A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

228

[Oh dear people. "Bring on de resarbe!"

Tuesday Dec 26.

The moon nearly above the cliffs - the thermometer -57° to -45°. The mean of the past four days being [blank]. In the midst of this cheering conjunction I have ahead of me a journey of at least one hundred miles to say nothing of the return. Worse than this I dread the journey, don't want to go, but am forced to: [use me up or not use me up. Craving Gods blessing I have] to go out in search of meat.

McGeary and Brooks are rapidly sinking, and walrus beef alone can sustain them. By a merciul change of conditions I am the strongest as last winter I was the weakest of my party and the duty of collecting food falls on me. — I shall go first to Leiper Bay Esquimaux and thence if the hunt fails to Cape Robertson.

My misgivings are mostly on account of the dogs, for it is a rugged hummocked drive of 22 hours even with [standard] strong teams and Esquimaux drivers. We have salt[ed?] beef, [?] worn out dogs, in number barely enough to carry our lightest load. [Seven] — Should they perish by the tetanoid fits upon the road we might suffer.

I do not fear the cold. [I'm an old hand now] Clad in furs, we are impregnable if under exercise, but if I should be forced to walk and give out, no garments would save me from the cold. I look to a temperature of at least -54°, and the