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1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
IN ARCTIC SEAS.
A NARK AIIVK ()|.-
Till' VOYACI' ()!• Tllli KITi:
"lilt nil!
I'KARv i:\i>i;i)rrio.\ to north r,i<i;i;xLA.\D.
liV
ROHKRT X. KIlIiLV. Jk.. M D
SUKOHOK I.. T„« Kx...,.l.,OV S.VI ..V . „,< A,,U„<MV „. N„,„,; s.lK
.■mil NAM liAi(\: .M|.:m„,.:„ ,,r I ill'. (;i..,,..,<Ari|.
ICAL Lmi OF l'llll.,M>l.:|.|.,|,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<lelit\ in a diar\' which lu
kept from day to day. The expedition, of which Dr.
Keely and my.self had the honor to be members, had ex-
ceptional oi)portiniilies to .see the life and costumes of the
natives of Northern ( ireeuland. Most of the expeditions
to the Arctic rej^ions have been in haste to reach the
farthest possible north, and on their return were inter-
ested only in reachinj; civilization. The h'ifr, however,
steamed leisurely back, stopping wherever points of
interest existed, thus allowing the members of the party
to become fairly familiar with the natives and the desolate
country which they inhabit. Those things which were
of special interest were faithfully recorded in Dr. Keely's
diary, which proved the basis of the present work.
Although this was his first voyage to the Arctic it
gion.s. Dr. Keely was already exi)erienced in travel and
with meeting strange people. He had visited not only
most of the countries of Kuroi)e, but also many of the
States of Central and South America, and his powers of
observation, thus quickened, grasped many interesting
things which would have escaped one less familiar with
the world and its people.
The aid which he received from Dr. Crwilym George
Davis was invaluable. Not only with his pencil (for the
sketches which illustrate the work were made by him),
but also with his pen, he has devoted himself, with mi-
tiring industry, to the task of making readable and valu-
/'A7:7:ic/:.
able this hook of Arctic travel. My own shart- in the
work has been confined to the wriiinj^r „m ^,( certain
facts and incidents of which I had special knowled;^re.
I feel that I have little claim to either credit or thanks,
hnt am prond of an opportunity to have my name con-
nected with a work which, I am snre, will he a sonrcc
of pride to the anthors and of nsefnlness to the oem-ral
pid)lic.
Dr. Kcely and Dr. Davis have asked me to thank par-
ticularly Prof. IJenj. Sharp for the nse of the photographs
from which most of the plates liave been made; also
Prof. Jacob F. Holt and I'rof. Anf^elo Ileilprin, for the
•same conrtesy; and Jno. J. McKenna, Kscj., of Philadel-
phia, for several acts of kindness.
J""^- '^'^'' \V. H. HtkK.
fr'l
CO x\T i: \ TS.
IXTRontCTIoN
CIIAI'TI'R I.
TlIK SrAKT-CAI'TAIN PiKK.-Ol-K v:in.:w.-THK I.AND ().•
i:VANC.::i,rNK.-Al<HIVAI, AT SYDMCV.-CoAI.INd VoH rUK
«5
\Oyac.i-:
CIIAI'TI'R 11.
Ckossin-c, thr Gn.F of St. Lawrkxci:.— Oru First Ici:.-
Ax Ahaxdoxkd Hoat. -Ix tiik Midst ok tiii: I-i.ok.—
NKWIOrNDI.AXI) I-ISUKKMKN.-Oi.-,.- ,.oR CaI'K DksoI.A-
•23
TIOX
CIIAPTlvR HI.
First Sicht of Orkkxi.axd.-Ickhkrc.s.-Disko Isi.axd.-
ArrIVAL at GonilAVX.-VlSIT OF FSKI.MOS.-I)lNiN(;
with the; Governok.— Xativj.; Huts
42
CHAITFR IV.
A Native Daxck. -Polaris Hi:xrick.-Rk,,„-,,.,x of the
ESKIMO.S. — Mode of (ioVERX.MKXT. — Mo.syriTOES.— A
Pllxge IX THE Arctic Oceax.-The X.vtive Afimc-
TITE
59
lO
coxrr.xrs.
CIIAI'llvk V.
l',\Ki;\Vi;i,t, T«) (i«»Ii|I,\VN. AUKIVAI, AT I'IM; KNAVIK. — No-
TICK TO MakinI'Hs in Till'; Dams Stkaits. — Tim: Si:t-
TLKMKXT AM) ITS IMIAIUTANTS. -1)LC\ ISLANDS . . .
/.■>
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)<m;.s.— Si,Ki«ii;.s i :;,,
CIIAITI'R XII.
Rows A\i» Arrows. -Si'KAKS a.\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<Rr:xr..\Ni> 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: \(ti<K I'.SKi.Mos 155
IvSKI.MO HOV 161
Sm;i«.I'; 165
A Hit <>i' CiKickm.ani) Sci;ni;i<v. Diskd Island
201
I'A'.II
I2S
1 5"
i.S.S
iCi
166
.67
I OH
170
170
171
'7'
(72
172
17 \
'75
'75
176
17,S
'79
'7'>
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
<i;lacier. What are called glaciers on its .shores are
merely tonc^ues of ice pushed out into the ocean by the
j^reat weij^^ht of a continent of ice behind it. From the
extreme north to Cape Farewell is one vast sheet, the
15
F
^
i6
ixTh'onrcno.v.
l)r<)(liict of centuries of snow-stonns. This ice sheet is
comparatively level, the iucciualities of the niouiitains
and valleys beiii}^ almost entirely ol)literate(l by the uni-
form coatinjj of ice. Only the gradnal rise of the land,
from the level of the sea to an altitude of about six thon-
sand feet in the interior, is preserved. Here and there,
in the interior, inonntain-peaks pnsh their way thron^h
the enormous blanket of snow and ice, bnt e.\ce])t for
these landmarks the surface is an almost V'\-el plain.
Across this surface Lieutenant Peary made ' way due
east for about one hundred miles. The journey, thonjj^h
made under ;;reat difficulties, was without dan<;er or
extraordinary fati<;ue, and served to confirm him in his
belief of the correctness of a theory which he had formed.
This theory, in brief, was that the true way to solve the
many problems which (Greenland offers to jjeoji^rapher??,
and at the same time to reach the most northern point
attainable by man, was to journey overland on its frozen
surface, instead of attemptintj to work one's way north-
ward alono; the shores.
It was several years after this first exploration that an
opportunity offered to definitely prove his theory. In
the mean time Nansen had succeeded in crossinjj^ the con-
tinent from east to west, althoujjh at a point below the
Arctic Circle. The report of the condition of the interior
by this explorer agreed with what was found by Peary.
A comparatively smooth ice cap covered the entire
breadth of Greenland, at least at that point, and there
was every reason to suppose that the same condition pre-
vailed still farther north.
/.V //y'()/)fC/7(l.\'
It is iKit iicccssarv to detail tlit- iiiodificalions which
were iiuuio of thf uri;4iiial plan projected 1)\ LieiUenaiit
ear\-
Ili^
s ami was to attain the most northern point
th
\et reached 1)\- man. This was S3 2.\' north latitude,
and was made by Lockwood and lirainard in 1SS2.
To do so he required several things: iMrst, he needed
to 1)1- landed at a point as far north as possible, from
which an expedition could start ; then he iiinst winter
in this locality, so as to take advantajije of the earliest
possible opi)ortnnity to start on his northward journey:
he had so to arraiit;e matters as to make such "caches"
of food and provisions in the fall of the year as would
obviate the necessity oi carr\ in,!:,^ with him all the sup-
plies that mii^ht be necessary lor the jouriiey; finally, he
must provide some means of retreat to a cixilixed settle-
ment, whence he could carry back his ])arty, toi^ether
with any records of discoveries that he mi<;lit make.
To the expedition he was willinij^ to contribute his
private
fort
une.
but
more won
Id 1
)e reciunec
1. I
n order
to prosecute his researches he needed, besides, the ]Miblic
sujiport of some distinj^uished institution and leave of
absence from the .government.
(iovernment aid was out of the (|uestion. The sad
result of the (ireely expedition had been too recenlK' an-
nounced to warrant any hope of help from that (piarler.
The lieutenant, after several rebuffs, lectured before the
American Ocoirranhical .Societ\- of Xew York
aiK
1 tl
le
Academy of Natural vScieiices of Philadel])liia. He en-
listed the sympathy of and received such substantial sup-
])(nt from these bodies that the expedition was finally
s8
/x7/x'()/)rcy/()X.
sent iiiulcr the auspices i,f the lasl-naiiied institution.
The desired le;ae of absence was obtaine<l, and friends
of the lieutenant and the Academy provided the funds.
It wouUl be difficult, if not altoi^a-ther unuecessar>', 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<jations of the land
and its natural history, and brin^; back such specimens
and information as mi<i^ht be of value to the Academy.
The su])plies for the proposed inland journey and the
means of returniuii;- to civilization were to be provided by
the lyieutenant himself. These included a supply of
provisions .sufficient to last his party, after the landinj;
had been made, for at least eii^hteen months, exclusive
of the fresh meats which he miy-ht obtain on the vovaire
or at his camp. A portion of the ship's supply of coal
was also left with him, and, besides this, buildiufi^ mate-
rial sufficient to construct a small house was carried,
together with two large whale-boats, fitted for dragging
over the ice, rowing, and sailing, in whicli the retreat
of the party was to be attempted in the summer of 1892.
He had also a full supply of scientific instruments, snow-
'A
'ji
1-
III
I
/.VVA'd/ )(■(■■/■/< KV
19
shoc-s, imj)kiiuiil> 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(<l()ii f iil)S()U, of l-Musliiii'L,'-, Loii!^'' Island, is about
twi'iitN-loiir wars of a^v, bciiijj^ tall and ninscnlar, and
aclrd j^cniralK as LifUlfiianl lVar\'s chief assistant.
Ivi\ard Aslrnp is a Xorwt-.^ian, and had only lixt-d in
tiK' rnilrd Stall's for a few months when he xolnnteered
for the exjjedition. He is skilled in the nse of the "ski,"
as the peenliar snow-shoes of Norway are called.
John T. \'erhoeff is a native of I.onisville, Kentncky,
and acts as the niineraloi^ist of the partx'.
Dr. \'. A. Cook is the snri;e«-n of the part)-, ;ind a
•graduate of the Colleijje of Physicians and vSnr^^i'ons of
Xew York.
Matthew Ilenseri, who actt'd as Lientenant Peary's
servant on the hitter's trij) across Xicara<^ua, acconi-
])anie(l him to the North. lie is an active, intelli.neiit
younj^^ colored man, and was formerly a resident of Phila-
delphia.
\''\
Wi'.s'i' ( ii<i;i',.\i..\\i) I"'.\i'i:i)ri"i()\.
Prof. .\n<;ido IIeilj)rin, the leader of the West (iri'en-
land ICxpedilion, was the execntive cnrator of the .\cad-
em\ ol N,;tnral vSciences. A native of .Vnstro-I Iun,L;ary,
hilt loiii;- a resident of Phila(lel])hia, his reputation as a
_o(.'olo!:;ist is world-wide. He is the author of numerous
W(>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'<l the expe(li-
tion as zooloni^t in cliaru;!.'; he is tlie correspondiuL,^
secretarv- of the Academy, a graduate of the rniversilv
of Pennsx hnni.i and of W'urzburL;, and had made a special
/■\"/'AU )/>!■( //ox.
21
vSialio!!.
I'lnfc-ss.-r j. ].•. Iloh is ilK- I'n.lVs,s.,r,.r Xatural Ili.-
t.M-v;,n<lIIv,L;u-,u-atll,rCVnl,;,l Ili.^llSdlonlnfPIlila.Kl-
pliia. Ilr a(T(.in|K,iiic(i tlu- rxpc-.liti.,,, as ils /....h.^isi.
Dr. Willian, !•;. H„^!,cs was tlu' „n,it!,„ln^i.i? Jj,
wasl,krwisc.at;ra<l„atcM,r the ( -.livcrsilv .,1 iVnnsvlva-
'"•'> ^"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.\pe<iition had rather excep-
tional -facilities for e.\aminin,q; the habits and customs of
the natives, especially those in the vicinit\' of Ca])e N'ork.
'rhe\- bi'louL; to a most inleri'stini;- race' and the facts dis-
co\ered concerninjj;- them well repaid the attention thus
devoted. I<art;e nnnd>ers 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<Ki\Ai. AT .SvDNiiv, C..Ai.i\(, i'mr tii;; \ (,N
A(,i;.
\/\/'''' '^''■■'■'■' "'^ '*"■ ^'"■' •^'■^■^'^" iv-i(«n^.. and Ic.ki.,! ,„„•
* ♦ lasl c.n Xcw V,,rk harbor wliik" (hr crcwd that
al\va\s assriiihlcs on a wharf on such occasions ^avc
hcar(\- cliccrs, and countless stcani-whistlcs added their
noisv farewells. The ship that was to carrv us thither
was the A'//,; an Arctic steam-whaler and sealer (.f
two hundred and ei-hty tons, which, thouuli small, was
admirahlv fitted an<l desi-ued for tin- purpose. She
was technically known as a harkentiue; that is to sav,
carried s(|uare sails on her foremast, while the niain-
and mi/./.en-masts were " ri-o^.d i;,,^ .„„i _.,,-^ m -^^
schooner fashion. She was a staunch little vessel, and
we soon learned to admire her seaworthiness as well as
lur stren-th. The assistant enoineer, Mr. McKinlev,
showed us, soon afte- the start was made, how lur how,'
lor six or eioht feet hack from the prow, was a mass of
oak ; Ik.w her timhers, enormous for the size of tlie
vessel, were holted an<l keyed together; how the en-
84
/.\' .iA'(//c .'</■:. IS.
}^n'in.'S, lliou.i^li siii;ill ;m;l c')iiij)ac't, \\\w fiill\ ronipctent
lor tlic scT\it\' 11k-\- \rv to itirfonii; told lis li(.>\v llu'
])ro])flkr svas of hcll-iiU'lal, Ix-iii;; (U't'plx- snnki.-n to
:i\-oi(l (laiii^i-T iVoiii lloaliii!^- icr ; and (.Aplaiiic-d oIIkt
]ioiiits a])oul luT that \vf ai)|)ix-cialc(l uuich more full\-
wiijii llic allack on llie- icc' l)(.'L;an.
CAITAIN KKII \K1) I'lKT.
( )f all the sliii)'s conipa.iu-, I parliciilarl\- admired
Captain Richard Pike. He was the most e.\))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 lea<l, 'hen transport their provisions, and lannch
the boats a,i.,ain in the tortnons pas.a-es of the Melville
I'.av pack. This, of conrse, was a severe task, an.l t..o
often when completed wonld be h.nnd of little advanta-e
K. their in-oo-rcss. lie said that he never lost heart bnt
once. This was after a day of .scNcre labor, when the Inxits
I>a<l been drawn np on an iceber- and thev preparer! to
''camp," if campin- it conid be called, for a hard storm
of sleet and hail was ranin-.,. and it was impossible to
l"'ild any fire. As thev were abont to lie down to sleep
«'n the ice there were nnmistaka1)le si-ns of the collapse of
the icel)ero:. The work was all to d,. over a-ain. Thev
ninst load and lannch the boat, and pnll off in the stormv
sea for a .safer restinu-place. This thev fonnd at last on
an ice-Hoe, and the men, worn ont in their lal)or, threw
themselves d(.wn with .scarcely any preparation and went
26
/.\' .lA'c/'/c s/:.is.
fast asleep at otice. He himself, he added, was ''too
tired to sleep," and in ntter misery and despair sat np,
thinkin,^ of home and famih', nntil they awoke.
On reachini^ Upernavik they were well treated by
the Danes, and in a few weeks were homeward bonnd
on the United States vS. vS. ]'a////(\ which was to have
accompanied the Proteus^ bnt had been nnable to force
its way throu<;h Melville Bay.
Captain Pike was a typical Xewfonndlander, and
tlion.t;h nearly sixty years of a<^e was as active in mind
and body as many men of half his years. His face
beamed with j^eniality and <;^ood natnre, and thong^h his
whitened hair and rn<^.t;ed face showed marks of the
hardshi[)s he had experienced as a whaler and sealer, it
was yet frank, oi)en, and intellit^ent, as a j^ood old sea-
captain's face oni^ht to be. All of ns reposed the ntmost
confidence in him, his directicMis and advice bein,<>^ 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<rer in spirit than any
one of us.
IvKvanl Tracy, tlic chief mate, was an excellent navi-
,<,^alor, with laroe experience in travel in ic>- 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 obtainin<j^ it. It was
of course i)referable to coal at as far northern a ])oint
as possible. This we appreciated more fully wdicu
the hold and even the betwcen-decks of the A'//r
were filled with what was b\' no means an e.\tra\-a<;ant
suppl\.
As the harbor of vSydncy wa.s entered we had our fust
chance to examine closely the shores of a strange conntr\-.
At first Hal and dtdl, the scencr\' became more and more
////; ro ).!(,/■: o/- ////: a///-:
29
]iictnrfS(|iK' as wc saik<l uj) tlu- liaihor. I'olli sliorcs arc
Iii^li, and the bells uf stratified rocks arc clear a\\{\ dis-
tinct. vSandstone, liiiR'Stunc, and coal alternate in loinj.
near
Iv 1
lori/.ontal Uuers on the opjjosite sides, and the
orecn snnnnits are further enihellished by i)rett\- little
churches, \vho>e 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.<r alon,i;- the east coast of Cape P.reton Island,
vSydney liar1)or was left behind and we 'passed into the
(Inlf of St. Lawrence. The only thino- we saw dnrini;
the day was an American fishinj^-schooner which was
lyin.tj: ^^ anchor. Tliis was the last vessel si.^hled un-
til the harbor of Cif)dhavn in Greenland was reached.
Toward evenin.!;:^ the wind and waves rose and the ship
pitched and rolled heavily, makin.q- many of the partv
seasick and the decks wet and uncomfortable. The next
day the weather had moderated somewhat, 1)ut the water
was still rouf^h.
