stefansson-wrangel-09-30-007-010

10

As my plans had been changed, it was of course to our best interests
to have the second support party sent back to shore as soon as possible,
with which object in view we anxiously awaited the end of the southeasterly
storm. It was not before April 14th that it moderated sufficiently to
enable us to get a set of observations which put us at north latitude
75° 3’ and west longitude 148° 32’, about a hundred and ninety miles north
of the Colville delta. As soon as observations had been taken I set
about having the equipment of the support party made ready and at night
they started for home. They were five men under the command of Chief
Officer Aarnout Castel, with twenty dogs and one sled, carrying our person-
al letters and my last report to the Commander.

So our last communication with civilization was severed and my party
of five men, with sixteen dogs, continued to drift, having besides our
equipment exactly one hundred and one days’ full rations for men and dogs.

In order to live safely and comfortably on the ice for one year it
was of the greatest importance for us immediately to direct all our en-
ergies to hunting bear and seal so as to procure as soon as possible a
supply of meat to take us past the period of poor hunting which I knew
was coming later. The supplies brought from home I wanted to save for
use next year on the journey back ashore, should we decide to travel during
the midwinter darkness when hunting is difficult. Groceries, pemmican
and the like are far more portable than meat unless it be dried. I de-
sired also to save our kerosene for next year and wanted to commence at
once using seal’s fat exclusively for fuel. Therefore, the day after
the departure for shore of the second support party I commenced to explore
the surrounding ice for game and the best hunting places. This resulted
in the discovery that the best hunting grounds lay to the east on the
great stretches of young ice that now represented the lead which had
stopped us.