stefansson-wrangel-09-29

Footnote to p. 215

Note to Printer: This footnote to go at end of second paragraph to refer to the sentence, "It seems as likely that the disease was nephritis, in which case a polar bear more or less might not have made any difference," see middle page 215 of the manuscript."

It was after this was written that Mr. Harold Noice returned to Mr. J. I. Knight,as related elsewhere, the various papers he had withheld from us until then. Among these we found as a separate document a short description of his symptoms written by Lorne Knight on the basis of an article on scurvy which he had found in a medical book that was in the expedition library. This description makes it seem more probable that the disease really was scurvy, although, as pointed out elsewhere, Lorne Knight himself seems to have concluded later that it was not scurvy - as we can see from the fact that when birds and eggs came in the spring he ate the meat boiled and the eggs fried whereas he indicates in his own writing that he believed that scurvy could be cured by fresh animal food if it were eaten raw or underdone.

Knight’s essay on the symptoms of his own disease accords in spirit with all the rest of his written records down to the last. It is cheerful and matter of fact without a trace of self-pity or vain regrets. Perhaps more than anything else he wrote it makes us marvel at the spirit of the man. There cannot have been many who have faced slowly approaching death in the prime of years without saying or writing something in blame of themselves or others

Footnote to p. 215 cont'd.

for the circumstances in which they found themselves. But Ada Blackjack tells us that up to the stage when delirium began to appear he was as considerate in every spoken word as he was in his writing.

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with a rifle, there is scarcely more danger in a bear than there is in a duck. Unless cornered a bear will always flee when wounded. Furthermore, one who is not frightened and who has the skill to hit a duck can place a bullet where one shot is fatal. But Ada not only did not hunt for bears but she fled when she saw them. It is probable that but for this defect of training she could have saved Knight's life, for we know, partly from Knight's own experience when I treated him for a severe case of scurvy in 1917, that fresh, underdone meat will produce a rapid recovery.

All this is on the assumption that Knight died of scurvy. But this is not quite clear. He himself mentions in the diary frequently that the symptoms are different from the ones he had before. It seems as likely that the disease was nephritis, in which case a polar bear more or less might not have made any difference.

When the Donaldson arrived at Wrangell Island August 20th, Ada Blackjack had mastered her environment so far that it seems likely she could have lived there another year, although the isolation would have been a dreadful experience. Almost certainly she would eventually have killed one of the polar bears instead of fleeing from them. The first victory would have led to the killing of several [???] enough to see her through. For the summer of 1923 seems to havee been as good for bears as the summer of 1921. That would have been a wonderful story but, while I believe in its probable success, I am more grateful than any person unconcerned could be that she did not have to try it.

Ada Blackjack's experiences after Lorne Knight became ill are a story in themselves too long to be told here. Neither can we go here into public spirited pioneer enterprise the plans we made and which are now being carried out to continue the imaginative and public-spirited work for which our four young men died. Success does lessen the sting of tragedy and their work is being carried to success. Wrangell Island Had imagination enough to [???]

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is now occupied by fifteen people under command of Charles Wells, an experienced hunter and trapper of the Far North. And The British ownership of Wrangell Island has been made good by occupation so that if the question is submitted to an international court, as recent despatches from Ottawa say is being done, then we shall be certain of any the verdict rendered on the basis of the evidence.

Whether the British Empire decides to stand on its rights is a wholly different matter. The United States has the next best claim and between these nations any dispute can always be settled amicably on a legal basis. But Russia seems to realize the value of Wrangell Island better than any other country and is making protestations that are loud in proportion to the weakness of her claim. Things often go without any other reason to those who want them most. Then there is the possibility of internationalizing the island for the benefit of all countries. But that, again, is a practical question which has nothing to do with the spirit or value of the sacrifices made by Crawford, Galle, Knight and Maurer

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