stefansson-wrangel-09-31-117r

THE FIRST AUTUMN ON WRANGEL ISLAND 191

reach than any southern port. For nice, clear sailing in
northern waters this cannot be excelled.”

“September 26. All hands busy cutting and splitting
logs for the sides and roof of the house. It is surely a
great sight to see all the fine, dry wood after being on the
islands north of Canada where driftwood is scarce. Our
seamstress is busy making clothing and we have a great
many clothing skins, so our outfit should be comfortable.
A large number of ducks and gulls seen.”

September 27th the ocean was still free of ice and snow
was still lacking for sledging over the land. But on that
day for the first time since the arrival of the party a ther-
mometer placed in the shade failed to rise above the
freezing point, the maximum being 30° and the minimum
18°, Fahrenheit. On such an arctic autumn day the
temperature shown by a thermometer placed on a black
surface in the sun would be about twenty degrees warmer
than in the shade, or about 50° F.

The meat from the bears killed which they carried to
the camp in back loads was apparently not much more
than what was needed from day by day. On September³
30th “Crawford and Galle started to pack home some
bear meat, but when close to the carcass they saw a bear.
Crawford sent Galle to camp for Maurer and me, but
when we got to the place where the bear had been we saw
Crawford in the distance coming our way. He told us
that before we arrived the bear had seen him and had
started westward. Crawford followed and got a long dis-
tance shot, but the bear got away.”

October 1st was “rather a good day for us. Shortly
after breakfast I went outside and saw a bear crossing the
river about half a mile above camp. Maurer and I set
out with our guns, but the dogs had been restless all

³To pack, in the jargon of the North, means to
transport on the backs of men or dogs