stefansson-wrangel-09-21-008-003

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years old when they started on the Wrangel Island expedition, and were
experienced men in the North. It was only the other two, Crawford and
Galle, who were having their first look at the Arctic.

As published, my newspaper stories gave the impression that the
fatal journey away from Wrangel Island was made under pressure of food
scarcity, that the purpose of the journey was to bring back succor to the
island from Siberia
, that the men and dogs were weak from hunger, and that
the undertaking was of such a nature that there was small chance of a safe
journey to Siberia. This was not the fact. On more careful reading of the expedition documents I believe they inteded to return by
boat in the following summer
although their intended [?]

am not a doubt if their intended to return that spring.
I now see I was mistaken in these things among others. I now realize that
the journey was planned Knight and Crawfra planned the first and the date for it was set several months before when
no approaching food shortage was contemplated, and it was actually undertaken
later at about the time set. I now consider that the journey Probably they would have
been made the attempt at about the same time of year and with about the same prospects
of success if there had been the largest quantity of food on hand. That After the return of Knight + Crawford
the food that food had begun to run low, although there was a considerable supply still
on hand, was why one reason why the plan for a merely a coincidence and did not affect the journey to
Nome via Siberia via Nome was not abandoned. The principal lack was unless to give one more argument for keeping to the original program.
fresh meat. this shortage was probably partly due to Knights
work on skin, poks [?] hold
seal oil which prevented him
[turin] hunting [seal natirrily].

So far from food shortage being the primary cause of either the making of
the journey or of its fatal ending, I now realize that Crawford and Knight
made one of their an initial errors in loading the sledge too heavily with
food by at least two hundred pounds, so that speed was retarded and the
danger of the sledge breaking was increased.

I wish to withdraw specifically any the painful impression my original
I did not intend to give the impression
newspaper story may have created through seeming to show that the death of
the three men, Crawford, Galle and Maurer, was probably a slow one from
freezing brought on through weakening by starvation is probably incorrect. I now think It is it much
more likely and almost certain that death did take place suddenly in one of two

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