KANE'S EXPEDITION (1855) 37 



vegetable-dish ; my own invention, melted from salt beef 

 and washed in many waters : the unskilled might call it 

 tallow. Fourth, a real delicacy not to be surpassed in 

 court or camp, for Morton was up to see to it : — a pile 

 of hot rolls of fine Virginia flour. What else ? Nothing; 

 else : the breakfast resolves itself into bean-coffee, tallow, 

 and hot bread. Yet a cordial meal it is. I am sorry to 

 hurry over it so uneourteously, for I could dwell with 

 Charles Lamb's pensive enthusiasm upon the fleshpots ; 

 but I have been longer in describing the feast than it 

 takes us to dispose of it. I hurry on with the interesting 

 detail. Dinner is breakfast, with the beans converted 

 into soup instead of coffee ; and supper boasts of stewed 

 apples. 



" Work commences at nine. Petersen is off with his 

 gun, and the two remaining dearly beloved Rogers arrange 

 their carte : one makes the round of the sick and deals 

 out their daily allowance of raw meat ; the other goes 

 to cutting ice. Those who can sit in bed and work, 

 pick eider-down or cotton, for coverlets to our boat- 

 bedding on the escape ; others sew canvas bags for the 

 same purpose ; and Brooks balls off twine in order to 

 lay up ' small stuff.' 



" At times when the sun comes out very brightly, 

 Brooks and Wilson get permission to go on deck. One 

 of us assists them, and, by the aid of creeping and 

 crawling, these poor cripples manage to sit upon the 

 combings of the hatch and look around in the glorious 

 daylight. The sight seldom fails to affect them. There 

 are emotions among rude, roughly nurtured men which 

 vent themselves in true poetry. Brooks has about him 

 sensibilities that shame me. 



" This afternoon, save to the cook, is a season of rest ; 

 a real lazy, lounging interval, arrested by the call to 

 supper. The coming night-watch obliges me to take an 