We had by this time passed the entrance of the Gulf
of St. l^awrence and were approachinc^ the western coast
f
HJi
' if
A\' .lA'L //c s/:.is.
(»f XcwfoundlaiKl. As wc iicaixd llic land tlu' sliorc was
sriii to 1)L' iui^,^c(l and picturcsciuf, with patflifs of
Vfrduiv C()iiiin<^f to the watt-r's vA'^ij. Many small land-
birds came al)()Ul the ship, and several lijL;hled on it, bnt
onl\ remained a short time and then Hew landward.
All that (lav we sailed alon'"- the Newfoundland coast
w
ith land constantlv in sis-ht. Xii-ht comint/ on,
bronjjjht fo;jj with it. This was so dense that it was
necessar\ to keep the foji^-whislle l)lowin}j^ until mornin*j^
in (M'der to warn any possible fisherman that ini.t;ht be
cruisin<; in the vicinity.
In the uu)rnin,i^ tlie weather was still foj^ji^y, and at
about 7 t)'cl(jck several pieces of ice a few feet in diam-
eter were seen floatin*:^ past the ship. This caused con-
siderable excitement, because it was the first ice seen
and was slrouj^ly su.i^j^estive of future ic\' e.\i)eriences.
We had hoped to pass throuj^h the vStr.iit of I'dle Isle and
into the Xorth Atlantic unimpeded by ice, because of
the fa\'orable reports obtained at vS\dney as to the strait
bein,ij^ well open. It had been reported as navi,^able
a couple of weeks before ; but within an hour after see-
ing the first small ])iece wc ran into heavy pack-ice — so
liea\'\', indeed, that w
e we
n unable to steam tlirouuli it.
The thickness of the weather prevented any sij^ht of
the ice beinsj; obtained before it had barred our ])ro,<;ress.
Thi>
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><hK\ r>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<l been cut ihrons^h by the ice and cast a(hift. It was
a poor, nseless waif in a se;i of desolation, and we conUl
not but experience a partl\' sn))crstitions feeling;' as we
passed it by. Was it a s\in])()l of what mi^ht occur?
"^A
i';j
■| 111 ,\i:amm)\i I) i;ci.\r.
Wc remembered the (h-eadfnl tales we had all read of the
fmal outcome of so nian\' Arctic expeditions, and thoujLilit
of the numbers of faithful men who had lost their lives
!)>■ 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<l c\-
ccpt the ohtaiiiiiii^ ol" \iiws of iht- 1oik1\- shons of I/d)ia-
dor and Xcwfouiidlaiid. ( )ik' cdiaiuu'I, iiidii'd, was loiind
which apijfarcd to K-ad to oprii walir hiyond, hut allcr
foHowiiiL; it a coiipli' of iiiiU's wi- loup.l otiisidxi's a^ain
hh)cki'd. 'V\\v ice (inii"kl\- closed in htdiiiid us, and we
wvvc unahU- to ad\auee, our retreat was cut oil, and there
was hut little prospi'ct ol heiuj^ ahle to i'sca])e Un several
<ia\s. W'e wen- in the uanowest part of tin- .Slrail of
lUdle Isle, it hi'in,L; heri' hut nine miles wide, and at this
point the \vv couiini; from llu- noi th hecouies janinied
and inli'tleii'S serionsK' with ua\-i^ation. ( Jur jouru(.'\-
could scarc(.'l\' he :^aid to hax'c comnu'Ucx'd, as we wire
onl\- in the I'^lilnde of S- north, while our ultimati
destination wa^; in the ni-i,<jhhorhood of 7.S". \u oiher
words, we had aei'omplislu'd less than one-third of the
dislanix- wi' had di'si^uiMl to i^o, and this tlu- easii'st por-
tion of the journe\', \v[ we wiai' appari'UtK' compktelv
M(»cka(K(l and with no \isihle prospect of rek'ase. At
times the ice would open a little, when some slight ad-
\anci' would he made. vSmall clear patidu-s of water wi'ri'
sci'U hen- and there, and on thesi' were numhiMS of ducks.
Th
(.•\- wi-ri' so tame and unaccustomed
to1
)ciu<«- niok'sted
H
as to allow the ship to approach (piiti' close. \\\' shot
niauN', and found tlu-m a desirahle addition to our ordi-
nar\- dii't.
I/iti'r in the dax- tlu' lo ^ disappeared, and we found
ourselves cdose to till' Ni'wfoundland shore. Hire, near
Ihi' edue of till' water, were sei'U siA'eral sm.dl houses or
////■; I (>) . 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<j;ht settin<; in found us still fast in the ice, with the
weather <;ettin<;- colder, and we were jj^lad to seek the
comfortable cabin with its cheerful coal fire. The sound
of the <j^rindin_i^ and »^roaniu<^ ice was our lullaby that
ni_^ht. None of us rei^^arded our positioji as serious; in-
deed, the captain, who was an old sail(».' in Arctic seas,
told us that it was a usual lhin_ij up this wa\-, and was
owinj^ to a late suunner. We were all satisfied with this
explanation, and only ea.y;er to esca])e from our imprison-
ment. On one of the two followin_ii^ days, while still in
the ice-pack, some of the ])arty visited a lartj^e iceberj^
about four miles awa\- from the vessel. They returned
quite tired and exhausted, as climbing over the rough ice
was no easy task. They had remained awa\' so long and
the weather became so foggN' that the ca])tain grew un-
easv as to their abilit\- to find the wav back. Two of the
rill-: I'ov.n.E ()/■' I HE Km:.
37
111-
as,
vas
lis
ton-
ill
icd
Xcwfoiiiulland sailors were just about starting; in search
of tlieiii when they were discerned approachin*;. Mad
the foj^ been a little (piicker in coinint>; 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 a<rain endeavored to force our wav throufTh
the floe. A strong wind from the south having come
to our aid, assisted us in our progress. By noon we had
reached the southern end of Belle Isle. The light-
house * *'"" bluff ran up the British flag, which courtesy
was retuii Belle Isle is situated at the northern end
of the strait bearing the same name, and is a bold, rocky
island one mile wide and nine miles long. The only
buildings on it are two lighthouses, situated one at each
extremity, north and south. There is also a building
near the .southern light, containing supplies to be used in
case of shipwreck. The light on the upper end of the
island is the most northern one on the eastern shores of
the American continent, there being none in Greenland
or Labrador. The former place is only accessible in the
summer months, and is situated so far north that during
that season there is continual daylight, and thus the
necessity for a lighthouse does not exist.
The keepers of the light at Belle Isle must have
looked upon us as the harbingers of summer, as the
captain said that our ship was undoubtedly the first one
the\- had seen since the previous year, navigation closing
in those waters early in November. We were all anxious
to ;o ashore to leave letters for any passing vessel that
might call and take them on their way south, but w^ere
unable to venture out on account of the danger of
attempting to force a small boat through the loose and
I
////■; r()]:i(,/-: or riii-: kiie.
39
'A
m
(lanq^eroits ice iiitcrvcniiij;^ l)ct\veeii ourselves and tlie
shore. This ended our hopes of sendinj^ any further
connnunications home, unless we happened to have the
fTOod luck to encounter a ship on its way south.
As soon as the strait is known to be open this route to
the river and ( lulf of vSt. Lawrence is taken by merchant
and fishin<^ vessels, because it is the shortest between the
Old World and the New. At this season of the )ear it is
f^enerally avoided, but on our return voyai^e we ])assed
several vessels bound to the strait for cargoes of cod-
fish. These are cau.i^ht and dried by the fishermen, and
afterward shipped to points in the West Indies, Central
and South America, and Europe. Early in the season it
is comparatively rare that vessels attempt to force the
dan.t>erous 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<r the wind in our favor. The look-
'1
40
IN ARCTIC SIIAS.
out was stationed at his post in the bow, watching for
iccber<;s. Niglit was coming on, and as several had
been seen early in the day, we feared that there might
be others in our path The night, fortunately, was clear,
and the moon gave plenty of light, so that by keeping a
sharp watch ahead any approaching bergs could be seen
in time to avoid a collision.
With early dawn came a north-west wind which in-
creased all day, until b}- nightfall it was blowing a gale.
Our heavilv-laden ship was still deep in the water, not
enough of the coal having vet been used to lighten it to
any appreciable extent. The large amount of coal on
deck rendered the ship more unwieldly than it otherwise
would have been, and it pitched and tossed frightfully
in the large waves which every now and then broke over
the sides. Everything above was cold and wet, and it
was almost impossible to stay on deck with any degree
of comfort or even safety. INIany were again taken sea-
sick, and sought their bunks, not, however, to enjoy
nnich rest, the tossing of the little ship fL-ndering that
imi)ossible.
The gale kept up all night, and Sunday found it
more violent than ever. The cook's galley, a small
house on deck, was nearly washed away by the sea, and
so danuiged as to require repairing before it was i)ossible
to obtain any cooked food. As many were seasick, we
were not greatly agitated over the accident, knowing
that we would not want an^'thing from that quarter for
a day or two. The gale, after continuing about three
days, at last began to subside. It was remarkable that
■i'
TlfK WYACI- OF THE KITE
ill these hi.o;], latitudes, wlierc one would expect coii-
timioiis cold, as Ion- as the sun was sliinino- the air felt
balmy. To be sure, tlie sun only hid himself for three
Iiours, and a few da) s later we had his presence all nioht
Until II o'clock P. M. one could easily read ordinary
print on deck, exeii at this early stage of the yoyac^e
I
lij
1
;
.11
\
'< 1
' W i
;■
i:-tr
CHAPTER III
First Sight oi- ("iKEicni.and. — Icki!i:rc-,s.— Disko Island —
Arkivai, at (ionnAVN.— \'isit or- I'Iskhios.— Dixixc, with
THi; (".OVERNOR. — NaTIVK IIl'TS.
Ox June 23d, toward evening, we caught our first
sight of (ireenland. The land was many miles
away, appearing as a narrow, dark cloud on the horizon.
All through the long Arctic twilight we steamed toward
it, the outline becoming more irregular, but the peaks
still seeming as far off as ever. What we saw were the
mountain-tops back of Cape Desolation, and at this long
distance it seemed to deserve the name which it bore.
Rugged peaks, overshadowed by a cold, dead sky, were
all that we culd distinguish; on approaching nearer,
however, we had our first glimpse of how beautiful an
Arctic scene might be. A vast mass of icebergs of
fantastic forms, many of which might be compared to
church-spires or ruined castles covered with snow, were
encountered. Their varied forms pleased us, and we
remained on deck until late in the evening admiring
them; but the most beautiful sight was one that pre-
sented itself later, when the moon rose and illumined
with her silver light their snow-clad cliffs. As we passed
them one after another, they loomed up, inky black,
against the twilight sky, and had a weird fascination
which kept us on deck for many hours.
12
^'^1l
(''!
/■///; ro )'.!(;/■: or riir-: kite.
43
These icebcrj^s, as Captain Pike iiilonned us, were
frafjnients of j^laciers on the eastern shore of (ireenhuul,
whicli, swept around Cape I-'arewcll by the ocean cur-
rents, sail slowly up the western coast until deflected b\-
the rjreat Arctic currents, and are carried down the east
coast of North America to the open Atlantic. Only the
largest and oldest of these bcrj^s survive their lon.g- jour-
nc)-; the rest are melted and dissipated by the warm
water and air which they meet as the\- float southward.
Those that remain are the terror of the transatlantic
seamen, for they float in the direct course of the shortest
possible route lietwcen the <j;reat points of departure
of the two continents. When these frajL^meuts of the
great ice-fleet are met with, the mighty steamer is in
great peril, and the captain shows his sense of her dan-
ger by his constant watchfulness and extreme care; but
the AV/r being of different build, Captain Pike's placidity
was not even disturbed for a moment by the sight of
these monsters. Notwithstanding the abundance of ice-
bergs which lay in our path, the ship kept on her course,
except that the ice-pilot would occasionally throw over
her helm to avoid what he called "knocking her tooth-
pick out of her mouth" — that is to say, losing her jib-
boom.
The great procession of bergs continued all night, but
as the ship reached the desired point opposite Cape Des-
olation, and her course was turned northward, the\' were
gradually left behind and sailed majestically on their
journey.
After passing Cape Desolation we had beautiful, warm^
i
tihi
!
II
t, i
44
/.\- . :h'C7/c s/:.is.
sunshiiiy weather, all()\vin<j^ us to be on deck all the time.
The flays were \ery a<;rceal)lc, and, havin,i; now crossed
the Arctic Circle, we were favored with continuous day-
lij^ht. Thisenal)ied us to see all that was jiassinj;- at any
time; but havinj.; no dark. 'ess afTected us straui^ely, ])r()-
ducin.t; such a feelMiiL:^ of wakefulness that it was hard to
tell when we ou<;ht to "^o to sleep.
At this time we were jjassinj^- alontj the western coast
of (ireenland, which was only twenty miles distant, its
ru.^j^ed outlines bein<; clearh' visible in the brilliant sun-
shine, while the t(jps of its sncnv-clad mount lins were
distinctl\- outlined apjainst the blue sky in the distance.
The immense icebergs which were constantly passin,^ al-
ways interested us. Their ever-c]ianiL;in<j^ form-; and beau-
tiful clear blue color were never-ceasiufj^ objects of com-
ment, and constanth- ch;dlen.y;ed our admiration. 'I'he
continu(Mis da\li.^ht and radiance of the sun, to,^ether
with the ma_i;iiihcence of the beri^s and the anticii)ation
of still more wonderful revelations, so aroused us that it
destroyed all desire for sleep, and made us feel as if we
were on a summer ])leasure trip at home, rather than
sleamin«;- amidst the ice of Arctic .seas. The island of
Disko was sijrhted on June 25th, in the afternoon, and
although seventy miles distant, it v>'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.<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. <i"('!i,
was the first place at which we called after leavini^- Sydney.
The scene at the month of the harbor was truly ma<;nif-
icent, three lart;e icebergs seemin(,^lo ,miard its entrance;
one, about three hundred feet in leno;th and a hundred
and fifty feet in heioht, was shaped like an immer.se arch,
mm
^
46
j\v .ih'C//L s/:.is.
with an optiiiiiiLi^ larije cnoujj^h to permit {\\v passaj^u- (»f
a Vfssfl the s'v/.v of our own with toi)masts hotistd. Imoiii
thi- k'\-il of th.i' si-a to tlu- top of the arch was ([iiiic- si-\-
iiil\- fcol, aii<l it was as rej^ular and hfautifnl a scniicire-k-
as f\c-r sct-n in onr larj^c stone bridges at home. The pale
hhu' ice, with its snrface covered with snow and frozen
hard enon<;h to j^listen in the morning snnlii^lit, snr-
passed in coh)r and l)eant\- anythinjj; that man conhl
form from ])uresl marble, and was a sij^jht ni'ver to be
fori^otten.
( )n oiu' arrival in front of the town a whale-boat left
the shore, manned by half a do/.en natives, who, com-
ing aboard, j^nided onr ship to a safe anchoraj^e opposite
the governor's honse. vSome of these men sjjoke a littl
Knj^lish, which had been acquired dnrintj^ the \isits (..
whalers. I)\- means of their small stock of this lanj^na.Lje,
eked ont with additional sij^ns and .y;e.stnrcs, they in-
formed ns that onr vessel had been sij^hted .several hours
before, by some of their compariions, from the mountain
heij^ht adjacent to the villajjjc.
The liarbor of (i;jdhavn is land-locked, and is as snnt^
and prettv a little harbor as one e\-er .sees. On the north
.side the mountains reached over three thou.sand feet in
hei<;ht, their to'ps beinj^ covered with snow and ice.
Toward the base they were greenish in color, which was
due to a scanty t^rowth of mos.ses and lichens. There
was not a tree to be .seen an\w'here; indeed, we soon
learned that in (rreenland trees as we know them do not
exist. To the south the ^^round was low and rocky, and
in the water bevond a number of iceber<;s could be seen.
:
i
I
'////•: 10): !(,/■: <>/■ ////•; 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<r.
The first si<j[ht of ihe Eskimo is disa]i])oinlin.t:^. Il is
Irne ihal lliey are septal in fiij^nre and swarthy, but those
which we saw al Disko were nt)l so remarkable in face or
form as lo liave allracled atlentitin in any \)on where
forcifi^n sailors abound, except for iheir skin costumes.
I^\-en these costumes would not ha\e been partictdarly
noticeable had it not been for their fdlliiuess. \\'e fell
Ihe same disappointment that man\- of ns had experienced
al seein_<^ the Western Indians, when, instead of a noble
sava<>;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<r al)out the settknieni
I met the inspector, the <;()\ernor, aid a ]X!ssen^er from
the onl\- ship in tlu' harhor, a small Danish bri.i;. This
.L^entleman, Mr. Koch ])y name, had arrived a lew da\s
pre\ ioush' from Denmark, and was ;ivv"aitin,y; an ()])portu-
iiil\' to procei'd southward to take charge of one of the
other settlements. The\- were standing in front of the
,<;(>\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, an<l is generally
l)racti.sed amonj:^ the Danes in (ireenland. The j^entU-
men then retired to another room, where cofiee and
cigars were served.
^H|1
( !*
H
^^1
I- ' ii
BO
/X .lA'C/VC S/LIS.
"ia
On Icavino:, soon afterward, we made a tonr of the
settlement. It consisted of the inspector's honse, the
j^overnor's honse, a store, the assistant governor's honse,
a small chapel, a cooper and blacksmith shop, a store-
honse near the ed<>e 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
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1.
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■< 'h
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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<i^ht when on the platform.
There is a very perceptible odor of fish and f^rease
about the inside, and generally a pot of fish and blubber
NATU'l'. WOMAN AM) I'll III IRKN, (loDHAVN.
is boiling over a smoky nrc. The fuel used is seal oil
and turf, the latter of which I saw them piling up out-
side the hut for future use. The Danish government
provides the natives of the settlement with large cast-
iron stoves, and each hut contains one of these, the pipe
from which pierces the roof. The walls are usually hung
THE ro )'.!(;/■ OF nil', kin-:.
