On August 7th the Urania at last arrived. As I had supposed, she had been stopped by ice, but had at last got out of it uninjured. Christofersen and Trontheim were able to sail for home in her on the 11th, and reached Vardö on the 22d, food having been very scarce during the last part of the time. The ship, which had left her home port, Brönö, in May, was not provided for so long a voyage, and these last days they lived chiefly on dry biscuits, water, and—weevils.
[1] The ordinary male dog is liable to get inflammation of the scrotum from the friction of the trace.
[2] Yassak is a tax paid in fur by the Siberians.
[3] This disease is probably anthrax, or something of the same nature
[4] By this he probably means our organ. Our other musical instruments were as follows: An accordion, belonging to the ship, and a flute, violin, and several Jew’s-harps, belonging to one of the ship’s company.
[5] It will be observed that there is some slip of memory here—it was the evening before.
[6] It was, in fact, the day after.
[7] I do not believe that Christofersen ever in his life had anything to do with a London newspaper.