^ M BOOKS BY WILLIAM HERBERT HOBBS Earthquakes, an Introduction to Seismic Geology — Appleton Characteristics of Existing Glaciers — Macmillan Earth Features and Their Meaning — Macmillan The World War and Its Consequences, with an Introduction by Theodore Roosevelt — Putnam Leonard Wood, Administrator, Soldier and Citizen, with an Introduction by Henry A. Wise Wood — Putnam Earth Evolution and Its Facial Expression — Mac- millan Cruises Along By-Ways of the Pacific — Stratford The Glacial Anticyclones, the Poles of the At- mospheric Circulation — University of Michigan Exploring About the North Pole of the Winds — Putnam EXPLORING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS ;*e cs o w o O o 0\ <3 u I -♦-» C o a o o P. .3 C C/3 tr -t ■! " - T- " - n IT It I. Exploring About the North Pole of the Winds hy WILLIAM HERBERT HOBBS Professor of Geology and Director of the Greenland Expeditions of the University of Michigan /IS Decorations by the Author WITH 26 ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS NEW YORK G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS LONDON Cite "^aitiisxhittktt ^rcsa 1930 *M I II II ni ■■II W ■« W ■ MM ■■II II II II— —II iii» WMllii ■ II II n I H ■■ W gn ■!►? EXPLORING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS Copyright, 1930 by G. P. Putnam's Sons Published, Winter, 1930 Made in the United States of America CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. — The First Cruise to Greenland on the Morr'issey ...... 3 II, — In Camp on the Maligiakfjord . . 17 III. — The Motor-Canoe Swamped and the Rescue ...... 30 IV. — The Winds From the ''Great Ice" . 39 V. — Exploring the Upper Air ... 48 VI. — The Summer Expedition to the Ice-Cap 60 VII. — The Return on Forced Marches . . 76 VIII. — Again in Camp on the Maligiakfjord . 87 IX. — The Stormy Return Cruise on the Crip- pled Morr'issey ..... 95 X. — The Second Expedition to Greenland on THE Disko . . . . . .108 XI. — Storm-Bound on the Walrus . . .114 XII. — Building the Expedition Base on Mount Evans 128 XIII. — Reconnaissance ..... 146 XIV. — The Second Expedition to the Ice-Cap 154 XV. — On the Ice-Cap and Back to Camp Lloyd 170 3518 7 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE XVI. — Bangsted's Winter Expedition to the Ice-Cap . . . . . .185 XVII. — The Third Greenland Expedition . . 203 XVIII. — The Relief of Carlson at Mount Evans 212 XIX. — Preparing for the Rockford Flyers . 220 XX. — Exploring in the Caribou Country . 237 XXI. — The Search for Hassell and Cramer . 254 XXII. — The Rescue 265 XXIII. — Shipwrecked ...... 283 XXIV. — In Peril of Waters off the Greenland Coast ....... 299 XXV. — Aboard the Tramp-Ship Fulton . . 312 XXVI. — Carlson's Winter Dog-Sled Expedition 328 XXVII. — Our Wireless Station's Activities . . 34-3 XXVIII. — The Closing of the Station . . . 357 Appendix 367 Index 373 VI ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Sending up a Pilot Balloon on the Ice-cap Frontispiece The First Expedition Aboard the Morrissey View Looking Down Upon University Bay The Motor-canoe in which Gould and Belknap so Nearly Lost their Lives Following a Balloon at Camp on the Maligiakfjord Sounding Balloon Work The Trek Across the Tundra Otto Nordenskjold Glacier Tongue Expedition of 1927 on the Walrus Mount Evans Aerological Station . Following a Balloon at Mount Evans Lower Chute of the Kelsey Cataract Upper: Ice-cliff at Edge of Inland-ice. Camp on the Inland-ice A Crevasse on the Inland-ice Upper: The "White Mountains." Lower Party on the Frozen Fjord Lower: A DoGSLED The Airplane Landing Field Near Mount Evans vii 9 23 35 51 57 71 77 115 139 143 149 175 193 199 233 ILLUSTRATIONS Kite Work at Camp Lloyd The Rescued Fliers and their Rescuers After the Shipwreck of the NaJcuak Camp Near Mouth of Sondre Stromfjord Arrival of the Rescue-ship Nipisak Fishing Settlement of Kangamiut The Fulton at the Dock of Ivigtut . The Radio Transmitter at Mount Evans PAGE . 239 . 273 . 289 . 295 . 303 . 309 . 317 . 345 Vlll EXPLORING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS >^' V EXPLORING ABOUT THE NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS CHAPTER I THE FIRST CRUISE TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY HE motor-schooner Morrissey, Captain "Bob" Bartlett, master, on the morning of June 27, 1926, swung at her moorings in the harbor of North Sydney, Nova Scotia. On board were the per- sonnels of two expeditions about to sail for the Arctic and the stores for three expeditions. Every foot of cargo space was taken and the decks were hidden under piles of lumber, nests of dories, gaso- line drums, canoes, etc., all well lashed and made snug for possible nasty weather. 3 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS The Morrissey is of 83 tons register, 100 feet Tong, and with the lines of a yacht. A report had come to North Sydney that the straits of Belle Isle, which separate Newfoundland from Labrador and through which the Morrissey was to sail, were still crammed solid with field ice pushed in from Davis Strait. However, a favorable southerly wind might clear the straits at any time, and under an overcast sky the anchor was weighed and at eleven o'clock under full sail and with motor run- ning we moved out to sea. The Morrissey had been chartered for the expe- dition of the American Museum of Natural His- tory under command of George Palmer Putnam and was setting out to cruise in Baffin Bay and secure specimens of the larger forms of ocean life for the new Oceanic Hall of the Museum. The other members of this expedition were : Dr. Harry C. Raven of the Zoological Staff of the Museum and second-in-command of the expedition; Daniel W. Streeter of Buffalo, hunter; "Art" Young, champion bowman of the world and famous for his killing with bow and arrow of big game animals in Africa and Alaska; Carl Dunrud, cowboy rop- ing expert who captures big game with the lariat. To prepare the skins Fred Limekiller of the Mu- seum staff was included. Maurice Kellerman, mo- 4 TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY tion picture expert of the Pathe Corporation, who had already made pictures for other expeditions, was of the party, and Dr. Peter Heinbecker, well- known specialist, had shipped as surgeon and was interested especially in the pathology of the Green- land Eskimos. The engineer of the expedition was Robert E. Peary, Jr., son of the discoverer of the North Pole, with Young and Dunrud as assistants, and Edward Manley was radio operator. Mr. Putnam was taking with him his thirteen- year-old son, David, who had already made a voy- age in the Arcturus with Dr. Beebe and had pub- lished his "David Goes Voyaging." This was the staff of the expedition for which the ship had been chartered and the cruise was to extend throughout the summer and penetrate into Baffin Bay as far as Cape York in 76° N. latitude. For my own expedition of six men I had made a contract with Director Putnam under the terms of which we were to be taken aboard the Morrissey as passengers and were to be set down at the head of the Maligiakfjord, about thirty miles east of Holstensborg in Greenland; except in the event of adverse weather conditions prevailing, when we were to be set down at Holstensborg upon the coast. Our entire party qualified as "able land- lubbers" and were subject to call on deck at any 5 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS hour of the day or night to make or shorten sail, though we were not required to go aloft. After having deposited us with our stores the Morrissey was to go about its cruising work in Baffin Bay, but return in September so as to bring us back to North Sydney. With a clear view of the hazards of expeditions like ours, Mr. Putnam and I signed jointly a letter in which it was agreed that the Morrissey would be at Hol- stensborg on September 18th and would find us ready to embark unless by radio other plans had in the meantime been arranged. If the ship should give us no information before October 10th, we were to assume that difficulty or disaster had oc- curred. We were to notify the Danish authorities and then shift for ourselves. As events proved the Morrissey suffered shipwreck far to the north, but eventually got off again in a crippled condition, took us on at Holstensborg, and in spite of nasty weather and a full gale got us all safely back to North Sydney. The expedition which I directed was organized as a University of Michigan enterprise and was preliminary in its nature, having for its purpose the discovery of a suitable base at which to establish an aerological station for study of the peculiar glacial anticyclone of Greenland, the northern Pole of 6 TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY our wind system fixed above the great dome of ice and snow which submerges the greater part of the Greenland continent. We had come prepared to make prehminary studies of the upper atmosphere by means of balloons in addition to the usual mete- orological observations at the ground level. Besides the Director our party of six consisted of: Dr. Larry M. Gould from the geology de- partment of the University of Michigan, second- in-command, geologist and photographer; S. P. Fergusson, from the U. S. Weather Bureau in Washington, aerologist; Dr. J. E. Church, Jr., an alumnus of the University of Michigan but now from the faculty of the University of Ne- vada, meteorologist; Ralph L. Belknap, from the Geology Department of the University, surveyor; and Paul C. Oscanyan, Jr., of New Jersey, radio operator. In addition to the members of both expeditions the Morrissey carried besides the mas- ter. Captain "Bob" Bartlett, his brother "Will," the mate, and a crew of four men besides the cook and steward. We were taking supplies and equipment suf- ficient for the summer only, but it was hoped to test out conditions with a view to more extended studies so soon as a suitable base had been dis- covered. For these studies clear skies were, if not 7 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS absolutely essential, at least highly desirable, and the Holstensborg district even upon the coast en- joyed the reputation of having a somewhat dryer atmosphere than neighboring sections of the Green- land coast. The distinguished Swedish Polar Ex- plorer, Dr. Otto Nordenskjold, had in 1909 gone into the Holstensborg hinterland between the coast settlements and the margin of the inland-ice, and had reported still dryer conditions of atmosphere as the ice is approached. I believed that this was probably due to the protection afforded by the long arm of ice which at a high level and to the southward pushes outward toward the coast so as to condense the moisture from clouds arriving from the south and southwest. Late on the afternoon of the twenty-ninth, the Morrissey got into the narrowing approaches to the straits of Belle Isle, where to our delight we found that the ice had already, under the influence of the southerly winds, moved out into Davis Strait leaving behind only a few growlers and isolated larger bergs. By midnight we had passed the Belle Isle light and early next morning were going slowly ahead in a thick fog under our engine power. As I emerged on the deck from the after cabin, "Old Tom," who was at the wheel, nodded his head toward the starboard beam 8 TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY with the remark, "There's a big one, Sir!" Peering through the fog in that quarter I was able faintly to make out a towering mass of ice apparently not a hundred yards off. By mid-forenoon it had become less thick and we were now able to see about us in all directions the pan-ice with scattered fleets of ice- bergs. As many as one hundred bergs could be counted at once. In the evening, an impromptu concert was given in the 'midships cabin by Young playing his "Katydid," a shrunken edition of a violin, Kellerman his violin, Dunrud his banjo, and Streeter the mandolin. On the early morning of July 1st, as we lay in our bunks, the bell rang to stop the engines. This was soon followed by the signal "half-speed ahead," followed by frequently changing orders and some- times by hard bumps from growlers and small ice- floes. We had now entered a field of brash-ice which had blown out from the Labrador coast, and all day long, with sails furled, the ship proceeded at half-speed conned from the crow's nest so as to take advantage of lanes through the ice field. We were soon aware that it had grown much colder, and today for the first time a fire had been lighted in the stove of the after cabin. Toward evening we came out of the ice field into a heavy cross sea stirred up by the northerly gale a few days earlier 11 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS in connection with the southerly winds which had brought us forward. All hands were piped on deck to hoist sails. With many of the land-lubbers ill in their bunks and with the husky Peary on duty in the engine room, our inexperienced people toiled hard with a "Yo Ho" before we had the heavy mainsail up and were left with badly lamed muscles. We could now understand the difficulties under which Captain Bob had labored when on his recent trip from North Sydney to New York he had in bad weather carried on with a crew of only six men including the cook and steward. All through the night and on Friday, July 2nd, we thrashed about in the heavy swell. There was but little wind and the sails flapped and M^ore the gear more than during a full gale or through months of ordinary sailing. When the mess call sounded there were few who responded or could do justice to the Friday menu of boiled cod in bacon fat. The heavy seas continued throughout Saturday the third of July, though the wind had now shifted to the northeast and the ship was close hauled. After mess we got the Captain "going," yarning of the great events in which he has borne so noble a part: the long association with Peary in his great Arctic explorations, the loss of the Karluk and the long trek which followed along the 12 TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY Siberian coast to Alaska. His devotion to Ad- miral Peary is fine to see. At midnight all sail was taken in, but before morning with her canvas furled the schooner was rolling so badly that the foresail and jib were again hoisted. I was up early and was standing near the wheel when four pistol shots came up through the skylight. It was Dunrud who was thus intimating to us that this was the "glorious Fourth." The sea had now become like glass, fortunately with no ice, and throughout the day with fair visibility. By dead reckoning Captain Bob gives our latitude as 62° 30'. Bottles contain- ing cards which give the position of the ship and the date are sealed up against the entrance of sea water and are thrown overboard. If later picked up these will give valuable knowledge concerning ocean currents. At dinner we have to do with other bottles — of ginger ale — for Mr. Putnam has wisely taken on board no supplies of spirituous liquors, and so in ginger ale we celebrate our national holi- day. By the fifth we had had no observation of the sun, for there has been much fog though with brief intervals of good visibility. Several times the sun almost emerged from the clouds and the captain has come hurrying down into the cabin 13 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS for his sextant, only to be disappointed, for no sooner is he back than the sun is again hidden. We badly need an observation of the sun for we are now approaching the Greenland coast with its thousands of rocky islands and half submerged reefs. We note sharp changes of temperature. A thermometer which Fergusson swung on deck gave a reading of 59°F. in the morning and 38°F. in the afternoon. A little after eight in the evening the cry of "Land Ho" came down to the cabin where Fergusson was just finishing a very interest- ing talk on our meteorological instruments. We rushed on deck and saw clearly to starboard the high Greenland coast with one area where tongues of ice could be made out. While we were watching the coast a quite re- markable cloud in nature and form resembling thunder-heads was seen massed along the coast, and this could be explained by cold air riding out over warmer. A little later this developed into a white uniform mass near the surface of the sea beneath a dark nimbus-like curtain. In the night following we had a gale and with sails set made a speed of from eight to ten knots, the shore always in sight about five miles off on the starboard beam. All night the Captain was up studying the mountainous coast; for Greenland is 14 TO GREENLAND ON THE MORRISSEY without beacons, has relatively few soundings away from the fishing banks, and Captain Bob with all his visits to North Greenland had never once made port in this section or even sailed near the coast. After breakfast on the sixth the engines were stopped and still making nine knots under sail, the Captain and I studied keenly the features of the shore, comparing them with our maps. We be- lieved now that we were able to recognize the entrance to the great Sondre Stromf jord. About nine-thirty a sail was made out far ahead and al- most at the same moment with our binoculars we had made out a camp on a low island to starboard. The ship was at once brought into the wind and the motor-boat lowered. Putnam, Peary, Dunrud and Will Bartlett, the mate, got into her. A high sea was running and the motor as usual tempera- mental, so that there was some difficulty at first in getting off. However, Peary soon had the motor under control and the boat started toward the shore. As soon as the Eskimo encampment made out the motor-boat leaving the ship, two men in kayaks put off from the shore. Soon we saw one of them reach the motor-boat and be taken on board while the other returned to the shore. As the Eskimo came over the side Captain Bob pro- nounced the word Holstensborg. The Eskimo 15 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS promptly pointed approximately in the direction where we had located the settlement. He was given the helm and at once set the course. He seemed to be entirely at home at the wheel and about the mid- dle of the afternoon he brought us through its nar- row entrance into the harbor of Holstensborg, which is hidden from the sea and easily missed. As we were later to learn, the approaches to the harbor are strewn with dangerous reefs, so that a definite narrow course must be followed to insure safety. 16 CHAPTER II IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD I HEN anchor was dropped in the harbor of Holstensborg, Mr. Putnam, Captain Bob, Dr. Raven and myself at once went ashore to meet the local Governor; but unknown to us he had already set out for the ship. On reaching the shore we learned of this and at once returned on board to meet the representative of Danish authority in this outpost of the kingdom. With Governor Bistrup was Helge Bangsted, a well- known Arctic explorer who spoke English and acted as interpreter. Bangsted had been a member of the latest Thule Expedition of Dr. Rasmussen in Arctic America, and he was now returning from an independent expedition which he had just made on the Greenland ice-cap near the 17 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS latitude of Umanak. Governor Bistrup had been born in Greenland the son of a Danish Gov- ernor, and almost his entire life had been spent in the Greenland coast settlements. Both Gov- ernor Bistrup and Mr. Bangsted were to play important roles in connection with our Greenland Expeditions. No one is allowed to land in Greenland without a special permit from the Danish Government, but our papers were soon found to be in order and the Governor now exerted himself to supply the furs and other articles still necessary to our equipment. We were invited to take coffee at the Governor's residence, which is above the harbor and is entered through an impressive gateway formed from two ribs of a Greenland whale. The men and women of the Governor's household were now invited by Mr. Putnam to be his guests at dinner on the Mor- rissey, where Billy the cook did his best to make a sailor's fare attractive to the guests. Mr. Putnam was anxious to sail for the North with as little delay as possible, and the Governor having sent on board an Eskimo pilot familiar with the navigation of the neighboring fjords, we weighed anchor as soon as dinner was over. Be- cause of the shallow water in the straits at Sarfan- guak, it was necessary to first go down the coast and 18 IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD sail up the Ikertokf jord. As it was light enough for navigation throughout the night, Streeter saw that Billy had coffee kept hot for us throughout. I searched eagerly the shores of the fjord for pos- sible camping sites, but without success. We were later to learn that though the coast land belt is well supplied with water, this is generally found in basins which have no outlets and are widely scattered over the plateau. Streams which enter the fjords are rare indeed. The morning began in a drizzling rain and we soon came opposite a gulls' rookery perched on the almost perpendicular cliff at a bend in the fjord. A rifle shot echoed along the fjord and flushed the gulls by the thousand. At one point Putnam, Streeter and I went ashore to leave a note at an Eskimo fishing camp to announce our arrival to Magister Porsild, Director of the Dan- ish Arctic station at Godhavn, who was known to be cruising somewhere hereabouts in his motor- boat. Near the little Eskimo settlement of Sarfan- guak the Morrissey dropped anchor and we went into the house of the manager, David Olsen, to have coffee and cake. Olsen is one of the most remark- able Eskimo-Danish half-bloods that Greenland has produced. For his services to the State he has 19 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS been decorated by the King of Denmark. Later we were to have many occasions to thank this efficient manager for valuable help, though we communicated with him by a combination of pan- tomime with the few words which we had acquired of each other's languages. As we set sail from Sarfanguak I scanned with even greater care, but with as little success as be- fore, the shores of the Ikertokfjord for possible camping sites. At last we turned sharply to port to enter the trident-like head of the great fjord, and as we did so our Eskimo-pilot reported that we could go no further in the ship since the water was now rapidly shallowing. Hard by the western shore we drop anchor in seven fathoms, the motor- sailer of the Morrissey is lowered overside, and with Peary as our engineer, Gould, Church, Streeter and I set out to examine the head of the fjord. Before we have advanced a mile there opens out on the east side a deep amphitheater which is recognized as a true glacial cirque that has been in part