A Diary and Journal from the Second Grinnell Expedition

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ice should have foundered. Our real trials were those of exposure - we were eighteen days without a meridian sun and for the greater part of that time saturated with wet - We bore it well. but no one can apprehend the hardships of long boar journeys at winter temperatures unless he has made an actual experience of their trials.

I steered upon leaving Littleton Isd for Cape Isabella - but in a couple of hours seeing heavy ice ahead bore down for Cape Combermere about [70?] miles distant. While in the center of that large area of open water we encountered a furious gale which coming first from the North [headed?] to the S.W. We came near foundering and of course were too busy bailing to feel the outside wet - but for our being driven into the ice pack I can hardly tell what would have been the result of the Southerly wind which followed the original gale - not even in the Gulf of Mexico have we a worse sea - than in this North water of Baffins Bay.

We fastened at last to an old ice floe - which gave us a [scanty?] lee - and there with the weather surf breaking over our heads rode out - under a warp and grapnel - the storm.

Up to the 24th I coasted the margin of a line of Pack - commencing from an unnamed bay ( [based?] by 30 miles of glacier ( [Guyer's?] Glacier) and extending completely across Baffin's Bay. This pack I tried at four several points to bore - and at last became so [misled?] in its drift as to make me

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[I feel my gums a little sore. Brooks is better. McGeary the same.]

My new mess behave gratefully and [after a fashion] do their best. I allude only to my late messmates for the three rebels are only kept under by severity. John has recovered from his late knock down and was informed by me that the next mutinous expression or act would be punished by a resort to [second?] weapons and the third by death. These are grave words, but not uttered lightly, or without painful thought, Under our present circumstances. Every man must be knit together, how is a subordinate question. Every real man already feels this and from my old guard down to my new seceeders there is but one sentiment, both written and and expressed "to be governed implicitly by my will. The men Godrey & Blake are the two rebelious members of a community which does not admit of even the agitation of doubt. No man must think here but me. Except in ordered council they must be govered blindfold. I am their appointed and chosen leader and must consult the good of the greatest number. I have therefore made up my mind [after consultation with my officcers]. That if the day comes when we must work outdoor and together without the means of confinement or exclusion, I must then check descension by an immediate, and fearful example. These men have threatened my life but are already afraid to

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to meet my eye. The seven measures taken on their arrival have effectually subdued them.

(Cleaning Stove Pipe ) K.

Wednes. Jany. 3.

I was obliged to stop on account of [the stove - the wonder being not that my journal is so defaced but that I manage to keep it at all readable.] We have now Eighteen men in a clean area of 20 by 16 feet. Even at home this would appear destructive to health and cleanliness. One may judge what expedients labour and devices it costs me here.

At 7. P.M. the forward sleepers are obliged to rise, their buffalo robes taken on deck, shaken and restacked below their platforms, are packed up and their apartment thoroughly cleansed. The same takes place with the after division [Save and except always intractable so and now in my eyes contemptible Mr. Goodfellow ] At 7 1.2 the Tossut and the two scuttles are opened and a thorough ventilation established while the breakfast fire is hot. By 8. we breakfast and thence carry on a routine day.

The new comers are obliged to cut ice, prepare meats and otherwise contribute to the eating concerns of their own body, but are not employed on a single ship duty. [They are kept essentially [distract?] retaining the position which they voluntarily assumed when they left the Brig. That of leaving the Expedition.]

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This condition both as an act of simple justice - and as in accordance with my own convictions of their [desserts?] - I am disposed to maintain rigidly - The[y?] can never by me be placed upon the same footing with their comrades who remained behind - On the other hand I share with them alike and treat them with brotherly consideration and kindness — Dr Hayes one of the most culpa=ble of the party - has been an occupant of my bed ever since he returned - and is so at this moment - A man situated as I am does not like to go bedless - and I mention the fact to show my personal feelings to these poor devils - Riley no better - No [foxes?] yet caught

On Thursday the 4th of Jan’y.

Mr. Petersen caught a fox very lean but it made a soup for Dr. Hayes and Riley - Tiley managed to lay down before the stove - upon my blankets - He is much oppressed and suffers from fungous gums.

I am myself within the last [and have been for] two days more scorbutic than before this season My gums are as tense as a [swelled?] bean and here and there [where of old a tooth denoted the dear gone by days - a strawberry - fungoid and carneous rises up soliciting [the?] tongue and bleeding when caressed.

Ohlsen, Wilson, Hans and [Kane] myself now keep all the watches, observe the instruments, and cook the meals by turns. — These are the domestic comforts of of my arctic home - Poor Elish!

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The scurvy steadily increases - [No changes.] [walked around observatory island] [and the [group?] , very dark and misty] [Temp -40^o but wind blowing and] [cold. My gums not improving] [eat a [candied?] peach - one of the] [home-made Rensselaer comestibles - ] To show our anxiety for animal food I may say that my journal tells me that I took my share of a fox. [This] [little animal] who had died - without the aid of a butchers knife - in other words he had frozen to death but we are not particular - I have already eaten [Expired] dog - the same condition.

Jenny - our she devil, and sole relic of the Upernavik teams - has a litter of six pups.

Our room is comfortless but improving daily.

[margin] Satur: Jan. 6.

Nothing to say save that our two companions get along in peace and harmony - and that to the outward seeming - there is towards me respect and confidence -

I have been struck with the changed demeanour of my people since the setting in of our second winter - They seem to feel me as a necessity - if I start on a walrus journey they [tender?] me up coddle me - with an evident anxiety = [These?] faults are just the same - and - poor devils! - their sincerity - first as doubtful as before but they feel me now as an essential to their safety - Any address but Captain Kane has grown out of use - I am veritable factotum. God willing they shall all return - All that the enemy spares - and be honoured for their endurance and their sufferings.

