THE STORY OF THE KARLTJK 



Hadley told me the story of the Karluk many times over verbally. 

 I could have written it down from what he told me but I preferred 

 to have him write it out to be kept as a record. The document as he 

 handed it to me is about ten thousand words. But Captain Bartlett 

 has already published the full narrative in his book, "The Last Voyage 

 of the Karluk, as related by her Master, Robert A. Bartlett, and here set 

 down by Ralph T. Hale," Boston, 1916, and I shall consequently con- 

 dense Hadley's narrative. I am basing my summary on Hadley rather 

 than Bartlett for the interest that is given by a different point of 

 view. In Bartlett we have the Newfoundland sailor as influenced by 

 his association with Peary and other explorers. Hadley was British 

 by birth (from Canterbury, England) but an American by adoption, 

 and the typical American whaling officer in his outlook. 



The reader of Hadley's story should remember that he had lived and 

 worked with Eskimos under conditions such as he here describes for 

 over twenty years. No "polar explorer" in history ever had so long a 

 polar experience. This report of Hadley's was written at Barter Island 

 the winter of 1917-18 while I was ill with typhoid at Herschel Island. 

 Hadley died of influenza during the epidemic in San Francisco the fall 

 of 1918, shortly after his return from the expedition. 



Hadley's account follows : I quote certain parts and condense others. 

 The matter enclosed in brackets is mine, not Hadley's. 



V. Stefansson, 



Commander Canadian Arctic Expedition. 



You have requested I write the story of the Karluk and her men 

 from your leaving the ship in September, 1913, until our rescue by 

 the King and Winge and our transfer aboard the U. S. Coastguard 

 Bear. I shall do so to the best of my memory. 



Shortly after your departure [September 20, 1913] the wind started 

 to breeze from the northeast, gradually freshening to a gale before 

 morning. At daylight we found that we were drifting to the west 

 with water about two miles from us inshore. There was no noticeable 

 strain on the ship for several days until we got off Point Tangent. 

 There we began to get the pressure and the ice commenced to ridge up 

 pretty close to the ship and we got several hard squeezings but nothing 



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