submerged through sinking of the shore, and here many of the conditions for a suit- able camp site are realized. The depth of water is sufficient for landing, the floor of the amphitheatre is sufficiently flat for tents, and, best of all, a source of fresh water is apparent in a cascade which 20 IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD tumbles over the high rock walls and as a purling brook makes its way out to the shore. For our balloon studies such an amphitheatre is of course ill suited, so we proceed some four miles farther up the fjord to near its head, where the ebb tide and the shallowing water make it necessary to return. We note other camping sites, but I select the one first seen less than a mile from our anchor- age. While we have been away the captain has set the crew to work getting our stuff up on deck with the aid of Belknap and Oscanyan, who have had to do with the storage of our material at New York and at North Sydney. The three dories belonging 21 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS to the two expeditions have been placed side by side, studding and boards from our lumber supply have been laid across them and secm'ely lashed. As soon as this improvised lighter has been loaded the crew, two Eskimos, and members of both expedi- tions pile on and are towed swiftly to the landing behind the motor-sailer. No sooner are we on shore, however, than we are fiercely attacked by swarms of mosquitoes, and though we have come provided with insect-proof tents, head-nets, gauntlets, and mosquito dope, it is not possible to get out at once these necessities of any Greenland or in fact Arctic adventure. Wherever there have been glaciers basins of water have been left behind for the breeding of mosqui- toes and other insect pests. On this Greenland coast the black fly and the little sand flies called by the Canadian-Indians "no-see-ums", are especially abundant and for a portion of the season all these insect pests are found together. For a second load on the lighter our drums of gasoline weighing nearly a ton are set ashore and with some difficulty are rolled up the bank and left above high water mark. The last load is put on in some haste and it is not possible to make sure that all our supplies have been removed. In ad- dition to the stores of the two expeditions the Mor- 22 B en u o 01 l-l o •»— I bJD 13 0) C o >. PQ > 'S t> a o o bO C o o 0) IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD rissey carried supplies for the Eskimo station of Dr. Rasmussen at North Star Bay. In order to find place for everything the stores of the two ex- peditions could not be kept entirely separate, for economy of storage made size and shape of individ- ual boxes rather than their content the determining factor in their distribution on board. Our sacks of sugar got packed near the gasoline engine and were in part impregnated with so much motor gasoline that even our Eskimo helpers refused to eat it. We made, however, hurried journeys through the ship and could only hope that no very important articles had been left on board. And now the time had arrived to say good-bye to our shipmates of the Putnam expedition and to hope that a kind Fate would bring us all together again in September for the return voyage to Nova Scotia. Our stores have been hastily dumped on shore above the high tide level in a confusion which suggested the salvaged wreckage from a sinking vessel. On this pile of lumber, casks, cases and rolls we perched ourselves and watched the beautiful lines of the Morrissey as her anchor was weighed and she disappeared into the Ikertok- fjord behind the headland. The last forty-eight hours have been hectic ones and without sleep for some of us, but the weather 25 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS is now good and we do not have to fear the com- ing of night and darkness. As soon as our sleeping tents have been pitched and our bedding placed ready, we start to get out the cooking utensils and prepare supper, for all are very hungry after the arduous work of landing the stores. The boxes containing our kitchen and tableware are nowhere to be found, but it is only after a thorough search that we are compelled to admit that they must have been carried off on the Morrissey. While this is not a misfortune of major proportions it is none the less a very serious handicap. Something we must have to take the place of spoons, and after search along the shore some small mussel shells are found and not without scorched fingers each of us dips his shell into the soup pot (a large jam can) after the manner of primitive peoples. This makeshift for spoons is necessary for the first few meals only, for our expert instrument-maker and handy-man, Fergusson, gets out his drill and pre- pares wooden handles for the mussel shells. As soon as there are empty cans he fashions from the corners of square cans a scoop type of spoon with handles of twisted wire taken from the replacement stores of the radio outfit. From the same wire forks are fashioned, and our sheath knives serve us as table knives. 26 IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD The insect pest is found very trying especially by those who are without experience in the Cana- dian wilderness. Both because he is more easily poisoned by the mosquitoes and because his deft manipulation of instruments does not permit of the regular use of gloves, Fergusson suffers most, and his hands are almost constantly swollen to surprising proportions. We soon find that if we are to eat our meals in comfort, we must protect ourselves by wearing our head-nets throughout. No one of us would think of leaving camp unpro- tected with a head-net. So soon as the camp had been organized and everything made snug for possible nasty weather, Gould and Church on the eighth with some help from Belknap and the Director began the con- struction of our hut in which the instrmiients and more perishable supplies are to be protected. 'No lumber is obtainable in Greenland and the building materials have all been brought with us on the Morrissey. From 2x4 studding a frame eight feet square on the ground and eight feet high on the front sloping down to four at the back was put together. This frame was then boarded in, roofed and in part protected on the sides by malthoid paper. In the meantime several recon- naissance trips have been made by small parties 27 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS that have gone beyond the head of the Maligiak- fjord to the eastward, and westward across the fjord in the direction of the coast. As soon as time could be found Belknap with the aid of the Direc- tor began to prepare a map of the district as far as the head of the Maligiakfjord. Oscanyan, our radio operator, early set to work to prepare and erect the radio mast of jointed bamboo thirty-five feet in height which we had brought with us. It was at first set up some distance back of the hut but without securing any contact whatever. It was then concluded that the high rock walls of the amphitheatre prevented any rays going out or coming in except at the west where the amphitheatre opens toward the bay, and it was therefore decided to move our radio station to the summit of the headland four hundred feet high and lying southwest of the camp. The heavy Bur- gess B batteries it was necessary to ferry across the bay and pack them up the steep slope to the top. This work fell largely to our strong man, Gould, aided by Belknap and myself, since Oscan- yan was kept busy getting his equipment sorted out and later assembled on the headland. The radio station itself was merely a small tent in which we had both short and long wave receivers that in the new position gave us for the greater part of 28 IN CAMP ON THE MALIGIAKFJORD the time excellent reception from the United States and Europe, as well as occasionally from far more remote countries. Our transmitter was a simple short wave instrument using a 7>^ watt radiotron, with which we expected to maintain contacts with the Morrissey as she cruised about in Baffin Bay. This contact was essential at least during the late season, since we must learn the position of the vessel in time to get down to the coast before her return. 29 CHAPTER III THE MOTOR-CANOE SWAMPED AND THE RESCUE HEN we started out for Green- land we had with us a MuUins 14-foot outboard-special steel boat which has a square stern and was intended for use with a Lockwood L.A. twin 3 horsepower outboard-motor loaned us by the manufacturer. When we came to embark at North Sydney the deck of the Morrissey was al- ready so crowded with freight that no place for the MuUins boat could be found, and to our great regret it had to be left behind. In later expedi- tions when he had one of these boats we learned of their great adaptability for our purposes and it was in this boat that the Rockford flyers were rescued during a very high sea. On board the Morrissey Mr. Putnam had two Newfoundland dories which could be nested together; and so we purchased one of this type to replace the Mul- lins boat. 30 THE MOTOR-CANOE SWAMPED The dory is a very practicable and amazingly sea-worthy boat, but it has a sharp stern and the stern-post slants inward toward the middle of the boat. Furthermore, the freeboard is so high that the screw of our motor would be largely out of the water. It would be difficult to find a type of boat which offered greater difficulties for attach- ment of the outboard motor. But these were very cleverly solved by Gould. The stern of the dory was cut back a distance of about a foot extending downward from the gunwale about ten inches. He then made a new water-tight stern and a deck run- ning out from its base to the rudder-post. On the outer edge of this deck a cleat was erected for the clamp of the motor. The dory thus modified never gave us trouble during the three seasons and was indispensable to us. We had also taken with us two Chestnut canoes made at Fredericton, New Brunswick, one of them the prospector's model and the other with a square stern to be used with outboard-motor. When used with the motor this canoe is of course a high speed boat and even when weighted down in the bow is hardly safe except in quiet waters. The Greenland fjords are very treacherous for boat navigation. Gusty winds sweep down upon them and these have often a limited distribution, 31 NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS so that a boat passes abruptly from quite safe water into very rough seas. Further difficulty arises from the strong "rips" at the turn of the tide. A tide gauge loaned us by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was set up for regular meas- urements off our camp on University Bay and the extreme range of water at the spring tides meas- ured as fifteen feet. About the heads of the fjords there are deep deposits of sticky glacial muds which are exposed at low tide over considerable areas, and we were more than once marooned for hours at points distant from our base waiting for the tide to rise sufficiently for us to get off. In order to understand how we were able to save the lives of two of our party in our worst ac- cident of the summer, it will be necessary to refer to our attempt to replace the missing cooking uten- sils and tableware. We had been in camp but a few days when an Eskimo paid us a visit coming from Sarfanguak in his kayak. He spoke no English but it occurred to me to send a message by him to David Olsen, asking him to send us the cooking vessels and table utensils of which we stood in such need. Since Olsen knew no English the letter had to be largely a pictograph. I first drew a small teaspoon and placed beside it the figure six. The Eskimo looking over my shoulder nodded 32 THE MOTOR-CANOE SWAMPED his head to show that he understood. Below it a larger spoon was drawn and the figure six placed beside it. More nodding of the head and now a broad smile. A table knife and a table fork were each in turn drawn and the figure six added. And so on with each dish, fry pan or boiler needed. Just as I was about to fold this document an idea came to me. We had obtained from David Olsen several cans of ptarmigan, the Arctic pheasant quite abun- dant in Greenland, and four of these birds after parboiling had been sealed in each can. On a chance I decided to add as a postscript to my letter a request in English that a number of cans of ptar- migan be sent in to us with the cooking utensils. This seemingly unimportant postscript to my pictograph message played a most important role in connection with the accident ; for Olsen be- ing unable to read this message sent the document by a kayaker down to Governor Bistrup at Hol- stensborg. This trip to Holstensborg involved con- siderable delay. The Governor decided to send the articles requested in a whale-boat rowed by Eskimo women but as usual with one man as cox- swain. When this whale-boat appeared under sail off our base with two kayakers flanking it on either side it was a great surprise to us. When the cargo had been delivered and the crew had curiously in- 33
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STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
we were taking with us and the crew, crowded
into the forecastle, where they slept curled up
together.
At noon of the 22nd the Disko sailed for the
north, and after taking on our stores from the
storehouse and being entertained at dinner by
the Governor, we weighed anchor and got away
at eight o'clock in the evening. I gave orders to
go first to our camp of the preceding year on the
Maligiakf jord where we were to get gasoline and
other stores, take down the storehouse in sections
and transfer it to the deck of the Walrus. At one
o'clock in the morning we arrived at Sarfanguak,
where those who were awake had coffee with our
good friends, David and Mrs. Olsen, but soon
after we were off again and tried to get some sleep,
as we were to reach our old camp at about seven
in the morning. Church, indefatigable as always,
remained up all night so as to take water tempera-
tures in the fjord.
When we arrived at the camp Kallquist and I
were the only ones awake, and without disturbing
the others we went ashore in the dinghy and set
to work. Everything was found in good con-
dition. While Kallquist checked supplies and car-
ried them down to the shore, I began sawing off
the storehouse roof just under the cornice. After
117
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
a little Herz and Belknap joined us, and the latter
I set to work getting breakfast, to which we were
able to add some fresh cod caught by our Eskimo
Nathaniel off Radio Point. The heavy gasoline
drums, each holding about 50 gallons of gasoline,
were one at a time rolled down to the shore and in
the motor dory taken out to the Walriis. They
were followed by the roof and the sides of the
storehouse, which were laid flat on the deck and,
unfortunately, made access to the hold where our
food was stored a rather difficult proceeding.
By three in the afternoon everything was on
board and we departed for Sarkardlit to pick up
Enok, another of our Eskimos, after which we re-
turned to Sarfanguak. There we were joined by
Abraham and Peter, two more of our Eskimos, so
that our personnel was now complete. Caribou
fawn skins for our fur suits we had purchased in
New York and sent in to Mrs. Olsen to make into
coats. These were now ready, and with mittens,
sealskin trousers and kamiks they were taken on
board for those of the party who were to remain
throughout the winter — Church, Kallquist, and
Oscanyan. Nathaniel and Peter took with them
their kayaks and we took on a supply of Danish
black bread for our Eskimo companions.
From Sarfanguak our course was down the Iker-
118
STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
tok to a strait at Ikerasarssuk, where we steered
south past Sarkak and out to sea into an archi-
pelago of small islands, reefs, and skerries. We
planned to stop at the little Eskimo settlement of
Itivdlek and there lay up for the night so as to
secure the loan of a small lighter to take with us
for landing our heavy stores at our base. At this
little harbor we arrived shortly before midnight
with the midnight sun still above the horizon; for
this was June 23rd close to the summer solstice,
and Itivdlek is almost exactly upon the Arctic
Circle.
Toward morning I was awakened to find the
Walrus dragging her anchor and hard up against
the rocks of a lee shore within the small bay where
we had stopped. Our crew was already awake and
had taken a line ashore to windward and were
hauling upon it while the motor was being warmed
up. With one of these sloops some time is always
necessary for heating the motor by flame within
a jacket before it will operate. Fortunately we
were soon off the lee shore with the motor going.
It was, however, about four in the afternoon of
the 24th before we had secured our lighter and
were ready to weigh anchor. The lighter, the dory
and the dinghy were all in tow and now made the
Walnis exceedingly difficult to navigate. We soon
119
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
passed out to sea and ran into a strong southeast
wind and a heavy sea so that we were obhged to
run for shelter behind the httle island of Inug-
sugtussok, which has been used by the halibut
sloops for a haven and is known as Olsen's Harbor.
We had hardly come to anchor before four of
these sloops one after the other trailed into the har-
bor seeking refuge and anchored near us. Even
here behind the island there was only partial
shelter. One of the halibut sloops had anchored
to windward of us, but in the sea running dragged
her anchor and fouled our anchor chain. With
both boats tugging at our anchor it looked for a
time as though both would be dragged out to sea.
Fortunately our anchor held while the crew of
the sloop worked manfully at their windlass to
take up the slack chain and so bring their anchor
near to the surface. After several futile efforts
they succeeded and their skipper standing in a
tossing dory got a rope's loop under the flukes so
that they were raised and we were again free.
For three long days we had been storm-bound
and there seemed little prospect of any abatement
of the storm outside. Our Eskimos of the crew
had brought rations sufficient only for the voyage
in good weather. Our own supplies were mainly
covered deep in the hold, which was almost inac-
120
STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
cessible because of the deck cargo. Meester Jen-
sen in charge of the halibut fleet was on one of
the sloops, and after advising with him I decided
to risk an attempt to proceed down the coast. This
was on the 26th when the wind appeared to fall
away slightly. Our own skipper Andreasson and
our veteran hunter Abraham both argued against
the attempt, saying vigorously "Ne apok'\ which
means "no good", but as Jensen was a veteran
sailor with eighteen years experience on this coast
I decided we would follow his advice and go out.
Our anchor was raised at ten in the evening
and as we emerged from the little harbor the sea
seemed quiet enough. Church was remaining up
to take water temperatures and the rest of us
turned in, Herz and I under the old riding sail
triced up over the sides and roof of the storehouse.
Shortly after midnight I was awakened by the
whistling and roaring of the wind aloft and by
the billowing and flapping of our shelter which
threatened to blow away. This alone indicated
that we had turned about and that the wind was in
consequence blowing in through the opening of
our shelter which was toward the stern. As I
hurried to pull on my boots, I aroused Herz and
Kallquist. Church appeared almost at once to say
that we had buffeted the billows without making
121
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
any progress whatever and having now turned
about were running for port. It was now with
the greatest difficulty that we were able to manage
the three boats which were being towed astern.
The dory particularly was wallowing badly in the
heavy seas far out astern and disappeared from
sight behind each larger billov/. I was pleased to
observe, however, that the Walrus despite her
heavy cargo and her deck load of lumber and the
thirteen drums of gasoline was riding like a duck.
Our chief anxiety was for the dory without
which we should be seriously handicapped. Hardly
twenty-five minutes after turning about the tow-
ing line of the lighter parted and with the dory
it drifted off. Very skillfully Andreasson turned
the Walrus about, though with much wallowing
in the seas, and after a little work with boat hooks
and lines the fugitive boats were captured. The
mate getting into the dory now fastened new lines
of hawser. We now turned toward the harbor and
though the dory continued to wallow badly and
was soon awash, we were nearing the shelter of
Olsen's Harbor and succeeded in bringing all in
safely.
After bailing out the dory and making all snug,
as it was then three o'clock in the morning and we
were all chilled to the marrow, we crept into our
122
STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
sleeping bags and did not creep out until noon of
the next day.
The weather continued bad with much wind and
rain and I felt that much valuable time of our short
summer season was being lost. None the less I
had now learned my lesson that it is futile to pro-
ceed until the storm is over. On the night of the
fifth day of our enforced delay here, the storm in-
creased and the wind roared through the rigging
of the Walrus. There was no let up on the follow-
ing day. We lay in our sleeping bags getting up
to cook our meals over the primus lamp on the
shelf in the wheel house. When the meal was
ready we would wedge ourselves tightly into the
little cabin around its very small folding table.
On the twenty-eighth the sky looked a little
more promising, though the wind had not abated,
keeping in the southwest quarter, and if for a little
it seemed to fall away, it was sure to be in full
force within the next half hour.
On July 1st, the eighth day that we had been
storm-bound, I was up at eight o'clock in the morn-
ing to find the wind much moderated though it
remained in the same quarter. Against the moun-
tain background the low-lying stratus clouds
seemed to lay motionless. Andreasson, the skipper,
remarked cheerily "I yung a luk", which means
123
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
"good", and pointed to the sky. After a brief
conference with the Fiskemeester Jensen it was
up anchor and we were off. There was still a
heavy swell outside, but we were able to crawl at
a snail's pace against the seas; but crawl we did
and after thirteen and one-half hours spent on a
normal five hours run we were able at ten in the
evening to make the little harbor on the north
side of the Simiutak ("stopper") at the mouth of
the great fjord, where we anchored for the night.
