human
I declare, said Altamont, one evening;
gpt
I am afraid not, said the Doctor;
human
Then you think if there were more of us, we should find more to do?
gpt
Of course: when whole ships' crews have wintered here, they have managed to while away the time famously.
human
Well, I must say I should like to know how. It would need a vast amount of ingenuity to extract anything amusing out of our circumstances. I suppose they did not play at charades?
gpt
No, but they introduced the press and the theatre.
human
What? They had a newspaper?
gpt
They acted a comedy?
human
That they did, said the Doctor.
gpt
When Parry wintered at Melville Island, he started both amusements among his men, and they met with great success.
human
Well, I must confess, I should like to have been there, returned Johnson;
gpt
Curious and amusing too, my good Johnson. Lieutenant Beechey was the theatre manager, and Captain Sabina chief editor of the newspaper called 'The Winter Chronicle, or the Gazette of Northern Georgia.'
human
Good titles,
gpt
The newspaper appeared daily from the 1st of November, 1819, to the 20th of March, 1820. It reported the different excursions, and hunting parties, and accidents, and adventures, and published amusing stories. No doubt the articles were not up to the 'Spectator' or the 'Daily Telegraph,' but the readers were neither critical nor blasé, and found great pleasure in their perusal.
human
My word! said Altamont.
gpt
I should like to read some of the articles.
human
Would you? Well, you shall judge for yourself.
gpt
What! can you repeat them from memory?
human
No; but you had Parry's Voyages on board the Porpoise, and I can read you his own narrative if you like.
gpt
Here is a letter, he said,