318 THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE KARLUK 
gradually further details appeared, as they came 
out in general conversation. 
Kataktovick and I, as I have already related, 
left the island on March 18 . The Munro party, 
starting the day before for Shipwreck Camp, made 
their way with comparatively little difficulty over 
the ice until they had crossed the great pressure- 
ridge that had held us up so long on the way in. 
Not far on the other side they came to open water, 
so they had to return to the island. 
Various trips were afterwards made out on the 
ice, on one of which Williams froze his great toe 
so badly that there was nothing to do but to ampu¬ 
tate it, to save the foot and possibly further com¬ 
plications. Perhaps many people would have pre¬ 
ferred to risk one danger at a time, rather than be 
operated on with the means at hand. Williamson 
was the surgeon; he had shown his natural deft¬ 
ness, as I have mentioned before, by his care of 
Mamen’s dislocated knee-cap at Shipwreck Camp. 
His instruments consisted of a pocket-knife and a 
pair of tin-shears. Perhaps no more painful and 
primitive operation was ever performed in the 
Arctic, though the whaling captains have fre¬ 
quently had to exercise a rough and ready surgery, 
whether it was possible to live up to the require¬ 
ments of Listerism or not. Williamson did his 
