A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

210

as the 15th July. Apply all this to Franklin.

But for my constant journey last October, scurvy would have taken root among us but by our few dogs I managed to give us six weeks of abundant fresh provision. It is only four weeks that we have been on salt food, and that four weeks cannot have tainted my party. All that I have to do is to get meat and that if health holds I can and will do.— Besides Bear come in February. !!

Monday Dec 11.

Mr. Petersen reports will be found in my daily notes. The most interesting fact which the journey developed is that of a strikingly milder climate. From the passage of Cape Alexander to their residence in the hut at Cape Blackwood the Therm. never rose above [blank] while our own observations gave daily means of [blank] and minima records in Sept of [blank] Mercury froze with us while a mild subdued atmosphere (comparetively) pervaded the island group of Mur= =chison Sound. This change can only be attributed to the open water of the iceless seas which occupy the Northern indentation of Baffin Bay. There are as mentioned by me in my boat journey two north waters.

[verso]

[?] [?] - he remained ill for five days and then travelled on foot towards the brig till he met me.

The dogs carried us home by the outside passage off Bedevilled Reach. I took the ice foot about 4 miles S.E. of [Badall?] Camp and reached the brig in comfortable conditions.

Wednes: Apr. 11th

Hans started again to bring back the meat from Littleton Id cashe. If he feels [?] I have given him a commission to which I attach the [greatest?] importance.

My hopes of again undertaking a Spring journey to Kennedy Channel were storng in the early months of the winter - but as our dogs died away a second time - and the scurvy crept in upon us I became sad and distrustful as to the chance of our ever living to gain the open water. The return of the withdrawing party absorbed all [?]. They brought news of disaster, starvation, and loss of dogs among the natives. The prospects seemed then at their lowest ebb. Still I cherished a secret hope of making another journey, and had determined to undertake it alone with our poor remnant of four dogs, trusting to my rifle for provisions. In fact, this continuation of my one great duty has been constantly before me, and I now think that I can manage it. Thus: —

The Esquimaux have left Northumberland Id and are now near Cape Alexander, as a better seat of walrus hunt. Among them is [Kalutanek?] the best of the breed and he, like a provident man, has saved seven dogs. I have authorized Hans to negotiate carte blanche - if necessary for four of these dogs - even as a loan - promising as a final bait the contingent possession of my whole team when I reach the open water after my return. On this mission I send my [?] [?] and await his return with anxious hope.

[recto]

I have foreseen, from the first day of our imprisonment by the ice the possibility of melting more that we might never be able to liberate the ship. Elsewhere in this journal I have explained by what construction of my duty I [?] the brig to the North and why I deemed it impossible honorably to abandon her after a single season. Why too I gave to others the free right to remain or withdraw, and why I looked upon that withdrawal as closing their connection with the Expedition. The same connected train of reasoning now leads me to mature and organize every thing for an early departure without her in case she cannot [should we find that the brig is not] to be released. My hopes of this release are feeble: my judgment and experience tell me that it is nearly impossible, and I know that when it does release - if ever - the season will, like the last, be too far advanced - for me to carry home my people. [Now last year I warned the withdrawing men of the futility of their attempt as early as Aug 24th.] All my experience carefully redeemed by consultation with Petersen- concerns me that I must start early - and govern my boats and sledges by the condition of the ice and hunting grounds.

Whatever of [executive?] ability I have picked up during this brain and body wearing [concise?] awrnd me against [?] preparation or [vaccilating?] [?] - I must have an [exact?] discipline, a rigid routine and a perfectly though out organization. In the past six weeks I have, in the intervals between my duty to the sick and the ship, arranged the schedule of our future course. Much of it is already under way. My journal shows what I have done, but what there is to do is appalling. I state all this as a proper announcement of my intentions to show how much I sacrifice by my intended journey to the North and to explain to my home friends why I have so little time or mood for scientific observation or re-

[verso]

8

I can already count eight settlements including about one hundred and forty souls. There are more perhaps; but certainly I here state the majority of the population, out of these I can number five deaths since our arrival, and I am aware of hardships and disasters encountered by the survivors, which [?] as they must be in the [?] cannot fail to resolve a [large?] mortality. [Both] crime combines with the [contingencies of] disease and exposure [operate] to their their numbers. I know of three murders within the past two years [by [?] narration from the relatives of the murdered] and one infanticide (Awahtok child) occurred only a few months ago.

