APPENDIX NO. II. 
313 
Three boats—two of them whaleboats twenty-four feet in length, and 
the third a light cedar dingy of thirteen feet—were mounted upon run¬ 
ners cut from the cross-beams of the vessel and bolted, to prevent the 
disaster of breakage. These runners were eighteen feet in length, and 
shod with hoop-iron. No nails were used in their construction; they 
were lashed together so as to form a pliable sledge, and upon it the 
boats were cradled so as to be removable at pleasure. 
A fourth sledge, with a team of dogs, was reserved for the transport 
of our sick, four of whom were still unable to move, and for carrying 
on our stock of provisions. An abandoned Esquimaux hut, about 
thirty-five miles from the brig, was fitted up as well as our means per¬ 
mitted, to serve as an entrepot of stores and a wayside shelter for those 
of the party who were already broken down, or who might yield to the 
first trials of the journey. 
The cooking-utensils were made from our old stove-pipe. They 
consisted of simple soup-boilers, enclosed by a cylinder to protect them 
from the wind. A metal trough to receive fat, with the aid of moss 
and cotton canvas, enabled us to keep up an active fire. My pro¬ 
visions were packed in water-proof bags, adapted in shape to the sheer 
of the boats, and in no case rising above the thwarts. They consisted, 
with the exception of tea, coffee, and small stores for the sick, exclu¬ 
sively of melted fat and powdered biscuit. 
The clothing was limited to a fixed allowance. Moccasins for the 
feet were made of our woollen carpeting, which had been saved for the 
purpose, and numerous changes of dry blanket-socks were kept for 
general use. For bedding, our buffalo-robes were aided by eider-down 
quilted into coverlets: the experience of former travel having assured 
us that, next to diet and periodical rest, good bedding and comfortable 
foot-gear were the most important things to be considered. 
I took upon myself the office of transporting the sick and our 
reserve of provisions, employing for this purpose a dog-sledge and our 
single team of dogs. I carried down my first load of stores in April, 
and on the 15th of May began the removal of the sick. By the 
middle of June, all our disabled men and some twelve hundred pounds 
of stores had in this manner been transferred by a series of journcyings 
equal in the aggregate to eleven hundred miles. 
On the 17th of May, having authenticated by appropriate sumys 
the necessities of our condition and made all our preparations for the 
journey, the sledge-boats left the vessel, dragged by the officers and 
men, under the immediate charge of Mr. Henry Brooksj a duty which 
he fulfilled with unswerving fidelity and energy. 
