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+Project Gutenberg's A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by Matthew A. Henson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Negro Explorer at the North Pole
+
+Author: Matthew A. Henson
+
+Commentator: Robert E. Peary
+             Booker T. Washington
+
+Release Date: March 28, 2007 [EBook #20923]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON]
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+BY
+
+MATTHEW A. HENSON
+
+          WITH A FOREWORD BY
+          ROBERT E. PEARY
+          REAR ADMIRAL, U. S. N., RETIRED
+
+          AND AN INTRODUCTION BY
+          BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
+
+_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS_
+
+          NEW YORK
+          FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+          PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+         _Copyright, 1912, by_
+         FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+
+         _All rights reserved, including that of translation
+         into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_
+
+         _February, 1912_
+
+
+
+
+FOREWORD
+
+
+Friends of Arctic exploration and discovery, with whom I have come in
+contact, and many whom I know only by letter, have been greatly
+interested in the fact of a colored man being an effective member of a
+serious Arctic expedition, and going north, not once, but numerous times
+during a period of over twenty years, in a way that showed that he not
+only could and did endure all the stress of Arctic conditions and work,
+but that he evidently found pleasure in the work.
+
+The example and experience of Matthew Henson, who has been a member of
+each and of all my Arctic expeditions, since '91 (my trip in 1886 was
+taken before I knew Henson) is only another one of the multiplying
+illustrations of the fact that race, or color, or bringing-up, or
+environment, count nothing against a determined heart, if it is backed
+and aided by intelligence.
+
+Henson proved his fitness by long and thorough apprenticeship, and his
+participation in the final victory which planted the Stars and Stripes
+at the North Pole, and won for this country the international prize of
+nearly four centuries, is a distinct credit and feather in the cap of
+his race.
+
+As I wired Charles W. Anderson, collector of internal revenue, and
+chairman of the dinner which was given to Henson in New York, in
+October, 1909, on the occasion of the presentation to him of a gold
+watch and chain by his admirers:
+
+"I congratulate you and your race upon Matthew Henson. He has driven
+home to the world your great adaptability and the fiber of which you are
+made. He has added to the moral stature of every intelligent man among
+you. His is the hard-earned reward of tried loyalty, persistence, and
+endurance. He should be an everlasting example to your young men that
+these qualities will win whatever object they are directed at. He
+deserves every attention you can show him. I regret that it is
+impossible for me to be present at your dinner. My compliments to your
+assembled guests."
+
+It would be superfluous to enlarge on Henson in this introduction. His
+work in the north has already spoken for itself and for him. His book
+will speak for itself and him.
+
+Yet two of the interesting points which present themselves in connection
+with his work may be noted.
+
+Henson, son of the tropics, has proven through years, his ability to
+stand tropical, temperate, and the fiercest stress of frigid, climate
+and exposure, while on the other hand, it is well known that the
+inhabitants of the highest north, tough and hardy as they are to the
+rigors of their own climate, succumb very quickly to the vagaries of
+even a temperate climate. The question presents itself at once: "Is it a
+difference in physical fiber, or in brain and will power, or is the
+difference in the climatic conditions themselves?"
+
+Again it is an interesting fact that in the final conquest of the "prize
+of the centuries," not alone individuals, but _races_ were represented.
+On that bitter brilliant day in April, 1909, when the Stars and Stripes
+floated at the North Pole, Caucasian, Ethiopian, and Mongolian stood
+side by side at the apex of the earth, in the harmonious companionship
+resulting from hard work, exposure, danger, and a common object.
+
+                                                          R. E. PEARY.
+
+_Washington, Dec., 1911._
+
+
+
+
+TABLE OF CONTENTS
+
+                                                             PAGE
+
+  FOREWORD                                                      v
+
+  INTRODUCTION                                                 xv
+
+  CHAPTER I
+  THE EARLY YEARS: SCHOOLBOY, CABIN-BOY, SEAMAN, AND
+    LIEUTENANT PEARY'S BODY-SERVANT--FIRST TRIPS TO THE ARCTIC  1
+
+  CHAPTER II
+  OFF FOR THE POLE--HOW THE OTHER EXPLORERS LOOKED--THE
+    LAMB-LIKE  ESQUIMOS--ARRIVAL AT ETAH                       15
+
+  CHAPTER III
+  FINDING OF RUDOLPH FRANKE--WHITNEY LANDED--TRADING AND
+    COALING--FIGHTING THE ICE-PACKS                            26
+
+  CHAPTER IV
+  PREPARING FOR WINTER AT CAPE SHERIDAN--THE ARCTIC LIBRARY    35
+
+  CHAPTER V
+  MAKING PEARY SLEDGES--HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC NIGHT--THE
+    EXCITABLE DOGS AND THEIR HABITS                            40
+
+  CHAPTER VI
+  THE PEARY PLAN--A RAIN OF ROCKS--MY FRIENDS, THE ESQUIMOS    46
+
+  CHAPTER VII
+  SLEDGING TO CAPE COLUMBIA--HOT SOLDERING IN COLD WEATHER     52
+
+  CHAPTER VIII
+  IN CAMP AT COLUMBIA--LITERARY IGLOOS--THE MAGNIFICENT
+    DESOLATION OF THE ARCTIC                                   62
+
+  CHAPTER IX
+  READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE--THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL      70
+
+  CHAPTER X
+  FORWARD! MARCH!                                              75
+
+  CHAPTER XI
+  FIGHTING UP THE POLAR SEA--HELD UP BY THE "BIG LEAD"         78
+
+  CHAPTER XII
+  PIONEERING THE WAY--BREAKING SLEDGES                         93
+
+  CHAPTER XIII
+  THE SUPPORTING-PARTIES BEGIN TO TURN BACK                   103
+
+  CHAPTER XIV
+  BARTLETT'S FARTHEST NORTH--HIS QUIET GOOD-BY                116
+
+  CHAPTER XV
+  THE POLE!                                                   127
+
+  CHAPTER XVI
+  THE FAST TREK BACK TO LAND                                  140
+
+  CHAPTER XVII
+  SAFE ON THE ROOSEVELT--POOR MARVIN                          145
+
+  CHAPTER XVIII
+  AFTER MUSK-OXEN--THE DOCTOR'S SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION         153
+
+  CHAPTER XIX
+  THE ROOSEVELT STARTS FOR HOME--ESQUIMO VILLAGES--NEW DOGS
+    AND NEW DOG FIGHTS                                        161
+
+  CHAPTER XX
+  TWO NARROW ESCAPES--ARRIVAL AT ETAH--HARRY WHITNEY--DR.
