A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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320 Feb. 28

"February ends. Thank God for the lapse of its twenty eight days! By the tenth of April I expect to find seal and when they come we are saved! [Cannot call ourselves safe]

A fair review of our prospects tells me that I must look the Lion in the face. The scurvy is steadily gaining on us in vain I sustain my desperate cases just as I partially build up one - another is stricken down. The disease is perhaps less malignant [apparent] in a few cases than it was but it is more diffused throughout our party. Except William Morton, who is disabled by a [frostbite] frozen heel not one of our eighteen are exempt. Of the six quoted one month ago as the remaining workers of our party two are unable to do outdoor work and the remaining four divide between them the duties of taking care of the sick and providing material by the hunt. Of these four Providentially guarded men, one is the Esquimaux Hans, another our Greenland Dane Petersen, a third Bonsall the fourth myself.

Hans now hunts aided by Petersen with what energy he has left. These two last named chop five large sacks of ice, cut into junks of one foot each six fathoms of eight inch hawser, serve out provisions, hacking at molasses and hewing with crowbar and axe at pork and dried apples, pass up the [confined] foul slop & cleansings of our dormitory, and for the past two days cook [scullionize?] and attend the sick. Added to this I myself was strong enouth to keep an eight hours vigil from 8 {.M. to 4. in the morning - [taking] noting thermometers ever hour.

Now with this state of things before us, we must look forward to 41 days of nearly the same character as the past thirty and in being guided by the

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tehnour of these days, we must not forget that our sick have a [lessened] [decreased?] capacity of endurance. The qusetion as to "what's ahead?" makes me thoughtful. There are however still resources, accidental perhaps but still capable of saving us if the "feeder above wills it. These are another Reindeer of Sound carcase, a constant succession of small game. Supplies of walrus from the fugitive Esquimaux - or - that which I most expect and home - a bear: tracks of these beasts are already seen, and last March showed many off Coffee Gorge and the Labyrith. If Hans and myself can only hold on we can work our way through. All rests upon destiny, or the power which destines.

February has brought back our day light; its last few days gave us back our Day God. On the 25th I made a pilgrimage towards Little Willies Monument and caught half his disc as he rolled behind a rock on the horizon. It will yet be many days before the sun overide the shadow of Bessie Mountain and reaches our brig. The sick pine for him and I have devised a clever system of mirror to hasten his coming.

The singular continuance of warm south & S.E. winds continued as in latter January. It was not until the 12th that the spell was broken and even then we had, as compared with other experience, mild weather. It - the therm - seldom exceeded -40°, sometimes under -30°. For the past three days following the increasing moon it grows colder. -46° to -51°. The abundant snows of the

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"warm spell" are either compacted [into] so hard as to be traversable material or are completely dissipated by the heavy winds! The atmospheric changes are rich in valuable studies but have barely [find means of sustaining our] strength to carry on our routine observations.

[*copy*] Two attempts [were] have been made by my order to reach the huts (* both failed and both I firmly believe for want of [pluck] nerve. [THe thing is perfectly feasibly, and of essential necessity I have not thought enough to carry a sledge and can no longer, on account of the snow, trust to denuded ice. My own two attempts, made in the midst of the darkness, convince me that the thing can be done. Oh that I [had beef to my bones!] dared leave these poor devils for but one week. But there are dangers here too. I am left the only man on board, a modest assertion, God knows I wish it was not a true one. [end copy]

The interior of our den has under gone a complete reorganization, daylight = twilight is admitted, a drying stove added to our gally and this latter veteran made to carry off our undue smoke and vapours. So much for the actual changes of the month. -- March opens upon us tomorrow. Pray God that his reign may be short and a mild April put an end to our winter.

(* Petersen Id. 3 Hans & Godfrey Id. 15. p. 301

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[*omit*] The days have great beauty and our night is enlivened by an unsurpassable moon. This short season of alternating night and day reminds me of home, but the duration of the dark hours is so palpably encroached on by the increasing daylight that the home resemblance is very faint. Already we read the thermometers by the dawning at 5 o'clock and the twilight extends with the same brightness to 7. in the afternoon. The [turbid?] sky to the northward holds until [blank] and in [blank] days our now cherished nighttime will be converted into twilight. [end omit]

Sunday Mar 4.

To day, Sunday, we were unable to supply the sick with food. Our small remnant of deer was too tainted to be trusted our bear legs stripped even of their marrow. Thus we find ourselves brought up. I have spent the day playing cook and made up sundry entremets of meat biscuit beans and apples, but sick men will have a [?] to [?] [grovel?] and I fear that my artistic powers were under rated.

Every thing by word and manner that my mind suggests to me I do to cheer up my invalids, but I am not going to be caught in a trap, to procrastinate decisive action for our relief until every man is disabled and our party irremediably doomed. I dare not leave them to go out toward the [?]. [Well,?] if Hans does not bring in a rabbit tomorrow, I must spare him to go alone after the Esquimaux at [blank] Bay [*omit*] [Cold as it is he must start alone, on an attempt the fifth to reach the Leiper Bay settlements.

My eye has been long fixed upon this journey, and I have been [?] [end omit]

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Friday Mar. 9

[*omit*] Jhon and William Godfrey were both unable to come up to the rack this morning. I had sat up until two a.m. and had been releived by Morton expecting him to keep watch until 4. a.m. when William and John would follow, but poor Morton wishing to spare me, continued on in place of the invalids. Of course I sent him to bed as soon as practical but [end omit] [*strength going*] It was with a feeling almost of dismay that I found how difficult it was to get things to day. Bonsall and myself the sole workers after cleansing below, bedpanning and dressing the sick, cutting ice, and cooking [our necessary meals] and serving messes could hardly go further. The moral effects of an unbroken routine I fully realise. Once a systematic order departed from the results would be [discomfort] despondency, and increase of disease for all. It was therefore with feelings not easily understood out of the source that I found myself and comrade were barely able to cut the necessary fuel. The end of the day finds us both stiff and ill at ease - & having to keep the night watch until 6. a.m. [and] I have plenty of time to resolve my most uncomfortable thoughts.

Be it understood that in expressing these in my journal I express them no where else. What secret thoughts my companions may have are concealed from me and from each other, but none of them can see as I do, a future whose realisation presents so clearly. Two results one bright and comforting the other inconceivably black and hopeless.

Should Hans come back with a good supply of walrus and himself unsmitten by the enemy (scurvy - our sick would rise under the ginial