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Camp Parties
On an open
coast such as Unimak Island there is no substitute for a camp
as a base from which to work. This is because of the very few
days on which landings can be made. Even in a moderate wind
the seas break so sharply on the steep sand beaches that a whaleboat
even with only a light load can rarely land. On two occasions
the steepness of this beach was the cause of some surprise to
two members of the crew who, on a smooth day, decided to step
ashore from amidships, and, in doing so, promptly disappeared
from view. The water temperature at the surface is about 38
degrees in the spring and 46 in the fall so that most of the
landing parties wear hip boots and everyone avoids in so far
as possible a dip in the surf.
In the spring,
camping is rather cold and windy. At the first camp of the season
a windstorm, which blew all day long, finally capsized four
tents during the night, in spite of the fact that they had been
reinforced the previous day. The members of the camp party were
equipped with bedrolls and three blankets apiece and still complained
of the cold. In the autumn, after a summer's conditioning, the
camp parties are better able to withstand the cold, but by this
time (September 1st) the northers begin to blow. In these shallow
waters an ugly sea arises quickly under a fresh breeze and moving
camp by the ship, and landing food and supplies from it, becomes
very uncertain. On two occasions we were able to pick up the
party but not land them again the same day, because it got too
rough in the meantime, and three days elapsed before another
landing could be effected.
A camping
party has too much gear for it to be moved by horses unless
the number of horses available were doubled, which would not
be economical. An alternative has been considered to avoid delays
in moving. This would necessitate sufficient equipment to establish
and supply an advance camp. Then the camp party would need to
move only its instrumental equipment, cots and bedding, which
could probably be accomplished with five horses in two trips
in one day. By this plan no time would be lost in waiting for
weather suitable for moving. The quantity of material needed
for a camp for nine men and four horses is considerable in itself,
as the party is stocked for three weeks, which is calculated
to be the average stop between moves. This includes food, coal
or gasoline, oats (and hay before July 1st), lumber for signals,
cement, lime, and other supplies and equipment such as cookstoves
and heaters. There is practically no driftwood available on
the beach, but occasionally there are a few large logs. The
latter are even found in the creek beds a half mile from the
beach and in one case an estimated thirty feet above high water
and one half mile inshore. These are presumably carried inland
by the severe winter storms.
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