The Ice Master
Nancy Scott, daughter of William Laird McKinlay
Jennifer Byrd, granddaughter of William Laird McKinlay
Mugpi, the last living survivor of the Karluk, and her daughter Emily Wilson
Stuart Jenness, son of anthropologist Diamond Jenness
Peter Anderson, great-nephew of Alexander “Sandy” Anderson
Sonja Carling, relative of Bjarne Mamen
Jens Anker, relative of Bjarne Mamen
Magnus and Mamie Magnusson, friends of William McKinlay
Lord George Emslie, friend of William McKinlay
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
The Canadian Arctic Expedition, Agreement, Formation, and Preliminary History, NAC/MG30-B40
The Canadian Arctic Expedition, Auditor General’s Report, 1912–1918, Details of Expenditures, NAC/MG30-B40
The Canadian Arctic Expedition, General Criticism and Controversy, NAC/MG30-B40
The Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913–1918, Preliminary History, Rudolph Martin Anderson Collection/Anderson-Allstrand Collection, NAC/MG30-B40
The Canadian Arctic Expedition, Reports of Southern and Northern Divisions, MMBC
Official Journal of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, Northern Party, 1913-1918, NAC/RG42-Volume 345
Official Papers Regarding the Death of George Breddy, NLS/DEP 357
MAJOR UNPUBLISHED SOURCES
Anderson, Rudolph Martin, Papers and Documents, Rudolph Martin Anderson Collection/Anderson-Allstrand Collection, NAC/MG30-B40
Bartlett, Robert Abram, Official Journal, Ship’s Log, and Personal Papers, Robert Abram Bartlett Papers 1888-1989, Special Collections & Archives, BWD
Chafe, Ernest F., The Voyage of the Karluk and its Tragic Ending, unpublished manuscript, MMBC.
Chipman, Kenneth Gordon, Diary and Papers, Kenneth Gordon Chipman Fonds, NAC/MG30-B66
Hadley, John, Diary, John Hadley Fonds, NAC/MG30-B2
The Karluk Chronicle, Official Newsletter of the HMCS Karluk, DRT
McConnell, Burt, Official Diary and Papers, Burt M. McConnell Fonds, NAC/MG30-B24
McKinlay, William L., Official diary submitted to the Canadian Government and Papers, NAC, William Laird McKinlay Fonds, NAC/MG30-B25
McKinlay, William L., Original diary (versions one and two) and Personal Papers, Correspondence and Papers of William Laird McKinlay, NLS/DEP 357
McKinlay, William L., First Draft of Manuscript Karluk, unpublished manuscript, William Laird McKinlay Fonds, NAC/MG30-B25. (Note: Often referred to below as “First Draft” or “First Draft of Karluk.”)
McKinlay William L., Second Draft of Manuscript Karluk, unpublished manuscript, William Laird McKinlay Fonds, NAC/MG30-B25. (Note: Often referred to below as “Second Draft” or “Second Draft of Karluk.”)
Mackay, Dr. Alister Forbes, Diary, Bio, and Petition for Death, Correspondence and Papers of William Laird McKinlay, NLS/DEP 357/3
Mamen, Bjarne, Diary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition, The Bjarne Mamen Fonds, NAC/MG30-B20
Maurer, Fred, Lecture: “A Fight for Life in the Arctic.” 1914, Rudolph Martin Anderson Collection/Anderson-Allstrand Collection, NAC/MG30-B40
Munro, John, Diary, William Laird McKinlay Fonds, NAC/MG30-B25
Williamson, Robert John, Robert J. Williamson Fonds, NAC/MG30-B44
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS
In citing newspaper articles, many of which were contained in albums and private files, I have provided whatever data was available.
SECONDARY SOURCES CITED IN NOTES
Bartlett, Robert, The Log of Bob Bartlett. New York/London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1928.
Bartlett, Robert and Ralph T. Hale, Northward Ho!: The Last Voyage of the Karluk. Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, 1916.
Crich, G.E., In Search of Heroes. London, Ontario: Northwinds, 1990.
DeLong, Emma, ed., The Voyage of the Jeannette: The Journals of George W. De Long (Volumes One and Two). Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1884.
Diubaldo, Richard J., Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1978.
Fitzgerald, Edward, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. New York: Shakespeare House, 1951.
Hole, S. Reynolds, A Book About Roses. New York: William S. Gottsberger, 1883.
Horwood, Harold, Bartlett: The Great Canadian Explorer. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1977.
Jenness, Stuart, ed., Arctic Odyssey: The Diary of Diamond Jenness, 1913-1916. Quebec: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1991.
LeBourdais, D.M., Northward on the New Frontier. Ottawa: Graphic Publishers, 1931.
McKinlay, William Laird, Karluk: The Great Untold Story of Arctic Exploration. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1976.