55
with liiiiitiii<^ itnpleniciits, clothes, occasionally some
cheap prints, and a few other articles. On the platform
were the skins on which the inmates slept: they were
mostly those of the reindeer and birds sewn tofijether.
When not in nse these fnrs are nsiially rolled np and
packed away with a miscellaneons collection of nnfinished
clothint^, little boxes containing sewing implements,
trinkets, and children's playthings. The whole plat-
form was sometimes littered with these things, for here
the work of the honsehold was done and the little chil-
dren played. Many of the lints were filthy in the ex-
treme, thongli in those of some of the better class of
natives the platform was qnite neat.
The floor itself was always strewn with fragments of
skin, pieces of dirty blankets, and other offensive mat-
ter, which amply acconnted for the vile odors encoun-
tered on entering.
The total number of inhabitants in (kxlhavn was
about one hundred and fifty; of these about a half dozen
were tlie Danish officials and their families, ti;e rest being
Eskimos.
The inmates of the native huts numbered usually six
to eight in each. They seemed to have a number of
children, who were as a rule briglii and interesting.
Almost all of the natives were of the color of our Xortli
American Indians, but the face is broader and has none
of the fierce and stolid look of the American savage.
They are much smaller in stature, their hair is jet black,
straight, and, in the case of the men, not allowed to grow
over four or five inches in length. In the women, how-
I
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56
AV ARCTIC SRAS.
ever, it is inucli loncrer, and evidently receives consider-
al)le attention.
The married women are distinj^nislied from those who
are sinfj^le by havin<; their hair twisted in the form of a
roll, four or five inches in heij^ht, on the top of the
head and tij^htly wrapped with cord. The sini>;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
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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.
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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<S° 30', and in im-
minent danger of being crushed. Fearing the destruc-
tion of the vessel at any moment, some of the crew had
encamped on the ice a short distance away, while the
rest remained on board. A violent gale broke up the
ice, and the floe on which the encampment was situated
floated away. Those who were on the ice comprised
Captain Tyson the ice-pilot, a few of the crew, and the
Eskimos who had accompanied Hall's expedition. The
innnense floe, with its living burden, drifted about on
..I.;
M
■i
62
IN ARCTIC SEAS.
the open sea for six months, when the survivors were
rescued l)y the steamship Tii^nss^ in hititude 53° 35', off
tile coast of Ln^nulor, havinj^ successfulK- made the re-
markable drif^ of nccirh" fifteen hnndred miles and lived
thron<2^h the rigors of an Arctic winter.
The religion of the Eskimos, a.*-- was learned from Mr.
Carstens, is somewhat indefinite and nncertain. At the
settlements, where the Danisli missionaries have labored
with the natives for many yea's, they nii^ht be called
theoretical Christians. They do not appear to be able Lo
grasp the idea of a Deitv as commonly understood, and
have even a slighter conception of original sin. They
cannot be made to comprehend how the sins of their
fathers for generations can in an,- way affect them, and it
is ver\- doubtful if they have any exalted opinion of the
superiority of the Christian Church over their own vague
ideas of a future life. A total indifference is felt to the
existence of hell as a ])ossible future dwelling-place.
This may be })artially due to having passed their ex-
istence in such an uUerly desolate land that they cannot
imagine an abode more miserable. The smi, moon, and
(xreat Spirit they regard as having aii indefinite some-
thing to do with their past, present, and future state.
At Gedesmunde and Jakobshavn, two settlements below
Godhavn, are two holes or sacred caves, into which the
Kskimos, on passing in the course of their hunting
trips, throw bits of blubber and meat. This is about the
onlv sacrifice they are known to offer up to the (ireat
Spirit. Mr, Carstens thinks that their apparent devotion
and regularity in attendance at the little chapel is due
'////•; lOV.IGE OF rilR klTR.
63
larj^fcly to their j^reat passion for music. They never
tire of the ninsic of tlie small oro;an, and sin.t?iii<j to its
accompaniment afford." them the greatest pleasure.
The Eskimos are a peaceful, harndess people among
themselves and toward the whites. Xo authenticated
case of a white niau being killed by an Kskinio has ever
been known in Greenland, and but three cases of murder
amongst the natives themselves have occurred in the
history of the settlement at Godhavn. The perpetrator
of one, a case of infanticide, was punished with the ad-
ministration b\' the inspector of forty lashes on the bare
back. The second case, if it can be classed as a murder,
was of a somewhat peculiar nature: In one of the
familits there was a young girl, who, being insane and a
burden to her people, was sentenced at a famih- conclave
to ^''cth. Some carbolic aci u, which had been left for
dressing a wound by the doctor who visited Godluun
twice a year from some of the southern settlements, was
given to her, but then, as the narrator said, "she became
crazier than ever;" thereupon a .second dose of a larger
amount of the drug was administered, ruid slie fell insen-
sible. Supposing her dead, she was taken by her rela-
tives and hurriedh- buried beneath a pile of stones.
They maintained that she was really dead when buried,
but inibrmation imparted h\ others nuule it look as
though this had not been the case, and that she was
ali\e when interred. Owing to the doubts in the case,
no punishment was inflicted in this instance. The last
murdor was that ]K"rpetrated by a man who was seen, in
his kajak, to approach a large skin boat or "umiak"
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64
/N ARCTIC SE.IS.
contaiiiinc;^ nine persons. He deliberately plunjred his
knife into it, sinkinc)^ the boat and drownin*;^ the entire
party. The murderer escaped punishment, as the natives
refused to act in the matter and the three Danish officials
had not the conraj^e to act themselves as his executioners.
The murderer is still occasionally seen near the settle-
ment, but is prohibited by the governor from living in
it. Whei asked what their home government had to
say about it, their reply was, "Nothing." To send tlie
fellow three thousand miles to Denmark to be executed
was nonsense, while to make executioners of the two
white men here (the inspector often being absent) would
be an unreasonable procedure in view of the indifference
shown in the matter by the natives ihemselves. So the
discussion closed by an invitation to any of our party
who so wished, to add his carcass to their collection if
they desired a specimen of that nature — an invitation
which, I need hardly say, was not accepted.
The natives themselves are allowed to settle the dis-
putes and difficulties arising among them: these are but
few in number and only of a most trivial nature, the
conununity being as quiet and orderly a one as can
be found anywhere. The ordinary disputes are those
ai^sing in the division of the spoils of the chase or some
domestic matters, and are punished by depriving the
offender of a part or all of his share. If the offense is
serious enough, his effects may even be taken away from
him and divided amongst the injured parties. Some-
times the governor takes cognizance of an offence by
R
THE VOY.U.E OF Ij/E KITE. 65
depriving the culprit of his supplies from the government
store.
The natives have the greatest respect and affection for
the Danish officials. The strength of this attachment is
shown b>- 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!
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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
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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 latitn<le 6;)'" and 7;^'^, ])e closed for na\-i,t;a-
tion of f()rei_i;n shi])S and Danish ships, except bv special
j^ermission of the ro\ al Danish government, l)y whom
tin.' mon<)j)()ly of trade with (Greenland is held.
2. Pnrsnant to ihe laws in force, any ship navi<^atinf^
without ])ermission on the west coast of Cireenland may
he seixed, where\er met with, and the ship and goodi?
be confiscated. vSimilar ])nnishment may be a])plied if
any person or ])ersons be fonnd tradin<^ with the (rreen-
landers or Danish col<_)nisls from a ship l\ing- in a port of
Cireenland or off the coast.
3. Shii)niasters compelled by .shijnvreck or other
canses to seek port in (ireenland shall not remain in ])ort
lon.tjer than necessar\-. Shi])masters shall also be re-
s])onsible U)x their crews not remaininj^^ on shore witlunit
necessit}- or in aii\- wa\- tradinj.;; with the natives, with
whom all intercourse is altogether prohibited.
4. 'iMic object of i)rohibitino- the navi.gation of the
west coast of Greenland and of maintaininj^'- the monopoh'
ot trade is to protect the nati\e population of (ireenland.
This ])oi)nlation will be threatened with ruin if conta-
After a short conversation the _novLrn(M- and his assist-
ant --.Inrnc'd to tlie shore.
Viewed from the sliij), tlie settlement was seen to l)e
smaller and not so attractive and ])ietiires(ine as that of
(k)dha\-n. \'e<^etation was c\en nioie scarity, and the
place had ([nite a desolate and drcr.ry ai)])earanee. It
contained two dwellin<;-honses, one for the j^overnor and
the other for the assistant governor ; there were also a
coni)le of storehouses, an(^ a stone blnhber-honse where
the fats and oils were rendered and prepared for shi))-
ment. These l)nildin<j^s were similar in style to those
which we had seen atCicxlhavn, bnt smaller and less pre-
tentions. The Danish flaii^ floated from a flagstaff placed
in front of the i^overnor's honse.
The nati\-e lints, abont t\venty-fi\e in nHnil)er, were
smaller and more dilapidated than those of the lower set-
tlement. They are sitnated at the foot of a nionntain,
the water from the meltini^ snow and ice of which trickled
down thron.nh the \illa,ne, niakini,; e\-er\thin^ wet md
nnidd\-. We did not ])nsh onr in\(.sti;.^atiiMis viTy lar
into these hoxels. The nali\c-s, innnberinL,'' about i hnn-
, dred, are a miserable, po\ert\-strieken looking set of
nil: ro.K.i-: oi- iiii- kiif..
79
t^ious diseases l)e l)ron,^ht into the conntr\', or if sj)iiit-
nous licpiors or other similar articles be im])()rted. 'I'he
board will, therefore, be ol)li,!.^fd to demand that the order
])rohil)itiniL,r the navij.i;ation of (ireenland in e\er\' way be
respected, in case the crew of any shiji shonld not stricilv
abstain from all interconrse with the nati\e ])oi)nlation.
C(ii'iN!i,\(;i:\, Miiy Sill, 1884.
1^
ln.1
'i'!l!
<Su
/x ARciic sri.is.
mortals. They had nolhiiii!::^ to trade nor to sell but a fevv
birds' e<^<;s. We bon.L;ht some of tliese, and fonnd them
j^ood eatin.tj^; tliev were the e,^^,<^s of the wild dneks that
freqnented the neij^hborliood.
We were told that a whale-sliip liad called there a
few weeks before our arrival, and the natives had then
sold all that the\' had to dispose (jf. It was fortunate for
lis that we had obtained onr snjiph' of fur clothin,^- at
Godhavn, as otherwise we would have been unable to
have o'otten any. We went ashore, but onh- stayed a
cou])le of hours, as the ])lace possessed little of interest
and the weather was <lisa<j^reeable.
A dozen or more natives came out to the ship in their
kajaks. These native boats are made of seal-skins sewn
together and tif^htly stretched over a lij^ht framework of
wood and bone, the seams beint; sewn so earefull\- as to
be water- tii>ht. 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<e])t on our wa\', fnialU'
tnrncd about and ]>;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 e<ros. The duck < themselves were so tame that
thev would remain on their nests until we were so near
as to almost orasp them.
The .ship was not anchored at these islands, but
steamed .slowdy around them until the small boats which
had taken us ashore had returned. This i)rocedure was
necessarv in order to avoid a collision with the laroe ice-
bergs which were continually driftinj^- about us.
Nl.sr (IK Till'. IJUKK lU'i K.
i.MJ
nil
t '■ I
CHAPTER VI.
C(ii,i,.\i'siNf; OF AN IcKiu.KC,. — In THi-; Mi;iAiM,ic Hay Tack.—
1''loks and Tans.— Huttinc. tiii: Ick. — Arctic »Spokt. —
LliaTENANT I'i;aI<Y nuivAKS HIS LiCG.
S( )C)N after getting under way we observed the inter-
esting sight of an immense iceberg collapsing and
falling into the sea with a noise like the loudest thunder.
The reverberations were remarkable, and lasted ({uite
two minutes. Many times before we had heard these
tliunderings and knew their cause, but this was the first
time that we were near enough to see the interesting
phenomenon. This large mass of ice falling into the sea
caused considerable agitation of the water, and our ship,
although at least one mile away, was very perceptibly
roc'ied by the waves so produced.
Toward afternoon a prominent landmark came inti)
view. This was a peculiarly shaped mountain on the
(jreenland coast, known as the Devil's Thumb. It is
2347 feet in height, and, towering far above the sur-
romiding mountains, looks like a gigantic thumb ex-
tending tipward from a hand. This marks the entrance
to the dreaded Melville Hay. It was not long before we
encountered a heavy floe of ice, and made but little
progress. After a few hours' steaming we found what
appeared to be a lead or opening in the ice, which was
86
frr
86
/.\' ./A'( 77(' .s/;. /.v.
iinnivdialc'K- followid, hut tlu' watiT s\rdi\- soon I'vCaiiR-
iiioiv and nioiv i-oiilracUd and wt- i^radualh- lo>l 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)
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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
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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<j the ship
a conple of len<;ths and j^oinj^ ahead at fidl speed we
were able to force onr wa\ thron}.;^h enonj^h of the ob-
strnctinj^ ice to jj;ain .some open water.
This bnltinj^and ponndin^ of the ice cost ns over two
tons of coal to mo\e only fiftx- feet, which was a very
.serions matter to ns should the necessity for it often
arise, as we were far from any snpply of coal and would
need all we carried to enable ns to}.jet back to St. John's.
We were niakinj^ two or three knots an hour, which was
very enconra}j^injj[ headway throuj^h such heavy ice.
At last the lookout man from the mast-head imparted
to ns the cheerful intelli}.jence of more open water ahead.
I'Vom the topmast a fine view for many miles around
could be had, this elevated positi«)n not being .so exposed
and disa}.^^reeable as one would ima<;ine.
In common with other Arctic whalers, onr .sliij) was
])rovided with what is known as a "crow's nest." This
consists of a large barrel bolted securely to the top of the
foremast. It is provided with a seat and lined with furs.
Surrounding the toj) of the barrel and extending about a
foot from its etlge is a light iron railing on which the
lookout rests the telescope. The entrance is through a
trap-door in the bottom, whicli is closed after getting
THE lOY.H,!-: OF Till: Kill-:
89
inside, and tlnis forms a floor to this lofly iktcIi. Access
to the crow's nest is obtained by means of a swinj^injj^
ladder leadinj^ from the cross-trees to the bottom of the
cask.
After workinj:^ all nij^dit we came tea full stoj) at S
A. M., and then made no proj^rcss for some lime except
with the drift of the ice, which seerued to be movint;
northward. Snow and iain fell alternately thronj^h the
day, and kept us below deck. Some of the men went on
the ice to look for seals, but returned in a few hours with
no larger ,i;ame than an ivory <;ull {Ca:'ia .l/Zxi), a bird
never met with south of (irecnland. This was the first
one we had seen, and a beautiful bird it was, havinjj; the
color and gloss of pure ivory. We were no longer in
sight of land; whether this was due to having drifted too
far to the westward or to the thickness of the atmosphere
it was impossible to determine, and we were com])elled
to await the appearance of the sun or a clearing up of the
weather. The snow continued to fall until six o'clock
the next morning, and, although not heavy enough to
remain long on the deck, was sufficient to increase the
whiteness of the surrounding ice. The day being didl
and misty, the glare was not so trying on the eyes as if
the sun had been shining.
The prospect of our leaving the ice was as bad as
the weather. Xo attempt was made to move the ship,
as from the crow's nest no water could be .seen. The
weather being so thick, it would have been impossible to
.see the land even if it were no further distant than when
we first entered the pack. We had undoubtedly drifted
! i
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AV .IA'( //( s/:.is.
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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<i; a horizon of ice
the latitude was found to be about 75°. We were unable
to jjct the lonjj^itude, and so could not determine the
distance we were ofT from the coast of Greenland. Xo
land had been in si).jht for .several days. The followin<j
day also was cloudy and dull, with snow-s(iualls in the
afternoon. We were ajiparently as hard and fast in the
ice as ever, with no indications of bein.i^able to move for
some tiine. An observation showed that we had drifted
three miles in a southerly direction. The temperature
averaged 31" I'ahrenheit, the lowest l)ein.t^ 28°. The
weather was cold and cloudy, and the trost about the
ship and ri<.;!.;in<^ JL^ave everythin.ij a white and phantom-
like appearance. The little water that was visible be-
tween the cakes of ice and around the ship had become
fro/.en, and made ice a (puirter of an inch thick.
Our ])osition was raj)idly assuming; a more <;ra\-e
aspect, as we had now no immediate hope of beini; able
to i^et out of the pack. riie delay was beomiui; still
more tedious and wearisome. We had nothing; to do, and
mi: \oy.i(,i: oj- mi: kill-:
91
notliiii}^ was to hi' seen but ice, ice everywhere. Once in
a while a seal ai)peare<l, but ver\ shy and hard to aj)-
proach within sliooting distance. We managed to .i,ai
three or four j^uilleniots (Coiiihm /-'/vvA ) eacli dav, which
were quite acceptable. Tliey are a species of (hick and
delicate in flavor, not beinj^ so fishy as some of tiie other
birds we had eaten.
As if by nia«>;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<jh the vast floes which still remained ahead. This
sudden and remarkable chanj^e in the pack, looseuinj^ so
(piickly after W\u<^ .solid a few minutes l)efore, is not
unusual, thouj^h difficult to explain. The favorable
chanjre made us all more hopeful and cheerful than we
had been for some time The foji; continued dense all
day, but late durin<j the nij^ht it betjan to lift. We
had yet several hundred miles to i;o before reachiuii '>"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<l and a
return ma^k^ to a point further south than Melville liay
to ensure us j^ettin.i; home the same year. The thoujjht
1' ;'
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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<j^ the wheel out of the hands of the helmsman.
The rijj^ht ley; of the lieutenant was cau<,dit between the
nulder-chains and thewheel-hou.se, fracturinj^both bones
at the lower third. This, of course, completely disabled
him for the rest of the voyaije, and, occurrinj^ as it did at
a time when all were more or less worried by the un-
favorable prospect, exerted a very depressini; influence on
us. Several of the party thought it better to abandon
the attempt for this year, but to this Lieutenant Peary
would not listen. He insisted that his lej.;^ would be suf-
ficiently strouij by the followinjj^ spring to enable him to
execute his original plans, and that his assistants could
i'
4
Tin: ro): !(,/■: or ////■; a///;.
