2 “Up against it . . .” Hadley, diary, June 2, 1914, NAC
3 “‘Underwood Pemmican again . . . ‘“ Hadley, diary, June 5, 1914, NAC
4 “A season in . . .” Robert E. Peary, The North Pole, p. 19
5 “‘I think,’ Hadley . . .” Hadley, diary, June 5, 1914, NAC
6 “Behold, there is . . .” WLM, diary, June 5, 1914, quoting The Book of Genesis, 42: 2 (In the verse in its entirety, Jacob said, “Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.”)
7 “I take it . . .” WLM, diary, June 6, 1914, NAC
8 “In no very . . .” WLM, diary, June 7, 1914, NAC
9 “seems to be . . .” WLM, diary, June 13, 1914, NAC
10 “They went about . . .” WLM, First Draft Manuscript,Karluk, 242, NAC
11 “Hadley declares that . . .” WLM, June 13, 1914, p. 80, NAC
12 “Are we going . . .” Interview with Emily Wilson, daughter of Mugpi, December 30, 1999
13 “Are you sure . . .” Interview with Emily Wilson, daughter of Mugpi, December 30, 1999
14 “then came back . . .” WLM, diary, June 22, 1914, NLS
15 “fairly good for . . .” Munro, diary, June 18, 1914, NAC
16 “Orgy of charges . . .” WLM, diary, June 18, 1914, NAC
17 “This, Munro well . . .” WLM, diary, June 18, 1914, NLS
18 “Informing Hadley of . . .” WLM, diary, June 18, 1914, NLS
19 “I believe he . . .” Hadley, diary, June 18, 1914, NAC
20 “It was a terrible . . .” Burt McConnell, “The Rescue of the ‘Karluk’ Survivors,” Harper’s Monthly Magazine, February 1915, p. 358
21 “in that state . . .” Burt McConnell, “The Rescue of the ‘Karluk’ Survivors,” Harper’s Monthly Magazine, February 1915, p. 358
22 “We are living . . .” Munro, diary, June 29, 1914, NAC
23 “Clam! Call Hadley! . . .” WLM, diary, June 25, 1914, NLS
24 “What is the . . .” Hadley, diary, June 25, 1914, NAC
25 “Powder-burned and blackened . . .” Hadley, diary, June 25, 1914, NAC
26 “Have you another . . .” Hadley Appendix, Stefansson,The Friendly Arctic, p. 746.
27 “and there has . . .” WLM, diary, June 25, 1914, NLS
28 “‘Of course,’ he . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 62-63, MMBC
29 “Charlie, there has . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 64, MMBC
30 “Breddy said he . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 64, MMBC
31 “Wednesday last, they . . .” WLM, diary, June 26, 1914, 88, NLS
32 “The temptation recurred . . .” WLM, First Draft Manuscript, Karluk, p. 256, NAC
33 “And would not . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 65 MMBC
34 “One point I . . .” WLM, diary, June 28, 1914, NLS292
35 “Our suspicions have . . .” WLM, diary, June 29, 1914, NLS
36 “that Breddy’s Eyes . . .” Hadley, diary, June 28, 1914, NAC
37 “I think it’s . . .” Hadley, diary, June 30, 1914, NAC
JULY 1914
1 “Now that time . . .” WLM, diary, July 22, 1914, NAC
2 “One good look . . .” RAB, The Log of Bob Bartlett, p. 4
3 “could pinch them . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 65–66, MMBC
4 “I am sure . . .” WLM, diary, July 2, 1914, NLS
5 “made by cutting . . .” WLM, diary, July 5, 1914, NLS
6 “acquired taste.”WLM, diary, July 5, 1914, NAC
7 “Eight days of . . .” WLM, diary, July 12, 1914, NLS
8 a seashore plant . . . Pielou, Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic, p. 129
9 “created shocked surprise . . .” WLM, diary, July 13, 1914, NAC
10 “sundry parts.”WLM, diary, July 14, 1914, NAC
11 “It helps to . . .” WLM, diary, July 16, 1914, NAC
12 “A few southerly . . .” WLM, diary, July 13, 1914, NLS
13 “Rain, fog and . . .” WLM, diary, July 17, 1914, NAC
14 “Let us pray . . .” WLM, diary, July 14, 1914, NAC
15 “as a kind . . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 298
16 “It was a . . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 298
17 “SOME letter for . . .” McConnell, diary, June 1, 1914, NAC
18 “At the time . . .” McConnell, diary, July 1, 1914, NAC
19 “It was a . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 46, NAC
20 “little room for . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 47, NAC
21 “was enough to . . .” WLM, diary, July 22, 1914, NAC
22 “would give us . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 67, MMBC
23 “Hey, boys! The . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 67, MMBC
24 “is so hard . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 68, MMBC
25 “both lean and . . .” WLM, diary, July 20, 1914, NLS
26 “Thus does our . . .” WLM, diary, July 21, 1914, NAC
27 “No more unfavourable . . .” WLM, diary, July 23, 1914, NAC
28 “often on ice . . .” WLM, diary, July 30, 1914, NAC
