LAST VOYAGE OF CAPT. ROSS. 
611 
enormous additional load of lumber upon the sledge, allowing 
him, however, an extra quantity of bedding, on account of his 
old age, he had brought with him a corresponding load of pro¬ 
visions, he would have been able to have given them a greater 
quantity of food per day; but it was this culpable neglect on 
the part of Capt. Ross, to the common comfort of his men, 
which alienated their esteem from him, and in the end rendered 
him so contemptible in their eyes, that had they had their op¬ 
tion, the first thing, that they would have left behind them, 
would have been the captain himself. It is a fact, that there 
were brought down to Fury Beach, between 30 and 40tbs of 
cocoa-nut oil, that might have been burnt for fuel in the month 
of June 1832; and whilst the men were travelling for nine days 
successively, they had nothing wherewith to moisten their 
mouths, or to drink with their biscuits, which was onlv half a 
punod a man per day, but a handful of snow in one hand, and 
in the other the biscuit and the preserved meat, both of which 
were as hard as a rock. 
The crew had not been away three days from the ship, before 
they were put on an allowance of two thirds of a pound of 
bread per day, and half a pound of meat. The officers were 
put on the same allowance; but it may be necessary to remark, 
that on their travels from the ship to Fury Beach, the crew were 
divided into three watches, each occupying their own tent, with 
one of the superior officers placed over them. One of the in¬ 
dividuals, who has furnished us with the documents for this 
work, was attached to the watch belonging to Capt. Ross, and 
to use his own words, it would fill a large volume, were he to 
relate all the mean and shabby ways, which he saw practised 
by that individual. The order for the short allowance was 
given by Capt. Ross; but to him it was of no consequence, for 
he had brought with him from the ship a spare box of provisions, 
independently of other things wherewith to satiate his appetite. 
On several occasions* he repaired to his spare bag, and to his 
case of cordials, when his men were eating snow, or crushing 
beneath their teeth an icicle, as a refresher to their mouths. 
Several times has he covered his head with his musk ox skin. 
