stefansson-wrangel-09-30-001-004

By this time the expedition party suggested that they would rather turn back than take any chance of going any farther. I was perfectly satisfied that I would be taking too many chances by going farther. We had a great deal of trouble in getting to [[Cape Serdtse-Kamen, Siberia (Russia)|Cape Serge]], as the northwesternw wind was pressing the ice and we had to press the vessel quite hard to break the ice in many places. The vessel suffered some damage by being stove in and also the propeller was bent, both blades hitting the ice, so that it was practically disabled. We experienced very much more trouble in getting back to [[Cape Dezhnev (Russia)|East Cape]] than going up; in fact, we could only make an average of about eight to ten miles a day along the coast. It was only during a slack tide that we were able to make any headway at all. In several places we had to haul the vessel over rock. We got down to [[Whalen]] on the 17th. We were all this time getting down there - a distance of sixty miles. On the 18th we came around [[Cape Dezhnev (Russia)|East Cape]], where I tried to dispose of the cargo, rather than bring it back to Home, but the natives could not purchase, and the traders had their winter supplies, so that I was compelled to bring the supplies back to [[Nome (Alaska)|Nome]]. We left [[Cape Dezhnev (Russia)|East Cape]] Station on the morning of September 21st. After going through two miles of ice we came into open water and crossed the Straits. We arrived in [[Nome (Alaska)|Nome]] at three o’clock on the morning of September 22nd. Very truly yours. (Signed) Jos. [[Bernard, Joseph-Fidèle, 1878-1972|Bernard]].