stefansson-wrangel-09-32-015r

THE SECOND WINTER AND THE TRAGIC END 235

ship to come in. On the contrary, it is clear from the
diary that the expectation of a ship was given up in
September and never revived. It has, therefore, been
most unfair to allege that there is in Knight’s diary basis
for criticising Captain Bernard for having given up too
soon his attempt to reach the island with the Teddy
Bear the summer of 1922. (See Captain Bernard’s own
report in the appendix.)

The type of winter camp used the previous year had
pleased everybody so well that they now decided to
construct a similar one at their new wintering place.
On September 27th “all hands proceeded to location of
future winter house and erected ridge-pole and split and
carried rails for the walls. Also piled wood [to prevent
its being covered from sight by drifting snow the next
winter].”

This was the season corresponding to the first few
weeks spent on the island the previous year when
bears had been seen in every direction, when there were
hundreds of tracks, and when the secure assumption
was made that they need not be killed then because
they could be picked up later whenever wanted. Now
there was plenty of snow on the ground but there is no
mention of bears until the sentence October 4th, “No
bear tracks were seen.” October 5th we have, “This
time last year we saw a large number of bears, but,
although we keep a good look out for them, now ‘there
hain’t none.’ At present we have about two months’
dog feed, and as soon as we are moved and settled
Crawford and I will probably take the dogs and go
offshore to a lead and camp there.” That was a good
plan, but, like the good plan of camping on the north
side of the island, made the previous winter, it was not