On the Way to Malcolm Island

After reaching an agreement about leaving for Malcolm Island there has been all kinds of running around, this and that has had to be done to prepare for the journey. When we were finally done, we came to spend the night in the shelter of our own Aino [The boat. Translator’s note]. As the day broke, we reefed the white sails, and five men and one Lily* set off for the promised land. That was on December 6th. The morning was totally calm and we grabbed the oars and figured that we could also make it there by rowing, but in the afternoon a brisk following wind sped us 40 miles forward. We settled to spend the night on the shore of an island. The wind had grown stronger and it rocked our boat. This place stole our anchor, which discouraged us so much that after we were able to tie the boat onto a tree, we didn’t want to leave out to the open sea with the wind getting stronger. We stayed there for the day and the following night, during which we made an anchor out of wood and other materials. When it was done we figured we could apply for a patent for our invention. It has turned out so reliable in practice that we have slept through the nights with total confidence. 

On the evening of our third day of travel a strong following wind sped us past more open waters. After making it to narrower waters our travel became very slow. Currents and headwind resisted us strongly. After making it to the feared Seymour narrow we waited for six hours, until we were able to get past it very peacefully. After passing the strait a terrible accident happened to our comrade Mikkelson. For some reason a shotgun had been left on the roof of the cabin and as he was taking it to bring it back inside, it went off and injured the veins and tendons on his right hand wrist and thumb. After tying the hand up as well as we could we sailed on, hoping to catch a doctor on the way, but Mikkelson didn’t get treatment until Alert Bay. After arriving there the injured as well as the rest of us got a very warm welcome. It was almost as if they were competing who got to tend to the injured the most. After getting a good room the injured was left there and the rest of us went on to finish our journey. There were still three or four miles left.

On Sunday December 15th we arrived at our hoped-for destination of Malcolm Island, where we anchored our Aino at the end of Kurikka’s Bay and spent our last night on the boat [This is the only occasion where I’ve come across the name Kurikan Lahti – Kurikka’s Bay. Could it possibly be Rough Bay, the Finn name being Kotilahti – Home Bay? Translator’s note.] Already at dawn the next day we were running up and down the shoreline to find the dwelling that the previous entrepreneurs had left behind. Finally we found a hut in the dense bushes, with neither doors nor windows. After a day’s work the hut was in an inhabitable condition. Despite its dampness we have looked at the future in the eyes with satisfaction and infallible hope.

* “Lily” is a mystery, as there were no women on the boat.