stefansson-wrangel-09-25-006-039

- 39 -

It would not be necessary to emphasize at this point in
our present story that this winter journey was planned during the spring and
summer were it not for the impression widely circulated through the news-
papers, and perhaps present in the minds of some readers, that the winter
journey had been undertaken on the spur of the moment under the pressure of
starvation for the purpose of making a desperate attempt to secure supplies
from the mainland that might be hauled back to the members of the party that
remained behind on Wrangell Island,

The type of winter camp used the previous year had pleased
all hands so well that they now proceeded to construct a similar one at their
new wintering place. On September 27th "all hands proceeded to location of
future winter house and erected ridge-pole and split and carried rails for the
walls. Also piled wood (to prevent its being covered from sight by drifting
snow next winter)."

In the entries for September and October we have a
striking example of the characteristic of a field diary which we have already
mentioned - that the things which are most important, which are discussed every
day and are forever after remembered, are frequently not mentioned at all in
the diaries. This was the season corresponding to the first few weeks spent
on the island when bears had been seen in every direction, when there were
hundreds of tracks, and when the secure assumption was made that they xxx
need not be killed then but could be picked up later after the snow had fallen.
Now there was plenty of snow on the ground but there is no mention of bears
until the sentence October 4th, "no bear tracks were seen.” October 5th,
however, we have, "This time last year we saw a large number of bears but,
although we keep a good look out for them now 'there hain't none'. At present
we have about two months' dog feed, and as soon as we are moved and settled
Crawford and i will probably take the dogs and go offshore to a lead and camp