CHAPTER III 



GOOD-BYE TO "CIVILIZATION" FOR FIVE YEARS 



WHEN our three ships sailed from the romantic "Gold 

 Camp" of Nome, Alaska, late in July, 1913, northward 

 into the polar ocean, I was dissatisfied with our expedition 

 in only one important respect. It was too sumptuously outfitted. 

 Forethought appeared to have anticipated every eventuality. We 

 had a plan ready for every accident: if plan A went wrong, then 

 plan B would be substituted. We had a staff of thirteen scientific 

 specialists to look after the gathering of information each in his 

 own department. There was a good man, ably assisted, in com- 

 mand of each of our ships, and in the Karluk, in which I sailed, I 

 had Captain "Bob" Bartlett * with the reputation of the world's best 

 ice master, the confidence of the crew, and his alternative replies 

 to any suggestion or order of mine — "Right sir!" when he felt 

 formal and the crew were within earshot; otherwise "Don't you 

 worry — leave it to me!" 



The trouble was, there seemed nothing left for the commander 

 of such an expedition to do. "He spake, and it was so" promised 

 to be the story of our enterprise. There may be much to be said 

 for the fiat method of creating a universe, but it cannot be sup- 

 posed to have been interesting. I feared I should be actually bored 

 by all that smooth-working machinery. 



My fears on this score began to be gradually removed. First, 

 the thirty-ton gasoline schooner, Alaska, under command of Dr. R. 

 M. Anderson, had trouble with her engine and had to put into 

 Teller, ninety miles north of Nome, for repairs. Then a gale came 

 up and our two remaining ships separated. This was because 

 Captain Peter Bernard of the Mary Sachs (30 tons, twin propellers, 

 gasoline power) , with the advantage of local experience, believed in 

 keeping his ship near shore, and did so, while Captain Bartlett, 

 a "deep-sea skipper" from the Atlantic, struck for the open sea. 



It was a lively gale. Our 250-ton Karluk was carrying more 

 than she should below decks, and on deck she had 150 tons with 



♦For a brief "Who's Who" of the expedition, see the appendix. 



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