DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0422
384
kirby’s wonderful museum.
The considerable supply we got from on board the wreck
enabled us the next day to add four onions to our daily al-
lowance. We went on board once more on the 14th, and
cut as much of the sails as possible from the bowsprit, with
part of which we covered our hut, and made it tolerably
warm and comfortable, notwithstanding the severity of the
weather. By this time the sores of the men who had been
frost-bitten began to mortify, and their toes, fingers, and
other parts of the limbs affected to rot off, their anguish
being at the same time almost intolerable. The carpenter,
who came on shore after the others, had lost the greatest
part of his feet, and on the 14th at night became delirious,
in which unhappy state he continued till death released him
the following day from his miserable existence. Three days
after, our second mate died in the same manner. Indeed
had not some paid the debt of nature we should, in the end,
have been reduced to the shocking necessity of killing and
devouring one another. Several, however, who had been
but slightly frozen, recovered in a short time with the
loss of a few toes and fingers, no one having entirely escaped
but myself.
On the 20th another sailor died. Our number was now
reduced to fourteen persons, yet we did not think it prudent
to increase the allowance of provisions, but still kept it at
the rate originally fixed on, of a quarter of a pound of beef
per diem.
About a fortnight after we had fixed ourselves in the hut
the mate and I took an opportunity of walking ten or twelve
miles up a river upon the ice, where we observed many
tracks of moose-deer and other auimals, some of which we
might have killed had we been provided with ammunition.
In our progress we discovered several trees cut on one side,
apparently by an axe, which induced us to think that there
might be Indians near at hand. On going farther we per-
kirby’s wonderful museum.
The considerable supply we got from on board the wreck
enabled us the next day to add four onions to our daily al-
lowance. We went on board once more on the 14th, and
cut as much of the sails as possible from the bowsprit, with
part of which we covered our hut, and made it tolerably
warm and comfortable, notwithstanding the severity of the
weather. By this time the sores of the men who had been
frost-bitten began to mortify, and their toes, fingers, and
other parts of the limbs affected to rot off, their anguish
being at the same time almost intolerable. The carpenter,
who came on shore after the others, had lost the greatest
part of his feet, and on the 14th at night became delirious,
in which unhappy state he continued till death released him
the following day from his miserable existence. Three days
after, our second mate died in the same manner. Indeed
had not some paid the debt of nature we should, in the end,
have been reduced to the shocking necessity of killing and
devouring one another. Several, however, who had been
but slightly frozen, recovered in a short time with the
loss of a few toes and fingers, no one having entirely escaped
but myself.
On the 20th another sailor died. Our number was now
reduced to fourteen persons, yet we did not think it prudent
to increase the allowance of provisions, but still kept it at
the rate originally fixed on, of a quarter of a pound of beef
per diem.
About a fortnight after we had fixed ourselves in the hut
the mate and I took an opportunity of walking ten or twelve
miles up a river upon the ice, where we observed many
tracks of moose-deer and other auimals, some of which we
might have killed had we been provided with ammunition.
In our progress we discovered several trees cut on one side,
apparently by an axe, which induced us to think that there
might be Indians near at hand. On going farther we per-