THE LAST EXPEDITION OF CHARLES FRANCIS HALL. 7G9 



They say it is dangerous to eat ; but what is a hungry man to do ? We have eaten 

 the seals, hair, skin and every thing about them, and are glad to get them. Uth. — 

 Blowing a strong gale yet. All hands were up last night and dressed and ready for 

 a jump, for the ice was splitting, cracking and making a fearful noise all night. To-day 

 has been a fearful day. Cannot see for snow drift. We know the floe is broken 

 into small pieces. We are afloat, jumping and kicking about. 1 2th. — Last night was 

 a fearful one of suspense : ice cracking and breaking ; the gale roaring, and the water 

 swashing ; but where ? We know it is all around us, but cannot see anything. Since 

 one o'clock the wind has been going down, and now I can see around. A nice picture. 

 Everything broken into small pieces. We are on the best piece. The snow houses 

 are nearly covered Afternoon. It has calmed down to a fine day, with a light 

 breeze. Joe caught two seals, Hans one, and Captain Tyson one. Joe caught two 

 dovekies, and the cook two, showing how good God is to us. 22c?. — The first day of 

 spring. The sun shines very powerfully, at least I think so. Thermometer 10 to 12 

 degrees below zero. Joe caught two seals to-day. 30th. — Blowing a gale from W. 

 N. W. ; it looks fearful. Last night the sight was dreadful. I went out, and there, 

 within ten or twelve yards of the door of our hut, was a very large and ugly looking 

 iceberg grinding against us. Our little floe gets smaller in open water. To-day we had 

 the pleasure of launching the boat. We saw on a piece of ice a large seal. We fired 

 and thought we had him. When we had pulled there with the boat, we found a large 

 bladder-nose and her pup. She showed fight, but was soon killed, and, with her pup 

 towed to our floe. The buck was shot but got under the young ice. When opened, 

 we found considerable milk in her ; so we can have some good soup to-night, using the 

 milk and two quarts of blood. Slst. — Strong wind W. N. W. Thick. Looks like 

 clearing up. A seal and two calves killed by Joe ; one calf by Hans. Mr. Meyer 

 got an observation: latitude 59° 41'. That makes twenty-three miles per day that we 

 have drifted the last five days, besides what eddying we have made with this W. wind. 

 These seals have all been caught on the ice which drifted by us. Our piece of ice gets 

 much smaller. Open water. Sometimes we get separated from the ice and it looks 

 like the ocean which we have on one side of us — the E. side. We are nearly off Cape 

 Farewell. Last night ran a very heavy sea ; not a bit of ice to be seen as far as the 

 eye could reach. To-day closed around a little, but plenty of water. Dare not ven- 

 ture in our open boats : we must watch and wait and trust in God Caught three 

 more calves and one more seal. Heavy weather setting in ; the floe wearing away 

 rapidly. I must hope for the best. All well." 



" April 1st. — A fearful night, last night. Must leave our floe at once. Got under 

 way at 8 A. M., the boat taking in water, and loaded too deep. Threw overboard 

 one hundred pounds of meat, and must throw away all our clothes. Cannot carry any- 

 thing with us but the tent, a few skins to cover us, a little meat, and our bread and 

 pemmican. Made ten or fifteen miles S. and three or four W. We landed to lighten 

 our boat, and pitched our tent, intending to stop all night. This piece of ice is crack- 

 ing, and not very safe. Caught a young seal as soon as we got on the ice, and after- 

 ward two more. 20/^.— Started at 5 A. M. Worked the oars two hours ; then a 

 breeze sprung up, and increased until it blew almost a gale. We had several narrow 

 escapes with our boat before we could find a piece of ice safe enough to land on, and 

 when we did so the boat was making water fast. When emptied we found a hole in 



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