Elisha Kent Kane Private Journal

[verso] As I have slept but a few hours I cannot give details of this wonderful journey - it did not however advance one single iota my wishes of another search

[?] [and] [?] were sent away fully laden with wood and other presents and an engagement from me taken for Mitek to come up with his four dogs. They themselves to loan me one dog from each team making two which added to Mitek's would be six fast animals. Upon the continued loan of which I provided future payment to all the parties. It pleased me to find that I had earned a character with these people at first so suspicious and distrustful. They left on board each man his dog without a shade of doubt as to my good faith - after which - begging me to watch the poor animals feet as the famine had nearly exterminated their stock - they gave me good wishes and departed for Etah to aid me with Mitek. To understand this act in all its courtesy and trust you must suppose the dog a valued horse one of about twenty [absolutely] needed for wants of a large area of territory. lint to a transient visitor upon the contingency of a reward which he himself was to determine upon a risky service in which if unsuccessful in attaining his end there had to be no payment [?] to return the beast to his owner seventy miles distant from your dwelling !

All doing well on board - sick

[recto] improving but out of meat again. I have just eaten like a glutton the last mouthful. Mr. Brooks sent Godfrey down to the huts at Petervik for a fresh load which may be expected by Monday. So we live earning our bread by a wild life - totally unlike the quiet routine of our English predecessors.

This is their season for the "winter sledge parties" with us winter has past and spring is full upon us. The winter in its deepest darkness saw us [groping?] down to the walrus grounds - or seeking reindeer on the hills. Not for five months (nearly six) have we eaten [that] ship's poison - salted pork and beef - we have lived as the natives live, and shunned no exposure. I must have journied, by mingled walk run and ride, by sledge during this horrible winter over [eleven hundred] eight hundred miles. Why, the reflection comes to me, why may not Franklin's men, at least some of them, have done and be now doing the same thing. We are the nearest counterparts to poor Franklin's supposed case [than] of any who have preceded us. What man with his [eyes] opened by hard experience dared say that his (Franklin's) party are extinct.

[I am] Engaged sewing [fur clothing] for the next attempt should [to reach the [?] in case] Mitek [should] say yes. This last ride had torn my clothing to rags even my seal skin trousers. there is an art in sitting a sledge equal to that of backing a horse. I thought until this last wild goose chase that I had acquired it but my conceit has been taken out of me.

[verso] Sunday, Apr. 29. 8. P.M. No Mitek . Eider duck has not flown this way.

Our sick get along bravely Mr. Wilson Mr. Goodfellow and Sonntag - being the only cases which hang back. God willing we can piggy-back them in case of need

The state of preparation considering our recent helplessness is satisfactory and unlooked for but still with the wide area of ice between us and the water, we are behind hands.

My plan is to construct two long sledges of 17.6 feet length - arra[n]ged so as to cradle stiffly our two remaining whale boats. The boats to be washboarded and strengthened with bottom timbers. These as soon as ready I move step by step towards Anoratok - the wind loved spot - which is to be filled up for a depot: - in the interim the provision bags and heavy articles of equipment will be taken down by our dog team. Hans and myself taking alternate trips Thus I hope that the heavy strain upon the boats will be postponed to the latest moment and the sick retained at the brig until a very short time before our final departure

Anoratok - or rather its empty hut will be fitted with a door, stove, and sleeping gear - and a half way tent erected at Basalt Camp - By those two [halts?] I hope to convey the three four sick who have not lost the use of their legs - to a comfortable spot where they can await the slow arrival of the main party.

In the mean time I will remain at the brig waiting until the changes of the season render certain the future imprison- ment of our little craft. For this I will retain four faithful henchmen and

[recto]

the red boat. now mounted upon her sledge the old "Faith." When the thing is clear and written signatures from my offi- cers declare the palpable fact of "no release" I put my documents - hard earned - into the Red Eric - and join my boats at Cape Alexander.

Every thing that my powers admit of I have done. I clung to the vessel and would cling to her yet but for the higher duty which I owe to my people. We can stay here no longer for our provisions are nearly gone. I'm starved out. Now if Mitek will only give me the means of completing a second travel I will feel my conscience clean and commit myself trustingly to the long journey.

