CANNIBALISM. 631 



"April 14. "Wind light ; north; the pack still closed; 

 no chance of leaving here yet. See one or two seals every 

 day, but cannot get them, as the ice will not allow us to 

 go through or over it. Weather very fine ; sea calm, or, 

 I should say, the ice, as there is no water ; latitude 55 

 13' north. Our small piece of ice is wearing away very 

 fast; our little provisions are nearly finished. Things 

 look very dark ; starvation very near. My trust is in God ; 

 he will bring us through. All well. 



"April 15. Nearly calm; very light wind, north. The 

 ice the same ; no change. Cold last night ; snow fell very 

 thick ; thought we would have a change in the weather. 

 The sun shines as bright as ever. Splendid weather for 

 making a passage, but we cannot start. Latitude 54 58' 

 Mr. Meyer looks very bad. Hunger seems to have more 

 effect on him than on the rest of us ; he gets weak-looking. 



"April 16. Wind increasing a little from north-north- 

 west. The ice still the same; no swell on. My head and 

 face have been swollen to twice their usual size. I do not 

 know the cause of it, unless it is the ice head-pillow and 

 the sun. We keep an hour's watch at night. Some one 

 has been at the peinmican on watch, and I can put my 

 hand on the man. He did the same thing during the 

 winter, and on the night of the 7th I caught him in the 

 act. We have but few days' provisions left. We came 

 down on them this morning ; rather weakening work, but 

 it must be done to save life as long as we can, which can- 

 not be much longer unless somethiug good comes along, 

 which I hope may soon happen. The only thing that 

 troubles me is the thought of cannibalism. It Is a fearful 

 thought, but may as well be looked boldly in the face as 

 otherwise. If such things are to happen, we must submit. 

 May God save us ! 



"April 17. Light breeze from the west-southwest. The 

 ice the same ; no opening yet. Latitude 54 27' north. 

 We shot the dogs last winter for stealing the provisions. 



