CHAPTER II 



ETAH TO CAPE SHERIDAN 



LEAVING Etah soon after midnight of August i6th, 

 the Roosevelt swung out from the harbour of Etah 

 and severed all communication with the civilised 

 world. Below decks the ship was filled with coal until 

 her plank sheer was nearly to the water ; on deck were 

 more than two hundred Eskimo dogs; and on the top- 

 gallant forecastle, and the tops of both forward and 

 after deck houses were over half a hundred Eskimos, 

 men, women and children, and their belongings. 



The heavy pack ice surging down Smith Sound, past 

 Littleton Island, gave me an opportunity to see what 

 good work the ship could do and as we bored through 

 it toward Cape Sabine, she realised my expectations 

 in regard to her, even though very deeply loaded 

 and her boiler power reduced to one-half. The sharply 

 raking stem was a revelation even to me, though it 

 was my idea. Deep and heavy as the ship was, 

 she rose on the opposing ice without pronounced 

 shock, no matter how viciously she was driven at it, 

 and either split it with the impact, or wedged it aside 

 by sheer weight. 



Bartlett obeyed my first orders, to give her full 

 speed and I would be responsible, with some misgiv- 

 ings. The sealing captains are always very cautious 

 with their ships when first going out heavy with coal. 



