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one could be found who was willing to go. The season was already at least a month later than the best sailing time and they were afraid to delay. They appeared also to have felt certain thought also that they would be able to engage some families of Siberian Eskimos at East Cape when they went in there to buy the skin boat. With that program they sailed September 9th, 1921.

The voyage from Nome to East Cape would resembled a voyage in a schooner like the Silver Wave similar boat from Scotland to Norway. There was no ice in sight, and none was expected. The weather also proved favorable.

At East Cape the party met their first misfortune and made the most serious error of the whole expedition. The misfortune was that no Eskimos could be engaged. The error of judgment was that when the natives demanded about double the usual price for an umiak the party decided that they ought to refuse to be robbed and that they could get along all right if Captain Hamar would sell them instead the ship's dory.

Much has been made of this incident since by nearly every critic of the expedition, and far too much it seems to me. It is true that a departure was being made from the plan which the members of the expedition and I had formulated together and in which they believed as thoroughly as I. But if properly understood the interpretation is not straight out one of bad judgment, but rather of excessive confidence in the resources of the Arctic. Knight knew how to hunt walrus; everyone does, for they are among the easiest animals in the world to hunt. But Knight had lived by hunting for several years in a region where walrus are entirely absent and where having a boat makes no difference on the score of walrus. He had often depended on hunting when no boat was available, or at least when for months at a time a boat even if it could have been constructed in case of necessity was never constructed because the necessity did not arise. To a man of such experience the skin boat would seem an almost superfluous precaution. He knew its value but he thought that it could be safely dispensed with. They could

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get seals without it, they could get polar bears without it, and they might ever get walrus without it since they could have a dory. So they told the natives they did not care to be overcharged, purchased the ship’s dory from Captain Hamar and sailed on towards Wrangell Island.

Had I known that there was no skin hoat on Wrangell Island I should have worried more than I did over the safety of the party there during the next two years. But my only information was a sentence which I here quote from Crawford’s letter to me dated at Wrangell Island September 15th, 1921; "Left Nome September 9th. Called East Cape, Siberia, [XgxkMRilxk.kxxSxlkxkihlkx] to purchase skin boat. Sighted (Wrangell) island noon yesterday." This I took to indicate that our plans in respect to the umiak had been carried out.

Captain Hamar and his crew knew, of course, that a dory had been substituted for the umiak, but they seem to have considered that there was no particular reason for transmitting that information to me, and they never did.

A careful reading of all the Wrangell documents shows that the absence of the skin boat, while serious, had no immediate bearing on the final tragedy, for it was anly an error in the early newspaper reports to say which gave the impression that the last fatal journey had been undertaken because of scarcity of food, and, therefore, indirectly because of the lack of a skin boat.

At the date time when the Silver Wave sailed, it would not have been surprising to meet ice between Siberia and Wrangell Island. One year in every eight or ten it is even difficult to get to the Island at all. But in this case no ice was sighted. On the 14th of September the heights of Wrangell could be seen at an estimated distance of thirty or forty miles. That night they were hidden by fog but next morning they came to view again and by afternoon a landing had been made at a point which was they did

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not then recognized for certain but which proved to be near the middle of the south coast, a little east of Doubtful Harbor.

For September 14th, 15th and 16th Knight wrote that the team of seven fine Nome dogs

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were "in rather poor shape but will do my best to get them in good condition when we reach the island. The season is getting late and a good many things must be done before the freezeup, so we are anxious to get started with our work.”

On September 15th Knight wrote notes that "We sighted (today) a high sandspit with a great deal of wood on it and landed our outfit in a heavy surf. Everything was landed by 10:30 P.M. Started unloading at 7:00 P.M." September 16th: "After unloading we slept on the ship but the wind arose from the south and we were called at 3 A.M. We had time to get our personal stuff ashore and the Silver Wave departed with three whistles and a great deal of flag dipping, and left us to our own resources. We have a good outfit and the fox tracks look promising, so we should have a successful winter. The surprising thing to me is the weather, nice gentle winds with an uncommon amount of sunshine for this time of year, and not an ice cake in sight. "We see an occasional seal some distance out but if they were killed it is doubtful if we could get them ... I had a shot a a large walrus but missed."

Chapter VII

When the Silver Wave sailed away "with much flag dipping," a silence fell upon Wrangell Island that remained unbroken for two years. she carried Captain Hamar brought out with him only the briefest letters either to me or to friends and families. It had been to each of the four an exciting adventure since they left Seattle and especially so between Nome and Wrangell. Apart from personal greetings my only report from them was a letter from Crawford which I quote in full:

"Sept. 15th, 1921, 5:30 P.M. Off Wrangell Island.

"Dear Mr. Stefansson:

"Commencing this letter 1/2 mi. offshore. Left Nome Sept. 9th. Called East Cape, Siberia, to purchase skin boat. Sighted island noon yesterday. Resembles in outline & color country round Lewiston, Idaho. Large flat spaces near coast but seems to be mostly hilly. Snow on highest of hills looks like this year's. Have as yet seen not a single ice cake.

The Difficulties of 1922.

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6:00 P.M.

’'Stepped - don’t think this is Rodger’s Harbour. Maurer is uncertain. Started unloading. Have been very quiet about our business here, since it appears the Russians think they own the island and their Siberian Patrol is liable to pay us an unwelcome visit. Finished unloading 11 P.M., came aboard for meal and wrote till midnight. Up again 2:45 breakfast, then ashore and raised flag and issued proclamation of which I enclose two copies. Next year bring a phonograph and records as we had no time to get one. Mr. Anderson has copies of grocery and hardware bill, so you can see what we lack. At present we are one mi. west Rodger’s Harbour. Fox and bear tracks abundant. Also bring Literary Digest, assay outfit and explanatory books - may be placer gold. We have Eskimo vroman, Ada Blackjack, with us to sew. Lots of grazing for reindeer. Everyone seems contented. Best of luck on European trip. Call on my people if in Toronto.

(Signed) Allan R. Crawford”

Although this letter was brief, it was satisfactory. In a way its brevity was one of the most satisfactory things about it, for if there had been any feeling of inadequacy of outfit or bad prospects in any respect the letter would have been lengthened to include them.

But although nothing had occurred so far to worry the Wrangell party or me, something had occurred which appears to have greatly worried Captain Hamar and his men. The main purpose of our expedition was to continue the occupation of Wrangell Island beginning in 1914 on behalf of the British Empire against the time when commercial developments (transarctic flying, northern reindeer ranching, etc.) should make it valuable. It is possible that the party did not fully realize that the legal effectiveness of the occupation would depend on the duration and character of the occupation itself rather than upon any assertions or proclamations. But they were exuberant over an accomplished success, for there they were obviously