534 
LAST VOYAOE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
curing’, drying*, and stowing them in the barrels. In a pro* 
spective point of view, these fish were regarded as a bounteous 
gift of Heaven ; for, in the event of the Victory being blocked 
up for another winter, a certainty existed of the crew being put 
upon short allowance; and the plentiful supply of fish on board, 
would enable them to weather the winter, without the fear of 
suffering from actual want. The whole number of the fish 
caught, were 4986, but not more than *2000 were brought to the 
ship; the remainder were entirely wrasted. The greater part of 
the fish were preserved in vinegar, and stowed in barrels and 
hogsheads : a considerable number were salted and dried; 
some were dried, and not salted. The number pickled in 
vinegar, was 1384; independently of twelve jars, done in a 
superior manner, for Capt Ross, and twelve of the largest, and 
finest for Commander Ross. The number dried, were from 300 to 
500; and those, that were salted, were represented to excel all 
the others in the delicacy of their flavor. The distance of the 
fishing place from the ship, was about 13 or 14 miles: but the 
most laborious part of the business w f as conveying the fish on 
the back of the men, from the place of fishing to the salt water, 
and then to the sledge, which was about three-fourths of a mile. 
Every man had to carry about 50 salmon, averaging in weight 
150tbs ; no trifling laod to carry over rocks and rugged ground, 
when the men were frequently no sooner off the former, than in five 
minutes afterwards they were up to their middle in water ; and 
this may be considered as the general character of the road^ 
on which they had to travel from the place, where the sledge 
was loaded, to the ship. There were six of the fishing party 
on the sick list, all of them complaining of a pain in their bowels. 
Buck and Baxter were seized with convulsion fits: the former 
had three in 6 hours; and the latter was in a fit 1J hour, and 
at one time it was feared that he would never recover. 
On the 2nd of August, the labor of drying and curing the 
fish, may be considered as being completed, and some tents 
were erected on shore, for those which were drying, in order 
to protect them from the rain. The preserved fish were stowed 
away in 7 casks, No. 1 containing 250, No. 2, 200, No. 3, 57, 
