. He re< cived, of course, an ovation, l)ut was al- most > I once taken with a chill which at one time looked serious. A vigorous rubbinj; restored his circulation to its normal condition, and a brief rest made him as well as ever. It was rej^arded, however, as a oolharcK- feat, and one which none were anxious to emnhite. The- effect on the natives of the sij^ht of a swinnninj; man was most curious. They re}.;arded him with constantly j^rowing astonishment. In (ireenland the only use they know for water is for drinkinj^ jjurposcs. Probably man\' of them had accidentally fallen into the water, but they dread and hate its eflects as much as does a c;it. They know nothinj; of the art of swimming. During the stay of our ship at this ])la< the natives were constantly coming and gohig aboard of it, lud we were told that during the time a ve.s.sel is l>ing at anchor in the harbor they sleep but little. jNIidnight being as bright as mid-day, and having no knowledge of time or clocks, they did not .seem to understand that the rest of us needed .some repcse. They appeared to have no i egular time for sleep. Notwithstanding the freedom allowed the visitors, we did not miss anything, and they were liermitted to roam about at pleasure. Their favorite re.sort was the cook's galley. Here they eagerly sought any remains of food or refuse he was pleased to give them, and devoured it greedil\-. Their capacity was sim])ly enormous. To test it the experi- ment was made on a veteran wdio had established for \ W: ■-'! ^j}" '& Mr: 74 IN ARCTIC SEAS. liiinself a reputation for ^M^rmaiuli/iiij; which was "founded on a rock." It was said that he and his wife, ha\ in<; killed a seal at some distance from the settlement, sat down on a rock and proceeded to devour the animal. A larjj^e proportion was consumed, and they ate until they were so en<;or^ed as to be unable for a day or two to start back to the settlement. We took this in- teresting individual down into the cabin, and, after the party had finished thc'r meal, began feedinj,^ him on the remains. Salt beef, bread, potatoes, coHle, vc<:^etables, and everything; edible disappeared down his throat with startlin<; rapidity. He ate, and ate, and ate, until, after haviu}; consumed more than enouj^h for four or five men, and still showing no signs of being satisfied, he was re- tpiested to stop and escorted up again on deck. After wit- nessing his performance none of us had any doubt as to the truth of the story concerning his gastronomic opera- lions on the seal, as just detailed. !■,''! I . ) ilA CHAPTER V. FaRKWEM- To (lOnil.WV.— AkKIVAI, at I'l'llUNAVIK.- XhTICK TO Marixivks in Till-; Davis vStraits.— Thk ,Sktti,i;mi;nt AND ITS Inhabitants.— DrcK Islands. OX Monday, June 29tli, we had intended leaviniij (iodhavn early in the niornin?^, btit the weather being- thick and misty, we could not j^^et out of the har- bor until the fog lifted, which occurred about noon-time. Mr. Koch, his wife, and little daughter arrived on the ship a few minutes before sailing-time, to say good-bye. Mr. Carsten.s also came to bid us farewell. He came out in a small skiff proi^elled by two paddle-wheels, one on each side, which he workv^d by means of a crank while seated in the centre of the boat. It was an ingenious little craft of his own construction, and was named the Fultoii. After he departed we weighed anchor and gave a parting salute, which was answered from the shore, and we then bade good-bye to the pleasant little place. We had enjoyed our sta}- very much, and hoped to have the pleasure of repeating it on our return from the regions farther north. We were soon again on the open sea, sailing north- ward toward Upernavik. The change from the strange sights at Godhavn to illiil! ;l! ■ i i< V : p 76 /A' .IA'C//C s/:.Ls. tlu' quiet, inonotonv oftlir octviu was not nni^ratcful, for all \v(.'iv ralluT liivd Iroiii oiir c'.\|Kii(.iicc wIiiK' in port. We steamed iioilliward aloii^ tiu' eoasl, in si,L',lit of the land, all that da\-, the whole of the following; one, and until I )nr o'eloek the next morning, when we sighted U]KM-navik. This plaee is ahont one hn.ndred and cij^-lity miles noriii ofCHxlhavn, in latitude J2" .jo'. The coast between these two ].laees resembled that i-elow ( iodhaxn. It w;is oi the same monr.'ainons eharacler, and showed no pecnliar characteristics. In a|)])roacliin,L; Cpernavik the harbor is even moredif- ficnlt to discover than was that of (lodhavn, there bein-j; no ])r()mi.ient landmarks in the vicinity. Captain Pike had, howc'vr, been there several times before, and found the entrance without difficulty. The approaches to the settlement are (piite tortuous, it bcin,^- necessarv to wind in and out anions several small i;;lands ])efore th" place is readied. On ncarin,-^ the settlement the customarv .salute was fired, which was responded to some little while after. We arrived durino; the time of the day when most of the iuhal)itants were aslee]). A few natives, however, witUv'ssed our arrival, haj^iKMiin.!:;- to ])e up and about at the time, and they we'e soon joined bv the en- tire pt)j)ulation. The .governor and assistant "governor came out in a boat to see ns,but were not so a.s;reeable as our friends at (iodhavn. This may have been due. in part, to the weatlu-r, which was cold, rainy, and disaorc-able, and also, ])erhai)s, to our makin.LC t-li^-'i" l<-'ave their warm beds at such an early hour. We too were not feelinj; very / ///■; lo) : !(,/■: ( >/■ i ///•; av / /■;. n social )k\ causid, no doul)!, 1>\- iIr- aljoiuiiiahk' wtatlitr aii.l !)\' or.r lia\in,i; rem liiu'l on (kck without an\' sliip for inanN' liours, waitiii'' tor oiir ani\al al ihr sctlk'nunt. 11^ The N'isit of the (»irK'ials was ot sliorl (hiration and \ er\- tonuak Tlie\- read to lis an extract tVoni the I)anish law i; overnini:; tliese selllenienls, and left a cop}', printed in 78 /N .ih'c/'/c s/-:.is. Danisli and iCn^lisli, with Cajitaiii Pike. It read as folKnvs: NoTICK TO TxrARIXKRS IN TirK D.WIS vStrAITS. The IJoard of Directors of the Royal (Greenland trade make known: 1. It is a,t;reed !)>• treaties l)et\veen the royal Danish <;()\cTnnient and the United vSlates of America, (ireat liritain, and other vStates that the west coast of (Green- land, ])etween latitnht. They are about si.xteen feet lon<^, less than fifty pounds in weij^ht, and just wide enou<^h to accommodate a sin^i^le person, who sits in the centre, on the bottom of the boat. They are sharp at the extrem- ities, which curve slightly upward, and are decked over with skins, except a small opening in the centre, in K\,\K AM) I'AiiDI !•■.. which- the occupant sits. This opening is so snuill that it requires some force and skill on the [)art (jf the kajakcr i P i '////■: ro ):!(,/■ or riir. kiir. 8r to ])lacc liiniself in ]iosition without ca]isizin,i;; so thai in attcinptiiii^^ to iL,K-t in they iisiuiIU- steady the l)(>at with a paddk' j)Ut in the water oxer the side. After beinij^ seated an ai)ron made of skin is drawn around tliein and tied fast nnder tlie arms, ihns prexentin,^- an\ water from enterin<»- the boat. If, liowever, it shouhl eapsize, thev are nnabh. to _!4et h)o.,e, and are often (howned. Thex' nse a donble-l)laded ])addle made of wood, and ]n'o])el their boats with ,L^real velocil\- in all eonditions oi sea and weather. Fastened to the boat by means of leather thoni^s are the harpocMi and spears which they use in huntini:;. A K \J\ki:K. V\ I RN \\ IK While waiide rim; thron^h ihe vilai^e our attenti'U was attracted l)y a nalivr who was evidently ill. (Mi in- quiry we found th.it he was sidlerin,!; from an old injury 82 /A' .lA'C/VC s/-:.is. U) the ii,L;lil shonldfr. Ivvaiiiiuin.Li liim inoR- closth-, an opcniii'^- was scc-ii e-xU-ndin!^'- downw ird two or llircu inches from the point ot" the siiouhler. In the ea\ity tlms e.\])osed hare dead l)one was visihlc; lliis was de- taehc-d witli the fin.^er and removed, and i)roved to he tlie remains of tlie liead of the arni-hont-. lie liad cvi- dcntlv l)een without treaLnunl, and must liave been snfferin.^ for months. When we saw him the \vonnd had received no attention wliatever, and wiis ()!ily ])ro- tecled hv thi- fur coat which lie wore. Tlie dead bone ha\in.^: i)een removed, the wound wouhl start at once to heal, and ])rol)al)ly in a short time was entirely closed, ihoUL^h the use of his arm would he impaired. The weather bein.u; thick and lo.i^^i^y, the ship was detained until 12 o'clock, when we i^ot to sea and bade uood-bve to Upernavik. The j-overnor and his assistant were the last white men we encountered on the north- ward trip. rjK-ruavik is in latitude 72' 40', and is the last Danish .settlemen'., with the exception of a .still smaller one called Tnssiacic, sitiuited twenty or twenty- fi\e miles further north. We d" 1 not stop there, becanse it was diOicult of access and insi<;iiificant., and would (julv have detained us unnecessarily. We understood that the .settlement was almost abandoned, no white men livini:; there. lievond this latitude Denmark has no jurisdiction nor rein-esentatives. In the afternoon the weather cleared u]), manv iceberiis ccMiiin^r ai^ain into si<;ht. We saw a native in his kajak, about three miles from the shi]), in the vicinitv of several small islands. lie was miles awaN' from an\- known settlement, and we ////■; \() )!(,/■: (>/■■ ////•; h///-:. 83 did not ciuy him his h)nfly lift-. ( )ii ()l)siT\in!:;- liini lhr()U|L;h tlu- mariiu- .i;lass he- njijjeMud lo \)v coiiiiiii^ toward ns, l)iit, sceinLi that we l;iddk'(l back to liis island. Ivirh- tlu' tollowiu',^ Miornin«;- we readied I)ui'i< Islands. These were well named, as the\ teemed with ducks and I* II !l if I 84 IN Ah'C77C SIC.IS. all kind of water- fowl. We shot about three hundred of them, and ^nithered three barrels of e!j:j;s in about hall an hour. We also filled several lar^e ba^s with the eider-down with which the nests were lined. These islands were about two miles in rircumferenee, rather hilly, but not nunuitainous, and en- tirely free from ice and snow. The nests were not concealed in crev- ices in the rocks, but lav exposed on the .ground, in nuiny places but a few feet apart. They each contained from three to six laro;e ^rreenish el iR'ad- In ouf hour llu' ice had iiol only closer' in Ironl »r us, 1/Ut aslfiu also, and advancf and ivlival wire- alike \va\ ini] )()SS ibU ,So much coal was used in our search lor a wav on tunc l)cin< I that llic ca])lain ,na\c u]) the allenipt tor the We had onl\- worked our wa\- about five miles throuj^h the lloe when we found our passa.^e thus blocked. To our ri.^lit the Devil's Tlunnb was visible, aUhou,i;h (|uite fifty miles away. In front of us and to our k-ft the ici- stretched as far as the e> e could reach. I\ven from the mast-head no water was to be seen but that to the south bv which we had approached. The ice was (plite level, except in places where some of the "pans" had been jammed up al)o\e the surface or w here lar<'e icebergs were imprisoned in the mass. Tl lere was a bout a foot of snow on the ice, and in this were seen the tracks of the polar bear; for Melville P.ay is known to be a favorite ])lace of resort for these ani- mals. It is their habit to wander over the lar^e ice-floes in search of seals, and this bay, so commonly full of floatinir ice, forms a <;()o( 1 huntinu-uround for them. These, the iirs 4 bear-tracks that we had seen, caused u- all t'i ])rei)are o ir t^uns in anticipation of a slight of this much-wished-for .i;ame; but althou.