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Journey in Search of Hans.
Tuesday Apr. 10.
I left the brig at 10 1/2 a.m. with but five dogs and a load so light as to be hardly felt. It required some suggestive incident to show us how we have gradually become assimilated in our habits to the necessities of our peculiar life - such an incident I find in my equipment - Compare it with similar sledge outfits of last winter and you will see that we are more than half Esquimaux.
1. One small sledge 5.6 x 2. 2. an extra jumper and sack pants for sleeping 3. a ball of raw walrus meat
1. The sledge is portable - and adapted to jump over the chasms of the land ice - and to overturn with impunity - save to the luckless driver. It has two standards - or as we call them "upstanders" which spring like elbows from its hinder extremity.
[sketch of man driving sled and dogs]
These serve as handles, by which, running or walking behind, you guide the sledge, lift it over rugged places - or rest yourself - and dogs while in mutual progress together.
2. The extra jumper is a bear skin jacket or rather shirt which after being put on is overlapped at the waist by a large pair of footed trousers.
[sketch drawing of a man in bear skin jacket]
No winter traveller should be without these - at temperatures below -25o or -30o they are invaluable. Added to a sleeping bag I would strongly urge them upon Expedition sledge parties. Blanket bags are nearly useless below -30o in a gale of wind, it riddles through them.
3. The ball of raw meat is made by chopping into inch pieces walrus or other meat, and running among it hot tallow by which the pieces are prevented from freezing too hard and you can readily cut out your meal as required - a little butter if you have it, - will contribute to soften it: [prevents its freezing too hard] - olive oil perhaps would be
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better; but without one or other of these luxurious additions a man in a hurry for dinner would be apt to risk his teeth. In the present journey -- having nothing but tallow I made my meat ball like a twist loaf -- and broke it with a stone.
I have no incidents to record in the shape of disaster. My dogs were in excellent condition and the ice good for travel. The real incident of the journey was its early success. My dogs carried me sixty four miles in eleven hours.
Faithful Hans! Dear good follower and friend. I was out upon the floes - just beyond the headlands of our old "Refuge harbor" and thinking of the different methods by which I could meet Bill's expected devilment -- when I made out a black speck far in to Shore wards. Refraction will deceive [old Nick] a novice on the ice but we have learnt to baffle refraction. By sighting the suspected object with your rifle at rest, you soon detect motion. It was a living animall, -- a man. Therewards went the sledge off spring the dogs -- ten miles an hour their driver yelling the familiar provocation to speed, "Nannook" Nannook" "bear, bear"! at the top of his lungs.
There was no room for mistaking the methodical seal stalking walk of Hans. He hardly varied from it as he came near; but In about 15 minutes we were shaking hands and jabbering in a broken patois of Esquimeaux and English -- our mutual news.
The poor fellow had been really ill - five days down with severe pains of limbs and at present "littee veak"; which means with Hans well used up. I stuck him on the sledge and carried him to Anaotok. Fortunately Anoatok for once belied its name there was no wind and the sun broke down on us with a genial + 14º although the shade gave -28º. I had brought with
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me - expecting the boy might need it - a small [??] bottle of our treasured molasses -- and a little tea. We keep a Camp kettle at this hut and both of us wore in our belts the inseparable tin cup. How the boy enjoyed his hot tea! [I need not say.] [?] had given him a few lumps of frozen walrus liver, the very best provision for cold travel: the cold had given us appetites: and the two [??] fitly harmonizing, we croaked and carried away quite merrily. [Soon we were crunching & cracking [?] and listening to each others yarns.]
Hans reached Etah with [??] two days after leaving us -- and at once commenced his hunt. In the course of five days of most enposing ice range, he killed two fine young animals, and his three companions in the hunt killing only three, He had the great advantage of my powerful Marston rifle but his tackle was very inverior. The [???]-laid twine would not stand the powerful struggle of the beast; and on one occasion parted while [??] in a large female. His success must have acquired him the good will of these people; for in the fleas -- or hunter's division of spoils -- they gained by his companionship.
Part of this meat he cooked at Littleton Isd. and another load he sent by William whose designs he immediately penetrated. I find by questions that this abandoned and ungrateful man urged him to drive off with him to the south, and leave us sledgeless. Upon Hans's refusal, he tried to obtain his rifle; but this of course was easily prevented. He consented at last to take [up?] the meat with a veiw of making [??] and securing probably a companion. Baffled in this, or I have [???] he made his escape a second time to L[eiper?] Bay. There I am content to leave him -- an unwellcome guest and dependant upon the Esquimaux. Strong and healthy as he is, our daily work goes on better for his absence; and the ship seems happier, when judged by his desertion, but the example is disastrous. Coute qui coute, I must have him back. Hans was taken sick from his [??]
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[?] [?] - he remained ill for five days and then travelled on foot towards the brig till he met me.
The dogs carried us home by the outside passage off Bedevilled Reach. I took the ice foot about 4 miles S.E. of [Badall?] Camp and reached the brig in comfortable conditions.
Wednes: Apr. 11th
Hans started again to bring back the meat from Littleton Id cashe. If he feels [?] I have given him a commission to which I attach the [greatest?] importance.
My hopes of again undertaking a Spring journey to Kennedy Channel were storng in the early months of the winter - but as our dogs died away a second time - and the scurvy crept in upon us I became sad and distrustful as to the chance of our ever living to gain the open water. The return of the withdrawing party absorbed all [?]. They brought news of disaster, starvation, and loss of dogs among the natives. The prospects seemed then at their lowest ebb. Still I cherished a secret hope of making another journey, and had determined to undertake it alone with our poor remnant of four dogs, trusting to my rifle for provisions. In fact, this continuation of my one great duty has been constantly before me, and I now think that I can manage it. Thus: —
The Esquimaux have left Northumberland Id and are now near Cape Alexander, as a better seat of walrus hunt. Among them is [Kalutanek?] the best of the breed and he, like a provident man, has saved seven dogs. I have authorized Hans to negotiate carte blanche - if necessary for four of these dogs - even as a loan - promising as a final bait the contingent possession of my whole team when I reach the open water after my return. On this mission I send my [?] [?] and await his return with anxious hope.
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I have foreseen, from the first day of our imprisonment by the ice the possibility of melting more that we might never be able to liberate the ship. Elsewhere in this journal I have explained by what construction of my duty I [?] the brig to the North and why I deemed it impossible honorably to abandon her after a single season. Why too I gave to others the free right to remain or withdraw, and why I looked upon that withdrawal as closing their connection with the Expedition. The same connected train of reasoning now leads me to mature and organize every thing for an early departure without her in case she cannot [should we find that the brig is not] to be released. My hopes of this release are feeble: my judgment and experience tell me that it is nearly impossible, and I know that when it does release - if ever - the season will, like the last, be too far advanced - for me to carry home my people. [Now last year I warned the withdrawing men of the futility of their attempt as early as Aug 24th.] All my experience carefully redeemed by consultation with Petersen- concerns me that I must start early - and govern my boats and sledges by the condition of the ice and hunting grounds.
Whatever of [executive?] ability I have picked up during this brain and body wearing [concise?] awrnd me against [?] preparation or [vaccilating?] [?] - I must have an [exact?] discipline, a rigid routine and a perfectly though out organization. In the past six weeks I have, in the intervals between my duty to the sick and the ship, arranged the schedule of our future course. Much of it is already under way. My journal shows what I have done, but what there is to do is appalling. I state all this as a proper announcement of my intentions to show how much I sacrifice by my intended journey to the North and to explain to my home friends why I have so little time or mood for scientific observation or re-