112 THE FRIENDLY ARCTIC 



^o the Government, giving details of how the program which I had 

 already sent to them from Point Barrow was being carried out. 

 During this time I had the opportunity of many pleasant chats 

 with my oldest friend in that country, John Firth, whom I had 

 known since 1906, as well as with the police, missionaries, and 

 traders both of Macpherson and of Red River. All of them were 

 as helpful as possible and greatly interested and as a result, I ex- 

 plained our plans more in detail to them than I did to most other 

 people. It may be for that reason that later on, when we had 

 disappeared from sight into the ice north of Alaska and were sup- 

 posed to be dead by Eskimos and whalers as well as by the members 

 of our own expedition (and by the arctic explorers in Europe and 

 America to whom the Ottawa Government later referred for an 

 opinion), Inspector Phillips and Mr. Firth were among the few 

 who stuck to the idea that our plans were sound and that we were 

 probably alive. 



One of the reasons why I had always wanted Storkerson as a 

 member of the expedition was that I had full confidence in his 

 energy and judgment in carrying out orders. So far as the prepa- 

 ration of the equipment for the ice work was concerned, he was a 

 far better man than I, and the best thing to 'do in that regard was 

 to leave him alone. Dr. Anderson having been directed to put at 

 Storkerson's disposal facilities ample for carrying out all instruc- 

 tions and plans for the ice journey, there was no need for me to 

 hurry back to the outfitting camp. It was enough to arrive at 

 Martin Point about the time when everything was ready, since a 

 day or two of rest would be all I should require before starting 

 out upon the ice. 



So I was able to be leisurely about completing the work in 

 the Mackenzie, but once it was done I started promptly westward. 

 On the third or fourth day, about fifteen miles west of Herschel 

 Island, I met several sledges proceeding eastward. When I saw 

 that they were ours and recognized the men with them, I realized 

 I was facing the most serious development of the expedition so 

 far. For some of these were men who should have been now em- 

 ployed at Martin Point, getting things ready for the ice trip. The 

 written directions had been definite, and yet they had not only not 

 been carried out, but things were being done incompatible with 

 both their spirit and letter. 



J. J. O'Neill, geologist, proved to be in charge of this party. 

 He brought me a letter from Dr. Anderson. I asked O'Neill to 

 walk with me back to the police barracks at Herschel Island, \ 