On the morning of July 2 we were up betimes
and already under way by half past three, though
we had not finished our supper the night before
until after eleven o'clock. The wind had now died
away, but stratus clouds still hung low. We were
soon entering the great Sondre Stromf jord by the
broad southern entrance. As we moved farther up
the fjord the clouds opened up and we could ob-
serve the grandeur of the scenery. The fjord was
here about a mile and three-quarters wide and
from both banks the land rose in precipitous rocky
walls to heights of three thousand feet and more.
On the southern wall through each cross valley we
could see the great arm of the inland-ice which
here pushes out to the sea and a tongue of glacier
coming down to the very fjord itself. On either
side of these couloirs the rock stood up in great
124
STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
monuments, at first with horns at their summits,
but a httle later showing truncated surfaces hke
the tops of pedestals. Finer fjord scenery it would
be hard to imagine.
At about half past ten we passed suddenly from
the grand scenery of the coastland zone with its
sharply angular features into a country of gently
moulded contours, and we at once realized that on
a new section we had passed into the great hinter-
land of two glaciations, just as before in the sum-
mer of 1926 when we had entered the gateway of
Taserssuak.
The wind now blowing up the fjord from the
sea we hoisted sail and made good headway as the
tide was also running with us. In choosing this
fjord for the base of our Greenland weather sta-
tion it has been necessary to assume a considerable
risk, for no maps exist which tell us anything of
the country once the fjord has been left behind.
Are we again to be disappointed in our search for
a suitable site? We have our entire outfit on the
overloaded Walrus and the fjord up which we
are now sailing has seemed to offer the only re-
maining opportunity within this part of Greenland
of reaching by vessel the area close to the ice-cap.
As we get closer and closer to the head of the
fjord it begins to look as though we were to meet
125
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
disappointment again, and the increasing muddi-
ness of the waters shows only too clearly that we
are now close to the head of navigation. The
sails are furled and on half speed we proceed tak-
ing soundings every few minutes. But now our
binoculars bring out a small cataract tumbling
over a rock cliff off the port bow and near it what
from the distance appears to be a possible landing.
We come to anchor and go ashore in the motor-
dory. The landing is a good one and the stream is
one of excellent water fed by a lake. Above the
landing there is a fifteen foot bank of glacial clay
and above this a sort of shelf level enough for a
camp site. We are overjoyed, for the maps show
us that this locality is distant only about twenty-
five miles from the edge of the inland-ice.
One thing is yet to be learned. Is there in the
neighborhood a suitable elevation on which to erect
our station, and is the grade by which it is reached
possible for our transportation? Scouting parties
are sent out in all directions and after a couple of
hours we re-assemble, for reports. Several pos-
sible sites have been discovered, but Kallquist has
found a rounded summit about three miles distant,
with a small lake less than one hundred yards from
the summit. The horizon about this summit is
low, and with the water supply available the only
126
STORM-BOUND ON THE WALRUS
question remaining is whether we can reach the
summit from the landing by easy grades. This
seems possible and we decide to establish our base
here. The day, which is my birthday, has ended
gloriously. We go at once on board, have our
supper and begin the unloading of the Walrus,
for as soon as possible she must start back to Hol-
stensborg. The halibut sloops which were with us
at Olsen Harbor will already have reported us
safe after the storm, but the crew are on short
rations and the vessel is needed at Holstensborg.
127
CHAPTER XII
BUILDING THE EXPEDITION BASE ON MOUNT EVANS
'HE camp which we set up at
the head of the Sondre Strom-
fjord we named Camp Lloyd
in honor of the late Dean of
the Graduate School of the
University, news of whose sudden death had
reached me just as I was sailing from Boston.
The height of the elevation on which we were to
erect our aerological station and weather observa-
tory, we determined as 1294 feet, and this we named
Mount Evans in honor of Edward S. Evans of
Detroit, a good friend of the Expedition and
especially active in promoting aviation. From the
summit of INIount Evans we could get a clear sweep
of the horizon in all directions and to the eastward
could look off on the white expanse of the inland-
ice.
128
THE EXPEDITION BASE
Very early on the third, the day after our arrival,
we took up the heavy task of unloading the vessel,
making use of the lighter, the dory, and the dinghy,
all in tow by the motor of the dory at the head of
the string. Our strenuous work did not halt until
eleven o'clock at night, when very tired all re-
paired to the tents which had been set up on shore.
There still remained on board the Walrus besides
the lumber about three loads for all our boats.
Skipper Andreasson was, however, very anxious
to get away, and at four in the morning I was called
by Church to say that he had observed the crew
rowing ashore with another load. I was loath to
call Belknap, who operated the motor, as he had
had a particularly hard day, but there was no
recourse. Without complaint he got up and soon
everyone was again hard at work. The lumber
was made into a raft and towed by the dory, but
it had to be brought in at low tide where the range
of tide is near fifteen feet, and so Belknap and
Church found themselves stranded far out on the
mud flat. They were later brought off by Herz
using the canoe for the purpose and leaving the
dory and the raft securely anchored to be brought
in on the flood tide. The landing of the lumber
completed the work of disembarkation, and the
Walrus now departed for Holstensborg.
129
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
As a rain now threatened we made haste to get
our several piles of material under cover, using tar-
paulins and also the sides and roof of the store-
house which we had brought from the camp on the
Maligiakf jord. The old riding sail which had been
given us by Captain Bartlett, and which had served
as shelter at the camp of 1926, we now cut up for
a wall tent twelve feet by twelve. Our Eskimos,
Abraham and Nathaniel, were set to work to sew
the pieces together and the tent when ready was set
up on a flat ridge of rock to serve as a store and
dining tent. Supplies were piled inside against
the back and walls to stiffen the structure, and in
front of them the provision boxes in regular use
were opened up and placed on their sides so as to
serve as shelves. In front of these were placed
the chests or lockers with lids, and these served as
seats about the folding table in the center.
At the back of this tent to serve as cupboards
we had brought several of the chests designed by
Major Fiala on his Arctic Expeditions. These
were stout packing boxes eighteen inches by
twenty-four and provided with rope handles at the
ends. They had hinged lids and within the cases
on either side double cleats for shelving. We im-
proved them slightly by adding stout cleats on
one end outside so that they stood firmly on end
130
THE EXPEDITION BASE
in spite of the thick rope handles. The canvass
of the riding sail was old and leaky and so we con-
structed a fly from new heavily water-proofed
thick duck such as we are to use for the roof of
the observatory. Our dining and store tent and
our general assembly room and office as well was
thus made thoroughly waterproof. It was not so
easy to protect it during high winds.
Our sleeping tents we grouped around the wall
tent and the storehouse brought from our camp
of 1926 was later set up somewhat higher on the
slope and was used temporarily as an experimental
radio station by Mr. Oscanyan, I regret to say
without any success whatever in reaching the
United States.
In most respects Camp Lloyd proved a very
satisfactory base for the Expedition. Situated
less than one hundred yards from the fjord land-
ing and some sixty-five feet higher up, its never
failing source of good water was less than one
hundred feet away. We could gaze out across the
fjord, here widened to about six miles, though
elsewhere averaging from less than two to less than
three miles. A prominent bluff which we named
Point Emmons partly enclosed a bay in front of
Camp Lloyd which we named Michigan Bay. Be-
tween the forks of the fjord about two miles away
131
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
rose a high plateau already called in the Eskimo
language Nakajanga, a word which means "the
reindeer or caribou country". Though we never
saw caribou on it, we rarely visited it, and the wild
unexplored area across the fjord and lying between
it and the Knud Rasmussen ice-arm northwest of
Sukkertoppen is today the best preserve of these
animals still remaining in West Greenland. When
the sun sinks in the west and the sky is decked out
in gorgeous colors, the view down the fjord from
Camp Lloyd may be compared favorably with
some of the finest landscapes anywhere to be seen
(see map inside of cover).
132
THE EXPEDITION BASE
As soon as Camp Lloyd had been organized the
heavy task of erecting the weather observatory on
Mount Evans was undertaken. This structure
had been designed by Herz on the basis of experi-
ence gained with Professor Church at the Mount
Rose Weather Observatory in Nevada, and he was,
therefore, placed in charge of the construction.
Kallquist was associated with him as principal
assistant, and the two men established themselves
at once in a tent on the summit of Mount Evans.
The remaining members of the Expedition and
the four Eskimos now began packing on backs
and shoulders the materials of construction — the
joists, boards, canvas, balsam wool, the window and
door frames, and the windows and doors themselves.
A trail was laid out which would have the
easiest grades even though it involved some detours,
and this trail was clearly marked out by rock monu-
ments. It represented a total distance of about
three miles with a vertical rise of nearly 1300 feet.
This trail was soon worn into a path easily followed
except where the rock ledges outcropped, but the
set of monuments was intended to serve also for
the winter when the ground was snow-covered.
Day after day in monotonous succession a caravan
of from four to seven men would start out from
Camp Lloyd in the morning, each with two pieces
133
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
of scantling two inches by four inches in cross
section and twelve feet long, the pieces lightly
nailed together for convenient handling. Some-
what later these were replaced by four boards eight
inches wide and twelve feet long, varied at times in
^
)
favor of a roll of heavy water-proofed canvas for
the outside cover of roof and walls, or the unwieldy
fifty pound rolls of balsam wool for the insulation.
It was a tour de force, which we at first found very
arduous, but which later, as we became hardened
to the work, thought none too difficult ; and to carry
two such loads each day to the summit of Mount
Evans was not exceptional.
Herz and Kallquist, who remained on the sum-
mit, erected the frame of the hut, taking on Erlan-
134)
THE EXPEDITION BASE
son for a time as their assistant, though as a rule
our botanist was kept free for his botanical studies
because the flowering season of the plants would
soon be over. Oscanyan also was relieved of this
labor and gave his time mainly to his radio prepara-
tions. Abraham, who was engaged as hunter, is too
old to do heavy packing. Once more our Eskimos
have disappointed us as hunters and especially so
Abraham, for he is a man of much experience in
hunting and one who enjoys a great local reputa-
tion. He is certainly a fine shot with the rifle, but
he seems to be a hunter who has every qualification
except that he is unwilling to hunt — go out after
the game. Already in the summer of 1926, when at
Camp Cooley he and his Eskimo companions were
starving, a fat hare hopped into our midst and got
up upon his haunches without any of our Eskimos
observing him. It was necessary for me to draw
Abraham's attention, whereupon he went after his
rifle, the hare obligingly standing at attention the
while. Several seals had appeared off Camp
Lloyd, and as I am up early to get the breakfast
I see them and must go and waken the Eskimos,
by which time the game is generally too far away.
Ducks also settle upon the fjord close to our camp
in the early morning, but by the time the hunters
arrive they have moved too far away to be bagged.
135
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
For the salmon said to be found in this fjord we
have brought gill nets generously loaned us by
Fiskemeester Jensen, but Abraham is unable to
i^^'>^ ^-
^
catch any fish with the exception of a few bony
sculpins. This is a great disappointment to me,
for the food brought in for the Eskimos has been
based on Abraham being with us as hunter, and the
amount is strictly limited. I have three hundred
136
THE EXPEDITION BASE
pounds of bison pemmican which was prepared
by the Canadian Government, but this the Eskimos
refuse to eat. The following winter it was dis-
posed of with great gusto by Bangsted and his
Eskimo Marius.
On the tenth Belknap, Erlanson, Abraham and
I started out in the motor-dory to make a reconnais-
sance toward the inland-ice. Arriving at Dory
Landing Abraham was put ashore to hunt and
Erlanson to botanize, while Belknap and I
started off to scout for the depot of provisions
which had been laid down by dog sled during the
preceding winter. We went along over the rocks
which rise above the fjord and crossed wide ex-
panses of sand and mud flat to Karkanguak within
about ten miles of the ice border, but without find-
ing the cache. We returned to the dory landing
and took on Abraham and Erlanson when we
started back to Camp Lloyd in the dory. Abraham
took his place in the bow and as we proceeded
down the fjord he observed the ripple on the sur-
face of the water which is made by a big seal. We
gave chase, turning in and out as the seal changed
directions, apparently greatly alarmed by the
sound of our motor as it got closer and closer to
him. At last he was obliged to come to the sur-
face to breathe when Abraham shot him in the
137
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
back of the neck. Immediately his hind flippers
came to the surface as he sank in deep water, the
surface surtinged with blood. It was impossible to
secure him though Abraham returned to the place
in his kayak when the tide ebbed.
It was well understood by all of us that our
station on Mount Evans would sooner or later be
subjected to winds of hurricane force blowing off
the ice-cap from the southeasterly quarter, and
the form of the hut had therefore been made such
as to resist these winds. On either side of the main
central room there were low storehouses sufficiently
high for one to stand in them on the inner side,
but with roof sloping away to a low wall on the
outer side. This wall was built up of boulders
and was banked up outside by tundra mat mixed
with boulders.
The labor on the hut stretched out over the
greater part of the summer season — nearly six
weeks in all, though time was found for several
reconnaissances up the fjord to the inland-ice or
across the fjord to Nakajanga.
Our most serious problem in connection with the
hut on the summit was to carry up the Delco
generator, which weighed almost 300 pounds, and
the three "iron-clad" storage batteries each of
which weighed about 240 pounds. The problem
138
THE EXPEDITION BASE
was finally solved by putting one of these heavy
bodies on the sledge beneath which in a central
position we had attached as a wheel the cast-iron
reel of our captive balloon. To balance the vehicle
a gee pole was used. With ten men harnessed in
as draft animals and with Herz balancing the load
and steering with the gee pole, we were able to
make the summit in about six hours. Although
most of us were already hardened by packing,
the work was very strenuous and one trip each day
with frequent rests was all that we were able to
manage.
Our wireless plant we at first set up in the old
storehouse at Camp Lloyd, since the Reinartz
topographic requirement was there fulfilled that
no land shall rise so near the station as to make
the vertical angle greater than eighteen degrees.
Though reception at the station was satisfactory
enough, Oscanyan did not succeed in sending
satisfactorily.
The thought had been often in my mind that a
wind of hurricane force might visit us while we were
building the hut and before it was sufficiently secure
to hold. On the fifteenth with the frame already
up a rather high wind which Kallquist estimated
to have a force of about 45 miles per hour, nearly
carried away the tent which Herz and Kallquist
141
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
occupied on the summit. When we had the central
room with its roof and the southeast storeroom
with its protecting wall complete, but before the
northwest storehouse had been begun, we felt that
we should begin our regular observations. Our
instruments were therefore carried up and put in
place, and on July 21st Kallquist began his daily
balloon runs. By this time the men had been able
to abandon their tent and had moved into the hut
on July 17th. On the following day there was a
hard blow which the anemometer registered as 78
miles per hour, and on the following day there was
a foehn sky with dark terraced mushroom shaped
clouds.
We now worked hard with the Eskimos to get the
windward wall of the hut completed. Every day
we are getting up more of the meteorological
equipment. The black flies are especially trouble-
some, but by night of the 18th we have the roof of
the weather storeroom with its protecting wall
finished and the floor of the central room in part
laid. On the 19th a high wind nearly ripped the
canvas off the roof when it was only temporarily
anchored. Calling all hands we passed a rope over,
anchored it to rocks on either side and made taut
with a twister. On the 21st the anemometer re-
corded gust velocities of 120 miles per hour, but
142
THE EXPEDITION BASE
the hut stood firm. Kallquist, who was within the
hut, did not reahze that there was a high wind un-
til glancing through one of the windows he saw
our heavy carrying device waltzing past the hut.
Several times during the winter seasons the hut
was subjected to storms having wind velocities in
excess of one hundred miles per hour ; but each time
it stood firm though the wireless mast came down
several times.
The insolation with balsam wool proved very
satisfactory. The experience of all polar expedi-
tions having shown the importance of adequate
ventilation of winter quarters, vent pipes were in-
serted in the walls of the living room near the floor
and ceiling at both ends of the room.
145
CHAPTER XIII
RECONNAISSANCE
HE twentieth of July as we
were completing the more
urgently needed part of
our construction on Mount
Evans, Abraham had come
to me to say that he wanted to go after caribou
with Nathaniel and Peter, and this request I was
glad to grant. Erlanson was to go on a botanizing
trip to the Nakajanga region across the fjord for
a period of several days. Belknap and I were to
start on a reconnaissance trip to the inland-ice in
preparation for our major expedition of the sum-
mer. We decided, therefore, to start out at once
and take Erlanson with us in the motor-dory tow-
ing a canoe which was to be left with him.
Church and Kallquist were the ones left in
Camp. The weather was fine and the fjord smooth.
After depositing Erlanson under the Nakajanga,
146
RECONNAISSANCE
Belknap and I made the attempt to reach the head
of the fjord in the dory, but after running aground
several times we gave up the attempt. Several
times a seal bobbed his head up in front of us,
but we had taken no firearms with us. Going
ashore at the Dory Landing we left the dory there
and went on afoot in the direction of the inland-
ice. We took with us four days rations, our sleep-
ing bags and two one-man tents. As we started
out a fierce foehn wind was blowing down the
valley off the ice-cap and that night we camped
among sand hillocks back from the river so as to
get what protection we could from the storm. Dur-
ing the night the wind reversed direction and blew
with great force up the valley driving the sand
against us. Our camp was a dry one, though on
our earlier trip we had found sufficient water in
hollows of the nearby rock surface. The following
night we camped on a small lake which is fre-
quented by geese. Mosquitoes and black flies were
both especially troublesome.
The next day we took our course past Karkan-
guak and made search for the provision depot laid
down for us the preceding winter, but without suc-
cess. On the morning of the 22nd we were up at
half past five o'clock and after a breakfast of
erbswurst and pemmican cooked in a tin can and
147
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
eaten with improvised chop-sticks, we started out
again. We crossed fresh caribou tracks and came
to the edge of the inland-ice near where there were
two glacier tongues which received the names of
Russell and Leverett Glaciers. Without success
we attempted to scale the precipitous front of the
Russell Glacier which was characterized by loose
blocks and falling fragments. We then forded
the wide gravel flat with its braided streams in
front of the Russell Glacier, going over our high
boots in doing so. We then ascended a steep slope
off the south wall of the glacier, and coming to a
small lake close to the edge of the ice we now found
a place where we could get up upon the ice.
Over this glacier we advanced a mile reaching an
altitude of nearly 1300 feet. The ice is here
covered with stony debris, is deeply crevassed, and
we saw one large "mill" where the surface stream
descended into the glacier. We now turned back
and coming down off the ice descended the slope,
again forded the sand flat, and crossing heavy
sand dunes reached the little lake where was our
camp on the inward journey and which we had
called Goose Lake. This time we followed down
the Watson River where it passes the Karkanguak,
again made diligent search for the lost depot, but
again without success. Here the river rushes
148
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at
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>>
M
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RECONNAISSANCE
through a rock canyon with rapids above and be-
low. The lower ones, which because of others still
farther down the river, we have called the Middle
Rapids, are within a particularly wild gorge rather
difficult to get past when loaded with heavy packs.
