stefansson-wrangel-09-25-008-001

FIFTH ARTICLE ON [[Wrangel Island (Russia)|WRANGELL ISLAND]] - * * - For [[Crawford, Allan R., 1901-1923|Crawford]] and [[Galle, Milton Harvey Robert, 1902-1923|Galle]] the winter of 1921-22 on [[Wrangel Island (Russia)|Wrangell Island]] was a new experience but for [[Maurer, Frederick W., 1893-1923|Maurer]] it was the third [[Arctic regions|arctic]] winter and for [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]] it was the fourth. It is therefore in a way unfortu- nate that the only diary saved from the general destruction - [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]]’s - is that of a veteran to whom every polar circumstance and adventure had become a commonplace scarce worth writing down. The less seasoned men doubtless kept diaries recording more vivid reactions to their more novel experiences. It is only in rare spots that [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]] gives us any indica- tion of what the rest of the party were thinking and feeling. To his mind the weather does not seem to have been materially better or worse than ordinary [[Arctic regions|arctic]] weather; he was a little puzzled that bears should be so scarce in win- ter and spring after being so common the preceding autumn and a little annoyed at seeing fresh bear tracks so much oftener than the bears. But he never doubted that luck would turn in good time. He was delighted with the ample supply of driftwood fuel, a favorable contrast to the fuelless islands in which he had spent his other three northern years. On the whole he was finding the winter about what he had been expecting when he was writing me discontented letters from balmy [[Oregon]] pleading that we should get together on some sort of scheme for polar work. It seems likely that [[Maurer, Frederick W., 1893-1923|Maurer]] felt about as [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]] did. If the younger men had different views they at least did not annoy or otherwise influence [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]] with them enough to make an impression on his diary. Since the outstanding quality of the daily entries is frankness, we may feel sure the whole party took everything about as [[Knight, Errol Lorne, 1893-1923|Knight]] did. If there had been dis-