CUTTING INTO TIIE BRIG. 
433 
drawn up by the contraction of the flexors at the knee- 
joint. This is the third case on board,—the fourth if 
T include my own,—of contracted tendons. 
“ December 3, Sunday.—I have now on hand twenty- 
four hundred pounds of chopped wood, a store collected 
with great difficulty; and yet how inadequate a pro¬ 
vision for the sickness and accident we must look for 
through the rest of the dark days! It requires the 
most vigorous effort of what we call a healthy man to 
tear from the oak ribs of our stout little vessel a single 
day’s firewood. We have but three left who can 
manage even this; and we cannot spare more than 
one for the daily duty. Two thousand pounds will 
barely carry us to the end of January, and the two 
severest months of the Arctic year, February and 
March, will still be ahead of us. 
“ To carry us over these, our days of greatest antici¬ 
pated trial, we have the outside oak sheathing,—or 
trebling, as the carpenters call it,—a sort of extra skin 
to protect the brig against the shocks of the ice. 
Although nearly three inches thick, it is only spiked 
to her sides, and carpenter Ohlsen is sure that its 
removal will not interfere with her sea-worthiness. 
Cut the trebling only to the water-line, and it will 
give me at least two and a half tons; and with this— 
God willing—I may get through this awful winter, and 
save the brig besides ! 
“ December 4, Monday.—That stove is smoking so 
that three of our party are down with acute inflamma¬ 
tion of the eyes. I fear I must increase the diametei 
Vol. I,—28 
