288 THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE KARLUK 
get through to Wrangell Island if any ship could 
do so. I had been told, too, that her master, Cap¬ 
tain Cochran, was not afraid to put her in the ice, 
for he had served under that fearless and true¬ 
hearted man, the late Captain Jarvis. On the 
whole, it seemed to me that it would be a matter of 
singular interest for the Bear to rescue the Karluk 
survivors as she had rescued the Greely party thirty 
years before, on the other side of the continent. 
The Russian ships, Taimir and Vaigatch, also, 
had fine records. I have already mentioned the 
success of Captain Vilkitski in the Taimir in dis¬ 
covering Nicholas II Land in 1913. I knew that 
both vessels were similar to the steel ships used in 
the Newfoundland seal-fisheries and that they were 
able craft, equipped with powerful engines. 
During my stay in St. Michaels I was fortunate 
in having the skilful treatment of Doctor Fern- 
baugh, the government surgeon, so that I soon got 
around again. He was very good to me, making 
me feel at home and treating me like a brother. 
The boys at the wireless station were kind enough 
to give me the back files to read, so that I could 
get an idea of what had been happening in the 
world. The agents of the Northern Commercial 
Company, too, were most hospitable and treated 
me as one of their own. 
When I first reached St. Michael’s, the Bear , 