+    COOK'S CLAIMS                                             170
+
+  CHAPTER XXI
+  ETAH TO NEW YORK--COMING OF MAIL AND REPORTERS--HOME!       180
+
+  APPENDIX I--NOTES ON THE ESQUIMOS                           189
+
+  APPENDIX II--LIST OF SMITH SOUND ESQUIMOS                   196
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON                                 _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                            FACING
+                                                             PAGE
+
+  ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS                       76
+
+  THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESQUIMOS                                 77
+
+  CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE                      122
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO
+    THE POLE AND BACK                                         123
+
+  THE "ROOSEVELT" IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN         138
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS
+    RETURN TO CIVILIZATION                                    139
+
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+
+One of the first questions which Commander Peary was asked when he
+returned home from his long, patient, and finally successful struggle to
+reach the Pole was how it came about that, beside the four Esquimos,
+Matt Henson, a Negro, was the only man to whom was accorded the honor of
+accompanying him on the final dash to the goal.
+
+The question was suggested no doubt by the thought that it was but
+natural that the positions of greatest responsibility and honor on such
+an expedition would as a matter of course fall to the white men of the
+party rather than to a Negro. To this question, however, Commander Peary
+replied, in substance:
+
+"Matthew A. Henson, my Negro assistant, has been with me in one capacity
+or another since my second trip to Nicaragua in 1887. I have taken him
+on each and all of my expeditions, except the first, and also without
+exception on each of my farthest sledge trips. This position I have
+given him primarily because of his adaptability and fitness for the work
+and secondly on account of his loyalty. He is a better dog driver and
+can handle a sledge better than any man living, except some of the best
+Esquimo hunters themselves."
+
+In short, Matthew Henson, next to Commander Peary, held and still holds
+the place of honor in the history of the expedition that finally located
+the position of the Pole, because he was the best man for the place.
+During twenty-three years of faithful service he had made himself
+indispensable. From the position of a servant he rose to that of
+companion and assistant in one of the most dangerous and difficult tasks
+that was ever undertaken by men. In extremity, when both the danger and
+the difficulty were greatest, the Commander wanted by his side the man
+upon whose skill and loyalty he could put the most absolute dependence
+and when that man turned out to be black instead of white, the Commander
+was not only willing to accept the service but was at the same time
+generous enough to acknowledge it.
+
+There never seems to have been any doubt in Commander Peary's mind about
+Henson's part and place in the expedition.
+
+Matt Henson, who was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866,
+began life as a cabin-boy on an ocean steamship, and before he met
+Commander Peary had already made a voyage to China. He was eighteen
+years old when he made the acquaintance of Commander Peary which gave
+him his chance. During the twenty-three years in which he was the
+companion of the explorer he not only had time and opportunity to
+perfect himself in his knowledge of the books, but he acquired a good
+practical knowledge of everything that was a necessary part of the daily
+life in the ice-bound wilderness of polar exploration. He was at times a
+blacksmith, a carpenter, and a cook. He was thoroughly acquainted with
+the life, customs, and language of the Esquimos. He himself built the
+sledges with which the journey to the Pole was successfully completed.
+He could not merely drive a dog-team or skin a musk-ox with the skill of
+a native, but he was something of a navigator as well. In this way Mr.
+Henson made himself not only the most trusted but the most useful
+member of the expedition.
+
+I am reminded in this connection that Matthew Henson is not the first
+colored man who by his fidelity and devotion has made himself the trusty
+companion of the men who have explored and opened up the western
+continent. Even in the days when the Negro had little or no opportunity
+to show his ability as a leader, he proved himself at least a splendid
+follower, and there are few great adventures in which the American white
+man has engaged where he has not been accompanied by a colored man.
+
+Nearly all the early Spanish explorers were accompanied by Negroes. It
+is said that the first ship built in America was constructed by the
+slaves of Vasquez de Ayllon, who attempted to establish a Spanish
+settlement where Jamestown, Virginia, was later founded. Balboa had 30
+Negroes with him, and they assisted him in constructing the first ship
+on the Pacific coast. Three hundred slaves were brought to this country
+by Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, and it is said that the town of
+Santiago del Principe was founded by Negro slaves who later rebelled
+against their Spanish masters.
