Elisha Kent Kane Diary

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If Hans succeeds in his efforts he may catch Morton before he leaves the glacier and thus make the Exploration which will perfect our voyage. Should this be done many a larger expedition equipped with every resource of art and science has done less and none could do more.

The reindeer was brought home by Dr. Hayes and Mr. Ohlsen. Petersen was well enough to make a seal screen in the hope of being able to use it during Hans' absence.

William Godfrey continues on the sick list. Malingering!! Hayes [?] [swasion?] with his physic and failed. Bill is a bad fellow. Sonntag again able to attend to magnetics.

[Margin:] Friday June 16

Two long tailed duck ([?]) visited us evidently seeking their breeding grounds. They are beautiful either at rest or on the wing. We now have the snow bird, the snipe, the Burgomaster gull and the long-tailed duck enlivening our solitude. But the snow birds only are in numbers crowding our rocky island and making our sunny night time musical with home remembered songs. Of all the rest we have but a solitary pair who seem to have left their fellows and sought this far northern mating ground in order to love unmolested. I long for specimens but they shall not be fired at.

The Ptarmagan show a singular backwardness in assuming the summer fea= thering. The male is still entirely white

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except in some specimens a few brown feathers at the crown of the head. The female - much further progressed - is now well coated with her new plumage - the coverts and quill feathers still remaining white.

At Upernavik the male had already advanced further than the and the female had completed her changes.

[Margin] Saturday June 17

The wind which has been much of late from the No. set in yesterday strong and steady from the S.W. We hope it will influence our pack. The ice when last seen was near Bedevilled Reach: it advances (the water) slowly.

Dr. Hayes and Henry Goodfellow at work preparing library & lockers below for a re inhabitation of our cabin. We have been since Pierces death living on deck un= der temporary housing. Our fuel now on its last legs forces us to reoccupy our old habitation.

A crack 18 in wide runs across our bay. The ice as measured at its margin was 4. / 4 in in thickness.

[Margin] Sunday June 18

A pair of long tailed ducks passed over our bay bound for further breeding grounds. An ivory gull was seen and two great northern divers ([left blank by EKK]) the most imposing birds of their tribe. These last flew very high emitting a regular intervals their reed like "kawk."

Mr. Ohlsen and Dr. Hayes are off on a long overland tramp. I sent them to inspect the open water to the southward. The immoveable state of the ice foot gives me anxiety. Last year a large bay but twenty miles above us was [cloud?] all

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summer and the land ice I have found to be here as perennial as the glacier.

[Margin] Monday June 19

After a walk of 13 hours Mesrs. H and O sighted from an altitude of 230 feet as far south as the Esquimaux States but without finding the open water. Mr. Mc Seary was mstaken in his "report" of the sea having reached above the [huts?]. I pre= sume that the water is open at Fog Inlet and wonder that the S. W. Swells have not more advanced it. The floe is reported as rotten and covered with water pools. This last is a good indication.

Our cabin was scrubbed and ventilated - the thick cementations of winter ice broken from the lockers and things prepared for our return. We are leading now a camp life living from hand to mouth on our guns. Hans being away we have shot a seal & our stock of meat is nearly exhausted. The deer after an allowane of 1/2 lb per man per diem gave out yesterday. Although nearly broken by scurvy I must try my hand and take to the rifle again.

[Margin] Tuesday June 20

This morning to my great surprise Petersen brought me quite a handful of the scurvy grass (Cochlearia [space left blank by EKK]) in my fall list of the stinted flora of this spot it had quite escaped my notice. I felt grateful to him for his kindness and without the affectation of offering it to any one else eat it at once. Each plant stood about one inch high - the miniature expanding strength out a little radius of hardly one inch more. Yet dwarfted as it was the fructifying process was nearly perfected

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the buds already expanding and nearly ready to burst. In the afternoon - knowing the tendency of the Cochleania to spring up around the fertilization of breeding grounds and old Esquimaux huts - I walked to the ancient settlement across the bay. My walk was unrewarded - as far as regarded this one Arctic Crucifer - for we found hardly a vestige of vegetable life.

Although the melted snows dis =till freely over the rocks (Gyenite) it is a rare exception to note any discoloration of the surface beneath. Those primitive forms of [Cenvertaceous?] x diatomaceous growth so universal at Upernavik but 5º further south were absent. How much all these little indications impress us with our high northern= ness. And comparative exemption from fresh water!

[Margin] Wednes June 20

A snow falls - moist and flaky, melting upon our decks and cleaning up the dingy surface of the great ice plain with its new garment. The day is that of greatest solar light - the summer solstice! - would that the traditionally verified but meteorilogically disproved Equi= noxtial storm would break upon us and destroy the tenaceous floes.

How different is this noon day of our long arctic day from the midnight of our long arctic night. Troubled and hard worked as has been the interval between them it does not seem to me as if six months had gone by. Only as a last night's dream I see our pale faced crew cele= brating the climax of our darkness beyond which every minute brought us nearer to the day. What I see now is matter of another sort.

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[Margin] Thurs June 22

The ice changes slowly, but the progress of vegetation is excessively rapid. The growth of the rocky group near our brig is surprising.

Our gentlemen are at last persuaded to wash their dirty clothes in the fresh water holes of the ice foot: Mr. Goodfellow long a nuissance from the tattered state of his attire condescends to mend his breeches.

Two more long tailed duck seen. Two great northern divers.

[Margin] Friday June 22

The eiders! The eiders!! Jubilate - Gaudate- saluate - all the ates. And all the people at me. The eiders have come back. A pair were seen in the morning soon follwed by four ducks and drakes. The poor things seemed to be seeking breeding grounds but the ice must have scared them. They were flying south= wards.

Mr. Sonntag nearly completing his long protracted observations.

George shot a female long tailed duck.

[Margin] Saturday June 23

Looking for the return of McLeary and his party. They were allowed ten days to complete their survey of the glacier and if they take ten to return they will be back tomorrow.

Killed two more long tailed ducks - in the overflow of the land ice near the brig.

Mr. Goodfellow has taken to deer stalking and seal crawling. No success as yet but has broken my