A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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obliged to conserve more fuel than I had expected. My outdoor labours are now heavy as I had to set the [remnant?] of Petersen to cutting off our trebbling. I [am] was determined to spare no exertion to preserve a sea worthy vessel. Poor little brig the effort has cost me many a toil in act and thought, but all to no end. She can never bear me to the sea. Want of Provisions alone, if nothing else will drive me from her, for this solid case of nine feet ice can never break until the late changes of fall; now then unless some mild winter and hot summer conjoin with opening winds to break up its iron casing.

[*omit*] Mr. Bonsall to day taken in for two hours of night watch. Heretofore except with aid from Morton I have taken this heavy duty on myself. It proves too much for me, and I call upon Bonsall as the only healthy & yet trusted member of the "withdrawers" to take a share in a duty which bears equally upon his own safety & comfort. Such duties are incumbent upon us all and can in no wise imply in this case a restoration to his vacated post. [end omit]

Friday Mar. 16.

Our meat begins to close. I do not think that we can make a more than two days allowance. Hans finds nothing on the hills and I fear that a long hunting journey to the South is our only resource. To 3[symbol]

Awahtok. I have often mentioned him as a plump good natured fellow. He was one of my attachés by which I mean one of the many who stick to me like a plaster in order to draw or withdraw a

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these men until I have positive proof by overt act of their mutinous purposes. Nor can I trust the matter to other hands than my own. My faithful few are down upon their backs. I cannot depress them by disclosing a scheme which would if successful be nearly fatal to them. The others I am unable to trust, behold me then obliged to sleep by cat naps, keep vigil, night and day, walk armed to the teeth, and withal grin, eat, and clock as if my sole duty was to enjoy the very bountiful resources of this arctic pleasure ground.

Sick have lost nothing. Although Petersen and Bonsall begin to suffer in the joints.

Monday Mar 19.

Hans got off at 11. a.m. Every thing ready for a strenuous attempt to renew our supplies of meat. By devising outside duty I managed to separate John and Bill, and thus by keeping a constant guard over one to frustrate their intentions, I did this so ingeniously that they did not suspect my reason, but the impatience and anxiety of the parties was a scene "as good as a play". It would be serious play should they rob us of our dogs and gain the [Nutlek?] settlements. We could then no longer hunt or communicate with Leiper Bay. I hope that the danger is now over and that I may keep this thing a secret in my own breast. Situated as we are even the frustration of a mutinous idea, had best be concealed. This course is not only one of true policy but of [charity?] to the delinquents.

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Petersen brought in five Ptarmagan, cheering news for it enables me to give one rare meal a day to the sickest of our sick. This is enough to sustain the health working impression of the diet. McGeary and Ohlsen begin to use their legs a little and McGeary yesterday visited the deck, and thanked God by the sunshine.

Tuesday Mar. 20.

This morning I received information from Stephensen that Bill had declared his intention of leaving the brig to day at some time unknown. John being now really lame could not accompany him. This Stephensen overheard in whispers during the night, and in faithful execution of his duty conveyed to me.

I kept the news to myself but there was no time to be lost. William therefore was awakened at 6. a.m. (I had sat up all night) and ordered John Wilson to cook breakfast awakening me at 8. a.m. Mean time I pretended sleep and watched him. At first he appeared troubled and had several stealthy whispered interviews with John. Finally his manner became more easy and he cooked and served our breakfast meal. I now felt convinced that he would meet John outside, as soon as he could leave the room and that either one or both would start at once. I therefore dressed and armed myself, bringing in Bonsall & [William Morton|Morton]] to a knowledge of my plans. This done I crawled out of our dark passage and concealed myself near its entrance.

I had hardly waitd half an hour, pretty cold work too, before John crawled out, limping and grunting. Once emerged the scoundrel looked furtively around

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and then with a sort of sigh of satisfaction mounted our ricketty steps without a sign of lameness. Oh no! Thought I this is worse than I expected. In about ten minutes after John had gained the deck, creak went the door of [?] and out came the long legs of another candidate, the legs were booted for travel and clad in buffalo. As they emerged a figure raised itself and beheld a pistol within six inches of his nose. "William," said I. "Well hi" said he. "Go inside and take your station by the table." He went in. "Now Morton," said Dr Kane for he had followed the man into the apartment, "now Morton go on deck and tell John, quietly, that I want to see him." Mr. Bonsall take your station at the door let no one pass out.

Presently in crawled John, very lame and exhasted, and growing rapidly lamer as recovering from the glare of the daylight he saw the tableau. I then explained to the ship's company the state of things told them how much trouble and loss of sleep the plot had caused me and explained to the two scoundrels step by step every one of their plans. Bill was so [confounded] (dumbfoundered) that he confessed at once whereupon I knocked him down and mauled him until he cried for mercy. under my mitten was a leaden fist which I had secretly manufactured and concealed for the purpose so that I could punish him pro re nata. After this was over I read from the Log book an affidavit signed by the witnesses to the effect that he had repeatedly stolen

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yesterdays walk makes my scorbutic muscles very stiff. I went through my routine of [work] labour and as usual in this strange disease worked off my stiffness and my pain.

Bonsall and Petersen are now woodmen preparing our daily fuel. My own pleasant duty consists in chopping from an ice berg six half bushel bags of frozen water, carrying it to the brig and passing it through the scuttle into our den, in emptying by three several jobs some twelve to fifteen bucketfuls from the slop barrel. [some twelve or fifteen buckets full of filth] in administering both as nurse and physician to fourteen sick men, [in picking] in helping to pick eider down from its [dung?], as material for boat bedding, in writing this wretched daily record, eating my meals, sleeping my broken sleeps, and feeling that the days pass without [a] congenial ocupation or improving pursuit.

Hans has not returned I give him two days more before I conclude that Godfrey has waylaid or seized upon his sledge. This wretched man has been the very bane of the cruise. My conscience tells me that almost any measure against him would be justifiable, as a relief to the rest, but an instinctive aversion to to extreme measures [an an ignorance of what may be legal] binds my hands.

Sunday Mar. 25

A hard workin busy Sunday it has been – a cheerless scurvy breeding day and now by the midnight which is as it were the evening of its continued light I read the thermometers unaided except by the crimson [fires?] of the northern horizon. It is moreover cold again -37° and the enemy has a harder grip on my grasshopper. Bonsall and Kane took the entire home work on themselves to day