Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-09
pounds; candles. ) pounds: matches.
pound.
The Camp Equipment

tJeueD, aluminium pals. aluminium
cups, 3 aluminium teaspoons, I table
spoon. tin plates, q pocket knives ,
butcher knives 90 .inches). saw knife
Q3 inches), l long knife Us inches).
rifle (Sharps). 1 rife lWinchester. .22):
ITO cartridges. l Ratchet. 1 Alpine Ak.
extra line and lashings. , personal bags.
The sled equipment was > sieds. weigh
ing ~ pounds each: 1c-foot folding can
vas boat, "a pounds; silk tent. can
vas sled covers. sleeping bags (rein-
deer skim. floor furs. extra wood for
sled repairs, screws, nails and rivets.
The instruments were follows:
Three compasses, l sextant. ] artificial
horizon glass. l pedometer. 3 pocket
chronometers, I watch, charts mapmak-
ing material and instruments, therrnom
eters. l aneroid barometer. / camera and
films. note books and pencils.
The person bags contained four extra
pairs of kamks, with fur stockings. a
mittens. two pairs of fur mittens. a piece
Of blanket, .sealskin coat (netsha). a
repair kit for mending clothing and dog
harness, extra fox tails.
On the march We wore snow gogglee.
blue fox coats (kaptahs). birdskin shirts.
WOODEN drawers. bearskin pants. kamiks
and hareskin stockings. We fastened a
band of fox tails under the knee and
about the waist.
Helping the Advance.
On the morning of March Is prepara-
tons We're made to divide the party. The
advance must be helped over the rough
Ice Of the pack edge, and for this pur-
pose koolootingwah and Inugito were
selected. The other six Eskimos prepared to
return. One sled was left with the cache
to insure good vehicle for our return
in case the two sleds were badly broken
en- route.
4 h21 Inf
sound from the northwest. but this did
not interfere with the starting of those
homegoing Eskmos. With abundant game
for the return they required but little
ammunition to supply their wants.
When the word was given to start the
dogs were gathered and the sleds were
spanned with jump. Soon they disap-
peared in the rush of driving snow. The
crack of the whips and the rebound Of
cheering voices was the last which we
heard OF the faithful savage supporters.
They had followed not Tor pay, but for
a real desire to be helpful. from the dark
days of the ending Of night to the bright
nights of the coming double days. and their
parting enforced pang of loneliness
With snow-charged blast in our faces
it was quite impossible for US to start.
SO we withdrew to the snow igloO, en-
tered our bags and slept a few hours
longer. At noon the horizon cleared. the
wind veered 10 the southwest and came
with an endurable force. The dogs had
been doubly fed the night before: they were
not to be fed again for two days. The
twelve hundred pounds of freight were
packed on our sleds. and quickly we Slip
ped around deep grooves in the great
poiocrystic foes.
The snow had been swept from the ice
by the force of the preceding storms. and
the speed attained by the dogs through
even rough ice was such that 1t was diff
cult to keep far enough ahead to get
good course.
The creva sses and nressure lines gave little
trouble at first, but the hard ifregularity
of the barred ice offered a dangerous sur
face for the life of our sleds. passing
through blue gorges among miniature
ly west of north we soon sank the bold
headland which raises the northern point
of Heiberg Island.
Camp Is Pitched.
After a run of twenty-six miles We
pitched camp on a floeberg Of unusual
height. There were many big hum
mocks about to the lee Of which were
great banks of hardened snow. Away
from land it is always more difficult
to find snow suitable for cutting build
ing blocks. but here was an abundance
conveniently placed In the course Of
an hour a comfortable palace Of crystal
of the piercing wind. The first days
march over the circumpolar sea was
closed with good record.
The dogs curled up and went to sleep
without a call, as if they knew there
would be no food until the morrow. My
wild companions covered their faces
with their convenient long hair and
sank quietly into a comfortable slum-
sible. Letters must be written. The
whole problem Of our campaign must
be again carefully studied and final
plans must be made. not only to reach
our ultimate destination. but for the
returning parties and for the security
of the things at AnnOotok.
1t was difficult at this time to even
guess at the probable line Of our re-
turn to land. Much depended upon con-
ditions encountered in the .northward
route. Though we had left caches OF
supplies, with the object of returning
along hansen sound into Cannon ford
and over Arthur Land, entertained
grave doubts of our ability to return
this way If the ice drfted strongly to
the east we might not be given the
>hoice of working out our own return.
In that event we would pc carried per
haps helplessly to Greenland and must
seek a return either along the east
cOaS st or the west coast
This drift did not offer a dangerous
hardship, for the musk oxen would Keep
us alive to the west, and to the east 1t
seemed possible to reach Shannon Is
land. where the Baldwfn-Ziegler expe-
dition had abandoned large cache of
SupplieS. 1t appeared not lIlpToOdple
also that large land extension might
offer a safe return much farther west.
Francke's Instructions.
Because of this uncertainty Francke
was instructed to wait until June ., 1908.
and if we did not return he was told to
Mace Kcolootingwah in charge and go
home. either by the whalers or by the
Danish ships to the south.
No relief which he could offer would
help US. and to wait for an indefinite
time alone would have inflicted a need
less hardship. This and many other in
structions were prepared for KooiootinS-
wah and Inusito to take back.
In the morning the frost in crystals had
been swept from the air. but there re-
NAMED a humid chill which pierced to the
bones The temperature was minus 80
Fahrenheit. A light air came from the
west and the sun burned In a freezing
blue.
After a few hours march the ice
changed In character. The extensive
thick fields gave place to moderate-sized
foes. The foes were separated by zones
of troublesome crushed ice thrown into
high-pressure lines. which offered serious
barriers. but with the ice AK and Eskimo
ingenuity we managed to make fair
progress.
The second run on the polar sea was
with twenty-one miles to our credit.
had expected to send the supporting party
back from here. but progress had net