stefansson-wrangel-09-27

- 39 - 102

trip in March of that year to the Siberian mainland to send out letters and despatches through one of the American or Russian traders, but we had decided against that for two reasons. We had nothing to gain, and there would be considerable expense. There would not even be by any increase of peace of mind to the relatives, for anyone who fears that the journey from Wrangell Island to the mainland may possibly be dangerous will feel no differently about the journey back from the mainland to Wrangell Island. so that The very men who had come through danger to reported their safety by letter might just as easily be lost on the way back. If the letters taken out were to be of any value in guiding our policy the following summer they would have to be carried by messenger at least seven hundred miles overland from the first trader south of Wrangell into whose hands they were given, and that would he costly out of proportion to anything that we might hope to gain. I am sure that in all this reasoning I had the complete agreement of the families of Knight and Maurer who had become familiar with polar conditions through several years of association. The families of Crawford and Galle I knew were considerably worried.

But while no trip was to be made to the mainland the winter 19221-22, our plans left the matter optional for 1922-23. This was the second year on the island and homesickness might have developed. Crawford in particular would be anxious to get out so as to continue his university studies. They were to discuss the matter thoroughly on the island and come to anagreement. My general urging was that even the second winter they should all remain through, waiting for the ship that was practically certain to come the second summer. One year in ten or so may be expected to keep a ship out, but two bad seasons, one following the other, were so unlikely that the chance was negligible. But if it seemed that certain information must be sent to me or that there were other adequate reasons for, leaving the island, then the party might make their own decision. They might all Two of them might [there] come across to Siberia and might remain with some trader south of Wrangell till navigation opened,or make the seven hundred-mile journey to Bering Straits, as they thought best. If only some wanted to go, then The other two cwould remain on the island until the ship came in 1923. while the

- 40 - 103

other two crossed over. The danger of crossing was somewhat greater than that of staying on the island but, since all of us considered the journey to the Siberian mainland a comparatively simple one, it is difficult to say now whether we weighed the danger at all in our planning.

Although somewhat difficult and expensive, a journey by our men from Wrangell Island to the outside world could have been undertaken any time between January and April with the purpose hope of reaching "civilization" a month or two before the opening of arctic navigation. Doing this might seem advisable to them on the basis of what they knew about conditions on Wrangell Island. Their objectives purposes in the island were two - the continuance of occupation and the gathering of knowledge. The occupation had been accomplished. and kKnowledge even when recorded in notebooks and photographs, is the most portable of commodities. They could, therefore, leave the island if they liked. But a journey from the outside to Wrangell Island similarly undertaken in winter by myself, for instance, would not to have been practical. The island could be reached before spring, but a party coming over the ice from Siberia could bring to the island no appreciable amount of supplies. The only way in which succor could can be brought in winter to a party isolated on Wrangell Island would be there is by sending in a hunter of greater skill than the ones on the island. But we had no reason to fear that assistance was needed and no reason to think that the skill of the men on the island was inadequate to meet the situation. In consequence I attempted no active undertaking during the winter 1922-1923, devoting myself merely to writing and speaking along lines which I thought would eventually bring conviction to the public and the Government, wau and win from them the sympathy and support we needed.