The Treasury Department has issued a beautifully printed book containing the official story of the cruise of the revenue cutter Bear and the overland expedition for the relief of the ice-imprisoned whalers in the Arctic ocean. The official story is a
part of the records of the fiscal year 1899, although the expedition started in December, 1897, and returned in September, 1898. The reports were written since that time, and their contents have never been made public.
It was early in November, 1897, that the news reached this country that a large number of American whaling vessels with large crews had been caught in an early ice-pack in the vicinity of Point Barrow; that they were short of provisions, and that unless help reached them they would starve to death. The President immediately ordered that an expedition be fitted out to go to their relief, although there was little hope that they could be reached. Congress voted an appropriation and Secretary Gage of the Treasury was told to spare no expense.
At the very time the news reached this country even the waters around southern Alaska had begun to congest with ice, and no one believed that a ship could do any good. The only hope was in sending a ship as far as possible and trust to an overland expedition to accomplish the remainder. Such an expedition would have to travel thousands of miles over the snow and iceclad hills of Alaska, with the prospect that all of those engaged in the expedition would perish in some lonely spot, with nothing but the everlasting snow for their winding sheets. Notwithstanding this, the attempt must be made. A great, rich country like this, with hundreds of brave men, must not let her citizens starve if succor could be sent.
The revenue cutter Bear had just returned from a six months' cruise in arctic circles and was then at Seattle, Wash. Her officers and crew had just met the loved ones at home and were looking forward to a winter with their families. Captain Tuttle, who had cruised many years in arctic waters, received a sudden telegram to prepare for a winter journey in the far north. He did so, and a few days later received written instructions from Washington. The detailed plans for the expedition were prepared here by Captain Shoemaker, chief of the revenue cutter service.
Overland Expedition Planned.
Captain Tuttle was told that the only hope was in landing am expedition on the shores of Alaska and to send it overland to the whaling fleet. It was also decided that there was absolujely no hope of sending ready prepared food on such an expedition.
The best thing which could be dune was to send this food on hoof; that is, to drive deer to Point Barrow. To secure these deer was the main point. Far up in Alaska, but many hundreds of miles from the imprisoned whalers, were herds of deer owned by traders and natives and one owned by the government. That of the government was at Unalakaleet. Another was owned by Artisarlook, a, native at Point Rodney, and a third by W. T. Lopp, at Cape Prince of Wales. The owners of the deer were to be informed of the situation and told that they would be well paid for their property by the government.
The Bear was.{o go, as close to Cape Prince of Wales as possible for a landing. After the landing was effected the natives were to be communicated with and arrangements made for dog teams, deer teams, sleds, etc.
The Bear sailed from Seattle on the last day of November, the officers being Lieutenant Berry, Lieutenant Jarvis, Lieutenant Bertholf and Dr. Call, the surgeon. Captain Tuttle detailed the last three men for the overland expedition. The Bear reached
Unalaska December 10. At this place further preparations were made and then the vessel started out to hunt a landing place. The Bear ran up to the waters of Norton sound, hoping to land near Cape Prince of Wales, but the ice was such as to prevent a landing anywhere within fifty miles of shore and Captain Tuttle reluctantly turned the vessel southward, searching all along for a place to land. Cape Vancouver was steered for, and on December 15 a village was sighted. This was late in the day and on the 16th the natives were communicated with. The people belonged to the village of Tununak. A half-breed trader lived there, and it was ascertained that he would secure guides and dogs for the party and would take them to St. Michael in ten or twelve days. Thereupon a landing was made, and
from here the overland expedition started. The Bear returned to Unalaska and spent the winter in Dutch harbor, leaving there in June for Point Barrow to take on board the whalers. It was not until August that the Bear was able to reach Point Barrow and found all well, Lieutenant Jarvis having successfully managed the colony. He had reached there after his desperate overland trip in the last of March and had arrived in good time.
The half-breed trader at Cape Vancouver treated Lieutenant Jarvis hospitably. His name was Alexis Kalenin. Snow was already deep on the ground. From the Bear seven dogs, two dog sleds and some dried fish for dog food were landed. Alexis supplied the other dogs and guides. On the 18th, the party set out for St. Michael, carrying provisions, tents, stoves, etc., on the sleds, walking most of the time themselves.
The Dog Sleds and Harness.