^h we kept a sharj) lookout for manv hours, our vi.^il was unrewarded, as we failed to see a sinj^le one. Several i)hoto.^raphs were taken ol this drearv scene a t midni.^hl. The following- (lav the ice loosened somewhat and we were able to ad- vance a few mi lies, buL at s ''• •'^'- '*'^'^-" '^'''*-' w airain stuck nil: i()).i(,i: Of nil. kiii'.. 87 liard and fast. After sc'\-i'ial atlriii])ts wt- <^\\\k: tip all hope of inakin;^ aii\ luoL^ri^'^ that uii^ht. 'I'lif ici.' was \iTV lKa\ >•, l)iiii<; six loci.^lil ki-l thick, and nioNtnunl A miiiMi:h I M I M., in an\- diifction was iinpossil)]^, as licaxy cakes or fields of ice surronnded us on all sides, some ol tlKs<- lieini^ nian\- acres in I'xtent. ( )nr hope was that on tlu' mor- row a clianj4e of wind or tide would free ns and permit our onward pro^^ress. We were now fairl\- in tin- Mel\-ille I'>a\- pack. This l)a\- is nex'cr frie from ice, and is alwa\s a dani^irous and difficult place to tra\erse. At midnif^ht, the I'\)nrlli of } ^. .^^1i^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) r^O 1.0 I.I 128 125 1^ m ■ 2.2 2f 144 ■" 2.0 L25 III 1.4 Nil: IJ4 Photographic Sciences Corporation a? WIST MAIN STRUT WHSTIR.N.Y. MSN (716) •72-4S03 ^'4^^ ^^ ;\ \ lV ^V'#^\ ^^^"k "^V- ^ ,^ ^\^ 4^ % '^ \m III wfi' 8S /.v .iA'c//i .s/-;./.v. July was nslKTfd in ])y firing the ship's cannon and a volk\ of nniskclry. Wc then ran np tlic AniL-rican flaj^s at thf fore- and niiz/t-n-niasts, dijjpt-d tlu' i-nsijj^n, and <^ave three hearl\' cheers. While here imprisoned some photo- j^raphs of onr ship in holi(la\- attire were taken, and two seals were shot and added to onr larder. At noon the ice .seemed to loosen somewhat, and \n l)ackin AV .IA'( //( s/:.is. 8! ' iiiatiN' inik'S with llif ice, but iti what direction wc knew not. Anxious as wc all were to i^et northwaid, beinj^ fast in the ice had not only l>ec(jnie monotonous, hut even more serious tiian we had at fust thou<;ht. It was necessary to use considerable coal, e\en if the furnace fires had to be banked and onlv cuouj^h steam kept up to enable us to move as opporlunit)' arose. The next day found the ice still firm and fast about us. ( )ccasional lijj;ht snow-S(iualls were experienced, but about noon the sun showed itself lon^ cuouj^h to allow us to take an approximate observation, and by usin;ic, early the next niornint,^ the ice, which had held us so firmly in its grasp, bej^an to loosen, and Mr. Kenealy, in lookino; over the side, noticed that the .shipwas afloat, and called attention to it. The captain im- mediately ordered steam up, and on startiu.ij ahead the ice yielded and we were able to steam for about half an hour, when a heavy fo<; .so enveloped everythin.t,^ that it was useless to ])roceed, as it wa> impossible to pick our wa\' throu"r objective point in the north. The prospect of success was not encoura<(inj;, for we knew that we had man>- miles of ice \etto pass throui^h, as open water was known to be scarce from here north- ward. This task would have to be accomplishe I I m 92 /.V .1RC77C s/:.is. of passiii*; a winter in this lonely clinif, with its months of cold and darkness, was far from onr wishes. ( )nr food- snj)i)ly was not snfTicient to ensnre ns enonj^h to eat, and this, with the memory of other nnfortnnate expeditions, ])resented snch a {.jioomy pictnre that we endeavored not to think of it. On the iith of Jnly land was sij^hted, bnt so far away and indistinct that the locality was un- recognized. Although the temperature was 22'^ Fahren- heit, the ice continued to Ujosen, and we were able to make about ten or fifteen miles. This was the distance aclnall)- steamed, but it was done in windinjj^ around and between lar<;e fields of ice, and at the finish did not ])nt us far from our startinj^-place. At ci<;ht o'clock on the cvenin<:^ of that day a dis- trcssiui; accident happened to Ijeutenant Peary. He was standiu<^ near the rudder-chains, in the stern of the .ship, when a lar^e bhjck of ice struck the rudder with «jreat force, throwinjj^ the tiller violently to one .side and learin an;ress. Some open water, al);iut half a mile distant, was seen from the crow's nest, and to reach this was our jirincipal aim. ( )nce there, we coidd w.iit for the fo.<; to lift and ha\e a safer and more favorable restinj^-place for the ship. We desired, al)o\e all, to <;et a sij^ht of land, in order to enable us to la\ a C(Mirse with some precision, as our shi])'s compass was very sln<;<;ish, owin}.,^ to oiu' proximity U) the ma^inetic ])ole. We succeeded at last in reachinir the open water, and in a few hours the fo<; lifted, thus enabliujn us to make considerable progress throuj^h the now weakened and broken ice. Duriu}^ the afternoon we found (|uit« a niunber of leads and more open water, rnfortunateh- the weather a<.iain became thick, and as it was imjxjssible to see far ahead of the ship, it was h)unfl useless to continue our efforts. The water-course, if followed blindlv, minht lead to more heavy and troublesome ice than any which had yet been encountered, besides takin.n; us far from our destination, as much of our course had been run entirelv on dead reckoning;. The thermometer was as low as 20° durinj^ most of the dav, vet it did not feel as cold and '^ ■ i I i. ' .' 1 'I -■ f i .■'ii m ' 'H ''?■'■,> i." '^ 'Kit i 'H /.\' .iA(V/( .sy;. /.v. flisaj^ricahk' as duriniL; soiiK- pn-vious (la\ s with a hii^lur U-m ])(.•! all! fi,'. A!llnni;;]i tlic lliickiK'ss of tin. atniosplK'U' was i-x- lU'iiK'. tlu' (U'c'ks aiul ri,i4.t;iii,!^^ of tlie ship wc-iv coinpara- ti\(.l\ (lr\. TIk' liuinidity ol tla- air tiinnd to niiimli- and (kliiMtr frost-crystals upon n-acliini^ tlu- coldiit-ss of tlu' sea IcAtl, cnxiriiii; tlir ropes with a beautiful and faiitastif while eoatiii;^ that |L;a\e to the vessel a weird, even j^hosl-like, appearance. The weather continued had and the ice was still heavv, the cakes beiu'r larjrer than betore, M. ire open water was met wi th tl lan on any dav since enterin.Li: the inunense pack. After buttinj^ the ice lor an hour or two we were enal)led to enter open ater and steam for a coui)le of miles, and then the w but?in;ined, with snddenness and force, bnt with a scarcely perceptible movement. Tlicy seemed to re- volve upon their centres on the release of the point of imi)act, slowly bnt snrely api)roachin).; each other until they, ajj^ain tonched, and, crnshinjj^ their ed^es, came to a complete slop when the resistance of the j^reat floes checked the force of the cnrrents which moved them. Of conrse a vessel canj^ht in snch a closinj; chatniel has scarcely a chance of escape. If the ice catches her amid- ships, the sides are crnshed as if made of cardboard, while if, by some fortunate accident, she rises on the floe, she mnst remain imprisoned nntil another chan;.;e breaks np the ice-field and aj^ain allows her to float, .shonld the rontj;h treatment received not have made her tolalK- nn- scaworthy. This is the canse cf most of the accidents which occa- sion the loss of vessels in the Arctic rei>ions. It was in ///A ro.n./-: (V ////. A///-; '>7 this itiaMiicr that tli<- /'ro/ttt\ was wrc-ckid wlun witlii'.i a iVw \ aids of oih-m walir. < Mtr cai)tain told us that those on thf vtssfl, i/ciiij; itnfaniiliar with [\\v ici-, jv- fusc'd to btlicvf in tht- (lan}4;«.r, insistinj; that thf ship cotild accomplish the sliji^ht rcinaiuinjf distance, and wouhl not hilicvc, until the ice actually came throujuh the ship's side, that the vessel was in such imminent ])eril. Only a few hours after the accident the tloes a^ain sc])arated in the same slow, majestic manner in which tlicy had come toj;ether, l)ut the /'ro/r/zs sank in- stantly to the depths of the ocean, and what would haw proved her homeward path, without difficulty or dauj^er. was traversed in the whale-boats by whitli the retreat to safety was .iiade. In the midst of the }^reat ice-i)acks there arc fretpiently "lakes" or spaces of open water, throuj^di wliich th..- ship can i)ass until another ic\' wall stops its proj^^ress; then a new "lead" nnisl be looked for, and the butting recommenced. So the days slipped by, sometimes nndinj^ f^oud leads, while others were completely blocked by the masses of ice in front. We tried always to make some proj^ress, and {generally succeeded in findiujL;^ a safe anchoraf^e for the vessel when it was fcnmd impossil)le to proceed far- ther. The shi]) in these waters is not anchored to the bottom (for this, we found by soundin<;, was from six to nine hundred fathoms deep), but to the floes themselves, and for this ]>urpose it was provided with claws or great hooks of iron. When progress was barred tiu- sailors ran out upon the ice, and, cutting a hole in the floe, sar.k w if . I :» ' H Vil M 98 IN .lA'CT/C S/i.lS. the hook deeply in the solid ice, thus preventing the ship from drifting from the favorable position which had been selec.ed until some movement of the pack opened up a fresh lead. ,; ! i • 1 i-' I ) . ., ? r CHAPTKR VII. Ax ACCIDKXT TO THK vSniR— XnM'Kn IN TUP. ICK .— lU.AST- ING.— Wi- Kii.i, A Hkak.— Tahi.k Ickhkkcs.— Cai'H York vSkjhtei).— Driitinc, with run Pack. /^UR progress was of course exceedingly slow. On ^^July i5tli the weather cleared a little and land was seen in the distance. Observations showed that we were in latitnde 75° i' north, and that, consequently, in eleven days of constant struggle we had advanced only fiftv miles. Nevertheless, patches of open water were more frequently met with than before, and this was accounted by the experienced sailors as a most encouraging sign of our release from what had grown to be an almost in- tolerable imprisonment. The weather was bright and pleasant enough to allow one to go upon deck or on the ice without suffering in the least from the cold. In these high latitudes the heating effect of the sun's rays is like that felt on a mountain-top, and even though the thermometer was constanth- below the freezing-point our heavy clothing often felt oppressive. In the afternoon, while steaming along through com- paratively loo3e ice, the rudder was struck by a heavv ice-cake and a link of the r.idder-chain snapped. This was an unfortunate accident, for it involved a delav of three hours for repairs, and by the time they were com- il iW ■ M '1 •* i • i ■ 1 J] 'i.t!. ' ■ i,: y i\- 1'? v'i > i i ^ ICK) Av ./AY •/•/(■ s/:.is. plftcd our favorable lead li;;(l closed and we were a: diliucnth' searched for a lead it was noticed bv the captain that the floes constituting^ the sides of the lake were <>;radually cominjjf to,ijether, and we found ourselves confronted with the possibility of a " nij)," that worst of all Arctic accidents. A lake was openiuju^ just ahead of the ship, and to it the captain determined to try and work his wa\'. A narrow lead passed from one lake to the other, and into this channel the ship was forced. We had almost i)assed throu.^^h, but a sini^le ant^le of the ice barriui^ om- j)assa.!;;e and the bowsprit overhan<(in,t^ the place we desired to reach, when we suddenly found that our proi^ress was c()mj)letely stopped. The ship re- fused to <;o either ahead or astern, and it was evident that it was cauj^ht between the ed.