448 THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 



The autumn caribou-hunting at Cape Kellett had not been suc- 

 cessful. Thomsen and one of the Eskimos, Alingnak, had been out 

 for a week but had failed to get caribou, partly through inexperi- 

 ence but mainly perhaps through unfortunate weather. Caribou 

 seem to be more plentiful in the northern end of Banks Island in 

 winter than in the southern end. Wilkins, now an excellent hunter, 

 had gone to work energetically in the north, and with the invalu- 

 able assistance of Natkusiak had secured all the caribou he con- 

 sidered necessary for the winter. This done he had established 

 for Natkusiak a hunting camp on the Gore Islands, an ideal loca- 

 tion for seals and polar bears, and Natkusiak was there now alone. 

 As happens in such places, ice conditions had sometimes been bad 

 for two or three weeks when no seals were secured, but on an occa- 

 sional favorable day Natkusiak would get ten or more during the 

 brief three or four hours of noon twilight. He had also secured 

 several bears. 



After talking things over with Wilkins I was able to decide on 

 the plans for spring. I would send Thomsen, Noice and Knight 

 with two dog teams back to the Bear by the route we had just 

 traversed. They would pick up Illun's hunting camp at Ramsay 

 Island and move everything to the Bear. Here Thomsen would 

 deliver to Storkerson and Gonzales instructions outlining the spring 

 work. In general Gonzales was to see that the crew of the Bear 

 cooperated with Storkerson in everything he desired. Storkerson 

 was to start late in January for Cape Alfred by way of the north 

 end of Banks Island and I would meet him in February some- 

 where on the north coast. Meantime, with the resources at Kellett 

 and the Star, we would prepare everything so that early in March 

 Storkerson could start with four dog teams northwest from Cape 

 Alfred. This last was not wholly a desirable plan, for the journey 

 of the previous spring had already been made in this direction and 

 Storkerson would have to travel for some time through explored 

 territory. However, we had been handicapped the previous spring 

 by sorefooted dogs and a late start. With the superior outfit that 

 Storkerson would now have and with a start more than a month 

 earlier, he would be able to traverse the explored area in about 

 ten days and should be able to do good work beyond. Such were my 

 plans and ideas about that part of the exploratory work which had 

 to be entrusted to others. It was the main part of the spring 

 program. 



I assigned to myself the further exploration of the land discov- 

 ered the previous spring (Borden Island). Several teams were to 



