APPENDIX 693 



to one of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police constables, telling me 

 about what had happened to him and that it was impossible for him on 

 that account to proceed with the work himself and so putting me in 

 charge of the expedition's exploratory work, giving me a free hand in 

 everything and asking me to do the best I possibly could. This change 

 of affairs surprised me^ but the necessity of getting the earliest possible 

 start on the ice journey made that surprise short-lived. I immediately 

 commenced to get ready for my departure to headquarters at Barter 

 Island, where I arrived February 19th. Five days later I had the greatest 

 part of the supplies on the road from Barter to Cross Island and on 

 February 28th I left headquarters with the last two sleds, teams and 

 men for our point of departure, where, owing to stormy weather, I 

 did not arrive before March 11th. 



On my arrival at Cross Island I immediately acquainted the men 

 with the state of affairs and the change of command and outlined the 

 plans which the Commander had spoken to me about at Herschel Island, 

 explaining to them that the plan of drifting for one year on the ice in 

 the Arctic Ocean would be by far the most valuable scientifically. But 

 although they admitted the great scientific value, none of them were 

 willing to undertake a trip of that kind. They all professed a desire 

 to return to civilization as soon as they possibly could, saying that 

 they had been in the Arctic long enough, that they thought they had 

 done what could be expected of them, and as they were willing to 

 undertake the trip with me north to latitude 77° or 78°, thence to Prince 

 Patrick Island and to Cape Kellett on Banks Island, they thought that 

 the expedition and the Government could not help but be satisfied with 

 the scientific results of the expedition in general, and at the same time 

 they would be able to return to civilization the following summer, 

 which was what they desired most. So, not being able to get men 

 fox the drifting trip, I had to be satisfied with attempting the trip to 

 Prince Patrick and Banks Island. During the following three days 

 I put everything in order and had adequate equipment for that trip 

 loaded on my sleds in readiness for our departure. 



WE START OUT ON THE ICE 



On the morning of March 15, 1918, I started northward oyer the 

 ice with twelve men, fifty-six dogs, and eight sleds, with about eight 

 thousand pounds of provisions and equipment of all kinds which I 

 deemed necessary for that kind of work. We camped that night thir- 

 teen miles offshore on moving sea ice, having immediately upon enter- 

 ing on it noticed its fairly rapid westward drift before the easterly 

 wind. 



Ten days later, on March 25th, we were about sixty miles from land, 

 having passed through the dangerous rough ice belt which always exists 

 between the main pack and shore. Traveling through this belt snow 