93
undertake aiul carry out for him tlie work thai he had
hiid out to do in the aiitumn and winter.
Under these cireunistances there was nothing to do
but to ])roceed. IK- was carried below, a ])ed prepared
in the cabin, and tlie injured limb attended to. Most
of the followiu}^ day was spent in pnshin,i> an<l bultini^
thronj^di the ice. which was .somewhat looser than the
day ')efore. The fo<( still continued, and it was impos-
sible to make much pro*>;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
'^ ■
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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<fand sniashinj^ aj^ain be<fan, and lasted till another
stretch, of water was reached. As the da\' wore on the
weather l)ecanie clear and fine, and was of threat a.ssistance
in the iiavi,i.;ation of the ship. We were favored, that
afti-rnoon, with the hrst si_!.;lit of land we had had for oxer
three da\s — to us a most ai^reeable chanj^e. It was too
far away for us to he able to recoj^iii/e any distin^tiishin*;
landmarks, but we ran toward it, and expected to make
out our exact position the followinij^ day.
'riie " buttin.^ " or forciiij^ our way tliroii<;h the heavy
ice was a most iiUerestiii}^- ])rocedure, althoui^li at times
.somewhat terrifyin.ii;^. A person .sceiii;^ it for the first
time is so imin-essed that he is not likel\- e\er to ft)rt,a't
it. We were compelled to resort to it so often while i
11
the Melville Bay pack that it ceased to be a novelty, and
oiil\- wlien it \v;is so violent as to throw one of us to the
!i
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/•///•; ro): !(./■: oi- iiii: kiti:. q^
(k'ck or out of his cliair did il cause coninifiU. " Uult-
iiijj;^," to iisi' the tenn used by sailors iu these seas, cou-
sists in forciuji^ the ship aj^aiust the hir^e Hoes or paus ot"
iee, eillier to break them into fraj^tueuls or to force them
to one side.
The " j)ack," as tlie wliole j^reat field of ice is called,
is made up of " floes," some l)ein<; so lar<^e that the eye
can hardly see their further c.\tremit\', and "paus,"
which are suu\ll, often amouutiu|Lj to little uiore than
ice-blocks. The ed<;es of these ice-fields are of course
ver\' irregular, and between them, in the summer-time,
are ])assa.C[es or "leads" of water. Often one floe just
touciies another by a sin«i;le corner, and l)eyond, the lead
widens out into quite a channel. It then becomes neces-
sary to break off this corner to reach the channel. 'J'his
is accomplished by backin<.j the ship for several ship's
lenj^ths and then steaminj^ at full speed ahead aj^ainst
the projectiu}^ corner. The shock, as the prow oi the
ship strikes the ice, is terrific. Sometimes the corner
breaks off and the ship slips easily throu<jh into the new
channel, while more freqtiently, so far as the novice can
see, no appreciable effect is jiroduced. Then the evo-
lution is repeated a<(ain and aj4;ain until the end is ac-
complished or the captain sees that further efforts are use-
less.
It need scarcelv be said that the work requires the
greatest skill, knowledije, and caution. If the corner is
broken, it may cause the ice-fields to revolve toward
each other, the channel to close, and jnit the ship \\\
great danger of being nipped and crushed by the heavy
I
M
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/.\' .ih'i //c s/:.is
flot's. All possible circunistanci-s must be takiii into
consideration by the iee-pilol, and it )^ave ns a feelin); ol
confidence to see these hardy Xewfonndland sailt)rs at-
tack the ice with snch jjcrlect assnrance and calm-
ness.
At times, even when the floes are qiiitc thick, the ice
is broken withont dillicnUx , while on the other hand the
shij) is often l)ron;4;ht to a standstill b\' mere tonj^nes or
slijj;ht projections which seem to defy the force of steam.
In the latter case one always has to act with ).jrcat can-
tion, since it shows that heavy pressnre is keepin<.j the
ice firm and .'•olid. When snch a ton<;ne is bn)keji iije
floes are ai)t to come to;fether at some other point, not,
as we had ima>;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
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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
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I
) . .,
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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-
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plftcd our favorable lead li;;(l closed and we were a<jain
brouj^lit to a comjjlete slo}). An exaniination of the frai;-
nieiils of the chain showed that it's breakinj'' was due to
the fact that the iron had been cr\ stallized by the repeated
shocks and bltnvs to which the niet;d had been subjected.
The lead opened on the followint:^ niornin<,% and the
operation of l)uttinjLi^ and forcini; the ice was a<;ain re-
sorted to. We made fair proj^ress, thotijuh the weather
was thick and misty until about 4 l'. m., when we foi;nd
ourselves in a small lake. While the o])p()sin,«^ wall was
l)ein<>: 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
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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 chattin<j. It
^vas about lo o'clock at night wdien one of the sailors
opened the door of the cabin and, in a voice of suppressed
excitement, uttered the single word, "Bear." In an
instant all was confusion, for we were all anxious to
view the greatest game of the Arctic region. Each one
made a jump for his rifle and then rushed for the door.
On reaching the deck we looked out upon the ice and
saw the bear. He was about three hundred yards off,
and the excitement his presence occasioned was increased
rUF. lOY.li.E or HIE KITE.
i<^3
when it was cUscovcrcd that he was leisurely but surely
ap])r()aehinjr the ship with his peculiar luuil)erino; <rait.
He would stop t\ery few yards, hold up his head, then
swiu*:; it slowly froiu side to side, and a<;aiu approach.
By the captain's direction we crouched behind the bul-
warks of the ship and rested our rifle-barrels on the rail.
It is the habit of the polar bear to aj)proach any strauj^e
object he may see until he conies near enou<;h to scent
it. His e\es are quite small and his vision poor, and he
frequentl\ a])proaches vessels which are out of his rauj.;;e
of scent.
It svas fortunate that the wind was blowinj^ stron,u;ly
from the direction in which he was comin<^, and he was
miable to discover, by his keen sense of smell, what or
who we were, or to realize the danj^cr he was incurrinj^^
While he was slowly approachin.tj the captain went
below to invite Mrs. Peary and the rest who were in that
part of the ship to come and see the great animal. P>y
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 <i[0 to windward, and as soon as the scent reached
them the\- commenced to retreat. The mother hear
conld run like a race-horse, but she stopped every once in
a while to ur<;e her cubs to greater speed. Beinj; out of
ranj^e of our rifles, a chase was or<;anix.ed. The party on
the ice presented a rather ludicrous i)icture runnin<j and
stumblin*]; over its rouj^h and hummocky surface, while
the bears proj:;ressed without the .slijj^htcst difficulty and at
a far g^reater rate of speed. The chase was .soon abandoned
and the party recalled, the ship itself being started in
pursuit; but the lead was filled with blocks of ice which
retarded our progress, and the bears were so thoroughly
frightened that they di.sappeared without a single .shot
being fired, and we saw them no more.
After the excitement of the killing of the bear had
subsided the monotony of the voyage was again resumed.
On the next afternoon snow fell in large quantities —
larger, in fact, than at any time since we had started
north — and the day looked like a midwinter one at home.
We steamed ahead at the rate of four knots an hour for
twenty-four hours, the water being now comjxiratively
open. Much drift ice and enormous table icebergs were
passed, but by careful steering we avoided all collisions.
^
■////•; I (> ).!<,/: (>/■ 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
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.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<i^recablechanj^e.
To the north the ice was as heavy and impassable as that
which was between us and the shore.
( )ur anxiety was increasing dail\. We were desirou.s
8 ' .
(
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i
P i^
112
AV .lA'CV/C s/':.is.
of rcachin<:: our destination as soon as possible, for the
snninicr was jiassinj; rapidly, and it wonld soon be
necessary to coninience onr retnrn. I)ela\- would in-
crease the danj^er of onrbeinj^ can<.ditin the ice, and ]X'r-
haps coni])el ns t(^ remain all winter. 'iMie followin*;
da\- was also bri<;ht and clear, and the land near enonj^^h
to allow ns to ^ct a j^ood idea of the country. Several
liiY^rQ p^lacicrs were plainly visible, and the snow-covered
mountains were grand and imj)osing. The ice continued
to l)ar our way, and to the northward was one .solid pack
whose limit could not be made out from the mast-head.
Tt was the most formidable ice we had yet encountered,
and we feared it jnij^ht prevent further progress.
We waited here four days, hoping all the while for
the ice to break and permit our passage. To the .south we
still had a good chance to escape .should we deem it ad-
visable to beat a retreat and renounce all lio])e of reaching
Whale Sound, which was still one hundred and sixty
miles to the northward. Matters now a.ssunied a rather
gloom\- look. It was impossible to land Lieutenant
Peary on the shore at this point, even had he desired it;
and, could we have done so, it wonld have been neces-
sary for our small party to drag all the stores, supplies,
and materials for his house, on improvised sledges, over
the rough and treacherous ice a distance of ten miles.
At any time the ice-pack might have broken up and
drifted far away, leaving perhaps i)art of the lieutenant's
effects on the land and the rest on the .ship, which, caught
by the drifting ice, would have been nnable to return and
land the remainder. Any plan whicli involved the pos-
i 1
; *
77 //i roy.K./.: <>/■ 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 enou<j^h
for the ship to sail in was ready for us. vSteani was ini-
niediately raised and a new start made for our destina-
tion. As we proceeded the open spaces ])ecanie more
abundant, and in a couple of hours we were in water
free from jxicks and floes Icebergs were still numerous,
but so larjj^e and far apart that we had no difficulty in
avoidini; them. After "ettin^^ out of the ice the run
from vSaunders Island, where our release occurred, to Cape
I'arr\-, which marks the entrance to Whale »Sound, wa.s
made during the day. Cape Parry was reached ai about
lo o'clock p. M., after a day of most charmiuG^ weather
and a stifT breeze which caused just enouj^h swell on the
water to j^ive the ship a ])leasant nu)tion and to impart
to us a feelint; of freedom after beint;' so Ion*; held in the
ice-]iack. Land was in si^ht all the way up; it was hiji;h
and barren, and we noticed that much less snow was
present here than further south. Alto<;etlier, the locality
Ml
1^
HIE lOYAi.J-: I) J- THE KITE.
115
was more attractive than the parts of Greenland seen
before.
Cape Parry marks the entrance to Wliale Sonnd,
which is a wide channel between the cojist of Greenland
and Xorthnniberland and Herbert Islands, and scrxes
as one of the entrances into Inolefield Gnlf. Tlu- latter
is a laroe body of water separated from IJafTin T.ay or
vSmith Sonnd by three lar^e islands, Northumberland,
Herbert, and Hakluyt. It was on the northern side of
Inokficld Cxulf that Lieutenant Peary desired to land,
l)nt, findino Whale vSound o])en, we skirted alon.<;- the
shores of Cape Parry, seekin,!; to .^ain an entrance to the
j;ulf. Cape Parry is marked b\- a hu<4e and almost per-
pendicnlar cliff of red sandstone and basalt, crowned, as
usual in Greenland, with a perpetual ice caj), and broken
here and there by small <,daciers and deep fiords. As we
coasted alonj^ in the full sunli}.;ht the ciiffs presented
a most picturesque and beautiful ajijiearance. At times
we would see in a valley a torrent, formed from the
meltini^ snow and ice above, come dashing o\er the
mountain, formini^ beautiful cascades in its descent.
After enterin.u^ the sound the ship was put under an eas\-
head of steam and we sIowl\ crui.'^ed alonj^^ the southern
shore. The principal object was to find an Ivskinu) \il-
la<>e 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 ■■ ■
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ii8
Av .ih'cnc s/:.is.
'U,
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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
<i^et so far north as this latitude. Even if they did, they
would not ])c likeh' to venture into such unknown waters
unless on a mission similar to ours. This first impres-
sion was confirmed by a visit to their tents and houses.
With the exception of a few iron tips to their harpoons,
a small piece of sheet lead, the iron end of a boat-
hook, and a sewino;-thinible, which a woman produced
in i^reat triumjih, nothinji; was seen which showed con-
KNU'K Wiril IVURV llLADi: AM) WUJDtN HANDLE.
(IK
"TTTw " 1l r
IViiKV riN, TWtMlllUDS ACll'AL SI/.K.
tact with their civilized brethren. It is possible that the
fe^' natives in this out-of-the-way place obtained these
li's of civilization throutj^h some of their more fortunate
kin.'-'nen nieetinii^ whalers or Polar expeditions durinu^
their summer hunts, as they are known to journey, on
THE I (>): !(,/■: ()/■ 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
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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^:
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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 sli<j:htl\' below the medium hei<':ht.
AN AKcnC HF.I.I.E.
Their complexions were swarthy, and one or two had
small beards or moustaches. The women were short and
squatty, with faces broad and good-natured looking in
ITJT
Till-: \()y.\(.i'. or ////•; k ///•:.
123
spite of the small and .slatitin<j^ eyes and wide mouths.
The costnnu- worn was the same in both sexes, and etni-
sistcd of a skin jaeket and breeches. .Some ot" the
women had double jackets, the inner beinj.^ made of bird-
skins and the outer of seal. In this case the feather
side was worn next the skin, the fur beinj^^on the outside.
All of the people were indescribabK- filthy, and had
evidently never had a bath in their lives. The odors
about their tents were nanseatinii^, and their bodies
seemed to give off the rank smell of seal oil.
The plateau on which they lived was about a quarter
of a mile broad and stretched back to the hij^h cliffs of
the mainland. It was covered with flowers and j^rasses,
and moss j^rew in abundance. Altoii^ether, they had
selected a choice spot for their camp, which overlo(jked
both the fiord and the waters of Whale Sound, and seemed
to be perfectly contented with their lot.
I was fjreatly interested in (jbservinj^ the peculiar
habits and mode of life of these most northern Eskimos,
and in contrasting^ them with those of the natives of
Terra del Fuej;o. The Fnejj^ians are the sava<;e inhabit-
ants of the island which is situated at the extreme end
of South America, beinsj^ separated from it by the Strait
of IMaoellan. The interior of the countr\' has never been
explored, and the only knowled.uje we have of an\- inhabit-
ants is of those livintr on tlie shores bordering: tiie strait.
From this circumstance they are sometimes spoken of
as " tlie dwellers of the straits."
Three years ago, while voyap-ing from Philadelphia
to San Francisco, I passed through the Strait of ]\Iagel-
1
. i
\ \
,
1
i 1
i Mi
^':|
tl-
124
/.\' .lA'c/vc s/:.is.
\U
Ian, ami liad an c-xcflk'iU opporttmity of obscrviti"^ the
nati\t's. The i)assajj^c through the straits was a tedious
and difTicult one, consnniin<i; nearly a week's time. This
was oceasioned b\ the peeuliar character of the currents
and tide, which often necessitated our lyin<,^ at anchor for
many hours at a time. It was durinj; these periods that
the natives came to the ship and we were enabled to
visit the shore. The Ivskimos, althon.q;h livinj.^ in a far
more desolate and ri^^orotis re<;ion than the dwellers of
the straits, and haviujj;^ le.ss opportunity for contact with
civilized man, >et exhibit jj^reater intellifj^ence and abil-
ity in providin<i^ for their wants than do the Fueji^ians.
Why this should be it is impossible even to conjecture.
All travellers agree in placinj^ the Fuegians the lowest
in the scale of humanity. Inhabiting, as they do, a land
in which rain, sleet, and snow are of constant occurrence,
and a day of continuous sunshine almost unknown, they
are yet too ignorant to clothe themselves, notwithstand-
ing an abundance of fur-bearing animals. They scarcely
make any attempt at protecting themselves from a cli-
mate that is more trying to the health of humanity than
any encountered beyond the Arctic Circle.
The Fuegiaus that I have seen were absolutely with-
out astonishment at anything that was shown them, and
had not the slightest conception of tlie use, edect, or
advantage of fire-arms.
The Eskimos, on the contrary, show considerable
skill and intelligence in the construction of their stone
huts, weapons, kajaks, sledges, etc., and the taming and
control of their dogs are remarkable. They also ap-
THE ro): !(,/■: or ////•; a///-:
125
pcart'd to express inncli astonishment and wonder at the
sif^ht of Cancasians, and were evidentl) aware of the
snperiorily of the white man. They exliihited espteial
deli<4;ht when shown onr fire-arms, many of whieh were
of sneh a recent and improved mechanism as to have
rendered it impossible for them to have ever seen the
like before, yet the nses and advanta,L,a^s of which they
readily nnderstood and appreciated.
The Eskimos were also excellent mimics both of
sonnd and <;estnre, and wonld repeat with accnracy the
words and actions of the members of onr party. On one
occasion Dr. Hn<i;hes was wanted, and the natives, abont
a dozen in nnmber, hearini;;^ his name, be<^an niimicin<4
and callinjr, " Hnj^hes! Hn.i^hes! Ilnohes!" This pro-
voked a lant^h, in which they likewise joined, as if also
enjoyini,^ the joke. Other points of contrast between the
Eskimos and Fnes,nans snj,^<,rested themselves, bnt these
were the most striking.
A large nnmber of stone-piles in the vicinity of the
settlement having attracted onr attention, we were in-
formed, by signs, of conrse, that they contained stores of
meat and blnbber intended for winter nse ; others which
we saw contained the bodies of departed Eskimos bnried
as they had died, in fnll costnme.
The gronnd is continnally frozen from a few inches
below the snrface to the depth of many feet; hence the
necessity for this mode of bnrial. The nnmber of graves
observed was much larger than that of the inhabitants
of the place.
Being desirous of procuring some skulls and bones to
I
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ml
ml
* ■,,1 ! I-
?'■"
126
AV ,IA'c'/7C s/-:.is.
take hoiiK' tor scifulific purposes, wo wandered leisurelv
about these stone-])iles, lupiiifj firsl niaua<4ed to have the
attention of the nati\es di\erteil to another direction by
some of our men. Manx- of the bodies were scarcely
hidden, owiuj^ to the stones haxinj^ rolled away, and it
looked as thou.t,di little attention had been j)aid to these
<4 raves since first they were made.
