A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

184

inroads of cirrus upon is pure blue.

Morton suffers much from his foot. The slough of frost bite is as far as my experience goes the most permanent [add?] tissue involving of any sphacelation. When in tissue of low development it becomes very troublesome. In the present case the [Tenda?] Achilles has been completely perforated and the surface of the [calcus] heel bone exposed I fear caries and its attendant troubles. Operations are under our present state of cold privation and darkness fearful things on account of Locked Jaw. I Cheer up my party by counting the days twixt now and sun light cheating them, innocently I hope, into forgetfulness of the two severe months Feb: & March which follow the return of day.

In addition to fidelity, and mutual attachment all my plans of future search are connected with Morton. He is a good and daring sledge man and with him and Hans – God willing – I will renew the search along the shores of Kennedy Channel and Grinnell Land.

Wednes 22. Nov.

Our life below and above! Crawl through the Straits of Bendyerback and enter the dormitorium laboratorium, refectoreum and ordinarium of the remaining members of the Second Grinnel Arctic Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin. I have just done this and am in such a state of thankless dispute that I wait a little to think myself into a proper state of gratitude.

No changes except Dough [Nuts?] Eugh!

208

my hopes untainted. Want of hope is a taint a rotteness, and as long as my energies keep true I do not fear for the future. Thus I argue to myself. It is but eleven days before we reach the middle of our night. After that the consciousness that every day nears us closer to the dawing will give a moral prop to my sick. I have saved a bottle of Champaign, hoarded up since September, to garnish a dinner and play upon the spirits of my little family. Again, I find by my journals of animal life that by the 9th of Feb. we may expect a chance deer, and still earlier (in January) a few Ptarmagan. Finally, if the worst turns up, I am sufficiently hardened to the climate not to fear a few days of -50° and will find my way to the Leiper Bay Esquimaux and in virtue of my terrible authority as [Nahlagak?] and Conjurer, press into service sledges drivers and walrus hunters. Give me health and I've no fears.

The super abundant life of Northumberland Isd has impressed Mr. Petersen as much as it did me. How fearfully it bears upon the fate of Franklin. I could evven in August have collected a winters sustenance of Birds and Cochlearia, and here have this poor party lived the live of Esquimaux with temperatures of -50° and darkness covering their hunting grounds.

Our own sickness I attribute to our civilized diet. Had we plentiful supplies of raw & frozen walrus I

357

Refraction with all its magic is back upon us; the Delectable mountains appear again; and as the sun has now worked his way to the margin of the N western horizon, we can see the blaze streaming streaming out from the black portals of these uplifted hills as if there was truly beyond it a celestial gate. I don't know what preposterous working of brain led me to compare this N. Western ridge to Bunyan's Delectable Mountains, but there was a time only one year ago when I used to gaze upon them with an eye of real longing. Very often when they rose phantom like [they rose] into the sky, I would plan schemes by which to reach them, work over mentally my hard pilgrimage accross the ice and my escape from Doubting Castle to this scene of triumph and reward. Once upon your coasts Oh inaccessible mountains I would reach the Northern ocean and gather together the remnants of poor Franklin's Company. These would be to me the orchards and vineyards and running fountains. The "Lord of the Hill" would see in me a Pilgrim, "Leaning upon our staves, as is common with weary pilgrims when they stand to talk with any by the way." We would look down upon an open Polar Sea refulgent with Northern Sunshine.

I did try to gain these mountains and there is something curious in [thy?] (a closer) likeness which our efforts bore to another scene. When I think of our sufferings, of poor Baker's & Pierre's deaths, of my own almost fatalistic anxiety to cross the frozen sea, and of the terrible phisical trial by which I saved our advance