LEAVING THE SHIP BEHIND. 595 



pemmican and alcohol. At six A. m. had supper; at 

 7.30 A. m. had lime juice; at 7.40 A. m. had prayers; 

 and at eight A. m. piped down. 



At eight P. m. started ahead the second cutter, No. 1 

 sled, and hospital sled, while Starr and Ericksen ran 

 ahead a St. Michael's sled, with provisions. All, this 

 time, to stop at first cutter, No. 3 sled crew finishing 

 lashing on the whaleboat while I remained in the rear 

 to hurry things forward. 



I have changed our procedure to the following : 

 Chipp, Danenhower, and the other sick go along with 

 the medical sled under the doctor's charge, and reach- 

 ing our halting place, stop there. Melville, w T ith the 

 men, conduct the boats and sleds to the front, and I 

 load and dispatch clog sleds and bring up the rear. 

 This programme would have worked very well had not 

 the ice opened after Melville got the second cutter and 

 No. 1 sled to our new camp ; and, consequently, when 

 I, to relieve Ericksen, ran forward with the two dog 

 sleds, we had a hard time in getting across the opened 

 place. However, we got across and to the camp at 

 noon, and I ordered dinner to be prepared for twenty- 

 six, while I took back enough for the remaining seven, 

 myself included, intending to eat it at our old camp. 

 To my surprise, however, I met Melville half way with 

 the whaleboat, which disarranged my plans somewhat. 

 I called a halt, sent Melville with his men on to their 

 dinner, ordered dinner to be prepared for my party of 

 seven at the whaleboat, and going back to the old 

 camp brought up to the whaleboat a load of provisions. 

 This brought us to one A. m. 



June 20th, Monday. — As soon as dinner was ready 

 at the whaleboat we sat down to it, having the unprec- 

 edented luxury of a board for a table. Just at one I 