The next night we camped beside the Middle
Rapids after emerging from the gorge. Here we
found fine water in a spring and also in a cold
pool among the rocks.
The next day, the 23rd we made our way down
to the Dory Landing, only to find that the dory
had been seriously damaged during our absence
by chafing against a rock near the high tide level,
doubtless during the storm of the 21st. After
launching the dory it was necessary to bale con-
tinuously to keep the water down until we could
reach Camp Lloyd.
Much has happened during our absence. The
wind velocity during the southeast storm of the
21st was measured at our observatory as 120 miles
per hour for a period of two minutes on the new
three-cup single-register anemometer loaned us by
the U. S. Weather Bureau. At Camp Lloyd
with a hand anemometer Church had obtained
much the same value. The storm arrived coming
off the ice-cap from the southeast on Thursday
afternoon, the 21st, and continued through Friday
161
^. :^:,^'^'
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
morning, swinging around into the southwesterly
quarter. One of our canoes which had been left
high and dry upon the land was overturned by
the wind and badly chafed as it moved along over
the tundra surface. The cook shack behind our
dining tent was wrecked.
Abraham and his party are back with a bag of
geese, but with no caribou. Erlanson finished his
work at the Nakajanga in two days and then
started back in the canoe at a time when the fjord
appeared to be quiet. When he was part way across
— the fjord is here two miles in width — he was
caught in a gust of wind which raised heavy seas
and willy nilly he was carried six miles down the
fjord. By strenuous efforts he just managed to
make a landing on a rocky point as he was being
carried still farther down the fjord.
Two Eskimos in their kayaks had come in to
Camp Lloyd from the coast during our absence,
making the trip from Holstensborg and Sarfan-
guak over the winter dog sled route by way of
Sarkardlit, a route which includes a portage
eleven miles in length. They were caught in the
big storm of Thursday and Friday and were ap-
parently somewhat shaken by the experience. They
had left for the coast on Friday intending to travel
all night.
152
RECONNAISSANCE
Our trip to the Russell Glacier has permitted us
to make out an adequate ration for the ice-cap
trip now soon to be undertaken. We have eaten
per man per day two thirds of a pound of Beau-
vais pemmican, one third of a pound of pilot bread,
one ninth of a pound of Knorr's pea soup, one
fourth of a pound of raisins, one bar of chocolate
and tea. This is all concentrated food, but I think
for a long trip a pound of Armour pemmican, a
quarter of a pound of pea soup and one half a
pound of pilot bread would be a better ration. In
meals when it is served the pea soup takes the
place of tea.
153
CHAPTER XIV
THE SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
FTER the reconnaissance of
the ice-cap margin by Bel-
knap and myself, we began
to make preparations for an
expedition over the ice sur-
face as far as conditions
permitted, there send up balloons and in addition
lay out a series of bamboo stakes to be located and
after a sufficient interval, relocated by transit from
the ends of a base line off the ice margin. This,
had it been carried through, would have determined
the rate of movement of the ice at different dis-
tances within its margin. This problem was
peculiarly that for Belknap to undertake, since he
was the surveyor of the expedition.
It would be necessary to make several advance
trips under packs as far as the ice margin, and we
154
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
decided to set up tents as way stations where pro-
visions and blankets would be deposited and where
we would plan to sleep. To rid ourselves of the
insects, especially the black flies and sand flies,
and also to reduce the amount of bedding required,
we did our trekking mainly at night and slept in
the day time. When the sun was shining on the
tent the interior would get quite hot, but this could
be avoided by putting a blanket over the canvas
on the sunny side.
With the three younger Eskimos Church and
myself packed regularly. Our plan had been to
take Kallquist along on the main expedition for
extended balloon work, but on the evening of the
28th he met with an accident which upset our plan.
While preparing malted milk over the primus
lamp he upset it on his foot, the scalding fluid
going into the back of his kamik. He was unable
to get the kamik off before a blister nearly two
inches in diameter had formed on his heel. Oscan-
yan, who was with him at the time, treated the
place with mentholatum and later Herz gave the
foot daily treatments. This mishap effectively
prevented walking, but in hopes of his rapid re-
covery we delayed the definite departure of the
expedition, meanwhile proceeding with our pack-
ing.
155
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
By August 1st the last of the heavy equipment
of the weather station was on the summit of Mount
Evans, though the coal for the winter was left to
be managed largely by the winter party using a
small hand-sled after the snow should be on the
ground. An air-tight coal-stove with a five inch
grate and of a type now obsolete was installed to
heat the observatory.
For use on the ice-cap we have brought with us
a four-man tent of special construction made ac-
cording to my designs by Major Fiala, outfitter
of polar expeditions in New York City. Though
this tent had a water-proof floor we took along
four large reindeer skins for insulation. These
skins had not been properly cured and Abraham,
who fully understands the process, drafted his
Eskimo companions, and after first wetting the
skins scraped off the flesh and a portion of the
hide with sharp-edged stones. This reduced the
skins to a soft flexible condition, but they absorbed
moisture and they required to be dried out in the
sun each day.
That part of our equipment which was to be
used in laying out the base line and in locating
bamboo stakes, we cached outside the ice margin.
This included an invar tape and a ten-second tran-
sit, both instruments kindly loaned us by the United
156
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Our traveling
equipment for the ice-cap consisted of an Alaskan
sled with hodometer, a four-man tent with two
poles, our Woods Arctic sleeping robes with four
reindeer skins for carpet, four ice axes, bamboo
poles, 100 feet of climbing rope, climbing irons,
ice chisel and hammer, primus lamp with ten gal-
lons of kerosene fuel, cooking pail, cups and
spoons.
The scientific equipment for the ice-cap in-
cluded a thirty-second transit, hydrogen generator
with calcium hydride, folding canvas water bucket,
and a supply of balloons, small pyrhelometer, alti-
meter, aneroid, compass, hand anemometer, psy-
chrometer, ice thermometers, cameras and moving
picture apparatus with a supply of films. We took
along also a few necessary medicines, but especially
holocane for treatment of the eyes in the event of
snow-blindness, and all in the party were supplied
with snow spectacles.
Our provisions consisted of one hundred pounds
of Armour's Pemmican, twenty-five pounds of
Pilot Bread, one hundred cakes of Peter's Gala
chocolate, a supply of Knorr's erbswurst, tea, sugar
and powdered milk (klim). These provisions were
for the entire expedition and not for the ice-cap
portion alone.
157
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
We had hoped that time would permit of an at-
tempt to sound the ice to determine its depth by
echo methods, and for this purpose we had brought
with us an expensive and heavy geophone kindly
loaned the expedition by Dr. DeGollyer of New
York City. The dynamite, fuses and fulminating
caps necessary for the sounding experiment we
had obtained in Sweden and had brought aboard
the Disko off Helsingor. These explosives had
been brought to Camp Lloyd and stored under an
overhanging rock away from the camp itself. It
was a great disappointment not to be able to carry
out these studies, but so much time had been de-
voted to building the observatory that in the limited
time remaining and with the great difficulties
in the way of transporting our equipment to the
ice front, it was clear that this part of our program
would have to be abandoned for the present at
least. It was even doubtful if time would suffice
for laying out our base line and locating bamboo
signals from it. As a matter of fact this part of
the program was only partially completed.
The first stage in the transportation of our
equipment consisted in taking it as far as the Dory
Landing about three miles up the fjord from Camp
Lloyd. The landing could be made with the dory
only at or near flood tide and was much easier
158
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
at the time of the spring tide. One of these spring
tides had caught us napping before we started on
the expedition, and the dory carried up on the beach
was scraped against a boulder until a considerable
area near the keel was worn thin and produced a
leak. This leak had been repaired by Herz and
Belknap, and Belknap now suggested that we try
out the dory by a trip across the fjord to the south
arm beyond Nakajanga. He took Erlanson with
him to make a botanical reconnaissance, and I sug-
gested that Abraham also go along with his rifle.
The party returned in the late afternoon enthusi-
astic over the performance of the new Lockwood
motor. Erlanson had shot a goose and a duck.
On August 4th I decided that Belknap, Church,
Erlanson and I should make a start for the inland-
ice the same afternoon with the four Eskimos pack-
ing in, so as to find if possible the lost depot of
provisions and to make a temporary base above the
Upper Rapids of the Watson River. We left
Camp Lloyd at three with Belknap and Erlanson
going ahead in the motor-dory towing the canoe
and proceeding to Dory Camp with the flood tide.
Church and I with the four Eskimos started out
on the trail along the shore, all of us carrying
heavy packs. The dory got in ahead of us and for-
tunately, before the tide went out. Erlanson and
159
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Belknap pioneered some distance ahead with the
canoe and Erlanson fired a charge of No. 2 shot
into a seal but he got away. We camped for the
night near the landing, getting drinking water
from a little lake situated about one half a mile
northwest of the landing. At four o'clock next
morning I roused the camp so as to get an early-
start, and we had a breakfast of tea, pemmican and
pilot bread. By six-fifteen o'clock we were off
under heavy packs and found that we made an
advance of about a quarter of a mile each five
minutes. We adopted the plan of trekking for five
minutes and then resting five, which worked out
very well.
Just before noon we saw a rookery of fresh-
water seals and counted thirty-two sunning them-
selves below the Lower Rapids of the Watson
River. We were too far away from them for ef-
fective shooting and they were surrounded by a
wide area of rapid water and quicksand which
made a nearer approach impracticable. After a
hard day during which we made nearly ten miles,
we camped at four o'clock in the afternoon beside
the Middle Rapids, an old camp of Belknap and
myself and one supplied with good water in a pool
hidden under the rocks. The water in the rapids
is of course fresh but is so charged with glacial
160
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
mud as to be hardly palatable. Here we set up a
tent as one of our regular relay camps which be-
came known as Camp 2 or the Karkanguak Camp.
Just east of this camp site rise two sugarloaf-
shaped elevations, the higher of which lying farther
east is widely known by the Eskimos at Kar-
kanguak. On the march today while crossing the
broad sand flat we came upon the fresh trail of a
caribou cow with her calf.
The morning of August 6 was cloudy after a
very slight rainfall during the night. We broke
camp at five-forty-five in the morning for a long
march and lunched on the sand flat at nine-thirty
surrounded by many small dunes built up about
willow shrubs. Here also we established a relay
camp which became known as Camp 3 or "Sand
Lake Camp" (see cut p. 153). We must now be
near the lost depot of provisions and we decided to
devote the afternoon to searching for it. Our entire
party of seven set off in different directions for
this purpose, though I planned to climb the high
ridge to the northward in order to get an extended
view toward Camp Cooley at the edge of the
Nordenskjold Glacier. From the crest of this
ridge, which was found to have an altitude of 1460
feet and which I named Mount James B. Ford,
I looked down over a grassy slope upon a lake
161
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
stretched in an east and west direction and about
six miles in length which I named Lake Marvin
after the Chief of the U. S. Weather Bureau. Con-
tinuing now eastward I reached another crest and
could see in a direction about north thirty-five de-
grees east the long line of nunataks or rocky reefs
surrounded by ice which lie to the southward of
Camp Cooley.
Descending now the slope of this ridge I was
hailed by Enok, who brought a note from Belknap
with the good news that the long lost depot of
provisions had been found. We had begun to fear
that this cache would escape our observation and
we were much cheered by the discovery. The
depot was hidden under a bank of the river near
the upper rapids and contained two hundred
pounds of Armour's pemmican, twenty-five pounds
of sugar and over fifty pounds of other pro-
visions, ten gallons of kerosene, eleven eighteen-
foot bamboo poles, matches, etc. Everything ex-
cept the onions and some desiccated eggs ap-
peared to have stood the winter without injury.
We now made a cache of these supplies at our
Sand Lake Camp, protecting them in heavy duffle
bags from the depredations of the foxes, and after
Belknap and I had caught two hours of sleep we
started back to Camp Lloyd in the night to avoid
162
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
the flies and to sleep warmly during the day. Er-
lanson and Abraham were left at the camp so that
the former would carry out his botanical studies.
At the Karkanguak camp Belknap and I turned
in at nine o'clock to sleep using one blanket and a
bed cover between us, but we were soon so cold
that after an hour and one half we started out
again on the trail and kept marching until we had
reached Camp Lloyd at half -past three next morn-
ing. Since early morning we had made about
twenty-five miles on a bad trail, five of it under
heavy packs.
Around midnight there is at this time of the year
a twilight which continues for about two hours and
makes traveling on smooth rocky slopes very dif-
ficult. It has been our luck to reach cliffs and
slippery rocks at just that time. Some time after
our arrival at Camp Lloyd the three younger Es-
kimos came in also.
On the afternoon of August 8th Herz, Belknap,
Church and myself with the three Eskimos set out
on the definite ice-cap expedition of the summer.
The Eskimos with small packs started off on the
trail and the rest of us in the dory towing the
canoe and planning to meet the Eskimos at the
Dory Landing. We arrived at four o'clock and
were in bed by five. With Church and the three
163
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Eskimos I started out under packs at seven-thirty
on the trail for Camp 2. Herz and Belknap had
preceded us going in the canoe, which had been
loaded down with the sled and the equivalent of
about six packs of provisions and equipment. The
night was still and relatively warm and the in-
sects correspondingly troublesome.
The success of the ice-cap expedition we had
long known would depend in large measure on
whether we should be able to use a canoe on the
braided and boisterous Watson River with its
many rapids, but especially those which we had
designated as the Lower, Middle and Upper Rap-
ids. Our earlier reconnaissance had convinced
Belknap that this was feasible and so this difficult
and arduous task had been entrusted to him with
Herz as his assistant. From the Dory Camp they
set out with the sled balanced across the gunwales.
After paddling about a mile they found it neces-
sary to wade with one pushing and the other pull-
ing the loaded canoe. In places the sand along
the river was so saturated with water that first
one and then the other of them would sink in a
local quicksand, but finally they succeeded in
reaching the Lower Rapids at about half-past two
in the morning. Here the canoe was dragged into
a sheltered bay and with the more valuable sup-
164
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
plies unloaded the two men crept into their sleep-
ing bags unrolled upon the sand.
The entire day following, the ninth, from nine in
the morning until six in the evening they spent in
portaging the loads past the Lower Rapids. At
seven in the evening the canoe was again put in
and towed until a high bluff was reached. The cur-
rent was here very strong. After two unsuccess-
ful attempts to tow past the cliff, the men got in
the canoe, Herz in the stern, and both paddled
hard until too tired to continue. Then a paddle
would be stuck in a crack in the vertical cliff be-
side the river and the canoe held in position until
they were rested sufficiently for another spurt.
Once past the cliff the current was swift but shal-
low and good progress was made until they reached
a big bend opposite a lake on the terrace above the
river, which they reached at about half-past ten
in the evening. Here the canoe was pulled out.
The river carries numerous blocks of ice and
from some which were found stranded a little
tea was made and a simple supper eaten. Sleeping
bags were once more unrolled upon the sand and
the men were soon asleep, but were up again by
eight-thirty the next morning. On this third day,
the tenth of August, the loaded canoe was worked
up through swift water, sometimes by towing from
165
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
the shore and sometimes by alternately paddling
and pulling and pushing while wading the stream.
Here there was so much ice floating in the water
that feet became numb with the cold. Once in
trying to pull up between two rocks Herz slipped
and was in the water up to his neck. Fortunately,
the canoe seemed fast on the rocks, so Herz made
for shore to empty his pockets and to protect his
valuable watch. Just as he started back to the
canoe it slipped off the rocks and Belknap went
completely under, but as he had caught the side
of the canoe he quickly came up and saw that Herz
was holding the bow firmly, which prevented a
tumble into the rapids below. They now pro-
ceeded very cautiously and came soon to a place
where the rocks pushed out into the stream mak-
ing it impossible to pass them. Here the canoe
was taken out again and the remainder of the day
spent in portaging the load to Camp 2, where Dr.
Church was busy making hourly measurements on
the height of the water in the river and on its
temperature. In this way they learned that their im-
promptu baths had been in water at a tempera-
ture of 36° Fahrenheit. Very tired they turned
in early, for the first time on the trip sleeping in
a tent.
The next day, the eleventh, was spent in portag-
166
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
ing past the Middle Rapids. The day was warm
and with only a slight breeze so that the flies were
an especial torment. One suffered particularly
when portaging the canoe as the hands were in
use to balance the load. Just as they brought
in the last load they encountered Erlanson on his
way out to Camp Lloyd. The heavy work of the
past few days had begun to tell on the men and
was felt especially as they were making the por-
tage on the twelfth from the river over the ridge
to Sand Lake Camp. I had now joined them
with the Eskimos and we took over a part of the
load.
On the morning of the 13th Belknap, Herz and
I started out to make the portage from the Sand
Lake Camp to the river above the Upper Rapids
and, this accomplished, to go on together ; but now
it was quickly learned that only two men can be
used advantageously on the canoe except on port-
ages, and these were all now behind us, so I went
on ahead. By alternately paddling and towing
Belknap and Herz made good headway until they
were opposite a high cut-bank in glacial deposits
where slides had taken place. Seeing a large crack
far back from the edge they wisely decided to
work toward the opposite bank. This brought
them into the main current where with their best
167
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
paddling the canoe began to drift down stream.
Just as they were opposite the cut-bank a rumble
and splash was heard behind them. Turning
quickly they saw a wave two to three feet high
going out from the shore they had left, where a
big cave-in had occurred outside the crack. By
a narrow margin they had escaped being buried
under the sand.
With this incident serious difficulties of the
undertaking were over, and at six o'clock in the
evening they had brought the canoe and its lading
to the Ferry Camp. It had been a very arduous
and difficult undertaking, not devoid of danger,
but it had been crowned by success. In the
summer of 1928 with Stewart's help Belknap
brought the canoe back the seven odd miles to
Sand Lake in twenty-five minutes, though it had
taken a long hard day to bring it up and both
Belknap and Herz were as a result very tired.
We of the trekking party had spent the night
trekking over the rocky walls of the fjord and
across the several sand flats. On the 13th most
of the party were at Camp 3 on the shore of Sand
Lake. About midnight we were awakened by two
rifle shots in quick succession followed by the
cries of some animal. The marauders that had
carried off the pemmican before our arrival at
168
SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
the camp had come back again, but this time two
of them fell victims to the rifles of Abraham and
Peter. They were blue foxes and one of the skins
was in a fair condition.