Our search was finally rewarded by the discoverv of a
bo(l\- in a partiall\- mu nmified condition, which had evi-
dently been buried a lon;^ time. It was envelo])ed in a
bear-skin i^arment, parts of which still adhered to the
bones. Hastily removinjj^ the body from its tomb, we
left it Kinj^ on the <;round 1)eside the pile of stones, for
we feared to excite the animosity of the Eskimos bv thus
despoilini^ the .i^raves of their anccst<n-s. We found,
afterward, that there was not the sli<^l:cest necessit\- for
our hax'in^ had any uneasiness on that score, for tlie\-
themsehes cheerfully helped us to discover and carr\' to
the shij) skulls and other fra<;nieuts of mortality. Hav-
iu;>- 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<r its shores, en-
tered the channel between Herbert and Northumberland
Islands to reach Murchin.son Sound, which also commu-
nicates with lu^rlefield (iulf Several stops were made
to examine the shores of Herbert Island, which .seemed
to be more j^a-een and attractive than the rest of the land.
Quite a number of stone li'-is and '"caches" or stone-
piles containing; blubber, stored by the Ksl
seen, but none of the natives them.selve.s.
be a number here durintr the wititi
kimos, 'vere
Tliere unist
er, ;is the quantity
of blubber, huts, sledges, etc. found was comparatively
large.
In exploring the land in liie vicinitv we ran acros.s
: -i • .
' i
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If
11
12<S
/W ARCTIC SILIS.
quite a niiinhcr oi" fox-traps; these were tlie first we liad
seen, and interested ns j^reatly. They were small rec-
tanj^iihir ])()\-cs Uuilt of stones, liuvintr only a sin<i^le
entrance. Over this openinj^ is snspended or balanced
KSKIMO sroNK DWr.I.I.INCS.
b\ means of a leather thon*^, a slab of Seone; to theotlier
end of the thonj^ the bait is fastened, and it is so arranged
that a sli<;ht pnll n])on it will canse the slab to fall, thus
efTectually closinii; the entrance. The box or cave is so
narrow that the fox cannot turn around or burrow out of
its stone prison. They all showed sijj^ns of liavint;' been
recent!}' looked after and set, which was rey;arded as
yy/A" ro): !(,/•: of riii': kiiI':.
129
another evidence that the natives had departed only
recently.
In the vicinity of the lints vcp^etation flonrishcd.
This was probably dne to the sheltered location and
jjjreat qnantity of refnse an.inial matter lyin<^ eve r\ where
aronnd. \'e.i;;etation, althou<;h j^enerally si)arst in (ireen-
land, occasionally flonrishes with \i<;or in a few well-
sheltered and watered spots. Some <^rasse.; of the
vorieties occnrrinjr in temperate climes are occasionally
■ci n nrrowinjj^ as liii^h and lnxnriantl\ as at home, and
towers of jijreat dclicac)' both of form and color are fonnd
in profnsion in some places. Yellow poppies and dande-
lions are also met with in considerable nnmbers; even
the bntterfly was there, several varieties bein.i; captnred.
Flies which resembled very closely the common honse-
fly were also seen, but were neither so tormenting nor so
numerous as those found in civilized communities.
The\' have not the opportunity to devote such a lar^e
amount c^ their attention to humanity as do those we
have a' i.o.ne. The mosquitoes, on the contrary-, are
quite ii; '. ea-.ns in (rreenland, and were a constant source
of ann."; I'Mfe and discomfort. Our heav\' clothinj;- pro
tected our ;■( lies, but the fatx-s of many of us were con-
siderably dii-5fjnred and itiulered ([uite painful by their
attacks.
il.e scenery was j^rand and iui;)ressive. Glaciers were
to be seen at every turn, and the ])rtakin!j^ and falling
into *ie sea of larj4e icebergs was tVe(piently witnessed.
The r i-,r- and vibration caused bv this breaking ice were
lilniosi r.u-only sounds to be heard in these lonely waters,
:
Wr
imMi
13"
/N ARCTIC SEAS.
and the echoes and rcvcrl)crations anionic the solitude of
mountains and <^ort(es were productive of a fL'clin<( of
awe which was i)erliaps increased by an a])])reciati()n
of the dreariness of our situation and the knowledge of
our distance from any civilized port or assistance. The
slii^htest accident mii>;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 followin<j^ day was sjient by the party sent out
from the ship in a boat in searchiufi; for a suitable spot
on which to build Pearj's winter quarters. They found
MeCormick Ray to be an arm runninjj^ off from MiHchin-
son Sound in a general north-easterly direction. Its
upper part was securely locked in ice, and a great glacier
was visible running down at the head. The north-west
shore, which was the one first investigated, was reached
oidy after considerable difficulty, on account of the field
of ice which stretched out from its sides far into the bay.
It was bleak and inhospitable, and no suitable landing-
place could be found. The north-east shore, on the
other hand, appeared in every way suitable for a camp.
A good beach runninj- up to a little bluff about twenty
feet high was found, which was continued by a gentle
but steadily increasing incline as the ground rose to the
rampart of cliffs that marked the edge of the great inland
'////•; ro): !(,/■: or ////■: kite.
131
plateau. The surface from the Ix'ach back to the cliffs
was covered with a hixuriaut j^rowth of flowers. Yellow
poppies nodded like daisies in the l)ri<;ht suuli<;ht, pur-
ple heaths and other flowers abounded, and once in a
while a butterfly would lazily float alon,i,r jn the balmy
air. It was very difficult to realize that we were less
than seven hundred and fifty miles from the Pole, and
within a short distance of the spot where the Kane expe-
dition had spent two miserable winters frozen in the
ice.
A pretty flower-covered knoll, risin.t,^ about twenty
feet above hi<,di tide and .souie fifty feet back from the
beach, was the site chosen for the camp, and the selec-
tion submitted to Lieutenant Peary for his decision.
The lieutenant would ha\«. ^ referred a location on the
north-west shore, where bettei protection would have
been afforded from severe winds, but he acquiesced in the
judgment of his comrades, and the site of his future
quarters was formally settled. Now it was that the tin-
fortunate accident which had befallen him was most
severely felt, for he could not even .see, except by the
feeble aid of a mirror held over the .skylight, the shores
on which he was to make his home.
The next four days were consumed in hard and diffi-
cult labor. We v/ere unable to anchor on account of
the danger from drifting floes, and were compelled to
steam .slowly up and down the shore oi)posite the camp
while the stores of the North (".reenland party and
the material for Peary's house were landed by small
boats. This having been accomplished, a foundation
\ I
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I^-^ T 1
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132
AV ARCTIC SEAS.
\
'Www <
:1^'
was prepared in the hard, frozen soil, the frame set up,
and the building erected.
The situation of the house appeared to every one to
be as favorable as could have been selected. A little
stream of water ran near at hand, while numerous rein-
deer-tracks were found and several deer observed at a
distance. Two pairs of large antlers were brought on
board, having been found among the rocks, as well as
the skeleton of a reindeer which was obtained at the
base of a high cliff: as many of the bones were broken,
it was thought quite probable that the animal had met
its death bv falling from the rockv heights above. The
abundant signs of game in the neighborhood encour-
aged the hope of it serving in the future as a source of
supply of fresh meat should necessity require. No at-
tempt was made during our stay to capture any of these
animals, because it was the wish of Lieutenant Peary
that they should not be disturbed, as he thought it best
to reserve them for possible emergencies later on. The
waters abounded in seal and walrus, quite a number be-
ing seen during our stay.
The camp, not yet named, was situated on the north-
east side of McCormick Bay. This bay is about ten
miles long and five miles wide, and forms a well-shel-
tered and desirable harbor. Its latitude is 77° 43', but
the charts are so defective that it is almost impossible to
indicate the exact position of the camp without elaborate
surveys. Its present location is to be found by crossing
Whale Sound, passing between Herbert and Northum-
berland Inlands, thence across Murchinsor. Sound to
;
!1
THE VQYAC.E OF ri//-: KITE.
m
^McCormick Ray, on the shores of wliich are Lieutenant
Peary's quarters. The striking red color of the moun-
tain-side, a mile to the eastward, is a prominent land-
mark should an attempt be made to find this spot again.
11
LirXlKNANl I'KAKV ^ CAMI'. McC'oRMK K HAY.
The house being small, one might easily fail to observe
it while looking from the bay, but the red mountain-side
forms a sufficiently conspicuous object to attract atten-
tion. The water in the bay was quite deep, thirteen
fathoms being found within a quarter of a mile of the
shore — a circumstance that greatly facilitated the unload-
ing of the vessel. We found considerable ice present,
but, the south side being comparatively clear, we were
enabled to stay without danger until the work on shore
m
:».\
134
AV ARCnC SE.LS.
was nearly finished and Lieutenant Peary and his com-
panions were established in comfortable quarters.
On Sunday, July 26th, I went ashore earl\' in the day
to explore the liij^h table-land situated back of the newly-
established camp. This land rose abruptly from the
level of the water to a heij^ht of some two thousand feet.
From the shij) it appeared to be an immense plain among
the clouds, and was the only land of such an elevation
that we had seen free from snow and ice. I endeavored
to induce some of our party to accompany me in its as-
cent, but as none desired to undertake the climb, I was
forced to make it alone. The rise was gradual from the
water's edge for the distance of about a mile, when it be-
gan to get more difficult and dangerous. Loose earth and
rock covered the side of the mountain, and much of the
wa\' was necessarily traversed on our hands and knees.
The stones and fragments loosened bv climbing rolled
behind until thev reached the bottom of the gorges and
chasms hundreds of feet below. The stillness and quiet
of the scene were intense, and the awesome feeling pro-
duced as one neared the top, after three hours of hard
and trying work, was absolutely indescribable. The
view from this point was simply magnificent. I was
standing on the edge of what appeared to be a limitless
plain. For a distance of two or three miles the ground
was bare, free from snow and ice, and composed of small
pebbles and stones with hardly any earth interspersed.
Beyond this, and as far as the eye could reach, was a
covering of snow and ice which is known as the "ice
cap," and supposed to cover the greater part of Green-
<
THE VOYAGE OE THE KITE
.\")
land. No spurs of mountains or elevations of land were
noticeable: for the many miles I could see the view pre-
sented one j^reat unbroken level of ice and snow. It is
onlv the laud borderin<i[- the sea that shows the vejj-e-
tation and holds the animals that have already been
described : beyond must be one j^reat solitude. I re-
mained an hour on this vast plain, far from the ship and
my companions, and had never experienced a feeliu<if
of more utter loneliness and uudefinable fear than during^
this solitary wanderinj^. It was with considerable relief
that I arrived once more aboard ship, thorouiL^^hly tired
and ready for bed, but not, however, without first iuter-
estiuf^ all the party so much with an account of my trip
as to cause many of them to express their intention of
accompanying me on another visit to ''my plateau."
On the ensuing day the construction of Lieutenant
Peary's house was going on rapidly, and as his men, with
part of the ship's crew, were ample for the work, the
services of the Academy party were not needed.
By ten o'clock the mountain expedition was readv to
start, and with a good supply of food and instruments
the ascent was begun. The day was a most agreeable
one, the cloudless sky and genial sunshine nuiking the
temperature seem much higher than was indicated by the
thermometer. A light breeze just ruffled the waters of
the bay and caused a little surf to beat upon the beach.
]\Ir. Kenealy, Dr. Burk, and myself kept together during
the trip, while Drs. Sharp and Hughes, Mr. Mengel, and
Professor Heilprin made the ascent from another point.
Walking along the shores of the bay, we arrived at a
I ' I
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ill
H 'let:
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136
AV .lA'CT/C s/:.is
small ravine wlurc a snow-fed stream came dashinjj^ down
the mountain. I'p this r.ivine we slowly wended our
course, avoidin.^-, as well as we could, the anjj^ular boul-
ders with which its sides were strewn. As we advanced
a careful watch was kept for a slopinj^^ bank by vhich we
mij^ht be enabled to escape from the little canyon the
stream had carved for itself, and which with every foot
became narrower and more precipitous. A grassy slope
at length was reached, and with occasional pauses we
managed to climb without difficulty to a height of about
one thousand feet. The ground up to this point was
covered with vegetation of the sparse character seen in
Greenland. Above, all was .shaly rock which seemed to
rise almost perpendicularly. Carefully picking our way,
now on a ridge of basalt, now on shaly, slippery rock, we
scrambled often on all-fours. The final twenty feet or so
of the ascent was most difficult, being made over an out-
cropping of slate which cracked and splintered v/henever
touched. It was impossible to secure a safe foothold,
and every time one slipped it seemed as if nothing but a
miracle would prevent a fall to the depths below. Above
the shale was a thick layer of gravel, crossing which our
arms were over the edge of the table-land, and the climb
was finished.
One can hardly describe the peculiar sight which met
the eye as our heads rose above the surface of the plain.
For over two hours we had been scrambling up the rocky
cliffs without encountering a single ledge that was level
or .secure, yet in an instant we were in full view of an
enormous plain, almost perfectly horizontal, and without
l|i
, )
THE VOYACE OE THE KITE.
^11
a sinj>le 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-
' ' !
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/.\' ./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 <rlaciers it was unbroken, and extended inland with
a j,n-adual and uniform slope. Professor Ileilprin, who
advanced on its surface farther than did the others,
reached an altitude of 2200 feet. At the ed};e of the
clifT the lici,[;ht was 1950 feet.
A short sojourn on the ice satisfied our curiosity, and
we returned by the same route taken in K^oin.^: ui). The
descent, for nniscles unused for weeks to such violent ex-
ertions, was even more painful than had been the a.scent.
\ I
m
1 1( ,
FTT
14
C)
/.v .lA'cvvc s/:.is
'I'Ik' ()1i1\ sij^ns (»raiiiiiial life which aii\- of our |)arh'
fouiul on thfsc (k'solak- hi-iiL^hts wtu- a ivindi-fi-trai k and
a li'W tutts of lo\-hair. TIk' sparse \'i'<^"lalioii can \)v
hilt link' atlrac-lixi- tofilhir bird or hcast, and diin'nj^ the
»;r<.'at(..T part of thf year Ihi- cntiic pl'itcati nnist he cov-
c'li'd with snow and icx-.
A iVw honrs' iisL on hoard thi- ship prepared ns for
further adxenture. (ireat (loeks of };uilI<'niols and littk-
aid>: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
<lense that many which were struck by the shot escaped
nniujured.
Later in tlu- exenii'^- anoth'-r party went to the en-
tranci' of McCormick I'ay, and here had excellent sport,
rclurnini^ with, lar^e niunbers of the binls. 'I'he majority
of these were iittle auks, hut there were also many black
guillemots.
CIIAI'TIvR X.
A vScirooi. ()i- W'liiTi'; Wii\i,i".s. I{im>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\\\<g that I had heard from the
same throats before. The signal-bell in the engine-room
rang full speed ahead, and in a few minutes we departed
from the most northern white settlement on the globe,
leaving our companions to face their chosen duty in that
almost merciless Arctic climate.
Our course south was again by Murchinson vSound and
between Herbert and Northumberland Islands. The wind,
which had been increasing, soon turned into a gale, and by
noon a storm was fairly upon us. It kept getting worse,
and, anticipating trouble, everything about the vessel was.
made snug; as the barometer continued to fall, we ran the
ship under the lee of the mainland, hoping to escape some
of the fury of the storm. In one hour the wind had risen
to almost hurricane force, and the water was lashed into
such foam and spray that it was impossible to sec more
than a couple of ship-lengths ahead, (^cca.->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^ <i^one olT to our .ship. A few women, children, and
doLjs were all that greeted our arrival; they .seemed
greatly astonished at such an unexpected visit, and were
evidentlv .somewhat alarmed. The vounger children
showed their fear by crying and clinging closely to
their mothers. A few presents of needles soon assured
the women of our friendliness, and at once caused peace
to reign. On looking around dirt and refuse were, as
usual, found to be everywhere present. The bones and
parth-consumed carca.sses of walru.ses, narwhals, and
.seals were scattered indiscriminately about. The water
from the melting snow of the mountains trickled through
the villag'^ and with the little snow between the rocks
and the omnipresent filth made the walking disagreeable
enough.
We separated, and wandered through the place look-
ing into tents and seeing what we could. Peeping into^
THE WiY.li.li OF Tin-: hi IE.
^h}>
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;<j^es-
tions. DesiriuL" to hasten their manufaeture, I uax'e
hei a few additional needles, but soon found
that
Eskimo charaetei" resend)led in some respeels thai exist-
iu'' in UKM'e temperate /.ones, and that it was uo\. alwaws
;()()(! p(;lie\' to pa\' in adx'anee.
lnste;id of workim
f.isier, m\' tailor la^i^.i^ed still more; indeed, so little |)r
(K
ress was niade, and so exideut was it that she was
ouh' endeavoring to extort additional pa\- from ni-.', that,
a]>preciatin!L; m\- mistake, and despairiui^' of ,L,^cttin<j;' m\-
mueh-needed arliele of rlotliiu,^ com|.kled, I decided on
takiu!:; them awa\' as they were.
Just at this moment I was (lisco\x're(; b\' some of my
companions from the A'//<\ and, as lhe\- \\\vv about rc-
iurnin_t,f to the ship, I j^ol re;'.d\- to accompanx them.
Takinj.;; the unfinished trousers awa\' from the woman,
'. du) parted with them reluctanth-, we started off. We
liad not s^one far when we saw that she was following;- us,
a])pearinir to regret her unseeml\' behavior and wishinji;
to mal ■ amends. The ship was soon reached, and, find-
ing: the decks full of nati\-es, I at once contracted with
■n
iii
hXh
&
ff
THE VOYAGE OF THE KITE.
0/
some to have the work completed on board. Several
women began on them, and as soon as my back was
turned my original tailor joined the group. By the
laughter which soon arose I was convinced that they ap-
preciated the true state of affairs and were amused at her
discomfiture. The trousers were soon finished, and I
wore them until our return south necessitated a chan^-e
to more civilized attire.
As many as fifty Eskimos had come to visit us, some
on foot, and others with dogs and sledges. They brought
along many articles to trade; indeed, they seemed to
have with them almost everything they possessed, even
to the toys of their children.
