A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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April

Sunday Apr. 1

[Today] all tools day, but [we made no sport of it] it brings no merriment. The work falls heavily on us, and Petersen brought in no game. We fasted on our regular beans.

The eruption gives me excessive pain, sleepless nights and uncomfortable days. Sonntag Wilson & Brooks share the pest with me I am at a loss to what to attribute it. Several of us suffer in the seats of old injuries, both my broken hand and wounded groin bladder seem as if [re]broken & [re]wounded over again. These ghosts of old adventures bring back equally ghostly memories. I can easily shut my eyes and see the sala of the Casa [Gaona?] at Puebla:- Guadalupe smoking her cigarritta by my bedside, and the dear old general looming up as high as the bedposts, all by the dim flickering of the little waxen taper, which burns under the little cross, in the little alcove, where the Senora Madam Gaona says her prayers. "Con que a dios Señor Doctór." Dong-dong-dong" "dong, dong". Santo Domingo has started his infernal bells, no sleep to night, "Clang, clang, clang".

Monday Apr. 2d

The morning at 11. a.m. Mr. Bonsall reported a man upon the ice-foot about a mile from the brig. We supposed him to be Hans, and advanced to meet him. WHen nearer we discovered our absent sledge and team, but the man who accompanied them turned and ran towards the South.

Upon this I made Mr. Bonsall who was armed with the Sharp Rifle remain behind and avanced alone, upon which the man awaited my approach. As I neared him I recognized the deserter William Godfrey.

On conferring with this man he

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he stated that he had been to the South of Leiper Bay, I understood him to say as far as Northumberland Id. where there was a cache of meat - That Hans was sick with the Exposure and lying knocked up at Eepah, that he Godfrey, intended to [return] go back and live with Kalutaneh. -[That there was a cache of meat on Northumberland Id. &c.]

I then ordered him to return to the ship, which he refused to do saying that no force should compel him and at the same time turning to retreat. Upon seeing this I produced a pistol from my pocket and compelled him to stop until Mr. Bonsall arrived, which was not long.

William having again with many words again refused, in the joint presence of Mr. B. and myself to return to the brig. I anounced my intention of shooting him if he did not move before the word "three". At the word "two" he started, and was escorted to the brig by Mr. Bonsall and myself. When alongside he declared his intention go back [return] and that no force should compel him to go on board. Whereupon I placed him under charge of Mr. B. with orders to shoot him if he attempted to escape, and then proceeded to the after hatch on deck and called to Mr. McGeary for foot cuffs, as well as assistance.

It is proper to remark here that both Mr. B and myself were barely able to walk and entirely incapable of contronling Godfrey by [mamal?] force, that Mr. Petersen the only remaining [well] man as well [as] in health as ourselves was absent hunting and that every other soul on board was down with scurvy.

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tin, the absolute pinnacle is a debased dredging box, which makes a bad goblet, being unpleasantly sharp at its rim. At one end of this table partly hid by the beer barrel, stands Petersen, at the side Bonsall, and a lime juice cask opposite marks my seat. We are all standing, a momentary hush is made among the sick, and I pronounce our daily prayer. "Accept our gratitude and restore us to our homes." After this lengthened act of devotion we sit down and look, not at our breakfast but at each other.

It could may sound assured to those who cannot understand the harrowing interest which we three available feel in our continued [health] ability to keep up, for me to say that we spend at least five minutes in a mutual detail of symptoms. The state of gums shins and ankles, elbows loins and kidneys is minutely canvassed and compared with yesterday's. [Each makes the others the recipients of his [ills] and as I am an official sluice gate for the discharge of such pent up material they open upon me the] the Pandora box of scurvy's protean abominations. There is something sad, not ludicrous in this.

Now for the bill of fare. "Who cooked"? "Why Morton felt better and got up at six," is the answer. "Ah! Then we'll have a good breakfast." First coffee, great comforts to hard worked men. [Our coffee consists of] one part of the genuine berry to three of genuine navy bears. [Oftime?] (beany), here! No matter we take kindly to this adulterated comfort.] Next, sugar-: what complex memories the word brings back! Sugar the veritable sugar has

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almost unbroken, prevails throughout our dormitory, and the watch officer, slips on his bear skin and full of thoughts of tomorrow resigns himself to a round of little routine observances, the most worthless of which is this, unbroken record of the changing days.

