The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-12-26
A MERRY CHRISTMAS,
IN WHICH THE CELEBRITIES HAD BUT
FRiGiD CHEER,
But Managed To BE Happy on q Very
Frugal Bill of Fare-Xmas At
Cape Sabine-A Pa
thetic Story.

WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. 26.-The Ma
tional Republican prints extracts from the
diary OF Lieut.. Lockwood, of the Greedy
Arctic colony, describing the manner in
which the starving party spent last Christ
mas at Cape Sabine, In the Arctic region.
Lieut.. Lockwood kept his dairy in shorthand,
which has been Transcribed by a member Of
his family, and he appears to have made
full record Of everything of importance
which happened in the daily life of the party.
The extracts which The Republican prints
relates to how, as Christmas drew near, Off
GERS and men joined in talk of home, and
planned grand feasts for the time when they
should reach the civilized world, and how
they made preparations for a feast on the
approaching Christmas by setting apart
small portions of their daily rations.
On Dee. 81 Lockwood writes: "By great
effort was able to save one ounce of my
bread and about two ounces of butter for
Christmas. | shall make vigorous effort
to abstain from eating it until then" He
odds that he put it in charge Of Binder
beck as an additional safeguard. On Dec
y he writes: I'VE look forward to to-mor
row and Christmas" and, Il offered to give
any one roast turkey on reaching home for
a single dog biscuit now. but found no
takers" He says on next day: Il saved
nearly all my hard bread for Christmas,
though need it severity" and that TO make
the Christmas dinner grander he made a
tremendous effort md went without his rum
in order to have it for Christmas to add TO
the punch.
Ga Christmas Eve he added to his scanty
for hA ha1
bread and his piece OF lemon, and he wrote
III his book:
Tonight is Christmas Eve, aud my
thoughts arc turned toward home. God pre-
serve NE to see this day next year, and enjoy
it at home among those l love Tomorrow
it is to be pretty much repetition OF
Thanksgiving. have saved up my rum and
bread. | think Of children at home, the
Christmas tree tonight, and the toys, etc.
but my fingers are too COLI to write more.
1 picture to myself my dear father and
mother, sisters, Harry, my neice, and BROTH
! ers- in-law, all sitting around the table TO
morrow. Turkeys and mince pies are sire WI
on the table. Many thoughts are turned 70
ward me and where l am at this moment
The entry for Christmas Day is as follows
"Dec. a5-Barometer, % %; thermometer,
| 275 Christmas. We have all been aalking
and waiting anxiously for the hour, and
now it is here, and now Is p. M nearly gone
| Breakfast consisted of thin soup Of pea:
/ and carrots with a little bluboer and soIaa
| spoonfuls OF potatoes. This We had at
| O'Clock. Cloud berries served out-two Gan.
| to each mess. At | p N. Long lighted VI
for the event of the day, dinner. Dlnnsl
| consisted of a fine rich stew of all seal msa
bread crumbs. After this We had In Bh'
course of an hour or so a fine nice stew viii
| raiSins and little blubber and milk. Thar
were pretty much the same as Thanksgiving
| but the cooks made great deal on that day
and the meals seemed better The cocks AN
now preparing some fine chocolate, and tia
will be followed BY punch of one gln o
| rum to each man.
"The party have been in fine spirits to-day
Cheers were given after breakfast for Lieut.
Greedy, Corporal Ellison, Rice and the tw
cooks. 1t was agreed that we should Civ
each of the two EsquimauK so cents fTol
each member Of the expedition to be KEEP
for next Cristmas.n
"Kislingbury was kind enough to make 70
each of the party a cigarette. MANY of U
are now out Of tobacco entirely.
On the day after Christmas he writes q
follows:
Yesterday has passed, but 1 find m
notes Of yesterday very imperfect, The da
y
nearly enough. / had eight ounces extra
which / had saved up, one ounce of suite
besides, and tho rum OF Sunday before.
was agreed early in the morning that moth
ing should be said to mar the pleasure Of tn
day. Many kindly thoughts were expresse
for those at home, and Obi how often "
spoke of what was going on at our sewers
homes. After dinner we had songs in a
languages, including French, German
Danish and Innuit. The punch was e1
tremely fine. Chocolate about o'clock, an
by this time most of Us were too full fer uttel
ance, and conversation gradually slackene
off, and with the songs the day ended
To-day we have all been feeling eEtremel
we'll all day; nice and warm and comforts
bic in the extreme. Some Of us ate to
much yesterday but only SO much as to fe+
a little uncomfortable at times, but We a
slept well Our talk this morning was
home and our families l have extended
general invitation TO all members of the el
petition to visit my fathers house. spok
this morning of the reunions of my famil,
and how enjoyable they are. My reInarl
about my father brought tears--the fir
time have shed tears since l have been
this country"