Elisha Kent Kane Diary

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Kane traveled abroad extensively, explored the Arctic, and was a member of the Second Grinnell Expedition to the Arctic, 1854-1855.



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Rensselaer Harbour June 8th

Sunday June 4

Brig Advance now frozen in quarters Rensselaer Harbour June 8th

Officers
E. K. Kane. Convalescent from Scurvy & Fever.
James McGeary Well
Henry Brooks Amputated toe - Scurvy
Christian Ohlsen Well
Amos Bonsall Well Scurvy in knee.
I. I. Hayes M.D. Well Opthalmia
J. W. Wilson Amputated toe - Scurvy
Henry Goodfellow On sick list
Crew
George Riley Well
George Stephenson Scurvy & Inf. of Heart
Thomas Hickey Scurvy & Anemia
William Godfrey On sick list
John Blake On sick list
George Whipple Well Anemic
William Morton Well Anemic
Hans Hendrick Well
E. K. Kane.
Last edit over 2 years ago by Seflorywilson
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[header] 1 [margin] Tuesday June 6

We are now a parcel of sick men keeping ship until our comrades return from the last sledge party of the expedition. Except Mr. Ohlsen and George Whipple we have not a sound man among us. Thus wearily in our Castle of Indolences we watch the changing days anxiously noting bird and insect and vegetable life - as it tells us of the coming summer.

One fly, of species unknown, buzzed around William Godfrey’s head; and Mr. Petersen brought in a cocoon from [which?] the grub had eaten its way into liberty - Hans nearly daily gives us a seal and for a passing luxury we have Ptarmigan and hare. The little snow birds crowd to Butler Ild. whence these songs pene= trate the cracks of our rude housing - a snipe too - a tringa was mercilessly shot on the first day of his arrival. The andromeda shows green upon its rusty winter dried stems the willows are sappy and puffing, their catkins of last year dropping off - and the stone crops are really green and juicy in their [tendrils?] - all this under the snow - so we know that summer is coming although the tide hole again freezes along side and the ice floe is seemingly as fast as ever.

[margin] Wednes. [margin] June 7.

George Stephenson, my partner in the journey to the north seems to recover strength even more slowly than myself. The scurvy has affected his heart and chest. The type of the disease is singularly consistent.

Mr. Wilson can again boast of a practicable foot - The ball of the toe is perfectly strong and well preserved the stump round and ample - Brooks bids fair to follow in the same road - Considering the very meager room allowed me this is a pleasant result. Petersen mopes still. He has no creative morale.

Last edit about 3 years ago by glynn
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[margin] Thursday [margin] June 8. 2 Hans brings in two seal - all as yet are of the ringed or feted species P. hispida. The flesh of the seal is eaten universally by the Danes on the coast of Greenland it forms the summers and to a great extent the yearly food of the Esquimaux - For the past three weeks it has been our exclusive diet.

The flesh is dark and uninviting, un= cookedit has a flabby grumous look more like coagulated blood than muscular fibre. Cooked it is of a dark soot colour - close grained but soft and tender. A marked flavor of lamp oil pervades it - although the blubber which at this season invests it is when fresh sweet and delicious - This raw oily half fishy flavor we get used to. I dignify it by the name of “game taste” and very haut gout and detestible it is until you get used to it.

[margin] See Notes on “Seal”

The seal are shot lying by their Attuk or breathing holes - here they bask in the sun bringing forth and minding their young. (See Notes) As the season approaches midsummer they are more approachable - their eyes being congested ^ with blood by the glare of the sun ^ and less active. Sometimes they are nearly blind. Strange to say a few hours exposure of a recently killed ^ animal ^ to the sun blisters and destroys the hide - in fact - cooks it - we have thus lost several skins. Each seal yields a liberal supply of oil the average yield thus far being 5 galls each - The mean length of the females proves to be 4 [ft]. 5 in. I describe them minutely in my notes.

[margin] Friday [margin] June 9

Today for the first time I was able to walk not upon the floe. My first destination was the observatory where

Last edit about 3 years ago by tnoakes
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[header:] 3

close beside the coffins of Pierce & Baker Sonn= =tag was at work with the unifilar correc= =ting the winter disturbances. Our local de= viation seems to have corrected itself. The stove was not the only iron of our com= =fortless little cell and we seem to have so distributed it that our results are not affected.

* * * *

(One thing during my walk impressed me - the condition of the ice. Hitherto I had been dependent upon the accounts of my messmates and had believed that the work of the thaw was going on with increasing rapidity. This my experience sadly contradicted. We have a late season and a badly influential ice. The foot had not materially changed either in health or level. Its tooth has been affected very little at its base except by "overflow". The floe although undergoing the molecular changes described in my ice notes shows less surface changes than the Lancaster Sound ice in April & early May.

These, but especially the condition of the ice=foot warn me to prepare for the contingency of not escaping. Without coal we cannot spend a second winter here and our stock of fresh provisions is utterly exhaus= ted. Our sick need change as an essential to their recovery. Few or none of us would survive a second winter.

Under these circumstances after quietly consulting with Ohlsen and Petersen I have given and ordered as will prepare us at any notice for a boat journey to the South. The tents, tarpaulins, provision bags &c. &c. will be at hand and I can thus remain by the brig up to the last moment. My destination should we be obliged to

Last edit over 3 years ago by areasf
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[header] 4

take to our boats is not yet determined upon. It will be either Uppernavik or Sir Edward Belcher's quarters accor= ding to the season of escape. On this point I must carefully ponder.

The willows are tolerably forward on Butler Id - poor stunted crawlers "frons per terra" they show their expan ded leaflets around the catkin and specimens were obtained in which the pubescence has made quite a show. The lichens are very conspicuous - but no mosses nor grasses nor heaths yet appear on the rocks.

Mr. Goodfellow day before yesterday expressed a will to return to duty at this I was both pleased and pained - pleased to see him alive at last to the proprieties of his position but pained and embarrassed at what to put him - short as we are of hands poor Goodfellow is so utterly ineffective and nonchalant - that I cannot trust him upon any undivided duty - However he shall have another chance - so I place him on observers watch - fervently trus= ting that he will not upset the ink stand more than twice a week - or set fire to the brig more than once. I have persua= ded him to renew his navigation - and promised him a sledge journey as soon as he can use a sextant.

Saturday June 10

Hans was directed yesterday to hunt in the direction of the Esquimaux huts in order to discover the position of the openwater.

Last edit over 3 years ago by areasf
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