224 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1945 



September 25 was spent in examining the enormous harbor and 

 surrounding country at DeSalis Bay, but when Larsen noted high 

 ridges of rock and gravel pushed up along the shore, indicating heavy 

 ice pressure during break-up in the spring he considered it unwise to 

 winter here. Since no other good harbors were known in the area, the 

 St. Roch sailed for Walker Bay, where the explorer, Collinson, had 

 wintered in 1851-52. The vessel had a total of 5,240 miles to show for 

 a season's work when she was anchored in the southeastern part of 

 this bay. 



A continuous strong east wind blew during most of October and 

 prevented Walker Bay from freezing over until October 30. It was 

 the latest freeze-up known in this area, and, if Larsen had had any 

 way of knowing that it was to be so delayed that year, it is possible 

 that he might have been able to make his way immediately through the 

 Passage to the eastern Arctic. The vagaries of Arctic weather are un- 

 predictable, however, and what is done in one year may not be possible 

 in another. After the schooner was frozen in, a framework was con- 

 structed and the deck was completely housed over with canvas. 



During the winter of 1940-41 the St. Roch detachment made several 

 normal patrols through the area, visiting native camps to investigate 

 Eskimo conditions and welfare, registering vital statistics and fire- 

 arms, and generally carrying out the many other duties of the R. C. 

 M. P. in supervising this vast Arctic region. As is customary, travel 

 was by Eskimo dog team and sled, and the nightly shelter was a snow 

 house of their own construction. Short patrols totaling 990 miles were 

 made to Holman Island for mail, to Minto Inlet, to Prince of Wales 

 Strait and inland on Victoria Island. One especially long patrol of 41 

 days, covering about 600 miles, was made for the purpose of visiting 

 the prosperous Eskimo camps on the western side of Banks Island. 



During the spring, when days became longer, the vessel and equip- 

 ment were scraped and painted and all machinery was examined and 

 overhauled. The ice in the harbor began to break up in July, but west- 

 erly winds kept Walker Bay blocked with floes for some time. On July 

 31, Larsen decided to try to work his way out, and, after much maneu- 

 vering, finally reached the trading post and mission at Holman Island. 

 Here duty intervened, preventing the schooner from attempting the 

 Passage through Prince of Wales Strait. A native boy had been ac- 

 cidently shot and needed to be taken to hospital at Aklavik. Large and 

 numerous ice floes, foggy weather, and a storm off the mainland coast 

 made progress slow, and the harbor at Port Brabant was not reached 

 until August 5. Whereas Amundsen Gulf had been free of ice until 

 very late in the preceding year, during the summer of 1941 floes jammed 

 the northern part of it throughout the whole season. Thus does the 

 natural environment limit planning in the western Arctic. 