Thurs. Apr. 5th

The sick still improve slowly but sensibly. John, Goodfellow, and Stephensen are the most laggard. Bonsall to my great relief reacts under the accumulated battery of curatives which I explode upon him. Petersen is the same, he will eat no raw meat. Kane took the mass colchicum and an an Indian vapour sweat, which seems to have arrested his e[r]ruption and given him relief. My [pricipal?] treatment among the present stage of patients is by diuretics especially cubebs. Nothing that I have tried so soon softens the rigid effused legs and knees of my people. Frictions and cold water stand first upon my routine list of remedies. Bark and Iron are given. Surreptitiously in beer & tea [fine palates] [They must have, the brutes!] but except comphor dissolved in hot seal oil I use no applications to the swelled limbs. Potash fails now, and lime juice has lost its effect.

The eruption I have analysed at last with the microscope, its primary form in papular, but its characters are those of a true erythema, complicated by whelks like lichen and urticaria If different from urticaria only in the slight purple circle which invests the isolated papules, a result due to the haemmorhagic diathesis of the scurvy patient. The whelks exactly resemble those of uticaria

[verso]

[?] [?] - he remained ill for five days and then travelled on foot towards the brig till he met me.

The dogs carried us home by the outside passage off Bedevilled Reach. I took the ice foot about 4 miles S.E. of [Badall?] Camp and reached the brig in comfortable conditions.

Wednes: Apr. 11th

Hans started again to bring back the meat from Littleton Id cashe. If he feels [?] I have given him a commission to which I attach the [greatest?] importance.

My hopes of again undertaking a Spring journey to Kennedy Channel were storng in the early months of the winter - but as our dogs died away a second time - and the scurvy crept in upon us I became sad and distrustful as to the chance of our ever living to gain the open water. The return of the withdrawing party absorbed all [?]. They brought news of disaster, starvation, and loss of dogs among the natives. The prospects seemed then at their lowest ebb. Still I cherished a secret hope of making another journey, and had determined to undertake it alone with our poor remnant of four dogs, trusting to my rifle for provisions. In fact, this continuation of my one great duty has been constantly before me, and I now think that I can manage it. Thus: —

The Esquimaux have left Northumberland Id and are now near Cape Alexander, as a better seat of walrus hunt. Among them is [Kalutanek?] the best of the breed and he, like a provident man, has saved seven dogs. I have authorized Hans to negotiate carte blanche - if necessary for four of these dogs - even as a loan - promising as a final bait the contingent possession of my whole team when I reach the open water after my return. On this mission I send my [?] [?] and await his return with anxious hope.

[recto]

I have foreseen, from the first day of our imprisonment by the ice the possibility of melting more that we might never be able to liberate the ship. Elsewhere in this journal I have explained by what construction of my duty I [?] the brig to the North and why I deemed it impossible honorably to abandon her after a single season. Why too I gave to others the free right to remain or withdraw, and why I looked upon that withdrawal as closing their connection with the Expedition. The same connected train of reasoning now leads me to mature and organize every thing for an early departure without her in case she cannot [should we find that the brig is not] to be released. My hopes of this release are feeble: my judgment and experience tell me that it is nearly impossible, and I know that when it does release - if ever - the season will, like the last, be too far advanced - for me to carry home my people. [Now last year I warned the withdrawing men of the futility of their attempt as early as Aug 24th.] All my experience carefully redeemed by consultation with Petersen- concerns me that I must start early - and govern my boats and sledges by the condition of the ice and hunting grounds.

Whatever of [executive?] ability I have picked up during this brain and body wearing [concise?] awrnd me against [?] preparation or [vaccilating?] [?] - I must have an [exact?] discipline, a rigid routine and a perfectly though out organization. In the past six weeks I have, in the intervals between my duty to the sick and the ship, arranged the schedule of our future course. Much of it is already under way. My journal shows what I have done, but what there is to do is appalling. I state all this as a proper announcement of my intentions to show how much I sacrifice by my intended journey to the North and to explain to my home friends why I have so little time or mood for scientific observation or re-