A RUNIC MEMORIAL 



through all difficult and annoying situations. A good father 

 for his team of dogs, and a perfect artist with regard to driving 

 and the finding of a way through the worst of pressure-ice, a 

 pathfinder in the wilderness with the spontaneous compass-like 

 sense of locality of the savage, and an exceedingly fine seal- 

 hunter on the ice with his stalking-sail. In a word : a fine and 

 well-trained example of his tribe, and this means a good deal 

 among the Polar Eskimos, who are all, without exception, 

 hardened, quick-witted hunters without a flaw." 



When a catastrophe like Dr. Wulff's death occurs, it is 

 natural that the responsible man puts to himself the question 

 whether he could have planned otherwise. But even now, so 

 long after, I cannot see but that what we did was the only 

 right thing. Koch has in his reports explained his dispositions 

 during the walk towards the relief sledges, a report which grips 

 one by its sober brevity. It is therefore only natural that I 

 should add a few words to that which has already been said 

 about Ajako 's and my journey for relief. I have told in what 

 condition we reached land, and how necessary it was that we 

 should get in touch with people as soon as possible. I chose for 

 myself and Ajako the most risky and difficult task — with the 

 shortest possible rest to walk the longest distance. And whilst 

 the others merely advanced as slowly as their condition required, 

 constantly seeking the districts which provided the best hunt- 

 ing, it was our task to force our way ahead irrespective of the 

 question of the game. 



I had pointed out to Wulff and Koch that a slow journey 

 with short marches would furnish them with the necessary 

 game. This came true with the exception of that one day when 

 Wulff gave up. 



A single comparison will serve as an illustration of the 

 different travelling conditions offered to the two parties : Ajako 

 and I walked from Cape Agassiz to the great ice-mountain 

 lake, where the relief sledges were to be met, in a little more 

 than two nights and days, and on all this stretch we had only 

 one hare. The others took about twelve days to reach the 



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