Our visitors were of all ages, sizes, and conditions,
including the babies, who gazed on the strange sights
with wonder and interest. Some of them were not over
a month or two old, being carried on their mothers'
backs. Their cute little faces and bright black eyes
peering out from their odd resting-place made quite an
interesting picture. Many of the smaller children were
observed munching away v/ith great avidity on raw
birds which had been given to them by the sailors, and
exhibiting as much pleasure as the civilized child
would experience in eating cakes and candy. After
consuming the bird they invariably rubbed the fatty
skin over their faces; this they are taught to do at an
early age, as the coating of grease so applied serves to
render the exposed skin less sensitive and protects it
from the extreme cold of winter. Some of them pre-
sented, indeed, a most ludicrous appearance owing to
;ji;
'r-
111
'■t
■I .
I
'A" ■;
m
IK
158
AV ARCTIC SEAS.
the feathers which remained on the face after the com-
pletion of this procednre.
The adnlt portion of our visitors wandered about the
ship at their pleasure, looking into every nook and
corner and exhibiting the utmost curiosity. They were
so good-natured, harmless, and childlike in their man-
ner that it was a pleasure to show them whatever we
could. Thev were much delighted in looking at them-
.selves in a mirror, and a pair of blue-glass spectacles
loaned to one of them were not returned until they had
been passed from hand to hand and each had had a look
through them.
;i
' ' I
uj
CHAPTER XI.
Arctic Clothinc,.— A vSijcdcimud!:.— Ax Ixdicnant Kski.mo
I,.\nv.— TiiK Nativk Dogs. — Sledcw-s.
THERE beino; siicli a laro;e number of natives on the
ship, an excellent opportunity was afforded us of
obscrvino; the peculiar character of their clothing and
learning how they protected themselves from the rigors
of their climate. The mode of dress in both sexes was
much alike, and consisted of a jacket, trousers, and boots.
These were made eitlier of the skin of the bear, seal, do"-,
or reindeer, and often a combination of all. Seal is the
most frequently used, the others being less common.
The jacket covers the bod\- from the waist up, and ter-
minates in a hood which covers the head, but leaves a part
of the face exposed. This jacket is made in the form of
a single piece, and is put on by being brought down over
the head; no buttons or other fastenings are used except
when mittens are worn, which are tied around at the
wrists. The hood fits closely to the side of the face, only
leaving the latter exposed from the forehead to the chin.
The trousers reach from the waist to the calf of the
leg, and have two openings a few inches long in the
sides, which are closed by means of a cord. The boots
are always made double, the inner part being the skin
of some long-haired animal, such as the bear or dog,
with the fur turned inward, and the outer ot seal-skin
il
169
I 1 'li
u
si
i6o
IN ARCTIC SEAS.
with the hair removed. They are drawn up over the
lower end of the trousers and bound firmly about the
calf of the leg with leather thongs, thus making the
costume water-tight up to the waist. Underneath this
outer suit there was worn, by some, an nnder-jacket,
likewise extending to the waist, but without the hood.
This was made of bird-skins sewn together, and worn
with the feathers next to the ^kin. The jacket and
trousers just about met at the waist; indeed, so slightly
protected was this part of the body that in bending over
the bare skin was frequently exposed.
The hands are protected by mittens made of dog-skin.
These are not very long, but sufficiently so to go up un-
der the end of the sleeves of the jacket, the point of
meeting being made more secure by binding with a strip
of skin.
The only difference in the costumes of the women and
men was in the jacket. In the former the hood was made
somewhat higher in order to acconnnodate their hair, and
a few possessed, in addition, a pouch on the back in which
the infants were placed and so carried around. Some of
these pouches had an opening cut in them, so that the
child could rest in contact with the bare skin of its
mother, and in that way obtain additional warmth. The
child, usually naked, is placed in the pouch and packed
around with fur and feathers. When the mother desires
to take the baby out, she stoops forward, bends her head
well down, and gives her body a shake. This starts the
infant from the pouch, and the mother, raising her hands
over her shoulder, draws it forth.
THE VOYACE or I HE KITE.
i6r
The jacket and hood, being made in a single piece,
are so rigid and fit so tightly that it is almost impossible
to turn the head without moving the body. When it is
desired to look in any particular direction, they turn
around with a stiff, awkward movement until the object
is brought within view. The fur clothing, being made
of skins that are rather hard when cured and not per-
fectly pliable, prevents their moving with that freedom
which is possible with other people. This gives to their
movements a stiff and automatic character, which at first
sight appears cjnite droll, and strongly reminds one of
the actions of the puppets seen at shows given for the
amusement of children. The small size of the Eskimo
as compared to the average European also adds to the
effect and tends to en-
hance the resemblance.
The natives were con-
tinually going backward
and forward from the ves-
sel to the shore, bringing
things for trade. It was
during one of these trips
that I was enabled to en-
joy the novelty and pleas-
ure of a sledge-ride, Eski-
mo fashion. For a few
trinkets a native placed
himself, his sledge, and his dogs at my disposal. I had
hardly seated myself on the furs with which the sledge
was covered, and indicated that I was ready to start,
r.sKiMo ii'i\.
!«
Rff
I 1
162
/.v .iRcr/c s/c.is.
M
when the Eskimo's wife, who had been left on tlie
ship, came ont on the ice after ns. She showed at once
her displeasnre at onr breach of etiqnctte in desertinj^
her, and evidently wished to »o alon^. The Eskimo de-
mnrred, and seemed anxions to know what my wishes
were in the matter. Noticing the woman's determina-
tion, and not wishing to lose my ride (besides being
the canse of domestic difficnlty), I gallantly intimated
by signs my consent and even pleasnre at the lady's com-
pany. In the mean time, while they were wrangling
with each other, the dogs had taken advantage of the
delav thns cansed, and started a fight amongst themselves,
getting their harness so tangled np that it reqnired some
time to pnt the team in rnnning order again. Finally,
Mrs. Eskimo and myself got properly seated on the
sledge, and the dogs were started off at a lively trot, the
driver rnnning alongside. He controlled and gnided the
dogs with snch skill as to keep a nniform tension on the
traces, and occasionally, as the team increased its speed,
would jump on the back jDart of the sledge and ride until
some rough ice or a strip of water interfered with our
progress.
Not infrequently the dogs would jump over a crack in
the ice, and before the sledge could be stopped it would
bring up against the opposite side with such a sudden
jar as to throw one from the seat. On such occasions
the driver would lift the front of the sledge, 'and, with a
few cracks of the whip, again proceed onward. When a
fissure was too large to be crossed in this manner, he
would follow along its side until a narrower place was
THE \ or. ICE or the kite.
163
foniul, over which tlie slcd^c was pushed, one end beins^
allowed to rest on the ice on each side. By this means a
bridge was formed over which both ourselves and dogs
crossed in safety. The Eskimo dogs appear to have a
great disiike for water, and would not attempt the cross-
ing of an}- cracks so wide as to expose them to the risk of
falling in.
As we began to encounter much loose and broken ice,
and the travelling was very rough, I requested my guide
to return to the ship. We were soon speeding along
over a more regular surface, the .smooth gliding homeward
in the cold, bracing air being most exhilarating. By
this time Madam Eskimo had quite regained her temper,
and assisted her husband by yelling their peculiar cry,
" Ka! ka! " at the dogs, which .seemed to incite them on
and kept them moving at a lively pace. Upon our
arrival at the vessel the driver at once proceeded to cut a
couple of holes in the ice, close together and meeting at
the bottom; the traces were then passed through from
one to the other and tied on top. The team having been
safely secured in this manner, we went on board; the
dogs howded dismally at being .so unceremoniously de-
serted, but the unheeding driver and his spouse were soon
on deck mingling with the others.
The Eskimo dogs are about two feet in height, and
resemble more the wolf than the domestic dog of our
country. Their hair is long, coarse, and oily, and the
head resembles that of the Pomeranian or spitz dog, the
snout being pointed and the ears erect. Their legs are
quite sturdy and thick, the body compact and strong, and
H
\ I
■! f
i
rrr
m
hi
n
J •''
i
164
nv ARCTIC SEAS.
the bushy tail is carried curled over the back. In color
they are principally reddish or yellowish brown; black
was exceptional, while white was more common, but
not so generally met with as the color first mentioned.
There seemed to be a difference in type between the
dogs used in the south of Greenland and those found with
the wild natives of the North, these latter being smaller
and more wolfish looking, although possessing the same
general characteristics. The Eskimo dogs are wild-look-
ing animals, and have a cowardly, sneaking expression,
which is no doubt largely due to their half-starved condi-
tion and the indifference and harshness of their masters.
It is only when employed in drawing the sledges that
they are given food in any quantity, and the hungry crea-
tures about the native camps are continually howling and
fighting among themselves. They subsist on the blubber,
meat, and animal refuse given to them by the natives,
and at no time would they touch the salt meat, bread, or
biscuit thrown them from the ship. Their fur is much
used by the natives for clothing. They are harnessed to
the sledges by means of a leather collar to which is
attached a line, generally of walrus-hide, about fifteen or
twenty feet in length. These lines, one from each dog,
are fastened to a heavy thong of skin between the run-
ners of the sledge. Five to eight dogs usually constitute
a team. They travel side by side, being guided only by
the voice of the driver and the occasional lashings of a
whip which is so long and wielded with such dexterity
as to make them pursue any desired course.
The sledges are from six to eight feet in length and
THE ro): !(,/■: of the rite.
1 6;
about two in width, tla- runners being eiglit inches higli
and made up of fragments of wood and bone tighliv
bound together with strips )f skin. Wood is so scarce
that even thesmalK A pieces obtainable are utilized, thus
causing the sledges to look like mere patchwork. The
runners are shod with pieces of walrus-tusks about a foot
long, which are bound to each other and to the runner
with thongs of hide. These thongs are passed throu^li
holes in the ivory and countersunk to avoid being worn
out in passing through the snow.
The top of the sledge is composed of pieces of wood,
and occasionally of bone, passing across from one runner
to the other, tightly bound together. These pieces are
not placed close to one anotlicr, but at intervals of six or
eight inches. At the rear end of the sledge are two
uprights, about two and one-half feet high, connected by
!
ill
'111
nl
SLEDGE.
a cross-piece, the whole forming a handle which is used
to guide the sledge at times, and also to lift it over ob-
structions. Coming from beneath its front, and fastened
to the inner sides of the runners, about a foot from their
■ '. I
'J
166
/X .lh'C77C S/C.IS.
ends, is a piece of thick stroiijr skin. It is to this that
the harness of the (lo<.;s is attached wlicn travel! in<j^.
The whole of the siedj^a- is apt to be so covered with
dirt and <![rease as to alint)st conceal its method of con-
struction. Those which we saw all appeared to be very
old, and had evidently descended from pre\ions p^enera-
tions. Here and there, in some of them, were noticed
pieces which had been inserted recently. When a sledj^e
be<;ins to show the effects of the hard nsa^e to which it
has been subjected, it does not break up all at once, but
rather ^ives out in some particular place. This spot is
then mended, either by a
new piece beiuf';' inserted
or by being rebound with
tlion<^s, and Mie sledjj^e thus
enters on a ne/,' lease of
life. The ease with which
repairs can be made obvi-
ates the necessity of bnild-
injT new sledi^es, and, conseqnenth', after one has been con-
structed, it lasts almost for ever. Notwithstanding their
clumsy and ungainly appearance, they glide over the ice
quite readily, the ivory runners offering but little resist-
ance. While solidly constructed, they nevertheless pos-
sess sufficient give and elasticity to yield to the jolting
experienced in travelling over rough and uneven ice,
thus making riding in them comfortable.
NATIVE DKII.I..
■'W
if
I *
CHAPTKR XII.
Bows AND Ar{IU)"«.--SlM:.\KS and HaI<1'()()NS.— IlrNTINC, Tin;
Skal and \V Ai.Rrs.— vSc AHcrrv oi" Wood.— Ciiii.dk ins
Toys.— Mickey and his Doincs.
UXTIL our visit to these most northern Ivskitnos no
one had ever observed them to possess either boats
of any description or bows and arrows; but i'lnoiiL; the
natives of Whale Sonnd we fonnd a conple of kajaks, and
also a few bows and arrows.
They were similar in form and constrnction to some
which we afterward saw lower down, at Cape York.
The kajaks were of abont the same size as those of the
KAJAK AND PADDI.K, WHAl.K S(HM). ,
Eskimos in the neighborhood of the Danish settlements,
bnt were neither so neatly nor so well made, being both
more clnmsy and heavier. The skins of which they
were bnilt did not appear to have been so carefully pre-
pared as those used by the more southern natives, the
hair often being allowed to remain on them in places.
The seams also were neither so regular nor so nicely
sewn, this be'ng probably due to the fact that bone
1«7
II'
I'
!'!':
t '
ir.s
IN ARCriC SF.AS.
needles were used, instead of steel ones. These latter
nnist liave been (jnite rare anionj^^ them, if, indeed, they
possessed any at all, although even the natives of Whale
vSound, when Vvc gave them some, appeared to recognize
and understand their use.
The bows which were obtained frdu the natives are
(liiite peculiar both as regards the materials of which
they are made and their m jthod of construction. They
are composed, usually, of three large and four small
pieces of bone, bound firmly together with an animal
material resembling catgut. The large bones are the
ribs of the reindeer, three being used in order to make
a bow of sufficient lengch. These are placed end to
cud, the adjoining surfaces being cut off square, and not
overlapping. The two extremities of the middle piece
thus simply rest against the inner ends of the other two
bones, the ])oint of junction being strengthened l)y means
o'. a thick piece of bone, about two inches long, below,
and a thin strip, about four inches long, above. The
whole joint is then tightly wrapped with thongs. Run-
lii )\VS.
»Uj6
ning from one end of the bow to the other, and stretched
tightly over the back, are a nund)er of thongs, which in
the finer bows are made of plaited strands; one of them
THE lOYAC.E or THE Kl IE.
169
had fifteen of these bound to tlic hone with the same
material at intervals of three or four inches. In the
commoner bows the material used for bindino- and
strenj^thcning them is much coarser, and e\identlv con-
sists of strips of some kind of skin ; one of the number
had only three such cords, and even those were thick,
and not plaited. Another one possessed. ]>esides 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<j^ was
flattened, and a<^^'lin.st the side of one of the arrows was
bomid a sinj^le small feather, which, however, could
AKKOWS Willi HdNK SlIAI'IS.
liave been of little or no service in o-uidin<j its flif^ht.
The presence of this feather was the only indication of
the natives having; any knowled<>;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<i^s of walrus-skiii. This cap lias 011 its iipj)cr
surface an oval-sliaped hollow or depression in wliich the
base of the ivory point rests. The ivory point is Ironi
six to eij^hteen inches in lenij^th; at its base it is al)out
three-quarters of an inch by an inch and a half in size,
and tapers slijj^htly to the point, which is usually pro-
vided with a leaf-shaped (not barbed) piece of iron.
The base is rounded in an oval manner with a flat ed^^e,
and fits int(j the depression or socket in the ivory cap.
^iB.- r' >-
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 stron<i^ thont^s of wal-
rus-hide pass from the ])oint to the cap, binding; them
lirnd\- tot;ether. When the spear is thrust into an ani-
nud, the point sli])s off the siiaft, but still remains con-
nected with it by the two thonj^s of skin. In this way
the wooden handle is prevented from beiufj^ broken by
any sudden movement the animal may make.
.SIMAR liiK >MAI,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. Raisin<r
the arm, the weapon is Iiurled with remarkable accuracy
and to a very .ijreat distance. The handle becouKs de^
tached and remains grasped, while the shaft receives the
whole momentum imparted through the ivorv pin bv
which it is connected; the speed attained is such that
JIAKI'noN-Tfp^ I.ISKO.
one hundred feet is not an extraordinarv distance at
which the Eskimo es.says the killing of a seal. The line
instantly uncoils, the air-bag follows, and the animal i^
V ■
m i
I
176
/.\' AKC'IIC si-:.\s.
almost iiuariably secured. l)iviti<!^, it seeks to escape,
but its first moveiiK-nt dislodj^res the shaft, which, with its
ivory point, floats away mdiarmed. The Ivskimo's first
object is to secure this ])recious portion of liis worhlly
possessions. He afterward follows the track left bv the
air-ba,t^, sure that his prey
cannot escape. The seal,
bein<4^ unable to drajj^ the
ba<r beneath the water, is
almost certain to be captured,
provided the harpoon-head
has been securely fastened,
thoujT^h many thrusts with
the spear may be necessary to
finally despatch the animal.
An air-bai^ similar to the one
shown in the i'lustration is
then attached to the carcass, and the Eskimo proceeds to
hunt for another victim.
The circumstances are (piite different in huntinji^ the
walrus, which, when attacked, is one of the fiercest of
animals. Instead of endeavoriu.i; to escape, it almost in-
variably turns on those who dare to molest it. A kajak-
cr never disturbs one except when it is near the edj^^e
of an ice-floe, for the infuriated animal would destroy the
trail boat and certainlv kill his assailant if the latter did
not escape to a more stable element. Like other marine
animals, when struck by a harpoon the walrus "sounds"
or dives to the bottom. The kajaker takes this o])portu-
nity to reach the floe, <;atherinj;- on his way the harpoon-
AlK-liAi;.
'/■///■; I ■()): !(;/■: or ////,• a///.;
^77
^haft and air-ha.^;. Arrived on the floe, lie i)Iants liis
si)ear firmly in the ice, and, windin- his line about it,
proceeds to "play" the walrns exactly as a scientific
fishennan i)lays a trout. The walrns must come np to
breathe, and the nntutored savaoe sees to it (hat it can
only a-ise within strikin.<,r distance from the ice; a sax-a-e
thrnst from a spear sends it down a<,rain, exhausted by
another hleedin^r wound and a deimvation of air. I* inally
it dies, eitlier from loss of blood or drownino-, and is
drao;o;cd out with infinite labor and all the t,rratification
that a triumph of intellect over brute strenotli can afford,
added to the .satisfaction of the cajnure of a most valuable
prize in a country where l)lubber, hide, ivor\-, meat, and
bones are the only tliino;s worth livin.i^r for.
