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(3 pages this day) Tuesday, Oct. 22d 1861 AM 13° N W Light breeze Cloudy = Last night 11 PM to 1 1/2 AM heavy Gale from N.N.W. M 16° N W nearly Calm " [[ditto for: Cloudy]] shifting snow PM 14° NW very light " [[ditto for: Cloudy]] Last night 11 P.M. the wind commenced blowing a gale. It continued blowing furiously till 1 1/2 A.M. At 2 AM calm. The ice remained firm through all this, save a narrow slip this side Look-Out Island. This morning Officers & men regreting that the Gale did not have the effect of breaking up the Bay ice. If I were to write my own thoughts of it & what I think to be Capt. B's, I should say We believe it a blessing that the ice of the Bay remains firm. It is the [[underlined]] Pack [[/underlined]] outside that Capt. B. looks upon as [[underlined]] the death executioner [[/underlined]] if he should venture into it now! The trying out blubber of last whale completed this morning, except the tongue. The works have been kept up constantly night & day since 1st lighting fires on the morning of 20th XI A.M. nearly 2 days & 2 nights. The cutting in was performed on the 19th. Towing up on the 18th - the killing on the 17th. Capt. B. is fast bringing gray hairs upon his head. [[underlined]] His anxieties are painful & continual, [[/underlined]] night & day. The present trouble - our fate of being obliged to winter here when all were in readiness to depart for Home [[underlined]] & [[/underlined]] robs him of rest & all desire for partaking refreshing food. He seldom eats now, [[underlined]] so heart-stricken is he. If Messrs Williams & Haven - & Mr. Chapel occupied his (Cap. B's) present position, they could not feel to do more - could not feel greater solicitude for themselves & all concerned than does Capt. Budington. [[/underlined]] I write from what I see with my own eyes - hear with my own ears - [[underlined]] feel in my own heart! [[/underlined]] Fully am I borne out in this statement that Capt. B. proves [[underlined]] true [[/underlined]] to thie high & honorable trust confided to him by the House of Messrs. Williams & Haven. The Ship's company have been engaged to-day, in running a portion of the oil of last whale from casks on deck to casks below. The Innuits have already commenced going out sealing on the ice. Hopes are yet high that we will yet be enabled to get out with the ship & make our way Home. I fear it is "hoping against hope". Capt. b. sends out to-morrow morning if weather is favorable several of the natives & some of his officers to go out [[end page]] [[start page]] (2 1861 Oct 22 Tues a point of high land overlooking "Davis Strait" outside entrance to this Bay, to observe the Pack & report to him. Many of the Innuit men, women & children engaged to-day dragging "Black Skin" & "Whale Beef" over the ice from the ship's side to the shore. I have been giving my little room, opposite the Captains, a thorough renovation to-day. That through, turned upon my own person scrubbing, soaping, showering, wipeing till I looked & felt like a [[underlined]] White [[/underlined]] Man again! Such a glow is over me that an observer with as good eyes as Capt. B's could hardly refrain from complementing me so much as to say: 'How thou doest shine!' The day has been another that has added thickness to the ice. Ebierbing, at Capt. B's request went out this Morning, got piece of the ice from near the vessel wh. on it being measuring showed increase of 3/4 in. since yesterday. Another inch To-day & to-night, no doubt. We cannot yet feel resigned to Winter here! Though fast in the ice - though solid Pack outside hemming us in - though nearly [[underlined]] dead [[/underlined]] calm - though the cold weather is constantly adding thickness to its icy links that enchain us here, yet we hope to be free ere long, on our way to loved America! Hope, How fair & lovely thou art! what were Men without thee? What were [[underlined]] we, [[/underlined]] poor creatures, cut off from our friends & loved ones for at least 9 months to come by the "thick ribbed ice", without this stone of our Souls, [[underlined]] Hope? [[/underlined]] To-night thick, dark clouds - a storm evidently brewing. Wind very light from NW Ther 14° Three (3) seals have been secured to-day by the natives - are speared through Seal hole, - 2 shot [[underlined]] on [[/underlined]] the ice having drawn themselves out to bask in the Sun. Wednesday Oct. 23d 1861. AM 16° E. Light breeze - thick weather & snowing. M 20 ENE " " " " [[dittos for: Light breeze - thick weather]] "spitting snow" P.M. 18° ENE Fresh " " " [[dittos for: breeze - thick weather]] Light snow During the night light wind. This Morning (after midnight) it commenced snowing. The weather is so thick, that the party intending to go out to the high land to view the condition of the [[underlined]] "pack", [[/underlined]] will have to delay until better weather. Open water in the Bay is seen S.E., distant about 1 mile. The ice must have broken up during last night, tho' no one aboard is cognizant of any but light wind. Ship's Company engaged stowing down balance of the oil. It was reported that Mate Rogers had met with an accident this morning among the casks in the Hold. He got badly squeezed
