A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

Rensselaer Harbour June 8th

Sunday June 4

Brig Advance now frozen in quarters Rensselaer Harbour June 8th

[Header:] 9

This is a welcome [engrafting?] upon our seal meat.

Hans thinks that the open water seen last between Godsend Id. and Esquimaux Point has worked up nearer Bedevil= led Reach. The ice is quite unsafe off Sylvia Head, and seal lie by their Attuk between our brig and the shore.

Made arrangements for the disposition of our coal - reserving twenty kegs for our use should we make open water - and the remainder barely enough to last us for the present month. Separated for use. We have a store of wood but so much for Brooks and his coal. In oil we are again stocked. Our seal yield is an average of five gallons each. I sup= pose we have a barrel (32 gall) already tried out. Ten seal make a barrel as is the case at Uppernavik at this season. In the winter they use from ten to fourteen. The blubber occupies the same volume as is the oil subsequently boiled from it. A fact somewhat puzzling to those who remember the abundant cellular tissue which sustains the fat cells. It is explained by the increased expansion of the oil with change of climate & season.

[Margin:] Wednes June 14

By great exertion Hans was practised during the entire day with the sledge. In spite of the sneering prognostics of that poor devil Godfrey he learnt rapidly the main essential. The whip was already acquired by Hans in the childish games of [Fiskirnas?]. At 1. P.M. he started. Petersen and Hayes pilotted him to the land ice and thus I accomplished a substitute for my rennegade.

[Header] 12

summer and the land ice I have found to be here as perennial as the glacier.

[Margin] Monday June 19

After a walk of 13 hours Mesrs. H and O sighted from an altitude of 230 feet as far south as the Esquimaux States but without finding the open water. Mr. Mc Seary was mstaken in his "report" of the sea having reached above the [huts?]. I pre= sume that the water is open at Fog Inlet and wonder that the S. W. Swells have not more advanced it. The floe is reported as rotten and covered with water pools. This last is a good indication.

Our cabin was scrubbed and ventilated - the thick cementations of winter ice broken from the lockers and things prepared for our return. We are leading now a camp life living from hand to mouth on our guns. Hans being away we have shot a seal & our stock of meat is nearly exhausted. The deer after an allowane of 1/2 lb per man per diem gave out yesterday. Although nearly broken by scurvy I must try my hand and take to the rifle again.

[Margin] Tuesday June 20

This morning to my great surprise Petersen brought me quite a handful of the scurvy grass (Cochlearia [space left blank by EKK]) in my fall list of the stinted flora of this spot it had quite escaped my notice. I felt grateful to him for his kindness and without the affectation of offering it to any one else eat it at once. Each plant stood about one inch high - the miniature expanding strength out a little radius of hardly one inch more. Yet dwarfted as it was the fructifying process was nearly perfected

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We returned to the Brig [on the evening of Thusday Sept 20th] successful in obtaining a prudent supply of beef and good feed for ourselves and dogs. during our absence Mr. Brooks had cleared the hold and prepared every thing for raising the ship. Things seem to be going on well.

On the night of our arrival we were at once taken to the hut. It was pitchy dark and the strange Esquimaux whose name we found to be [Awhatok?] or "seal bladder float" was striking a fire from two stones. One a plain peice of angular milky quartz he held in the right hand the other apparently an oxide of [unclear]

He struck after the true tinder box fashion Throwing a scanty supply of sparks on a tinder composed of the silky down of the Willow Catkins (S. Lanata) retained on a lump of dried moss. In a very short time a blaze of moss and walrus blubber lit up the hut.

I have never described his hut or Iglöe. It was in a rude elliptical apartment entirely of stone, only the outside being lined with sod. At its further end a rude platform. The [?] also of stone was lifted about a foot above the entering floor and the roof although curved was composed of huge flat stones (3f. x 3f) arrayed by overlapping, and without any application of the principle of the arch. The height of this cave like abode barely permitted you to sit upright. Its length was 8 feet its breadth 7., and an expansion of the tunneled entrance made an appended length of two feet more.

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of the icebergs lit up at noon day. All else is dark shadow.

The water alongside at true surface gives 32° but when submerged 4 feet indicates 30.5 changing .5 with the ebb and additive.

Thurs. Oct. 19

Issued new orders for our observations and made arrangents for daily warm water washing of all hands. Mr. Wilson is now alarmingly ill with scurvy. Much on account of having concealed his case until the disease rooted itself. He had been mercurialized for Liver desease while in the tropics and I fear the abominable influences of the poison drug.

Our brig was today sucessfull lifted up by her fore and after shores 3 feet 4 inches. The chains retained her perfectly and we saw clearly the end of our severe labours. Already we were talking of the severe cold freezing her in, high and safe with an icy shelf of 3 feet between her and the dreaded bottom. When Crash away went one of our Chain Slings and down went the brig to her old bearings. Try again to morrow!!

Friday Oct. 20.

Recommenced. This time we place double chains under three parts making six Brooks says to lift a frigate.

Our dogs sleep outside. It is cold work but they seem to grow fat on the treatment.