Four sleds and forty-one dogs were used, nine dogs being harnessed to a sled, except the heavy one, which had fourteen dogs in harness. The sleds were from 9 to 10 feet long, 22 inches wide, with runners 12 inches deep and the sides about 18 inches high. The sled is an open framework of hickory or oak, no more wood being used than is
absolutely necessary, and all the parts are lashed together with strips of seal skin or
walrus hide, few or no nails being used; so, while the sled is very strong, it is also
flexible and able to withstand the constant rough usage to which it is subjected in
traveling. The sled cover, of light drilling, is made large enough to spread over the
whole length of the sled on the bottom. The articles to be carried are then snugly packed and the sides af the cover hauled up and lapped over on top, so all articles are entirely covered, and the whole load is securely lashed to the sides of the sled with strips of hide or rope.
The harness is made of strips of heavy ticking, canvas, sennit,or seal hide about two inches wide, and is all in one piece for each dog. A strip goes around the dog's neck and crosses in front of the chest, where the two parts are fastened together to form a collar. The ends then go underneath between the forelegs and lead up, one on each side, to the dog's back. Another strip is fastened to the top of the collar at the back of the neck and leads along the back to meet the other two ends, and here all three pieces are secured together and made fast to a small piece of rope about two feet long. In harnessing a dog the collar is put on over his head, each of his forefeet put through one of the loops formed by the ends coming together, and he is ready to be made fast to the sled. A larger rope, the length of which depends upon the number of dogs used, is made
fast to the front of the sled, and to this is secured the small rope of the dog's harness; the dogs being harnessed in pairs, one on each side of the central rope, and yoked in close to this by short lines to their collars. A team generally consists of an odd number of dogs, the odd one being harnessed to the central line ahead of the others, and acts as a leader. This method is used by all the white people in the lower Yukon, and ts generally superior to the native mode of stringing the dogs out in one long line.
Traveled Along the Coast.
Throughout the long journey of more than 1,500 miles the party kept close to the coast, so as not to become lost. Native villages are to be found at intervals along
the coast, and the party would have had no hope of succeeding if fresh dogs and guides could not be obtained at the villages. The villages are made up of huts which are formed from driftwood gathered in the summer. Whole families sleep in one small hut. Seal oil lamps are used to warm the hut and are burned all night. Awful filth is occasionally met with, and more than once the worn-out members of the party preferred to pitch their tents at night to sleeping in the huts. When no villages could be found at night the party pitched tents and took everything eatable inside the tents. The dogs are ravenously hungry all the time, and will eat everything not made of wood or metal.
Feeding the Dogs.
After the evening meal of warmed-over pork and beans, tea and hard bread had been prepared and eaten, the dogs were fed and the day's work was over. Feeding the dogs was always a trying and interesting task. They are always hungry, and upon appearing among them with an armful of dyied fish, in their eagerness to get a stray mouthful, they crowd around in one fighting, jumping mass, and make it difficult for one to even keep his balance. After throwing out a fish to each dog, it takes all hands with clubs to keep off the larger fellows and see that the smaller and weaker ones are allowed to keep and eat
their share. Usually they are peaceful enough, but when being fed they are like wild animals, and snarl and bite each other, and keep up a continual fight until everything is eaten. When the meal is finished and there is nothing more to eat in sight, they will lie down quietly in the snow and go to sleep. They are tough and need no protection. During the coldest weather and the most violent blizzards they wiil curl up on the snow anywhere and sleep, and when the snow has drifted over them, get up, snake themselves and lie down
again in the same place for another sleep.
Natives Very Poor.
It was along in this region where Lieutenant Jarvis found the natives so poor. The farther he went north the cleaner and more comfortable he found the natives. The people lived on fish and birds, with occasional seals. Their clothing is made of the breasts of birds and sealskins, and their boots of tanned salmon skins. Farther north the clothing is comfortable, being made of deerskin, and the natives have a stronger and healthier look. One of the native villages at which a halt was made for a night had the brief name of Chukwoktulieugamute.
On December 24 the party reached the Yukon, striking a village near where a deserted Russian village had once stood. A trading post of the Alaska Commercial Company was found and mail delivered to some Americans who were on steamers which had been caught here in the ice. The party did not rest there on Christmas day, but continued the journey.
December 30 the party reached St. Michael, and were warmly received by Lieutenant Colonel George M. Randall, commanding the army post at this point. Mail was delivered to several hundred miners, whose steamers had gotten that far. The miners enjoyed the treat very much.
