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Friday, March, 1st 1861

Well, March has come - seemingly to me [[underlined]] quickly! [[/underlined]]  Nine months & three days gone since leaving the States.  Four & 1/2 months more, & I expect to make my departure from here for King Williams Land.  In this remaining time, I have much that I wish to do.  The prospects I may say, are fair for, not only an early opening for Navigation here North, but for comparatively [[underlined]] free [[/underlined]] Navigation.  The Winter has been unusually mild for this latitude & region.  Again, the N.W. Winds have extensively prevailed ever since we made anchorage here.  The tendency of this has been to drive the pack moving down Davis Straits away from entering up Hudson Straits or into Frobisher Bay.

The officers & men of the "George Henry" have been busily engaged to-day in making tents of the Rescue's Sails in wh. to lodge during their whaling excursion over in Frobisher Bay this Spring.  High hopes are in all hearts of the "G. Henry" [[strikethrough]] successful [[/strikethrough]] successful whaling will then be prosecuted.  The Innuits assure Capt B. that there are Whales [[underlined]] there, [[/underlined]] in great numbers every Spring. Capt. B. is sanguine of making a successful trial.

We have been looking for the return of "Sharkey" who borrowed the dogs with wh. to move up to Budington Bay.  He has had good travelling weather since his departure (last [[symbol: cross]])

To-night the Aurora is performing its fantastic dances as last night.  While viewing on deck the usual play of this phenomenon, about IX o'clk, [[strikethrough]] came to [[/strikethrough]] Capt. B. came up to me saying: 'At it again, are you'? (meaning my resumptions of my observations on the Aurora)  Said I: Captain, will you answer me one simple question?  Responding affirmatively that he would [[underlined]] if he could, [[/underlined]] I propounded to him this enquiry: 

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1861 Mar 1 Fri.

Will you tell me what [[underlined]] that is? [[/underlined]] - at the same time pointing to the beautiful Aurora that was there - [[underlined]] & now is - [[/underlined]] filling the Southern - Western & Eastern heavens - 

This old Navigation - tho not an [[underlined]] *old [[/underlined]] man - who has circumnavigated the globe - ploughed the waters of almost every Sea - who has Navigated these Northern Waters for the last eleven [[strikethrough]] twelve [[/strikethrough]] years - viewing & studying as he has been most with delight & wonder the thousands of displays of this phenomenon before us, answered [[underlined]] frankly [[/underlined]] & [[underlined]] unhesitatingly [[/underlined]] - & I may add - [[underlined]] Intelligently: 'I cannot - I am as ignorant of it - its causes - the laws wh. govern it - as a child'. [[/underlined]]

I am confident this would be the [[underlined]] truthful [[/underlined]] answer of [[underlined]] every man [[/underlined]] man who hath viewed the Auroral displays as here almost nightly to be seen!  I say this, notwithstanding the learned treatises that have been written on the subject 
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(* "His years but young; yet his experience old!")

Saturday, March 2d 1861

This Morning was a fine one - but toward evening the heavens were hung in black.  There is evidently a storm awaiting us.

Kok-er-jab-in (widow of the deceased Kud-largo) & Tu-nuk-de-lien (the latter, Que-jesse's nuliana) started for Frobisher Bay Innuit Village this Morning.  Que-jes-se remains aboard.  I hope to make a visit to same place (Frobisher Bay) the coming week.  Que-jes-se has promised to accompany me.

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