stefansson-wrangel-09-39-006

 -6-

I had read a while, then I went to sleep. The next morning about six
o'clock I heard that same noise again and it sounded more like a boat
whistle this time so I grabbed my field glasses and went out on top of
my raft, and sure enough there was a boat and the master and the people
were walking around on the beach. I had only some tea for breakfast
that morning, for I watched the boat to see if they were going to come
up to my camp. I thought it might be just a whale boat. I didn't know
what to do, but finally the boat started up towards my tent and I was
sure tickled. I went down to the beach to meet the boat, and the master
which was a Native came to me and ask me where the rest of the people
were and I told him there were no more, that I was the only one left.
I didn't know what to say to him, I was so tickled. I told him that I
was alone, that Mr. Knight had died and that the others had gone to
Siberia, and asked him if he had not heard from them in Nome. But he said
that Stefansson had sent him after them, so I told him they were gone, that
I was the only one left. The next day they buried Mr. Knight, for I told
them that I had not.

We stayed there about two or three days, they were
unloading the boat they had brought a lot of supplies for the people that
are up there now. They had brought supplies for two years but were only
supposed to stay one winter.

The only letter I had got from George Ely was the one
that I got on that boat. I was expecting letters from my sister but that
was the only one that I got while I was up there. As soon as I saw some
of the boys from Nome on the boat, I asked them how Bennett, my little boy,
was and they said he was fine. I had left him in Nome in a Home where he
had been for some time before I left on this trip.

We sailed for Nome from Wrangell on the 23rd of August,
the last day of August we got to Nome and my sister told me that they
heard at Nome that we were all dead up at Wrangell, and I guess that is
why my sister did not write to me. I don't know what happened to the boys
that left for Siberia, I have never heard any word of them since. When I
came back I found out that my Stepfather had died. My sister had had a
baby while I was gone and when she heard that we were dead she named the
baby after me. The native boys that were working on the boat Donaldson
that came up there and got me, told me that if Mr. Noice had not been
Captain they would have turned back long before they got to Wrangell Island.

I want to thank Mr. Noice many, many times for saving
my life, for I am sure that I would not have been alive now if he hadn't,
and I will always remember it. Although it was no one's faught but my own
that I went up there, for on one would have forced me to go, but I wanted
to go and thought 1 would never have another chance to go so I took it.

Very respectfully,

(Signed) MRS. ADA BLACK JACK