KANE'S EXPEDITION (1854) 25 



"Petersen and Whipple came out to meet us about 

 2 miles from the brig. They brought my dog-team, with 

 the restoratives I had sent for by Bonsall. I do not 

 remember their coming. Dr. Hayes entered with 

 judicious energy upon the treatment our condition 

 called for, administering morphine freely, after the usual 

 frictions. He reported none of our brain-symptoms as 

 serious, referring them properly to the class of those 

 indications of exhausted power which yield to generous 

 diet and rest. Mr. Ohlsen suffered some time from 

 strabismus and blindness ; two others underwent amputa- 

 tion of parts of the foot, without unpleasant consequences ; 

 and two died in spite of all our efforts. This rescue party 

 had been out for seventy-two hours. We had halted in 

 all eight hours, half of our number sleeping at a time. 

 We travelled between 80 and 90 miles, most of the 

 way dragging a heavy sledge. The mean temperature of 

 the whole time, including the warmest hours of three 

 days, was at — 41 '2°. We had no water except at our two 

 halts, and were at no time able to intermit vigorous 

 exercise without freezing." 



About the beginning of April 1854, Esquimaux made 

 their appearance. For some time they caused trouble 

 through stealing everything they could. Great tact was 

 necessary in dealing with them, but this Dr. Kane 

 possessed, and he was ultimately successful in making 

 them close friends. 



On 25th April, the advance party of the next sledging 

 expedition left the brig, and was joined later by Dr. Kane. 

 Deep snow was encountered, and several of the party 

 began to show signs of the dreaded scurvy. A cache of 

 provisions on which they intended to rely was found to 

 have been almost entirely destroyed by bears. Dr. Kane 

 himself became ill, and the whole party had to return 

 when in the neighbourhood of the great glacier of 