+
+Of the story of those earlier Negro explorers we have, aside from the
+Negro Estevan or "little Steve," who was the guide and leader in the
+search for the fabulous seven cities, almost nothing more than a passing
+reference in the accounts which have come down to us. Now, a race which
+has come up from slavery; which is just now for the first time learning
+to build for itself homes, churches, schools; which is learning for the
+first time to start banks, organize insurance companies, erect
+manufacturing plants, establish hospitals; a race which is doing all the
+fundamental things for the first time; which has, in short, its history
+before it instead of behind; such a race in such conditions needs for
+its own encouragement, as well as to justify the hopes of its friends,
+the records of the members of the race who have been a part of any great
+and historic achievement.
+
+For this reason, as well as for others; for the sake of my race as well
+as the truth of history; I am proud and glad to welcome this account of
+his adventure from a man who has not only honored the race of which he
+is a member, but has proven again that courage, fidelity, and ability
+are honored and rewarded under a black skin as well as under a white.
+
+                                               BOOKER T. WASHINGTON.
+
+  Principal, Tuskegee Normal
+    and Industrial Institute.
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE EARLY YEARS: SCHOOLBOY, CABIN-BOY, SEAMAN, AND LIEUTENANT PEARY'S
+BODY-SERVANT--FIRST TRIPS TO THE ARCTIC
+
+
+When the news of the discovery of the North Pole, by Commander Peary,
+was first sent to the world, a distinguished citizen of New York City,
+well versed in the affairs of the Peary Arctic Club, made the statement,
+that he was sure that Matt Henson had been with Commander Peary on the
+day of the discovery. There were not many people who knew who Henson
+was, or the reason why the gentleman had made the remark, and, when
+asked why he was so certain, he explained that, for the best part of the
+twenty years of Commander Peary's Arctic work, his faithful and often
+only companion was Matthew Alexander Henson.
+
+To-day there is a more general knowledge of Commander Peary, his work
+and his success, and a vague understanding of the fact that Commander
+Peary's sole companion from the realm of civilization, when he stood at
+the North Pole, was Matthew A. Henson, a Colored Man.
+
+To satisfy the demand of perfectly natural curiosity, I have undertaken
+to write a brief autobiography, giving particularly an account of my
+Arctic work.
+
+I was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866. The place of my
+birth was on the Potomac River, about forty-four miles below Washington,
+D. C. Slavery days were over forever when I was born. Besides, my
+parents were both free born before me, and in my mother's veins ran some
+white blood. At an early age, my parents were induced to leave the
+country and remove to Washington, D. C. My mother died when I was seven
+years old. I was taken in charge by my uncle, who sent me to school, the
+"N Street School" in Washington, D. C., which I attended for over six
+years. After leaving school I went to Baltimore, Md., where I shipped as
+cabin-boy, on board a vessel bound for China. After my first voyage I
+became an able-bodied seaman, and for four years followed the sea in
+that capacity, sailing to China, Japan, Manilla, North Africa, Spain,
+France, and through the Black Sea to Southern Russia.
+
+It was while I was in Washington, D. C., in 1888, that I first attracted
+the attention of Commander Peary, who at that time was a civil engineer
+in the United States Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, and it was with
+the instinct of my race that I recognized in him the qualities that made
+me willing to engage myself in his service. I accompanied him as his
+body-servant to Nicaragua. I was his messenger at the League Island Navy
+Yard, and from the beginning of his second expedition to the Arctic
+regions, in 1891, I have been a member of every expedition of his, in
+the capacity of assistant: a term that covers a multitude of duties,
+abilities, and responsibilities.
+
+The narrative that follows is a record of the last and successful
+expedition of the Peary Arctic Club, which had as its attainment the
+discovery of the North Pole, and is compiled from notes made by me at
+different times during the course of the expedition. I did endeavor to
+keep a diary or journal of daily events during my last trip, and did not
+find it difficult aboard the ship while sailing north, or when in
+winter-quarters at Cape Sheridan, but I found it impossible to make
+daily entries while in the field, on account of the constant necessity
+of concentrating my attention on the real business of the expedition.
+Entries were made daily of the records of temperature and the estimates
+of distance traveled; and when solar observations were made the results
+were always carefully noted. There were opportunities to complete the
+brief entries on several occasions while out on the ice, notably the six
+days' enforced delay at the "Big Lead," 84° north, the twelve hours
+preceding the return of Captain Bartlett at 87° 47' north, and the
+thirty-three hours at North Pole, while Commander Peary was determining
+to a certainty his position. During the return from the Pole to Cape
+Columbia, we were so urged by the knowledge of the supreme necessity of
+speed that the thought of recording the events of that part of the
+journey did not occur to me so forcibly as to compel me to pay heed to
+it, and that story was written aboard the ship while waiting for
+favorable conditions to sail toward home lands.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was in June, 1891, that I started on my first trip to the Arctic
+regions, as a member of what was known as the "North Greenland
+Expedition." Mrs. Peary accompanied her husband, and among the members
+of the expedition were Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Mr.
+Langdon Gibson, of Flushing, N. Y., and Mr. Eivind Astrüp, of
+Christiania, Norway, who had the honor of being the companion of
+Commander Peary in the first crossing of North Greenland--and of having
+an Esquimo at Cape York become so fond of him that he named his son for
+him! It was on this voyage north that Peary's leg was broken.