These facts which [involve only such as] are open to my limited sources of information must [?] of course a much smaller mortality than the fact. [The actual results] They confirm however a fearful conclusion which these poor wretches have themselves communicated to us, that they are dying out -: not lingeringly like the American tribes but so rapidly as to be able to mask within a generation their progress towards extinction.

Nothing can be more saddening measured by our own [?] than such a conviction, [at least as it would be to [?] a] but it seems to have no effect upon this remarkable people. Surrounded by the graves of their dead, by huts [?] yet still recent in their memory as homesteads, even by caches of meat which, frozen under the snow by the dead of one year, are eaten by the living of the next; they show neither apprehension nor regret. Even [Kalutaneh?] a man of fine instincts and I think of heart, will retain his stolid face of apathy of [blank] by the aid of [?] extinction. He will smile in his efforts to count the years which must obliterate his nation, and break in with a laugh as his children shout out their ["Amna Ayia"?] and dance to the taps of his drum.

[recto]

9

How wonderful is all this! rude as are their ideas of numbers, there are those among this merry hearted peoples who can [thus] measure look forward to the fate of their last man.

[In return to my record of news] When Netelik now the receptacle of these half starved fugitives was obliged itself to capitulate with famine the body corporate determined, as on like occasions it had often done before, to migrate to the seats of the more Northern hunt. The movements of the walrus and the condition of the ice seem to be known to them by a kind of instinct: so when the light came, they harnessed in their reserve of dogs and started for Cape Alexander.

It could not one would suppose have been a very cheerful migration, women, babies, and young children trusting themselves into a frozen wilderness at constant temperatures before -30° and sometimes verging upon -60°. But Hans with a laugh which seemed to indicate some exquisite point [?] concealed appreciation of the [ludicrous?] said they travelled gradually in squads, singing Amna Ayia and when they reached any of the [halting huts?] eat the blubber and liver of the owners and danced all night! So, at last, they reached [Utaksoak?] "The great Cauldron" well known as Cape Alexander, and settled at a spot called Peteravek or the wellcome halt. [Whither I have seat to negotiate as before, mentioned].

At first game was scarce there; but the season was [closer?] at hand when the female walrus is tending her calf; and except the exposure of long jaunts upon the ice, there was then no drawback to the success of the chase. They are desperately merry and seem to have forgotten that a second winter in ahead of them. Hans said, with another of his quiet laughs, one half of them are sick, and cant hunt these do nothing but eat and sing "Amna Aiya."

(Description of Etah & incidentally Introduce Esquimaux Habits in dissertation)

[verso]

20

in [Boreth'd?] Sound these last are accidental rather than sustained hunts. The natives have several [?[ of capturing the walrus and then are directly connected with the season of the year. In the fall when the pack but partially [cleared?] is subjected to [rests?] and broken drift the animals are very numerous, hanging around the [neukal?] [?] of mixed ice and water, and following it as with the advance of winter it solidifies more and more to the South. By means of the young ice the Esquimaux approach the beast either in cracks or holes and often the manner describes last fall spear [?] with [nalegeit?] and line.

This [fishing?], as the season grows colder, [danker?] and more tempestuous is fearfully hazardous. Scarcely a year passed without a catastrophie but although accidents were [?] during the last (a this) season no [less?] were lost a consummation so kindly that the [?] have promised us a successful season. Even as late as December the ice off Cape Alexander yielded, though scantily, enough walrus to supply the settlement. (Mr. S[?] will have copy in A on next page)

With the earliest spring more strictly about month after the reappearance of the sun. The winter famine generally is [released?] Jany. & Feb. are often in fact nearly always months of [privation?] but during the latter parts of March the Spring [Fishing?] commences. Every thing is then life and [?]ment.

