stefansson-wrangel-09-32-038r

THE SECOND WINTER AND THE TRAGIC END 279

we have. She went to the traps to-day and saw only
one fresh track. In the meantime, all I can do is to eat
all the blubber possible. Come on, Bear!”

February 11th: “Although I have no appetite, I am
forcing myself to eat all the blubber I can hold [because
he believed it would cure scurvy—an error probably
derived from his reading of popular articles about
“vitamins,” as discussed elsewhere]. When I say that
I don’t feel like eating what I mean is that I don’t feel
like eating the things we have here. I am continually
hankering for fresh meat. Fortunately, I am able to read
and sleep as though there were nothing the matter with
me, but I would a great deal rather be up and about.
But as soon as I get up I get so dizzy that I have to lie
down again.”

February 12th: “Had quite a rainstorm for an hour
or so this afternoon, and very warm. Thank fortune I
still feel like reading and pass away my time at that and
sleeping, which I still do wonderfully well.”

February 13th: “I feel as though I would like to get
up but when I make a try I am dizzy as can be. I am
as hungry as a wolf but it is all I can do to force down
a few mouthfuls. If anyone hankered for anything I
hanker for fresh raw meat and lots of it.” In the entire
two-year diary the only food Knight mentions hankering
for is fresh meat. It would doubtless be otherwise if we
had the diaries of Crawford and Galle. During the first
and second year of a diet mainly or wholly meat almost
anyone will long for accustomed foods, and especially
vegetables. But this was Knight’s sixth year in the
Arctic and, so far as his diary shows, he had completely
outgrown his longing for vegetables.