+
+Mr. John M. Verhoeff, a stalwart young Kentuckian, was also an
+enthusiastic member of the party. When the expedition was ready to sail
+home the following summer, he lost his life by falling in a crevasse in
+a glacier. His body was never recovered. On the first and the last of
+Peary's expeditions, success was marred by tragedy. On the last
+expedition, Professor Ross G. Marvin, of Cornell University, lost his
+life by being drowned in the Arctic Ocean, on his return from his
+farthest north, a farther north than had ever been made by any other
+explorers except the members of the last expedition. Both Verhoeff and
+Marvin were good friends of mine, and I respect and venerate their
+memories.
+
+Naturally the impressions formed on my first visit to the Land of Ice
+and Snow were the most lasting, but in the coming years I was to learn
+more and more that such a life was no picnic, and to realize what
+primitive life meant. I was to live with a people who, the scientists
+stated, represented the earliest form of human life, living in what is
+known as the Stone Age, and I was to revert to that stage of life by
+leaps and bounds, and to emerge from it by the same sudden means. Many
+and many a time, for periods covering more than twelve months, I have
+been to all intents an Esquimo, with Esquimos for companions, speaking
+their language, dressing in the same kind of clothes, living in the same
+kind of dens, eating the same food, enjoying their pleasures, and
+frequently sharing their griefs. I have come to love these people. I
+know every man, woman, and child in their tribe. They are my friends and
+they regard me as theirs.
+
+After the first return to civilization, I was to come back to the
+savage, ice- and rock-bound country seven times more. It was in June,
+1893, that I again sailed north with Commander Peary and his party on
+board the _Falcon_, a larger ship than the _Kite_, the one we sailed
+north in on the previous expedition, and with a much larger equipment,
+including several burros from Colorado, which were intended for ice-cap
+work, but which did not make good, making better dog-food instead.
+Indeed the dogs made life a burden for the poor brutes from the very
+start. Mrs. Peary was again a member of the expedition, as well as
+another woman, Mrs. Cross, who acted as Mrs. Peary's maid and nurse. It
+was on this trip that I adopted the orphan Esquimo boy, Kudlooktoo, his
+mother having died just previous to our arrival at the Red Cliffs.
+After this boy was washed and scrubbed by me, his long hair cut short,
+and his greasy, dirty clothes of skins and furs burned, a new suit made
+of odds and ends collected from different wardrobes on the ship made him
+a presentable Young American. I was proud of him, and he of me. He
+learned to speak English and slept underneath my bunk.
+
+This expedition was larger in numbers than the previous one, but the
+results, owing to the impossible weather conditions, were by no means
+successful, and the following season all of the expedition returned to
+the United States except Commander Peary, Hugh J. Lee, and myself. When
+the expedition returned, there were two who went back who had not come
+north with us. Miss Marie Ahnighito Peary, aged about ten months, who
+first saw the light of day at Anniversary Lodge on the 12th of the
+previous September, was taken by her mother to her kinfolks in the
+South. Mrs. Peary also took a young Esquimo girl, well known among us as
+"Miss Bill," along with her, and kept her for nearly a year, when she
+gladly permitted her to return to Greenland and her own people. Miss
+Bill is now grown up, and has been married three times and widowed, not
+by death but by desertion. She is known as a "Holy Terror." I do not
+know the reason why, but I have my suspicions.
+
+The memory of the winter of 1894 and 1895 and the summer following will
+never leave me. The events of the journey to 87° 6' in 1906 and the
+discovery of the North Pole in 1909 are indelibly impressed on my mind,
+but the recollections of the long race with death across the 450 miles
+of the ice-cap of North Greenland in 1895, with Commander Peary and Hugh
+Lee, are still the most vivid.
+
+For weeks and weeks, across the seemingly never-ending wastes of the
+ice-cap of North Greenland, I marched with Peary and Lee from
+Independence Bay and the land beyond back to Anniversary Lodge. We
+started on April 1, 1895, with three sledges and thirty-seven dogs, with
+the object of determining to a certainty the northeastern terminus of
+Greenland. We reached the northern land beyond the ice-cap, but the
+condition of the country did not allow much exploration, and after
+killing a few musk-oxen we started on June 1 to make our return. We had
+one sledge and nine dogs.
+
+We reached Anniversary Lodge on June 25, with one dog.
+
+The Grim Destroyer had been our constant companion, and it was months
+before I fully recovered from the effects of that struggle. When I left
+for home and God's Country the following September, on board the good
+old _Kite_, it was with the strongest resolution to never again! no
+more! forever! leave my happy home in warmer lands.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Nevertheless, the following summer I was again "Northward Bound," with
+Commander Peary, to help him secure, and bring to New York, the three
+big meteorites that he and Lee had discovered during the winter of
+1894-1895.
+
+The meteorites known as "The Woman" and "The Dog" were secured with
+comparative ease, and the work of getting the large seventy-ton meteor,
+known as "The Tent," into such a position as to insure our securing it
+the following summer, was done, so it was not strange that the following
+summer I was again in Greenland, but the meteorite was not brought away
+that season.
+
+It is well known that the chief characteristic of Commander Peary is
+persistency which, coupled with fortitude, is the secret of his success.
