1881-08-22:1881-08-31

Building the house.

Monday, August 22nd, 1881

Light snow fell. The dogs are still dying off. Dr. Payve with the aid of Esquimaux Jens and Frederick is doing all that is possible to save them. Sulphur was administered. Dr. Myself and the Esquimaux made a second trip to Water Course Bay after the two carcasses of musk oxen. Took tent poles along and tied the meat up. Found the foxes had devoured some of the meat (see private journal this date)

Tuesday, August 23rd 1881

Still busily engaged on the house. I am compelled to rest for a couple of days to recover from a strain I gave myself in the lifting the muskoxen at Water Course Bay.

Wednesday, August 24th, 1881

Our house is so nearly completed that most of the party have deserted their tents and moved into the house. I still remain in the tent, as I anticipate that life in the house will be so monotonous during the long dark winter that the longer I camp out the better as the change will be more agreeable

August 25th, 1881

My tentmates Jewell and Israel today transferred themselves to the house. I am left the sole occupant of the tent. I find it rather cool, but there is much comfort and pleasure in crawling into a warm deerskin sleeping bag. I find reading a pleasant occupation, although the conditions are entirely different from those under which this recreation is generally indulged in. After shooting myself as a sword into the fur scabbard of my sleeping bag, I draw the bag up under my chin and putting on cap and mittens enjoy myself with Dickens or the less enjoyable, but more instructive legal works of Kelent: A sense of comfort is experienced not withstanding the fact that the snow can be heard whirling against the canvas of the tent. And this is August. Today the “Proteus” heretofore unable to get away, succeeded in getting through the ice and passed out of sight. We cannot know of course what her success will be in getting out of Smith Sound until next year. Lt. Kislingbury on account of some dissatisfaction with the commanders management desired to go back. Permission was granted and he prepared to return by the Proteus, but before he could reach her, she passed out and he was compelled to remain.

August 26th, 1881

A severe snow storm set in during last night, it snowed all day Friday. I spent most of the time in sleeping bag reading. The work on the house could only be carried on inside and afforded opportunities for but few of our number to work at the same time.

Saturday August 27th, 1881

The snow continued to fall at intervals today.

Sunday August 28th, 1881

Cleared up.

Monday, August 29th, 1881

The Dr. and I were busy making preparations for a pedestrian trip to Lincoln Bay to examine the depot of provisions left by the English Expdn of ’75-76. We started at 7P.M. on our trip carrying a small tent, blankets, cooking apparatus alcohol and rations. Ralston and Linn accompanied us as far as St Patrick’s Bay at 1 a.m. on the 30th and camped all night. The weather was extremely cold. The thermometer was down to zero.

Tuesday, August 30th, 1881

The fog was so dense in the morning that we did not attempt to travel as we were uncertain which of two routes to take and could not decide until a view was afforded.

The fog cleared up and we started from camp at 2 p.m. Traveled over very rough country and at 3 p.m. commenced descending the mountain side to the stream running into St. Patrick’s Bay, a most difficult task as the ground was rough and rocky and the decline very steep. Observed a strongly marked fog 4 p.m. It contained all the colors of the rainbow. We passed the stream at 6 p.m. and after ascending the hill on the other side we continued until we had traveled 10 hours, where we camp at 12 midnight in the neighborhood of Cape Beechy. We were compelled to sup on frozen preserve of meat and biscuit. With our alcohol lamp we melted enough snow to quench our thirst. The minimum thermometer registered +5 during the night.

Wednesday, August 31st, 1881

We packed up, and made another start at 11:30a.m. We were compelled to make another difficult descent to the ravine at Cape Beechy. I saw numerous tracks of muskoxen and following them fell in with a herd of nine muskoxen. While the Dr. was engaged in making a cache of some of our rations for use on our return, I made a detour around one of the hills and attempted a shot at them with the large Colt revolver. I aimed but with without any result. They scampered off in a remarkably active manner considering their clumsy appearance. Their hair is very long and hangs from their belly nearly to the ground giving them an extemeley short legged appearance, but their agility can not be questioned as they will climb up the sides of an almost perpendicular cliff without difficulty. We render our way to the shore and attempted to reach Wrangel Bay by the ice foot. We only reached the “Blade Cliffs” where we found the ice foot completely washed away and the cliffs descending almost perpendicular to the water. It was impossible to span, or to climb up to the plateau or top of mountain. We were compelled to retrace out steps and camped at foot of ravine at 1:30 a.m. Sept 1st.