A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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[*omit*] the vilest but most able man on board, was to day by a private arrangement made cook, for a consideration of [twenty] thirty dollars a month. Thus far none of the returned party have been considered as in receipt of wages and are expressly made aware of their position, so much so that from no one as yet have I received a request to be re connected with the Expedition. John has now a chance and seems disposed to make the most of it. Just in proportion to our increasing debility, and our increasing need, my discipline and domestic routine becomes more exacting. We feel the good effects of it, artificial though it be, habit gives to kind works, some thing allied to sincerity, and our crew now more than half of them disabled are cheerful – happy even – and working manfully for each others good. It somtimes makes me tremble when I think how necessary I am to sustain this state of things. It is a Sunday thought, that for some wise and good end I am thus supported.

[I walked out towards] Made an unsuccessful hunt out towards Mary River [between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1. P.M.] in hopes of shooting a Ptarmagan but although the daylight was more than ample I saw nothing. We have seen no meat for the sick for five days.

The Fiord looked frightfully desolate, where once was a torrent fighting among ice and rocks, is now

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in order that Petersen might have a chance of following rabbit tracks up Mary River he succeeded in shooting one large male and a couple of Ptarmagan, thus giving our sick a good allowance for one day more. Bonsall and Kane for John now has utterly given in toiled all day, and when the work was over read ten o'clock. Bonsall snores and Kane keeps his usual vigil. Petersen who as hunter gets his hot dish of the spoils has been snoring this four hours.

Hans has not come. Mr. Brooks reported to day a threat, by William Godfrey the Deserter, upon my life, two witnesses sustaining it: I have no time nor inclination to detail it here.

Sick improving in the Old Cases, worse in the more recent. A strange condition of skin evidently connected with scurvy has prevailed more or less for the last three weeks. It consists of an erythematous irruption not unlike urticaria, breaking out and receeding, frequently during the twenty four hours. It is intolerable in its itching and sometimes accompanied by hive-like symptoms, whelk like elevations and excessive depression and nausea. Often the skin, except the follicular elevations of cutis anserina, presents no eruptive appearance. Now am I able to analyse the primary form. A few papules have been detected upon the softer expansions of perineum & axilla and in three out of ten cases true herpes on the penis. I suffer among the rest and am at no loss to connect the condition with certain symptoms of scurvy, which I need not here mention