THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 117 



why I seldom spend more than a few days in any winter camp. An- 

 other reason is that there is always plenty of work to be done. 



The following morning Captain Bernard and I started west 

 along the coast and arrived that evening at Captain Martin And- 

 reasen's, near the International Boundary, a distance of over forty- 

 five miles. This is much more than an ordinary day's travel when 

 one is carrying even moderately loaded sledges, but I had learned 

 from O'Neill that our preparations at Martin Point were about a 

 month behind schedule, so there was every reason for hurry. 



Captain Andreasen told me that on their way east O'Neill's 

 party had stopped there and told him of the disobedience of my 

 orders at Collinson Point and had informed him that the Govern- 

 ment would undoubtedly, when they got the reports which were 

 being sent in from Collinson Point, disavow all my actions. In 

 particular they told him that if he sold me the North Star he 

 would have to "whistle for his money," for the Government would 

 never pay the draft. He said the idea had struck him pretty hard 

 at the time but he had thought it over since and decided that he 

 would take his chances. For one thing, he believed the draft 

 would be paid; and for another, he could see that my plans of ex- 

 ploration would be seriously handicapped if I could not get the 

 North Star and he said he was enough interested in the project to 

 be willing to take some risk to see the work successful. 



At Andreasen's I received a letter from Captain Cottle, sent 

 to meet me to warn me of conditions. He said that members of 

 my party had come to the Belvedere, had explained to him that the 

 Government would not make good any arrangements I might make 

 with him, and had endeavored to dissuade any of his men from 

 helping us in any way. He said that he had, however, paid no 

 attention to this and had assured his men that should I want 

 their services I should be able to pay for them, and that he would 

 himself pay them any bills which I might be unable to pay. Cap- 

 tain Cottle had also had an interview with "Duffy" O'Connor. 

 O'Connor had been talking with members of the expedition and had 

 decided to go back on his bargain to sell me his supplies, the reason 

 being that he now feared non-payment of the draft that I was 

 going to give him in return for the outfit. Cottle said he had 

 assured O'Connor that the draft would be paid and urged him 

 to stick to his bargain, saying that I was the commander of the 

 expedition and that the Government would undoubtedly stand by 

 whatever I did. 



This letter prepared me for my interview with O'Connor the 