So far on this stage of the journey the thermometer had ranged from 40 above zero to 10 below, but the weather was unexpectedly warm. Lieutenant Jarvis says that the trip had given him an idea that with good roads and fair weather twenty to twenty-five miles a day could be made, but it could not be done in the manner usually pictured. There is no sitting back on a sled and cracking the whip over the dogs, bounding merrily along. The men must not only walk, but push and haul and occasionally harness themselves to the dogs to get along. Lieutenant Jarvis says:
Preparations at St. Michael.
"It was necessary that careful and complete preparations be made before leaving St. Michael, for, as far as we knew, this was the last base of supplies we could depend upon for food or transportation as far north as Point Hope. The dogs which had
brought us thus far had made with us a trip of 375 miles, and were completely worn out. They had been going constantly for twenty-one days with only one day's rest, and the hard, rough ice of the Yukon river and the crusty snow had worn their feet bare. Nothing short of a week's rest and good feeding would put them in condition to go on. I was loath to part with them, for they were the best dogs I saw in Alaska, but I could not wait for them to recuperate. The great influx of white people into the Yukon country had made such
a demand for dogs that it was next to impossible to procure any here.
"It was necessary here to refit ourselves with deerskin clothing. The dogskin and woolen clothing we brought from the vessel was heavy and cumbersome and not suited to the cold weather we were to encounter. The sleeping bags we had were made of goatskin, with canvas and rubber covers, and were too heavy to haul and too cold for comfort or safety. Fortunately, we had been favored thus far with mild weather, but every day's use of such clothing was dangerous. Deerskin clothing, boots, socks and sleeping bags were an absolute necessity. These were rare and commanded extravagant prices.
Another point to be considered here was to supply our party with provisions to last from here to Cape Prince of Wales and as far as Point Barrow. It was impossible to load the sleds with more than two or three hundred pounds and travel with the speed we should. Mr. Lopp, at Cape Prince of Wales, could have but a limited supply, probably only enough for himself and family. A large party was necessary to care for and drive the deer herd, and even in the time we hoped to reach Point Barrow they would, for two months, be wholly dependent upon themselves. With accidents or delays they might be until summer.
"To make the party wholly independent of all villages to the north and capable of sustaining itself, whatever route it was compelled to take, I ordered a supply of provisions to be taken across the divide from the head of Norton bay to Kotzebue sound to meet us at Cape Blossom on our arrival there, depending upon Port Clarence and Cape Prince of Wales for enough to take us that far."
Deer Teams Taken On.
In a few days the party reached the shores of Norton bay, and skirted along this, using snowshoes a greater part of the time, the weather growing colder each day. On January 10 the party ran across Dr. Kettleson, who was on his way with reindeer to
Colonel Randall for relief of miners in the Yukon country. Dr. Kettleson went with the party over to Golovin bay, which was reached on January 12. There deer teams were provided from the government herd which Dr. Kettleson had in charge, and the dog teams which had come from St. Michael were sent back there. Dr. Kettleson brought four sleds and two poulkas - freight sleds shaped like boats - on which provisions and each man's outfit had been packed. A Laplander named Mikkel was secured from Dr. Kettleson to manage the teams.
He was a stolid, determined fellow, who had little to say, but knew everything about the
management of teams. He took the lead with two deer harnessed to his sled, while we had but one. All hands must be ready at the same time when starting a deer train, for, just as soon as the animals see the herd team start, they are all off with a jump, and for a short time keep up a very high rate of speed. If one is not quick in jumping and holding on to his sled he is likely either to lose his team or be dragged along in the snow. They soon come down to a moderate gait, however, and finally drop into a walk when tired. They are harnessed with a well-fitting collar of two flat pieces of wood from which a short trace
goes back on each side to the ends of a breast piece, or a swingletree, that fits under the body. From the center of this a single trace runs back to the sled, either between
or to one side of the hind legs. In the wake of the legs this trace is protected with some
soft fur, or the skin will soon be worn through with the constant chafing. Generally there is a single line made fast to the left side of a halter, and with this the animal is guided and held in check; but this line must be kept slack and only pulled on when the deer is to be guided or stopped. By pulling hard on this line the weight of the sled comes on the head, and the animal is soon brought to a standstill, though often this is only accomplished after he has gone around in a circle several times, and you and the sled are in a general mix up. Sometimes two guiding lines are used in the same manner as driving horses, except that they are both made fast to the halter near the horns. No whip is used, and none should be, for the deer are very timid and easily frightened, and once gotten in that state they are hard to quiet and control. A little tugging on the lines will generally start them off, even when they balk. The sleds in use are low and wide, with very broad runners. Having a very low tail or none at all, it is hard to pack and secure
anything on them so it will stay and be protected from the snow and the rough weather.
