HITNEY LANDED--TRADING AND COALING--FIGHTING
THE ICE-PACKS

At Etah we take on the final load of coal from the _Erik_ and the other
supplies she has for us, and from now on it will be farewell to all the
world; we will be alone with our company, and our efforts will be
towards the north and our evasive goal.

At Etah, on going ashore, we were met by the most hopelessly dirty,
unkempt, filth-littered human being any of us had ever seen, or could
ever have imagined; a white man with long matted hair and beard, who
could speak very little English and that only between cries,
whimperings, and whines, and whose legs were swollen out of all shape
from the scurvy. He was Rudolph Franke and had been left here the year
before by Dr. F. A. Cook, an old acquaintance of mine, who had been a
member of other expeditions of the Commander's.

Franke was in a bad way, and the burden of his wail was, "Take me away
from this, I have permission, see, here is Dr. Cook's letter," and he
showed a letter from Dr. Cook, authorizing him to leave, if opportunity
offered. Dr. Goodsell looked him over and pronounced him unfit to remain
in the Arctic any longer than it would take a ship to get him out, and
the Commander had him kindly treated, cleaned, medicated, and placed
aboard the _Erik_. The poor fellow's spirits commenced to rise
immediately and there is good chance of his recovery and safe return
home.

We learn that Dr. Cook, with two Esquimo boys, is over on the Grant Land
side, and in probably desperate circumstances, if he is still alive. The
Commander has issued orders in writing to Murphy and Billy Pritchard to
be on the lookout for him and give him all the help he may need, and has
also instructed the Esquimos to keep careful watch for any traces of
him, while on their hunting trips.

There is a cache of Dr. Cook's provisions here, which Franke turned over
to the Commander, and Mr. Whitney has agreed to help Murphy and Billy
to guard it.

Mr. Harry Whitney is one of the party of men who came here on the _Erik_
to hunt in this region, and he has decided to stay here at Etah for the
winter and wait for a ship to take him out next summer. The other two
members of the hunting-party, Mr. Larned and Mr. Norton, returned on the
_Erik_. If Mr. Whitney had asked me my advice, I would not have
suggested that he remain, because, although he has a fine equipment,
there will not be much sport in his experience, and there will be a
great d