stefansson-wrangel-09-32-023v

252 THE ADVENTURE OF WRANGEL ISLAND

a lead that had opened up yesterday. It was cov-
ered with young [unsafe] ice and drifted snow, although
it had looked like solid ice to us when we started for it.
The going to the east is practically impossible for five
dogs and a weak sled, so we decided to get back to solid
ice and camp. Built a snow wall and put a tarpaulin
over it [a sort of camp intermediate in comfort between
a snowhouse, which is better, and a tent, which is much
worse]. Both primus stoves are out of order and Craw-
ford worked with them for several hours, at last getting
one of them working after a fashion. There does not
seem to be a chance to get to the mainland now from here
and Crawford and I have been racking our brains on the
best thing to do. Matters now stand thus: We have
only five dogs, a weak sled, and not a great deal of pro-
visions, and the ice is so bad that we cannot travel to sea
to get to open water” [for sealing to replenish the travel-
ing food supplies].

Then we have at last the tragic key to the otherwise
inexplicable fact that they did not strike boldly south
into the rough ice. Knight was weak with a serious ill-
ness. “I am nearly all in. (I hate to admit this, but I am
sure I can’t help it). My scurvy has been coming back
for the last month or two, although I have said nothing
to anyone about it except Crawford. When we started
I was in hopes of fairly good going and a chance to get
fresh meat, but I find that my legs go back on me in this
rough ice where I am forced to get in harness to help the
dogs. When we do get in rough ice the dogs can hardly
haul the load on account of the temperature, which is
very low ⁶ , and I am afraid of the sled, which is none too

⁶ The colder the weather the greater the friction of the sledge shoeing
against the snow. At 50° below zero the snow grates like dry sand.