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1861 Nov 23 Sat On asking Capt. B., I treated her to a mug of Coffee, piece of Sea-bread & slice "Salt-junk". She partook of this in the little aft Cabin while her infant at the same time feasted at the fountain of Infant life! Some part of this day spent in carving with a Jack knife "Chess-men. Of course, [[underlined]] "Queens" [[/underlined]] are included under this head. This has been the coldest day of the Season thus far, the Thermometer having been 2° to 4° below Zero all day. Between lunch meal in the morning & dinner - & between supper lunch & breakfast I feel bad - decidedly bad - for the want of food. The morning meal (lunch) is insufficient in nourishment to satisfy the demands of nature. I know now whether any one of the G.H's Co is in this condition. I think not however for they are quite at home while I do not feel to press myself in any way that may rob anybody else of anything that their appetites may crave. I prefer to suffer myself rather than any one of the "G. Henry" should. Now hVI-m30 P.M. The Aurora fine. Two lines of it occupy the S.E. S. & S Western heavens thus: [[image: drawing of Aurora annotated S.E. S and S.W.]] Rays shooting up perpendicular & racing to & fro. [[end page]] [[start page]] + [[Sunday]] Nov. 24 1861 29.675 AM -4° NW 3 [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] .625 M +3° NW 5 [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] .675 PM -6° (calm) 0 [[underlined]] Fine [[/underlined]] Aurora Very Fine The weather is now clear & cold. Last night at IX when all had turned in a sudden jar of the whole ship was felt accompanied with a loud report. This morning it was found the ice had cracked in various places about the harbor. One crack proceedes southerly from the bow of the vessel, another from the stern - another runs a little way at right angles from the stern Westward. The cold we are now experiencing is [[underlined]] contracting [[/underlined]] the ice. Now & then "crack! crack"! was heard this way & that as I was on deck last night. Sorry I am to record the desecration of this "Day of Days" by men in the Aft Cabin playing games of Chequers & Back Gammon mingling in their talk the most revolting swearing I ever heard. I do not mean that every one is guilty of this - but some there are. The reading of "Rise & Progress of Religion in the Soul" by "Doddridge", this Morning sitting in the little Aft Cabin by the door while (B'[[?y]]) was seated on the steps before taking God name in vain! My former attempts to break him of this wickedness --- The chequer playing by Innuits today in the Main Cabin. Who can wonder when men of America do the same? The Aurora Fine again to-night! At hVII-m15 to-night the Aurora in 2 bands stretched across the heavens from East to the West with its rays or beams shooting up perpendicularly. I remained on deck 1/2 an hour watching its movements. Easterly the Aurora was in prismatic colors. The bands ascended slowly up up while clusters of rays composing the bands or belts kept up their rapid movements & counter movements. When I 1st saw the Aurora it was (in the center) about 25° degrees above the horizon - the ends or legs of the 2 Arches resting low down. The Eastern end was nearly down to the ice of the Bay, the high land flanking that end of the Aurora. When the center of the Aurora belts reached Zenith then the trembling rays from all parts shot up meeting at Zenith from every direction forming a stupendous golden dome. In a few minutes Aurora resumed its belted form & marched on till
