152 CONCERNING SCURVY. 



well-organized party of hunters, who are exempt from 

 other duty, and this system I propose continuing. 

 The result thus far has shown the correctness of my 

 plan. A more healthy ship's company could not he 

 desired. Not a single case of illness has yet oc- 

 curred. I do not expect to have any scurvy in my 

 party, and I am firmly impressed with the belief that 

 at Port Foulke men might live indefinitely without 

 being troubled with that " dread scourge of the Arctic 

 Zone." I do not, however, wholly rely upon the huntr 

 ers. The moral sentiments have much to do with 

 health everywhere ; and, with the best food in the 

 world, unhappiness will make more than the heart 

 sick. For my own part, I would rather take my 

 chances against the scurvy with the herbs and the 

 love, than with hatred and the stalled ox. Luckily 

 my ship's company are as harmonious and happy as 

 they are healthy, and the fault will be mine if they 

 do not continue so. 



Our game-list, according to Knorr, who keeps the 

 tally, sums up as follows : Reindeer 74, foxes 21, hares 

 12, seals 1, eider-ducks 14, dovekies 8, auks 6, ptarmi- 

 gan 1. This includes all that has been brought on 

 board from the beginning. Besides these substantial 

 contributions to our winter supplies, there are some 

 twenty or thirty reindeer cached in various places, 

 which are available whenever we choose to bring 

 them in. The dogs are the largest consumers. 



I find McCormick suffering with a sore throat and 

 swelled tongue, resulting from eating snow. Leaving 

 me at the glacier, he set out to return on board, and, 

 growing thirsty by the way, without being aware of 

 the evil consequences likely to result therefrom, com- 

 menced eating snow to quench it. The effect of this 