Deer Team Runs Away.
On the night of the second day out, in a blinding snow storm, where figures could not be distinguished ten yards ahead, Lieut. Jarvis had his first accident with his deer team. He tells about this in these words:
"Soon after dark my deer wandered from the trail, became entangled in a lot of driftwood on the beach, half covered with snow, and finally wound up by running the
sled full speed against a stump, breaking the harness, dragging the line out of my hand, and disappearing in the darkness and flying snow. My first impulse was to run after him, but soon recovering my wits I concluded to make the best of the situation. It was impossible to see ten yards ahead, and I knew it would be reckless to start off alone, for the others were far in advance by this time, and I might wander about all night, become exhausted and perhaps freeze. So, righting my sled, I proceeded to camp where I was for the night and await developments. I had nothing to eat on the sled, but fortunately had my
clothes bag and sleeping bag, and getting them out under the lee of the sled, I proceeded to make myself as comfortable as possible. I knew the others would be searching for me as seon as they noticed my absence, yet it seemed impossible to find anything in that storm. I thought I had been there about an hour, when I heard a faint shout: jumping up, I answered as well as I could against the howling wind, and soon was gratified to see some muffled figures groping their way toward me in the darkness and flying snow. They were Mikwel and others, leading my deer. I was glad to see them and know that this little
episode was ended, for by the next morning, with the cold and hunger, I might have
been in no condition to help myself.
"It seemed that my deer, after breaking away, had picked up the trail, caught up with the others, and trotted along behind their sleds. In the darkness the drivers could not tell whether there was a sled behind him or not, and only discovered my
absence when they had occasion to stop and consult with me. Seeing I was gone, they took the deer and turned back to find me, following carefully and slowly the trail the sleds had made in the snow, all the time keeping up a shouting.”
The First Deer Herd.
By this time the weather had reached 15 degrees below zero, and nearly every day there was a blinding snowstorm, piling terrible drifts and buffeting the entire
party about. Point Rodney was reached on January 19, and there Charlie Artisarlook, the deer herder, was found. The party was given a cordial welcome. Lieut. Jarvis explained to Artisarlook that the government wanted to buy his deer and engage his services to aid in driving them to Point Barrow. Artisarlook held a long consultation with his wife, and agreed to the propositions. Charlie and his neighbors owned 138 deer, which would have 80
fawns in the spring, and all these had to be bought. The thermometer was 40 below zero. Arrangements Were made for driving the deer to Port Clarence, and Lieut. Jarvis went on. At Port Clarence supplies were obtained from the government station. Lieut. Jarvis remained long enough to have his clothing repaired before setting out for Cape Prince of Wales, where W. T. Lopp and his deer were to be secured. Of his dress Lieut. Jarvis says: "On starting out I had determined to do as the people who lived in the country did - to dress, travel, and live as they did, and, if necessary, to eat the same food. I found
the only way to get along was to conform as nearly as possible to the customs of those who already had solved many of the problems of existence in the arctic climate. In this connection it has seemed to me that the value of deerskin clothing has not always been known or fully appreciated in arctic explorations. The Eskimo of arctic Alaska and northeast Siberia use hardly anything else, and nothing is so warm and light as their dress. There are slight local differences in the make-up of the clothing, but in general, the men's winter clothes consist of a single pair of close-titting trousers, with the hair next the skin for cold, and the reverses for ordinary weather: a pair of socks, with the hair next the feet; a pair of boots with the hair out, with heavy sealskin soles for hard wear, or deerskin soles for light wear; two artigges, or shirts, one with the hair next the body and the other with the hair out and both with close-fitting hoods fringed with wolfskin to break the wind from the face and nose: and a pair of mittens. These are all made of the summer skins of the reindeer, and the whole outfit will not weigh more than ten or twelve pounds. Over the skin shirt is worn a snow shirt, made of drilling, and sometimes a pair of drill trousers is worn over the skin trousers to keep the snow from driving into the hair, and, on coming indoors into a warm house, melting and wetting the deer-skin. A belt is worn around the waist outside the shirt to keep the cold air out, or, rather, to keep the warm air in. This is loosened when the person gets too warm. With this outfit well sewed and everything tight, one can defy almost any degree of cold, and no amount of woolen clothing accomplishes the same result.
