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

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[Margin:] Tuesday June 13.

and exempt from hygienic rules - physic or restraint - our one repartory and hitherto worthless Goodfellow. It would rejoice me for God's sake if he would turn over a new leaf and buckle to like a man.

Bill is better spirited he can take the dog journey!

William Godfrey said that he was unable to start this morning to continue the search to the north west.

Although I am convinced that this man is malingering I cannot force him to a stop which desirable as it may be to me might inspire him against his reported wishes. I never send a man upon a journey unless by his full consent and the secret of my success lies in this. Every man is a volunteer.

This William is a bad non reliable man - already in arrears - for unnatural offences. He and John have done more to disturb the efficiency and comfort of the crew than scurvy, darkness, and cold combined. But we are all weak in health William among the rest. I therefore said not one word of reproof but opened to him how much I lose by his not driving to the absent party and left him to his reflections.

Hans came in this evening with another Reindeer - a good sized male. The antlers were quite recent in growth - about 10 in in height but not yet palmated. A hairy pubescence completely covered them.

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except in some specimens a few brown feathers at the crown of the head. The female - much further progressed - is now well coated with her new plumage - the coverts and quill feathers still remaining white.

At Upernavik the male had already advanced further than the and the female had completed her changes.

[Margin] Saturday June 17

The wind which has been much of late from the No. set in yesterday strong and steady from the S.W. We hope it will influence our pack. The ice when last seen was near Bedevilled Reach: it advances (the water) slowly.

Dr. Hayes and Henry Goodfellow at work preparing library & lockers below for a re inhabitation of our cabin. We have been since Pierces death living on deck un= der temporary housing. Our fuel now on its last legs forces us to reoccupy our old habitation.

A crack 18 in wide runs across our bay. The ice as measured at its margin was 4. / 4 in in thickness.

[Margin] Sunday June 18

A pair of long tailed ducks passed over our bay bound for further breeding grounds. An ivory gull was seen and two great northern divers ([left blank by EKK]) the most imposing birds of their tribe. These last flew very high emitting a regular intervals their reed like "kawk."

Mr. Ohlsen and Dr. Hayes are off on a long overland tramp. I sent them to inspect the open water to the southward. The immoveable state of the ice foot gives me anxiety. Last year a large bay but twenty miles above us was [cloud?] all

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of my little family are seated in a kind and even lovable manner around our fire.

Just as we were sitting down to our usual Sunday's Chapter in the Bible McGeary and Morton returned pretty well worn out by a journey of at least 70 miles. They brought with them a flipper of walrus weighing in beef, bone, and blubber about 40 lbs, and we soon gave them a welcome over a cheering supper.

We had hardly taken our seats before the deck watch announced Ohlsen and Hans, our former which I had [illegible] hunting party [illegible] returning after five nights on the snow. Save Goodfellow every one of our little party was again aboard. Prayers were read our seal oil lamp of [posterity?] substituted for the smoking [slush?], a half wine glass of gin served out, Extra walrus steaks put upon the gridiron and we all sat down a trusting little party to eat and be filled.

The table talk, brought with sharp clearness before me the wild life we lead. Here had one party made seventy four miles by dogs in two days and another one hundred and sixty on foot in five days. The therm throughout measuring below zero and neither Company having any other night shelter than the Buffalo Bag. I brought [?] of the reward of all this toil Three Rabbits, two Ptarmagan & 40 [lbs] of walrus beef and composed mentally our condition with that of the dear people at home.

So Wed am I [?] hard bivouacks and long marched that it seems a mere walk to make my 60 miles in the snow. The country, if thus the wild range of ice

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that the snow wont lay and it piles up over the land ice like haystacks. I pity them that's out on the floe. He thought poor fellow of the companions whose selfish fears had made them abandon their trust, and in whose ranks he came so near being. I was thinking of Goodfellow our one child never able to take care of himself and now perhaps a second time adrift among the hills.

So they eat on telling their stories and I listening and questioning — for we have no formal reports now — and from McGeary I gathered this.

He and Morton had sledged along the ice food completely around "the reach" and made "the Huts" by ten o'clo that night. The natives were three in number, Otuniah & [his son] the elfish Myosu, the third unknown a stranger. Myosu who had been a prisoner for stealing and at this moment was an escaped hostages, held in pawn for a certain amount of walrus beef by way of indemnity for the destroyed boat, feared greatly lest they had come after him. When however he found by McGearys expressive pantomime that he was a simple visitor, and as such a claimant for the same hospitali=ty which we had so often extended to them the entire character of the savage seemed to undergo a change he appeared in a new aspect, a different & hardly recognizable phase of the same brutal thief Myosu.

Morton and McGeary, although