200 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



For Christmas an attempt had been made to save some 

 provisions, although the whole party were starving. 

 Breakfast on that day consisted of a thin pea-soup, with 

 seal-blubber and a small quantity of preserved potatoes. 

 The dinner was a more elaborate affair, and included seal- 

 stew, potatoes, bread, pickled onions, and a kind of rice 

 pudding. At night everybody was required to sing a 

 song or tell a story, and the proceedings continued till 

 midnight. The only extra rations for New Year's Day 

 were cloudberries and a quarter of a lemon and gill of 

 rum to each man. 



On the 2nd January 1884, Elison's right foot separated 

 from the ankle when the doctor severed a fragment of 

 skin. The patient was quite unconscious of the fact. 

 Later he lost the other foot and both hands in the same 

 manner, and for long afterwards he still believed he 

 possessed them. 



On the 4th January it was found that a hole had been 

 cut through the canvas roof of the storehouse and a piece 

 of bacon fished out. On the 7th some one made a hole 

 with an axe in one of the barrels of bread and stole 

 several pounds. 



Up till the 12th January water had been obtained from 

 a lake near the house, but after that date ice had to be 

 melted. This meant a heavy drain on their fuel, and the 

 quantity of tea had to be reduced one-half. On the 

 16th January, Lockwood was so weak that he could not 

 rise without assistance. Cross was unable to walk, and 

 several others of the party were becoming very weak. 



Cross died on the 18th January ; his habits had no 

 doubt undermined his constitution, and he was therefore 

 the first to succumb. He was buried 15 inches deep on 

 the summit of a hill near the camp. Next day was his 

 birthday, and it was found that he had saved up a con- 

 siderable quantity of bread and butter to celebrate it. 



