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] 1 [margin] Tuesday June 6

We are now a parcel of sick men keeping ship until our comrades return from the last sledge party of the expedition. Except Mr. Ohlsen and George Whipple we have not a sound man among us. Thus wearily in our Castle of Indolences we watch the changing days anxiously noting bird and insect and vegetable life - as it tells us of the coming summer.

One fly, of species unknown, buzzed around William Godfrey’s head; and Mr. Petersen brought in a cocoon from [which?] the grub had eaten its way into liberty - Hans nearly daily gives us a seal and for a passing luxury we have Ptarmigan and hare. The little snow birds crowd to Butler Ild. whence these songs pene= trate the cracks of our rude housing - a snipe too - a tringa was mercilessly shot on the first day of his arrival. The andromeda shows green upon its rusty winter dried stems the willows are sappy and puffing, their catkins of last year dropping off - and the stone crops are really green and juicy in their [tendrils?] - all this under the snow - so we know that summer is coming although the tide hole again freezes along side and the ice floe is seemingly as fast as ever.

[margin] Wednes. [margin] June 7.

George Stephenson, my partner in the journey to the north seems to recover strength even more slowly than myself. The scurvy has affected his heart and chest. The type of the disease is singularly consistent.

Mr. Wilson can again boast of a practicable foot - The ball of the toe is perfectly strong and well preserved the stump round and ample - Brooks bids fair to follow in the same road - Considering the very meager room allowed me this is a pleasant result. Petersen mopes still. He has no creative morale.

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The Therm is again below zero. Bear sickness continues. Mr. Wilson's scurvy shows symptoms of a relapse.

Tuesday 10

The cold intense and the atmosphere of that peculiar cleaness which makes me often in this Artic region think that I can see the cold. The Therm is already below zero while but two days ago, (Saturday at [blank space]) it stood at [blank space]. We have thus undergone a change of atmospheric temperature of [blank] degrees in [blank] hours. It is a mistake to suppose that sudden and extreme alterations of temperature do not occur in these high latitudes. "The warm S.E." as it is called, sometimes raised the mercury from -40° to + 7° in three hours. [blank] minus [blank] is not cold in a true winter sense, that is as comared with our -62°, and continued daily means of -50° & 40° but to us gauging from an almost summer warmth (I mean water hardly freezing) it is hard to stand. The operations of cutting [?] forging bolts & so on work badly.

I reared to day my long spirit standard, with a full convition that it will record the greatest criti=cally determined extreme of low temperature ever experienced - (reported). The Therm is placed on the terrace thoroughly exposed but protected from wind and sun. A series of compared Therms, mercurial & spirit, are placed along side to determine the relation of this outside temperature to that observed from our main rigging, and

140

Monday Oct 16

To day the after shoring commenced, a score was cut into the sheathing on either quarter and strong wooded cleets bolted transversely above it to receive the head of the shores. McGeary had to forge these bolts out of the iron framing girders of the galley House. Cold work at -20°.

At these temperatures we have to drive the bolts while hot as the cold would [?wise] splinter them like glass. I have now in my possession a well wrought bolt head, 3/4 in in diam and which had stood the heavy wrenching of Aug 1853. ~ proving its freedom from flaw - Clearly splintered off by the heel of a boot. The temperature being at the time 56 below zero. Even with our present temperatures the carpenter has suffered greatly with his chisels and other tools.

Morton is still out.

Tuesday Oct 17.

Last night Mr. Willon and our sight seer Thomas Hickey reported a wolf at the meat house. I went out the therm at -24°. Mittenless and with a single cartridge in the Marston rifle. After a vain search my hands burning from contact with the metal, I saw a black animal runing from me at long shot. By a rare good fortune my ball fired in the darkness gave but a slight flesh wound for the poor thing turned out to be one of our best dogs, escaped from Mortons team.

The work of lifting the stern continued. One part of the chain sling was passed amidships, and the brig released from the ice by the axe & saw. Cold work! Mr. Wilson no better.

142

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.