Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22

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Gates the route Stefansson planned te
lble to sail into the unknown. The line
westward Indicates the route planned
e whole unexplOred arctic region. The
,catiOn Of the arctic continent.
but still the going was bad because the
pressure ridges consisted of glare
pieces of ice not cemented by snow,
They slipped about under the feet
of men and dogs and caused the sleds
to upset frequently 1t took us parts
of two days to get ashore on the most
westerly of the Jones Islands about SIX
miles northwest of Beechey point.
The young ice between the islands
and the mainland turned out to be
too thin to make a crossing over seem
safe. l decided, therefore, to send
wanted, but that night the wind
which had for several days been a
moderate northeast breeze. Increased
to "a gale, and broad strips of water
sky began to appear offshore. 1t was
not, under those conditions. ADVISABLE
to send any one out on the ice.
The gale continued three days. ct
the end of which there was left oniy
a land foe of perhaps mile in width;
outside of this the ocean was as open
as in summer. with here and there an
ice cake, or a strip Of ice, but nothing
to interfere with the progress OF a
steamer, or even a sailing ship. Ihe
ice. which / had thought likely 10 stay
all winter. was gone. and with IL the
which she was imbedded may have
broken so as to allow her to get under
way.
Drift Pile as Lookout
September % was thick now and then
with fog squalls and snow between
periods of clear weather. We had piled
I'D some driftwood to give me lookout
perhaps ten feet higher than the island
which is itself about fifteen feet above
seq level had been. for half an houi
scanning the horizon with my glasses
when it became partly clear to the north
west through the passing OF a snow
souaIl, and | saw a huge cake or ice
nearly on the horizon that appeared as
Il
had been watching this several min
utes when the manlike object suddenly
became two, and simultaneously THESE
started moving with reference to the ice
as if two men were walking westward
across the top of the ice cake. A few
moments more and the objects reached
the edge of the ice cake and passed be
yond it. appearing from an eclipse as the
two maSts Oh ship.
At the time, at least, ! had no doubt
of what it was l saw, although another
snow squall was closing in and beginning
to dim the outline of distant objects
While I saw but one tall, black thing
that appeared stationary. the ship mus
have been headed straight toward me OF
straight away. with hull below the hori
zon, and with all but the top Of tbs
masts behind the giant icecake: wher
the objects | saw became TWO the shll
had changed her course.
| hurried the quarter mile to camp tt
get help in making a signal fire: when
returned to the lookout the fog hat
closed in again. Later the weather be
came fairly clear, but. although l saw
an hour after on the horizon to thu
northeast what looked like an east
bound ship under full sail. there wa:
nothing certain about it, At the las
l began to doubt l had ever seen shin
at all. doubling it chiefly because i
seemed too good to be true that thu
Karluk should get free in the winter
after remaining frozen fast for more
than half the summer
Easterly Gale Carries Away Ice.
The easterly gale which carried tn,
ice away also brought spell Of warn
weather; it rained occasionally, and fol
three days it did not freeze. even a
night. 1t was, therefore. for a week i'm
possible for US to get across to the main
land-the ice would not bear a mans
weight. When we finally got to Beeche,
Point, September %. We had fog ant
snow for two days that, prevented hunt
ing. The first clear day l hunted abou
twenty miles south. Two hours before
shutdown l saw one bull caribou abou
eight miles south of me and travelling
not catch UP. By morning this bull woult
be likely to be thirty or forty miles away
SO I gave up and returned to camp In
stead of spending the night where / was
, as I should have done had the ANNA
been female or a young bull. for these
are not likely to travel more than few
miles In a night if undisturbed by mer
or wolves.
The next two days were foggy ant
snowy, and we hunted without seeing
even tracks Our Eskimos, being mex
perienced hunters. were not only Of ne
fear of the country. They had beer
brought up at Point Hope amid an abun
dance of white mems wares: now. wher
We had only weeks supply ahead. they
were thoroughly frightened. Neither die
! see any reason to continue the hunt
though I knew We would get something
whenever the weather should give US 6
day or two of opportunity, for We hat
come ashore for fresh meat for thu
Karluk, and now she was gone, We die
not know where.
Although / had fully expected to finf
the Karluk after two weeks where l LEI
her, I had provided against what reall,
happened in so far that had given Capt
Bartlett instructions as to what to do /
the Karluk drifted off. Part of these in
structions were based on our experience
during the six weeks We had alread.
been in the ice. No matter what tn
wind. the Karluk had moved either east
ward or westward about parallel to tn,
coast, except in the Harrison bay eddy.
If the Karluk should drift off. Bartlett
was. accordingly, as soon as opportunit!
offered, to send a sled ashore to build ;
beacon with information for US.
Course of Travel Outlined.
We were to travel along the coast OF
the lookout for these. and thus get new!
of the Karluk that would likely enabl,
us 10 rejoIn her. 1 believed that by THU
time Harrison bay would be frozen owe
solidly, and although thought / had seel
a ship going east Gas the Karluk woult