The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-02-18

" Dec. : NeXi Conics unr Christmas Feast
Tonight VIC ,tsI, two do ri-cuit and mouth
ful 81 EH...Sb b.ci. Late nv bread and meat
io-elhe-. mid them waited for the tea. OF late
! have generally .srpt MY bread and meat until
the tea was ready but no oxpedients make
much difference there is never enough"
Sitting here at my desk, with light and
warmth. ] feel how iradcguate any comment
from my pen may lie 10 tell of the brave and
almost uuconi planning way that gallant little
band of soldiers looked almost certain death
quietly III the face, aud 50 will let the ex-
tracts given below from the pages before me tell
the sad story better than anyone living can do,
even oT the half dozen survivors.
" Dee g. Memorandum: Fig pie. -Four foxes
were shot last night weighing, dressed. IL
pounds six ounces ~ al. We have felt much
better satisfied to-day than for long time. We
feel confident OF getting bear yet. / managed
TO save half my bread stew this morning. and
kept il till :his evening and ate il with my
lemon. l feel particularly filed tonight
This bread stew, rs thus eaten, contained
blubber, Taisins, and lemon. q terrible mixture
for anyone hut man on quarter rations in the
Arrtics. How often my thoughts wander homo
20 the family scenes there-my thoughts. nIust
confess, are generally accompanied by thoughts
of the table. In fact can think Of nothing but
eating.
"Lirui Greedy and Rice have agreed TO give
each other alternately all their Sunday morn
ing bread stews next Sunday and the one fol-
lowing One will go without and the other
have double allowance.
Dee 10 lMonday) Memorandum: Guava
jelly pineapple. raw meat and onions minced
and eaten together. Mashed potato cakes fried
with layer OF sausage between and poached
egg served on top.
The tobacco ofmany Of the party is gone and
they arc miserable. Another day gone thank
God Oh for the time when we shall have all
we can eat, aud have light and health Mem
orandum: Parker House rolls.
81 Dec ~. Memorandum: Hot porter. with
nutmeg and sugar. Thermometer, 2j'. went
out in the afternoon and worked few minutes
Find myself very weak. Oh this wretehed
existence, when n few bread crumbs are as
highly priced rs tho most delicious delicaeies
Last night ate two fox paws, raw. They arc
little else than bone, but chewed up the bone
and everything raw.
We count tho days from one Sunday to an
other. and TO solstico and Christmas
:" Dec is Sunday. Noon thermometer 81.
This morning we had n fine bread stew, SON.
ola gum as it is called; mere tasto Of every
thing, however. but bread. / borrowed a dog
biscuit last night from Biederbck, and adding
10 10 the bread left since last night was enabled
to-saye part Of the bread pudding until tonight.
Tonight we had q fine seal and fox stew.
al feel better satisfied than have for two
months, hardly excepting Thanksgiving. feel,
indeed, somewhat uncomfortable. Our stom-
achs, ] suppose, have contracted under the
snsll allowance, aud ] am satisfied that an
ordinary meal would make US feel badly Ii is
a noticeable fact that the conversation slackens
after these full meals. More Is said after the
sparse ones. IL is only on such occasions that
my mind rcverts Tor any length Of time TO any
thing but food. Five days more to the top Of
the hin 1.-THE sostiCe). Thank God
" Dec. Il. Got my feet nice aud warm last
night by sitting OF the stone on which the fire
is bnilt. Ii is singular how provoked now
feel at any dish have had the chance Of eating
in civilization and have neglected
" Dec. Il. Ny thoughts ara constantly on
food. and my mind dEells constantly on my
childhood dishes At home
oh My dear home and tho dear ones
there. Can it be possible ! shall some day
sec them again, and that these days of misery
will pass awayy Ny dear father, "a be still
alive2 Ny dear mother aud sisters, Harry
his brothcrl. my nieces aud brothors-in- law
THE brothers in-law are Commander Charles
ID. sigsbec and Lieut. Robert G.. Peck, u. :. ",
both row on duty at tho Naval Academy I
I!ow often think Of them all.
" Dec. 10. ] feel an apathy and cloudiness
almost impossible to shake or Ii is a great
difficulty we have every night to know just
how much hard bread 10 save for breakfast the
tomorrow morning.
Dec. 81. The top OF the hill-the most
glorious day Of this dreEry journey through
the valley OF cold and hupger-has al last
come. and is now nearly gone. Thank God {!
Now the cloriOns sun has commenced 20 return.
aud every day gets lighter and brings him
nearer. il is an augury that we shall yet pull
through all right.
By great effort was able 10 save one ounce
Of my bread and about two ounces Of butter for
Christmas. / shall! make a vigorous effort 20
abstain from eating ID before then. Put IL in
charge of RicdcTbeck rs an additional safeguard,
rs did with my savings for Thanksgiving
-" Dec p. Thermometer 2g' al noon. i was
out today TO cut ont the wateF-hOle Found
myself very weak, aud could hardly lit the
water ] brought in Memorandum: Citron
preserves am now smoking tea leaves with
my tobacco. We look forward 10 tomorrow
and Christmas J bad 10 bread this morning,
and only one dog bi,cuit tonight lone and one
half ounces. ] offered 10 give anyone a roast
turkey on reaching home for a single dog bis
cult now, but found 40 takers.
Dec. % Sunday. Good stew for supper.
! / saved nearly all my hard bread for Christ
mas, though / need il sorcly.
q hope Christmas will be better than to-day.
Our thoughts wonder hOmcward 10 the roast
turkeys, mlnce pies doughnuts, etc. BY a ire
mcndous effort ] managed % 20 without rum
to-day, in order 10 have IL on Christmas I
shall then have il ia addition 10 the punch.
Oh this dreary life. How often my thoughts
wonder homeward TO tho dear ones there
Memorandum Pumpkin butter.
" Dec. ~. by a great effort / managed 10
save nay bread and my Sunday rum also my
piece OF lemon. So my breakfast this morning
consisted Of nothing but coffee, without any
thing else. i put by half of my bread for to-
morrow, for ! am determined TO have a good
days allowance Tomorrow Tonight is Christ
mas Eve. and my thoughts are turned toward
home. God preserve me 20 see this day next
year. and enjoy it at home with those love.
81 think Of the children at home, and the
Christmas tree tonight. and the toys, etc. But
my fingers arc too cold 20 write more; and I
have the extra lamp, aud cannot burn il long,
on account Of our short allowance Of blubber.
Every spoonful Of blubber IS so much OF our
food
" / picture 10 myself my dear father and
mother, sisters. Harry, my nieces and brothers.
| ln'iaw, all sitting around the table to morrow
turkeys aud mincc pies are stTewed on the
table. Many thoughts are turned toward mo
and where i am atthis moment.
Dec. 20. Tie thermometer $3.50 ut noon.
| Christmas. We have al been talk ing and wait
ing an1ously for the hour. and now il is here
I and q y. M nearly gone. Breakfast consisted
OF the soup Of peas and carrots, with a little
blubbor and some spoOnfuls Of potatoes. This
we had at o'clock.
At $50 p. m. Long lighted up for the event
OF mo day-dinner. Dinner consisted of a
INC, rich thick stew Of all seal meat, with on
| ions. little blubber, potatoes, and bread
| crumbs. After this We had. in the course Of am
honr or SO, a Inc rich stew, with raisins aud a
little milk