Should Providence and dry powder carry us through this fearful medly of ice and water, we will have made a boat journey unexampled in the annals of trial that of Barentz' crew along the Lapland coast will be childs play beside it. Eighteen men with two frail boats no resources for animal food but their guns must travel [more than 1000] 900? miles over ice [and] water with the certainty that the changes of the season will freeze them in unless they travel this distance within a period which is fearfully short, for the means and resources of the party. This journey will be clogged by sick and rendered tardy by the want of animal force to drag our boats across the ice.

The day up to 4 P.M. was a busy one Sunday can no longer be a day of rest. Now however all around is quietude prayers are read. The sleepy sleep and the watchful talk in hopeful ignorance of the long tramp ahead of them.

[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 asked me yesterday I could not have answered 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 advanced 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 detract 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 reputation 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 settlements 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

42 [verso] are thus free to labour upon the boats.

This object had been the leading one of the month - to [mature?] and carry out a complete organization for boat travel in case it be necessary to abandon the brig.

Next to this but with me as near my heart and nearly as much a duty comes another journey northward to complete the line of Kennedy Channel, and search its shores for wrecks. For this purpose I have planned and schemed as well as worked. Our own feeble team could never undertake such a journey as of all our dogs now amounting to sixty two there remain but four. Among the natives famine had been more fatal than desease with us barely but not over thirty dogs belong to the entire nation and they are dependent upon these and their progeny for absolute existence. Never the less I managed to get the two best teams with leading men of best reliance to our brig and [these?] requested a bear hunt with certain conditions as to northern progress which if addressed to would have placed me beyond the region of my hopes. We started but in the excitement of the chase my drivers became savaged. Scouted contracts provided and rewards - and after a [furious?] journey up to the very breastwork of the great glacier only returned to the ship by compulsion.

Thereupon I persuaded my friends [Ma?]- lutak and [?] to lend me each one dog out of their team of six, and to urge [Mitak?] (of [?]) to come up [?] [?] four dogs. My own team being then away on their food providing journey Monday - the day of this record - is here and no [Mitak?] . So much for my efforts thus far in favour of

43 [recto] my original duty of search.

This last day of April has led me to make a hurried review of a month full of blessings. Our entire crew can, with a few exceptions, - now contribute somewhat to our heavy accumulation of work. Mr. Goodfellow [and] Mr. Wilson - George Whipple George Stephenson D: Hayes and Mr. Sonntag are all who now remain incapable of locomotion. I can eventually look to the sufficient recovery of all of these to prevent them becoming a burdge to the rest, but here again I have to except Mr. Wilson and Mr. Goodfellow - the latter too inert and impracticable the former too much bro- ken for duty. Mr. Goodfellow I no lon- ger consider as a member of the Expedition but on Tom's account have refrained from any formal act to that effect. I give him every thing that he can desire, but find it difficult even in this non operative relations of passenger to keep him out of hot water with his comrades.

During this month I brought back William Godfrey who is now on duty.

May Tuesday May 1 The dogs returned last night with a heavy load of meat. They left Lesser Bay on the 29.^th [?] but bring no news of [?].

My dogs are needed imperatively for the important duty of carrying provisions to the [?] Anoatok as a relief to my boats cargo : this duty cannot be postponed long. On the other hand even a limited time, should the central ice be free from [?], may do much. That this central ice should be free is not to be expected but it is within the limits of a sound probability. Therefore I have determined as a last resource to add the borrowed dogs to my own tired team and by the experiment - [?] crucis -- of the middle ice.

this will be hard, very hard, for I must run and walk beside the sledge but as a last [hope?] I undertake it. This thing over - my conscience will be at rest and I'll fret no more. I start tomorrow - weather or no weather.

at 5. P.M. I called together my officers by which I mean the old [?] who abided by the [?] - and [?] to them that the progress of the work would [?] require our sledge for some five or six days, but that after this time I felt that I had no conscientious right to the dogs unless by their special consent. That the life saving duties were superior to those of search - although said search was [?] [?] a paramount desire - It is best [?] to trust to the good feeling of your associates in any case of doubtful [?] whose workings may effect their interests or rights. They [?] one accord expressed

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