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[verso]
now as by old calculations our fuel is nearly
gone. Our dear little fortress has yeilded
up its interior fastenings we have quarried
our last block from its bowels - yet her
structure is sound and firm. Almost a
dream is this to me - but [as] yesterday I can
feel the nipping frost of - 30 ^o and hear
the explosive cracks of warping timber - but -
as yesterday I peer into the darkness
wondering where all this would end - Yet
new daylight streamed in upon me from the
deck and I can see that I am about to
leave the "Old Advance" a sea worthy vessel
only checked by a stronger will than mine
from floating in her own element.

It has been hard work this saving of
the brig - morally hard - for men long up
here for the comforts of a fireside - but
the labour is over and the brig safe -
not a bulk head not a spare timber. Not
a spare plank from her extra decks, not
an inch of her bulwarks or her rail or a
her spar above her topmasts - not a fathom
of hempen cable or tarred rope remains
from her flying jib boom to her tafferail
from her catheads to her after round houses
from her studding sail yards to the last
boom stick - all had gone. Yet there she
is thanks God - not an essential touched
sound in bottom - sufficient in wings -
shorn of her clothing but strong and able
in her nakedness. Tomorrow we burn
the wings of the gild-eagle which clung to
her stern - after that no wood remains.

My home folks never question me as to
adventures they wont ask me. Well Elish
what do you do next? If they had as-
ked me yesterday I could not have an-
swered them - now I can say after a
satisfactory experiment - "nearly equal

[recto]
parts of coarse Arctic turf - taken from the walls
of our winter cased dormitory - added to pork
fat - make a fire ample at - 12^o for all
our hands! ["] This is the last day but
one of the month - day after tomorrow is the
first of May.

Monday Apr. 30.

April
This critical month seems to have opened
ahead of us cheering prospects - it witnessed
our resurrection from helplessness to efficient
activity and relieved the commander and
two of his comrades from labours which must
otherwise have destroyed them.

The ice by nearly weekly survey
and careful comparison by projection on a
chart seems to indicate the continued [cemen?-]
tation of our brig. Since the 10^th it had ad-
vanced but eight inches and this laterally
Its northernmost limit is still C. Alexander.
At this time last year the water had enveloped
Littleton Island and on the 12th May - not a
fortnight hence had nearly reached Fog Island
These facts make me despond of being
able to liberate our vessel. But do not de-
tract from the cheering prospects of the month
for I feel that in the forced desertion -
which is probably before me - there will be
safety to my companions - and no loss of re-
putation to myself.

My personal labour during April has
been that of supplying the crew with fresh
meat. for this purpose I have been obliged
to drive in all weathers and at temperatures[?]
below -25^o or - 30^o to the Esquimeaux settle-
ments of Etah and Peteravik - a journey
out and in of 140 miles. Aided by Hans
we have kept up an alternate [and[ regular
express bringing ample supplies of walrus
to the brig [and] relieving the hunters from
chase duty - all hands who are able