^es of the floes which constituted the bord-jrs of the lead. We were nipjied in the ice. Captain Pike and his crew realized, of course, the peril in which we were, but, like true sailors, «;ave no evidence of it, nor did anv of us know of the dantjcr until It was sa feb passe( Tl le sailors folk (11 owed l)v man\' o f nil-: i()).i<,/-: o/- ////■: kin:. lOI the i)ail\", at once jumiK-d on the ice and attenipteil to oj)en a j)assa<;c with ci()\vl)ars and wooden beams. It was fonnd, howe\er, too thick to tender this feasible, and wc were initiated into another Arctic de\ ice: holes were drilled in the ice, and a bottle lilled with i^nn- powder, attached to which was a I'nse that had the power of hnrnin^i; nnder water, was tied to the end of an oar; the fuse hein<; ij^nited, the oar, with the bottle attached, was shoved throuinh the openin<; and douu nnder theedj^i- of the ice, where it exploded. The first attempt failed on aeconnt of the imperfect sealin.i^ of the bottle, and the secoul failed for the same reason; a third ])()ttle cxphxled, but without efTect on the ice. Two more were simul- taneously exj)lo(led, and a <;reat cake was bh)wu Irom the ed^e. The ship was at once i)Ut astern, and in a few minutes it was in comparati\e safety in a corti'-r of what had been the lart^e lake we had left. vSo little did we realize the dan.i;er of our situation that those of us who were not assistin.L^ the crew sper.t the time in j^ambolliuj^ on the ice with the doi^s or in photoj^raphin^- the ship and the men enileavorinj^ to re- lease her. The next day the captain pointed out the location that the shij) had occu])ied. It was j)iled u]> with irrej^nlar blocks ot ice from thirteen to lwenl\ feet above the surface of the lloes, showin*^ the terrific force with which these had come together; yet so slow and nuijestic is their movement that it is only after such an object lesson as this that one can realize the force behind them. This was destined to be an eventful dav. The vcs- :1 '; ', -1 . -1 m 1 I02 Av .lA'cr/c s/:. is. lu sel, soon after, liaviiij; been made fast to the ice (a safe harbor for it havinj^ been found), some of the party started out upon the floes to shoot the j^uillemots which Ktcly. Uiirk. K^-'iualy. IN ARC lie AlllRI. (lilison. were everywhere ])lentiful, while the rest retired to the seclusion of the cabin, not relishing the damp, cold air, and amused themselves by readini:^ and chattiny the time they reached the deck he was much nearer than when first discovered, and still continued his approach, thou*;h stoppini^ more frequently to re.i^ard the ship, and then alternately walkiuu^ and lopinj; in a playful man- ner, evidently determined to investi<;ate the curious monster. "lis most interestin*; }icrformauce was cut short, when he was but fifty yards from the .ship, by the sound of a s'liot fired at .some birds by the part\- out on the floe, who, beinjj^ in the opposite direction, had of course no idea of the situation. Instantly the bear stopped and reared upon his haunches. This was too much for one enthusiastic watcher, and, against the I'':, I i \ I I* ' 1 'If i(j4 fX ./A'(7/( s/:.is. accepted otfUr that we should all fire t(),t,Hther when tlie .si<;nal was ;^i\rn by the captain, he shot at the hear. The report of his rifle was hardlv heard when a \-olley was firi-d and the hear stai^jL^ered and fell. We snpposed, of com-sf, that he was dead, and jinni)ed from the side of the vessfl to reach and examine him. The <,n-eat white hear is not, howe\er, so easil\- killed, and before we conld j^et to him he was on his feet once more and made a sta.i.:;<;erini; rnsh for the water. Mis shonlder was ajiparentlx- brokeii, and lie fell frecpienth', bat still stnm- bled on, wdiile tliose on the ice who had taken their rifles with them fired shot after shot in \ain. The excitement before the \-olley was fired was verv iLjreat, bnt now it was at fe\er pitch, for we knew from what we had heard that if he reached the open water he was safe. The Arctic sailors call these beasts the water-bear, bccanse the\- can swim with "^^reater speed than a boat can be ])roi)elled b\- oars. If the l)ear was not dan_t;er- onslv hnrt, therefore, he would escape, and it', as we found afterward to be the case, he was mortalK' wounded, his body would sink, and thus a.^ain we would lose him. The shootin;^ was ct)usequently of the wildest description, and probabh- very few of the bullets reached the tari^^et. Sta<;j;erin<;-, fallin,^-, and Icavinii;; a broad trail of blood on the snow-co\ered ice, he ran for the lead, some two hundred \ar(ls ofT, and had almost reached the edf^e of the floe wdien a well-directed bullet struck him in the base of the skull and he succumbed: the prey was ours. Many willins^ hands manned the boat, which was at once launched, a line was i)ut about the bear's neck, and ^■t.tj, m iiS I ft ^f 77//; lOY.K,/-: or Till-: kite. lo: he was towed in triiiinph to the side of tlie ship. Here, lyinj; at full leii<«;th on the ice, he was photoj^raphed and measured, lie proved to be a full-j^rown male. In liis body were nmnerons bullet-holes, sho\.'inj>; that almost all the bullets of the orij^inal volley had struck him. One had pierced his heart, while another had broken the shoulder. To have been so active, and to have shown the vitality which he did after receivinj^ such serious wounds, shows the remarkable endurance of these animals. He was accounted by the sailors to be a lar^j^e specimen, and measured seven feet one inch in length, and stood three feet four inches hi<.;;h at the shoulders. The sole of his foot was fourteen and one- half inches in length, and he weighed between six and seven hundred pounds. The fur was very thick, long, and of a yellowish-white color, in marked contrast to the pure whiteness of the snow. His claws and teeth were very large, and his skull so thick as to be almost invul- nerable. As Lieutenant Peary desired the meat for provisioning his camp, the hide was removed and the rest of the car- cass cut into quarters, as is commonly done with beef. Most unfortunately, the two hind quarters were lost while being washed preparatory to hanging them in the foretop for preservation. A careless sailor had fastened them to a line with a loose knot, and, slipping from this, they sank. The rest was safely stored away, to be added to the larder of the little encampment at Whale Sound. Thereafter a careful watch was kept for these great animals, but, although tracks were plentiful, we were ' i 1 i ; j TT loS /.v .iA'(//c s/:.is. iu)t rcwanlfd with the si<;lil of ;in\' iin»iv iiiilil two d.ns later, when a she hear and her two cmiIjs wire seen at a considerahle distance from the ship, their \ellowish fnr makinj; them clearh- distinjj^uishahle aj^ainst the icy hackrjronnd. The vessel was headed in their direction, and, as in the case of the former hear, they evinced no fear of the stranj^e ohject. Unfortunately, we were com- ])elled to ).!<,/: (>/■ nil: kiii:. 109 It is (lilTicnlt to cstiniati- tlu- sizf of the ^rcat hcrj^^s set free from the j;laciers of the far Xortli. The j^tiesst-s of the no\iees were apjjareiitls' as aeeurate as those of the experienced sailors. All, howexer, agreed that those we saw that day surpassed in si/.e any seen before. One was thonj^ht 1)\ the officers of the A'/A to he more than si.\ miles in lenj^th, and .stretched its vertical walls fully A GRKAT NnKllllKN K I- |;I R( I. three hundred feet above the water. The crow's nest on our mast-head was seventy feet above the deck, and at this heio;ht it was apparent that the toj) .surface of the jrrcat table of ice was still far above it. The berirs met with in this locality were quite different from those pre- viously encountered. They were no lon<>er ru<;^ed in outline, with jnnnacles and varied shapes, but, rather, huo^e blocks of ice, nearh' square and of immense size. Thev had exidentlv been recentlv released from the 'Ml ii ■■-"> k\ .1 ; : j't^ il 1 1(> //V .iA'( r/c s/:.is. jj^rt'.'it ^lacitrs of tlir Xortli, and tlu' watt-r and air had in»t \rt had a chaiui- to carve* thcin iiit<» ihi' turioiis .si)irt.'s, caverns, and lowers which had cliaractcri/.t'd the iccherj^s seen floatinj; iVoni the «;hieiers further south. The drift of the water in these seas, so far as could he made ont, was northward alonj; the west coast of (ireen- land as far as Melville Hay. Here the stream is deflected to the west by the southerlv flow of the Arctic current and the projection of Cape York, and, sweepinj^down the east coast of North America, emery^es finally in the open ocean south of Xewfoundland. Occasionally this icy current flows down our Atlantic coast, and bathers are then made to suffer from the lowered temperature of the water. On July iSth wc caujj^ht a j^limpse of Cape York, but the weather was cloudy and fojj^f^y, and we conld not be sure of our e.xact position. The next day found the weather still dark and ji[loomy. A bitterly cold wind from the sonth-west was blowing, and the black, threaten- ing^ sky »;ave the scene an appearance of midwinter. An occasional snow-squall added even more to the dreary outlook, and j^ave us a faint idea of the misery and hard- ships to be encountered in rej^ions farther north. Xo attempt was made to move the ship. We sup- posed that we were still somewhere in the neii^hborhood of Cape York, but as the day was dark and our comjxiss so uncertain, and we had had such an imperfect si^ht of land, we did not know in which direction to proceed. The ice was troublesome — so much so that we were en- abled to make but a few miles in the direction in which '////•; 1(1 ).!(,/■: (>/ nil: kite. 1 1 \vi- itiffrrrd tin- land to Ix.-. 'I'lu- iccbi-rj^s \vt'rf mt\ iiuiufrous, and still larfjir and liii^dur than aii\- \vf had Nt't I'ticounti-ri'd. ( )ii jul\ Jf)tli, at \ r. m., tin- foj^ rolk'd away sufficit-Jilh to allow land to la- sun to our ri<^dit, and Cape York, latitndf ^;^^ 2', lonj^itudi- OS }', distant only siAtn niiks. was in plain \iiw. TIk- iliro- nonictcr was found to hi- correct, and tlit- prospects of our Noyaj^c looked nu-re encoura;;in<^. W'e hail intended landinj^on the cape to undertake souk- explorations, hut ice was ai^ain more al/undant, and it was found iinpos- sihle to reach the shore; indeed, so liea\ \ and treacherous was it that evi'U if we had succeeded in i^ainint^ the land our return to the ship niiiLihl have been made impossible 1)\ the breaking; up of the floe. Mr. Dumpily, the second mate, ha\in<^ j^one a short distance away fr« 11 the ship on the ice, was surprised to find a small piece of board about a coiiitle of feet lons^f. Many were the speculations and conjectures indul|L,ad in as to its mode of j^ettiu!:; there. W'e could think of no more plausible explanation than that it had been thrown overboard from some whaler which, possibly, mi|L;ht ha\e preceded us earlier in the season. »Snuill thon.ijh the in- cident was, it served to break the nionotonx of our slay in the ice, and .