The walrus are now taken in two ways. One by the sides of the ice bergs, where the [?] have worn away the ice. Here the animal [?], and enjoying the sun shine too long, has

[recto]

21

Sometimes its retreat cut off by the freezing of the ice for like the seal at its [?], the walrus can only work from below. While thus caught, the Esquimaux, who with keen hunter craft are scouring the floes, scent them out by their dogs and spear them. Sometimes they [?] in the same way from a hole or [?] crack and are similarly confused.

This early spring is the breeding season, and the walrus are in their glory. My observations show that they [?] this [?] throughout the entire [winter] year. Now however, the female with her calf is accompanied by the [?] Father, swaying in loving tries from crack to crack, [?] around the berg water or basking in the sun. While [?] their [?], [?] afford to their vigilant enemies the [?] method of capture, and this which is also by lance & harpoon becomes a regular battle the male gallantly [?] the assault, and charging the hunters with furious [?]. Not infrequently the entire family Mother Calf & Bull are killed. [note A young walrus received by me Mar 26h measured 4f. 10 in length, 29 inches in circumference, and 9 in in expanded [?] of [?] flipper the same flipper of the Mother measure 17 inches.]

[I cannot for want of [home?] [?] adventures.]

The huts there [?] snow covered dens, are now scenes of life & activity. Stacks of [jointed?] meat are piled upon the ice fort. The women are [?] the [?] for [sole?] leather, and the men cutting [?]

[verso] I did not bring Hans back with me but gave him orders My orders to Hans had been to been to go to Peteravik and invite Kalutanek to the brig. I sent by him a present of a Capstain bar - valued on account of the excellent adaptation of the wood for harpoon shafts. Morton scrubbed me in a tub of hot water for I was lice from head to foot - but mercurial ointment gave me some relief and I succeeded at last in sleeping.

All things else were doing well, and the sick steadily advancing towards health [and] strength.

Wednes. Cont^d.

The open water has not advanced from the south more than four miles within the past three weeks. It is still barely within Cape Alexander. This water is a source of serious anxiety to me for the South Easters seem to have hardly affected it. Our experience has taught us that the swell created by South winds rapidly breaks up the ice, now there can be no swell to the S^o. or these heavy gales would have done the same. I argue from this two unfortunate conditions one the presence of of [?] pack in the North Water of the whalers and the other a melancholy correspon- ding tardiness in the approach of water - upon this water depends the liberation of our brig, as well as the transit of our boats crew [and] [?] should we be obliged to forsake her. Last year (as by 1^st ice inspection, of her [?] [and] [?] Sea note book) we found on the 10. May, the water already surrounding Littleton I^d and rising to within two miles of Refuge Inlet.

[recto] It is now 40 miles further off!!

Thursd. Apr. 19.

Petersen and Ohlsen work by short spells getting ready for the load of carpentering duties necessary for boats sledges [etc.] Every thought is turned by me to the contingency of a forced departure. I will not leave the brig until it is absolutely certain that she cannot thaw out this season but I will have every thing matured for our instant departure as soon as her fate is decided.

We are still without workers, and the pressure of things to be done most alarming but every detail is arranged, and if the sick go on as they have done I do not doubt but that we can carry our boats some thirty or 40 miles over the ice before a decision as to the advance of the waters enables me to remain with or desert the brig.

Friday Apr. 20

Started a relief watch of Reilley Bonsall and Morton to saw out sledge runners from our cross beams. They can only manage 1/2 hour per [?] as they are very weak and the terms. at night descent to -26^o. Nearly all our beams are consumed for fuelt, butI have have saved enough to construct two long sledges runners of 17. [?] each. I could not permit Mr. Ohlsen to use short sledges, made up from the [?] 11 feet sledge of Hardwicke (D. Raes[?] pattern[?[) I want a sledge sufficiently long to bring the weight of the whale boat and her stowage within the line base of the runner, that will prevent warbling and pitching (or rocking fore [and] aft) in crossing hummocked ice, and enable us to cradle the boat so firmly to the sledge as to give neither an undue strain. Ohlsen sees the force of this view [and] we are