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1860 Monday Oct. 29th[[enboxed]] in two hours from time of starting to wit 20 minutes of one just in time for beans which by the way, are my favorite ^[[dish]] when baked, & these were so! As we entered "Rescue Harbor" 2 of Boats were starting out for the whale ground having been in to dinner. Both [[companies?]] were greatly impressed to learn that the steamer had gone - but greatly so on finding that the Boat promised me had [[strikethrough]] have [[/strikethrough]] gone too! Capt. B. & all on board G.H. were astonished that we returned without the boat. Captain suggested [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] the storm might have driven the steamer [[strikethrough]] out [[/strikethrough]] from her anchorage & obliged her to make her departure to Sea but it was altogether improbable! He, for one was not much surprised at no boat being left! He 'knew' Parker too well to think he would contribute a Boat without its equivalent in hard cash! I may [[strikethrough?]] and [[/strikethrough]] revert to this subject again. If I do, it shall follow this, therefore the space left blank below. The "True-love" American bottom[[?]], built in the time of the Revolution [[blank space]] After dinner, I accepted passage in Lamb's Boat to [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] ^[["Rescue]] Island" where he [[strikethrough?]] was [[/strikethrough]] conveying a Boat load of ship riggings for winter housing. Thence I went to Whale Island No 2 to cut "[[Kenny?]]" for Winter's [[strikethrough]] food for [[/strikethrough]] this [[/strikethrough]] ^[[my]] dog-team. A long time since meeting ^[[the larger part of]] my dogs. With whale-spade cut up quite ^[[ [[strikethrough]] a "mess"]] [[underlined]] [[/strikethrough]] [[underlined]] mess [[/underline]] which I deposited in same spot where the Esquimaux ^[[recently]] [[strikethrough]] had [[/strikethrough]] made a cache of whale-meat & but two days ago abstracted the same for immediate consumption. While busily engaged in cutting away at huge whale noticed an Esquimaux crew in boat headed to the Island. I concluded they were ^[[perhaps]] [[strikethrough]] somewhat [[/strikethrough]] alarmed, thinking I might be engaged tearing up their whale-deposits wh. are numerous on the various Islands around. [[strikethrough]] home [[/strikethrough]] They soon landed & with hand-saw (a Yankee one) & various tools of their construction came towards me. It was Mgar & his men who came for the purpose of carving off a piece of the jaw-bone of the whale for making shoes for dog sledge runners. The tide was coming in rapidly. The water already up to jawbone. Quick-work or come again was the sentiment of action of those who wanted bone! Marking off a distance of 7 feet Mgar [[strikethrough]] began.[[/strikethrough]] began. He proceeded till a [[underline]] "pinch" [[/underline]] brought motive purpose to a start! No time to be lost, water rising! I sprang for a small axe, tried to drive that in wedge like but it wouldn't stick. Tried a "Chev-ing" (Butcher knife) driving the thin blade in to same cut with [[butchered-saw perilous?]]! Water ^[[made]] [[ strikethrough]] & ceased that [[/strikethrough]] another lift. Mgar works fast! Soon out of breath. One Esquimaux after another succeeds in carving. Water nearly [[strikethrough]] was [[/strikethrough]] knee deep!
Transcription Notes:
Please ask the transcriber of this page to review the proper way to handle strikethroughs and inserts.
Janet Schoor, reviewer