Blue foxes are especially abundant near Mount
Evans and in the winter season Eskimos sometimes
have made the long trip from the coast by dog-sled
to trap them. The skins may not be taken out of
Greenland, but a small bounty of two Danish
crowns, or about fifty cents, is paid by the govern-
ment for each good skin which is turned in to them.
169
CHAPTER XV
ON THE ICE-CAP AND BACK TO CAMP LLOYD
'HE 19th of August we found our-
selves encamped beside a small
lake at the very edge of the ice-
cap, engaged in loading our sled
for the ice-cap journey. It did
not take us long to discover that we had loaded the
sled much too heavily to be drawn by four men on
such a surface as we found everywhere about us.
As a matter of fact there are but three men to
pull in harness since Herz must balance the sled
with the gee pole. So after a short haul we take
off the sled our heavy sleeping robes, the tent,
and the pack sacks filled with provisions; these
Church and I now carry forward on our backs
while Belknap and Herz manipulate the sled with
the residue of the load. The ice is here so rough
170
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
that even though we are shod with our crampons
we had made less than a mile of advance when
at six o'clock in the evening thoroughly tired out
we halted to camp. By three o'clock a cover of
ice had begun to form on the water holes.
Heavy labor with our ice-axes was necessary
in order to level off a place large enough to get up
the tent, after which with use of the ice auger we
set the ice-axes as tent stakes. All our available
heavy objects, including the sled, were put to use
as weights on the sod cloth of the tent. Our cram-
pons, or steigeisen as the Germans call them, I
had purchased from a dealer in Berlin who is a
well-known outfitter for climbing parties in the
Alps. These creepers were vicious looking objects
armed with spikes an inch long and having the
appearance of being forged. Two of the four
pairs broke during the first day and the straps
were constantly coming apart. This was a very
serious handicap to our advance.
We have all been wearing snow spectacles of the
metal type provided with slits in the form of a
cross. These are excellent when the footing is
good, though hardly adequate over such a danger-
ous surface as we were now on.
After we had got up our tent and had eaten
our supper of pemmican, erbswurst and pilot
171
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
bread, Belknap and Herz went out on a reconnais-
sance to find a high point on the ice at which to
erect a bamboo pole for use in measuring the rate
of ice flow, and further for the purpose of getting
an outlook ahead for the trek of the next day.
They came back and reported that the ice appeared
even rougher out in advance. The second day on
the ice-cap was cloudy, so that snow spectacles
were not needed, and with only a light wind blow-
ing down the ice slope. After a very arduous day
we found we had advanced again less than a mile.
We had risen 210 feet against 550 feet the day be-
fore in making about the same advance. Once more
we smoothed off with our axes an area just big
enough to pitch the tent. Church suggested that
he camp on a mound of ice near the tent where he
could take his meteorological observations every
three hours without disturbing us by crawling over
us as he got out of the tent. We agreed in chorus
and with his caribou skin sleeping robe and tar-
paulin he made himself comfortable since there
were here no longer insects to pester us.
It begins to look as though we should not get
in far over the ice unless conditions should im-
prove. It is today the 20th of August, and with
the probable date of arrival of the Disho at Hol-
stensborg in our minds I had instructed the Eski-
172
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
mos to go to Camp Lloyd and start in to help pack
us out on the 25th. Belknap and Herz returning
from setting up another bamboo pole tonight re-
port that the conditions of ice ahead are still no
better. Belknap's crampons and mine have now
both broken and as we have crepe-bottomed boots
which slip on wet ice we are in a serious difficulty.
An apparent dissolving of the clouds as they
move in from the west toward the glacier and there
meet the outblowing winds, we have noticed fre-
quently and it appears to be a characteristic of the
margin to the ice-cap.
The next day, the 23rd, we made a better ad-
vance, though we climbed only 80 feet. We set
up camp number three on the ice. Today our
hodometer, which is made from a bicycle wheel,
broke and became useless. We recalled now that
remark of Colonel J. P. Koch that the chief ad-
vantage in having a hodometer is to keep up the
morale of the party. On the 22nd we had found
that we were all suffering from under-nourishment
and so I decided to issue two cans of pemmican
for the party both morning and evening and one
can at noon. Belknap set up a third bamboo upon
an ice pinnacle. We decided to go forward one
more trek, leaving the sled behind us, camp, set
up bamboos, put up pilot balloons, and the next
173
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
morning start on the back trail. This seems to
be necessary, for there is as yet no sign of improve-
ment of the ice surface. Wliat we have found thus
far has been very discouraging and it is largely
due to the numerous earlier delays that we must
now start back without our aims accomplished.
We lost a week at Copenhagen, five days en route
to Holstensborg and another week en route to our
base. Then the labor necessary to erect the ob-
servatory on Mount Evans occupied much more
time than we had expected, and to cap the climax
Kallquist's accident still further delayed our start.
At the end of our advance we found a fairly
smooth valley bottom upon the ice which required
less axework than usual in order to get up the
tent. It now begins to look like a change in the
weather. Abstracts from my diary now follow:
August 23
We made a special effort today and went on
without our heavy packs and reached an altitude
according to our aneroids of 2430 feet at noon.
I think we have advanced today from 3 to 3^
miles. We returned to camp and finding favor-
able conditions we sent off two pilot balloons which
were followed to altitudes of 3000 and 4000 meters
respectively, the southeast wind of the ice surface
174
H \ ^.. '1^
,.,.^.,:r^'
■m
r- ^#v,;-,_
e*®***;
,./t.i
"jsrv
.. -^ V-*
(Photo Fred Herz)
Ice-cliflf at edge of inland ice, 1927
:«^
^^m
MMi||P
(Photo Fred Herz)
One of our camps on the ice-cap (Camp 6), 1927
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
holding up to these heights. The barometer is
now f aUing.
August 24
There was rain during the night. We have cal-
culated our food supply very carefully and must
start back in this bad weather. At night we set
up our tent at camp site No. 2 with all of us pretty
well drenched and very cold. So soon as the primus
stove was going in the tent we began to thaw out,
and the savory odor of erbswurst and pemmican
at once brought cheerful conditions again.
August 25
There was a fall of wet snow during the night
so that the tent and ice-axes appeared covered
deep with snow. The primus hummed merrily in
preparing breakfast and we were comfortable. We
are now only a mile and one-half from the ice
border. It is bitter cold and a stiff trek is still
left. Gloves become soaked and fingers cold.
Crampons already badly broken we must continue
to use, but the straps are now so rotten that it is
impossible to repair them further. I proceed with
one crampon, but it is difficult to make progress.
By three o'clock, however, we are all once more
at Camp 6 just outside the ice margin. Our
177
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
pilot bread is about gone, but pemmican and erbs-
wurst are still in sufficient quantities.
When the Eskimos were left behind us at the
ice border a note was sent back by them to Camp
Lloyd in which a supply of oatmeal, bacon, and
a fry pan were requested to be sent in by them
and brought to us here. We expect to meet the
Eskimos at the Ferry Camp with these provisions
and the fry pan.
August 26
The sun has come out hot and we are amazed to
see the amount of moisture that appears on the
soaked tent floor and in the reindeer hides. The
difference in humidity between this outer zone and
the ice-cap is remarked by everyone once we are
off the ice. Church is getting wearied by his vigils
to obtain meteorological data, for this duty has to
be combined with hard packing. He will allow no
one to relieve him of this work. Belknap and I
are working on our notes.
August 27
Belknap and Herz have started up toward
Mount Mitchell to send up balloons and to locate
the secondary base line and station from which the
bamboos set up upon the ice can be measured.
178
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
Soon after they started the wind came down off the
ice with a force of 40 miles per hour as measured
by our hand anemometer at the camp. Under
these conditions Belknap is unable to read angles
and after a futile effort to do so they return to
camp. We must now hurry back, as the Disko is
due at Holstensborg on the twenty-ninth or later,
and it is our only certain chance to get back to
civilization before winter comes. I therefore start
to move camp to the ferry landing where we are
to meet the Eskimos. They are camped at the
ferry with a note from Erlanson and Kallquist,
but there is no food. The note tells us that Gov-
ernor Bistrup had come in to Camp Lloyd with
the Walrus on the twenty-second so as to take us
out to the coast, since the Disko was reported
ahead of her schedule. She was to stop on the
northern trip and would reach Holstensborg on
the twenty-seventh, but would not stop on the
way south. Bistrup had left on the twenty-fourth
Erlanson going with him, since he is to spend the
winter at Godhavn. The failure to send us the
provisions requested has left us on short rations,
as we were later to find that our provisions cached
at Camp 2, on which we were depending, had also
been partly eaten up during our absence. On the
way to Camp Cooley Nathaniel had shot a caribou
179
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
calf, but the meat had gone to Camp Lloyd and
had already in considerable part been eaten. It
appears now that winter has already struck. The
air is cold and raw and snow lies on the hills in the
morning. We hurry out making the entire dis-
tance to Camp Lloyd under heavy packs and in
two treks of ten miles each. On the second day
we reached Dory Landing at 3:15 in the afternoon
to find the tide gone out. Owing to the depletion
of our stores at Camp 2 we are now without
food although we are very hungry. We packed
our bedding and made the additional three miles
to Camp Lloyd. Belknap and Herz because of
this lack of food had to come back after dark the
same day and bring in the dory with the residue
of our packs.
They started out in the motor canoe, but the
water was so rough that it was necessary to put
in to shore at the beach east of Point Emmons and
there leave the canoe. They then continued over
the trail and managed with great difficulty to find
it in the dark. It was also extremely difficult for
them in the dark to launch the dory and find all
the materials for its load. They then had further
difficulty in finding Camp Lloyd because of the
darkness, and altogether they had a very trying
night.
180
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
We are now left in a very unpleasant state of
uncertainty concerning the way we are to get back
to civilization. The Disko, it was reported by
Erlanson, did not expect to stop on its way south-
ward, and there is no other boat scheduled to stop
at Holstensborg. We are unable to communicate
with Holstensborg except by kayakers. We have
still, however, supplies to be packed to the sum-
mit of Mount Evans for the winter supply and all
now turn in on this work. Kallquist and Oscan-
yan have not been idle during our absence and
have made an excellent start.
Church now takes charge of building a balloon
shelter near the theodolite stand though just over
the crest of Mount Evans summit. In this posi-
tion he is able to make use of the steep slope for
the back of the shelter. The walls are made of
sod and rock, the roof of thin bamboos in great
numbers woven crosswise so as to support the load
of the heavy riding sail. Heavy wire cables are
now carried over the roof and are anchored to
great boulders on either side. The riding sail also
makes a flap door on the lower side of the shelter.
Beautiful auroras at night make their appear-
ance with streamers and draperies. These auroras
interfere seriously with our short-wave radio sig-
nals, though the long-wave signals come through
181
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
much better. On August 30th and again on Sep-
tember 4th a radio message was received from the
Disko to the effect that it will stop at Holstens-
borg sometime between the fifteenth and the
twentieth of September on its southward voyage.
On September 7th I sent Belknap, Church,
Herz and Peter in the motor-dory across the fjord
to the Nakajanga to take photographs of the in-
land-ice. I was unable to go myself, but did not
like to delay further getting these important photo-
graphs. They returned with excellent photographs,
but as they did not return in time for supper I
became quite anxious and watched for them with
my binoculars. At a quarter of eight Nathaniel
came to my tent to say he could hear the motor.
Soon I was able to hear it also. At twelve o'clock
two kayakers had arrived from Holstensborg
bringing a letter from Governor Bistrup and
Bangsted in which it was reported that the Disko
was due the fifteenth to the twentieth of Septem-
ber, but he did not know whether he would be able
to send the Walrus in for us. My reply went out
by the kayakers next morning and Belknap and
Church in the motor-dory took them down as far
as the portage. The dory had not returned at
nine in the evening. I prepared supper for the men
and lay down in my clothes in the radio shack to
182
THE ICE-CAP AND BACK
listen for the motor. At ten o'clock Church came
to report. They had run out of gasohne and so
had been obliged to row the heavy dory about six
miles, which had required almost two hours.
The uncertainty of Governor Bistrup's message
and my reply that a boat must be sent in to us in
time to get on the Disko, left us under the neces-
sity of keeping close to camp, for the Walrus
might make its appearance at any time. We have
been packing to Mount Evans sufficient to employ
all our time. We have also taken the opportunity
to mark out a trail between Camp Lloyd and
INIount Evans so that it can be easily made out
during the winter when the ground is covered with
snow. Along this route we have set up bamboos,
steel tent poles, and other rods which will project
above deep snow in such positions that they will
be projected against the sky from positions along
the trail. I shall arrange with Governor Bistrup
to have a dog-sled come in from the coast once
each month during the winter, so that directions
can be sent out and any necessary aid brought in
from the coast.
The Walrus arrived on the twelfth with supplies
and with Bangsted on board. He brought a large
supply of angmagssautit, dried fish for dog food.
The next morning we sailed on the Walrus and
183
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
reached Holstensborg on the fourteenth. We were
permitted to fix up our beds in the old church, the
oldest building in Holstensborg and no longer in
use. We boarded, however, at the Governor's.
After the solitude of our camp on the Sondre
Stromfjord the howling, snarling and fighting of
the packs of dogs during the night, and the horns
of the halibut boats calling their men before four
in the morning, kept us awake in the days while
waiting for the arrival of the Disko,
184
CHAPTER XVI
BANGSTED^S WINTER EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
HE object of this expedition was to
go in over the ice-cap by dog-sled
so as to get beyond any marginal
meteorological vaiiations, and
there remain as long as practicable making meteoro-
logical and other observations for comparison with
those made at Mount Evans and at a secondary
station in Holstensborg. The preceding winter
Bangsted had gone over the ice-cap from Umanak
on the west Greenland coast in latitude 71°!^.
There he had found the ice surface easy to traverse
with his dog-sled and had gone in about eighty
miles during a period of about six weeks. Nearly
half of this time had been spent on a rocky islet
surrounded by the ice, a nunatak. Though not
equipped with much meteorological apparatus, he
had none the less succeeded in making some very
185
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
interesting observations, and he had confirmed
the experience of all other explorers that the
wind throughout blows down the ice slope from
the southeast. Not for an hour of the six weeks
did the wind blow in toward the interior.
Church had desired to take part in Bangsted's
expedition, for which his experience in winter jour-
neys in the Sierra Nevadas of California had well
prepared him.
Bangsted, who had been placed in charge of the
expedition, was not satisfied with the fur suits
which we had had made for our winter staff at
Mount Evans. They were, he agreed, quite satis-
factory for our purposes, but hardly so for a trip
like this. For such an expedition great care must
be taken in the selection of the skins and in the
fitting of the suit, and particularly also of the
sleeping bag, which should be of the best caribou
skin. Snow must at all hazards be kept out of the
clothing and the sleeping bag, since keeping warm
in very low temperatures depends chiefly upon
keeping dry.
Bangsted urged, therefore, that Church go out
to the coast with us on the Walrus and be fitted
with furs under his direction by David Olsen's
wife, the expert Eskimo seamstress at Sarfanguak.
Church is quite tired and still very anxious to con-
186
BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
tinue his studies at Camp Lloyd, but I insist upon
his going out, in part because it will mean a cer-
tain amount of rest. Both men will come in to-
gether on the Walrus when it brings the supplies
expected to arrive on the last voyage of the Disko
for the year. Sled dogs for Bangsted he ordered
at Godhavn to be shipped out on the Disko when
she put into Holstensborg to take the returning
members of the Expedition to Copenhagen. What
was, therefore, our disappointment when the Disko
arrived and Captain Hansen reported that due to
a very serious distemper at Godhavn no dogs had
been obtainable. Bangsted now sought to as-
semble a team from Sarfanguak, Holstensborg and
other settlements of south Greenland, and in this
he finally succeeded. He chose as the Eskimo
helper on the Expedition the hunter Marius, much
the best man for the purpose that we have met in
South Greenland, and one that we afterward em-
ployed on the Third Expedition. Bangsted's ac-
count much abridged follows:
My party consisted of Dr. J. E. Church, the
Eskimo Marius and myself. My sled outfit at
the start from Holstensborg in early October was
drawn by eleven dogs all in good condition, hand-
picked, mostly heavily built animals.
So far as the conduct of the expedition was con-
187
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
cerned I had been made the leader because of my
experience in Arctic travel. The scientific work
was divided with Dr. Church in such manner that
he made his evaporation studies and a snow sur-
vey by use of the well-known methods devised by
him, while I took charge of the purely meteoro-
logical studies and temperature measurements in
the snow and within the ice crevasses. It actually
turned out that I also shared in the snow surveys,
since Dr. Church was so injured by a fall on an
ice hummock as to be temporarily incapacitated.
Our plan was to remain at Camp Lloyd until
ice had formed on the fjord, when with Marius I
began laying down the depots of provisions in
preparation for the final start for the inland-ice.
While laying down the depots we also went hunt-
ing, both to obtain fresh meat and to secure blub-
ber for fuel. Marius and I occupied the little
radio shack which had been the store-house at the
camp on the Maligiakfjord in 1926. And in this
hut there was no stove of any kind. We therefore
heated it by an ordinary Eskimo blubber lamp.
In the fjord off Camp Lloyd there were great
numbers of fresh-water seals and these we hunted
in one of the canoes, and we soon had a supply for
the winter. Hunting trips away from the fjord
made us very familiar with the surrounding coun-
188
BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
try, which at this time of the year was overrun by
ptarmigan and Arctic hares, the latter fat and
juicy and especially palatable.
In traveling over the country one encounters
much glacial clay which makes a dry and very
loose soil. During a severe storm this soil is car-
ried in the air and driven with great force into
one's face. We experienced on these hunting
and depot-laying trips some of the worst land
storms I had become acquainted with in ten years
of almost continuous travel in the Arctic.
By the beginning of the month of November I
had so far finished my work of preparation that,
accompanied by Marius, I was able to undertake
the first regular sled-trip of the winter. Though
the sleds were very lightly loaded, this turned out
to be a very laborious trip. We took with us a
two-man tent, a primus lamp with its kerosene
fuel, two shot-guns, and twenty cartridges, also
coffee and sugar. Our sleeping bags had been left
behind, and for provisions we depended entirely
upon game.
The temperatures encountered were very mod-
erate, ranging between twenty and minus eight de-
grees Fahrenheit. Little snow was on the ground,
and though the lakes and rivers were frozen, the
ice on the fjord was still too thin to bear us. Be-
189
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
cause of these unfavorable conditions which we
could not control, daily marches were reduced to
a minimum, the average of a day being about
twelve miles. With a normal winter and the snow
in good condition, the sled-trip from Mount Evans
to the inland-ice should be the easiest imaginable.
