CHAPTER XV
THE RETURN OF MAMEN AND THE DEPARTURE OF THE DOCTOR’S PARTY
February 3 dawned fine and clear. There were a few narrow leads of water near Shipwreck Camp; the ice was constantly cracking here and there around us as the wind veered and changed in velocity and as we were still drifting we heard many a crashing or grinding sound. Our own floe was intact, but wherever the ice opened beyond the edges of the floe the open water would make young ice again and this was not always heavy enough to withstand the constantly recurring pressure.
At half past eight Chafe and Williams left with a Peary sledge, four dogs and the following supplies, to leave at Mamen’s fourth camp: eight tins of Hudson’s Bay pemmican, one case of Underwood dog pemmican, two cases of biscuits, one case of coal oil, together with seventy days’ food for themselves and the dogs, a camping outfit, empty pemmican tins and flags, to place on the ice rafters.
All day long we kept a lookout for Mamen andhis two Eskimo. About thirty yards away from the camp was a high rafter which we used as an observatory; every now and then while it was light, I was in the habit of going up there. Keruk, who was naturally anxious for the return of her husband, used to go up there, too, and as she had good eyesight I often asked her to go up and take a look.
Just before dark on the third—that is, about four o’clock—when we were most of us indoors, sewing or getting ready for dinner, Breddy came in and said that he believed Mamen was coming. We all rushed out. Keruk was up on the rafter but it was already too dark to see far. I could hear the dogs barking, however, and the voice of Kataktovick shouting to them. It was glorious. I ran down the trail and met the returning party coming along at a good pace. “Well done, Norway!” I shouted, shaking Mamen’s hand and patting him on the back.
They came in to the camp, greeted with cheers, and we rushed them in and filled them up with hot coffee and biscuit. It was about dinner time and we put off dinner for about half an hour. The dogs, too, were hungry but I was ready for them with some pemmican and seal meat all cut up the day before and I fed them myself.
Nothing was said of their trip until after themen had had their dinner; then Mamen related his experiences. They had made eleven marches going in, until they were stopped by open water three miles from land. He described the land which they saw and I made up my mind that it was not Wrangell Island but Herald Island, a conjecture which proved to be correct. They had had pretty good going, without the trouble with open leads and raftered ice which we had when we made our main journey later on.
They had reached the edge of the open water January 31 without untoward incident, though one of their dogs had run away and King had frozen his heel. Mamen and the Eskimo had stayed with the shore party a day and had left on February 1 for their return to Shipwreck Camp. The mate, he said, had decided to land as soon as the lead closed up; this worried me a good deal because the mate and his party were not familiar with travel over the young ice and, besides that, Herald Island is no place for a party to land upon, for it is inaccessible, owing to its precipitous sides, and, according to American government reports, has no driftwood on its shores. In fact it has practically no shore to speak of, excepting one short stretch; it is simply a rocky islet. Up to the time when Mamen left there was no chance to land on the island and Mamen hardly thought that the mate’s partywould be able to land there. I hoped that they would keep on to Wrangell Island and carry out their instructions.
Mamen’s journey back to camp was much faster than the shoreward journey, because they had more light and could sleep in the igloos they had built going in. The last day back they had made a wonderful march, leaving their igloo at the earliest twilight and coming all day; they had not even stopped to eat since they had broken camp. They had relieved each other at driving the dogs.
As soon as they got their clothing well dried out, I decided to send Mamen and the Eskimo back to the island to locate the mate’s party. At the same time they could move supplies along the trail, for now that the road was made, the going would be easier.
The evening of the fourth Murray came to me and said that the doctor’s party planned to leave the next day. The fifth opened clear and calm and the doctor, Murray, Beuchat and Morris got away about nine o’clock, hauling their sledge-load of supplies along the trail.
Later on Chafe and Williams got in. They had landed their supplies safely at the fourth camp and set to work at once, drying out their clothing and, with the help of all the rest of us, preparing for the next shoreward trip. On the way back to thecamp they had passed the doctor and his companions, all in good spirits and looking forward to any but the unhappy fate that was to overtake them.
Before the doctor’s party left they handed me the following letter:
Canadian Arctic Expedition,Sunday, Feb. 1st, 1914.Captain Robert Bartlett,Sir: We, the undersigned, in consideration of the present critical situation, desire to make an attempt to reach the land. We ask you to assist us by issuing to us from the general stores all necessary sledging and camping provisions and equipment for the proposed journey as per separate requisition already handed to you. On the understanding that you do so and continue as heretofore to supply us with our proportional share of provisions while we remain in camp, and in the event of our finding it necessary to return to the camp, we declare that we undertake the journey on our own initiative and absolve you from any responsibility whatever in the matter.A. Forbes MackayJames MurrayH. BeuchatS. S. Morris
Canadian Arctic Expedition,Sunday, Feb. 1st, 1914.Captain Robert Bartlett,
Sir: We, the undersigned, in consideration of the present critical situation, desire to make an attempt to reach the land. We ask you to assist us by issuing to us from the general stores all necessary sledging and camping provisions and equipment for the proposed journey as per separate requisition already handed to you. On the understanding that you do so and continue as heretofore to supply us with our proportional share of provisions while we remain in camp, and in the event of our finding it necessary to return to the camp, we declare that we undertake the journey on our own initiative and absolve you from any responsibility whatever in the matter.