They had more than the usual
amount of fresh meat at this season, and it was difficult to account for
the unusually large percentage of scurvy, unless Captain Fisher's theory
were the correct one. He attributed it to the unusual severity of the
fall and early winter-season, which, he said, was unprecedented in his
experience of over fourteen years in these waters. The ships were driven
into winter quarters nearly a month previous to the usual time by a
succession of gales and heavy weather, which occasioned the loss of one
vessel of the fleet--the brig 'A. J. Ross' of New Bedford, Captain
Sinclair, which went ashore near Cape Kendall, on the eastern coast of
Rowe's Welcome during the latter part of August. Though scurvy had been
so prevalent it had not been so severe as usual, and as yet the graveyard
on "Deadmen's Island," on the outer harbor, had received no accession
from the crews. The successful treatment of the disease seems to be to
compel the patient to eat abundantly of raw walrus or seal meat, and to
take moderate exercise, at first under shelter and then in the open
air.
[Illustration: THE SHIPS IN WINTER QUARTERS.]
The officers of the vessels treated us with the most unbounded
generosity, and readily placed at our disposal whatever they could
spare that we required. The wreck of the 'A.
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