+The next summer, 1897, he was again at the island after his prize, and
+he got it this time and brought it safely to New York, where it now
+reposes in the "American Museum of Natural History." As usual I was a
+member of the party, and my back still aches when I think of the hard
+work I did to help load that monster aboard the _Hope_.
+
+It was during this voyage that Commander Peary announced his
+determination to discover the North Pole, and the following years (from
+1898 to 1902) were spent in the Arctic.
+
+In 1900, the American record of Farthest North, held by Lockwood and
+Brainard, was equaled and exceeded; their cairn visited and their
+records removed. On April 21, 1902, a new American record of 84° 17' was
+made by Commander Peary, further progress north being frustrated by a
+lack of provisions and by a lane of open water, more than a mile wide.
+This lead or lane of open water I have since become more familiarly
+acquainted with. We have called it many names, but it is popularly known
+as the "Big Lead." Going north, meeting it can be depended upon. It is
+situated just a few miles north of the 84th parallel, and is believed to
+mark the continental shelf of the land masses in the Northern
+Hemisphere.
+
+During the four years from 1898 to 1902, which were continuously spent
+in the regions about North Greenland, we had every experience, except
+death, that had ever fallen to the lot of the explorers who had preceded
+us, and more than once we looked death squarely in the face. Besides, we
+had many experiences that earlier explorers did not meet. In January,
+1899, Commander Peary froze his feet so badly that all but one of his
+toes fell off.
+
+After the return home, in 1902, it was three years before Commander
+Peary made another attack on the Pole, but during those years he was not
+resting.
+
+He was preparing to launch his final and "sincerely to be hoped"
+successful expedition, and in July, 1905, in the newly built ship,
+_Roosevelt_, we were again "Poleward-bound." The following September,
+the _Roosevelt_ reached Cape Sheridan, latitude 82° 27' north, under her
+own steam, a record unequaled by any other vessel, sail or steam.
+
+Early the next year, the negotiation of the Arctic Ocean was commenced,
+not as oceans usually are negotiated, but as this ocean must be, by men,
+sledges, and dogs. The field party consisted of twenty-six men, twenty
+sledges, and one hundred and thirty dogs.
+
+That was an open winter and an early spring, very desirable conditions
+in some parts of the world, but very undesirable to us on the northern
+coast of Greenland. The ice-pack began disintegrating much too early
+that year to suit, but we pushed on, and had it not been for furious
+storms enforcing delays and losses of many precious days, the Pole would
+have been reached. As it was, Commander Peary and his party got to 87°
+6' north, thereby breaking _all records_, and in spite of incredible
+hardships, hunger and cold, returned safely with all of the expedition,
+and on Christmas Eve the _Roosevelt_, after a most trying voyage,
+entered New York harbor, somewhat battered but still seaworthy.
+
+Despite the fact that it was to be his last attempt, Commander Peary no
+sooner reached home than he announced his intention to return, this time
+to be the last, and this time to win.
+
+However, a year intervened, and it was not until July 6, 1908, with the
+God-Speed and good wishes of President Roosevelt, that the good ship
+named in his honor set sail again. The narrative of that voyage, and the
+story of the discovery of the North Pole, follow.
+
+The ages of the wild, misgiving mystery of the North Pole are over,
+to-day, and forever it stands under the folds of Old Glory.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+OFF FOR THE POLE--HOW THE OTHER EXPLORERS LOOKED--THE LAMB-LIKE
+ESQUIMOS--ARRIVAL AT ETAH
+
+
+July 6, 1908: We're off! For a year and a half I have waited for this
+order, and now we have cast off. The shouting and the tumult ceases, the
+din of whistles, bells, and throats dies out, and once again the long,
+slow surge of the ocean hits the good ship that we have embarked in. It
+was at one-thirty P. M. to-day that I saw the last hawse-line cast
+adrift, and felt the throb of the engines of our own ship. Chief
+Wardwell is on the job, and from now on it is due north.
+
+Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound: We are expecting President Roosevelt. The
+ship has been named in his honor and has already made one voyage towards
+the North Pole, farther north than any ship has ever made.
+
+July 7: At anchor, the soft wooded hills of Long Island give me a
+curious impression. I am waiting for the command to attack the savage
+ice- and rock-bound fortress of the North, and here instead we are at
+anchor in the neighborhood of sheep grazing in green fields.
+
+Sydney, N. S., July 17, 1908: All of the expedition are aboard and those
+going home have gone. Mrs. Peary and the children, Mr. Borup's father,
+and Mr. Harry Whitney, and some other guests were the last to leave the
+_Roosevelt_, and have given us a last good-by from the tug, which came
+alongside to take them off.
+
+Good-by all. Every one is sending back a word to some one he has left
+behind, but I have said my good-bys a long time ago, and as I waved my
+hand in parting salutation to the little group on the deck of the tug,
+my thoughts were with my wife, and I hoped when she next heard of me it
+would be with feelings of joy and happiness, and that she would be glad
+she had permitted me to leave her for an absence that might never end.
+
+The tenderfeet, as the Commander calls them, are the Doctor, Professor
+MacMillan, and young Mr. Borup. The Doctor is a fine-looking, big
+fellow, John W. Goodsell, and has a swarthy complexion and straight
+hair; on meeting me he told me that he was well acquainted with me by
+reputation, and hoped to know me more intimately.
