Museum catalogue: Polar Art Collection

Watering ship from an iceberg


Accession no.:	Y: 54/13/47
Title:	Watering ship from an iceberg
Description:	One of set of 49 watercolours, 1 pencil sketch, 7 pen drawings, all the work of Staff Surgeon Edward Lawton Moss, R.N. of H.M.S.Alert during the British Arctic Expedition of 1875-76.
Medium:	Watercolour
Artist:	Moss, Edward Lawton
Note:	Test, on reverse: 'Arctic Expedition, HMS Alert, Godhaven, Disco, 14 July 1875. Watering ship from an iceberg ... a small berg is towed alongside port gangway - captain of foretop is standing in the dingy, breaking it up with an ice chisel, others fish up the pieces and carry them on board in bread bags - watering in bread bags is new to most of us - it is warm (ie about 55o) and the men are working in their jersies. No regular bluejacket uniform is worn, Men and Officers are dressed as best suits the service - all have leather caps with turn down ears and parts of fur - many of both Men and Officers wear their box cloth suits - some still stick to uniform - smoking at all times when not on actual duty is a comfort. Water from ice taken on board in this way is much more palitable than that condensed on board - the ice is left on deck for a short time and the melting of the surface washes off any salt water which may have come up with it from the sea ... on extreme left Eskimo climbing on board out of his kayak'.
Dimensions:	Image: Width: 205mm; height: 165mm Mount: Width: 410mm; height: 280mm