Our course was along the south side of the
fjord-head along the entended plateau of Naka-
janga, thence over about six miles of ancient sand
and pebble flats. In the fall of the year when
this flat had been covered with a few tenths of an
inch only of loose drift snow, I had described the
surface as that of sandpaper, since it was ex-
tremely difficult to pull through it a steel-runnered
sled. I had counted on now being able to follow
the bed of the Watson River and so avoid the al-
most impossible "sandpaper". This was unfor-
tunately not possible unless we were to have our
kamiks soaked through, for the water in the river
came up through the ice-cover and, freezing, pro-
duced an extremely difficult sledging surface —
what the Eskimos call sarsinek ice.
After some ten days of this hard traveling I
was again back in headquarters at Camp Lloyd.
There was now so little daylight that it was im-
possible to travel with profit more than four or
five hours daily. Had dogs and well trained driv-
190
BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
ers been available I should have taken several
sleds, but suitable dogs and drivers are obtainable
only at the Northern Greenland stations. There
was now, however, no time to lose. Most Arctic
expeditions have accomplished their best results
between late winter and early spring. Our pre-
liminary work had to be accomplished during the
winter itself, the coldest and darkest time of the
year, so as to be ready to start on the main ex-
pedition as early as there should be sufficient light.
No one of our difficulties was so serious as the
extreme mildness of the winter and the almost
total lack of snowfall. Loads had to be reduced
to the minimum in order to make any progress
whatever over the bare "sandpaper" surface and
the wet slippery river and fjord-ice. Instead of
two sled trips, as we had hoped would suffice, no
less than six were necessary before the depots were
laid down, and even at that we had cut our pro-
visions and dog food down to an absolute
minimum.
It was well into the month of December before
this was accomplished. In the meantime the travel-
ing conditions had not improved, though the re-
turning daylight would soon afford us a longer
working day. My plan was to make our start
with the coming of the new year, but this had to
191
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
be postponed because of a violent foehn wind,
which, as is usually the case, sucked up whatever
snow there had been on the ground. The violent
wind blew down upon us off the ice-cap, so that
the temperature rose to 42° Fahrenheit, and with-
in two hours all the snow had disappeared. The
ice on the fjord was quickly covered with thaw-
water. Under these conditions it would be im-
possible to set out, so we tried to be patient and
waited in the hope that cold would soon again
freeze a hard cover over the fjord.
On the 14fth of January with Marius I made
a reconnoitering trip across the fjord and along
the Nakajanga to the sand flat, as a result of
which I decided to break camp at daybreak the
next morning. The day had scarcely ended before
there had come another foehn. The rise in tem-
perature was so sudden as to make us fairly pant
and gasp for breath in the heat. The air was
still, but from the southeast over the ice-cap came
the dark lenticular foehn clouds which heralded
the coming of such weather. We were in for
another of these Greenland storms which especially
characterized the winter of 1927-28. There had
been two or three and sometimes four foehns each
month, and each of them lasted from two and one-
half to three days.
192
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BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
Are our hopes to be again dashed after making
all our preparations for a start? No! I decided
to start out and take what chance had to offer.
The storm began during the night and as we
turned out about five o'clock the next morning the
wind was blowing strongly from the southeast
off the ice-cap. Later in the day the fjord-ice was
again covered with water.
Dr. Church got a start of a couple of hours
while Marius and I made the last arrangements
packing the sleds. During these morning hours
the wind increased, but there could now be no
backing out, for Church had already gone on
ahead. As soon as I had made sure that every-
thing was in order I gave the dogs the signal, and
we were making a shining sled-track out across
the wet fjord-ice in the dawning of the new day.
The wind was almost dead ahead. Soon violent
gusts drove the sled sideways with great force. It
was impossible to steer as we could not stand
against the wind on the slippery ice. All our ef-
forts had to be given to preventing the sled being
smashed when it was dashed against rough ice.
By noon the wind had so increased that it had
reached a maximum velocity of 120 miles per hour
as registered on the anemometer at the observatory
on Mount Evans. It was a desperate fight for
195
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Marius and myself during the next two hours to
save the sled. The wind had picked up the sand
and pebbles from the sand flat and driven it into
our faces. We were in a real sand storm. The
finer sand particles penetrated everywhere. My
watch, which I carried in an extra case in my
bearskin trousers, was so clogged with sand that
it refused to run.
We did not get away far before a particularly
violent gust drove the sled with such violence
against a block of ice that one of the runners was
split and this forced a return for repairs. Dr.
Church, who was somewhere out in advance and
knew nothing of our troubles, was without food.
He pushed on and took refuge against the storm
in a tent frozen to the ice at the foot of the Middle
Rapids of the Watson River. There he remained
without fire and with scant food for three days until
I, much worried about his safety, could repair the
sled and join him. In the meantime the storm
had blown itself out, but it had left a surface to
drive one to distraction. At several places in the
bed of the Watson River wide sand-dunes had been
built up, and these we had to cross with the sled.
Where there was ice in the river it was as smooth
as a mirror. We had to carry our sleds and outfit
up the frozen bed of the falls.
196
BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
When we had reached the edge of the inland-
ice at the one accessible place where it had been
entered by the summer parties, we found the sur-
face quite different from that with which I had
become acquainted farther north in Greenland.
Only in the ravines of the surface was a little
snow to be found. Elsewhere the ice was smooth
and clear and represented a chaos of hummocks
and deep crevasses. To heat the tent we made use
of a blubber lamp made from a photograph de-
veloping tray and fed with seal blubber from seals
which we had shot at Camp Lloyd.
Once on the ice-cap surface we found ourselves
struggling forward to get in as far as practicable
and there camp for as long a time as the supply
of provisions would warrant. Several times my
party was stopped by strong gales of wind.
In this remarkably mild winter there was not
sufficient snow on the ice to make an igloo or snow
house, and so the specially constructed tent was
used and protected on the southeast or weather
side by a wall of snow blocks supported by the
sled set up on edge. Within we used the Arctic
primus lamp for cooking our food. This lamp
gives a hot flame by an air supply worked by hand
pump and it burns about a quart of kerosene a
day.
197
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
One of the storms experienced when in this
camp had a measured wind velocity of 85 miles
per hour. During such a storm on some expedi-
tions the men are accustomed to keep snug in
camp. Here our most important work comes at
just such times. The strong wind picks up the
snow and the air is thick with snow like pea-soup.
It was necessary to creep out of the tent on all
fours, and get all our fur clothes wet. This is
almost the worst that can happen, for in cold
weather to keep the clothes dry is a matter of life
and death. We slept in caribou sleeping bags,
and these were spread over caribou skins, which
in turn were laid on the dried grass base. Despite
the cold the dogs must sleep outside. The life of
an Eskimo dog is not easy. He is worked hard,
has scant rations, and must later be killed for
food.
During the worst storm the tent threatened to
come down, and so it was necessary to dig up the
snow of the floor to make blocks to prop the tent
on the inward side against the roaring gale.
One day we nearly perished when we ate pem-
mican that had gone bad. I woke up feeling very
tired. When I got outside the tent to make the
morning meteorological observations, everything
went black and I could hardly stand. I dragged
198
(IMioto J. E. Church)
The "White Mountains." The inland ice hills touched by the returning sun
January, 1928. Bangsted's winter camp on the ice-cap
(Photo J. E. Church)
Dogsled party at rest on frozen surface of Sondre Stromfjord. Bangsted-
Church winter expedition to the ice-cap, Jan.-March, 1928
BANGSTED'S EXPEDITION TO THE ICE-CAP
myself very slowly to the instrument shelter.
When I got back to the tent, Marius was lying on
his back unconscious and Church also was unwell.
I hardly knew what to do. With no doctor you
must depend upon yourself and Nature. We lay
around all that day and late at night we had
strength enough to get up and cook a little oat-
meal and pea-soup. After eating this we felt
better. The next day we were all right again.
We spent sixty busy and profitable days on the
inland-ice. One of the outstanding scientific re-
sults was the evidence brought out of the rapid
evaporation of the ice from the surface. The lack
of snowfall was most serious on the way out, and
it brought us daily into peril. The rough ice was
so slippery that we were compelled to use a two
hundred foot length of rope in order to let the sled
and the bundles of equipment down the slope.
This return trip to Camp Lloyd we made in
the month of March, when conditions were even
more difficult than they had been during the
outgoing trip in January. We had the mis-
fortune to break one of the sled runners again so
that it was necessary to divide the load. Our
light articles were put on the sled, which was driven
by Marius and Dr. Church. The remaining
articles were lashed together in two reindeer skins
201
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
and to this roll I hitched four of the dogs and my-
self. On slippery ice this method is quite satis-
factory. I had resorted to it on the Fifth Thule
Expedition around Hudson Bay in 1923. When
we arrived at the Watson River we went into
camp for the day before proceeding further, for
we were all thoroughly exhausted. More than
we had realized the constant fight against the per-
sistent storm in combination with the rather short
rations had worn us down. I was perhaps the
most worn out and I now looked forward with a
childish joy to the moment when we could again
put our feet on land and go hunting.
On the day we left the ice we shot two hares and
both had been eaten before night. I now broke
camp, gave the dogs the home signal and with
their tails in air they dashed down the glassy ice
of the Watson River. We were driving into the
light spring time.
202
CHAPTER XVII
THE THIRD GREENLAND EXPEDITION
HE third expedition had for
its object to take in a new
staff for the aerological sta-
tion at Mount Evans and to
relieve Carlson, the assistant aerologist, who had
gone in the preceding April and who had been
carrying on alone since May 27th except for an
Eskimo boy companion. It would be necessary
to pack new supplies to the station for its main-
tenance in operation for a second complete year.
I proposed also to carry out explorations and sur-
veys, as well as geological and other studies, pro-
vided time was sufficient. Several new buildings
were planned; an additional storehouse on Mount
Evans, a kite house, and a new permanent tent
house at Camp Lloyd.
Our freight was to be shipped to Copenhagen
203
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
on May 12th by the United States of the Scandi-
navian-American hne, though most of the expedi-
tion was to sail on the Bergensfjord of the
Norwegian-American hne a week later. The
expedition consisted of Belknap, second-in-com-
mand, who was surveyor and geologist; Leonard
R. Schneider, aerologist from Clark University;
David Potter, photographer; Duncan Stewart,
Jr., assistant in geology and surveying; Francis M.
Baer, radio operator; Helge Bangsted, in charge
of Eskimo helpers; and Elmer G. Etes, aviator
and mechanic.
The further passage from Copenhagen to Green-
land was scheduled for June 1st on the motor-
ship Disko. With our freight already piled
on the dock at Hoboken two days only before the
departure of the vessel on which it was to be
shipped, a radiogram arrived from Bangsted and
Oscanyan. They were together aboard the Disko
outward bound from Holstensborg to Copenhagen.
This radiogram advised me that the Disko was
then fast in the ice-pack off Julianehaab near the
south point of Greenland, and hence would hardly
be able to get free and reach Copenhagen before
the last of June. This arrived in time to cancel
the freight shipments and the sailing of the expedi-
tion. Inquiry by cable at Copenhagen brought
204
THE THIRD GREENLAND EXPEDITION
a prompt reply which indicated that the release
of the Disko from the pack-ice would be wholly
dependent upon the weather conditions. The ship
might be freed any day, but, on the other hand, it
might be held fast for weeks. A week later,
fortunately, the situation had already cleared, the
ship was free, and the sailing for Greenland was
already set for June 15th, fifteen days later than
its first schedule. Accordingly our freight was
shipped to Copenhagen May 17 on the Hellig Olaf
and the expedition members generally sailed on
June 5th aboard the Stavangerfjord.
The sailings of Greenland ships are apt to be set
forward, and sometimes more than once. I had
sailed from New York on the France on May
17th, and in Paris I received a cablegram stating
that the Disko' s sailing had been again changed,
this time to June 17th. When the ship came into
port it was found to have been so strained in the
ice that repairs were necessary, so that once more
our sailing was postponed, this time to the 21st
of June, a full three weeks after the original
scheduled date.
From Paris I flew to Hamburg, but came down
at Amsterdam for lunch. As I was taking a seat
in the restaurant a man jumped up with the ex-
clamation, "Well, Professor Hobbs, where do you
205
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
come from?" It was Captain Wilkins on his way-
back from a successful flight across the Arctic
and now flying from Berhn to London to be
knighted by King George the following day. His
companion Eielson had gone up to the city so I
did not see him. After perhaps 20 minutes of
rapid-fire conversation we each got into our planes
and flew in opposite directions. Flying as one
now does in passenger planes in Europe, one is
constantly meeting with explorer friends in this
way.
Before leaving Paris the press dispatches had
reported the sudden death in an auto-bus accident
at Goteborg in Sweden of my good friend Dr.
Nils Otto Nordenskjold, a distinguished Swedish
Arctic and Antarctic explorer, in whose honor
the glacier tongue east of Holstensborg had been
named by our Expedition in 1926. A few days
later as I was flying from Hamburg to Copen-
hagen and was about to step into the plane, I fell
in with Baron Nordenskiold, the late explorer's
cousin, from whom I learned tile sad details of the
accident. It had been only six months earlier
that I had given an address before the Geograph-
ical Society at Goteborg, at which meeting Dr.
Nordenskjold had presided and his cousin the
baron had been at dinner with us.
206
THE THIRD GREENLAND EXPEDITION
Because of the delay in the sailing of the Disko
the freighter Skinfaxc left Copenhagen early in
June with supphes for the West Greenland settle-
ments of Godhavn, Holstensborg, and Godthaab.
The Slxinfaxe was a new tramp steamer of 2200
tons burden and she carried a full cargo including
lumber, provisions, and 900 tons of coal. She was
destined to be wrecked before discharging her
cargo. On June 29 at about six o'clock in the
afternoon she struck a reef about ten miles off the
harbor of Holstensborg. S. O. S. calls for help
brought the expedition ship Godthaab of 162
net tons, the Gertrude Rash of 378 net tons,
and somewhat later the Sonja of 127 net tons,
the latter a small but powerful whaling "killer
ship". On the day following the wreck these
vessels with the aid of motorships manned by
Eskimos succeed in getting the Skinfacce off the
reef in a badly damaged condition and in towing it
into the harbor of Holstensborg.
All our freight had been placed on board the
Disko at Copenhagen and on the 21st of June the
third expedition from the University of Michigan
sailed for Greenland. On board the ship was Dr.
Lauge Koch, who was planning geological studies
on the fjords near Disko. On the second and third
days out from Copenhagen we ran through small
207
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
storms, especially near the Orkneys, and these
held us back somewhat, but after this the weather
was fine. Off Cape Farewell we had beautifully
clear weather — unusual for this region — and here
we skirted the edge of the ice-pack. On the 28th
the radio brought us the disturbing news of the
wreck of the Skinfaxe, and the following day the
report of its being towed into Holstensborg harbor
in a badly damaged condition. On the 30th we
passed close to an iceberg about 150 feet high and
later in the day during a "gray norther" many
remarkably beautiful icebergs, all being borne
northward in the strong current which sets along
the Greenland coast. These bergs originate on the
east coast of Greenland, along which they drift
southward so as to double Cape Farewell and then
travel northward to Melville Bay in northern
Baffin Bay, where they cross to the west side of
the bay and come southward along the Ellesmere
Land, Baffin Land, Labrador, and New Found-
land coasts before passing out into the lanes of
steamship travel.
After passing Fiskenaesset snow-covered high
peaks of the Greenland coast were in sight for much
of the time. As we approached the Kugsukf jord
the lofty snow-covered Hjortetakhen ("Antlers"),
3835 feet, and "The Saddle", 3933 feet, loomed
208
THE THIRD GREENLAND EXPEDITION
up and were landmarks seen from far out to
sea. Within the harbor of Godthaab we found
anchored the Sverdefiske and Sonja whahng
mother ship and "killer" respectively. They had
just towed in a whale. Somewhat after I had
turned in for the night the boys came to me to
ask if I cared to join them in a trip by boat over to
the whaling ships. The evening was foggy and raw
and the bed seemed just then particularly com-
fortable, so I declined. On the way over they fell
in with a shark attracted by the carcass of the
whale and with their oars and the boat-hook as
weapons they succeeded in killing it. When next
morning I asked for evidence of their prowess
they displayed the head, which I was bound to
accept as adequate.
News of the wreck of the Shinfaxe had reached
us on the Bisho as we were approaching Godthaab,
which is some 200 miles farther to the south. The
unfortunate accident, so serious for the Green-
land settlements since they were, as is usual at the
end of the long winter out of supplies, was also
quite serious for us. Our entire year's supply of
balloons was aboard the SMnfa^e, and if these
were not now to be salvaged our most important
scientific work would be held up. Moreover a
wreck of this nature, serious enough anywhere
209
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
is tenfold more serious in Greenland, and it was
certain to make difficult our transportation prob-
lems to the base in the hinterland. I had already
requested by radio a contract for the government
motor-schooner Walrus to take us with our supplies
and leave at the earliest moment for the Sondre
Stromfjord and our station at Mount Evans. I
knew that Carlson had been alone at the base ex-
cept for an Eskimo boy companion, and I greatly
feared that he was now out of provisions or at
least very low on them. The failure of our
Eskimo hunter Abraham to secure game during
the preceding season had made drains on our
winter supply beyond what had been expected.
On arrival at Holstensborg I found much dis-
traction over the condition of the Skinfaxe which
was lying at anchor in the harbor with her rudder-
post gone and a hole punched in her bottom which
was only temporarily patched up. The Lands-
vogel had come from Godthaab and everyone was
waiting to see what disposition would be made of
the cargo. An informal court of inquiry was being
held aboard the wreck and questions of salvage
and insurance were being discussed before the
cargo could be taken off. There was but small dis-
position to consider under these conditions the
University of Michigan's Greenland Expedition,
210
THE THIRD GREENLAND EXPEDITION
and word was brought me by Bangsted from
Governor Bistrup that the Walrus would be
needed for unloading coal from the S kin f awe and
therefore could not be chartered as I had desired.
It was added that the Governor could not even
see me to discuss matters for at least a week.
211
CHAPTER XVIII
THE RELIEF OF CARLSON AT
MOUNT EVANS
HIS was a situation indeed!
Carlson I feared was in
serious need of relief, and I
felt warranted, therefore, in
forcing my way into the Governor's office where I
found him in conference with the Landsvogel.
