CROCKER LAND EXPEDITION 



REPORT BY DONALD B. MACMILLAN, LEADER 



THE sealer "Diana," carrying the Crocker Land expedition with 

 Donald B. MacMillan, leader, sailed from New York July 2. The 

 first port of call was Boston, where she took on additional supplies, 

 among which were seven tons of pemmican. The second port of call was 

 Sidney, Nova Scotia, where the supplies were increased by twenty tons of 

 dog biscuit and several hundred tons of coal. 



When the "Diana" sailed out into the Strait of Belle Isle July 12, she 

 encountered much ice and finally dense fog. The difficulties of navigation 

 became very great and on the morning of July 17 the ship was wrecked on 

 the rocks off Barge Point, Labrador. This did not prove a great disaster 

 for the expedition however. The whole party and all the supplies were 

 transferred to the steam sealer " Erik" of St. John's and on July 31 the start 

 was again made for the north with only a brief stop at Battle Harbor, 

 necessary to take on board the thirty -foot power boat, the "George Borup," 

 before the ship cruised direct for Cape York. 



On August 5 many icebergs of great size came in view and at night all 

 was obscured by fog. The days passed with slow progress between giant 

 icebergs and through impenetrable fog until August 14 when the fog lifted 

 and to starboard lay the coast of Greenland, and the expedition had its first 

 view of the midnight sun. On the next morning the "Erik" touched shore 

 at the southernmost village of the Innuits, then steered on along the 

 coast past North Star Bay where the Danes have established a mission 

 and erected a shelter for meteorological instruments, past the village of 

 Oomenooe where three Eskimo were engaged, on past Inglefield Gulf and 

 Igludahoming. This village where three more dog-drivers were engaged, is 

 made up of but six tupiks on a meadow sheltered by storm cliffs and covered 

 with the golden poppies and dandelions of the Arctic. The following which 

 carries the story to August 30 is quoted from the report cabled to New 

 York by Mr. MacMillan: 



"We left Igludahoming August 18, for Nerky. Everywhere we found 

 the Eskimo thriving, prosperous and healthy. They had already laid in 

 ample supplies for winter, despite the fact that most game is scarce this year, 

 particularly the walrus and eiderduck. Narwhal and seal are relatively 

 abundant. 



" From Nerky the ' Erik ' steamed on to Etah, our last stopping place 

 before crossing to Ellesmere Land. Here we stayed until Thursday after- 

 noon, detained by great fields of ice in Smith Sound. Etah is a place 

 famous in Arctic explorations, and in its sheltered harbor many ships have 

 found safe anchorage. We took on more Eskimo here. We have now on 



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