944	JEANNETTE INQUIRY.

and others repairing or patching our hut or their clothes. At six had supper, one half pint gull soup, one half pound fried meat. At dark built fires again on the point in hope of attracting attention ; but the attention of whom i At eight turned in. The wind moderated considerably, and backed to WNW., and as the water smoothed down I was glad to see ice form on both rivers.
September 30th, Friday.—One hundred and tenth day. Called the cook at 6 a. in. Breakfast at 6.50. Tea and one-half pound fried meat. Light west breeze. Barometer 30.10 at 650. Temperature 160.5 at nine. The main river is covered over with a sheet of ice, and I have sent Nindemann to examine it for a crossing place. Our hut remains comfortable for the first hours of the night, but towards day-light it becomes so cold and uncomfortable that sleep is out of the question. Boyd and Sam are discharged from the sick-list to duty. Ericksen is no better, and it is a foregone conclusion that he must lose four of the toes of his right foot, and one of his left foot. The doctor commenced slicing away the flesh after breakfast, fortunately without pain to the patient, for the forward part of the foot is dead; but it was a heart-rending sight to me, the cutting away of bones and flesh of a man whom I hoped to return sound and whole to his friends. May God pity us, and grant that this is the only mishap that is to attend the en-tire expedition. Now, of course, the man must be dragged, for his walking is out of the question. At the present daily decrease in temperature we shall not have to wait long for the freezing over of the river. Nindemann and Alexey upon their return report they crossed the east river about one and a half miles from here.
At twelve had dinner ; seven pounds stew, or one half pound each. I know this is not enough food per day, one and a half pounds, for I am certainly hungry, and do not have even the work of bringing the wood, which the men have. But our deer meat will last just three days at one-half pound a meal, and I cannot increase the issue.
After dinner I sent Alexey on a deer hunt; Mr. Collins on a general short hunt ; the men for fire-wood, and Nindemann was put at making a sled-litter to carry Ericksen. The doctor thinks the latter cannot live unless we are fortunate enough to make a settlement within two or three days. Alas ! alas !
By six p. m. Mr. Collins and Alexey both returned empty-handed. Alexey had gone, he thinks, about nine miles, and saw nothing except old deer tracks.
Supper, one-half pound deer meat and tea. Fire going on our signal hill as usual. All abed by eight p. m., our dirty hovel, unfit for a dog at home, seeming a palace, because of the shelter it gives.
October 1st, Saturday.—One hundred and eleventh day, and a new month. Called all hands as soon as the cook announced boiling water, and at 6.45 had our breakfast; one-half pound of deer meat and tea. Sent Nindemann and Alexey to examine main river, other men to collect wood. The doctor resumed the cutting away of poor Ericksen's toes this morning. No doubt it will have to continue until half his feet are gone, unless death ensues, or we get to some settlement. Only one toe left now. Temperature 180.
At 7.30 Nindemann and Alexey were seen to have crossed, and I immediately sent men to carry one load over.
Left the following record :
SATURDAY, October 1, 1881.
Fourteen of the officers and men of the U. S. Arctic Steamer Jeannette reached this hut on Wednesday, September 28th, and having been forced to wait for the river