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[[boxed note]] 8th Enc. [[/boxed notge]] Tuesday, April 22d 1862 AM -5° N.W. Fresh Cloudy & thick M -2° N.W. Moderate Gale with drift PM -10° N. W. Fresh Fair This morning tho' weather unpropitious concluded to break up 7th enc I continue the March [[strikethrough]]?[[/strikethrough across the Bay of Frobisher. While Koo-jesse & Sharkey were engaged in packing sledges & Henry harnessing dogs, I was having a breakfast cooked in Old Allokke's & her son's Igloo. Being indisposed I was rather fastidious about my eating. I selected from my stock of provisions a choice piece of Venison wh. Kope-o had given me took it in to said Igloo, got Innuit "Bill" to mince it up & his wife to Cook it. While Took-too was cooking & broke up a half cake of Sea bread & incorporated same with the smoking [[?mess]] When this compound was done my sharp appetite done ample justice to it. I have intimated that I was "under the weather" - so I was & am - I do not now recollect when I have suffered more than I have this day - & now suffer to-night. The Cause is not unknown to me. Whenever I discontinue Civilization food & live as the Innuits do the result soon follows of being completely Knocked up by the derangement of my internal system. Constipation ^[[?tuna]] [[strikethrough]] is [[/strikethrough]] the general complaint ^[[among]] strikethrough]] ? ? ]] those of the "George Henry" who [[strikethrough]] have[[/strikethrough]] lived for any length of time with the Innuits [[end of page]] [[beginning of page]] [[boxed date]] 1862 Apr 22 Mon [[/boxed note]] [[top line partially obscured by fold over of page]] this winter. Constipation ^[[?]] always & immediately [[strikethrough]]?after[[/strikethrough]] the effect ^[[on me]] when I live on the raw & also cooked meat for the Innuits although fatty [[?]] matter [[strikethrough]]?eng[[/strikethrough]] enters largely into their consuption. Another cause of my indisposition: Not eating more than 1/4 enough food for my sustenance in the work I am prosecuting. How often do I wish I had half the daily allowance of a sledge man on the sledge journies of the [[strikethrough]] Ex [[/strikethrough]] English Expeditions while engaged searching after Sir John Franklin & his Companions! While at 7th enc I had several full meals among the Innuits there With but very few exceptions have I eaten a full meal since leaving Oo-pung-ne-wing. The encamp of my sealer has not been such as to supply the necessities of the six month's on [[?strand? ? my ?compound.]] With careful hand I ?dish out the small quantities of provisions I have of my own among my Co. I am endeavoring to make it last ?2 Months. I was able to purchase of the Innuits ^[[found at]] at 7th Enc. but very little Walrus meat & blubber for my Co's use from the fact that they had but little. Since leaving the ship 22 days ago, I have lost 5 inches on circumference. With the former detection wh. had been constant since leaving the States I have got to be a [[underlined]] small [[/underlined]] man to what I was when treading American soil! But it must be kept in mind that the vessel is wh. I expected to sail for Home last Oct. was unexpectedly caught here & [[strikethrough]] enchanged[[/strikethrough]] enchained in ice prison from wh. there was no hope of being released till next July or Aug. The great battle has been for the preservation of life - to gain [[underlined]] sustenance [[/underlined]] for the preservation of it. Now I am on an Exploring journey dependent almost wholly upon the provision that is acquired in the apparent [[?tifily]] region through wh. I travel. From the meagre means at my present Command I cannot expect to accomplish much. [[underlined]] I will do what I can. [[/underlined]] [[end of page]]
Transcription Notes:
See page 515 in Hall's book.
