I am much gratified to find that every thing has gone on so smoothly while I was away. Sonntag has been twice to the glacier, and has finished the survey and made some spirited sketches. He has also done some valuable work on a base line, accurately measured upon the ice of the outer bay. This base line is 9100 feet long, and his triangulations give the following distances from the western point of Starr Island:—
| To Cape | Alexander, | 8 | nautical miles. |
| " " | Isabella, | 31 | " " |
| " " | Sabine, | 42 | " " |
CONCERNING SCURVY.
My commands respecting the hunt have been carefully observed, and numerous additions have been made to our rapidly accumulating stock of fresh food. This gives me much gratification. My experience with Dr. Kane has led me to believe that the scurvy, hitherto so often fatal to Arctic travelers, may be readily avoided by the liberal use of a fresh animal diet; and, although I have a fair supply of canned meats and a good allowance of fresh vegetables, yet I do not wish to depend wholly upon them; and, in order to make assurance doubly sure, I have endeavored to spare no pains in securing whatever game is within our reach. Accordingly I have always had a well-organized party of hunters, who are exempt from other duty, and this system I propose continuing. The result thus far has shown the correctness of my plan. A more healthy ship's company could not be desired. Not a single case of illness has yet occurred. I do not expect to have any scurvy in my party, and I am firmly impressed with the belief that at Port Foulke men might live indefinitely without being troubled with that "dread scourge of the Arctic Zone." I do not, however, wholly rely upon the hunters. The moral sentiments have much to do with health everywhere; and, with the best food in the world, unhappiness will make more than the heart sick. For my own part, I would rather take my chances against the scurvy with the herbs and the love, than with hatred and the stalled ox. Luckily my ship's company are as harmonious and happy as they are healthy, and the fault will be mine if they do not continue so.
Our game-list, according to Knorr, who keeps the tally, sums up as follows: Reindeer 74, foxes 21, hares 12, seals 1, eider-ducks 14, dovekies 8, auks 6, ptarmigan 1. This includes all that has been brought on board from the beginning. Besides these substantial contributions to our winter supplies, there are some twenty or thirty reindeer cached in various places, which are available whenever we choose to bring them in. The dogs are the largest consumers.
I find McCormick suffering with a sore throat and swelled tongue, resulting from eating snow. Leaving me at the glacier, he set out to return on board, and, growing thirsty by the way, without being aware of the evil consequences likely to result therefrom, commenced eating snow to quench it. The effect of this indulgence was so to inflame the mucous membrane as, in the end, to render the thirst greater and greater the more the desire was indulged. Finally respiration became difficult and painful, and he arrived on board much exhausted. It is a good lesson for the ship's company,—a fact doubtless more consoling to me than to the sufferer.
October 29th.
CASTOR AND POLLUX.
I went out to-day with Mr. Sonntag to his base line, and made some further measurements. In that direction there are a couple of mammoth icebergs, which I have named "The Twins." They loom up grandly against the dark western sky. Castor carries his head 230 feet above the sea, and Pollux, though of smaller dimensions, is seventeen feet higher.
After our usual evening game of chess, we have talked over some further projects for the field. I propose a drive into the region of Humboldt Glacier, Sonntag one to Van Rensselaer Harbor. It is important that the meridian of this latter place should be connected with that of Port Foulke. I yield to Sonntag for the present, and he starts the day after to-morrow, weather permitting,—a proviso peculiarly necessary in this blustering place. There is very little light left to us, but the moon is full, and will probably serve to guide the party. There was not even the faintest streak of light to-day at three o'clock.