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[[boxed]] 1862 Apr 12 Sat. [[/boxed]] all around before, aft & ^[[on the top]] of the sledge we commenced & completed the operation embarking up & placing a 2d cover over the snow - block - covering to ensure double protection from storm without & keeping heat within - dog calorie as well as the human. Then we cut an entrance ^[[on the]] starboard side & at the bow of the sledge [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] on the lee side, [[underlined]] of course, [[/underlined]] wh. corresponds to the took-soo[[guess]] ^[[(entrance ways)]] positions the Innuits give when they erect an Igloo. After Henry had entered & leveled & hardened the snow for a bed-place & placed over it my oil cloth coat wh. I took on the sledge for a [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] floor to it (floor to the sledge to sit up on in riding) I passed in to him one by one of the dogs wh. he stowed away in such order that they should answer as [[underlined]] feet warmers, [[/underlined]] & [[underlined]] pillows [[/underlined]] for heads! A little niche near my head had been formed for my Chronometer where I placed it warmly wrapped in Took-too fur. A snow door of huge dimensions & as nearly Polar bear proof as circumstances would admit of it I cut out & carved & fitted to its place - Last of all I crawled in or rather [[underlined]] steared in [[/underlined]] feet formost, having thrown back the heavy hingeless door sufficiently to admit my transitory form. All in but arms & hands, with them I worked & worked to bring back to its place said door. It would not answer to my lifts pushes and pulls - It would "budge a hair". I got out again - placed it on pivot - then entered again and pulled on the door & down it tumbled counter way from what I designed. but again wh. was not enviable on every task, I again adjusted perfecting door. Another trial when within terminated satisfactorily. It closed like a charm. All [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] are now well housed [[end page]] [[start page]] [[boxed]] 1862 Apr 12 Sat [[/boxed]] How thankful that Heaven hath given the means for so comfortable quarters to weary limbs & anxious souls as these we have to-night. The storm from the Mountains tops comes down fearfully & howls around us, but we are well protected against it. The beating snow seeks entrance but can find none. When I & Henry [[strikethrough]] made [[/strikethrough]] had our lunch to-day we saved a piece of permican that made us each one good mouthful [[strikethrough]] for [[/strikethrough]] ^[[as we partake of]] our supper to-night - saved also 1/2 doz. table spoonfuls of the powdered meat biscuit made by him whom I could bless should I ever see him again. Gail Borden's meat biscuit both saved many an an arctic traveller from much suffering. The pemican dispatched I rationed out one spoonful to each of us of said meat biscuit - strange to say we felt not the want of anything more. Then came a longing desire for a smoke. I had a dozen [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] matches - only one of the lot would strike fire. I am led to think that the Innuit mode of obtaining their fire the more reliable as well as the [[underlined]] best. [[/underlined]] They depend not on so fickle things as civilization matches. With a piece of quartz ^[[a rag, or [[?]]in, or moss]] & a steel they will produce fire instantly. We ^[[have]] kept up either a good or bad use of [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] fire by the 1 match out of 12 for a full 1/2 hour when one pipe was near ex^[[h]]austed the other pipe was lighted & smoked while the other was being changed - so have kept our Igloo clouded & warmed with smoke for the time indicated - I will at this point, while it is on mind [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] note an incident that occured [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] just before reaching the place where we are now encamped. My dog driver thought he would try one of the other dogs of the team as [[strikethrough]] leady [[/strikethrough]] leader. He took off the harness of ^[[the]] one dog that he [[strikethrough]] was de[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] had designed for leader when