Quite politely I was told that the situation was a
very perilous one and that the Walrus could not
be spared. To this I rephed that I fully ap-
preciated the situation, but that I did not need the
Walrus. This caused some surprise, but I now
proposed to make use of a smaller sloop, a six-ton
motor vessel named the Nakuak which had been of
the deck cargo on the Shinfaxe and was con-
signed to some Eskimos for halibut fishing. The
boat had been injured in removing from the wreck
but a very little work in repairing the injury
212
THE RELIEF OF CARLSON AT MOUNT EVANS
would put the sloop in seaworthy condition, and
this could probably be accomplished within twenty-
four hours. I proposed if this could be made
ready for me to select from our stores, which had
already been landed from the Disko and placed
in a warehouse on the dock, only those that
we absolutely needed and with them sail the next
day for the Sondre Stromfjord so as to re-
lieve Carlson. "Oh", said the Landsvogel,
"we thought you must have the Walrus". "No",
I replied, "not at present." I will divide my party
of eleven including the Eskimo helpers and take
five with me on the Nakuak down the coast and up
the fjord by the all- water route. If David Olsen
can let us have his sloop also I will arrange to have
him take on board the remaining portion of the
party with a light camping outfit and have them
transported as far only as Sarkardlit on the
Avatdlekfjord. From there they will proceed
over the winter dog-sled route in charge of Bel-
knap.
This plan was at once agreed to, and after some
further difficulties had been ironed out we were
soon hard at work in the storehouse, getting out
for the Nakuak such stores as she could take, and
for Olsen's new sloop the light camping outfit
necessary for the trip across the country. In the
213
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
preceding fall one of our canoes had been cached
on the fjord at the foot of the eleven-mile portage
for kayakers, and it was my plan for Belknap's
party to make use of this canoe for the latter half
of the distance to Momit Evans. When the Skin-
faoce difficulties had been overcome and the cargo
unloaded, then, and then only, would we have the
Walrus bring in the residue of our supplies.
Belknap's overland party was to include Potter,
Stewart, and the four Eskimos. Schneider,
Bangsted, Etes, and Baer were to go with me on
the Nakuak. Through the radio of the Disko I
was able to send a message to Carlson that we were
coming at once to his relief. We could not of
course receive any answer from him. Our mes-
sage on arrival at Godhavn, the northern capital,
would be broadcast by the voice of Holton Moller
and picked up by Carlson at Mount Evans.
In a high northerly wind which was kicking up
a heavy sea, my own party set sail a little after
noon, the passengers and crew of the Disko cheer-
ing us lustily as we moved down the harbor and
out to sea. A little later Olsen's sloop was off
with Belknap's party, which was also loudly
cheered by our shipmates and friends on the
Disko.
The skipper of the Nakiuik was a half-caste
214
THE RELIEF OF CARLSON AT MOUNT EVANS
Eskimo with a heavy reddish beard and very fierce
aspect, but we were pleased to observe that he knew
the route and was a very competent sailor. We
anchored for the night at a little bay known as
Hans Egede Harbor, where we were sheltered from
the high seas which were outside. Before turning in
we dropped fishing lines over the side and hooked
some fine cod, though many more sculpins which
are good only for bait.
Schneider, Baer, and I taking the dinghy went
ashore with our sleeping bags and slept under
the shelter of a ledge. About three in the morning
I was lying awake, and hearing activity on board
could see that our skipper was getting ready to
up-anchor. I roused the others and we hustled
on board. We were soon off and by a protected
shallow inside route behind the skerries of the
coast made our way to the mouth of the Strom-
fjord, where we anchored for the next night. The
following day we sailed up the Stromfjord arriv-
ing at Camp Lloyd by flood tide at about 4:30
on the morning of the ninth.
Leaving the others to begin the work of getting
our supplies on shore by the ship's dinghy and our
own ^lullins steel boat, I made all haste up the
trail to Mount Evans, as I was anxious to know
how matters stood with Carlson; for owing to
215
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Oscanyan's throwing up his position as radio
operator the station had been left without connec-
tion with the outside world since the spring of the
year.
As a turn in the trail to the station brought me
in sight of the hut I could make out smoke com-
ing from the pipe chimney and I raised a loud
"hello". It seemed hardly a second before Carlson
and the Eskimo boy, both on all fours, came shoot-
ing through the low door. Carlson's joy at know-
ing that his friends and supplies were already in
camp could be better imagined than described.
It is no light matter to be left without contact
for so long a time, and with the best of intentions,
but against Carlson's own wishes, the Governor at
Holstensborg had insisted Carlson should not be
quite alone and had sent him a small Eskimo boy
to be his companion. The boy was lazy and had a
consumptive cough which in the cramped quarters
of the little hut was the occasion of a good deal
of concern to Carlson. As the boy had to be fed,
the supplies had run low and for some time Carl-
son had been piecing out his provisions with
ptarmigan, which had required some time to secure.
However, "all's well that ends well", and it was
apparent that Carlson had managed admirably
and had accomplished good results in the scientific
216
THE RELIEF OF CARLSON AT MOUNT EVANS
work of the observatory. We started back to
Camp Lloyd to find the work of unloading the
Nahuak proceeding satisfactorily under Schnei-
der's direction. Before night everything was on
shore and covered against possible rain which was
threatening, and the Nakuak with the boy on board
had started back to the coast.
Schneider and Baer went back with Carlson to
install themselves at Mount Evans and take over
their duties as aerologist and radio operator re-
spectively, the rest of us remaining in tents at
Camp Lloyd beside the fjord.
On the night of the tenth, the day after landing,
I had turned in at nine o'clock but was roused by
Carlson at about ten-thirty. He was much out of
breath and, cross country runner as he was, had
made the trip down from the Observatory in
twelve minutes. He reported to me that Belknap
had reached the hut on Mount Evans in a much
exhausted condition and with a ligament of his
knee badly strained. In crossing a divide the party
had run into a bit of weather with wet snow, and
the tents not being water-proofed they had passed
a miserable night. When Belknap had proposed
to break camp and start out on the trail without
waiting for the storm to abate, the Eskimos, who
were without slickers, refused to go. Belknap
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
with Potter and Stewart had then left them and
gone on ahead. Stewart, Carlson reported, was
back on the trail about two miles, done up. Potter
had got separated.
While I was dressing Carlson roused Etes and
hastily put some supplies into the Mullin's boat.
With the outboard motor Etes and Carlson now
started down the fjord while I followed along the
shore some distance inland, shouting at intervals
as I went. The hum of the motor in these soli-
tudes is heard far in from the shore and would
certainly be noticed by anyone not more than a
mile inland. About two miles out I picked up
Stewart tired but game, and signaling the motor
boat he was taken on and regaled on grapefruit.
After the boat had proceeded five miles further
down the fjord and I had reconnoitered on shore,
we all returned to Camp Lloyd.
It was now near midnight and a drizzling rain
was falling. Stewart after a good meal was put
to bed at Camp Lloyd. Potter I learned was
packing a sleeping bag and was well supplied
with food, so I told Carlson to go back to Mount
Evans and suspend further search till morning.
Potter is a very hardy man, inured to climbing, and
was, I felt sure, quite able to take care of himself.
On reaching Mount Evans Carlson found that
218
THE RELIEF OF CARLSON AT MOUNT EVANS
Potter had already come in, but before his arrival
Belknap, a good deal worried, in spite of his bad
knee had gone out with Schneider in search of
Potter. This made it necessary for Carlson him-
self to go out and bring in the search party. All
were tired out but they rested the next day, only
the necessary work being done. Belknap's knee
had been injured in a running contest at the Uni-
versity, and strained as it was on this trip, it gave
him much trouble later in the season. A mistake
had been made in not remaining in camp despite
the discomfort, and again in letting the party get
separated. The Eskimos came in quietly about
ten o'clock the next morning. They had followed
the route planned and, picking up the canoe at
the portage, they had paddled up the fjord for the
last thirty miles of the journey.
219
CHAPTER XIX
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
the spring of 1928 Bert R. J. Has-
sell, a very experienced Swedish-
American aviator, had laid his plans
to fly from his home at Rockford,
Illinois, to Stockholm in a single
hop of 4200 miles. Quite naturally he was unable
to find backers for so hazardous a propbsition.
With the late William Naylor, Chief Engineer of
the Stinson Aircraft Company of Plymouth,
Michigan, he came to Ann Arbor to consult with
me concerning the flight. I advised that he break
his flight into two and make a way station at
Mount Evans, pointing out to him the advantage
of practical freedom from fog within the Holstens-
borg hinterland, and also describing the way in
which the Greenland glacial anticyclone could be
made to serve an aviator while crossing Greenland.
220
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
He was much impressed with these advantages
and was convinced that a practical commercial
route from America to Europe could be found
across Greenland.
We had several other conferences on the sub-
ject. Photographs which I had brought from
Greenland showing the character of the great sand
flat east of Mount Evans revealed, so Hassell
thought, a possible landing place for a plane. I
was, of course, glad to promise every assistance
possible on the part of the Expedition personnel
in case he should attempt to put through his pro-
ject. 'Not having a technical knowledge of such
matters and further not having had the matter in
mind while still on the ground in Greenland, I
made clear to Hassell that I could not assume the
responsibility of saying that a proper landing field
existed now near our station. If, however, he
would select a flying man in whom he had confi-
dence and who was also a mechanic, I would take
this man on as mechanic of the Expedition and
we could then send by radio an expert opinion con-
cerning possible landing places before Hassell
should take off at Rockford. This plan was agreed
upon and Elmer G. Etes, an aviator and a close
friend of Hassell's, joined the Third Greenland
Expedition in this double capacity.
221
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Etes proved to be a very competent mechanic
and was an invaluable aid to us in our building
operations. My concern in the Hassell flight was
not wholly unselfish, for I was deeply interested
in trans-oceanic aviation for itself. The flight
across the Greenland ice-cap could not fail to
bring out valuable scientific data, and Hassell on
his part promised to let me attach to his plane a
special self -registering instrument to automatically
record the pressure, temperature and humidity of
the air throughout this section of the flight. The
firm of Julian P. Friez and Sons of Baltimore,
manufacturers of precise meteorological instru-
ments, loaned the Expedition an instrument
specially constructed for this purpose, and this
instrument we took with us to Mount Evans.
Before the Expedition sailed the plans of the
Hassell Flight had been largely perfected and a
special plane was building at the works of the
Stinson Aircraft Corporation. Spare parts in-
cluding a landing wheel and a spare propeller were
taken with the Expedition to Greenland.
Two other flying projects were, moreover, seri-
ously considering a flight by the same route, and
in one of these Colonel Lindbergh was interested;
so that altogether I gave much time to the sub-
ject. While in Copenhagen I took up with the
222
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
Minister for Iceland the matter of a suitable land-
ing place on that island. It was, of course, highly
desirable, even if not absolutely necessary, to have
weather reports sent by radio from Reykjavik to
Mount Evans before the take-off of Hassell at
the latter place, and this involved very consider-
able difficulty both because of restrictions placed
by the Danish authorities upon the use of radio in
Greenland and because messages sent through the
Government stations there require more time than
is desirable or even safe in sending weather fore-
casts on such flying projects. In fact, arrange-
ments were never thoroughly perfected for this
part of the project.
Before leaving America in the interest of the
Hassell flying project and by arrangement with
Hassell and his promoter, I had written the Direc-
tor for Greenland in the Danish Ministry of the
Interior, the Honorable Daugaard-Jensen, out-
lining to him the plans and stating that our Ex-
pedition was cooperating with Hassell in giving
him the use of our station with its radio and
weather prediction facilities, as well as the services
of our personnel. In the reply Hassell was ad-
vised to make his request to enter Danish territory
in this fashion through the State Department in
Washington. When I arrived, therefore, in Co-
223
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
penhagen during the second week of June, I was
at once called to the American Legation and
there shown a long and voluminous correspond-
ence by cable between Secretary Kellogg of the
State Department in Washington and Count Re-
ventlow, the Danish Foreign Minister. Hassell's
application had referred to the cooperation of the
University of Michigan Expeditions, of which
there had already been two — those of 1926 and
1927. A long cablegram had gone back to Wash-
ington that the foreign office had never heard of
these Michigan Expeditions. After several ex-
changes it had occurred, it seems, to Count Re-
ventlow to confer with the Ministry of the Interior
and the Director for Greenland, the Honorable
Daugaard-Jensen, whereupon the discovery was
made that the matter had been fully covered by
correspondence.
A rather startling request was now made of
me. The flight would be permitted, I was told,
if it could be connected with the University of
Michigan Expeditions. After first making sure
that no financial responsibility would be fastened
upon the Expedition, this was agreed to and a
despatch was at once sent off to the State Depart-
ment which supplied the permission for the flight.
In Hassell's interest and at the request of Ma-
224.
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
jor Fredericks, his backer, I had through the
Director for Greenland, ordered four hundred gal-
lons of aviation gasoline and the necessary amount
of mobiloil with instructions to have this go in to
Holstensborg by an earlier steamer than the one
by which our Expedition sailed. Before this gaso-
line could be forwarded to Camp Lloyd a leak
had occurred in the fuel tank at the Godhavn radio
plant and this supply was at once commandeered,
since the station would have been put out of com-
mission without it. The Director for Greenland
was, however, able to send in a new supply and
so change the schedule of one of the ships as to
deliver this later supply at Holstensborg in time.
Under instructions this gasoline had already been
taken in to Camp Lloyd on one of our chartered
voyages of the Walrus, so that it was already
stored above tide near Camp Lloyd at the time the
Third Expedition arrived.
We had been so much delayed by the postpone-
ment of three weeks in the sailing of the Disko
from Copenliagen, that there was now no time
to lose in fixing upon a landing field. The very
day after we reached Camp Lloyd, I set out with
Etes and Bangsted to reconnoiter the possible
landing places for planes in the vicinity. The
great sand flat above the fjord might have served
225
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
but for the fact that there are sand hummocks
from one to four or more feet in height grouped
about low willow shrubs, and the further fact
that at the high spring tide this flat is entirely sub-
merged. This was then a possible, though hardly
a practicable landing place, and one scarcely a
mile from the Dory Landing, where at high tide
we could deposit the cans of gasoline directly from
the dory or the Mullins boat. It was only after
considerable search that the one really practicable
field was discovered by Potter on a raised clay
terrace which in places was covered with boulders
and in places also was much gulleyed. We laid
out, however, a runway about 1500 feet in length
and almost perfectly flat. It was also as hard
almost as cement, and at least 20 feet above the
highest tide. Since the wind in this fjord depres-
sion blows lengthwise, it seems here to be unneces-
sary to have a wide field or runways crosswise of
the valley. From Dory Landing, the head of boat
transportation, it would be necessary to pack the
cans of gasoline over a rather difficult trail a dis-
tance of about three miles. The distance of the
field by trail from Mount Evans station was about
eight miles.
Across a small canyon and about 500 feet to
the eastward of this runway there is a possibility
226
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
of laying out another which would be 2500 feet
in length, but this would require removing scat-
tered boulders, many of them quite large, and for
this task a gang of men would be required.
Baer had found the radio equipment left at the
station to be heavily coated with soot and quite out
of commission. It was therefore, necessary to
take everything to pieces and carefully clean the
■parts. Even after this had been done he was
generally unable to get contact with the United
States during the summer, but on one of the more
favorable occasions he did succeed in sending out
through the New York Times station a report by
Etes for Hassell with reference to the landing
field which we had found. Although Hassell had
originally intended to take-off for Mount Evans
with a sufficient gasoline supply to reach Stock-
holm, he had considered Iceland as an alternative
stopping place. Convinced that our runway of
something more than a quarter of a mile in length
would be too short for the take-off with 400 gal-
lons of gasoline, the amount necessary to reach
Stockholm, Etes decided to outline in his report
the length and character of the field without any
verdict as to its adequacy. While awaiting the
reply to this message we transferred the gasoline
to the Dory Camp, but we considered it wise to
227
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
leave it there until we should learn from Hassell
of his intentions.
We now sought to improve the efficiency of our
radio station by changing from direct to alternat-
ing current, and for this we installed a new motor
and transformer which we had brought in with
us, and in place of the thirty- five foot jointed
bamboo mast we started to erect a new steel mast
sixty feet in height. The erection of the mast was
most difficult and dangerous. Before we had it
secure it fell twice, but fortunately without hitting
any of the party.
On July 17th as I was returning to Camp Lloyd
from Mount Evans I noted that Point Emmons
across Michigan Bay from Camp Lloyd seemed
deeper in the water than I had ever seen it.
Clearly a very high tide was at flood, though we
had not expected the spring tides until somewhat
later. I hurried down to the landing fearing
trouble. The dory was just floating loose from its
moorings and the oars already were in the water.
The box of Burgess Batteries, which we had
thought safe above high tide, was already eight
inches under water. Some cans of the Hassell
gasoline as well as the extra propeller for the
plane were also in part under water. First rescu-
ing the loose articles and making the dory fast, I
228
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
roused the Eskimos and together we set to work
salvaging our material. When next day he had
opened up the box of batteries and dried them in
the sun we found them little if any impaired, but
we had had a narrow escape and a valuable lesson.
This year we have replaced our hunter Abraham
by Marius, a quite remarkable Eskimo who was
of Bangsted's ice-cap party in the preceding win-
ter. We have also given the Eskimos of our party
one day for hunting in each week. Owing largely
to the skill of Marius, though Nathaniel and
Peter are also good hunters, we now had much
more game on the table, and one day they brought
in fifteen geese.
Bangsted has not been at all well and is now
unable to work, but is still useful as an interpreter
with the Eskimos. He should be under the care
of a physician, and it is arranged that he shall go
out on the Walrus when it comes in with our sup-
plies. This will permit him to depart soon for
Copenhagen aboard the Hans Egede.
The Walrus arrived at Camp Lloyd on the 23rd
bringing our supplies, and all hands were kept busy
unloading the ship. By Etes our lumber was
made into a raft and all our gasoline and kerosene
brought ashore upon it. Before the last two loads
were ashore the wind rose and made the fjord too
229
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
rough for continuing the trips from the ship to
the shore, but by seven in the evening the wind
had died away sufficiently to get everything off
and on shore, whereupon the Walrus sailed away.
The next morning, July 24, Carlson came down
from the observatory bringing two radiograms
from the Managing Editor of the New York
Times which had been received during the night.
One of these was startling enough. It read:
Hassell planning to start Wednesday morning.
BiRCHALL
This was Tuesday.
The other said:
Hassell ready to start. Ask if landing field ready now
or how soon. We trying nightly to communicate with
you directly. Birchall
At once all other work with the exception of
the routine meteorological and aerological observa-
tions was suspended. Belknap, Potter, Etes
and Stewart with our four Eskimos in dory, canoe,
and kayak set out for the dory landing. Etes was
to make some final improvements on the landing
field and to mark it so as to be clearly seen from
the sky, while the others under Belknap's direction
230
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
were to pack the 200 gallons of gasoline and 20
gallons of motor oil over the long trail to the
landing field.
On the following night I prepared the follow-
ing radiogram to go to the Times:
Mount Evans, July 24, 1928.
