4 CONQUERING THE ARCTIC ICE 



Leffingwell. We talked the prospects over and made an 

 agreement that we should jointly command the expedition as a 

 whole, while remaining severally responsible for special depart- 

 ments of it. Mr. Leffingwell was to -undertake the scientific 

 research, and I was to have charge of all the movements of the 

 expedition, etc. ; no important question, not even in our special 

 departments, was to be settled except by mutual consent. In 

 case we should disagree on any point the vote of our messmates 

 would be binding upon either of us. 



Mr. Leffingwell and myself went through our one year and a 

 half without having to resort to the vote of our messmates, 

 and throughout pecuniary troubles, throughout the dangers of the 

 winter and the hardships of the trail over the pack ice, and 

 indeed, until I took my leave, Mr. Leffingwell remained to me the 

 friend I knew from the Baldwin Expedition, who was willing 

 to pay the greatest consideration to all my proposals. I think 

 I can safely say that we could have gone through one more 

 winter and come out even better friends than we went in. The 

 money which he placed at my disposal was the real beginning 

 of the expedition, as it became a foundation for further contribu- 

 tions, and I am very doubtful whether I should have met with 

 the same success in raising the remaining amount if I had not 

 had Mr. Leffingwell's $5,000 to begin with. 



We left Chicago together and went out west, he to finish 

 some geological work on Lake Chelan, and I to select a vessel. 

 Before he returned east again, he came to Victoria, B.C., 

 where I had now come in my search for a ship, to look at a 

 vessel which I had found there, and which I thought would do 

 for our enterprise. It was a small schooner, and, as far as 

 I could find out, strong and sound. When Mr. Leffingwell 

 and I had agreed on the business in Victoria, he went back to 

 Chicago to finish some scientific work he had in hand there, 

 and to buy instruments, arms, ammunition, and photographic 

 outfit. As soon as he could he returned to Victoria to help me 

 with the outfitting. 



We bought the ship at a price of $2,600. However, that 

 was considerably more than we had expected to give, and 

 before long it was only too evident that we must raise more 

 money. 



Some friends in New York, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Mathiasen 



