July 17—A wonderful clear evening. Osmer came from on deck dancing with an imaginary skipping-rope. I said to him, “What a happy fellow you are, always in good humour.” His answer was, “Well, sir, if I am not happy here, I don’t know where else I could be.” He has an extraordinary facility to remember and recount the details of our provisions, and we take comfort in having him recite what will keep us from want in the months to come. “Why, sirs,” he says, “we need fear nothing. We have sixty-one tons of flour; sixteen tons of biscuits; fourteen tons each of salt beef and pork; ten and one-half tons of sugar; nine tons of concentrated soup; four tons of chocolate; three tons of tobacco; a ton each of tea, soap and candles; 8,000 cans of preserved meat, soup and vegetables; 3,684 gallons of liquor; 900 gallons of lemon juice; 170 gallons of cranberries; and 200 pounds of pepper to season it all.” Of course all this is supplemented by the personal supplies that all of th...
July 26— Today around noon we were met by a whaler, the Prince of Wales out of Hull, with Captain Dannet commanding. We exchanged pleasantries and offered an invitation to supper on board but, unfortunately for our social agenda, a favourable wind came up (favourable for the whaler), and Captain Dannet felt he could not let it go so we parted company. Our island of ice has become quite homey with our observation huts scattered over it and men walking everywhere for exercise, but I wish for a fair wind to speed us on our way also.
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