BiRCHALL, New York Times, New York
Amazed by the report that Hassell is planning flight
tomorrow without advice from us that we are ready?
or weather conditions favorable. Etes on eighteenth sent
Hassell by radio via Godhavn report on landing possi-
bilities but has received no reply. Pending reply we have
suspended transport of gasoline.
On receipt of your message we have taken steps to
mark landing place to set Hassell down on terrace at head
of fjord north side, but hope he will await our further ad-
vice before starting. Two hundred gallons gasoline and
ten gallons motor oil now within two miles of landing
place and our four Eskimos have started packing today.
When our direct radio fails you can reach us by com-
mercial radio via Godhavn.
HOBBS
Although we waited until 10:20 p.m., which was
past our schedule hour, we failed to get connection.
Godhavn put us off twice saying they had a mes-
sage for us but were too busy to send it and we
would have to wait till Wednesday night. About
2 A.M. another message came through:
231
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
Hassell will hop off at dawn tomorrow if weather
conditions over Canada are favorable, whereof there's
every indication. His next stop after Greenland will
be Iceland enabling him to take off with light load. Will
flash you if weather causes postponement. Acknowl-
edge this message.
BiRCHALL
Then from Major Fredericks, Hassell's man-
ager:
We are in receipt of information about length of
landing field and will come at once. Please mark and
watch landing field and if necessary make smoke signals.
Acknowledge receipt of this message. Hassell ready to
fly and start on receipt of acknowledgment.
L. H. Fredericks
And a little later:
Hassell's take-off postponed until Thursday on ac-
count of head winds.
Fredericks
Later still Fredericks requested that instead of
two hundred gallons of gasoline we have two hun-
dred and fifty gallons ready on the field. I replied
that we would have two hundred gallons ready on
the field the next night and I hoped to have the
extra fifty gallons there by Friday noon. We
were sending the Times reports on weather con-
232
|»5Bpr*BfWS>W»« ■-
PREPARING FOR THE ROCKFORD FLYERS
ditions. On July 26th, the day we now expected
Hassell to take off, our balloon showed light east-
erly surface winds holding up to 1000 meters, or
about a half mile, above which the wind was blow-
ing from the southwest and south southwest at a
rate of 30 miles per hour. This was most favor-
able for the flight to Iceland. The field is now
marked and the cans of gasoline are arranged in
the form of an arrow easily seen from the sky.
Etes has fixed up a small radio set and this has
been taken to the Dory Landing where Schneider,
who is fairly competent with radio, will communi-
cate with Mount Evans and announce the arrival
of the "Greater Rockford". A mast about 25
feet high made from two spliced bamboo poles was
set up and this improvised field radio station was
soon in operation. It was later transferred to the
landing field itself, where a secondary balloon sta-
tion was also established.
Since it was expected that the plane would ar-
rive by the way of the fjord, and as Baer of all
our company would be the only one on duty at
Mount Evans and be engaged with the radio,
Marius was to be stationed outside with binoculars
to report the first appearance of the flyers.
On the evening of the 26th I arrived at the ob-
servatory and an hour later Marius came in from
235
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
the landing field bringing a note from Belknap
which stated that practically all of the requested
250 gallons of gasoline and the 30 gallons of motor
oil had already been transported to the field by
the use of a relay system which he had devised.
Everyone has done splendidly, and to Belknap
especially is due the successful organization of the
work. We are now ready for the flyers and the
gasoline transport, the field radio station, and the
balloon station have by the cooperation of all hands
been put through inside a period of thirty-six
hours. Schneider has been calibrating the Friez
meteorograph which is to be attached to the plane
for the transit of the ice-cap.
At one in the morning a message came through
that Hassell and his navigator, Cramer, had hopped
off and been forced down and the plane dam-
aged only five miles from the start. Then com-
munications ceased and it was only accidentally
and through the Danish News broadcast two days
later that we were to learn that the plane had
crashed, but that the flyers had escaped uninjured.
The first news of Hassell's failure to get off was
sent by note to Belknap at Camp Lloyd and by
radio to Schneider at the landing field. The regu-
lar work of the station which had been interrupted
was now resumed.
236
CHAPTER XX
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU
COUNTRY
the first time now that news had
come of the crash of Hassell's
plane, we could resmne work on
several projects which had been interrupted by the
prospective flight. We had little enough time as it
was to complete our program, and no word had
been sent to us of any further plans on Hassell's
part. Belknap with his assistant Stewart now
started out to prepare a map about the head of the
fjord and of the great flat which separated it from
the inland-ice. Etes, Potter and I constructed a
combined kite and storehouse at Camp Lloyd, and
with the help of Schneider and Carlson a store-
house on Mount Evans.
Where Herz and Kallquist had set up their
237
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
tent while building the observatory, there was a
depression in the ledge which seemed to be outlined
by joints of the rock so as to be nearly eight feet
square and filled in with glacial deposits. Pick
and shovel work soon indicated that by removing
the dirt we should soon have the greater part of
three walls of a storehouse formed out of rock, and
we had a sufficient supply of studding, boards and
heavy canvas to prepare a roof which we pro-
posed to load down with great boulders. A door
was constructed by Etes and we soon had an ex-
cellent structure which would not be moved by the
strongest gales. This structure at once took in
a large part of our winter's supply of provisions
and further made one more reserve hut in case fire
should destroy the main one. The position of
this storehouse was about midway between the
observatory and the shore of Lake Herz, the water
supply of the station. Schneider took his bunk
there so that our party was distributed at night.
In the time not needed for the station obser-
vations at Mount Evans Schneider and Carlson
assembled the kites, set up the kite reel on the
terrace above the radio shack, and on favorable
windy days they sent up kites with meteorographs
attached for study of the pressure, temperature
and humidity of the upper air as high as the kites
238
u
a
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00
a.
e
O
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EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
reached. Our four Eskimos were kept busy pack-
ing provisions, gasoline and fuel to Mount Evans
for the long winter.
\Vlien the kite house had been completed, the
cook and dining tent was fitted with a frame work
of joists and boards. Etes then added one of the
house doors with frame and fittings which had been
purchased from Sears, Roebuck & Co., and brought
in with us. Outside the canvas walls of this tent,
which were about two feet high we then built up
a stone and sod wall and extended this also across
the back and on either side of the front door. The
back and sides of this tent-house were now lined
with boxes containing equipment and provisions,
and the structure thus became a semi-permanent
one fitted to withstand the winter's storms.
Beside our sleeping tents we had now at Camp
Lloyd three buildings; the radio shack, which had
been brought in from the Maligiakf jord and had
been the winter home of Bangsted and Marius,
but was now used by Potter as a photograph
studio, and in addition for certain stores; the kite
house with store space and a bunk; and the dining
and cook tent-house.
On the summit of Mount Evans besides the
observatory with its two storerooms, we had the
new stone and sod storehouse and in addition the
241
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
balloon inflating shelter. This latter is useful for
its original purpose during the summer time only,
since the water which is used to decompose the
calcium hydride for inflating the balloons with
hydrogen freezes during the cold season. It is then
necessary to inflate the balloons within the obser-
vatory. The shelter is, however, serviceable for
storing fuel or other materials.
The country across the fjord is largely un-
known to white men, though it is visited each
season by Eskimo caribou hunters who come up
from Sukkertoppen in their umiaks in family
parties large enough to undertake the portage of
the umiak across the high divides between the
lakes of the district. These hunting parties remain
from a month to six weeks, living on caribou and
bringing out with them at the end of the season
all the meat which they can carry to be disposed
of at Sukkertoppen. One family has stopped at
Camp Lloyd and we have been able to secure a
supply of this most delicious of all meats for the
winter supply of Mount Evans.
Because hunted by the Eskimos the caribou
have become exceedingly shy, and they have re-
tired ever farther and farther back behind the
high ridges until they are now seldom to be found,
the Eskimos tell us, until they have penetrated
242
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
far in toward the border of the Knud Rasmussen
ice-arm. The Danish Government has seriously
considered maintaining herds of reindeer within
this natural caribou region, now almost the only
part of Greenland where the species survives. In
1924 a parliamentary commission actually visited
the district and sailed up the Sondre Stromfjord
on the Gertrude Rash, a government ship of 662
tons gross. This ship brought the party to a point
near our base at Camp Lloyd. The commission re-
ported against the project, although Greenland
explorers rather generally, I believe, regard the
plan as entirely feasible, and our own experience
would confirm this view.
I had determined to penetrate this country and
learn something of its character. As my compan-
ion I selected Potter, the photographer of the
Expedition, who had been a student of aeronautics
at the University of Michigan and had proven
himself resourceful and indefatigable when trek-
king. Further I planned to take with me Marius,
much the most competent of our Eskimos and an
expert hunter.
Since we would of necessity travel on foot
through this rugged country, it was necessary to
set out with not too heavy packs. Each member
of the party carried the three pound shelter and
243
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
mosquito tent which has already been described
(see p. 63 and head piece of chapter XIV) , and also
a light quilted sleeping bag of kapok. We
carried a food supply sufficient for about ten days,
consisting mainly of pemmican, erbswurst, pilot
bread and tea. For cooking utensils we had
merely a small pail for boiling our erbswurst and
a folding fry pan, and each member of the party
had his own cup and spoon. To Marius I loaned
my Winchester repeating rifle, and Potter carried
a Mauser belonging to Bangsted. For our survey-
ing work we carried aneroid, compass, a 14 inch
plane table and a ruler alidade.
Shortly after noon on the 8th of August Potter
and I with the supplies were taken down the fjord
in the Mullins motor-boat towing the canoe be-
hind. Belknap was handling the motor and bring-
ing Stewart with him. Marius had already gone
on ahead in his kayak. The surface of the fjord
was rough, but Belknap steered near the shores
wherever possible, with an eye to getting on
shore if we should be swamped. The gusty winds
on the Greenland fjords often come without warn-
ing and for small boats these waters are very
treacherous, as we had learned during the first
season when Gould and Belknap so nearly lost
their lives by drowning.
244
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
I planned to examine the head of the first bay-
on the fjord west of the upper fork (Monroe
Bay) for a starting point, and it took us about
two hours to reach this point. This bay offered a
good camping site and a promising opening into
the hinterland. It was supplied with a stream of
icy cold water. A little beach beneath a steep
bank supplied a landing place. As we approached
a large flock of ducks went up from the mouth of
the brook and afterwards some geese also. The
canoe with the kayak we cached at the landing,
since we were intending to use them to get back
in case it was not possible for the motor-boat to
come for us. Our supplies once safely on shore,
Belknap and Stewart started back in the Mullins
boat and were soon out of sight beyond the point.
The clouds were gathering and indicated rain,
but I found time to make a reconnaissance to the
south as soon as we had our camp made, while
Marius and Potter set out after game. After a
while Potter came back with a gray goose which he
had caught in his hands, and this was served for
our supper. Some fat white hares are seen on the
slope east of our camp and give the impression
that there is a considerable amount of small game
about.
Toward evening it started in to rain and a drizzle
245
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
fell throughout the night. At seven the next
morning I was up and sent Marius out after ducks
since I had seen them about the head of the bay.
In a half hour he came back with no ducks but
with a large loon which he had seen in a low willow
shrub, and by simulating the call of the loon had
lured out and clubbed to death. Soon it was rain-
ing again and we crept into our tents. In the af-
ternoon there was a lull in the drizzle and we
made a reconnaissance as far as the high divide
south of us and between four and five miles dis-
tant. We were driven in by rain which continued
during the night, so that by the morning of the
tenth a half inch of rain had fallen since our ar-
rival. It had already been expected that this shore
of the fjord possessed a much more humid climate,
for we have often looked out from the observatory
on a bank of convectional clouds rising on this
shore when anticyclonic weather prevailed on the
north bank. This observation of greater precipi-
tation was to be confirmed by our later experience.
Although the tundra of the north bank is nearly
always dry, here we found the ground generally
wet and spongy.
We broke camp this morning leaving, however,
a cache of food in a two-man tent brought for the
purpose. We took a general southerly course
246
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
along a faint trail of caribou hunters which keeps
near the brook and follows a series of beautifully-
formed coast terraces extending up to an elevation
of 970 feet. At about 1200 feet of elevation the
trail passed over a divide and we looked out on a
beautiful picture in the center of which lay a lake
probably forty miles long extending to the east-
ward under frowning precipices. Far down the
lake rose a striking peak of unusual form which
we named the "Nipple", and farther on another
toward the inland-ice which we named "The
Battlement". We went down to the shore of this
lake, which is at an altitude of 1040 feet, and com-
ing back up the slope camped at six o'clock on a
small lake some 200 feet higher up. Here after we
had our supper of erbswurst, ducks settled on the
lake and Marius succeeded in shooting three. The
large lake we named Lake J. P. Koch after the
splendid explorer who accomplished the wide cross-
ing of Greenland in 1913.
The next morning, the eleventh, we continued
southward to the shore of the lake of which a long
arm goes oif to the southwestward. This arm we
followed keeping well above it on the slope and
setting up our plane table for sights at frequent
intervals. Toward midday we halted and Marius
was sent down to the lake for water while Potter
247
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
and I climbed the slope for sights. Potter at an
elevation of about 1400 feet was able to get an im-
portant sight of the Pingo, the dominating peak
over 4300 feet high which lies to the northeast of
the Maligiakfjord. On the afternoon trek the
sun was very bright, and on reaching a fine spring
under a rock I decided to make camp, as we had
already made about ten miles under pack. My
plan was to start out in the night when the heat
would not trouble us. We had seen caribou spoor
and Marius was now sent out with the rifle.
Potter and I slept until five-thirty next morning
when I roused him. Marius did not get back
until seven o'clock, having seen no signs of caribou.
Later we were to wonder at his amazing keenness
for signs of game, the hall-mark of the experienced
hunter. We continued our trek to near the end
of the lake, but turned in early. The twelfth was
Sunday. At midnight I was awake and looked
out. One bright planet was visible and the moon
shining. At two a. m. I roused the camp and
began to get breakfast of erbswurst and pilot
bread. We were off at three-ten as beautiful red
stratus clouds were in the east where the sun was
soon to rise. The temperature was 52°F. It was
a trek of about five miles, for much of the way
through some very boggy wet tundra before we
248
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
reached the outlet of the lake. Just before reach-
ing the end of the lake a flock of ptarmigan was
flushed and by some waiting Marius was able to
get seven, all of which went at once into the cook-
ing pot. We have been keeping down our rations
to a low limit and are now very hungry.
Here there is a fall of about 50 feet, half of
which is in one chute, and strong rapids continue
below extending to a small lake about three miles
distant. We had followed the lake shore in the
hope to be able to get across and explore the
country beyond, which appears high, and caribou
hunters tell us there are two more great valleys
occupied by long lakes before the Knud Rasmussen
ice-arm is reached. I am most anxious to get
across, but can find no practicable place.
If we had a boat we could go down to the lake
and cross there, but the rapids are deep and very
swift with rocks in the channel. Marius shakes
his head and says, "No"! After some hours spent
in reconnaissance, we have a meal of pemmican
and make camp near the outlet. Bad weather is
again threatening. During the night it rained, but
on the morning of the thirteenth the barometer was
rising and the sky clearing. Potter and I climbed
the mountain northwest of the outlet. From the
summit at an elevation of 2654 feet, though the
249
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
visibility was bad, we nevertheless got views of
the white surface of the ice-arm to the south and of
Monroe Bay where we had started in. We can also
follow the course of the outlet stream from Lake
J. P. Koch by bits of river shining like silver
and in the course of valleys till the river apparently
turns northward and enters the fjord at the next
indentation of the south shore known to the
Eskimos as Angujartorfik. We then went across
a saddle in a direction about southwest to another
peak which had an altitude of 2280 feet and which
I named Bangsted Mountain. We then took a
course across the high country northwest from the
lake so as to intersect our trail coming in. Much of
the way we traversed wet boggy ground with cari-
bou spoor which had been left some hours before.
Marius kept in advance with my rifle, but though
we found many fresh tracks and spoor no animal
was seen. We continued trekking until eight
o'clock in the evening, when we made camp near
a spring at a high level where the aneroid read
2060. All turned in very tired at nine o'clock
with the wind blowing so hard that we had found it
necessary to pile heavy stones on the tents to
anchor them. At four o'clock the next morning
it began raining, and just as the sun was rising
through a little layer of clear sky but with dark
250
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
heavy clouds above it, a beautiful double rainbow
was seen. It rained and blew until noon. In
spite of the heavy weights my tent was blown free,
but lying on my back I held on to the sides until
Marius, who was already up fastening his tent,
brought still heavier rocks to anchor it again. In
the afternoon we set out to go to our first camp
on the in-trail above the base of Monroe Bay, but
we went too far south. The southwest wind blew
so hard that we could just make our way against it.
Purple foehn clouds were in the sky and these first
billowed up from the southwest, these clouds com-
ing clearly from the Knud Rasmussen ice-arm.
We reached Camp 2 in the late afternoon and at
once went into camp.
It was evident that a still harder blow was now
coming on and so all of us at once sought pro-
tected places at which to set up our tents or at least
to crawl into some protected nook. I was able to
find a niche in the rock wall, in reality a sloping
ledge with an overhang. With some cleaning out
it was found to be just large enough, so with stones
and turf I built a wall shelter at the southern end
and I climbed in. Potter and Marius decided to
set up their tents on the lee side of the ledge.
During the night the wind blew with velocity esti-
mated to be 100 miles per hour. I had found room
251
NORTH POLE OF THE WINDS
for my water-proof duffle bag on the outside of
my perch, and despite the wind and driving rain
I was able to pass a very comfortable night. In
the morning there were ducks on the little pond
near this camp and Marius with my rifle killed
eight, usually shooting the heads off. All the
afternoon was cold and drops of rain were falling.
I had now decided to send Marius down to the base
camp on Monroe Bay to go in his kayak to Camp
Lloyd with a note to Belknap. Belknap is to
come for us with motor-boat and, according to the
conditions, we will either return to Camp Lloyd
or go up the fjord and penetrate from its south-
east arm to the other end of our big lake which
I am to call Lake J. P. Koch.
After Marius had left us we broke camp and
started down toward the divide between Monroe
Bay and the lake. We found the faint trail on the
lowest part of the divide where the altitude by
aneroid was about 1200 feet. We then climbed
a mountain northeast of this point (elevation 1800
feet) to take sights and photographs which are
to be used in the map (see map on cover). We
then started for our base on Monroe Bay. We
were already out of pilot bread and were glad to
come back to our food reserve for fuller rations.
At four o'clock in the afternoon and much be-
252
EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY
fore we expected him Belknap was seen coming
up the bay in the Mullins boat. He had start-
ling news, and we got off in half an hour. As the
water was fairly smooth we were back in Camp
Lloyd at five-thirty. It was, however, low tide
and we were, therefore, compelled to land far to
the west of our usual landing place.
253