In endeavorinn; to obtain some cf" these spears and
harpoons the natives were willino; enou,i,di to let us ha\ e
the ivory parts, but would not on an\ account part with
tlie wooden .shaft unless wood was j^nvcn in return.
They prized wood above any other material, and the
value of that aiticle was rendered evident by the fact
that many of tlie spear-.shafts were made up of a number '
of pieces tio;htly bound tooether to make a sin.<;le stick
of sufficient len.i^th.
Aniono^ other interesting: articles obtained from these
Cape York natives were a bone thimble, .some children's
toys made of ivory, and tokens or charms worn bv the
adults. The 1)one thiml)le resembled our metal one.s,
and had evidently been made for .sewino- witli ordinary
steel needles which had probablv been obtained from
some visiting whaler. The native needle is a thin flat
, 1.
178
/.v .ih'c/ic s/:.is.
TDVS MADK ol' IV<)I^V, A( IIAI. >1/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<r its ends
the |)iece of ivory was made to
spin around rapidly, first one way
and then another, j..st as do
our l)o\s with a round box-lid
and strinj^-- in the juvenile im-
])lement comnionh' known as a
"buzz saw." A more complicated
toy consisted of a ])iece of i\-or\-
a])ont four inches lon«4 and an inch in diameter, with a
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cavity in its upper extremity. To this piece was attached,
by a cord, a smaller one, pointed atone end antl binnt at
the other. (iraspiiiJL; the smaller piece in the hand, the
larjjer one was thrown in the air and an attempt made
to catch the ])oint of the pin in the hole in the top.
This, of course, is similar to our common cup-and-ball
Sfc.
H
( IIARM>.
.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}'.
")
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'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-
fnsin<i: several i)ieces of iron, he was offered a broken oar
and the lid of a soap-box; tliis indnced hini to part with
it, and he walkeil off in trinniph with his wooden accpiisi-
tions, while I retained ])osscssi(Mi of tlie i>n]). 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 ei<jht or ten weeks old. He
was stowed below with the sailors in the forecastle, and
tliere entertained and fed. His first diet was condensed
milk and oatmeal. He .soon became acqnainted with his
snrronndinj^s, and bejjan e.xcnrsions on his own acconnt.
Directin;.^ his attention to the .steps leading; from the fore-
castle np to the deck, it was not Ion*; before he sncceeded
in makinjj; his way to the less restricted and lighter
regions above.
Arriving on deck, a fresh field was open for his inves-
tigation. The first results were made known to us by
seeing him come ambling back toward the after part of
the ship, where .several of us were sitting, his nose covered
with blood and his woolly bod\- fnll of feathers. A .search
was immediately instituted to discover what he had been
iit. The cause was .soon ^ound. In the bow of the ship
'////•; lov.ic/-: or ////■: ki ie.
1H3
wtTo seen llic manj^lfjd remains of several hi^'^lily-pri/.cd
speciiiieiis of birds obtained l>y 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-
<ifuinary way; indeed, his tastes enlart^ed to such an ex-
tent that he soon ate iu)t only all the birds, ducks, and
other fresh atiimal food that he could ji^et hold of, l)nt
also potatoes, bread, biscuits, and, in fact, an\thirij^ that
he could swallow. Thin.u;s that he could not worry down
he contented himself with chewiui;. Under this list
came such articles as ])oots, shoes, clothinj;, ropes, and
everythin.i(else abovedecks that was not carefulh- guarded.
If
I-' :
IS I
/.v .ih\nc s/:.is.
The actual litnil of his apjK-litt', like thai of the I^skiino
of wlioiii \vf have alreadv" sjiokfii. was iK-scr dffiniuly
ascertained. He would eal and eat inilil appauiilly
double his ordinary si/e, and still ai>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;i<s.—
A(.\IN ON OIK \V\\- IlnMi:. 'I"| I l<i Hi ,1 1 \\.\I(,\li: ClIAN
Ni;i. A (ii.oKiots SiNsicT.— Si;akciiin(. iou Ci»\i. I)i;-
I'OSITS.
As time was passing; rapidh , wc wt'ie anxious to start
on our way soiitli, and only awaitt-d hcttc-r wi-allar.
The last day of our slop at Cape York was misty and
rainy. Xt-vcrllKdess, Professor IleiljMin di-terniined to
utilize it in aseeiidinj^ what are known as tlu- Iron Moun-
tains. On the map they are desij^naled as mountains,
thou.yh it is very doul)tful whether they reaeh to an alti-
tude of two thousand feet. The\- were disco\cred hv
Ross. He ft)und the natives in the possession of rudth-
fashioued iron implements, sonje of which are still pre-
served in the Mritish Museum. From what information
he could leather fn^n the natives Ross was convinced
that they themselves had manufactured the iron from
masses found in the mountains l)ack from the coast. It
seems hijj^hly improbable that this primitive race should
have discovered the art of iron-makin,!:,^ but, so far, it has
been impossible to account for the iron on an\ other
theory; for there is no known communication of the
dwellers in the southern ])art of f lu'iuland with those
above Melville Hay, and the whalers had not, at the time
of Ross's visit, commenced to make the perilous vovage
w^
¥
isr.
/A' .iKcr/c s/:.is.
to Lancaster Sound. In view ot' tin- relic of the- Hayes
cxpcdit'on alrcad) referred to. which had been preserved
for over thirty years, it did not seem to us impossible
that the iron imj)lements which Captain Ross found in
their possession were made from fraiijnients of iron found
on wreckage which had floated to their shores and ])een
battered into shape by the abori)4;iucs. On account of
this uncertainty we were anxious to discover whether
au\ trace of iron manufacture existed, and the inter-
est was redoubled when, in a skin tent, was found a
hea\\ stone evidently containiniLj iron. While it proved
to be oul\- a form of iron pyrites of very poor (jualitv', it
still seemed to indicate the presence of the metal, and
the natives, when ciuestioued as to its orij^in, undoubt-
edly ])ointed to the \\\<^]\ land back from the coast. In
spite of the cold, drivin.n rain and sleet-storm, it was
determined to ascend the mountains. The j^eoloj^nst and
botanist with two ICskimos constituted the exploriui^
party, the rest ])referrin<; the comfort of the ship's cabin
rather than face the disaj^reeable weather outside,
Reachiu}.; the shore by crossing over the ice, the little
party rapidh' ascended a small knoll which marked a
spur of the mountain, and be.ij^an to climb over irrejj^ular
rt)cks covered with a black and slippery lichen. The
ascent soon became very difficult, <j^reat boulders block-
iujj^ the way and compellinir detours where the footinjj^
was most insecure. The storm soon changed to a mix-
ture of snow and sleet which ra;^ed with all the fury of a
gale and at intervals obscured the surroundin<js. Occa-
sional glimpses of the ship, lying peacefully at anchor in
////■; iDY.K./': or the kiie
187
the little cove far helow, served as a j^tiide to their course,
and as j^reater heii;lits were reached, the toi)S of three
small islands which laid alxmt ten miles of]' the coast,
south of Cape York, came into view. Coulrarv to the
experience at McCormick r.a\-, the ascent became easier
as the top was neared, not so much, however, from the
lessening of the steep j^rade of the mountain as on ac-
count of the better footinj;. The black lichen disap-
peared, as did also the larj^a- {.jlacier-worn boulders, and
in their stead were hard j^ranite rocks and finer jK.bbles.
(iradualh' almost all ve<;etation disappeared, and so(»n
a comi)aratively level plain of stones and small rocks
was reached, eas\- proj;ress then bein<; made. The
heij^ht indicated b\- the aneroid barometer was about
.seventeen hundred feet. \o si^ii of iron or iron-bear-
inir rock was observed. The stones were of cver\ vari-
ct\-, from slate and saiulstone tcj the hardest flint and
fjrauitc, and had evidently been swei)t to their position
by jrlacier action alone. Near the crest was found a
small cairn. It seemed to have betn built by human
hands, but whether ci\'ili/.ed or savat^e it was impossible
to determine. In spite of the storm, which now had-
redoubled in •. ioleuce, the two white men pressed on
alone, for the Eskimos had refused to continue uj) to the
crest, and had seemed to indicate by their cries and mo-
tions that it was dangerous to do so. They never ven-
ture into the interior, nor even visit the ice cap, as to
them it is the abiding-place of e\il spirits and demons,
and inspires them with terror. The ice cap, which did
not differ in any particular, as far as could be seen, from
\
I.S8
/.\" iA( y/i .s/;. /.v.
hi'
r '
that at McC»»nnick liav, was soon n-ncluMl. and from it
two j^lacicrs wire stcn prujfctinj; into tin- s«.a.
Thcnivthod of the formation of tlu' ( irctiihind j^hiciirs
was here achnirahly iUnstratcd. As far as tlu- t\f toiild
reach, to the north, the north-east, and north-west, lay
an ahnosl level sheet of ice, the i>rodnct 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 <lecks of tlie ship; a (piantity of valnaMe
material was also j^athered.
Soon after the return of the mountain i)art\ the shij)
was prepared to start. The foj^. which had been almost
constant durinij- our stav of a dav and a half, at last li<!ht-
ened, and now and then, throniih occasional rifts in the
clouds, o])en water could be seen to the southward. The
few lin«;erinn natives were told to leave the vessel, and
it was onl\ as the ice-anchors were broUL^ht aboard that
the last one reluctantly wended his way over the side.
" Sar-pook, sar-pook " (]H()od-b\-, i^ood-byi, the\- cried,
as we slowly lel'l their dreary home, mysterious pectjile
of a nnsterions land.
In sharp contrast to the \ou^ strtijf<,de northward
tlnoujL^di Melville Hav was our southern trip over the
same waters. On the northern journey we had encoun-
tered a \ast aiul almost continuous sheet of ice, which
seemed as permanent .is the eternal hills. On the .south-
ern trip we foun<l open water, with onl\- ;in occasional
iceber*,^ to remind us of the j^reat floes ajid ice masses we
had met with a few weeks before. Constant (o^ and
head winds, however, delayed the vessel, and our projr-
ress was particularly slow. We ran well out from land,
but still in \ iew of the hij^hcr headlands. The Horse's
Head, a most peculiarly shaped point of land, and Red
i
I
ll)0
/.V .lA'C/VC S7:.IS.
Ilt-ail, anotlRT coiispictioiis point, wc-rc- llii.- only ones
(IcIhiittK Rco^^ni/L'd nntil Dtvil's Tlminl) was reached.
W'f had hojK'd to land and examine the latter curious
formation, but no attempt was made on account of the
stormincss of the weather. rpernavik was passed at
midnij^ht; we did not stop, hut continued on «)ur way
down the coast.
The ne.xt day found the atmosijhere still fnick, with
a heavy sea running;, and the ship was hov.- to all the
afternoon in the neif^hborhood of Kanj^tok Is, and, which
is west of vSwartehuk Peninsula. This «>;reat and almost
tmknown bod\ of land lies north of Disko Island. The
impossibility of making; pro<i:ress aj^iiinst the heav\ wind
and sea tempted Cajnain Pike to enter a fiord on the
vSwartehuk in search of easy anchoraj^e. The fiord is un-
marked on the map except by dotted lines, and it was
a<jreed that we would name it " Pike Fiord " in honor of
our veteran C(Mnmander. Its entrance is about two miles
wide and protected from the sea by a small island wdiich
divides it into two passaj^es; throu<;h either of tliese a
ship can easily enter. Inside of this natural harbor is a
wide, rouf^hly irre<;;ilar bay, protected on both sides by
hi<.:[h mountains, to whose bleak, dark sides the jieninsula
owes its name. Here we found a 5^o(kI anchora<j;e in
twenty fathoms of water, the bottom beinj^ mud mixed
with sand. The wind still blew fiercely, but as the ship
was now safe, we determined to remain until it moder-
ated. Some went ashore, and were well repaid for the
rather rou^h passage across the bay. A river was found,
emptying into the upper end of the fiord; here a landing
E' il '■'.
///A I <>): !(./■: (,/.- 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-<l xerv hold. '
and did not hesitate to scold the hunter vi-orouslv f,,r
intrudino on their <lomain, showin- that the\ were sel-
dom if ever disturhed l,y man. A dili-eut but uuavail-
in«: search was made for their nests, and a few cvevs of
youncr Ijjrds were seen al a distance; thev were fidlv
fledj^ed and much more timi.l than the older birds. Two
of the hunters ascended the mountain, but found iR)thiu,<;
of consequence to reward thc.r toil. Mr. Kenealv and nu"
i9«
AV .luc/'/c s/:.is.
m
r
Sflfwciit for sonic distaiici' alonn; tlii' short', fmdiii;^'^ an
abandoned lint and i^tttiii,!^ a distinct \ii'\v of a i^lacicr
which, as nsnal, closed tlu' end of the fiord. No sij^nsof
the recent visit of ICskinios were present. .\ (kep jjlooin
pervaded this nnfretineiiled spol, which neither the birds
nor the (lowers relieved. The liii^h clills weie almost
black in hue, either from the natural color of the rocks
or the dark lichens, and a few ^listenin<^ white icebergs
served only to intensif\' the deserted appearance of the
land.
vSonie time dnrinj^ the nij^ht the weather moderated,
and, makinij^ our way out of Pike's iMord b\ tin.- south-
iru entrance, our course was shajH'd for the WaijL^atc
Channel, which was reached on the niorniu;; of the Sth
oi .\u.i;iist. We entered this channel, instead of sailinjn;
outside, in order to e.\aiiiiiie the shores for esideiices of
coal deposits which were said to exist there. 'I'liis sheet
of water separates Disko Island from the mainland, and
is about se\en ir.iles wide. At one time it was niidoubt-
e<lly a fiord, beini; cut tlirou.t;li to Disko W.w at a later
period by _i;lacier action, tlieri'b\- forming the largest
known island in (ireeiiland. To the north of the island,
and e.\tendin<4 from tlu' mainland far into the .sea, is a
neck of land known as the Nonr.s«)ok Peninsula. Hoth
sides of the Wai^ate Channel present the same ijeoi^raph-
ical outline, here and there small liords and indentations
characterizinj^ its shores. Ilii^li mountains tower above
the calm and placid waters, and the silei:ce is only
disturbed by falling.; frat^nieiits of i^laciers. The outline
of the luonntains is much more broken and irre<;ular
/"///■; /V))-. /f,/,- oi: I III: Kill.:
'93
than is that of the mountains of nioiv northern (mvcii-
hind, and the peaks and pinnaeles add -really to its gran-
deur. The lofty niountaiu-toi)s, partly eovered with
snow, seen in the beautiful, clear weather and warm Arc-
tie sunliuhi, more resembled Alpine scenery than is usual
in the l<rioi,l /one. ( )u all sides the manv and beauti-
ful iceber-s, rellectiuo thf rays of the sun, seemed to vie
with the mountains in their .^or^eotis s|)lendor.
All (lav Ion- the Kit, steamed slowly throu,<,di this
enchanlin.i,^ scenery, but it was onlv late at niuhi that
the most beautiful and intereslino pjienonjcnon of all
presented itself to view. At this sta-e of our v(.vaoe
the sun in its declination had perceptibly diminished the
li^dit of niohi, and though not vet below the hori/.<.n,
still descciided enouuh to droj) behind the IumI, nnmn-
tainsofthe Xoursook Peninsula, thereby makin.ir a most
Xloricms sunset. The brioht rays illumined the sky be
hind the mountains, formin.^ a background of the most
brilliant colorings and delicate, chanuiuu i(,„es. The
fad in oof the sunliolil continued but a short time, and
the sun, aj^ain risin- hiolu.,-, o'erlopped the mountains,
and the dawn of the next nioriiino was upon us. Tho
gradual nieri^iuo of the lovelv sunsrt with the splendor
of the cominj; morn comi^leled ihis most charming of
daNs in Cireeidand.
The fine weather, which continued the next dav,
.'idded to our enjoyment. We ha.l had almost a week
of foj. before reaching the Wai-ate, but there were few
re-rets now for the delay, as. had we experienced the
same weather inside the channel as had fallen to our lot
ifj4
/.\' .UxL//c s/:.is.
11
In
on tlu' open si-a, iIk' i)cant\' of onr sniroun(Hn,q;s wonld
have been shut oui from \ic\v. The- scfiicry of tlu-
nionntains, alllionjL;!! not so imposing;; as tliat of the
]>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<tKi:. — .Micti.kkitiis. Tin; I,\ni> 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
<lid not stoj). and in the early mornin.t^ of An.i^nst loth
the A'/'/r once more dropped anchor in the harbor of (iod-
havu. Mr. Carslens soon came out to the ship and
heartih' welcomed us. He told us that the lonj.:; south-
west storm which we had encountered, followed 1)\-
hea\\' winds, had also been experienced iit (iodhavu, and
that he and his associates had both feared that it would
be too much for the AV/r, and that they would never see
us a<(ain.
The natives too came aboard, but, after our e.\j)eri-
ence.s with the aboriginal race further north, they scarcely
interested us, and the few trifles thev had to .sell brou^jht
them but little return.
li»8
! iil^Bi
|<'!^^I
////•; I ()).!(./■: ()/■• nil. kiii:.
