522 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



granite and limestone, -with a small streak of another 

 formation between the two. From this point Dr. 



something 

 which to 



fixed, whether it be the water or ice on 

 travel — that feature alone makes this 



Kane and party started north to examine the ice. apparently the most eligible road to the North 

 After an absence of about a week the party return- ~ 

 ed, and active preparations were immediately made 

 for going into wmtcr quarters. A Avarm and com- 

 fortable house Avas built over the deck. Stoves 

 put ujj and communication made between the steer- 

 age and cabin, and the men were transferred from 

 the forecastle to the hold, where comfortable quar- 

 ters were made for them. The gallej^ was put 

 below. A party was sent forward to establish a 

 cache about a hundred miles distant. Darkness 

 gradually came upon them, and with the exception 

 of a few short journeys within a scoj^e of thirty 

 miles, the operations for the season closed, and soon 

 entire darkness came upon them, preventing 

 them from doing any work whatever. The year in 

 this latitude is divided into four portions, two of 

 which are alternate day and night, each of two 

 months' duration ; one of four months with the sun 

 below the horizon during the entire twenty-four 

 hours ; and one of four months with the sun con- 

 tinually above the horizon, revolving in one circle 

 above the horizon — as Tennyson says, 



" The midnight sun 

 Sets into sunrise." 



On August 2 2d the party lost the sun altogether. 

 It went at a dip below the horizon for the first time, 

 and the nights began gradually to increase — grow 

 longer — until October 22, when — having the day 

 previous just raised his face above the horizon — the 

 sun vanished again, and did not honor them with 

 his smiles for four months more. At twelve o'clock 

 for two or thi'ee weeks there was considerable twi- 

 light, but this was soon lost, when for three months 

 the twilight was very inconsiderable. The moonlight 

 days and nights were beautifully bright. The win- 

 ter was remarkable for being one of the severest and 

 the longest in darkness ever experienced by civilized 

 man. When the cold began to increase it was ten 

 degrees below zero early in September, and as the 

 season increased, although it proved to be a much 

 milder winter than many described by the natives, 

 48 and 50, and even 60 degrees below zero was 

 recorded. Early in November, if not on the last of 

 October, at a temperature of 40 degrees below zero, 

 old Monongahela whiskey, so famous for its strength, 

 was converted into ice. 



The winter was passed in amusement and rest. 

 As early as the middle of March, expeditions began 

 to be fitted out to explore the country about. 



These were made by the aid of dogs and sledges. 

 One of these parties examined a large glacier about 

 80 miles distant. The extremity of this glacier was 

 the most northerly limit of the field of search. 

 Beyond this glacier the land altered its trend, it 

 having trended from the vicinity of Stafford's Head 

 about east, nearer east than north. Beyond this it 

 trended again to the north, and when the whole bay 

 was frozen up, from a short distance north of this 

 glacier was discovered a channel of open water run- 

 ning north and south. In and along this stream 

 were innumerable cetacia and birds. The principal 

 food of the travellers over the i(;e was procured by 

 the rifle : it consisted almost exclusively of the 

 pemmican. 



With reference to the channel above described 

 it is for those conversant with geographical theories 

 and principles to determine whether or not it is an 

 indication of any highway of water bej'ond, or 

 whether it is merely one of those tide streams which 



Pole. 



Early in the spring the Newfoundland dogs were 

 exceedinglj' ixseful in carrying burdens ; they were 

 indeed invaluable for short excursions ; six of them 

 would draw a burden varying from five hundred to 

 eight hundred pounds, at a dog-trot of four miles an 

 hour. They Avould travel thirty miles a day for 

 several days in succession. These dogs, however, 

 were not adapted for this climate, and the first win- 

 ter only two of them survived. Most of them died 

 of convulsions, apparently suffering from lock-jaw. 

 In the month of March the vessel was most un- 

 expectedly visited by a party of Esquimaux. They 

 came in sledges, drawn by fine large dogs, evidently 

 of a very superior breed ; these dogs would make a 

 journey of 60 miles a day for several weeks, carry- 

 ing a single man, and in some instances two men 

 behind them. The sledges were curiously formed ; 

 some were made of hiindreds of pieces of bone lash- 

 ed together with strings made of the oisook, a large 

 seal. A few of them were made of wood. These 

 Esquimaux are represented as grossly filthy in their 

 habits and loose in their morals, live as much on raw 

 as on cooked meat, and eat most voraciously. But 

 the race is fast passing away, and it is supposed that 

 there are not more than 100 of them between Cape 

 York and Eittleton Island, a distance of five or six 

 hundred miles. 



In July, as the prospect of getting out of the ice 

 seemed to be very distant, Dr. Kane planned a 

 party, of which he took the command, to Beechy 

 Island, to communicate with the English. He 

 met the ice ofi' Cape Parry — evidently the Upale 

 and Walstenholm sound pack — at Jones's sound. 

 It was impossible to penetrate this, and consequently 

 nothing remained but to make preparations for pass- 

 ing the second Avinter as comfortably as possible. 

 The outfit of the expedition had contemplated a 

 stay of only fifteen months, and the provisions 

 remaining Avere not of a character suited to the cli- 

 mate. Scurvy prevailed considerably, but by the 

 untiring assiduity of Dr. Kane, this was so far 

 checked that no lives Avere lost by it, although seve- 

 ral men Avere severely affected. By this time the 

 supply of coal Avas entirely exhausted. They were 

 obliged to cut away the buhvarks and all the spare 

 spars of the ship ; indeed everything Avhicli could 

 Idc cut aAvay, and still leave them in seaAvorthy con- 

 dition, in order to keep up their small fire. 



When the crepiisculum began to shoAV the tints 

 of the sunlight in the spring, they began to look 

 forward to all that remained to them — a journey to 

 the nearest station of civilization, Upernavik. The 

 distance, including detours, A\-as at least a thousand 

 miles. I'his coukl only be travelled by convej-ing 

 the boats on sledges to the nearest water, and then 

 placing the sledges on the boats and proceeding by 

 Avater until the ice compelled them to reverse the 

 order again. The Avinter Avas an extremely cold 

 one. Sixty degrees beloAv zero Avas frcqiiently re- 

 corded, and the monthly averages Avere 30 and 40 

 degrees beloAV zero. The ice showed no prospect of 

 breaking up. Careful surveys were made as late as 

 the first of May, when the Avatcr Avas at least 70 or 

 80 miles from the ship. It being beyond question 

 that the ship must remain there, the boats were got 

 under weigh, and the greatest speed used in fitting 

 them up. 



As soon as the boats were ready provisions Avere 



sometimes break the frozen surface of a northern placed in them, water-proof articles being got up as 

 estuary, knoAvn to the Danes as a race. Whatever Avell as their shabby resources allowed. The bread 

 this is, one thing is certain ; if it be the basis of a Avas pounded into powder, packed into canvass bags, 

 line of coast presenting something unchangeable — and laid doAvn so as to fill up the space betAveen the 



