The Siege and Conquest of the North Pole — John Shaqi
The Siege and Conquest of the North PoleBryce, George
History
The Siege and Conquest of the North Pole
Bryce, George
Arctic regions; North Pole; Scientific expeditions
“Petersen and Whipple came out to meet us about 2 miles from the brig.
They brought my dog-team, with the restoratives I had sent for by
Bonsall. I do not remember their coming. Dr. Hayes entered with
judicious energy upon the treatment our condition called for,
administering morphine freely, after the usual frictions. He reported
none of our brain-symptoms as serious, referring them properly to the
class of those indications of exhausted power which yield to generous
diet and rest. Mr. Ohlsen suffered some time from strabismus and
blindness; two others underwent amputation of parts of the foot, without
unpleasant consequences; and two died in spite of all our efforts. This
rescue party had been out for seventy-two hours. We had halted in all
eight hours, half of our number sleeping at a time. We travelled between
80 and 90 miles, most of the way dragging a heavy sledge. The mean
temperature of the whole time, including the warmest hours of three
days, was at −41.2°. We had no water except at our two halts, and were
at no time able to intermit vigorous exercise without freezing.”
About the beginning of April 1854, Esquimaux made their appearance. For
some time they caused trouble through stealing everything they could.
Great tact was necessary in dealing with them, but this Dr. Kane
possessed, and he was ultimately successful in making them close
friends.
On 25th April, the advance party of the next sledging expedition left
the brig, and was joined later by Dr. Kane. Deep snow was encountered,
and several of the party began to show signs of the dreaded scurvy. A
cache of provisions on which they intended to rely was found to have
been almost entirely destroyed by bears. Dr. Kane himself became ill,
and the whole party had to return when in the neighbourhood of the great
glacier of Humboldt. They cached some of their stores, and an
india-rubber boat, near Dallas Bay, in lat. 79.5°, long. 66°.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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