stefansson-wrangel-09-22

MILTON GALLE'S DIARY

July-September 1923

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July 18 - Ice coming in east. Maurer & Knight went east, Crawford up river. I went get traps, all in now. Found walrus tusks. Brought back mastodon tusk. If you are out at a dinner - a big one lets say, Find your place as soon as you're able. If in the confusion you strike the wrong side, you shouldn't step over the table.

July 19 - We had hardly been asleep more than two hours before the dogs started barking. All rushed out. Nothing but 4 walrus could we see swimming around. This morning (P.M.) weather very thick. C. & I went west to dig out tusks and collect mastodon teeth & bones. Found several bones and teeth. The tusk I found yesterday was rotten & could not be transported. On way back from Doubtful Harbor we found another M. tusk which was in same condition as previous one. Shot at some geese in water, they were unable to fly.

July 20 - K. & M. went west after ducks and returned with two. This was our supper boiled with roots and barley. Photos of ice. We got up at about 9:30 P.M. It had been raining several hours, 5 P.M. Breakfast. seal meat & candy.

July 21 - Continued raining most of day, just leaked (?) tent leaked tarp and sled raft over tent. Went E along lake. Wood high on west shore, bones and bird nest, no ducks. Rain over 12: Noon. Crawford 1 goose at river mouth, Knight 2 old squaws. To bed at bout 11 A.M.

July 22 - Up at about midnight, still blowing about 6. K. west, 2 female eiders; M. west, 8 o'clock, 1 sea gull, F.; C. east 8 o'clock, 1 male Old Sq. Fell in and needed new watch crystal. I tried catching some birds to attach messages to legs, unsuccessful. Steady breeze & sun out first time in days. Toothache worst in 6 days, think abscess will form on molar in upper jaw. To bed about 2: P.M.

July 23 - "The Color Line," William B. Smith, McClure Phillips & Co., $1.50. Breakfast 12:30 A.M. Crawford W. 2 P.M. nothing. I east, Hard luck. 6:30 A.M. Maurer west, 1 seal, small. 11 P.M. Crawford east, Maurer west. C. 1 old squaw, M. . . . . . . C. skins seal. Ducks fly by, I shoot, no luck. 1 seal up on beach. (snow) chippy lost. Wind W. A.M. & E. P.M. More candy, fissel. Bed 9 P.M. Ivory at lake, mastodon tusk 1/2 in river bottom. Lower jaw walrus on tundra. C. thinks lake back of one to east.

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July 24 - Breakfast 8 A.M. Maurer west, I north to find lake, not there (?) Fox carcass, bones M. [oorWw]. measure 2 1/2 shotgun Peculiar shape. Wood in bank, bad shells. No ducks, some on tundra. Brant go west. 1 shot, fizzle. Maurer 1 seal several miles from camp. C. gets seal. M. skins, I bring paddle W., tusk. Bed 10.

July 25 - Wind 7 A.M., hardest 8 P.M. C. & K. stakes wind W. Ice not out. Bed 10 P.M.

July 26 - Wind west & strong breeze, clear. Changed to S. mist, changed to E., mist, strong E., rain. Went east up river E. side, down, up river W. side due W. then N.N.W. Walked until river down R. due S.-S.E. to camp. No ducks. 1 eggshell on tundra. 1 fox carcass, lake. In walking up to find lake C. saw and I saw ahead in mist something that looked like water, a long snow strip. Walked towards, came to river. Looked like water, only snow bank, no lake at all. Several new flowers. Crawford 1 old squaw, swam to get same.

July 27 - Wind E. rain 2 P.M., shift to the N.W. Rain, blow, no rain. Down 8 P.M. C. 2 trips west, 2nd 1 f. eider. River up and down, morning & evening.

July 28 - An Agnostic's Apology, John Smith, Dublin. Breeze, slight, W., 6:30 A.M. Went E. no breeze. Umiak bow, whale bones, flowers, ivory, bears (no ducks) not more than dozen eiders, lots of old squaws, 1 walrus. Strong breeze coming back. Maurer 3 seals, 2 f. 1 m. Maurer 1 loon, 1 old squaw. K. west nothing. Dory out K. & M. row, C. & I dogs. Hitch 4 dogs to seals single file. K. & I dory back. Wood. Saw 2 P.M. head of brant eaten by dogs.