^ave, for the time beini.;, a new direction to our thoughts. This day was brij^ht, w; iin, and sunny, the best we had enjoyed for two weeks, and a most a/■ rm-: kite. 113 sibility of such a separation of the i)arty and stores would inij)cril the success of the enterprise, l)esidcs leavincr the exi)edition a Imndred and sixty miles farther south than had been anticipated, and was not to be thouj^ht of. ^ Lieutenant Peary was still confined to the cabin with his broken leer. He was very patient and hopeful throughout this trying ordeal, and, notwithstanding hav- incr all the responsibility of the expedition restin- upon him, remained cheerful and sanguine of success. This served greatly to cheer us at a time when we most needed encouragement. On the afternoon of the fourth day a strong wind from the east came up, and was regarded as a favorable sign by our captain, who .said that if it con- tinued for a coui)le of days it would .separate the ice and leave us a channel by which we might be able to work our way onward. The pack seemed to be drifting north- ward, taking us along with it. This appeared to be due to a surface current, as the icebergs drifting south showed the existence of a deeper current tending in that direc- tion. There was no lack of .sport. Thou.sands of birds were to be seen in every direction, and in such flock., that many could be brought down by a single discharge. There were .several varieties, but the dovkie or litUc auk were most numerous, and were brought to the .ship by the hunters in considerable nundxn-.s. Hardly a day went by widiout a .seal or two being obtained, and, with th'^ meat of the bear lately killed, our table was plenti- fully supplied with fresh meat. i m. sh i}\ chaptp:r VIII. FrI'F. ON'civ Mok;;.— Cai'i; I'akhv and Wiialr Soi'ND.— An* IvSKnio \iM,Ac.i;. — 'riii'; N'ativi;s. — Contrast with tmic I'li;C,IANS. — KlvI.lCS I'KOM ICSKIMO (IRAVHS. Ox the 23(1 of July, at 6 o'clock in the inornini^, an unlooked-for breakinji; up and driftiui^^ of tlie ice- pack occurred. The ice be.^an to show si(;ns of .scjxirat- inji;, and within an hour or two a channel lar<;e enoue which was known to be situated thereabouts. We had already found our charts of these w.-iters so fanltv and incomplete that, outside of prominent ca])es and landmarks, we placed little reli.ince on them; conse- quently the navigation of the inland waters was neces- sarily slow and danoerons. ■\ ^ E-i m f 5 ii6 /A' ARCTIC SEAS. After stcaniiiifr aloiifr the land for some miles we dis- covered what apjieared to be three or four skin tents. The marine glass showed natives and dogs and other signs of life. We approached to within about a mile of the village, but hesitated to go nearer, as everywhere were seen large boulders and masses of rock that had fallen into the water from the heights above. The tents were seen to be located on a comparatively level plateau, near the entrance to a fiord, whose shores were lined with glaciers. Captain Pike feared to enter the fiord itself, but kept the Kite near its mouth while the village was visited by the party. The w,hale-boat being lowered, we soon arrived at what appeared to be the most available landing-place. This consisted of a rocky slope of nearly 45°, and, as we found later, was the place where the natives hauled up the carcasses of walrus, seal, and other animals killed in the chase. It was by far the most desirable landing- place we could have selected. The tents were situated on a bluff at some distance from the water, and were almost impossible to approach ex- cept from the spot at wdiich we had landed. The natives were there ready to meet us, and seemed delighted at our arrival. T!ie village, if such it could be called, was composed of only three rude skin tents supported on narwhal-horns, and evidently was only the summer home of the little tribe, as a number of more permanent structures, com- posed of earth and stones, were seen near by. While we found only three tents, these stone huts numbered above a dozen, indicating that the settlement was much larger '////; lOY.ia/-: OF THE Kill:. "7 duriiio^ Iht' winter motitlis. The small inunhcr of the natives was probabh' dne to the absence of many on their summer hunting trips. The entire jiopulation, at the THi; NAIIVi: (AMI' AI WHAI.I, SoLNU. time of our visit, numbered twelve — four men, three women, and five children. These were the first of the so-called "Arctic highlanders" of Captain Ross that \ve had seen, and interested us greatly. The children, as was the case elsewhere in Greenland, were pretty and healthy looking, but the adults were filtlu" and an\thing but attractive. I was among the first ashore, and, extend- ing my hand to the Eskimo who appeared to be the chief, and offering him a piece of tobacco, was somewhat sur- prised to see that my courtes\- was not understood. He seemed delighted to see us, but had no knowledge of our custom of shaking hands as a mode of salutation. The tobacco which I gave him lie handled in a way which 1 ■■ ■ 1 , f) ii8 Av .ih'cnc s/:.is. 'U, ■¥} ' i ■,-« showed to nic at once that he was unfamiliar with the article. (Jne of the sailors, who, at the time, hapjx-ned to be smokin.ii^ a pijK-, was rej^anled 1)y them with the j^reatest wonder, and they were evidently puzzled to ac- count for the smoke which came from the man's mouth. We had found Eskimos who rarely, if ever, .saw white men. Their location, of course, would have rendered im])ossible any visitation of whale-ships, which .seldom ): !(,/■: ()/■ 11 IE A/TE. 119 such trips, far from their winter quarters. They niani- fested unusual delight when shown needles, knives, ete., and for a few of these articles we were enabled to ^et all the curiosities desired. A knife bou.^ht a reindeer-skin, and for a needle we recei\'ed an ivor\- walrus-tusk. A curious piece of steel used in skinninj; seals, brou.nht from Godhavn, was exchanj^ed for two \i\r»c narwhal-liorns. Many and varied were the curios gotten l)y our partv. and I am glad to say that, although the rate of exchange Avas so mucli in our favor, we left them with a supplv o:" material that was of far more service to them than the things they parted with. A skin house, willi its interior fittings complete, and a large sledge most ingeniouslv made of driftwood, bone, and ivor\-, were obtained in ex- change for a hatchet, a saw, and two files. Two or three boards and an empty flour-barrel pleased them l)e\ond description, as it provided them with enough wood to make their harpoons, paddles, and sledges wiihout the months of labor which had evidently been expended in binding together the numerous fragments of wood and bone of which their sledges and other implements were constructed. During our stay we had an excellent opportunitv of observing their mode of life. Their food consisted of the flesh and blubber of the walrus, narwhal, and seal, and we saw lying in the neighborhood of their tents, on the bare ground, the partially-consumed carcasses of .several of these ani'uals, the walrus predominating. The flesh was neither frozen nor decomposed, and appeared to have been recently obtained. At irregular intervals, according ^f ^ 1 • 1 ,; '■ ■ i ' 1 ' ' it ct'f ■i ''. If f! ii If: fc* -f- ! »' I i 1 20 AV ARCTIC SEAS. as their huiifrcr moved them, thev would cut from a car- cass, with an old knife, a long strip of flesh or blubber so larj^e that it would barely go into their mouths. This strip was held in the teeth, while, with a sawing move- KSKIMO KMVKb. ment, a morsel was cut off so close to the mouth that their noses appeared to be in imminent peril. Thus, without cooking or other preparation, they ate the dirty mass of fat and flesh, apparently with great relish. We saw no cooked food of any description, nor any sign of the use of vegetable food. So far as we could determine, they are entirely carnivorous, the fat and oil of the blub- ber taking the place of the vegetable food demanded by our systems. The teeth of the Eskimos, as far as we ob- served, showed no evidence of decay, and, instead of losing them by disease, they are generally retained until THE lOY.K.E OF HIE Kill-:. 121 death, as was shown by the skulls which were broiij>ht back. As a rule, they were very much worn awav, it bein^- quite coiunion to see the entire crown of the tooth gone and the dentine exposed, surrounded by a narrow rim of enamel. This wearing away is probably due to the chewing of the tough animal tissues on which the natives subsist, the residue of which, after having been deprived of all nutriment, is spit out. The custom they have of chewing the garments in order to make them more pliable also aids in accounting for this condition. The interior of the tents was furnished only with a lieap of skins and rubbish on which the occupants slept. In one of them a lamp was found burning. It was made of a slightly hollowed slab of soapstone or some- thing similar, and was filled with fat squeezed from blub- ber. In it was a wick made of twisted moss; this, though burning with a rather dull and sickly flame, seemed to be the only means they had of getting heat and light. They obtained their fire, apparently, by the use of flint, and tinder made from dried moss. The surroundings of the village were filthy in the extreme. Bones of animals and birds and half-decomposea fragments of animal ref- use lay around in every direction. Two leashes of Es- kimo dogs, .securely tied near the tents, regarded the strangers with distrust. The natives themselves were as friendly as possible, evincing their pleasure at seeing us in gestures and cries I AMI' MADE Ol- Sl)AI'>TU.\r.. i^: ' 1 r i IF ! ,f 122 /A' ARCTIC si:, is. and followiiiiLj lis c\(.'r\ where. The cliiUlrcn, however a])peat'e(l frij^hteiied, and one or two cried piteously if we ai)])roached them. One of tlie men seemed to be demented or idiotic. He uttered hoarse <.(iittural cries, and would walk around members of the party with a curious step, occasionall\- shontin<; with seeminj^- <^ratifica- tioii. We noticed that he did not accompany the other men, ])nt was left with the women and children. It was of course impossible to understand them except by mo- tions, but these were readily interpreted. The men were well formed and sliet exhibit jj^reater intellifj^ence and abil- ity in providin- successfulh- avoided their ol)ser\-ation, the body was quickly wrapped in an old coat and, thus enveloped, cou- ve\e(l on board the vessel. Two small models of har- |)oons and a little sledi^^e were found in the tomb, and it was evident, not less from the care with which the bod;.- had been buried than from the size of the bones, that the deceased was a man, and had been, in his time, a person of some importance. CMAPTKR IX. HiCRnKUT Island.— Fox-TRAi'S.— A (iRKHx Spot amonc. tiik (W.ACII.US. -MCCOKMICK HAV. CmooSINM; a Sl'OT l-OK riCAuv's Camp. IUirj)iNC. tiik iiocsi:.— a Cmmh to tup: IcK Cap. /^UR invcsti^rations finished, we returned to the .ship, ^-^ which was then headed up Whale vSonnd. P.ef"ore Herbert Island was pa.ssed it was evident that we could not hope to reach Inulefield (lulf by that channel. The ice had never started from the oujf^ and stretched in one vast, unbroken sheet as far as the eye could reach. We therefore altered our course and steered alon^^ the edj^^e of the ice to Herbert Island, and, .skirtin;ht have delayed our vessel and there])y rendered a return home, for that season at least, impossible, and subje^ d us to the often told ex- perience of misery and haruv in this far-away and desolate rej^ion. A few weeks only remained of the summer in which to navigate these uncertain and dan<^erons seas, and then it would be necessary to turn our prow southward. All the followinle rock or stone to break its monotony. The place at which we reached the top was free from snow or ice, and, indeed, this was the reason it had been selected. Abont a mile 1)ack was the foot of the j^reat ice cap, which extended, a dazzling expan.se of white snow, nntil its distant border became mer<;ed with the skv. The soil was made np of «jravel and small pebbles, while here and there onr botanist fonnd little plants, among others the poppy and bnttercnp. vSome of the flowers of the poppy, ihongh evidently of the same species as the >ellow ones of tlie lower levels, were here pnre white in color. The bnttercnp appeared to be of the same .species as onr own, bnt was only an inch or two in height. Its leaves and flowers, and even the bulb, were the same as onr common crow's-foot, only reprodnced in miniatnre. The pebbles were of many kinds, and had evidently been swept by glacier action from rocks manv miles away. Among them were qnartz, jasper, and agate, two very pretty moss-agates also being fonnd. The view from the edge of the cliff", looking ont to the sea, was .simply magnificent. Directly beneath lay the blue waters of the bay, with onr ship, looking like a toy, near the shore; Peary's camp was only a little speck on the landscape, and while we could hardly see the small boats as they passed from the vessel to the shore, >et when eight bells struck on the ship we heard the sound with faint distinctness. Immediately opposite the bay lay Herbert Island with its countless glaciers; just be- yond was Northumberland Island, and still further out to sea was the rugged outline of Hakluyt Island, th - far- ' ' ! h \k\ ti \ ' 1 \ 1 li i. m^v.. J3« /.