What's not to love about the BBC2's "The North Water"! - Read about Hull's own Arctic Epic - The Diana Whaler and her valiant crew

 In this third part of a four part blog, inspired by the fabulous BBC2 drama, “The North Water”, starring Colin Farrell and based on a novel by Hull-born Ian McGuire, the Unlocking the Treasures team look at how the scurvy, rationing and homesickness all impact on the health and morale of the stricken crew on the “Diana” which became trapped in ice over the Arctic winter in 1886-1887 [photo 1 – Greenland's Icy Mountains].

                               

Photo 1 - Greenland's Icy Mountains - sketch by Dr Smith

On January 8^th, 1867, scurvy makes its first appearance on board. The entry in Smith’s diary for that day:

“But to-day my worst fears are realised…Fred Lockham, the fireman, and Magna Grey (senior) show unmistakable signs of scurvy!  They complain of pain in and tenderness of the gums, which are swollen, livid, and spongy, and bled to the touch, whilst the hard and soft plates are inflames and the teeth loosening.

There is no mistaking this peculiar disease, and, in our situation, there is no curing it!  We have some 3 gallons of very inferior lime-juice, which with twenty-seven tins of bouilli soup, are our only fresh provisions. Medicine is of no use, and, if it were, there is very little left now in the medicine chest. I am very much cast down when I reflect upon the inevitable fate of our poor fellows, and also of myself, should scurvy become general, as in all probability it will, before we can expect to escape from the pack”

Smith and George Clark, agreed to keep this disturbing development from the crew in order to protect staff morale and persuaded them that their sore mouths or aching gums were as a result of smoking dried tea leaves [which they had employed once the tobacco supply had run out].  However since scurvy soon become so prevalent amongst the crew, it became impossible to conceal this outbreak.

Smith continued to keep his diary and photos 2 and 3 are some of the illustrations that he sketched during the vogage.

Photo 2 - sketches from the Doctor's Diary

Photo 3 - more sketches by Dr Charles Smith

It seems unbelievable that Smith, despite knowing he was going to the Arctic, seemed to have underestimated the amount and type of clothing to bring with him, but in his defence, it was supposed to have been “a summer voyage”. An entry in his diary for January 3, 1867 noted that:

“Happy is the man on board who has an abundant supply of underclothing.  In this particular respect I am woefully deficient, having made provision only for a short summer voyage, and consequently am about the worst off in the ship’s company for articles of dress.  I am really ill provided for struggling through an Arctic winter, especially upon such hard terms as our, with barely sufficient food to support life and no fuel hardly to afford artificial heat”

The remaining crew were now existing on oatmeal porridge, rice scraps and ship’s biscuits.  Perhaps, understandably, some of the men took matters into their own hands.  Smith, in mid-January 1867, wrote that –

“There has been rather an unpleasant commotion on board, consequent upon the discovery that one of the bread casks has been robbed systematically.” 

This resulted in a further reductions in rations and as Smith pointed out –

“Two biscuits a week less is a serious loss, and, as you may suppose, there has been a good deal of unpleasantness amongst the men, who are suspecting and accusing one another.”

However some culprits did then confess to their crimes and they took the brunt of the reduction in rations.  However, as Smith commented in his diary, it was likely that there were more crew members involved in the stealing of the stores.

Another factor that Smith had to contend with was that of “homesickness” especially amongst the Shetland islanders -

12 Jan 1867 – “The Shetlanders are singularly attached to their islands, and are ever disposed to yearning and home-sickness.  With scurvy on board, and quite enough in our present circumstances and prospects to depress us, this will not do, and must be actively combated and dispelled if possible.  I have hard work to keep up heart in the Shetlandman, but it won’t do to let them get “down in the mouth””

Join us for the final instalment of the “Diana” blog where we learn the fate of both the crew and the ship itself.

Caoimhe West, Reader Assistant, Unlocking the Treasures