Nansen, Fridtjof, In Northern Mists: Arctic Exploration in Early Times (Volumes One and Two). New York: Frederick Stokes, 1911.
Peary, Robert E., The North Pole. New York: Dover Publications, 1986.
Pielou, E.C., A Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic. Chicago/London: The University of Chicago Press, 1994.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, The Friendly Arctic. New York: Macmillan, 1921.
Thomas, Lowell, Sir Hubert Wilkins: His World of Adventure. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.
OTHER SELECTED SECONDARY SOURCES
Bartlett, Robert, Sails Over Ice. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1934.
Brower, Charles D., Fifty Years Below Zero: A Lifetime of Adventure in the Far North. University of Alaska Press, 1994.
Dear, Ian and Peter Kemp, An A-Z of Sailing Terms. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.
De Coccola, Raymond and Paul King, The Incredible Eskimo: Life Among the Barren Land Eskimo. Canada: Hancock House, 1989.
Falconer, William, The Shipwreck. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1868.
Feeney, Robert E., Polar Journeys: The Role of Food and Nutrition in Early Exploration. Fairbanks, University of Alaska Press and American Chemical Society, 1997.
Hoehling, A.A., The Jeannette Expedition: An Ill-Fated Journey to the Arctic. London: Abelard-Schuman, 1967.
Kemp, Peter, The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. London: Oxford University Press, 1976.
King, Dean, A Sea of Words. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1995.
LeBourdais, D.M., Stefansson: Ambassador of the North. Montreal: Harvest House, 1963.
Lopez, Barry, Arctic Dreams. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1986.
Mountfield, David, A History of Polar Exploration. New York: The Dial Press, 1974.
Mowat, Farley, The Polar Passion. Canada: McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1989.
Newcomb, Raymond Lee, Our Lost Explorers: The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition. Hartford, Connecticut: American Publishing Company, 1883.
Putnam, George Palmer, Mariner of the North: The Life of Captain Bob Bartlett. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1947.
Shackleton, Sir Ernest, Aurora Australis. England: Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1988.
Shackleton, Sir Ernest, Heart of the Antarctic. London: William Heinemann, 1910.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, The Adventure of Wrangel Island. New York: Macmillan, 1925.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, The Autobiography of Vilhjalmur Stefansson. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1964.
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, My Life with the Eskimo. New York: Collier Books, 1971.
Swaney, Deanna, The Arctic. Oakland, California: Lonely Planet Publications, 1999.
Weems, John Edward, Peary: The Explorer and the Man. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1967.
Willis, Clint, Ice: Stories of Survival from Polar Exploration. New York: Thunders’ Mouth Press/Balliett & Fitzgerald Inc., 1999.
PROLOGUE
1 “I am afraid . . .” William Laird McKinlay (hereafter WLM) to Alan Cooke, September 25, 1973, NLS
2 “The two years . . .” McKinlay writes in Karluk preface, 2nd draft, Part 1B, p. III: “A few ships did have wireless receivers then, but not the KARLUK nor the ENDURANCE.” NAC
3 “Not all the horrors . . .” WLM,
Karluk: The Great Untold Story of Arctic Exploration, 1976, p. 161
4 “The greatest humbug . . .” Roald Amundsen, letter to Dr. Rudolph Martin Anderson (hereafter RMA) February 16, 1928, NAC
5 “If there is . . . ” WLM, Karluk preface, 2nd draft, Part 1B, p. III, NAC
SEPTEMBER 29, 1924
1 “We did not. . .” Robert Abram Bartlett (hereafter RAB), Northward Ho!: The Last Voyage of the Karluk (hereafter The Last Voyage of the Karluk), p. 1
2 Even though the . . . D. M. LeBourdais, Northward on the New Frontier, p. 269
3 And there, on . . . LeBourdais, p. 275
4 “A young man . . . ” LeBourdais, p. 279
5 Captain Lane and . . . LeBourdais, pp. 280-281
AUGUST 1913
