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(13 1862 Jan 12 + [[Sunday]] Smith (Robt.), Keeney, Bailey & the Steward rushed out from their births to wh. they had retired on hearing the loud, heart-piercing, heart feeling out-bursts of Capt. B. As the thermometer at the time was 70° below freezing point it would not do to take the subject of our sympathy out into the open air, for we would freeze our own hands before we could effect a restoration of feeling in the frozen limbs, therefore we placed him by the door leading into the main Cabin (a cold place) & proceeded to place his feet in basins of Ice-water, strongly charged with salt, rubbing them with our hands for full two hours & 30 minutes before we could get the frost [[underlined]] out, [[/underlined]] & the sense of feeling in them. Nine of us were at intervals engaged in chaffing these frozen limbs - (two at a time) - during the two & 1/2 hours. One could not perform this service long at a time for it had to be done with the feet immersed in saline ice water, a mixture that made our fingers tingle with the cold in a few moments after contact with it. The feet were solid frozen about 1/2 way from the toes to the heel - say the toes & 3 inches of the foot. At the termination of two hours unceasing labor a [[end page]] [[start page]] (14 1862 Jan 12 + [[Sunday]] slight feeling was experienced by Fluker in two or 3 of the toes of the right foot. All this time, no sensations of pain whatever! In 15 minutes after, little feeling in some of the toes of left foot, but none whatsever in the large toe of left foot. That was the one wh. he froze on his way to Toong-wine & was black. But little feeling in the feet & toes after the frost was all out. Flush color was produced in the frozen parts save the Black toe of Left foot & small toe of right foot wh. had the same appearance of the large one of Rt. foot. It was over one hour before we got the frost out sufficient to move a toe at the joint. Fluker will probably have to lose portions of both feet - [[underlined]] perhaps both feet [[/underlined]] - before he is through with the exposure of to-day. Capt. B. feels terribly about this matter. He has cautioned his men again & again about allowing any part of their persons to become frozen - has enjoined upon them to be constantly exercising care & vigilance relative to this - has commanded them to be extremely attentive to this one thing = [[underlined]] not to expose themselves to severe weather on any consideration! [[/underlined]] I know not what to make of this - there was a scent emenating from Fluker wh. made several of us really sick at the stomach - a [[underlined]] corpse like smell! [[/underlined]] Especially so was the effect upon Keeney causing him almost to vomit. There was no appearance of mortification in the toe wh. he had [[end page]] [[start page]] (15 1862 Jan 12 + [[Sunday]] frozen on his way up on his trip - & yet we were not mistaken in this fact that the smell as described was about him while he was having the frost taken out of his frozen limbs. When the poultices were well applied to his feet - when all was done that could be done for Fluker - one of his mess mates (Emanuel) took him on his back & carried him to his birth forward. Our hopes are that he will recover but still it is probable that he cannot short of losing some of his limbs. Just before Fluker arrived we had completed a bed on the floor of the little Aft Cabin by placing down a Polar bear skin for Koo-jes-se, "Jim Crow" & Hiram the deer hunter onto wh. they retired when we covered them over with a boat sail. On the arrival of Fluker while we were engaged upon him these hunters were up ready to assist in anything that might be required of them. After giving Sharkey a mug of coffee he started back with the dogs Capt. B. advising that Frank Sylvia should not venture in exposing himself to this cold night - therefore he remains for the present at the vessel. It was past midnight when Sharkey started back. Capt B asked him if he was not afraid he would freeze in [[end page]] [[start page]] (16 1862 Jan 12 + [[Sunday]] returning in the cold & alone? He answered with his usual laugh Ag-gi! Ag-gi! I correct one mistake in preceeding record:- Fluker accompanied "Jack" from Toong-wine down to within 8 miles of where Miner & the others (at least many of them) are. He remained with Jack & family that night - next Morning (+) [[Sunday]] started with his bag on his back being accompanied by Jack's wife. When Fluker got to where he found Miner &c he got Annawa's son to bring him from said place (in Countess of Warwick's Sound) to the Innuits encamped on the Land Pass. From thence the noble Sharkey brought him to the vessel. Not the slightest idea by any one that Fluker had any limb frozen at the time of his return! The expectation simply that he had a toe that should be [[?sed]] for the frost-bite he experienced going up to Toong-wine! The discovery of the truth [[underlined]] horrible in effects! [[/underlined]] One year ago to-night the imminent danger of my, Ebierbing, Tukoolitoo & Kood-loo's being drifted away on the ice while encamped on the way up to Budington Bay! The beautiful Moonlight night Breakfast = Coffee & Bread Dinner = Pan Cakes (fritters) & Molasses Supper = Coffee & bread - Muk-tuk. 16 pages in this Day's Record
