North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the PolarisMudge, Zachariah Atwell
History
North-Pole Voyages: Embracing Sketches of the Important Facts and Incidents in the Latest American Efforts to Reach the North Pole, from the Second Grinnell Expedition to That of the Polaris
Mudge, Zachariah Atwell
Arctic regions; Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration -- American; Discoveries in geography -- American
Mr. Hall was at once busy visiting the "tupics," summer tents made of
skins, pitched by the natives near the shore. He also rowed to the
islands in various directions, generally accompanied by one or more
Esquimo. On one of these visits to an island with a boy he had a narrow
escape. After several hours' ramble they returned to the landing, where
they had left their boat fastened to a rock. The tide had risen and the
boat was dancing on the waves out of reach. Here was a "fix!" They were
far away from the vessel, the night, cold and dark, was coming on, and
they were without shelter. But necessity sharpens one's wits, After some
delay and perplexity, Mr. Hall hit upon this plan: He took the seal-skin
strings from his boots, and the strings by which various scientific
instruments were attached to his person, tied them together, and thus
made quite a long and strong line. To this he tied a moderate sized
stone. Holding one end of the line in his hand, he tossed the stone into
the boat and gently drew it to him, jumped into it, and was soon at the
vessel. If Mr. Hall had not been a _green_ boatman he would not have
fastened his boat below high-water mark when the tide was coming in! He
probably did not again.
One day the crew of the "Henry" captured a whale in the bay, and the
Esquimo joined with others in towing the monster to the ship. In one of
the boats was an Esquimo woman with a babe; she laid her child in the
bow of the boat and pulled an oar with the strongest of the white men.
Before they reached the vessel the wind blew a gale, the sea ran high,
and at times the spray shot into the air and came down in plentiful
showers into the boat. The mother cast anxious glances at her child,
and, as if it was for its life, rowed with giant strength. At last the
prize was safely moored to the "Henry," and the natives were rewarded
with generous strips of its black skin, which they ate voraciously, raw
and warm from the animal. They carried portions of it to their tupics on
shore for future use. This skin is about three fourths of an inch thick,
and, in even Mr. Hall's estimation, is "good eating" when raw, "but
better soused in vinegar."
Soon after this, Captain Tyson brought the "Georgiana" round into Field
Bay, and the crews of the two vessels were often together when a whale
made its appearance, a circumstance sometimes the occasion of strife
when he is captured. One day Smith, an officer of the "Henry," fastened
a harpoon in a whale, and was devising means to secure his prey. Captain
Tyson, who was near in his boat, killed the monster with his lances, and
without a word, left Smith to enjoy the pleasure of taking it to his
vessel. The generous act was appreciated on board the "Henry."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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