July 29 - Thick & heavy most day. Nothing attempted. Wind blew up once, not last long. Bear head broken by #2.

July 30 - C. to D. Harbor, M. 1 f. 1 m. seals, 1 f. ugruk, got them in dory, take dogs (4) in dory. Seals single file U-S-S-. K & M skin ugrug, Ada & I seals. Good weather, calm, no sun, slight breeze E. rain.

July 31 - Thermometers 35/44.2/29.4/ Sun out, stiff breeze, no hunting. After supper Ada and I go as far as lake E. for flowers, get about 3 new kinds, 1 oak stave. Ugruk meat not as palatable as usual seal. 1 owl. Ada says that this owl destroys young birds.

Aug. 1 - Bad weather. M. tried to go out on ice W., lead too big, came back. Nothing else all day. C. back 5 A.M.

Aug. 2 - Blow & snow all day, nothing attempted.

Aug. 3 - Trying to clear all day, sun out few minutes, calm evening. Nothing but sawed wood. Ada cleaned skins. U. skin stretched with rope & cod line.

Aug. 4 - Calm most day. M. west no seal. Easy over lead, hard back. C. K. & I shot at ugruk, C. low, K highest, I high,

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200 yd. range. Go to river & see many shrimp, came in high tide lay eggs, out low tide.

Aug. 5 - Watches set at 6:55 P.M. Sun trying to come out all day, towards evening calm & cloudy. K & M get 1 log out of river bottom 3/8 mi. mouth. Redwood C tells us he & M are soon going to take trip around to Waring Point, suspects about trip.

Aug. 6 - Up 5 P.M. Calm & overcast, soon began to blow & snow E. snowed about 1 1/2 inches. About 2 A.M. snow turns to rain. Nothing was attempted. C shot 1 fox early in the day before we got up. I start #XXHC Read "Happy Boy" by Bjornson, "Pepta (?) Jimmy" Pepita Jimenez, Vargas, "Skipper Worse," Keller. Sleep about 7 A.M.

Aug. 7 - Up at about 7 P.M., drizzle & fog.

Aug. 8 - Cleared up a bit, nothing more than the sawing of wood was done. Bed about 10 A.M.

Aug. 9 - Up 12 Midnight, calm, clear. 8 A.M. M & I go W in dory with intentions of sealing, ice broken so we bring back wood. Hear walrus, see fish, loon, few eiders, harbor ice all shot.

Aug. 10 - Left for the E. Skeleton River (see notebook).

Aug. 13 - Arrived at about 7:45 P.M. (see notebook).

Aug. 14 - Bet with Knight that President of U.S. gets a salary of $75,000 a year plus travelling expenses of $25,000. $5. bet. Weather fair with variable winds. All stayed in camp to-day. The bear meat I boiled for breakfast & fried for myself & Ada did not taste like the previous bear meat. All had boiled meat, even K, & all agreed to taste. C boiled some bear blubber which tasted good. About 10:30 P.M. the largest flock of geese white flew west, extimated to have been upward to a thousand, smaller flocks followed both B & W going west. K & I shoot at brant last flock we heard around midnight. Calm when geese flew, noise could be heard long ways before seen.

Aug. 15 - Up around noon, K prepared breakfast boiled bear. Weather poor, alternating clear & fog; sun tried to come out only a few times, did not stay long. Hauled the bear into camp 150 or so yds. K goes gooseing, nothing. Towards evening very thick fog. I try out bear blubber, fills 50" lard can 2" from top. 1st time we used lantern used candles several nights, not so dark if not for clouds. Crawford breaks it out, tea from 4 to 6 a day. We use about 1/2 teaspoon full of saccharine a day, more than is necessary. Another watch spring breaks after running about 9 hrs. after mending same as I changed yesterday spring from watch K threw away. C frys steaks in bear grease, taste good for change. C & I have been dipping hard bread in grease all day long and seen never to get filled. Geese fly again about midnight, both B. & W.