LIFE IN THE ARCTIC.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 115, 1 October 1912, Page 7

LIFE IN THE ARCTIC.

MIKKLESEN'S OWN STORY. HALF-STARVED FOR TWO YEARS. Aalesund (Norway), July 30. Captain Elinar Mikklesen, who, with his companion, the Danish engineer, Iversen, has been brought back to civilisation after being long. given up for lost, and after passing three winters in the Arctic, has now told the history of the two years of privation, endurance and achievement from the time of the wreck of the Alabama in 1910 until the two men were rescued on Bass Rock Island by a whaler, which brought ■ them to Aalesund last week. Mikklesen's narrative begins where he and Iversen, returning to their ship from a journey, found she had been wrecked.

. ERICKSEN'S CAIRNS FOUND. : "On April 19,1910," he says, "we started northward, with 100 days' provisions; Travel was very arduous, owing to storms, artel the country was full of abysses. We reached an altitude of 4000 feet, and passed several high mountains. After mapping the border of the land to the north and south of Danmark Fjord we found, close to the north coast of the Fjord, Eriksen's first cairn. ' "Mylius Eriksen left this place on September 12 to begin his return journey along the coast. He and his follower! were all well, and they had seven dogs. At Summer Camp we found a second cairn, with reports on the journey. Mylius had discovered that Peary Channel did not go through from sea to sea, and that Navy Cliff was not connected with Heilprin Land. He_ had left Summer Group on August 25.' He was short of provisions, and carried everything with him." 1

FAMISHING. Starting on the return journey from Ringsdagen on May 25, with seven dogs and fifty days' provisions, they wore soon .attacked with scurvy, and became very weak. One day their sledge fell into the water, and they lost their instruments and other valuable property, while their provisions were badly damaged, iOn Heygaard Island they found the depots spoilt by water. There was no game, and they were famishing, having been on half rations for some time.' "On August 0," he goes on, "hunger forced us southwards. We had only 71bs of provisions'and "two-'dogs left. Deep ponds and rivers delayed us, and we had to turn the sledge into a ferryboat, which could carry the dogs and one man. The dogs were quite worn out, and had to be carried on sledges."

POISONED BY DOGS' FLESH. "On the north coast of Lambert Land we shot twelve ptarmigan and a leveret. We made for the depot and this time had to eath both dogs. Iversen became seriously ill. The depot was reached soon after the last dog's flesh had been eaten. We had to stay here for seven days, for we were both suffering horribly from poisoning caused by eating dogs' liver. "On September 10 open water compelled us to leave our sledge, tents, etc., at Bear Rocks. Here wo landed, carrying diaries and 31bs of pemmican. We took refuge from a storm on a rock in the fjord. We waited two days and ate our last provisions. Now we had no water and no food, and were, therefore, forced to take the road again. "Having struggled for ten hours, we. reached land exhausted, and continued along the coast to Marie Valdemar. At this depot we found two boxes of meat extract." SHOT ALL THEIR FOOD.

After further hardships they reached Winter 'Harbor, the last part of the journey being done in 40 hours of uninterrupted walking. After wintering there* they made for Shannon Island, where they had plenty of shooting at bears. During the summer they shot musk oxen, etc., and "laid in a good stock of meat and fuel. With those they sledged to Bass Rock and spent the winter there. O-n January 25 the explorers sledged to Shannon Island, and hoped to go southwards, but had to refrain owing to weakness. On Bass Rock they recovered a little, and visited Walrus Island. It was there that the sealer Sjoeblomsten found their traces, and came on to Bass Roe!;, finding the two intrepid nvm very weak, with few clothes and long hair and beards.

"We arc quite well now," says Capt, Mikklefion, in conclusion.