THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 657 



only six and a half) and the entrance was such that it might be 

 rendered deeper or shallower any year by ice action — an unsafe 

 place to rely on for more than one year at a time. The survey 

 of the possible harbor behind Kellett would complete the map of the 

 west coast of Banks Island undertaken by Castel in connection 

 with the search for Thomsen. 



At this stage the Bear arrived on the scene and we must now 

 shift the story to her. In order to do this I must go back to the 

 time when Storkerson arrived at the Bear's winter quarters in 

 Walker Bay with instructions from me that Captain Gonzales was 

 to outfit him for the exploration of Victoria Island. 



On presentation of these, Gonzales had not refused to outfit 

 Storkerson but had warned him that he intended to sail away 

 from Walker Bay on the first of August, and if Storkerson and 

 his party had not arrived from their survey he would leave them 

 behind. He also told the men that, while he would not dissuade 

 any of them from going with Storkerson, he warned them that any 

 who did so were doing it at their own risk, for he thought Storker- 

 son might tarry too long at the surveying in which case they would 

 have to spend the year in Victoria Island, for they would find the 

 ship gone when they came back. Eventually two of the men, 

 Martin Kilian and Gumaer, went with Storkerson, but it was agreed 

 before they started that Storkerson would send them back on a 

 certain date whether the survey had been completed or not. This 

 date was placed so early that it seemed from the start that the 

 survey was doomed to be a failure. 



Still, Storkerson started and hoped for the best. When they 

 had been gone several days and it became evident that the survey 

 would take longer than the time allowed by the arrangement with 

 Gonzales, both men volunteered to stay by Storkerson, taking 

 chances on being marooned. This cheered him up for several days, 

 but then Gumaer had a change of heart and asked to be allowed 

 to return as originally promised. Martin Kilian stuck creditably 

 to his guns and joined Storkerson in urging Gumaer not to go back. 

 They were now on the north coast of Victoria Island, the spring 

 thaws had come and the overland journey to the Bear would be 

 dangerous especially for a man traveling alone. But all arguments 

 were of no avail and Storkerson had to fulfill his agreement by 

 handing over one of his sleds and dog teams. He cautioned 

 Gumaer carefully on the proper route to take, urging him to go 

 by the coast. Gumaer, however, preferred his own ideas and 

 tried to strike directly overland. The rivers were open and in 



