A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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Elisha Kent Kane Private Journal

Page 17
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Page 17

[verso] breaking out our cabin bulk head to extract the beam. [?] [?] back is down. Cold vapour fills our cabin [?] every thing is comfortless, blanket makes a poor substitute for the moss padded wall which had protected us from -60o.

Hans nearly due is daily expected. Jenny one of his dogs has a bad foot. Kane a diarrhoea from cold after walrus meat, McGary nearly well [and] few scurvy symptoms.

Satur. Apr 21

Morton's heel nearly closed, and apparently a sound bone underneath. He has now been since October laid upon his back. Soon I can set this faithful and valuable man to active duty, I feel as if we had an accession of half a dozen Long Bills to our company, a doubtful compliment to Morton.

The beam was too long to be carried through our hatches it caught between our [?] and main mast we therefore saw it as it stands and will carry up the slabs separately. These slabs are but 1-1/2 in. wide and [?] must be strenthened then by iron bolts and cross pieces, still they are all that we have. I made the bolts out ofour cabin curatin rods, long disused. Mr. Petersen aids Ohlsen in grinding his tools, they will complete the job tomorrow for we must work on Sunday now, and by Monday be able to commence work Petersen, who is a first rate tinker undertakes to manufacture our cooking [and] mess gear. I have a sad looking assortment of battered rusty tins to offer him but with stovepipe much may be done.

Sick the same, John is getting his legs, Whipple will be made to get his. I suspect him, Goodfellow is as usual my one impracticable nuissance. I can't get him

[recto] out of bed or dry his mattrass. We have only two days more of meat on hand but we eat or have eaten without stint and expect daily to see Hans with a fresh supply.

Sunday Apr. 22.

Gave rest for all but the sawyers who keep manfully at the beam some notion of our weakness may be formed from the fact of these five poor fellows averaging among them but one foot per hour and a volunteer spell by Petersen and Ohlsen. I read our usual allowances prayers, and Dr. Hayes who feels sadly the loss of his foot came aft and also by consent crawled upon deck to sniff the daylight. He had not seen the sun for 5 months and three weeks. Bonsall sleeps in his hammock truly increasing the ventilation of my own corner since the scurvy had prostrated the party. I as a matter of principle have retained no bunk no peculiar of any sort. On the platform and abreast of it say 8 feet by 18 we stow 8 sleepers an undue division of atmostphere for respiration. For me while a single one of the returned party are without a dry berth I will retain none for myself. My bunk first went to Dr. Hayes, and when his stump healed to Goodfellow via Morton, who gave the boy his bed and took my own himself. It is a part of Henry's dignity to refuse the direct occupation of my bunk, but to accept Mortons by my interposition, the same gallant gentleman will refuse a plate of food culled by my own hand, but will heat freely of my cookery presented by another. The records of his short lived return to duty were neglected he neither dated nor registered his meteorological observations and now the only break in upon the integrity of the series is due to him. I had to reinstate as gentleman passenger.

Copy to here [?]

Hans continued stay leads me to hope that Kalutanak may bite at my proposal of a hunting party and thus afford dogs for my journey.

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