A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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Pages That Mention Copenhagen, Denmark

Elisha Kent Kane Diary

Page 310
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Page 310

310

[*omit*] have a pure well ventilated room quite warm enough for health at -40° and capable of an increase of heat without using other wood than "kindling." We only wait a greater height of sunshine to open down upon us the long excluded light of day.

Mr. Ohlsen had another spell, the rest of patients better or the same. We had no meat today. [end omit]

At last we get the long wished for deer. Hans, dear good fellow, got within long shot of our deer and put a ball through his body about amidships. The animal went off at a slow run. This deer has hung around the water lake of the Fiord ever since it became light enough to hunt. He is of large size and called by the Esquimaux [Benesoak?] from being without antlers. Some of the strongest and best of the deer shed their antlers in the fall and roam throughout the winter without them, the great majority retain their antlers until early spring. The work of dropping them however generally commences with the return of Sun. Where many thousands of reindeer are gathered together year after year the accumulation of discarded antlers must be immense. Deer hang around certain favoured localities and thus promote such accumulations. At [?] where more than 4000 skins are taken annually to market, they tell me that these "horns" are found in vast piles. They bring little or nothing in Copenhagen; but I suppose would find a ready sale among the button workers of England.

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