Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-01-09
AN ARCTIC FEAST.
How Greely,s NeE spent the Christ
mas Hofidays-Ghe story rs Told In
the Diary of Lieut. Lockwood-A
Pathetic "Reminiscences of the IlI-

How Greely,s NeE Spent the Christ
mas Hoiidays-Ghe story as Told In
the Diary of Lieut. Lockwood-A
Pathetic Reminfs eance of the Ill
Fated Expedition.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.-The Natien-
al Republican published Christmas
extracts from the diary of Lieut..
lockwood, of the Greedy Arctic
colony, describing the manner in
which TIE starving party spent the
last, Christmas at Cape Sabine in the
Attic regions. Lieut.. Lockwood kept
diary IN shorthand, which has been
transcribed by member of his fami-
~, and he appears to have made a
full record of everything of import
ance which happened Ia the daily life
of the party. The extracts which the
Republican printed relates how, as
Christmas drew near, the officers 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 prepare
tons for feast on the approaching
Christmas by setting apart small por-
tons of their daily rationS. On Dec.
p 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 before then" He adds
that he put it in charge of BeiderEeck
as an additional safeguard. On the
22d he writes: I'VE look forward to
to morrow and Christmas" ard Il
offered to give anyone roast turkey
on reaching home for a single dog
biscuit now, but found ne takers. >
He says on tie next day: Il saved
nearly all my hard bread for Christ
mas, though l needed it sorely." To
make the Christmas dinner grander,
he made q tremendous effort, and
went without his rum, i'll order to have
it for Christmas,
On Christmas eve he added to his
scanty savings for the next days
feast half his bread and his piece of
lemon, and he VIII. N his book:
Tonight is Christmas eve and my
thoughts are turned toward home.
God preserve me to see this day next
year, and enjoy it at home with those
| love. To morrow it is to be pretty
much a repetition OF Thanksgiving.
| have saved up my rum and bread
| think of.the children at home, the
Christmas tree to night, the toys, etc,
but my fingers are too cold to write
more. l picture to myself my dear
father and mother, sisters, Harry, my
niece and br0ther-in-law sitting
oN,N,,.,,l - Il -
ana mirce-p pies are strewn on the
table. Many thoughts arr turned to-
ward me, and where l am at this mo
ment."
THE CHRISTMAS FEAST.
The entry for Christmas day is AS
follows; Dec. %. Barometer, 25. 90.
Thermometer, 275. Christmas. We
have all been talking and waiting
anxiously for the hour and now it is
here and 6 p. M nearly gone. Break
fast consisted of thin soup of peas and
carrots with little blubber and some
spoonfuls of potatoes. This we had
at 6 o'clock. At 1 D. M, the long
looked event OF the day, dinner
The dinner consisting Of fine, rich
stew of seal meat with onions, Il little
blubber, potatoes and bread crumbs
After this we had, in the course Of an
hour or SO, a fine, nice stew with
raisins and little blu6bcr and milk.
These were pretty much the same as
on Thanksgiving, but the cooks made
a great deal GA that day aud the meals
seemed better. The 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 fine spirits
o-day. Cheers We're given after
breakfast for Lieut.. Greedy, Corporal
Wilson, Rice and the two cooks. 1t
was agreed that we should give each
of the two Esquimaux so cents from
each member of the expi3ition, to be
kept for next Christmas
''Kislingbury was kind enoAgh to
make for each Of the party a cigarette.
Many of us are now out Of tobacco
entirely
THE DAY AFTER.
Oa the day aftec Christmas he writes
as follows: yesterday has passed,
but fiad my notes of yesterday very
imperfect. The day was q great sue
cess. We all had enough, or nearly
enough. l had eight ounces extra
which I had saved up, one ounce Ct
butter besides and the rum OF the Sat
urday before. 1T was agreed carly
IN the morning that nothing should
be said to mar the pleasures of the
day. Many kindly thoughts We're ex-
pressed for those at home, and often
we spoke of what was going on at our
homes. After dinner we had songs
in all languages, including French,
German and Danish. The punch
was extremely fine. We had ch0co-
late about 7 o'clock, and by this time
most of us we're too full for ulterance
and the conversation gradually slack
ened off, anG with the songs of day
ended. To day we have been feeling
extremely well, nice and warm and
comfortable Some of us ate too
much, yesterday, but only SO much
as to feel little uncomfortable at
times, but we all slept well"
Our talk this morni3g was Of
home, and OF our families. ] have
extended a general invitation to
all the members of the expedition to
visit my fathers house l spoke this
morning of the reunion of my family
and how enjoyable they are. Ny re
marks about m y father brought tears.
This is the first time | have shed tears
since I have been in this country