+
+Professor Donald B. MacMillan is a professor in a college in
+Massachusetts, near Worcester, and I am going to cultivate his
+acquaintance.
+
+Mr. George Borup is the kid, only twenty-one years old but well set up
+for his age, always ready to laugh, and has thick, curly hair. I
+understand he is a record-breaker in athletics. He will need his
+athletic ability on this trip. I am making no judgments or comments on
+these fellows now. Wait; I have seen too many enthusiastic starters, and
+I am sorry to say some of them did not finish well.
+
+All of the rest of the members of the expedition are the same as were on
+the first trip of the _Roosevelt_:--Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett,
+Professor Marvin, Chief Engineer Wardwell, Charley Percy the steward,
+and myself. The crew has been selected by Captain Bartlett, and are
+mostly strangers to me.
+
+Commander Peary is too well known for me to describe him at length;
+thick reddish hair turning gray; heavy, bushy eyebrows shading his
+"sharpshooter's eyes" of steel gray, and long mustache. His hair grows
+rapidly and, when on the march, a thick heavy beard quickly appears. He
+is six feet tall, very graceful, and well built, especially about the
+chest and shoulders; long arms, and legs slightly bowed. Since losing
+his toes, he walks with a peculiar slide-like stride. He has a voice
+clear and loud, and words never fail him.
+
+Captain Bartlett is about my height and weight. He has short, curly,
+light-brown hair and red cheeks; is slightly round-shouldered, due to
+the large shoulder-muscles caused by pulling the oars, and is as quick
+in his actions as a cat. His manner and conduct indicate that he has
+always been the leader of his crowd from boyhood up, and there is no man
+on this ship that he would be afraid to tackle. He is a young man
+(thirty-three years old) for a ship captain, but he knows his job.
+
+Professor Marvin is a quiet, earnest person, and has had plenty of
+practical experience besides his splendid education. He is rapidly
+growing bald; his face is rather thin, and his neck is long. He has
+taken great interest in me and, being a teacher, has tried to teach me.
+Although I hope to perfect myself in navigation, my knowledge so far
+consists only of knot and splice seamanship, and I need to master the
+mathematical end.
+
+The Chief Engineer, Mr. Wardwell, is a fine-looking, ruddy-complexioned
+giant, with the most honest eyes I have ever looked into. His hair is
+thinning and is almost pure white, and I should judge him to be about
+forty-five years old. He has the greatest patience, and I have never
+seen him lose his temper or get rattled.
+
+Charley Percy is Commander Peary's oldest hand, next to me. He is our
+steward, and sees to it that we are properly fed while aboard ship, and
+he certainly does see to it with credit to himself.
+
+From Sydney to Hawks Harbor, where we met the _Erik_, has been
+uneventful except for the odor of the _Erik_, which is loaded with
+whale-meat and can be smelled for miles. We passed St. Paul's Island and
+Cape St. George early in the day and through the Straits of Belle Isle
+to Hawks Harbor, where there is a whale-factory. From here we leave for
+Turnavik.
+
+We have been racing with the _Erik_ all day, and have beaten her to this
+place. Captain Bartlett's father owns it, and we loaded a lot of boots
+and skins, which the Captain's father had ready for us. From here we
+sail to the Esquimo country of North Greenland, without a stop if
+possible, as the Commander has no intention of visiting any of the
+Danish settlements in South Greenland.
+
+Cape York is our next point, and the ship is sailing free. Aside from
+the excitement of the start, and the honor of receiving the personal
+visit of the President, and his words of encouragement and cheer, the
+trip so far has been uneventful; and I have busied myself in putting my
+cabin in order, and making myself useful in overhauling and stowing
+provisions in the afterhold.
+
+July 24: Still northward-bound, with the sea rolling and washing over
+the ship; and the _Erik_ in the distance seems to be getting her share
+of the wash. She is loaded heavily with fresh whale-meat, and is
+purposely keeping in leeward of us to spare us the discomfort of the
+odor.
+
+July 25 and 26: Busy with my carpenter's kit in the Commander's cabin
+and elsewhere. There has been heavy rain and seas, and we have dropped
+the _Erik_ completely. The _Roosevelt_ is going fine. We can see the
+Greenland coast plainly and to-day, the 29th, we raised and passed Disco
+Island. Icebergs on all sides. The light at midnight is almost as bright
+as early evening twilight in New York on the Fourth of July and the
+ice-blink of the interior ice-cap is quite plain. We have gone through
+Baffin's Bay with a rush and raised Duck Island about ten A. M. and
+passed and dropped it by two P. M.
+
+I was ashore on Duck Island in 1891, on my first voyage north, and I
+remember distinctly the cairn the party built and the money they
+deposited in it. I wonder if it is still there? There is little use for
+money up here, and the place is seldom visited except by men from the
+whalers, when their ships are locked in by ice.
+
+From here it is two hundred miles due north to Cape York.
