Evening star., 1923-11-21
Quarters Comfortable.


1t hardly seems possible that We oc-
cupy here the center of a region that
has been so extremely hostile to every
British. American and Norwegian ex-
peditton, while We ourselves are so well
and comfortable in our winter quarters.
We are near the place where the Frank
lin party made its last stand. On the
hin above our little harbor we can look
np the coast a few miles to its winter
quarters, where, i'll clothed and i'll fed.
the members fought their fight against
darkness, scurvy, hunger and death.
Two graves mark the site of their strug-
gle and the remains of their stanch
advance.
1t was here that an exploration ship
from the United States took refuge
years ago, battered by ice and wind
with bowsprit gone. taffrail smashed
years later the u, $. S. Polaris,
clutched by ice. drifted past here a
wreck, and was beached a few miles
below Refuge harbor. and went to
The bottom the following year.
Two years later the magnificent
ships of the British north pole ex-
pedition steamed northward from
here to reach the pole They returned
the following year with colorS low
cred for the men lost in the struggle.
Practically all We're afflicted with
scurvy In 1883 we find the Greedy
party dying of starvation across the
'hannel at Cape Sabin, twenty ve
miles distant. Scraps of clothing, and
even lichen on the rocks were eaten
10 eke out a possible existence until
spring. but the unfriendly arctic rig
urouSly eXacted its toll of nineteen
souls from the total of twenty five.
The famous Fran, under Sverdrup.
and the Windward, under Peary, were
both baff1ed and blocked by the heavy
ice of Smith sound and Kane basin
in 1889. both in sight of our winter
quarters.
RoOsevelt Smashed Way Up.
The Roosevelt smashed her way
up the passage here in 1905, but
came back a wreck, and would never
have reached home had it not been
for the indomitable will of Capt. Bob
Bartlett.
PRINCE RUPERT, B. c.. Novem-
Der 10 Especial radio from Macmillan
polar expedition, received by Jack
Barnsley. amateur radio operator
station 9. E. P).-By Capt. Donald
b. Mcmillan:
Our Eskimos are now daily watch
ing the sky and the constellation
that they know so well, for the dim
ming of the stars heraIds the ap-
proach of the moon, the friend OF
tho arctic traveller, when vaguely
defined hills, valleys. glaciers and
sea ice take form and are bathed in
foods of moonlight. Then laughter
will echo from berg to berg, whips
will snap, steel runners will ring and
happiness will reign here at the top
of the world.
In the far north. during the late
spring and summer period the villages
ere isolated by stretches of open
water. rarely undertaken by their frail
.eealskin kayaks. Land journeys are
well nigh impossible and almost un-
known. Freezing of the sea ice pro-
Nides a great white highway up and
down the coast which is soon marked
with the feet of hundreds of dogs and
slarallel tracks of sledge runners.
Stories are told. songs are sung, the
soapstone pot is filled to overflowing-
proof positive of the valor and strength
of the successful hunter. We will hear
rich folklore tales Of a land of giants
Of a dwarf one-eyed race and inland
dwelling people, of the origin of the
walruS, reindeer, bear, etc, of the gods
of the sea and land. guardian spirits
and the reincarnation of the soul
crude intimations of universal faith In
immortality.