The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-18

They lost no time in getting ready,
and by the time that Call and Char
lev arrived with the other herd, Lopp
was ready to start. But Jarvis and
fore Lopp got underway. They follow
ed the coast line. Arriving at Cape
Espenberg, they thought a crossing
was impracticable. SO they went on to
the next cape and then crossed to Cape
Blossom. They they met Bertholf.
who had been delayed bv bad weather
in which the natives would not travel
and had arrived there only the day be-
fore. They got provisions from him
and Jarvis instructed him to await the
reindeer herd. Then they pushed on
to Point Hope and from there to Point
Barrow, reaching that point on March
2S, having been three months and thir-
teen days on the trip from Cape Van
couver, where we landed them on De-
cember Is.
Bertholf was delayed a few days at
Tununak waiting for dogs. But he
reached st. Michael the day Jarvis left
there. Orders were left, however, for
him to get together 100 pounds of pro-
visions and to transport them across
country to Cape Blossom, in Kotzebue
Sound. Difficulty was experienced in
getting dogs. and he had to go over
to Golevine Bay to get some there.
v,
he started across, and, in spite Of dis
couraging delays. reached his station
on time. He supplied Jarvis, and after
ward Lopp. Then he went on with
Lopp, and when the latter turned north
he went on to Point Hope, where Jarvis
directed him to remain.
1t was great thing for Lieutenant
Jarvis and DR.. Call to reach the
whalers at Point Barrow, but, had they
been starving, the whalers would not
readily have eaten them, however much
they liked them. For that matter they
had got too thin to be palatable. Now
Bertholf would have been another
proposition. He kept his fat and good
nature throughout.
So the success of the expedition re-
lied on Mr.. Lopp and his reindeer herd
Jarvis told him that, knowing little of
the animals, he would push on and
leave the work and the credit entirely
with Lopp. And Mr.. Lopp came UP to
expectations and went away beyond
them.
At Cape Espenberg, learning that
Jarvis was stalled about thirty miles to
the eastward short of provisions, and,
distrusting the natives there, he char
tered a dog team from the native viii
lage, went down to Jarvis, found him
all right, then returned to Cape Espen-
berg. There he thought it impossible
to cross the ice to Cape Krusenstern, as
it was piled into high hummocks and
ridges, and he thought the deer would
not drive over such roads. The natives
thought it could be done, and it was
done. They had nearly crossed when
the deer stampeded and nearly reached
Cape Espenberg again before the seven
cowboys could turn them. When they
got to the other side Lopp found a sign
board with letter from Jarvis telling
him that Bertholf was at Cape Bios
som. So down there went Lopp, found
Bertholf and brought him and his pro-
visions to the herd.
About the vicinity of the Waleek
River, Lopp turned to the north, while
Bertholf went to Point Hope He over
took Jarvis and Call at the mouth of
the Pitmagea River and they went on
together as far as the Kukpowrak 1t
was found that the dogs and deer did
not go well together, although the deer
were being driven as fast as the dogs
could 60 But of course there had to be
more time taken for camping each
night and herding in the deer than
would be necessary to unhitch the dogs
and get supper. Every day Lopp sent
men ahead to prepare the camp. and
he showed excellent generalship
throughout. So, leaving Jarvis at the
Kukpowrak River, he struck into the
interior, while Jarvis continued along
the coast line as before.
Mr.. Lopp reached Point Barrow on
March 80, with 400 reindeer which he
had driven over the icy wastes as fast
as the others could go alone in dog
sleds. His journal shows that he had
the deer on the run most of the time
Shortly after picking up Bertholf, thir-
ty-four deer stampeded and were lost,
but when the three herders were sent
back, they found them and took them
all into Point Hope. Only twenty eight
deer were lost by accident and for food
during the whole trip. Nine of them
were lost on the ice pack crossing Kot-
zebue Sound.
Jarvis reached Cape Prince of Wales
on January rs. He left on February 2,
reached Point Hope on February 20 and
Point Barrow March 20. Lopp left Point
Barrow on his return trip on April 5,
and got home to Cape Prince of Wales
in thirty-one days, only twenty of
which were travelling days, for he met
some weather in which he could not
travel, and he would not travel on Sun
day when he was proceeding on his
own account. The lowest temperature
that he experienced was 43 degrees be-
low zero. But he told me that was not
half so cold as one day when the Their
mometer was at 40 degrees below zero
and it was blowing a blizzard
Bertholf reached Point Hope on
March l. He was in much better con-
dition that the others from this ship,
and Lopp says 1t was simply delightful
to see Bertholf in the midst of a howl
ing blizzard, sitting on dog sled and
rolling a cigarette. The. deer were left
about thirty miles from Point Barrow,
at a spot where they could get plenty
of moss. their principal food.
Lieutenant Jarvis did not think it adj
visable to risk the lives of the men in
an attempt to reach Point Hope He
was able to increase their rations a lit
tie, and with this increase they have
enough provisions to last until August,
when we will probably be able to reach
them.
The whalers are all in rags and it is
doubtful If we can get enough clothing
to cover them when they come on
board. Jarvis writes that clothing and
bedding will be needed for 100 men.
Without doubt these men owe their lives
to Charles Brewer. He has shown him
self equal to any emergency. If we
get any more reports OF suffering at
Point Barrow, the country can rest
easily and let Mr.. Brewer attend to it.
The Bear left Unalaska on June Ia.
having stayed there one week longer
than originally intended. because the