+
+August 1: Arrived at Cape York Bay and went ashore with the party to
+communicate with the Esquimos of whom there were three families. They
+remembered us and were dancing up and down the shore, and waving to us
+in welcome, and as soon as the bow of the boat had grazed the little
+beach, willing hands helped to run her up on shore. These people are
+hospitable and helpful, and always willing, sometimes too willing. As an
+example, I will tell how, at a settlement farther north, we were going
+ashore in one of the whale-boats. Captain Bartlett was forward,
+astraddle of the bow with the boat-hook in his hands to fend off the
+blocks of ice, and knew perfectly well where he wanted to land, but the
+group of excited Esquimos were in his way and though he ordered them
+back, they continued running about and getting in his way. In a very
+short while the Captain lost patience and commenced to talk loudly and
+with excitement; immediately Sipsoo took up his language and parrot-like
+started to repeat the Captain's exact words: "Get back there, get
+back--how in ---- do you expect me to make a landing?" And thus does the
+innocent lamb of the North acquire a civilized tongue.
+
+It is amusing to hear Kudlooktoo in the most charming manner give
+Charley a cussing that from any one else would cause Charley to break
+his head open.
+
+For the last week I have been busy, with "Matt! The Commander wants
+you," "Matt do this," and "Matt do that," and with going ashore and
+trading for skins, dogs, lines, and other things; and also
+walrus-hunting. I have been up to my neck in work, and have had small
+opportunity to keep my diary up to date. We have all put on heavy
+clothing; not the regular fur clothes for the winter, but our thickest
+civilized clothing, that we would wear in midwinter in the States. In
+the middle of the day, if the sun shines, the heat is felt; but if foggy
+or cloudy, the heavy clothing is comfortable.
+
+All of the Esquimos want to come aboard and stay aboard. Some we want
+and will take along, but there are others we will not have or take along
+on a bet, and the pleasant duty of telling them so and putting them
+ashore falls to me. It is not a pleasant job to disappoint these people,
+but they would be a burden to us and in our way. Besides, we have left
+them a plentiful supply of needfuls, and our trading with them has been
+fair and generous.
+
+The "Crow's-Nest" has been rigged upon the mainmast, and this morning,
+after breakfast, Mr. Whitney, three Esquimos, and myself started in Mr.
+Whitney's motor-boat to hunt walrus. The motor gave out very shortly
+after the start, and the oars had to be used. We were fortunate in
+getting two walrus, which I shot, and then we returned to the ship for
+the whale-boat. We left the ship with three more Esquimos in the
+whale-boat, and got four more walrus.
+
+Sunday, at Kangerdlooksoah; the land of the reindeer, and the one
+pleasant appearing spot on this coast. Mr. Whitney and his six Esquimo
+guides have gone hunting for deer, and I have been ashore to trade for
+dogs and furs, and have gotten twenty-seven dogs, sealskin-lines for
+lashings, a big bearskin, and some foxskins. I try to get furskins from
+animals that were killed when in full fur and before they have started
+to shed, but some of the skins I have traded in are raw, and will have
+to be dried.
+
+I have had the disagreeable job of putting the undesirable ashore, and
+it was like handling a lot of sulky school children.
+
+Seegloo, the dog-owner, is invited to bring his pack aboard and is
+easily persuaded. He will get a Springfield rifle and loading-outfit and
+also a Winchester, if he will sell, and he is more than willing.
+
+And this is the story of day after day from Cape York to Etah Harbor,
+which we reached on August 12.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+FINDING OF RUDOLPH FRANKE--WHITNEY 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 deal of roughness. He will have to become like the Esquimos and
+they will be practically his only companions. However, Mr. Whitney has
+had a talk with the Commander in the cabin of the _Roosevelt_, and the
+Commander has given his consent and best wishes. Mr. Whitney's supplies
+have been unloaded and some additions from the _Erik_ made, and there is
+no reason to fear for his safety.
+
+August 8, 1908: My forty-second birthday. I have not mentioned it to any
+one, and there's only one other besides myself who knows that to-day I
+am twice three times seven years of age. Seventeen years ago to-day,
+Commander Peary, hobbling about on his crutches with his right leg in a
+sling, insisted on giving me a birthday party. I was twenty-five years
+old then, and on the threshold of my Arctic experience. Never before in
+my life had the anniversary of my birth been celebrated, and to have a
+party given in my honor touched me deeply. Mrs. Peary was a member of
+the expedition then, and I suppose that it was due to her that the
+occasion was made a memorable one for me. Last year, I was aboard the
+_Roosevelt_ in the shadow of the "Statue of Liberty" in New York Bay,
+and was treated to a pleasant surprise by my wife.
+
+Commander Peary gave me explicit instructions to get Nipsangwah and Myah
+ashore as quick as the Creator would let them, but to be sure that their
+seven curs were kept aboard; these two huskies having exalted ideas as
+to their rights and privileges. Egingwah, or Karko as we knew him, and
+Koodlootinah and his family were to come aboard.
+
+Acting under orders, I obeyed, but it was not a pleasant task. I have
+known men who needed dogs less to pay a great deal more for one pup
+than was paid to Nipsangwah for his pack of seven. The dogs are a
+valuable asset to this people and these two men were dependent on their
+little teams to a greater extent than on the plates and cups of tin
+which they received in exchange for them.
+
+August 8-9, 1908: Have been trading with the natives without any
+trouble; they will give anything I want for anything that I have that
+they want. "It's a shame to take the money," or, as money is unknown up
+here and has no value, I should say that I should be ashamed to take
+such an advantage of them, but if I should stop to consider the
+freight-rates to this part of the world, no doubt a hatchet or a knife
+is worth just what it can be traded in for.