\' ./A'( /■/(■ s/:.is. tlu-sl point north ixai-lu'd l)\ iJafl ill in his faiiioiis xovaLrt' of if)if). 'IMic upiKi naohc'soi" McConnick I!ay were lilKd ^vith ice, as was also Intrl<.'li<-"1<1 (lulf. A\\a\' to the south .,iife«- stretched the bold front of Ca]ic I'arr\', and 1)e\-ond it the open water of I»airin lUu'. iMoni Cape Acland to Cap/c Parry the view was snperb, the blue water beinij^ dotted wi til iceberus of everv size, which "leatned in the s nn- tl nil: rO.K.I: Oh I III: Kill:. ' v; lij^lil liki- tlu- sails of sliii)S. TIk- siltiifi- wliii'li pnx aiUd iiii pressed the others as it had iiie on thi- pve\ ions ascent, for no bird or animal appeari'd to break the niter stillness of the scene. We seated ourselves on the flat <;ronnd and ri inained some lime admiring tlu- \ iew, after which we tnrned in- land toward the ice cap. Uefore reachinj^ it the j^ronnd became moist and s])ri>i.';\' from the nnmerons streams fed by mcltinj; ice, bnl o:.ce upon the snow, all diflienlty in walkinj; ceased. We fonnd it hard and compact, and the prospects of easy travellin<;- in the sprinjj^ for Lienten- ant Peary seemed <;ood shonld hcsncceid in reachinj^ the ice cap with his stores of provisions. The difficulty we had fonnd in climbinj.,^ the monntain was])robabl\ much jjreater than what he will be likely to encounter in the early sj)rin<4-, v.dien the j^lacier fronts, in all probability, will extend far out to sea, and provide a more easy means of ascent than can be obtained by scalinj; the cliffs. The ice cap ap-peared to continue down to two larji^e jrlaciers which reached to the beach. Imoui the head of these :s were llyiui^ eonstantly oN'erhead, and tlie ti-inpta- tion to shoot at them wasahnost irresistihk-. I^ii'utenant I'eary, h()wc\er, (hd not wish us to fire in tiie \ ieinitx of the eanip, k-st Hie ^anie should he iVi^htened off; l)Ut in ou'.- of the ship's l)oats we easih- ri-aehed a spot, some (Hstance awa\-, where there was no dan>'er of the slioot- nii! doiiiij an\' nusclucl and where ^reat lk)eks of birds were eonstantly passinj^'. ()ur luck wasouK' fairK' i^ood, llh)U<^h occasionally three or four birds would fall at a ,sin;;le shot. Their nund)er was almost incalculable, passing all day louj;' in flocks or in continuous streams ()\er the ship. 'Vhvy (k'W with a steady, rapid lli.^ht, and fu; uislu'd exci'Uent sport, but tlu'ir pluniaj^e was so iN<; (idniiiu ro Tnic I'i:\m' I'AUTN'. An AiuI'K" S'IOUM. ( tlv<:\\ i.i.ks. S,\i n i)i;i(S Island. Sojtiiwaki) ItmNn. (."kim^on Cmi'is. l\i;i> .Snow. 'I'm; C.\ i; N'okk .\.\ii\i;s. .\n I^skimo 'I'aii.ok. ^T^^inC <1a\s pa.ssfd rapi(ll\ in [hvsv ]Av:\s:\u[ snnoiuul- -^ iiii^s. 'I'lu- naluralisls iiixfstinaUd tin- adjaci'iit sliori'S, and hioii.nlit l)ac-k to llir .sliij) niaiu- inlfii'.stinj.^ spt'cinii'ns of birds' '>..u:-;s, insccl.s, and ])lan(s. I'lof. vSliarp dra^,i;i'd the l)a\, and ohlaincd .sonif rallitT cniion.s fonn.s ol" marine lilV, anions; otliiMs a small lisli proxidcd willi a snckinn arranj^i'mcnl, cx-idtnll', foi' \\\v pnrposi- of attacliin_n- itsidf lo ollar uhjtcls. 'JMie wak'r tc(.'nu'd with small rtd slirini])S, which t-onslitnli'd the principal food for the mnllitndi' ol" birds. The work of nnloadinj^' the ship still went on, and as e\i'r\' tiling Iiad to be taken ashore in small boats, it was botii tedions and troublesome. Wedne.sdav dawneJ i-old and nnpleasanl, and the snow, which iell the .,i eater ])art of the day, ri'ndend the (U'cks wet and disaj^reeable. In the evenini; we weri' triated to the nnusnal si<;ht of a scluK)! of wdiile wliales. 'l'he\' were the first we had seen, and as they came (piite near the ship, we had ample opportnnil\' to obstrxe them carefully. They III |,f I- f ; mj ii .4!: 'i'. 142 /N ARCTIC SEAS. remained near ns for about half an hour, and their play- ful and sportive actions afforded considerable amusement. The sixth day of our stay in McCormick Bay was so fogj^y that only at occasional intervals were we able to see the shore, a quarter of a mile distant. The house having been so far completed as to render a longer stay unnecessary, it was proposed to start on the homeward trip that night, provided the weather cleared sufficiently to enable us to see our way. The fog, however, con- tinued through the night, but lifted at 5.30 the following morning. We were all called at this liour to bid good- by to Peary's party. Of the Peary expedition all except the lieutenant and his wife had stayed aboard, so as to write letters for us to take home for them. We had become greatly attached to one another, having lived so intimately together for two months as one expedition, and the parting, possibly for ever, although not demonstra- tive, was painful to all. While some were to remain in a desolate and unknown region that is only within reach of civilization for a few short weeks during the year, the others, after their severe experience in forcing a passage northward, were to undergo a perhaps still more danger- ous voyage to their native land. It made us all sad and thoughtful, and after exchang- ing a few souvenirs and well-wishes we bade each other good-by. Three shrill blasts of the whistle and a volley from our guns signalized our departure. Never had I listened to a farewell salute that affected me so sadly, showing the different effect produced by the strangeness of our surroundings and the peculiarity of the circum- '%. ! i THE VOYAGE OF THE KITE. 143 stances. As their boat rowed off they gave three cheers, but not with the hearty x\\\iunallv, through a brea*. in the mist, the ice-covered clilfs of Cape Powlet could be seen, when was to be had a view of the wildest and most magnificent grandeur. The fearful grinding and clashing of colliding bergs, the tumultuous sea, lashed to its utmost fury, and the screeching and roaring of the mighty wind combined to produce an impression never to be forgotten. Such experiences, with the strangeness of our sur- roundings, so different from those to which we had been accustomed, needed but little more to convince us that we were on another planet. vSo terrific was the force of the gale that the stay-sail was blown from its gaskets, and 10 '\l< ■ifc: 11 Ul m M4 A'V ARCTIC SEAS. the engines, althonj^h going- at full speed, were not always able to keep the ship's head to the wind, even with the aid of the most careful manoeuvring. Several times we were drixen toward the lee shore, which was known to be less than a mile away. The thickness of the weather added much to our anxiety. Every few minutes a gigantic iceberg would loom like a spectre through the mist, sometimes coming within a few yards of us, and making as serious and horrible a situation as can well be imagined. The frightful howling and screaming of the winds through these lonely fiords could not be conceived by the most vivid imagination. The deafening roar of crashing ice and colliding bergs added to the experiences of this frightful day, and the fragments and debris increased our consternation by pounding against the ship's sides. The huge fragments of ice became so abundant later as to have a very per- ceptible effect in subduing the force of the waves, and thus allowed the ship to ride more easily; but the storm continued with unabated fury, the wind still came with hurricane force, and it was not until evening that the weather cleared sufficiently for us to see our dangerous proximity to the rocky coast of Northumberland Island. An effort was now made to get under the lee of Cape Powlet, but although we were able to get quite near, the force of the wind would not allow us to hold our posi- tion, and after three hours of hard work we were driven out to sea. The danger from the ice was now greatly increased, as the sea was filled with the broken fragments of ice- II ( i THE VOYAGE OE THE A77E. 145 bercrs, fonniiig what the sailors know as "growlers." These are large, water-logged masses of ice, ground by attrition with other ice and bergs into a roughlv spheri- cal form. They rise and fall with the waves, often dis- appearing beneath the surface, and constitute one of the most dangerous forms of ice found in Northern seas. As they rise the water rushes from their sides back into the sea, producing a roaring or growling sound which can be heard quite a distance off; hence the name "growler." One rose directly in front of the vessel, but fortunately struck the sliip slantingly on her bows. Had it risen beneath the hull, she would almost inevitably have fou.idered. At last, however, the wind .seemed to mod- erate, and, the barometer beginning to indicate better weather, we were able to keep on our course to vSaunders Island, wliich now became visible. On our way toward it we passed Fitzgerald's Rock, a bell-shaped projection which had attracted our attention on the pas.sage up. It had been our intention to stop on the voyage homeward, but the sea, which was rolling high, and the still heavy wind made a landing impossible. Indeed, we had little desire to attempt it, for the dark and cloudy sky had cast such a gloom o\'er everyiliing as to dampen ab irdor for new explorations. The next day found us at Saunders Island, whither we had come for birds and with the hope of finding Eskimo relics. We circumnavigated the island, looking for a safe landing-place, which was finally found; but the wind, having again increased to almost a gale, made it impossible to get ashore in safety, so the ship was run under the lee of the island, the cliffs I ■; I i ■ II ' « M II M 'if w I 146 LV ARCTIC SEAS. of which rose abruptly from the water's edge to the height of many hundred feet. Myriads of birds had their nests on the face of these cliffs, and a rifle-bullet sent to these otherwise inaccessi- ble heights startled so many birds as to almost darken the sky as they rose in the air and left their lofty homes in flight. The sides of the rocks were about two miles long and so covered with nests and birds as to give to them a characteristic color. It was our hope that on the morrow an opportunity w^ould be afforded us of going ashore and having a close view of this interesting island, the appearance of which from the ship was very pictur- esque. On its southern side a large and beautiful cas- cade was seen falling from a dizzy height to the sea below, and the patches of green near the falling waters showed the beneficent influence of fresh water and sun- light. Tlrs rich harvest of strange mosses and lichens waiting to be gathered made our