A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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[margin] [*Esk. Dogs*] a dog trot of nearly one hundred miles when your dogs may drop at any moment and leave you without protection from the weather in a temperature of forty below zero. As to riding I do not look to it. We must as [we have] I often [done before] do on my shorter journeys run along side of the sledge. Our dogs only carry our scanty provisions, and our sleeping bags and guns.

At home one would fear the hoop spined spitting snarling dog of the Peabody [Kennedy] Bay Esquimaux. They are little better or worse than wolves but in effect they are far from dangerous. The slightest appearance of a missile or cudgel, completely subduing their courage. Although the Esquimaux, living by the service of their dogs, treat them with studied care and kindness, they are taught from the earliest days of puppy life enough of fear to render them safe even among the children. "Old Yellow" who goes about with arched back, gliding through the darkness more like a hyena than a dog, pounced upon me while feeding Jenny and almost before I could turn had gobbled down one of her pups. As these pups will never be of sledging use I have since followed the example of the Esquimaux and refreshed "Old Yellow" with a daily morning puppy. The two last of the litter who will then I hope be tolerably milk fed I reserve for my own eating.

Sunday Jan 14.

Our sick about the same, Wilson Brooks Morton McGeary & Riley unservicable. Dr. Hayes rapidly getting better. How grateful I out to be that I the weakling, am a well-helping man!

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[*mark here a*] (C.) At noon day in spite of the mist I can see the horizon gap between the hills to the S.E. (C. Wood Fiord) growing lighter. Its twilight is less heavy, in four or five days we will have our noon-day sun, not more than 8° below the horizon. This depression which was Parry's lowest, enabled him by turning the paper towards the south to read Diamond Type. We will look forward to this [comfortable] more penumbral state of darkness as an era. It has now been 52 days since we could, by ascending the dreary hills, read [the same lettering] such small type. What a picture of Polar Winter, or Polar Night this fact presents. Sixty days of darkness so intense as not to be able to read such I cannot type out noonday! One hundred and twenty four days [lost to] with the sun below the Horizon!! One hundred and forty before he reaches the rocky shadowing of our brig!!!

Monday Jan. 15

[*mark this (C.) with [interrogation?]*] There is a gap in the hills between Bessie Isd. and the rest of the ridge. (?) It is nearly due South and here above an angular elevation of 2°. I to day for the first time saw the illuminated sky of twilight.

Found an overlooked godsend in [the shape of] a bears head put away for a specimen but soundly frozen. It contains no inconsiderable quantity of meat and I serve it out raw to Riley, Brooks, and Wilson. I do not know that my miserable journal anywhere mentions our habituation to raw meats. Our journeys have taught us the wisdom of following the Esquimaux appetite and there are few among us who do not relish, a slice of raw blubber, or a chunk of frozen walrus meat. The liver of this animal ([Ahwuktenut?]) I maintain, when eaten with little slices of his fat, to be a delicious morsel. Fire would ruin the [curt?] , pithy expression of vitality

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[*omit*]

individual Henry Goodfellow, had for a long time made an habitual butt of Mr. Brooks goading him by remarks and, always during any temporary [abuse?] of mine, openly defying his authority and sneering at his crude answers. in Henry's early carrer on board Brooks had been a sort of Father to him and after trying in vain to teach him little ship-wise matters had borne without complaint the [squib?] which repaid his case.

When Mr. Goodfellow had had his ears boxed by Dr. Hayes and got into a sort of Hobby de [?] [duells?] with Mr. Wilson, Brooks tried to keep the thing from my ears and was rewarded for his mediation by a personal assault. After this scene had been twice repeated, I withdrew Goodfellow from duty, made him as I have before stated a gentleman [lounger?] among our little swarm of workers, and thus far have had peace.

This morning while sleeping after a hard nights work - Brooks prostrate with his disease and our brig - rather a hospital than a vessel - I was awakened by a scuffle. The boy had had the gross indelicacy to taunt Brooks with his illness, and to refuse to obey an order on account it He actually directed under Brooks nose the movements of one my men, and when poor Brooks thus utterly despised, threw himself upon his authority and gave an order, the gallant young gentleman answered "He be damned."

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Tuesday Jan. 30.

Still the remarkable temperatures, the Bra.tr slowly equilbrating between 29. 20 & the old 30. 40. Snow falling. Wind S.W. W. & N. yet Therms at -10° & +3°. We long anxiously for weather to enable our meat party to start, but the darkness is a barrier to travel. For the past two days our sick have been entirely out of meat. The Foxes seem to avoid our traps. I gave Wilson one raw meal from the masseter muscle which adhered to an old bears head which had been reserved as a specimen. Otherwise no antiscorbutic - in one sense - has been obtainable - for three days. Among remedies which I oppose to the distemper, I have

[omit] The light advanced so rapidly that we can read our Therm at 10. A.M. in spite of the snows and mists. [/omit]

Commenced making Sunday salts of Iron. Among them the citrate and an attempt at chloro hydrated tincture. We have but one bottle of Brandy left. My applying a half pint of it to the tincture shows the high value I set upon this noble Chalybeate].

My nose bled to day and I was struck with the fluid [brick dusty poverty?] of my blood. I use iron much among my people as a one remedy it exceeds all others. Potash for its own action is well enough that for a one drug, meat being not procurable give me Iron.

Wed. Jan. 31

The weather still most extraordinary. The Wind has howled blowing No. 4

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[omit] solid are now water sodden and clogged with dirt. This state of things is injurious to our Scurvy but I fear without a remedy. [/omit]

William Godfrey returned with the dogs and sledge leaving Hans about twelve miles inside at Valley Fork. He shot nothing yesterday and to day is too stormy for hunting. We have not enough fresh meat left for a single ration to all the sick but Brooks, Wilson and Ohlsen, can yet receive two more allowance.

Thurs. Feb. 15.

Our Scurcy gathers force, Mr. Ohlsen has given way entirely and Mr. McGeary who had thus far managed to take a thermometer watch, breaks down. [*evening*] Hans had just returned, is too tired, Goodfellow must be spared and I must look forward to the entire watch duty of the brig. McGearys loss is very great. I now have a heavy burden to bear.

Hans came back, well thank God that without a deer, he brought, however, a rabbit, and on this my Scurvy's will have two rations. I cannot now leave the Brig one day. [?] My entire dependence for fresh food is [now?] upon Hans.

I Determined to send Godfrey to the huts. He wants to go but I think that he has neither nerve nor endurance enough to reach his destination. [The man is in one of his penitent fits all that I fear for is that he will manage badly with the natives. The main argument for his departure is necessity we have no one else.]

Arranged a new gangway. Five of us who must being [?] [patients] no longer able to ascend to the deck.