Henry and Frank, with all the Inuits, left us on the 6th of
August to reach the rest of our party, whom they expected to find
somewhere east of Gladman point. Frank and Henry remained there and
Toolooah returned with the dogs, and moved what we could to the same
point.
Lieutenant Schwatka and I were then left alone to provide for ourselves
until Toolooah's return, which was on the 1st of September. We kept
half of the double tent, and one of the dogs to help us when we moved
camp, and to carry our meat. Reindeer were plentiful, and we killed
eight, which kept us well supplied with food. We could have killed many
more had it been necessary. This was altogether the pleasantest part of
our experience in the Arctic. During the time we were alone we searched
the neighboring coast as far west as Cape Crozier, but found only one
skeleton. The tent place spoken of by Ahlangyah and others--and which
we confidently expected to find without much trouble, marked by
quantities of human bones and clothing scattered far around, as at the
company places at Irving Bay and Cape Felix, and the boat place on
Erebus Bay--could not be found, though Lieutenant Schwatka passed over
the spot that the natives spoke of as the site. This was a great
disappointment to us, and seemed unaccountable until we subsequently
learned from them that it was so close to the water that all traces of
it had disappeared.
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