stefansson-wrangel-09-25-005-014

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too late (because of the difficulty in financing - the Canadian Government
eventually voted some money which, although it was used, came too late to
affect the sailing date). We know now that the ice conditions were such as
not only to prevent the Teddy Bear from getting to the island but also to
make it clear to the party on the island that no ship could come through.
In my mind I pictured them sitting on the hilltops day by day watching eagerly
for a sail. But their diaries show that they took the situation more philo-
sophically. The ice was there to relieve them of the feeling that they were
being neglected by their friends of the outside world.

The winter of 1922-23 I thought there was about an even
chance of getting news from Wrangell. My instructions had been that the party
might use their discretion the second winter. If they liked, they could stay
on the island or, if they preferred, some or all of them could cross by dog
team to the Siberian mainland and proceed to Bering Straits, whence they
could send out a wireless message with whatever report they desired. I had
said that the expense of this journey was the argument against it but that
if for homesickness or any other reason that seemed to them adequate they
cared to come out, they might do so. When no news came I was rather pleased,
for I took it to mean things were going smoothly on the island and that the
party were not homesick.

In May, 1923, the new [Prime Minister of Canada, the
Honourable W. L. Mackenzie King, gave me the opportunity to present to his
Cabinet my general views of the future of the Arctic and my special recommenda-
tions with regard to Wrangell Island. Apparently their conclusion was that,
while the program I advocated seemed important and that while the particular
item of retaining Wrangell Island seemed advisable, it was not equally clear
that Wrangell Island was or ought to be a part of Canada. I never received