StefanssonSTEFANSSON AND HIS PARTY LEAVING THEKARLUK
StefanssonSTEFANSSON AND HIS PARTY LEAVING THEKARLUK
Stefansson
STEFANSSON AND HIS PARTY LEAVING THEKARLUK
Before he started, Stefansson left me the following formal letter of instruction:
C. G. S.Karluk, Sept. 20, 1913.Dear Captain Bartlett:On the trip for which I am leaving theKarlukto-day, I expect to make land on the largest secondfrom the west of the Jones Islands (Thetis Island). If the ice is strong enough I expect to cross thence to near Beechey Point to hunt caribou; if feasible I may go on to the mouth of the Itkuilik River, known to the Eskimo as Itkilhkpe, to see if fish can be purchased there from the natives. Should theKarlukduring our absence be driven from her present position it will be well for you so soon as she has come to a stop again, and as soon as it appears safe to send a party ashore, to erect one or more beacons, giving information of the ship’s location. If she goes east, the beacons should be erected on accessible islands; if west they should be at Cape Halkett, Pitt Point, or Point Simpson, to facilitate the finding of the ship in fog or a blizzard by our party coming from shore or by hunters who are overtaken by thick weather while away from the ship. It will be well to have established four lines of beacons, running in the four cardinal directions from the ship to as great a distance as practicable. There should be some arrangement by which these beacons indicate in what direction the ship is from each of them. And some of them should have the distance of the ship marked upon them. These beacons need not be large, but should not be over 100 yards apart to be of use in thick weather. Flags or other fluttering things should not be used, for bears might be scared away by them. On days when an on-shore wind is blowing it might be desirable that Dr. Mackay run lines of soundings out in various directions from the ship. If it becomes practicable send off Malloch and Mamen for surveying purposes. McKinlay should accompany them for the purpose of establishing magnetic stations in connection with Malloch’s survey, Malloch locating the stations for McKinlay so as to save unnecessary duplications of instruments.Except for some especial reason, the Eskimo woman Keruk should be kept sewing boots of the winter sea-ice type—deer legs, using ugsug soles.It is likely that we shall be back to the ship in ten days, if no accident happens.V. Stefansson.
C. G. S.Karluk, Sept. 20, 1913.
Dear Captain Bartlett:
On the trip for which I am leaving theKarlukto-day, I expect to make land on the largest secondfrom the west of the Jones Islands (Thetis Island). If the ice is strong enough I expect to cross thence to near Beechey Point to hunt caribou; if feasible I may go on to the mouth of the Itkuilik River, known to the Eskimo as Itkilhkpe, to see if fish can be purchased there from the natives. Should theKarlukduring our absence be driven from her present position it will be well for you so soon as she has come to a stop again, and as soon as it appears safe to send a party ashore, to erect one or more beacons, giving information of the ship’s location. If she goes east, the beacons should be erected on accessible islands; if west they should be at Cape Halkett, Pitt Point, or Point Simpson, to facilitate the finding of the ship in fog or a blizzard by our party coming from shore or by hunters who are overtaken by thick weather while away from the ship. It will be well to have established four lines of beacons, running in the four cardinal directions from the ship to as great a distance as practicable. There should be some arrangement by which these beacons indicate in what direction the ship is from each of them. And some of them should have the distance of the ship marked upon them. These beacons need not be large, but should not be over 100 yards apart to be of use in thick weather. Flags or other fluttering things should not be used, for bears might be scared away by them. On days when an on-shore wind is blowing it might be desirable that Dr. Mackay run lines of soundings out in various directions from the ship. If it becomes practicable send off Malloch and Mamen for surveying purposes. McKinlay should accompany them for the purpose of establishing magnetic stations in connection with Malloch’s survey, Malloch locating the stations for McKinlay so as to save unnecessary duplications of instruments.
Except for some especial reason, the Eskimo woman Keruk should be kept sewing boots of the winter sea-ice type—deer legs, using ugsug soles.
It is likely that we shall be back to the ship in ten days, if no accident happens.
V. Stefansson.
Stefansson and his party got away at half past one in the afternoon on September 20. The next day we began preparations for the departure of Mamen and Malloch, to carry out Stefansson’s instructions, making a tent on the sewing-machine and getting started on the fur clothing, of which we had not made any up to this time. This was “tobacco day,” which at this time came once a month, when the allowance of a pound per man was given out, but which later on we changed to come around every twenty-two days.
As the ship was stationary in the ice I suggested to Murray that this would be a good time to rig up a tidal gauge; he took kindly to the suggestion and made preparations to carry it out. The day before, McKinlay had added to our equipment an anemometer for measuring the velocity of the wind, putting it up aloft on the edge of the crow’s nest, where the wind blew, if anywhere; the wires ran down the mast and along the deck to McKinlay’s room where he had the indicator.