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[[boxed]] [[underlined]] 1860 [[/underlined]] Thursday Nov 13 [[/boxed]] An-Koo-ting-the hours & 15 minutes - Sterry's statements The day has been thickly clouded - about noon considerable fog - The weather very [[mild?]] I ask Capt. B. to-day the latest he knew of [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] navigation remaining open here North. He answered he once knew it to remain open till the 20th Nov. It is now the 14th (or will be in 2 hours it now being X oclk [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] at night (13th) Therefore if it does not close up here in less than 1 week this will be an extraordinary year. [[strikethrough]] The ^[[Sun]] [[?]] stars have not [[/strikethrough]] The sun has not showed its face for several days - neither the stars for several nights Aurora must have a retirest[[guess]] time of [[strikethrough]] N[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] encurtained from the view of ter^[[n]]estials. This P.M. no boats out. hX - m15. Have just returned from deck. Calm & warm - Ther 27[[degree symbol]] - Bar. 29.862 - The Wind ^[[Call it air with a slight perceptible motion) [[strikethrough]] [[?]] ^ observed [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] N.E. - Carried & open lamp around on deck - Calm indeed as a [[underlined]] very calm [[/underlined]] Summer's day! I have called it 'Warm', so it is to us . Why, the dogs cannot keep from laughing ^[[which is]] indication indeed of hot weather. Mr Rogers said this eve the present mild weather will be succeeded by much colder weather. [[underlined]] I think altogether likely, [[/underlined]] taking into account the latitude we [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] are in, & Winter on our heels! or rather ahead of us! Wednesday Nov 14th 1860 AT X o'clock this morning, left the ship with [[strikethrough]] Nu[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] Nup-te-erk-oonga & Twe-oonge ((Miner & Susy, husband & wife, the latter acting as boat-steerer, the former & myself at the oars) for the North Star Village. My purpose was a tramp & to work at angles with my Sextant. I called at E-bien-bing's tupick. Found him & his lady Tou-le-ton at home. They were glad to see me, [[strikethrough]] giving [[/strikethrough]] heartily welcoming me. After spending a conversational spell, I commenced my tramp to the S.W. part of the Island. A driving snow storm ^[[from the N.E.]] had commenced however while within the tent but mind & weather are no obstacles to the determined therefore on I went 2 Esquimaux dogs, one a large fine fellow, accompanying me to keep up appearances at least that I was not alone. In the sequel however, it will be seen that said dogs might under other circumstances have have proved my salvation, at least so far as regaining my starting point. On arriving at the extreme of the Island, I made transit of a channel of water between the land where I was & Islet by stepping stones. While on said Islet, I hastened in my examination of the surrounding scenery that the rising tide should not [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] make an exi[[strikethrough]] s [[/strikethrough]]le of me ere my return. I soon made my way back to the Main - land & thence around to Western terminus to the Southern side. The storm of snow was ^[[now]] beating furiously in my face as I turned to come back. I could see but a little way ahead so thickly came the virgin snow. I turned ^[[at]] one side under the lee side of a cliff of rocks to take a resting spell. I looked at my compass & to my astonishment found the course I was pursuing ^[[to be]] directly the reverse of the right one! Could it be thoughts I that I was turned around? Could it be that when I felt so certain I was in my right course that [[underlined]] I was wrong? [[/underlined]] I looked again & again. The compass told me I was wrong. And yet I could not think it. Poets have courted their Muses to sing of the needle ever true to the Pole Star! A poetical license indeed, but nevertheless, a pretty