botanist especially anx- ious to gjt ashore. The wind was blowing so hard that Captain Pike endeavored to make the ship fast to an ice- berg which was though "^ to be firmly grounded; but the sailors, who had taken our hawser in a small boat, had hardly reached it when it was found to be moving, and they were nearly crushed between the berg and the vessel. It was only by the most strenuous exertions that the boat escaped and they were saved. Anchorage was finally found in fifteen fathoms of water, but the bottom being smooth rock, the anchor did not hold the ship well against the heavy wind, and we shifted our position several times during the night. An- THE I'OYAGE OF THE KITE. 147 other day was passed lyin<^ to under the lee of Saunders Island with the wind still blowing a gale, and this time we changed our location but little, as, with the aid of our anchors and the use of steam during the hardest l^lows, we managed to keep under the high cliffs, which continued to afford some shelter. The squalls, which followed one another in quick succession, were most fear- ful and violent, and the few moments of intervening calm seemed only given to enable the gale to increase its strength in its efforts to overwhelm us. The wind, which had blown with almost unabated fury for the last four days, at last began to moderate, and late at night, by steaming close under the cliffs, we were enabled to approach near enough to shore to enter comparatively smooth water and make a landing in a small boat. One end of the island was flat, and there it was that we found some signs of Eskimo life. There were several unoccupied stone huts, a sledge, the framework of a kajak, some old pieces of iron and bone tools, and a few other evidences of the place having been used recently as a camp by natives. There were also some stone graves containing a few scattered bones, but nothing that indi- cated that there had been any recent burials. After completing our investigations we returned to the ship and once more started on our journey southward. The next day, August 2d, was rain}- and thick, much of the grand and lofty scenery which characterized this part of the voyage being but dimly visible through the fog and mist — a fact greatly regretted by all. Our run was made close to the land, as the sea further out was filled with 4 'f I! A\ l\ ■ii III! 14S /N .lA'CVVC s/:.is. ice. Several larcje j^^lacicrs, which had been seen on our northward journey only at a distance, were now ob- served at close range. Their immense extent readil\' explained the orij^in of the jj^reat number and size of the icebert^s everywhere visible. The famous Conical Rock, a curious basaltic formation described long ago by Cap- tain Ross, was passed, and we were soon under the lee of Cape York, whose "crimson cliffs'' gleamed in the occasional bursts of sunlight. These crimson cliffs did not appear by any means so highly colored as we had expected to .see them, but they presented nevertheless an altogether unique appearance, as everywhere else in Northern Greenland the rocky cliffs, rising abruptly from the sea. exhibit the familiar stratified formation of sandstone rock. Instead, how- ever, of being of the uniform dull-brown color commonly seen in this latitude, they were of a tawny reddish hue. Opinions differed as to the cause of this peculiarity. Some of the party believed that it was due simply to a different colored sandstone, but the botanist claimed that it was caused by the great masses of an orange-colored lichen which grew ev^erywhere in abundance. Patches of the red snow peculiar to the Arctic regions were observed on the glaciers and in the shady nooks of the ice, but its color was wholly different from that of the curious cliffs mentioned above. Later, we had an opportunity of gathering and examining some of this red snow, which occurs in patches and exists only on the surface: an inch below, the snow was as pure a white as that found anvwhere. The color was not uniform •;=(-^^^1 » ruE \()Y.\(:f. of tin-: Km-:. 149 even on the surface, but occurred in streaks. On closer examination it was found to exist in the little crystals of snow which composed the surface, and even in these the tint was not the same throughout, but radiated from centres. When the snow was melted it formed a bright- red liquid about the shade of claret punch, and on stand- ing the coloring matter gradually .settled to the bottom as a deep red sediment, which, under the microscope, proved to be composed of a minute-celled plant, \\\q. pro- tococats nivalis. So intense is its color that even under a power of four hundred diameters, which causes a red corpuscle of the blood to appear almost colorless, it was still of a brilliant red hue. Twelve miles below the cape several skin tents of natives were indistinctlv seen through the foQf. vSoon the soi. d of " Ki-mo " was heard repeatedly, coming from the shore. This is the cry by which the Eskimos greet the arrival of a ship, and in a few minutes the natives were seen coming toward us over the ice, some on foot, and others with sledges and dogs. Their pe- culiar attire and various antics expressing delight pre- sented a most interesting spectacle. The ship was made fast to the ice, which reached some distance from the shore; but even before we had our ice-anchors firmly inserted the natives were climbing over the sides. As soon as the .ship was properly secured some of our party, including myself, went off on the ice. This, although quite thick and heavy, was rough and much broken up, with seams of water running in all directions. While the ship was approaching the shore the tents hi ) !■ 18' \ %' ll, w K r :§ t.. i5'J /JV ARCTIC SEAS. whicli we had descried llirouj^h the fo<; aj^aiii came into view. Thcv were at that time so far off as to be scarcely distiiij^uishable from the many peculiarly-shaped rocks r o > < whicli constitute the mountain-sides in the vicinity of tlie cape; it was toward these tents that our course was directed. We had scarcely left the vessel when some of the na- i!i THE rO ).!(,/■: OF THE KITE. ^51 tivcs on l)oar(l noticed that we were j^oinj;;; in the direc- tion of their villa<;e, and one of them was soon over the side and hastening after ns. vSeeing that he wished to accompany ns, we stopped and awaited him, as it was evident from his manner that he was nnwilling for ns to ventnre across alone. We were only too glad to have him join ns, as travelling over the broken and fissured ice was both difficult and dangerous. He proved to be a most merry little fellow, and with him acting as guide we were able to progress more rapidly and with greater safety than we would have been able to do if left to our- selves. He would run ahead, jumping from one cake of ice to another with the greatest ease and agility, stopping only when one of us would get a fall or a foot wet in the water which was lying here and there in pools on the surface of the ice; then he would evince his annise- ment at our discomfiture by giving way to most hearty laughter. Clad as we were in heavy overcoats and long boots, we must indeed have presented an awkward spectacle in our endeavors to keep up with our nimble companion; however, under his guidance we soon reached the s'aore. The native village was found to be situated about a quarter of a mile from the water's edge, up the side of the mountain. There was no path, and we had to climb over and around the large rocks and boulders with which the ground was everywhere covered. This was even a more difficult and laborious undertaking than our passage over the ice. The rocks, being wet from the rain and fog and covered with lichens, were very slippery, and, rii ^. ;i Jii l^ 152 AV .lA'i /■/(■ s/:.is. i cncuin1)crc(l as wc were 1)\ heavy cl()thi!i«j;, our projrress was necessarily slow. Arriving; at last at tlie villa<;e, we found it much more extensive than the one already seen farther north. It consisted of about a dozen skin or summer houses and twenty stone huts, used only in winter. The villaj^e was situated on very rou^h jj^round, the tents beinji^ erected wherever sjjace enou<;h for them could be found between the boulders. They were rather close to<^ether, but the stone huts, on the contrary, beinjjj built wher- ever a favorable spot could be found, were more scattered, most of them beinjj^ near to the sea. The place was practically deserted, the inhabitants havinji^ one of them, I saw a woman dili^^eiith emi)lo\e(l in cnt- tiiii; and sewin<; skins. Strewn all loont the interior i ■' TTTTIi KSKIMl) lloNK MKIili:, TWO- I II I KDS Al 11 AI. M/.E. were fnrs and sewinj; imi)lements, so it appeared evident that I had fonnd a tailor. AU]iouo;h the elothinj^ of all of MS needed repairs and considerable patchin.u;-, I es- pecially was snflerin<; for a new pair of trousers. Here ai)peared to be a chance not to be lost, so ne,i;otiations were at once opened with the lady for their manufacture by presenting her with a knife. It was not without con- siderable difficulty that I succeeded in conveying to her an approximate idea of the style of article desired, as I wished them to reach to the feet instead of only just below the knee, as was "a la mode" at Cape York. That much was at last accomplished, but the addition of pockets being beyond her powders of comprehension, I was compelled to forego those luxuries. The question of style having been decided, she pro- ceeded to take my measure. This was done in a rather novel manner. Having selected a .seal-skin of sufficient length and width from a pile in one corner of the tent, it was wrapped around the limb, the fur side being placed inward; the surplus material was then bent over with the fingers and the skin removed. The crease so formed served as a guide for the next procedure, which consisted in biting along the line with the teeth so as to cause the fold to lie flat. This being accomplished, it 1 • \ ■f T < 1; 1 1 ■ 1 : :, I* 154 AV .lA'C'/VC S7C.IS'. was ajjaiii applic'd [o ilic liinband a l\\v slight allcralioiis mar ked Willi an ac Idil lonal l)itc iKTc and tl lerc. Tl u- slia])u liavin^-hce-n outlined, the s^-in was a^ain uinoxed, and the lines thus marked bein;;- followed with a nidely- ihade knife, the cnttin.L; of the trousers was comjileled. With the ol)ject of fieilitatim,^ tlie wcM'k, I ofTen d her the use of a pair of seissors whieh I had l)ron,L,dit with me from the ship, hut, beiu'^ entirely unfamiliar with th'.'ir use, she preferred her own knife, and, seeing;' I v. as oid\- delaxini^ operations, I \-entured to make no morv. sn_q;preciatin!L; m\- mistake, and despairiui^' of ,L,^cttinesides the usual number of pieces, three additicjual ones. One was a long, thin piece of bone, and t'ne others two thin strips of a soft wood resembling pine. This shows the igno- rance of the people concerning the properties of various kinds of wood, because the use of so soft a wood for the purpose of strengthening the bow could have been ul' no service whatever. These bows are about two feet and a half long, quite elastic, and serve their purpose fairly well. The arrows are between a foot and a half and two feet in length, and composed of a shaft of white pine wood with a point of iron. The shaft was rather thick t (r lioW-i ASK AM> (il'lVIR. and clumsy, and not infre([uently, on account of the scarcity of wood of all kinds, made of two or three sepa- rate pieces of wood or bone, joined together by being p.. 170 /JV ARC'IIC sr.AS. l)c\c'lle(l, overlapped, and wound with a fine animal fibre. The part of the shaft that reeeixed the l)ow-.strin;e of their use in steady- in,i; an arrow on its course, and is stron^-ly su5^<^estive of the bow and arrow beini;- employed only at short ran<;e. The i)oints were nuide of iron or ivory from SEESSEZ IH2 raoiiB 3m ^^^;'^^^-yy/W!