1 “The Chief of . . .” Official Journal during the Canadian Arctic Expedition 1913–18, Northern Party, 1914-18, NAC
2 In fact, before . . .” Extract from the Order in Council of February 22, 1914,” p. 3, CAE Agreement, Formation, and Preliminary History, NAC
3 “an old coffee . . .” Kenneth Gordon Chipman’s diary (hereafter KGC), July 2, 1913, NAC
4 “absolutely unsuitable to . . .” Quoted in Diubaldo, Stefansson and the Canadian Arctic, p. 71
5 But there was . . . Maurer, lecture, p. 16, NAC
6 “Our parting was . . .” “Captain Bob Bartlett,” New York Times, August 27, 1937
7 “I thought Peary . . .” Robert Abram Bartlett (hereafter RAB), “‘Greatest Of Men’ Tribute to Peary,” BWD
8 Without consulting the . . . RMA, The Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1918, Preliminary History (hereafter CAEPH), p. 7, NAC
9 “exceedingly over-confident . . .” RMA, CAEPH, NAC, p. 10
10 “the evil influences . . .” RMA, CAEPH, NAC, p. 10
11 “looked . . . as if . . .” Lowell Thomas, Sir Hubert Wilkins: HisWorld of Adventure, p. 64
12 “a man of . . .” The Karluk Chronicle, June 22, 1913, DRT
13 “And to think . . .” The Karluk Chronicle, June 18, 1913, DRT
14 “Snow on the . . .” WLM, diary, August 1, 1913, NLS
15 But he had . . . (Conversation with Lord George Emslie, July 7, 1999, Edinburgh, Scotland
16 While there, he . . . Dr. William S. Bruce to WLM, February 6, 1912, NLS
17 “Nowhere else have . . .” Fridtjof Nansen, In Northern Mists: Arctic Exploration in Early Times
18 “Best wishes” was . . . WLM to Mrs. Crouther Gordon, October 6, 1976, NLS
19 “Shoot now,” Bartlett . . . Bjarne Mamen, diary, August 2, 1913, NAC
20 “He appealed to . . .” KCG, letter to Mr. Boyd, July 18, 1913, NAC
21 “I hope to . . .” Mamen, diary, October 4, 1913, NAC
22 Physically, at least . . . The Karluk Chronicle, June 29, 1913, DRT
23 He made no . . . WLM, Karluk: The Great Untold Story of Arctic Exploration, p. 12
24 “I came here . . .” Sandy Anderson, unaddressed letter, June 15, 1913, private collection of Peter Anderson
25 “A thirst for . . .” Fred Maurer, “The Life and Adventures of Fredrick Maurer,” p. 1, NAC
26 “Green hands wanted . . .” Maurer, “The Life and Adventures of Fredrick Maurer,” p. 1, NAC
27 “It was heads . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 14, NAC
28 “it begins to . . .” Mamen, diary, August 5, 1913, NAC
29 “Our skipper has . . .” WLM, diary, July 3, 1913, NLS
30 “laziest man I . . .” Mamen, diary, August 6, 1913, NAC
31 “The Canadian Arctic . . .” KGC, diary, July 22, 1913, NAC
32 “at the same . . .” Ernest F. Chafe (hereafter, Chafe), The Voyage of the Karluk, Unpublished manuscript, p. 8, MMBC
33 “Starboard—steady—Port . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, p. 9
34 “absurd & suicidal . . .” WLM, diary, August 8, 1913, NLS
35 He also sold . . . RMA, CAEPH, p. 8
36 “seemed to resent . . .” WLM, diary, July 10, 1913, NLS
37 “Certainly be crushed . . .” WLM, Letter to Andrew (last name unknown), July 12, 1913, NAC
38 “V.S. in a . . .” KGC, diary, July 11, 1913, NAC
39 “Capt. Bartlett says . . .” KGC, diary, July 2, 1913, NAC
40 “Poor ice breaker . . .” Mamen, diary, August 10, 1913, NAC
41 “do indeed not . . .” Karluk Chronicle, June 23, 1913, DRT
42 “coarse and vulgar . . .” WLM, diary, June 21, 1913, NLS
43 “Swung his head . . .” WLM, diary, July 3, 1913, NLS
44 “At the earnest . . .” Karluk Chronicle, June 23, 1913, DRT
45 “Eat when you . . .” WLM, diary, July 5, 1913, NLS
46 “From now on . . .” WLM, diary, August 4, 1913, NLS
47 “A man who . . .” Mamen, diary, August 14, 1913, NAC
48 “We steamed along . . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, 25
49 Apparently, Stefansson was . . . Stuart Jenness, Arctic Odyssey, xli
50 “playing guitar and . . .” Mamen, diary, August 14, 1913, NAC
51 “As if we . . .” WLM, diary, August 15, 1913, NLS
52 “The nights are . . .” WLM, diary, August 18, 1913, NLS
53 “It is distressing . . .” Mamen, diary, August 18, 1913, NAC
54 “He may be . . .” KGC, diary, August 16, 1913, NAC
55 “A self-seeking adventurer . . .” George Phillips, Letter to G. J.Desbarats, August 19, 1913, BC
