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Thursday Oct [[date covered by slip of paper]] 1860 Early this morn, clear as a bell. [[symbol for planet Jupiter]] & [[symbol for planet Venus]] high up on their royal thrones - [[symbol for moon]] shining brightly in her borrowed light. Bar. 29.837 Ther 17⁰! A cool beginning (17⁰) for men cruising for whales [[strikethrough]] out [[/strikethrough]] in open boats! [[right margin red vertical line]] Capt. B. speaking of the cold says: Christmas day, 1852, when near [[Keinisivit?]] near head Northumberland Inlet [[insertion]] [[while?]] [[/insertion]] Ther 33⁰ minus, he fell [[strikethrough]] into [[/strikethrough]] ^ [[through]] an air-hole of the ice. Capt. Tyson soon after fell [[strikethrough]] into [[/strikethrough]] ^ [[through]] another. They both travelled 7 miles [[strikethrough]] while [[/strikethrough]] on getting out. Their clothes froze stiff, almost instantly, their sufferings not great - simply a matter of [[underlined]] considerable inconvenience [[/underlined]]! [[/right margin red vertical line]] Sterry at some time shot a seal or rather put seal's eyes out & John whom he came near shooting hastened forward & secured said seal by his spear. Had the pleasure of seeing ^ [[this]] eve one of [[symbol for planet Jupiter]] satellites with my Mc Allister Telescope Looking across the Bay this AM ^ [[sun shining brightly]] as great evaporation was going on as I ever saw in the States ^ [[under]] July Sun tho Ther. stood at 17⁰! This struck me as an interesting fact. At 8 AM Capt. B. expressing a wish that Tu-nuk-du-lien [[right margin red bracket]] & Kok-er zhun ^ [[to continue scrubbing]] were here I proposed ^ [[that I]] & Sterry would take a Boat & go over to the Esquimaux village & bring them aboard. The proposition was accepted. Over we went tho it was done by struggling pulls a strong wind from the NW - a heavy sea prevailing. We 1st called at the tent of [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] Cudlargo's widow, where we found 3 cheerful lamps burning & over each suspended a little tin can of whale [[strikethrough]] which [[/strikethrough]] cooking, one half the village rushed in & gathered around us greeting As-shua tidley[[?]]! Though cold outside, it was really comfortable within. While Sterry remained to smoke & hold counsel with his friends, I & [[strikethrough]] Tu-nuk-de-lien [[/strikethrough]] Kok-en zhun proceeded onward to find Tu-nuk-du-lien. Having got 1/2 way to a little community of tents W. of the main village we met a little fellow who told us she [[strikethrough]] would [[/strikethrough]] whom we sought was at the village we were leaving. Kokenzhun beckoned that we should return. Seeing I was laboring to keep an erect position the way being very icy, Kok-er-zhun grasped my hand & became my guide & support. It reminded me of my school ^[[boy]] days hand in hand with the girls hastening on to school! Found Tunukdelien visiting at one of the lower tents - told her the object of my call to which she responded by immediately joining us. We hastened to the tent where we had left Sterry. Found him quite contented to stay where he was. After partaking of refreshment in the [[strikethrough]] from [[/strikethrough]] form of Black Skin of the Whale I called to my company if they were ready? The response was in all directing their [[strikethrough]] staphs [[/strikethrough]] steps toward the Boat. Many of the Esquimaux girls wished to accompany us back to the George Henry - but our orders would not admit ^ [[of it]] so we communicated the fact. I noticed in the tent we visited numerous pieces of "my Budington". I was interested in the fact here ^[[fragments of]] my wrecked Boat which had been driven across Rescue Bay several miles off, had so soon been recovered & made use of by these from Children of the North. "An ill wind that blows nobody any good"! A god-send has the destruction of "my Budington" proved to these Esquimaux! In less than one week my beautiful Boat will decorate the Esquimaux tents from Frobisher Bay to the head of Northumberland Inlet an extent of coast upwards of 300 miles! The G.H. received us back 9 1/4 o clock. At 2 1/2 o'clock visited Rescue Island - took several sun observations. [[/right margin red bracket]] [[right margin red bracket]] Recovered my Sails which [[strikethrough]] wh. [[/strikethrough]] we found as erected ^ [[into a tent]] by the Esquimaux, during the storm of 26 - 7 & 8. Took a view of the rocks ^ [[on]] which are evidences of the severe pounding experienced by the "Georgiana". When Smith [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] came in at Noon, his boat showed that it had been in an [[underlined]] Elementary [[/underlined]] fight! His sail had lifted from the "step" & of course ^[[the]] fresh breeze pressing upon the sail, threw the mast forward & downward by which the "Sail-thorp" was splintered to atoms. He & his crew were thus obliged to remain aboard [[left margin]] ^[[this P.M.]] [[/left margin]] to repair damages. Capt. B. collected a native crew & proceeded to cruising for whales. No whales however yet seen. This AM, by the by, while Smith & his men were ashore on the south side Rescue Bay, an alarm was given by the little Frenchman who came ^[[running]] up to Smith crying out 'A Whale just around the point!' This caused a rush to the Boat, Smith, the gallant [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] Commander, ahead! Strong pulling at the oars & excellent management [[strikethrough]] at the steering [[/strikethrough]] in the steering department (of course Smith's) brought them to the identical whale (?) which proved to be a long big & black rock, the surf flying up in spray [[strikethrough]] between a couple of [[/strikethrough]] through a peculiar crevice ^[[in one end of said rock]] being very much like a Whale's spouting! Of course no harpoons were thrown or lances used ^[[on]] [[underlined]] that Whale [[/underlined]]! The little Frenchman received a Whale of a share of general [[underlined]] "Cussing" [[/underlined]] from all hands of [[underlined]] that Boat [[/underlined]]! according to the report. Hereafter little Frenchman's Whale will be Whales in truth or none at all. [[/right margin red bracket]] [[right margin red bracket]] The day has been fine, beautiful indeed! At eve clouding up. Bar 29.925. A shower of snow now falling. Kujesse saw school of Walrus to-day tried his best to secure one but failed. There are strong efforts [[left margin red vertical line]] being put forth to bring in another whale this week. Specimens of the oil of the 2 captured have been placed before us to-day by Capt. B., tho I [[underlined]] "vialed" [[/underlined]] up sample of the [[strikethrough]] last [[/strikethrough]] later when being tried out. They all show the product to be good white oil - & [[underlined]] sweet oil too [[/underlined]]! It will sell in the states at an advance of usual whale oil as great care has been taken to have this superior. Fragments of "my Budington" ^ [[are]] now in the hands of him who resides at the Galley! Fire Wood - Ashes the end of my favorite Boat. of beautiful model of excellent make - designed for a noble purpose. Now no more! To what uses the best of Works may come, men live & die - become mummies. Mummies are now used for fuel in generating steam to propel Rail Road Cars in Egypt! [[/right margin red bracket]] [[/left margin red vertical line]]
Transcription Notes:
I changed "most" to "mast" in the phrase "the mast forward & downward"--thomasc
