File:Adventures of two youths in the open Polar Sea (1885) (14580190508).jpg

Identifier: adventuresoftwoy00knox (find matches)
Title: Adventures of two youths in the open Polar Sea
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors: Knox, Thomas Wallace, 1835-1896
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Publisher: New York, Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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IN WINTER QUARTERS. The depth of water varied from thirty-five to fifty fathoms, being rare-ly less than the former figure or more than the latter. The observationson the depth of water corresponded very nearly with those made on theJeannette. It is probable that the Arctic Ocean is nowhere of the greatdepth of the Atlantic or the Pacific, though it may have been much deep-er than at present in ages long gone by. The mud that forms the bottomhas been drifted down from the numerous rivers flowing into the ArcticSea, and has gradually accumulated, just as the mud of the MississippiRiver has partially filled the Gulf of Mexico. Fred and George were anxious to emulate the examples of other navi-gators and domesticate young seals and walruses, but they did not have theopportunity. It is doubtful if they could have kept these strange pets forany length of time, as their surroundings were.not favorable. A walrus or A DANGEROUS POSITION. 171
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PERILS OF THE POLAR SEA. 172 THE VOYAGE OF THE VIVIAN. seal in the cabin would not have been an agreeable companion, while oat-side it would have been liable to escape, or be eaten up by the dogs. Next to having one of these creatures, George concluded he would likethe skin of a bear without a bullet-hole in it. Now the way has not beenfound for shooting a bear without breaking his skin, and the youth deter-mined, with the proper authority, to set a trap for one. Permission wasreadily given, on condition that the trap should be far enough from theship to be out of reach of the dogs. It was thought that a in He and a halfwould be a sufficient distance, and the trap was set accordingly. It was one of the largest bear-traps sold in the San Francisco market,and required all the strength of two men to press the spring downwardfar enough to bring the catch into its place. It was baited with a pieceof seal-meat; the snow and ice around it were arranged to appear asinnocent and undisturbed as

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