56 “That was all . . .” WLM, diary, August 23, 1913, NLS
57 “How long will . . .” WLM, diary, August 17, 1913, NLS
58 “When will you . . .” Kataktovik, Letter to a friend, August 30, 1913, NLS
SEPTEMBER 1913
1 “Goodbye Stefansson. We . . .” Maurer lecture: “A Fight for Life in the Arctic.” 1914, p. 29, NAC
2 “Down went my . . .” WLM, diary, September 27, 1913, NLS
3 “Soon we will . . .” Mamen, diary, September 10, 1913, NAC
4 “Due south . . .” Mamen, diary, September 17, 1913, NAC
5 “You must have . . .” Mamen, diary, September 17, 1913, NAC
6 “Jerusalem’s destruction; they . . .” Mamen, diary, September 20, 1913, NAC
7 “If the ice . . .” WLM, diary, September 20, 1913, NLS
8 “Away 20 miles . . .” Maurer lecture, p. 29, NAC
9 “like the long . . .” RAB, The Last Voyage of the Karluk, p. 41
10 “All hope of . . .” WLM, diary, September 24, 1913, NLS
11 “he knows what . . .” Mamen, diary, September 28, 1913, NAC
12 “There is nothing . . .” Mamen, diary, September 30, 1913, NAC
13 “A nice mess . . .” RAB, The Log of Bob Bartlett, p. 262
14 “never to see . . .” WLM, diary, September 5, 1913, NLS
OCTOBER 1913
1 “. . . we were drifting . . .” Chafe, p. 13, MMBC
2 “My dearest wish . . .” Mamen, diary, October 4, 1913, NAC
3 “October 28th, Friday . . .” De Long, Emma, ed., The Voyage of the Jeannette: The Journals of George W. De Long (Volume Two), p. 800
4 “We are lost . . .” Mamen, diary, October 7, 1913, p. 28, NAC
5 “Stefansson read DeLong’s . . .” Mamen, diary, October 7, 1913, p. 28, NAC
6 “led to believe . . .” WLM, diary, October 2, 1913, NLS
7 “The Canadian Arctic . . .” Mamen, diary, October 7, 1913, p. 28, NAC
8 “as long as . . .” Mamen, diary, October 7, 1913, p. 28, NAC
9 “one stares death . . .” Mamen, diary, October 5, 1913, NAC
10 “I remember now . . .” Maurer, lecture, p. 33, NAC
11 “We are still . . .” Mamen, diary, October 10, 1913, NAC
12 “and a few . . .” Mamen, diary, October 5, 1913, NAC
13 “Opposing floes which . . .” WLM, diary, September 29-October 1, 1913, NLS
14 “So we are . . .” Mamen, diary, October 2-12, 1913, NAC
&
nbsp; 15 “You must consider . . .” Mamen, diary, October 13, 1913, NAC
16 “Dried apples . . . situk . . .” WLM, diary, July 16, 1913, NLS
17 “Theirs may not . . .” Mamen, diary, October 8, 1913, NAC
18 “It is awful . . .” Mamen, diary, October 20, 1913, NAC
19 “doesn’t know anything . . .” Mamen, diary, October 14, 1913, NAC
20 “a mouthful of . . .” Mamen, diary, October 27, 1913, NAC
21 “I suppose the . . .” Mamen, diary, October 29, 1913, NAC
22 “I for my . . .” Mamen, diary, November 3, 1913, NAC
23 “There are some . . .” WLM, diary, October 5-19, 1913, NLS
24 “I sense that . . .” WLM, diary, October 11-13, 1913, NLS
25 “free & easy . . .” WLM, diary, October 7, 1913, NLS
26 “I wish to . . .” WLM, diary, October 11–13, 1913, NLS
27 “the most good-natured . . .” Mamen, diary, October 5, 1913, NAC
28 “encircled by the . . .” Mamen, diary, October 5, 1913, NAC
29 “We may see . . .” Mamen, diary, October 6, 1913, NAC
30 “For my part . . .” Mamen, diary, October 23, 1913, NAC
31 “Our large ice . . .” Mamen, diary, October 8-19, 1913, NAC
32 “No human power . . .” De Long, The Voyage of the Jeannette, Volume Two, pp. 473–474
33 “I suppose there . . .” Mamen, diary, October 25, 1913, NAC
34 “By that time . . .” Mamen, diary, October 30, 1913, NAC
35 “Oh my, how . . .” Mamen, diary, October 30, 1913, NAC
NOVEMBER 1913
1 “It is a dreary . . .” Mamen, diary, November 15, 1913, NAC
2 “‘Captain Bartlett,’ wrote . . .” Mamen, diary, November 3, 1913, NAC
3 “I for my . . .” Mamen, diary, November 6, 1913, NAC
4 “Ice and still . . .” Mamen, diary, November 6, 1913, NAC
5 “It looks as . . .” Mamen, diary, November 9, 1913, NAC
6 “Presumably Mr. Stefansson . . .” Mamen, diary, November 9, 1914, NAC
7 There were 250 . . . WLM, diary, November 8, 1913, NLS
8 “It surely will . . .” Mamen, diary, November 4, 1913, NAC
9 “The effect of . . .” Chafe, The Voyage of the Karluk, 15, MMBC
10 “I am sure . . .” Mamen, diary, November 10, 1913, NAC
11 “People talk about . . .” Mamen, diary, November 13, 1913, NAC