166 THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE KARLUK 
the season grew the greater became the danger of 
the ice breaking up and making our escape from 
Wrangell Island possible only through the almost 
miraculous appearance of a chance ship, which 
was unlikely so far away from the coast where 
the trading was carried on. From now on the 
leads would be opening with greater and greater 
frequency. It behooved me to travel light and 
fast and get across before the southerly winds 
should come and set the ice moving. To attempt 
to get such a large number as the entire party over 
to Siberia at the speed that was absolutely neces¬ 
sary for crossing before the ice broke up was obvi¬ 
ously out of the question. The journey from Ship¬ 
wreck Camp to Wrangell Island had already 
been a nerve-racking experience for us all and 
the trip to Siberia would in many respects be 
harder and more dangerous than the road we had 
already traversed. 
The great essential was time. I must make all 
speed to the mainland and then along the coast to 
East Cape, to get transportation across to Alaska, 
where I could send word to the Canadian Govern¬ 
ment. We had now been out of touch with civili¬ 
zation for months. We had brought food enough 
with us to the island to last the men eighty days, 
full rations; this would take them into June and 
