KANE'S EXPEDITION (1855) 33 



over it and defend it from the wind, a good piece de 

 resistance of raw walrus-beef ; and I want nothing more 

 for a long journey, if the thermometer will keep itself as 

 high as minus 30°. Give me a bear-skin bag and coffee 

 to boot; and with the clothes on my back I am ready 

 for minus 60°, — but no wind. 



" The programme runs after this fashion. Keep the 

 blood in motion, without loitering on the march : and 

 for the halt, raise a snow-house ; or if the snow lie scant 

 or impracticable, ensconce yourself in a burrow or under 

 the hospitable lee of an inclined hummock-slab. The 

 outside fat of your walrus sustains your little moss fire : 

 its frozen slices give you bread, its frozen blubber gives 

 you butter, its scrag ends make the soup. The snow 

 supplies you with water ; and when you are ambitious of 

 coffee there is a bagful stowed away in your boot. Spread 

 out your bear-bag, your only heavy movable ; stuff your 

 reindeer-bag inside, hang your boots up outside, take a 

 blade of bone, and scrape off all the ice from your furs. 

 Now crawl in, the whole party of you, feet foremost ; 

 draw the top of your dormitory close, heading to leeward. 

 Fancy yourself in Sybaris ; and, if you are only tired 

 enough, you may sleep — like St. Lawrence on his grid- 

 iron, or even a trifle better."" 



On 17th January 1855, Dr. Kane wrote: " There is no 

 evading it any longer : it has been evident for the past 

 ten days that the present state of things cannot last. 

 We require meat, and cannot get along without it. Our 

 sick have finished the bear's head, and are now eating the 

 condemned abscessed liver of the animal, including some 

 intestines that were not given to the dogs. We have 

 about three days 1 allowance ; thin chips of raw frozen 

 meat, not exceeding 4 oz. in weight for each man per 

 day.' 1 



On 22nd January, Kane and Hans left the brig to make 

 3 



