The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 2Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
History
The Orpheus C. Kerr Papers, Series 2
Newell, R. H. (Robert Henry)
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
"The festive isle of Nova Zembla has been in existence for some time,
and is larger than any smaller place I know of. Many of the original
settlers have died, and their offspring would still be living had they
lived long enough to become accustomed to the climate. You may object
to go on account of your affection for our race, but it does not strike
me that there is any cogent reasons for such affection. So you had
better go to Nova Zembla. The particular place I have in view for your
colonization is the great highway between the North Pole and Sir John
Franklin's supposed grave. It is a popular route of travel, being much
frequented by the facetious penguin and the flowing seal. It has great
resources for ice-water, and you will be able to have ice cream every
day, provided you supply yourselves with the essence of lemon and
patent freezers. As to other food, I can promise you nothing. There are
fine harbors on all sides of this place, and though you may see no
ships there, it will be still some satisfaction to know that you have
such admirable harbors. Again, there is evidence of very rich
bear-hunting. When you take your wives and families to a place where
there is no food, nor any ground to be cultivated, nor any place to
live in, then the human mind would as naturally turn to bear-hunting as
to anything else. But if you should die of starvation at the outset,
even bear-hunting may dwindle into insignificance. Why I attach so much
importance to bear-hunting is, it will afford you an opportunity to die
more easily than by famine and exposure. Bear-hunting is the best thing
I know of under such circumstances.
"You are intelligent, and know that human life depends as much upon
those who possess it as upon anybody else. And much will depend upon
yourselves if you go to Nova Zembla. As to the bear-hunting, I think I
see the means available for engaging you in that very soon without
injury to ourselves. I wish to spend a little money to get you there,
and may possibly lose it all; but we cannot expect to succeed in
anything if we are not successful in it.
"The political affairs of Nova Zembla are not in quite such a condition
as I could wish, the bears having occasional fights there, over the
body of the last Esquimaux governor; but these bears are more generous
than we are. They have no objection to dining upon the colored race.
"Besides, I would endeavor to have you made equals, and have the best
assurance that you should be equals of the best. The practical thing I
want to ascertain is, whether I can get a certain number of able-bodied
men to send to a place offering such encouragement and attractions.
Could I get a hundred tolerably intelligent men, with their wives and
children, to partake of all this bliss? Can I have fifty? If I had
twenty-five able-bodied men, properly seasoned with women and children,
I could make a commencement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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