^yyjiiv^t -.' ARRnWS SlloWlNi; Till Sl'l.UINi; OI' \\\V. SHAFT AND A SIN(a.i: SMAI.I. I-T AIIIKK. three to five inches lonji^ and shaped like a spear-head. How, in the absence of any suitable means of heatiu<^- the iron, these arrow-heads were fasliioned was a mys- tery to us. On examininjj^ the binidle of arrows which were ob- tained troni the natives at Cape York, my attention was attracted bv one which appeared to have some letters upon '/•///•; ]■())-, i(,/-: OF ■////■: ki ri-: 171 it. On scrapinj^ a\va\ tlie nist and dirt I was astonished to see tlic" words "Dr. Hayes, ICx. 1860," plainly stamped in the iron. Owing to onr inability to nnderstand or ARKdW-llKAl) I kilM 1111; llAVi.> K.\ 11 1 ill U)N dl' lS6o, i i.NK-H il Kill A( i I AL sizi;. conunniiicate with the natives, we coidd not obtain any history of this niust interestin<^ relie, nor an\' informa- tion as to how it came into their ])ossession. The care with which the\- treasnre iron can be appreciated when w r :,!'jmber that they must have had this piece for over thirt\- )ears. It had probably been made, ori<^lnally, from an old knife or other ship's article which had been marked with the explorer's name. Their most nsehil hnntinj^- implcnieats are spears or lances and harpoons. The former, as comjiared to the Point. Sl'KAK 'iR I ANCK SlKlfl. latter, are simple in construction, cnnsistinj^- of a wooden shaft with an ivory point ti]i])C(l with iron. The shaft, on account of the scarcit)- of wood, is sometimes nia(ie np of several short ])ieces sjdiced toj^ether with the skill for which the Eskimos are noted. It is shod at it.' ex- tremitv with a little cap or block of ivory stron<.,dy secured ir lil : 172 /N ARCTIC SEAS. by tlion- sri-,.\K-riuM, Aimur (ink-m.mh m iual si/.k. The Disko spears, on the contrary, have the socket in the base of the ivor\- j^oint. Two stronMAI,1. ANIMALS, ONK-IIAI.I' ACl UAf, .SI/.K. The harjioon is a much more intricate weapon. It is, indeed, remarkable how a race so low in the scale of devclo])ment as the Eskimos could liave devised such an ingenious implement. In nuuiy respects it is unicjue, r^ *; 7//A" ro }.!(,/■: ()/■■ '////-; Kni:. ^n and sni)nsscs in efficiency even the sword- fisher's iron, whicli it .-greatly resembles. In in.i^aMniity and adapta- bility for the pnrposes to wliich it is put il is, perhaps, the Ijest that any savage or even semi-civilized race has prodnccd. It has evidently been evolved from the s])ear jnst described, bnt is desi.<;ned for thro\vin,t,r, and not for spearing-. The whole apparatns consists of several dis- tinct parts, which may be described separatelv. They are the harpoon itself, the harpoon-line, and the float- H HARI'()()N OK TIIK MOST NORIHKIIN ISKIMOS. bag, corresponding to the wooden cask of the sword- fisher. The iiarpoon is made np of a shaft and point differing in no material respect from the spear already described. The point is somewhat rounder and attached to the shaft by the means already detailed, but is l)lunt at its extremity. To it is added an exti.i detachable ti]), almost invariably shod with iron. The iron is usually. a piece of knife-blade, an old lioo]), or (>th"r fragment which has by chance fiHen into the possess'on of tl le Kski uno. This is ground witl; infinite labor to a point and firmlv riveted in a slit in th e ivor\. Tlie point of the harpoon fits into a hole in the l)ack of the tip, the ixorv be ing cut awa\- from one of its sides i n such a maimer that if the shaft is bent over on cnt- side, the tij) c(jm es off, but if i)ressed to the opposite side, the whole ivorv tiji can be manipulated as a single piece. To this tip the 174 IN ARCTIC SEAS. line is fastened ihrougli the liole in the ivory, as shown in the illnstration. The line, which is very stronjr, is almost always a sinj^le piece of walrns-hide, obtained b\- niakinj^, with i^rtat care, a spiral cnt commencing at the neck and end- llAKl'OUN-l Il'S, (A IT, YiiUK. inji^ near the hind flippers. This strip, frequently one hundred feet in lenj^th, is then twisted and worked in blubber oil until perfectly pliable. The line is neatly coiled up and laid on a sort of bracket or framework which is erected immediately in front of the kajaker, the iiarpoon restinj^; in leather thouf^s by its side. To the extremity of the line is attached a fl )at composed of the entire .skin of a seal dressed and worked in oil. Every aperture in the hide is carefully closed with pluo;s of ivor>- (grooved so as to lu)ld the li<^ature with which the skin is bound, and made absolutely air- and water-tii^^ht. (Jne, however, is merely stop])ed with a wooden plug, so that the bag may be readily inflated. This bag is placed in a convenient position on the deck of the kajak, and so arranged that, while .safe from accidental disturbance, it can be released instanth'. The shaft of the harpoon is more carefully constructed than that of the spear, and has near its end a most iuge- T 7///; r())\u;/.: of ufE kitf. nions tluowin^. device. This consists of a flat cr .a-arlv flat p:ece of wood about two feet in len^al., which mav HARPOON OPTH..: n.sKo X,t,VKS. SHOW.V; , „ „; ■M,H,,W,N. Ml, K. be called a handle or throwing, piece. In the end of this IS a hole, into which fits a curved pe^ of iv<,rv on the shaft of the harpoon, while the other end is so carved as to fnruisli a comfortable j^rrasp for the hand. In usiu.o: this implement on a seal the kajaker -rasps the liarpoon firmly in his ri.c^ht hand, releases his\e-d- skin float, and with his left hand steadies the boat bv means of tlic ^.addle placed crosswise on the surface of the water. The throwing piece is held firmh- i„ the hand, while two finj^ers only grasp the shaft. Raisin1/K. SIKliCl'.S. Ill MAN IIC.URKS. SEAL UUU. i^il UKAR. rill: \()y.i<.r: or riir Kiir:. '79 piccf f)!" 1)oiK' ahoiK lour iiu-lifs lonj; and an ci.i^lilh of an inch broad, with an cvc in tlif end. In nsin.-^ t)u-si-, of course, no tliiniblc is necessary, as llicy are .i^raspcd in m " IllV./ SWV" OK " |;|| I, KiiVKKR." the liand and thrust through the skin instead of l)einjr pushed with the fuii^er. The toys were small pieces of ivorv or l)onc-, an inch or two h)n<;, cut to resemble a seal, bear, doo, or even a person. Another toy was composed of a Hat i)iece of ivory about three inches lon^^ with two holes near the centre. A leatlier cord was ])asse(l throujfh these holes and the ends ^grasped in eacli liand; on twistinjj;^ the cord and then pnllin. .P toy, the only difference bcin^ in liavinji^ the pointed pin instead of a ball. The children of the natives in Whale Sound, further north, also had tovs similar to those obtained bv us at Tin: voy.\(.E or riir. kite. i8i Cape Vork. Some of tlie adults wore various articles made of l)()ne or ivory susi)en(led by a cord around the neck. One of these was rudely shaped like a man; others consisted of the teeth of various animals; while one ol the most elaborate was composed of a ])icce of ivorv shaped as shown in the accompanyin«r illustratio!i, a small stone, and three lar}>e glass beads. These neck- laces were not used simply as ornaments, but rather as charms, for their owners appeared to value them (piite hif^hly, and only parted with them reluctantly. The Cai)e Vork natives evidently see white men at times, as more evidences of iron and wood were found here than further north, and the possession of an old and rustv j^un, stamjied with tlie name of a whale-shij) to which it had belon.i>::'d, was found amonj^ their effects on shore. We j^ave them one of our j;uns and some ammunition in ex- chan.i>:c for a kajak, a sled^re, and some narwhal-horns. Needles, knives, and l)its of iron were rapidly exchanjL^ed for ivory, spears, and lesser curios. Wood for makinj,^ sledges and the framework of their .skin boats seemed S^le!s*?^5^ even more desired \>\ them than iron, and the small frag- ments of wood of which many of their implements were constructed showed how limited was their supply of this necessary article. The last thing obtained from the natives in the way of trading was a young Eskimo dog. This was evidently prized very highly by them, and was only parted with 1^! ill' II; ij •• ■* 1 '1 ) H Mt 1 m- Hj f}'. ") !' '1 H '^ ' '^ f i ^i iSi /.V .lh'C77C s/:.is. aflcr imich barltrin^. ( )ne of the natives walked out on the ice t(j the ship, hohlinj; the pnppx' in his arms, then, raisin»; it nj), inchoated tliat it was sonicthinj^ vahi- able, and wanted to know what we wonld j^ive. I j^^ot one of the saiU)rs to nej^otiate for it, and at hist, after re- fnsinn]). On exam- ining; m\ ])ri/e I fonnd him to Ix' a dirty white, wo(jlly little animal with a black patch on the side of his head; he was abont ten or twelve inches lon<;, chnbby and fat, with a peaked nose, erect ears, and bright dark e\es. He had sharj) little teeth, and, as nearh' as we conld estimate his ay;e. was abont eiy Professor Holt. On dis- covering; his less, the professor was somewhat chaj^rined, but bore his misfortune with philosophic fortitude. Hav- ; i " Mil KI Y." inpf once tasted l)lood, Mickey (for so the Kskimo called him, and we did likewise) continued to pursue his san- i)ear to he as fam- ished as ever. On liie voyaj^" home Mickey well earned his i)assa<.,a'. In the words of the fatuous ArtemusW ird, he was an "anioosiu cuss." His j>layfulness and i^ood- nature made him a favorite in both forecastle and cabin. The ship's cat and he also became j^reat friends, and ])la\ed (piile amicably to^r^-tlier. He was a true puppy through and throu}j;h, aiul thotiy;h born and reared in a rej^Mon of ])erpetual ice and snow, was just as ])layful and interestinjj^ as any in warmer lauds. He increased rapid- I\ in size, intcllij^ence, and activity, and, as the jx-t of all, received an anu)unt of attention that woidd certainly have been lacking had he remained in his Arctic home. cii.\pti<:r XIII. AscivNPiNc. Tin: Ikon Miuntains. (iKi.i.M.wit c.i. \cii;irodnct of eenlnries of winters. This eo\ered all the natnral ine(|nalities of the j^ronnd, and str\ed as the j^reat sonree of snjjply for all the j^laciers of the eoasl. It is onh wlure sj)nrs of land rnii to the se.i. similar to the one that was ascended, that the nnderlyini; rock is visible, and e\en this is j^artially covered l)\- the dehris left 1)\' the retreatinj:; ice sheet. In reality, all (ireenland ma\ he said to be one j^reat j.jlacier, and the thotisands of so-called }.;;laciers, man\- of which are twenty or more miles across their face, are merely prolonj^ations to the water's ed.ije of this enormous mass of ice and snow. It was useless to jness onward, for the sleet obscnred almost all natnral fe.ittires, and a retreat was made down what had evidently been an ancient j.;lacier-bed. l)nt was now covered with a heavy j»;rowth of moss and other xcs.;;- ctation. Here the botanist fonnd a rich assortment of l)lants as a reward for his labors and the disaj^reeable weather that had been cncoinitered. Larj^e patches of red snow were crossed, and finalK' the beach was attained near the spnr, on the opposite side of which the ship was anchored. Here was fotnid an immense natnral harbor, the cliffs risin<^ peri»endicnlarly to a j^reat heis^ht, f«»rminsf a natnral basin with a contracted entrance. The spnr of land was cros.sed with .some difticidt)-, and the ship reached (it ////•; loy.K,/-: o/' ////•; a///:. 