29 “It may be . . .” WLM, diary, July 29, 1914, NAC
30 “We are all . . .” Munro, diary, July 18, 1914, NAC
31 “It seems as . . .” Munro, diary, July 24–28, 1914, NAC
AUGUST 1914
1 “what will be . . .” WLM, diary, August 27, 1914, NAC
2 “We are now . . .” WLM, diary, August 4, 1914, NAC
3 “Less than an . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 69, MMBC
4 “In spite of . . .” WLM, diary, August 13, 1914, NAC
5 “What his real . . .” WLM, First Draft, Manuscript, Karluk, pp. 272–273, NAC
6 “That now is . . .” WLM, diary, August 10, 1914, NLS
7 “The monotony of waiting . . . WLM, diary, August 12, 1914, NAC
8 “savagely, with thought . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 48, NAC
9 “Spoiled and rancid . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 48, NAC
10 “Talk about putrid . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 48, NAC
11 “We were in . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 47, NAC
12 “Things on the . . .” Munro, diary, August 7, 1914, NAC
13 “Wandered ankle-deep in . . .” Williamson, “The Cry of the Owl,” Victoria Daily Colonist, Sunday, March 8, 1959
14 “Pale faces and . . .” Williamson, “The Cry of the Owl”
15 “To me, he . . .” Williamson, “The Cry of the Owl,” Victoria Daily Colonist, March 1, 1959
16 “For what reason . . .” Williamson, “The Cry of the Owl,” March 8, 1959
17 “He had better . . .” Hadley, diary, pp. 144–145, NAC
18 “Would not be . . .” WLM, First Draft Manuscript, p. 274, NAC
19 “As good a horse . . .” WLM, First Draft Manuscript, p. 274, NAC
20 “In chopping wood . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 49, NAC
21 Managed by the. . . McKinlay calls Captain Jochimsen “Joachim” in his book
22 “Steering such a ship . . .” Bartlett, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 302
23 “It was getting . . .” Bartlett, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 307
24 “Had been nightmares . . .” Bartlett, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 307
25 “If the ship . . .” Hadley, diary, August 28, 1914, NAC
26 “And things that . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 73, MMBC
27 “That blanket that . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 73-74, MMBC
28 “No, no ship . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 68-69, MMBC
29 “We had been . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 70-71 MMBC
30 “Will relief ever . . .” Munro, diary, August 27, 1914, NAC
31 “The days that . . .” Bartlett, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 309
32 ?
??I could only . . .” Bartlett, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 310
SEPTMBER 1914
1 “There were twenty. . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 79, MMBC
2 “bent on outdoing. . .” WLM, diary, September 3, 1914, NAC
3 “Every cloud has. . .” Munro, diary, September 3, 1914, NAC
4 “The Lord had. . .” Munro, diary, September 6, 1914, NAC
5 “That man long. . .” McConnell, Harper’s Monthly Magazine, February 1915, “The Rescue of the Karluk Survivors,” p. 356
6 “I don’t know. . .” McConnell, Harper’s Monthly Magazine, p. 357
7 “How did you. . .” McConnell, Harper’s Monthly Magazine, p. 357
8 “Have you a. . . Breakfast.”McConnell, Harper’s Monthly Magazine, p. 357
9 “The ship is . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 50, NAC
10 “transcendentally resplendent.”Maurer, lecture, p. 50, NAC
11 “No, we want. . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 50, NAC
12 “resting place of . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 47, NAC
13 “There was nothing. . .” Munro, diary, September 7, 1914, NAC
14 “Mr. Swenson, I. . .” McConnell, Harper’s Monthly Magazine, “The Rescue of the Karluk Survivors,” p. 359
15 “Umiakpik kunno! Umiakpik. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
16 “How we got. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
17 “raised a shout. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NAC
18 “No, thank you. . . much.”Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, pp. 76-77, MMBC
19 “Now that we . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 77, MMBC
20 “We’re alive now. . .” Interview with Emily Wilson, daughter of Mugpi, December 30, 1999
21 “it didn’t mean. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
22 “I don’t think. . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 77, MMBC
23 “my head was. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
