A record of Rice’s experiences as photographer on the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, 1881-1884. Unpaged but carefully dated throughout.
Aug. 2, 1881: We found Lt. Greely and his party on time. They shortly after came in here with keys and boxes of letters and periodicals that had been left for the Nares party. Lt G will send them by the Proteus to go to England via Newfoundland. [This was written near Smith Sound.]
Aug. 24, 1881: when house at Fort Conger was completed: I still remain in the tent, as I anticipate that life in the house will be so monotonous during the long dark winter that the longer I camp out the letter as to the change will be more agreeable.
Aug 15, 1881: I find reading a pleasant occupation and in the circumstance, although the conditions are certainly different from those under which this recreation is generally indulged in. After [hoisting?] myself as a sword into the fur [sealband?] and my sleeping bag up under my chin, and putting on cap and mittens enjoy myself with Dickens or the less enjoyable but more instructive legal works of [K—–t?] A sense of comfort is experienced notwithstanding the fact that the snow can be heard whirling against the canvas of the tent, and this is August. [This passage was written the day the Proteus left them, leaving Kislingbury behind.]
Aug. 26, 1881: It snowed all day today. I spent most of the time in sleeping and reading….
Sept. 4, 1881, Sunday indicates they found provisions at Cape I–? left by the Nares expedition of 1875-76. Rice then got sick with rheumatism and couldn’t move. A rescue party saved him.
Sept. 18, 1881, Sunday: Lt. Greely reads a chapter from the Bible aloud to us every Sunday evening. This with a prayer for those who [howl, or hurt?] comprise our religious sciences.”
[10/17/06 DHS read thru September. Worth going back to sometime.]