199
TIk' Kill was forced to laki 011 ballast at this i)ort, tor
the c<)nsmni)tioM of coal and tlu- rcino\al of tJK- 1 fitcls of
the lV'ar\- ])arly had so Hi^httiKd lur as to rciukr her
almost iiinnatia<^fa])k- in a liiad wind and sta. A nnni-
JR-r of the nati\cs were enj^aj^ed to leather ballast for ns,
and it was evident, from the leisnrely manner in which
thi'S- set abont it, that we wonld have to remain at least
two da\s in ])ort. This news was. howexiT, welcome to
all, for after our lont; isolation e\en dodhavn looked like
home, and we were content to enjoy the ])leasanl com-
])anio'.iship of the officials. The naturalists were soon on
their collectinj^ tours, some to the Red River, and some
to the island of (iodhavn. Professor Ikilprin, accom-
panied by Mr. Ashhurst, hired a lar<;e native boat or
I MIAk OK \Vii\I.\N > 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<l by Hayes, was discovered by I^ric the Red. ICric
was a tnrbnlent nol)lenian who, banished from Denmark,
and later from Icelaiul, sailed westward to the coast of
(ircenlaiid, to which he <;ave its somewhat decepti\e
title. It is related in the old chronicles that he <jave it
that name with the direct intention to deceive ami de-
fraud, hopintv that "a fair name" ini<;ht tempt colonists
to settle. The voyagers all re.i(retted that the exigencies
of the trip prevented our stoppin.t;- at I''riecii-ick.«<haab, ■
where the remains of old lyric's buildin<,^s are still .stand-
iii,^-, after a lapse of over nine linndred \ ears; tor tlie vov-
ajre of Erie was made about the \car ()S6. The stor^• of
the settlement lie made has often been told. The poor
people wdiom lie i)ersnaded to settle in his "fair land"
lived for a time peacefully and with .some comfort; but
there were many drawb,>,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<i:ht, had slanj;htered
them after their numbers had been reduced by famine.
The land, after this, la\- idle and unoccupied b\- white in-
habitants for hundreds of years, but at last was settled
a<;ain, ori<;inally as a penal colony, and later, since tin?
year 1774, as the ])ersonal property of the Crown of Den-
mark. This it still is, and " trespas.sers are forbidden."
We learned this after wc had committed the crime of land-
in}4 on the northern trip, but as the odence was onl\- a
venial one, no punishment was inflicted on us. Denmark
claims jurisdiction over (Greenland up to the 73d parallel
of north latitude. Above that it is no man's land, and,
indeed, any nation mij^ht easily o^ain Denmark's consent
to an abdication of its riq^hts to southern Greenland, for
we were informed, on highly trustworth}- authority, that
it has ceased to be a source of income, and were it not for
the fostering care which Denmark has exercised over the
natives of Greenland, there is little doubt but they would
soon become extinct. The Eskimo population last year
numbered ten thousand and thirty, a decrease of seven
from the year before; and a steady diminution continues
in spite of the systematic care and support which the
government so generously extends to them. It is prob-
rm: iov.k.i.: or im: kite
205
nl)lf that then- arc- hut tVw I-skimos north of Mdville
I5a\. Captain Ross nianv M-.-irs a^'o calc.ilalcd their
nunihcr at hnt tu,. hundred, and the- estimates of Arctic
voya«:c'rs since his time have not exceecUd it. We saw
not over one hunched at hoth Whale Sound an.l Cape
York, and hut one other native settlement is known.
This is a small villa-e called hUah, situated. .n Ilart^tene
I5ay, ahont one de-ree Inrther north than Whale Sound.
This place we did not visit. It was here that Haves es^
tahlished his winter <,uarters in isr,,,. It has hut few in-
habitants, and even if they were added to those that we
S.UV, the total number woul.l still fall far sh.,rt of the es-
tiniale of Captain Ross. C.reenland is under the ccmtrol
of a .oovernment hoard in Denmark known as the Kone.i,-
li.^c C.ronlandske Handle. It is divided into two in-
spectorates, north and .south, divided by the parallel of
C7° 40' lu^rth latitude. The inspector of the former re-
sides in C.odhavn, and the latter in C.odhaab. They are
responsible to the home «overnnient. The inspectorates
are divided into a number of districts, each havin^r jt.s
own governor and assistant governor, who are resp(,udble
to the in.spector in whose jurisdiction the district is situ- '
ated. In the Xorthern r;reeidand districts, besides the
inspector, governor, and assistant governor, there are no
white people except a doctor who lives at Jakobshavn.
In Southern Greenland there are two more phvsicians
one living at Godthaale, and the other at Julianehaab.'
After five years of duty they are allowed to enter the
royal service in Denmark as district physician.s.
All this and much more Mr. Carstens narrated to us
2o6
/.V .lh'C/7C .S7-; IS.
'^^
as \vc chatted toyjcthcr in the little cabin )f the AV/c. In
our turn, we told him of the aboriginal inhabitants at
Cape York, whom he had never seen. We asked him
whether there were any relics left near Disko of the
primeval ICskimos. He told ns of an old graveyard
sitnated across the l)a\' from (iodhavn, which was long
abandoned, but where he said aboriginal tombs, exactly
as we had described, still existed. The idea of discover-
ing other relics immediately inspired me, and, launch-
ing a boat, with only Mr. Kenealy as my companion, I
rowed across the narrow bay in the midnight twilight
to the locality which Mr. Carstens had indicated. With
some little difficulty the place was at last found, and
tomb after tomb opened, with the result of unearthing
(piite a collection of skulls. Xo votive offerings such a.s
we liad found at Whale vSound were discovered, though
earnestly sought for. This was accouuLcd for, perhaps,
by the fact that the tombs were ancient and their con-
tents might have deca\ed awa\-. Ciathering together a
number of skulls, we returned to the ship in the early
morning, just ])efore the return of Professor Heilprin and
Mr. Ashhurst from their long and tiresome journey of
some sixteen hours' duration.
All hands were weary when, at about 3 A. M., we went
to l)ed, and it was not until late the next day tliat the
customar\' activity prevailed among us. The work of
loading ballast for the ship still continued, but in the
most leisureh- fashion. A boat l)eiug sent to the beach,
the natives would gather blocks of stone, carrying them
one by one until a load was procured. These in turn
Tin-: \-oy.\(,i-: or rm-: kite.
207
were passed up the ship's side and chx.pped carcfullv into
the h.old.
It was our last day at Godhavn, and, as it turned out,
also our last in (Greenland, and all were anxious to make
the I'.iost of it. I saw no opportunitx- to add to the col-
lection already made, so a consideration of a more prac-
tical nature than that which inspired the others m'oxcd
me. I had observed that the breeches made for me at
Cape York by the Eskimo women were not pliable, like
those worn by my comrades, which had been nuuh; at
Godhavn. They were stiff and un,<,uiinly, and, when not
in use, like stovepipes in rioidit>-. 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,<re all that, and,
escortinj^- me to the house, introduced Mrs. Ra\en to me,
with the brief direction to he- (at least so I supjiose) to
chew the .£,^arments thorou<rhly. I remained to witness
the operation, which she be.<,ran with that cheerful alac-
rity that characteri/es the Eskimo woman when directed
by her lord, but the sijjht was not pleasant, and I left
the o-arments to her tender care. I must confess that
she did the work in the most skilful manner, and also
added a couple of buttons, so that I was no longer com-
14
2(jS
IN .lA'CV/C S7:.IS.
i:.
t'e'
pelled to tie lliem loj^ctlicr with thon^^s. Mr. Raven
lii'ouf^lit them back in the afternoon in a most satisfac-
tory condition, and I paid him the tobacco agreed npon.
I suggested that liis wife slionld have something to ccjm-
pensate her, instead of paying him, hnt he did not seem
to imderstand me, and the snbject was dropped.
At I A. M. on Angnst I2lh steam was made, and we
left Godlia\-n. All were on deck, and we took a last look
at the place which will alwax's remain the n.iost plen.sant
in onr memories of Greenland. A solitary star shone
brightly over the village. By its brillianc)' we knew it
to be the planet Jupiter, as the night was not yet dark
enough to show stars of lesser magnitude. A few min-
utes sufficed to take us out of the harbor and place us
once more on the oi)en sea. The weather continued good
all day, and we made an excellent run. Karly the next
da\' a strong wind sprang up, which soon d veloped into
a gale. The sea ran mountains high, and our ship was
tossed a])out so violently as t(^ be almost unmanageable.
It sent all but those who were actually employed in
working the vessel to their berths for safety. It was
almost impossible to move around without great danger,
and we all kept prett\- (juiet as long as tlie blow lasted.
After some hours the wind began to subside, leaving a
heavy swell which pitched the \essel about as if it were
a c\u\). The weather was haz\-, w'th rain at intervals,
which, much to the relief of all, gradually calmed the
sea. The chief engineer, Mr. Jardine, reported that only
enough coal remained to take us direct to St. John's, .so
we were forced to forego the pleasure of visiting several
THE ]■()): !(,/■: or -////,• a//e.
20()
point.^ in South Greenland, as had l)ccii our desire. The
weather now became clear and bright, with a fair wind.
Early in the niornin<,r a brio; was si<rhted sailino south,
about ten miles to the westward of us. All went en deck
to .cret a look at her. It was remarkable that what in
other waters would be such a triflin.t; event, in these un-
travelled seas commanded all our attention. I'or nearly
three months, with the exception of those at Godhavn and
Upernavik, we had not seen a ship nor anv si^'i of civil-
ized man. The strancrer was a trim little cra'.t, not far
enoucrh .south to belono; to the line which carries creolite
from Ivij^tnk to Philadelphia, and too far north to be in
the Danish trade with the North Cireeuland settlements.
All these latter had left (iodhavn, on their voyaoe to
Dennuuk, loner before our own dej)anure. We did not
expect to meet any vessels, because it was .so late in the
sea.son that .sailin^r ships would hardly venture so far
north for fear of bein^- canoht in the ice. We had our-
selves taken the last mail from the North Greenland .set-
tlements, the (governor brinoinnr it off to us the nioht we
left Godhavn, and statiu.i,^ that it was the onlv opportu-
nity he would have of scndin,^; any until next sea.son.
The bri(r was too far off our course to speak her, and
as it would have taken too much of our now valuable
coal to have .sailed within communicatin.i.,'^ distance, she
remained as mysterious as when first .seen, and the cau.se
of the only excitement of the dav.
On Sunday, Aun:ust i6th, the wind was dead ahead,
and stormy enough to cause considerable sea, which made
the distance run much le.ss than on the previous day.
2ia
/.v .lA'c/vc s/:.is.
Darkness at this time l)e<;aii about 9 i". m., and the liglits
in onr cabin and abont the ship were now used, after
many ./eeks of continuous daylight. We had had a si^lit
of the moon for the jxist three nights, and the numerous
stars visil)le in the lieavens gave the sky more the ap-
pearance of that of the Temperate Zone. The North
Star was \ery bright, and seemed ahnost directly over-
head. The strong head wind and high seas continued
until morning, and it was necessary to put the .ship three
points ofTher course to ease her up. Twenty-four hours
later the sun was again shining, and made everything
look brighter. The sea had gone down, and early in the
evening the moon, which was now full, was .seen in all
its beaut\ . At 10 p. m. we were treated to the magnif-
icent spectacle of the aurora borealis as seen in these
Northern waters. No conception of its brilliancy can be
had at home, and it will be remembered as one of the
many strange sights this interesting voyage afforded
us. The next day the weather was again fine, and the
sea as still and calm as the proverbial mill-pond. A
light favorable wind came up toward night, when all
sails were set and our ship sped along at a more rapid
pace than for some time. About 8 v. m. a large steamer
in the east was seen to lie bearing down upon us. As it
evidently wished to speak us, the A7/c was stopped and its
approach awaited. It proved to be the Carthdcc^ of Scot-
land, and we foinid that they wished to know the course
to Indian Harbor, Labrador. This information was
given them b\- Captain Pike, and after exchanging sa-
lutes we renewed our respective courses.
THE ro ):!(,/■: ni- the rite
211
On Au_t;nst 20th we reached Lal)ra(lor and skirted the
coast. The hind was hij^h, rocky, and in places appeared
ojreen from the presence of ve<^etation. It looked more
hospitaljle than the more barren shores of (ireenland.
Hnndreds of fishing-boats were now seen everywhere,
and signs of civilized man greeted ns once more. Large
icebergs were still floating here and there, th.c only
reminder of onr late trials and dangers. The steam-
ship PantlicVy of St. John's, was spoken. This vessel
was interesting as being the one that had taken Dr.
Hayes' expedition as far as Melville Hay, years ago. It
had been rebnilt since then, and was qnite a trim little
craft. On the night of Augnst 20th we were abeam of
Belle Isle. On the following day head winds were en-
countered, with rain. The ship, being so lightened, was
now quit* hard to drive through the heav\' se;is, and the
pitching and tossing commenced once more.
On August 22d the sun, shining brighth', showed the
green and picturesque .shores of Newfoundland. The
transformation from the icy North to a land again inhab-
ited by our own kind was indeed striking, and heart-
ily appreciated by all. The sea was quiet, and we soon
arrived in sight of the harbor of St. John's, and were
safe once more.
It was on a beautiful vSunday morning that the voyage
of the Kite came to an end. All hands were busy mak-
ing themselves presentable for cixilized society, and the
transformations that were accomplished by some of the
members were truly astonishing, .\bout 9 c>'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<r-
nals are ])lainl\' visible at vSt. John's, and the crew were
overjo\ed that their families would soon know of their
.safe return from the Arctic retjions.
It took nearly an hour to reach dock, for the entrance
to vSt. John's is narrow and tortuous. Throuj^h lofty
cliffs the passai^e wends its way to a splendid harbor,
second to none in the world, and it is not until the last
bend is passed that one sees any si<i^ns of a large city or
even civilization. Finally, buildin.ii^s appeared, and in
a moment the whole city, with its blocks of houses
raui^ed in terraces of streets, was in full view. The nar-
row channel widened to a j^reat bay, on the shores
of which laid the town. To the right was vSignal Hill,
from which the notice of our arrival had been .sent; to
the left rose another great ])romontory, crowned by the
arsenal and fort with wdiich England protects this import-
ant port; and, immediately in front, the city of vSt. John's,
with ihe high cathedral towers dominating the town.
Our signal had evidently been seen, for the towns-
people flocked to the wharf, and, before the ship could be
made fast, overwhelmed us with inquiries; but, being
tired of sea-life, we were anxious only for rest and a com-
fortable hotel. This was tbund without diflficnlty on the
main business street of the city, after sending away a
////•; I ■()): !(,/■: (>/■■ ////•; 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<Vi(lav, when
the Xoni Si()/t,i//, of the Allan Line, (lejjarted for I'.alti-
niore. The time was spent ver\- pleasantly, however,
for we found numerous friends anions the honest Xew-
foundlanders. Mr. Molloy, the American consul at the
port, entertained us with the greatest cordiality. Mrs.
Molloy was etinally hospitable, and insisted on the whole
party being invited to their house. Not less courteous
was the Rev. Mr. Harve\-, the historian of Xewfound-
land, who v/as kind enough to ])ersonally introduce us to
the governor, vSir Terance X. O'lirien, at the C.overn-
nient House. His Kxcellency received us pleasantlv,
and invited the whole party to the reception which it
was jiroposed to give to Sir Ambrose vShea, a former
governor of X'ewfonndland. who was expected to arrive
at St. John's on the Xora Sco/ia//, en roiilc to his new-
post at the Bermudas.
Besides these acts of distinguished courtes\-, we were
the recipients of marked attention from other citizens of
vSt. John's. vSeveral of us visited the British war-ship
/iii/cra/d, which lay in the harbor, and were n:ost hos-
pitably received by the captain, Sir. IJaldwin \V. Walker,
Bart., and the other officers of the shi]).
On Friday morning we left vSt. John's on the Xora
Sco/iaii, and after an uneventful voyage — sa\-e for a short
stop at Halifax, X. S. — arrived at Baltimore, whence we
proceeded to Philadelphia, where we arrived on vSeptem-
214
/\ .lA'cY/f .s/;. /.v.
bt-r Sill, thus compk'tinj^ our voya<;c in a little more- thaji
three months.
To review the trip: the object which moved Lieuten-
ant Peary was a most laudable one, and if successful will
add jj^reatly to our knowled<^e of a most obscure (puirter
of the world; on the part of the returning members of
the expedition, they brouj^ht home, besides much \alu-
able information, man\' specimens of the flora and fauna
of Cireenland. Such collections, whether anthropolo<ri-
cal, zoolo<^ical, botanical, or geoloj^ical, are always of
benefit to the world's fund of knowled<^c.
This is the main aim of all explorations, and the mem-
"bers of the expedition have no reason to be ashamed of
their contribution. There were more than seven tons of
material brouj^^ht back, a lars^e proportion of which is
now in the Academy of Natural Sciences, ready for the
use of future students of the various features of Arc-
tic life. The skulls and other anthropolocrical material
which we were fortunate enouj^h to obtain have proved a
most useful addition to the fine collection now in the
Academy's museum. Not less valuable were tiie addi-
tions made in ornitholo«i;y, in invertebrate zoology, in en-
tomology, and in botany. Kver\- .separate object, whether
an Eskimo child's toy or a meteoric mass, has its value
in the eyes o*" the true scientist, who knows where each
belongs in the great economy of nature.
It was not until the voyage was nearly over that we
fully comprehended what we had done and wdiat w"e had
aimed to do. The realization of the dangers so recently
passed seemed to increase as we neared home and had
U
TUi: \o V.K.I-: OF riih: khe.
215
more time for reflection. The tales of Kane and others
now came back to memory with such vivichiess and
realism that tlie inia<,Mnation needed not to ])e called
npon for scenes and places; indeed, so strange and differ-
ent had been the Arctic land and its people that one
mi.t,dit have asked whether it was still onr own world.
The inconceivable immensity of the j^lacier.s, the mere
fracrments of which make gij^anticand lofty iceberj^s; the
midni<rht snn, shininj,^ on the illimitable ice ca(); the
strancre and cnrions forms of animal and vegetable life ;
the inten.se .solitnde, nnbroken save by the heavv rum-
bling- and thnndering of collapsing bergs, which at times,
thongh many miles away, wonld make almost tidal-
waves by their sndden displacement of the water, and
very perceptibly can.se onr ship to roll and toss on the
tronbled .sea,— again and again passed in review before
lis as we .sat lazily dreaming on the snnlit decks on the
pa.ssage homeward. The heavy gale we enconntered on
leaving Whale Sonnd, where we were bnt a mile or two
from a lee .shore, with crashing bergs everywhere aronnd
us and the weather .so thick that not a .ship's length
conld be seen from onr deck; the grounding of onr .ship
in Waigate Channel, and onr numerous escapes from
being wrecked by the ice,— all cau.sed us to realize how
clcse wt had been to having met the fate of so many
others who had ventured to the frozen North.
FIMS.