stefansson-wrangel-09-09-025-002

#2.

time a Southeasterly gale blew up, which gave us a good many
uneasy hours in pulling through the ice, but we made for
the land at Youton. From there on we had no difficulty
with the ice, as the Southerly gale had blown the ice off
shore. I was rather in hopes that the gale would continue,
as it gave us free, open water along the coast.

On the evening of the 25th the wind suddenly
changed to the Northwest. The ice pushed us in and we had
a little difficulty getting around Cape Serge. We stopped
there for the night, as we did not consider it safe to travel
in the dark. On account of ice conditions we stayed here
until the morning of the 28th.

On the morning of the 28th we began to push
our way through the ice, the wind had moderated and we had
no more difficulty until we reached Cape Onman. Here we
were delayed one day. However, we reached Cape Van Kearn
on the 28th, but could not go around the Cape, as the ice
was pressed up against the point. There was open water
along the coast north of the Cape, also South, but the ice
pressed it against the end of the Cape's point for a distance
of about two miles. We got one-half way through and there
stopped for two days.

On the second day the trading schooner, "Amy"
from Nome, which had passed Van Kearn a couple of weeks
earlier, came back from the North, stating that they had
gotten within fifteen miles of Cape North, which had been
their fartherest point West. They reported that the ice
from Van Kearn North was solid pack, the outside was like
we had found in East Cape and Van Kearn. They also reported
that the schooners, "Chukok", "Silver Wave" and "Blue Sea"
were frozen in the ice fifteen miles off Cape North.

Captain Larson, of the "Amy" advised me that
it was very unwise to pursue farther. With this information
I felt convinced that it would be useless, and even dangerous,
to attempt to go farther along that coast.

After a hard struggle with the ice, - we had
to pull the vessel with tackles, cut our way through the
ice for a mile, - we got back to open water South of the Cape
and made our way East. We experienced much difficulty around
Cape Onman. After we got through we landed on "Kolution
Island". This island is quite lofty, and on a clear day one
can see a great distance, in every direction. No water could
be seen except along the coast to the East. Looking North and
Northwest it appeared to be a solid pack, while to the North-