Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-12-25
A SAD CHRIsTMAs.
The Greedy Relief Expedition Celebrate
the Anniversary Of Our Lords Birth.
day, in the Arctic Region-The
Pitiable Condition OF the
Starving Men.

WASHINGTON, Dec. "a.
The National Republican of this city vii
print tomorrow an extract from the diary o
Lieutenant Lockwood, of the Greely Arcti,
colony, describing the manner in which tn,
starving crew spent their last Christmas a
Cape Sabine in the Arctic region. Lieuten
ant Lockwood kept his diary in short hand
which has been transcribed by q member o.
his family, and he appears to have made I
full record of everything of importance which
happened in their daily life, extracts from
which the Republican will print, in relation
TO how, as Christmas drew near, the officer,
and men Joined in the talk of home anC
planned grand fessts for the time when they
should reach the civilized world and how
they made preparations for feast on the ap-
preaching Christmas by setting aside small
portions of their daily rations:
On December 2lst Lockwood writes: By
great effort was able to save one ounce Of
my bread and about two ounces of butter for
Christmas. shall make q vigorous effort tc
abstain from eating it before then" He
adds that he has ''put it in charge Of Bieder
beck as an additional safeguard"
On Dec. 22 he writes: "We look forward
to tomorrow and Christmas, and offered tC
give anyone . roast turkey on reaching home
for single biscuit now, but found no tax,
ers."
He said on the next day; 81 saved nearly
all my hardbresd for Christmas, although
need it sorely, and to make the Christmas
dinner grander made a tremendous endeavor
and went without my rum, in order TO have
it for Christmas" On Christmas eve
he added to his scanty savings for the neat
days feast one-half of his bread and his piece
of lemon, and he wrote in his book:
Tonight is Christmas eve and my thoughts
are turned towards it. God preserve me to
see this day next year and enjoy it at home
with those love. Tomorrow it is to be
pretty much repitition of Thanksgiving;
have saved up my run and bread. think OF
the children at home, Christmas tree tonight
toys, etc. but my fingers are to cold to write
more. picture to myself my dear father
and mother, sisters, Harry, my niece and
brothers. in-law, all sitting around the table
with turkeys and mince pies strewn on the
table. Many thought are turned toward me
and where | am at this moment"
The entry for Christmas is as follows:
"Dec 25-Barometer 29.90, thermometer
25.5-Christmas. We have all been talking
and waiting anxiously for the hour and now
it is here and (5 P. NJ. } nearly gone. Break
fast consisted of thin soup of peas and car
rots, with little blubber and some spoon
fuls of potatoes. This we had at 6 o'clock.
Cloud-berries were served out (two cans to
each mess) At P. NJ, the long lighted up
event of the dsy-dinner. Dinner consisted
of fine rich stew of seal meat with onions.
little blubber and potatoes and bread
crumbs.
In the course of an hour or so we had a
stew with raisins, and little blubber and
milk. "There was pretty much the same as
Thanksgiving but looks made great differ
ence and the meals seemed better. Cooks
are now preparing some fine chocolate and
that will be followed by punch of one gill
of rum to each man."
The party have been in fne spirits today,
1t was agreed that we should give each of the
two Esquimaux fifty cents from each MEM
Der of the expedition to be kept for next
Christmas.