OVER THE ICE 
143 
At about noon we finally got away—Katakto- 
vick, McKinlay, Mamen and I. McKinlay, wear¬ 
ing man-harness, helped pull my sledge, while I 
guided and drove the dogs. On account of his 
dislocated knee-cap which bothered him constantly 
and once on the march got out of place and had to 
be put back, with strenuous efforts on my part and 
much silent suffering on his, Mamen could not help 
pull Kataktovick’s sledge but had to limp alongside 
and make his way as best he could. He chafed 
very much over his temporary uselessness and I 
had to cheer him up as well as I could by telling him 
constantly what wonderful work he had already 
accomplished. 
We placed a record in a copper tank on the ice, 
telling where the ship was lost and when we left 
camp, with the names of the members of the various 
parties as they had left. In camp and on the ice 
we left behind us two transits, about 8,000 pounds 
of pemmican, 80 cases of biscuit, 200 sacks of coal, 
ten cases of gasoline, two drums of coal oil, with 
various odds and ends; over the camp we left the 
British ensign flying. I had my charts with me. 
On the day we left, on account of a sudden clear¬ 
ing up of the atmosphere and a temporary cessa¬ 
tion of the almost continuous whirling snowdrift, 
I had a good view of Wrangell Island, the first 
sure view I had had of it. 