The weight of one's clothing is very telling in the days and weeks of traveling through the snow and over the rough ice, and the lightness of the deerskin is one of its most striking features. The skins are beautifully tanned, and are soft and pliable. The heavy winter skins are seldom used for clothes, but make excellent sleeping gear, either as mats or blankets, or made up as sleeping bags. Here also their lightness and warmth are their chief recommendations."
Arrive at Cape Prince of Wales.
Lieut. Jarvis arrived at Cape Prince of Wales January 24 after exciting experiences, and arranged with Mr. Lopp for his deer herd, there being 301 in the herd.
Mr. Lopp also agreed to leave his wife and children, the only white people in hundreds
of miles, and go with the deer to Point Barrow, a distance of more than 700 miles, and over a terrible country. Mr. Lopp took with him his seven herders.
The party remained at Cape Prince of Wales long enough to be joined by Artisarlook and Dr. Call, in charge of the first deer herd. On February 8 the entire party
started, with 438 deer and a train of eighteen sleds. Lieut. Jarvis and Dr. Call left Lopp and Artisarlook to care for the herds and arranged to meet in the vicinity of Kotzebue sound, where Lieut. Bertholf was also to be found with provisions which he had taken by another route. Lieut. Bertholf had been separated from his leader for a long time, he having been put in charge of the provisions necessary to carry the party the last 650 miles of the journey.
Lieut. Bertholf was at the meeting place and all doubts of a lack of provisions were dispelled. He arrived with a good dog team, which he had with him since the 20th of December, and seven good sled deer. These were added to the expedition. Lopp
and his deer did not meet with the party there, but were found at another meeting place many miles further on. This was on February 26, and Lopp and his party showed the effects of their hazardous trip. They had frozen cheeks and noses.
The difference between care and carelessness is slight in arctic travel, and the first let-up is sure to bring its reminder in the shape of a frosted toe or finger or a frozen nose. One must be on guard, and the slightest tinge in the nose or cheek must
be heeded, and circulation started again by vigorous rubbing. Though somewhat disagreeable and painful, freezing these parts is not necessarily harmful unless too long neglected.
Point Hope is Reached.
Point Hope was reached February 3, and a trading station was found there. There were ample stores at Point Hope, and the party obtained all that they needed. Lieutenant Jarvis was under instructions to send some of the seamen back to this point if he found food too short at Point Barrow on reaching there. From there on to Point Barrow was a long journey, but it was bravely undertaken. On the night of March 16 there was such a terrible storm that the members of the party had to dig themselves out of their tents. This is the way the party slept:
"Sleeping bags were now in order and all hands would be ready to turn in. If the weather was very cold I slept in a light artegge, but ordinarily I would remove my
outer clothing and turn in my bag in that way. The natives, however, no matter what the temperature, removed all their clothes after getting in their bag, and slept with oniy the protection of the skin bag, and this, of course, had a large opening. I was not sufficiently inured to the cold to stand this, for we always slept without fire, and it was nearly as cold inside as outside the tent. After getting in my bag seldom did I ever sleep cold, and less seldom do I remember being wakeful during the night.
"It Is always well before starting in the morning to take as much tea and water as one can hold, to avoid as much as possible a thirst during the day. It is impossible to get water during the day without stopping to build a fire and melt snow, unless one carries a flask inside the clothing, and this stopping uses up time. Snow is bad for the mouth and soon makes it sore, besides not being sufficient to quench the thirst except for the minute."
Few wolves were encountered on the trip. A drove got into the deer herd one night and killed three deer before they could be driven off. After that careful watch was kept.
Rescuers Reach the Goal.
As the party got within 100 miles of Point Barrow they began to run across white men from the vicinity of the ice-imprisoned ships, which were scattered as far as fifty miles from the Point. The Point was reached March 29, many days ahead of expectations when the expedition started. Mr. Lopp and his deer herd arrived the same day, and the deer were placed twenty miles away, where they could not be molested.
The story of the rescue has been told. Lieut. Jarvis immediately took charge, although he found that the white people and natives at Point Barrow had been kind to the whalers, and that starvation had been staved off by the shooting of occasional food animals. The number of deer killed at Point Barrow for food was 180, while a number were killed to feed the party on its way there. The birth of fawns in the spring still left over 400 deer when the Bear arrived in August and took the crews of the whalers away.
