950	.1 ANNETTE INOIRY.

our blankets for a sleep. Light W. breeze ; full moon ; starlight. Not very cold. Alexey saw river a mile wide with no ice in it.
October 8th, Saturday.—One hundred and eighteenth day. Called all hands at 5.30. Breakfast, one ounce alcohol in a pint of hot water. Doctor's note : Alcohol proves of great advantage ; keeps off craving for food, preventing gnawing at stomach, and has kept up the strength of the men, as given—three ounces per (lay as estimated, and in accordance with Dr. Anstie's experiments.
Went ahead until 10.30; one ounce alcohol 6.30 to 10.30; five miles; struck big river; 11.30 ahead again; sand bank; meet small river; have to turn back; halt at five. Only made advance one mile more; hard luck. Snow; S.SE. wind; cold camp; but little wood; one-half ounce alcohol.
October 9th, Sunday.—One hundred and nineteenth day. All hands at 4.30 one ounce alcohol. Read Divine service. Send Nindemann and Noros ahead for relief ; they carry their blankets, one rifle forty rounds ammunition, two ounces alcohol. Orders to keep west bank of river until they reach settlement. They started at seven; cheered them. Under way at eight; crossed creek ; broke through ice; all wet up to knees; stopped and built fires; dried clothes. Under way again at 10.30. Lee breaking down. At one strike river bank ; halt for dinner; one ounce alcohol. Alexey shot three ptarmigans. Made soup. We are following Nindemann's track, though he is long since out of sight. Under way at 3.30. High bluff. Ice running rapidly to northward in river. Halt at 4.40 upon coming to wood. Find canoe ; lay our heads on it and go to sleep. One-half ounce alcohol for supper.
October 10th, Monday.—One hundred and twentieth day. Last half ounce alcohol at 5.30; at 6.30 send Alexey off to look for ptarmigan. Eat deerskin scraps. Yesterday morning ate my deerskin foot-nips. Light S.SE. airs; not very cold. Under way at eight. In crossing creek three of us got wet; built fire and dried out. Ahead again until eleven. Used up. Built fire; made a drink out of the tea-leaves from alcohol bottle. On again at noon. Fresh S.SW. wind, drifting snow, very bard going. Lee begging to be left. Some little beach, and then long stretches of high bank. Ptarmigan tracks plentiful. Following Nindemann's tracks. At three halted, used up; crawled into a hole in the bank, collected wood and built fire. Alexey away in quest of game. Nothing for supper except a spoonful of glycerine. All hands weak and feeble, but cheerful. God help us.
October 11th, Tuesday.—One hundred and twenty-first day. SW. gale with snow. Unable to move. No game. One spoonful glycerine and hot water for food. No more wood in our vicinity.
October 12th, Wednesday.—One hundred and twenty-second day. Breakfast; last spoonful glycerine and hot water. For dinner we tried a couple of handfuls of Arctic willow in a pot of water and drank the infusion. Everybody getting weaker and weaker. Hardly strength to get fire-wood. SW. gale with snow.
October 13th, Thursday.—One hundred and twenty-third day. Willow tea. -Strong SW. wind. No news from Nindemann. We are in the hands of God, and unless He intervenes we are lost. We cannot move against the wind, and staying here means starvation. Afternoon went ahead for a mile, crossing either another river or a bend in the big one. After crossing missed Lee. Went down in a hole in the bank and camped. Sent back for Lee. He had turned back, lain down, and was waiting to die. All united in saying Lord's Prayer and Creed after supper. Living gale of wind. Horrible night.