189 atU-r nearly four h(»ius of cvuistaiil hut iiitfrc.stin<4 t(ji]. Tlir ohjict of I Ik- trip, tlir (lisidvi-ry of iron <»r iror.-lK-ar- inj;^ rocks, was not acconiplislud, hnl a far nion- satisfac- tory knowkdj^c ol tlu' natnral confij^Miralion of the j^ronnd was obtained than would have l)een possible 1)\ ol)ser\- inj; it from the ;reat and almost tmknown bod\ of land lies north of Disko Island. The impossibility of making; pro): !(./■: (,/.- I Iff. i^-,ii: igt was cfTeclcl uith.Mit .liffK-uIty, and , uuunil Lxploiati.^:! l)«.'Kan. FI.nvcTs Mivw „„ cvcrvsi.lc- in tlu- Ma.utM ahuii.I.uKv ^'•M. iH-amy. TIkiv wnv cAi,U.,il sjnns ..f .oa„u. ..nd IitintcTs aii-I iialiiralists aliki- tnwl-ul i^^{ in "caivli ..f spccinuns. TIr. lau.l n.s.- ratlur alMupilv. an.! u iihin lialfaniik-oltlu. iKaH, llu' river was tonud to I,. , nsh- 111,^ ihroMoI, a narrow, rnw-c-.l j^crMc-. niakin.t; a scrirs of cascades of surpassing ht-anlv as it k.;,,,,,! i,,,ni r..d< t.. lock and (111 into a po..] JKiKalli. HaM. • >cvn al (;.»!- liavn soini- salnion-lront wliich had Ixx-ii cau-lii l.v (Ir. nativL-s, om- of .,nr companions i-ss v .d \\x .fi.shii,.... 'I'lir water was icy cold, and no si.^n of aniina! ..r vcotial.k- IMC was to he seen in its dcpllis; l;ou■e^.^ Jr. uhippe.l the stream industriously with various flies and wen iIr- na- tive m(.s«ptito. which was there a laro,- an.l livelv pvst. l)Ut without siKH-ess. I-arlhcr up the river a-ain widened, and a lar.oe plain, lyiu- hetween the frownino nR.uulains. appeared. IIi,v also a rich harvest of flowers was -athered. and everv once in a while a heautiftd plarmi.^au would he started. Several of the latter were shot. Thex seenR-rc\i(jns >h\\ , was hc'i!:;hlene(l by the increased nnnil)cr and niaj^nificence of the icebergs. As the sliip wonld sh)\vly wend its way thron.t;h the narrow channels be- tween them (so ch)se to|L>ether were the\ ), we conld see many miniature cascades fallinj; oxer the sides. The warm sun, meltinin the snow on their lops, formed small lakes or reservoirs, the overflow of wiiich, tricklinj^down, ii^:.S.,^a*»- .■ •.n 'fi.-i:- . __£jt^^S^^ i BH tf^v^^^w*^^H B^Shbi 1 ^^^^^^^^S W ^^ '"^^W^^mH ^^sS^^^S^Sb^B^ssi^ IlKKl'.Ri; IN WM'iVli; ( IIANM-.I. fell into the sea. The course of the A'/A' was now directed close alon.q; the eastern shores of Disko Island, in order that a o;ood view could be had of its rocky .sides. At times, when its «;eolooical formation indicated the possible presence of coal, f)ne of the ship's boats wonld take the geoloj^ist ashore for a closer ins])ection; but no ////•-• i())-.i(./-: or Jill.: i^rii: '95 cnrboniferous fossils were found. Soon tlie sliorc-line bcoan to asstinu- a more level aspect, and a Ion- slielv- inj4- beacli was discovered dead aliead. As the water was noticed to be slioah-n- rapidly the ship's head was turned out into the channel; but it was too late: she had hardly answered her helm before we -rounded. The enoines were at once put hard astern, but to no purpose: \\\^ /sitf was fast acrround. The lead-line showed less than three fathoms of water and a bottom of hard white sand. Here we were, bexond the reach of any assistance, with so little coal and ballast that even were it possible to re- move it, the ship would only have been li-htcned a few inches. Our .situation was indeed a critical one. and preparations were immediateh- made to work the vessel off. An anchor with a Ion- hawser was taken in a whale-boat and dro])ped .some distance astern; the other extremity bein- attached to t^e steam-winch on the ves- sel, an effort was made, by windin- „p the li„e, to pull the ship into deei)er water, but after several futile at- tempts this was abandoned. We were truly fast, and our only hope of escape lay in the possibilitv that we had -rounded at low water, and the risin- tide would float us off. The mate was sent ashore to ascertain the condition of the tide, and he returned with the -rateful information thai it was n couple of feet below hi-h-water mark; .so we waited for its risin- before makin- any further effort.s. This was the first mi.shap that had oc- curred to ns on our return trij), and some of the more superstitious .sailors attributed it U) the presence of the E.skimo skulls which had been obtained further north. i> 196 AV .lA'Cr/C s/;.is. n While waitiu^^, \vc observed, from the deck of the ship, some smoke arisinj^ from a hut situated on a point of land opposite to where we had grounded. In a few minutes several natives were seen cominj^ down to the beach, havinj; evidently made the smoke to attract our attention anr' let us know of their presence; launchinj^ their kajaks and j^ettinj; in, they paddled rapidly toward us, and were soon aboard. We found them to be natives from the settlement of Godhavn who were there on a huntinj; expedition. Hy signs they gave us to under- stand that the tide would soon rise and float the ship; this aided in relieving our anxiety somewhat on that score. They greedily devoured some food that was given them, and afterward, on being shown a piece of coal, in- dicated that they knew what it was and where some could be found. As w. had considerable time yet to wait for the rising tide, a few of us went ashore, accom- panied by one of the natives who had signified his will- ingness to act as guide and show us where the deposit was located. Professor Heilprin and the native started out to search for it, while the rest of us stayed along the shore and awaited their return. The land at this point rose gradually from the water's edge for a distance of about three miles, the beach being composed of sand and gravel. As one advanced inland the surface became rougher, being covered with rocks and boulders. We found some ptarmigan which were quite tame and ran slowly away as they were approached. A number of foxes also were seen, but they were more shy, and dis- appeared in the crevices and holes in the rocks as we drew THE lOYAi.E or Tin-: KITE •97 near. In two or three hours the professor returned, stat- in^r that his investi<;atio)i had not been verv satisfactory. He had travelled two or three miles inland and foinid some coal, but it was of so poor a character, in such small amounts, and so inaccessible as to render the de- posit of little value. By this time we saw that the crew had succeeded in ^t\.\.\\\^ the vessel off, and she was steam in«r to deeper waters; so we o;ot aboard, and the Kite once more started on her vovac^e. f CHAPTKk XIV. At (ioDM \v\ onci-: .M ov Dkso I.ATIiiN, -'I'AKINC. ON JJALI.AST. — ( >N 11 1 1". Ol'KN SKA . NlCIlT I{i;(,iNS.— ( )i"i" Till'; Coast oi' I,aiikaih)1<. Apphoaciiinc, .St. John's —< )iu Rkcki'TIon. — A Kicviicw oi" thic Tkii'. STj'.AMIX(i around tlit' south-eastern extreniit\ of Disko Island, we entered the fiord on whieh C.odhavn is situated. As we were nearinj.; the settlement Ins])ector Andersen ])assed us in his lari^e boat, rowed by eitjht or tin natives. He was leavinj^ (iodhavu to make his annual visit to the adjacent settlements, which were under his supervision. He waved us a friendly farewell, but lloAl. umiak, with its crew of seven Eskimos, and started for Uvifak, a desolate piece of land some twent\-four miles 2rKi /X ARCTIC SEAS. from (i(>(lliavn, where was said to be llie remains of a meteorite. This so-called meteorite consists of an ;i<:['^re- }4;ation of inimerous masses of nearly pnre iron which are fonnd imbedded in the basaltic rock. The larfjest fra<^- nicnt was removed several years aj^o b\- a special e.vpedi- ti(»n sent ont for the pnrpose b\- the Swedish j^overnment. Tlie whole had been estimated to ha\e weighed 46,2(X) ])otnuls. Sexeral smaller fraj^ments were known t(j exist, and it was th(ju<^dit hi<;hl\- desirable to recover some of these if it was i)ossible to do so. 'i'he jonrney was lon|Lj and tedions, for the rndely-c ) - strncted nmiak was shnv, and, in spite of the hard and steady work of the natives, it was eij^ht honrs before the place was reached. Here was fonnd a lar^^e meteoric frat^ment (now in the Mnsenm of the Academy of Xatnral .Sciences I, and a little searchinj^ discovered several smaller stones. They were all irrei^nlarly-rounded ma.sses hav- inj^ marks of fnsion on their e.\terior, and were composed almost entirely of native iron. These facts seemed to point directly to a celestial ori,y;in. Nevertheless, the ijeoloj^ist fonnd reason to think that they were not trne meteorites, bnt were terrestrial formations which had been thrown or carried to the location in which thev were fonnd by volcanic or other ])henoniena. In any case, the discovery was a most important one, and the specimens were re»^arded as bein,i>^ amon.u: the most inter- esting^ and valnable of all leathered in the conrse of the voya,y;e. The evening; shades were becomin,Lj more e\ident now, and we <>;reeted with deli^^ht the first star which A HI 1 iiK i;KI,I-.M.AMi ^( I.M KY. M-K'i I>I \M>. If. rm: r<)]:i(./-: or ////■: Kiri-:. 203 \vf iiad still I'ur inoir lliaii a iiionlli; it was sliiniiij; ovtT tin.' Iiioh hills of Disko. TIu' luw moon also was faiiillv visible in iIk- ckar ixfiiitii^ sk\-. Wf wirt- <^\m\ Jo li^lii tilt- lamps a-aiii in \\\c dim littk- cabin, and laiv wi- Kallicrcd about Mr. Caisliiis wliilf lu- imparted to 11s his kiiowlcd,i;v of C.rcriiland history and cnsioms. His fund of information was vi-rv extcnsivf, and he was able to in- form ns on man\ points not ivfenvd to in tlie books, Mnc-h of what was related has aliv.idy bieii told in de- scribiiiLj the social life and folk-lore of Greenland. He added, however, many points in relation to t!ie historxof (Greenland which ma\- briefly be reconnteil here. Greenland, "The Land of Desolation," as it was well calle,cks to their welfare. Tlie\- had to depend almost entirely for supplies of certain ma- ' 204 A\' .Ux'cnc s/:.is. tcrials, notably wood and iron, on vessels wliicli, for sev- eral years, came from Iceland. ( )n one occasion, one or two years liavinj^ passed without supplies hein^^sent, the relief vessel found only their bones. They were the first victims of the l*)skim(js, and, as far as known, the last. What had hajipeued was unknown, but it is supposed that the Skrallers or Howlers, as the natives were called, from the horrid noise they made at ni-. A conversation with one of the Jvskimos who spoke a little broken En.<,dish, and the translation of whose unpronounceable name was Raven, revealed to me the cause: they had not been chewed. It appears that il is necessary to carefully chew the seal-skin to render it sufficiently pliable. This was unwelcome news, for I knew of no one who would care to chew the garments, fdled as they were with rancid oil. But Mr. Raven, in consideration of a certain amount of plu^; tobacco, kindly offered to mana,'cl(K"k we came in sight of the entrance to the harbor of St. John\s. 212 Av .lA'cr/c s/:.is. Our arrival was si,i,Miallc(l at once from the top of the <^rcat cliff wliich marks one side of the entrance. Its crest was surnionnted by a fort and si<;nal station, and from it sii^nal flajL^s were flown in succession, which, beini^ interjiretcd, meant "A steamer cominj^ in;" " iJowrin.t; lirothers;" "the A'/A.-" we were reported. These si/■■ ////•; a///;. 21^ few tclco-rams to assure the folks at lioiiie of our safe arrival. We were compelled to remain at vSt. John's lor five days, as no steamer left until the follo\vin,i,r I