24 “all sorts of. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
25 “God bless the. . .” WLM, diary, September 7, 1914, NLS
26 “as heartily as. . .” WLM, diary, September 8, 1914, NLS
27 “All of you. . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 314
28 “No, sir. . . island.”RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 314
29 “had thus reached. . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 314
30 “luxury unqualified” WLM, diary, September 8, 1914, NLS
31 “I have clear. . .”WLM, letter to Mr. Mamen, November 7, 1976, NCS
32 “It was as. . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 317
33 “We were questioned. . .” WLM, letter to family, September 12, 1914, NLS
34 “I do not. . .” WLM, letter to family, September 12, 1914, NLS
35 “Just think of. . .” WLM, letter to family, September 12, 1914, NLS
THE WAKE
1 “Do you have. . .” WLM, Karluk: The Great Untold Story of Arctic Exploration, p. 160
2 “I had no. . .” WLM, undated letter fragment, “Letters re. Members of the CAE,” NLS
3 “grand fellows . . . grimmest.”WLM, undated letter to family of Hugh “Clam” Williams, NLS
4 “There is not. . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 21, MMBC
5 “I want to. . .” Robert Williamson, June 1959 letter to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, NAC
6 “Please do not. . .” Williamson, undated letter to Stefansson, NAC
7 “a sad occasion. . .” Untitled fragment, WLM Collection, NLS, DEP 357, No. 38
8 “I very much. . .” M. Forbes Mackay, undated letter, NLS
9 The Mamen brothers. . . Mrs. RMA, “Re: Translation of Mamen Diary,” June 19, 1930, NLS
10 “I will do . . .” Valborg Mamen, letter to Mrs. RMA, November 10, 1925, NLS
11 “Ellen, has had. . .” Valborg Mamen, letter to Mrs. RMA, November 10, 1925, NLS
12 “The said death. . .” “Re. The Goods of George Breddy, Deceased,” Affidavit of W.L. McKinlay, November 5, 1923, NLS
13 “Another member of. . .” Mrs. RMA, 1922 Memorandum, NLS
14 “Over the years. . .” WLM, letter to John Raffles Cox, May 3, 1975, NLS
15 “blankety blank liar”Mrs. RMA, letter to WLM, February 9, 1922, NLS
16 “I think he. . .” Letter from Jim Lotz to WLM, June 5, 1977, NLS
17 “I want to. . .” WLM, letter to Mrs. Cook, January 14, 1977, NLS
18 “As far as. . .” WLM, Karluk, 2nd draft, Part 1B, p. 363, NAC
19 “that a commissioner. . .” Unidentified newspaper clipping
20 “no good could. . .” Charles Camsell, Deputy Minister of Canada, June 8, 1923, NAC
21 “She’s all I’ve. . .” The New York Times, “The Far Horizon,” June 22, 1938
22 In the years. . . Horwood, Bartlett: The Great Canadian Explorer, p. 114
23 “McKinlay is a. . .” RAB, letter to Dr. W.S. Bruce, November 12, 1914
24 “Speaking of heroes. . .” WLM Collection, NLS, DEP 357, No. 25
25 “When I die. . .” Times Herald, “Bartlett Here for lecture,” January 6, 1940
26 “I owe that. . .” WLM, bookflap of Karluk: The Great Untold Story of Arctic Exploration
27 “My writing, I. . .” WLM, letter to Richard Diubaldo, February 1974, NLS
EPILOGUE
1 “I am not . . .” The Daily Colonist, October 14, 1924
2 “All seem to . . .”The Daily Colonist, October 14, 1924
Maps
William McKinlay’s plan of the lower deck of the Karluk.
Plan of Shipwreck Camp, drawn by William McKinlay at Captain Bartlett’s request.
A tracing of Mamen’s detailed pencil sketch of Wrangel Island.
Photo and Map Credits
The author makes grateful acknowledgment to the following for permission to reprint photographs:
BC Archives: D-09078 (cover photograph), 3 (G-07484)
National Archives of Canada: 1 (C-018139), 2 (PA-074063), 4 (C-086412), 5 (PA-203456), 6 (PA-203452), 7 (PA-105125), 8 (PA-074058), 9 (C-070806), 10 (PA-074053), 11 (PA-203453), 12 (PA-074047), 13 (PA-074041), 14 (C-086406), 15 (PA-203460), 16 (PA-074059), 17 (C-071058), 19 (PA-074035), 20 (C-070808), 23 (C-071039), 24 (C-071032), 25 (C-071035), 26 (C-071034), 27 (C-071050), 28 (C-071045), 29 (C-071023), 31 (C-071020), 32 (PA-074084), 33 (PA-074074), 34 (PA-203447), 36 (Lomen Bros., Nome/PA-105130), 37 (C-025961)
National Library of Scotland: 18, 21, 22, 30, 35 (Lomen Bros., Nome/NLS)
Grateful acknowledgment is also made to Bowdoin College Library (The Robert A. Bartlett Papers, Special Collections & Archives) for permission to print a tracing of Bjarne Mamen’s map of Wrangel Island which appears on page 397; and to Nancy Scott and the National Library of Scotland (Correspondence and Papers of William Laird McKinlay, DEP 357) for McKinlay’s plans of the Karluk and Shipwreck Camp on pages 395 and 396.