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Sunday Jan. 7

Our spirit Therms: have now been carefully tested. Compared under varied exposures and at regularly varying temperatures. Followed critically in conjunction with [*10. P.M.*] mercurial instruments until the metal froze, and thence after the adjustment of a new zero point, based upon the mean of 40 instruments, again been compared step by step to the lowest recorded temperatures of last year.

The results of their investigations are in the highest degree interesting and are given elsewhere. They prove that alcohol, not only does not contract eq[u]ally under equal decraments, but that its rates of expansion and contraction are capricious & eccentric the same fluid under apparently similar conditions of exposure, and relatively induced temperature giving different indications.

The diameters of our tubes have been experimentally proved to be more perfect than in the best ordinary instruments and Mr. [Tagliabue?], a competent artist constructed them with carefully tested care. Errors on this score have besides been eliminated by the comparison of numerous instruments, and the mere graduation of our scales has never been relied upon. All my recorded results are based upon experimentally corrected registers. With all these precautions I find that at temperatures below -48° this is an irregular or eccentric rate of contraction for similar temperatures at different times of observations.

This important fact which which is destructive to the construction of an empirical law to determine coefficients

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of correction - must be due to either mechanical obstructions by the [foreign?] matter used in colouring the alcohol or to changes in the molecular character of the fluid itself - which they are dependant upon uninvestigated conditions.

This fact has been corroborated by the changes of condition observed in different liquids - at different tem= peratures - Ethers - Sulp of Carbon essential oils from the resins and oils have been used as [positive] measures of positive temperature - and our instruments compared step by step with these changes - show conclusively that the same alcoholic thermometer under the same conditions of temperature will at different times give different results.

As we are recording unexampled temperatures I am anxious to make them conscientiously reliable and indices for future reference when thermometry will be more perfected - The different methods of check upon observers - determination of errors - correct representation of temperatures of moment - comparison and correction of instruments etc, etc, will be given in my notes the result to be mentioned here is seven typical instruments are employ= ed - and the mean result of their readings regarded as Standards. The largest of these recorders is a four feet tube by Tagliabue - which to -42^o accorded exactly with two simillar instruments - one mer= =curial and the other alcoholic The rest of the standards for this final meas. type certain scale corrections

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from -30° to -70°. The whole being subject to certain very minute constants of condition.

By these I am now observing on deck a temperature of -62 under such careful restrictions the lowest temperature I believe upon record. Did I as was the case in many lower temperatures recorded by Ross, Back, Simpson [Wrangell?] [Mahutchin?] and others [concede?] to the corrected indications of one or a few instruments I have at this moment spirit thermometers which accorded with the mercurial standards. Within 30 down [up] to the congelation of the mercury -41.2° and (with a uniform correction) accorded with each other down to -45°, but which at this moment indicate a range of -69° to -78°.

We have not yet attained our lowest winter extreme yet I truly believe that my present reduced record (for 9. P.M.) viz -61.5 is the lowest temperature ever registered. By the same guarded method of obtaining a mean result our last winters minimum would be [blank].

I select a few of our observations for the hours 8. 9. 9.30 and 10 P.M. of today, exactly as they enter the metereological register.

Jan. 7. 8. P.M. A.-63.2° C-59.3° D. 57.5 H. 54.5

Typical instruments [?] - Mean = -58.1°

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1. a.m. D. 59.8 C - Concealed

If to the preceding we add the tempera= ture of Thermometers heretofore reliable but now in extreme - such as G - -75^o the mean of 8. P.M. viz 58.1^o would be reduced to -61.4^o. But G if a single instrument would be supposed to give reliable results - Experimentally after comparisons we made apply a correction of .8 equal to a [subductive?] correction of 1/5 making its true reading -60^o. But G although rejected as a safe instrument for the determination of our hourly observed temperatures - is retained in our detailed records as typing certain results and not without collateral value.

If to observations of 9. P.M. just quoted viz A. -65.5 C. 59.4 D. 58.6 mean = 61.5 we add G = 78.2 and E.F. = 57.4 each of these latter selected experimentally as typing either [extremes?] - we have the mean temperature, perhaps not an [objectionable?] of -63.8^o. So guarded however am I that this is never done for authentic record - nor do I trust the coefficient of correction -8 - except for purposes of enquiry - Substituting this coefficient in the case above we would have - G. -78.2 - 15:64 = 62^o.4 reducing the above mean of 63^o.8 to 60.7. or .7 above the true observation of -61^o.5

Thus I have charted and recor= ded out my watch - for hard worked as we all are the Captain can’t play gentleman : he has built two fires

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[from -30^o to -70^o - The mean reading of these gives me to night]

Tidal observations are made under some difficulties I dug out a tide hole six times and made [half hourly] trips to the cold destitute atmosphere outside [above] - between the watch of 8 P.M. to 2 P.M. - half hourly.

Two o’clock is here - Sunday has [glided?] by - Take your rest Captain Kane and call your relief - “Get up Mr. Wilson “Your bells.”

[margin] Mon. Jan 8

The low temperatures continue: throughout the day we have recorded -51 to -53^o and a minimum of -59.8 or -60^o in the early morning hours. At these low tempe= =ratures even out well accustomed [seals?] feel the influences of the greater cold.

On reaching deck - you feel a pungent shock as the first draught of air enters your lungs - Almost in voluntarily you draw it in through closed lips or with protected nostril - -Sonntag described the sensation as that of a men suddenly shocked by a dip into cold water - To me the sensation though slightly caustic is bracing and agreeable.

How for some of the conditions produced : by -60^o about the brig. 1. The most temporary contact of the naked hand against metals, glass hard wood or other conductors blisters the part. 2 [Ale?] of sassafrass and probably many other fluids are resolved into new combinations - in the