stefansson-wrangel-09-34-047

NOTES--BLACKJACK

Departure from Nome

Crawford, Maurer, Galle and Knight sailed from Nome
on the "Silver Wave", a chartered ship commanded by Captain
Jack Hammer. The date Sept 9, 1921.

They had tried in Nome to purchase an "umiak", native
Eskimo skin boat for general use on Wr Island. (Such a boat
will not be stove in on meeting with ice whereas the conven-
tional dory or whale boat of wood could easily be crushed.)
Being of meagre means, the boys considered the price asked
by the Nome natives as too high and decided to try their
luck with natives at East Cape, Siberia, stopping there on
the voyage north.

Also at Nome, the party had arranged to engage some
Eskimo families, men and women, the to help with their activi-
ties on the Island. At sailing time, however, only one ap-
peared. She was Ada Blackjack, the others having changed
their minds. They sailed with Ada and again condidered thay
could pick up Eskimos as well as a skin boat at East Cape.

Stefansson admits that in this they made "the most
serious error of the whole expedition" for they found at
East Cape that no Eskimos there could be engaged. Further,
the natives asked double the ususal price for a skin boat
and that "they refused to be robbed." The boat matter ended
with their buying the ships dory from Capt Hammer. (Seems to
me they got off on the wrong foot right at the start--JA)

The heights of the Island were sighted on Sept 14
and a landing by dory was made on the 15th on a high sandspit
on which could be seen a good deal of driftwood.