Acknowledgments
I could not have written this book alone. Nor did I.
First and foremost, I want to thank Captain Robert Bartlett and the people of the Karluk for letting me tell their story. And I am grateful to William McKinlay for leaving me such a priceless legacy and for sharing his obsession in the materials he left behind.
There are three people without whom I could not have written this book. The journey would have been much less fulfilling had they not shared it with me. I thank my mother and fellow writer, Penelope Niven, for unconditional love, friendship, and endless support and for teaching me from childhood that anything is possible. I thank my father, Jack F. McJunkin, Jr., an artist himself, for bestowing on me a passion for truth, beauty, and all things adventurous. I thank John Hreno, III, for making the fairy tale come true every day, for being there for me in every way, and for giving me the greatest happiness.
I am lucky to have an incredible, amazing literary agent, John Ware, without whom none of this would have happened. E
normous thanks to him, as well as to my fabulous film agent, Martin Shapiro, and the splendid Carole Blake.
Tremendous gratitude goes to my superb editor Will Schwalbe, who has been absolutely wonderful to work with and who has helped make this experience such a positive one. Thanks also to Mark Chait, his top-notch assistant, and the wonderful team at Hyperion for their terrific work—Bob Miller, Martha Levin, Ellen Archer, Michael Burkin, Jane Comins, Phil Rose, April Fleming, and Breene Wesson. With them, The Ice Master has found a marvelous home.
The Ice Master also found a marvelous home at Macmillan of London. Thanks to my sensational editor there, Georgina Morley, who has been such a delightful force, and her sterling assistant Stef Bierwerth. And to the entire outstanding Macmillan group—Ian Chapman, Jeremy Trevathan, Katie James, Caroline Turner, and Lisa Cropman—for everything.
I was fortunate to find the last remaining survivor of the Karluk—Mugpi. I owe her a special tribute for all she endured in 1913–1914, and all she has contributed here. I also thank her daughter, Emily Wilson, for her patience and time, as well as the other descendants of the Karluk’s men, who have become a sort of family to me over the past two years—a family I am honored to be a part of. McKinlay’s daughter, Nancy Scott, has been extraordinary, and endlessly generous in sharing the world of her father with me. She freely opened her home and McKinlay’s life to me. And I want, too, to thank her “other Jennifer,” McKinlay’s granddaughter Jennifer Byrd, for sharing her own insights.
It was the wish of Bjarne Mamen’s mother that his diary and personal papers never be published in full. Yet Jens Anker and Sonja Carling, both relatives of Bjarne Mamen, have been kind enough to share with me what they could, while still respecting the wishes that were expressed long ago. Sandy Anderson’s great-nephew, Peter Anderson, has likewise been generous and forthcoming with his uncle’s materials. And Stuart Jenness, son of Southern Party anthropologist Diamond Jenness, has been a kindred soul and supporter from the beginning of this project. He has been a great resource and has offered indispensable information.
As I embarked on my research for the book, I was warned that the work would not always go smoothly. However, I never experienced anything but the utmost support and assistance from the following institutions and their skilled personnel: The British Columbia Archives (with special thanks to Michael Carter and Kelly Nolin); the Maritime Museum of British Columbia (special thanks to Lynn Wright); the National Archives of Canada (where Marcel Barriault, Marc Bisaillon, Hector Sanscartier, Michel Poitras, Jean Matheson, Larry McNally, Jim F. Kidd, Sere St-Denis, and David Samson were particularly helpful); the National Library of Scotland (thank you Colm McLaughlin, Karen Moran, Irene Danks, and Sally Harrower); Bowdoin College in Maine (with appreciation to Richard Lindemann, Jennifer C. Fradenburgh, Kathryn B. Donahue, Susan Burroughs, and Sean Monahan); Dartmouth College Library (Philip N. Cronenwett); and the Explorer’s Club (Janet E. Baldwin).