THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 125 



made it in the past impenetrable alike to exploring and whaling 

 ships. But to our point of destination (if no land were found and 

 if we did not drift west) there did exist a roundabout passage 

 already charted and sailed by at least two ships— McClure in the 

 Investigator in 1851 and Captain George Leavitt in the Narwhal 

 in 1906. McClure proceeded along the coast of Banks Island to 

 Mercy Bay. Leavitt returned by nearly a "great circle course" 

 to Herschel Island. Captain Leavitt has told me that the Nar- 

 whal was the only ship of the whaling fleet that ever went to 

 Norway Island, but I have heard of others which went within 45 

 miles of it — to Terror Island. 



The North Star, when the summer came, was to follow this 

 well-known route, first east along the mainland to Cape Bathurst 

 or near it, then north to Cape Kellett. It was especially here I 

 expected the Star's light draft to be valuable — she would worm her 

 way up the coast through the shallow shore lead between the land 

 and any heavy ice that might be grounded offshore. On reaching 

 Norway Island (N. Lat. 73%° approx.), she was to look for a 

 beacon containing a message from us. If she found none she was 

 to proceed to Prince Patrick Island if she could; otherwise, she was 

 to winter at the most northerly convenient point on Banks Island. 

 If we were in the east somewhere we would find her sometime dur- 

 ing the winter or spring 1914-15. If we did not, she was to do 

 whatever exploring she could the spring of 1915. During the sum- 

 mer 1915 she would return south if she had not found us. 



As more fully explained later, the Sachs was also to come to 

 Banks Island, though she was not to try to come as far north 

 along the coast as the Star. 



For a journey that might develop along any of the three plans 

 outlined above (according to the natural conditions we found in the 

 unexplored area), I wanted at least four volunteers — preferably 

 more so that I might try them out while the support party were 

 still with us, taking with me eventually those who turned out to 

 enjoy the work most — which is another way of saying the best 

 men. In polar work, physique is of some significance but tem- 

 perament is far more important. 



In order to get my four or more volunteers I had to justify 

 the hypothesis upon which the plan of the journey was based. 

 Part of the ground did not have to be gone over in stating the case, 

 for up to a point our methods would be essentially those of the 

 Eskimos or of Peary. We would use Eskimo dogs, Nome sledges 

 (the two we had), snowhouses for camps when the weather was 