+
+The ship has been rapidly littering up until it is now in a most perfect
+state of dirtiness, and in order to get the supplies from the _Erik_,
+coal, etc., the movable articles, dogs, Esquimos, etc., will have to be
+shifted and yours truly is helping.
+
+The dogs have been landed on a small island in the bay, where they are
+safe and cannot run away, and they can have a glorious time, fighting
+and getting acquainted with each other. Some of the Esquimos' goods are
+ashore, some aboard the _Erik_, and the rest forward on the roof of the
+deck-house, while the _Roosevelt_ is getting her coal aboard.
+
+The loading of the meat and coal has been done by the crews of the
+ships, assisted and _hampered_ by some of the Esquimos, and I have been
+walrus-hunting, and taxidermizing; that is, I have skinned a pair of
+walrus so that they can be stuffed and mounted. This job has been very
+carefully, and I think successfully, done and the skins have been towed
+ashore. The hearts, livers, and kidneys have been brought aboard and the
+meat is to be loaded to-morrow. Two boat-loads of bones have been rowed
+over to Dog Island for dog-food.
+
+Coaling and stowing of whale-meat aboard the _Roosevelt_ was finished at
+noon, August 15, and all day Sunday, August 16, all hands were at the
+job transferring to the _Erik_ the boxes of provisions that were to be
+left at the cache at Etah. Bos'n Murphy and Billy Pritchard, the
+cabin-boy, are to stay as guard until the return of the _Roosevelt_ next
+summer. A blinding storm of wind and snow prevented the _Roosevelt_
+from starting until about two-thirty P. M., when, with all the dogs
+a-howling, the whistle tooting, and the crew and members cheering, we
+steamed out of the Harbor into Smith Sound, and a thick fog which
+compelled half-speed past Littleton Island and into heavy pack-ice.
+
+Captain Bartlett was navigating the ship and his eagle eye found a lane
+of open water from Cape Sabine to Bache Peninsula and open water from
+Ellesmere Land half-way across Buchanan Bay, but this lead closed on
+him, and the _Roosevelt_ had to stop. Late in the evening, the ice
+started to move and grind alongside of the ship, but did no damage
+except scaring the Esquimos. Daylight still kept up and we went to sleep
+with our boots on!
+
+From Etah to Cape Sheridan, which was to be our last point north in the
+ship, consumed twenty-one days of the hardest kind of work imaginable
+for a ship; actually fighting for every foot of the way against the
+almost impassable ice. For another ship it would have been impassable,
+but the _Roosevelt_ was built for this kind of work, and her worth and
+ability had been proven on the voyage of 1905. The constant jolting,
+bumping, and jarring against the ice-packs, forwards and backwards, the
+sudden stops and starts and the frequent storms made work and comfort
+aboard ship all but impossible.
+
+Had it been possible to be ashore at some point of vantage, to witness
+the struggles of our little ship against her giant adversaries would
+have been an impressive sight.
+
+I will not dwell on the trying hours and days of her successful battle,
+the six days of watching and waiting for a chance to get out of our
+dangerous predicament in Lincoln Bay, the rounding of the different
+capes en route, or the horrible jams in Lady Franklin Bay. The good ship
+kept at the fight and won by sheer bulldogged tenacity and pluck. Life
+aboard her during those twenty-one days was not one sweet song, but we
+did not suffer unusually, and a great deal of necessary work was done on
+our equipments. The Esquimo women sewed diligently on the fur clothing
+we were to wear during the coming winter and I worked on the sledges
+that were to be used. Provisions were packed in compact shape and every
+one was busy. Two caches of provisions were made ashore in the event of
+an overland retreat, and the small boats were fully provisioned as a
+precaution against the loss of the ship. We did not dwell on the thought
+of losing it, but we took no chances.
+
+Meeting with continual rebuffs, but persistently forging ahead and
+gaining deliberately day by day, the _Roosevelt_ pushed steadily
+northward through the ice-encumbered waters of Kane Basin, Kennedy and
+Robeson Channels, and around the northeast corner of Grant Land to the
+shelter of Cape Sheridan, which was reached early in the afternoon of
+September 5, 1908.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+PREPARING FOR WINTER AT CAPE SHERIDAN--THE ARCTIC LIBRARY
+
+
+Now that we had reached Cape Sheridan in the ship, every one's spirits
+seemed to soar. It was still daylight, with the sun above the horizon,
+and although two parties had been landed for hunting, no one seemed to
+be in any particular hurry. The weather was cold but calm, and even in
+the rush of unloading the ship I often heard the hum of songs, and had
+it not been for the fur-jacketed men who were doing the work, it would
+not have been difficult for me to imagine myself in a much warmer
+climate.
+
+Of course! in accordance with my agreement with some other members of
+this expedition I kept my eye on the Commander, and although it was not
+usual for him to break forth into song, I frequently heard him humming
+a popular air, and I knew that for the present all was well with him.
+
+With the ship lightened, by being unloaded, to a large extent, of all of
+the stores, she did not very appreciably rise, but the Commander and the
+Captain agreed that she could be safely worked considerably closer to
+the shore, inside of the tide-crack possibly; and the _Roosevelt_ was
+made fast to the ice-foot of the land, with a very considerable distance
+between her and open water. Her head was pointed due north, and affairs
+aboard her assumed regulation routine. The stores ashore were
+contracted, and work on getting them into shape for building temporary
+houses was soon under way. The boxes of provisions themselves formed the
+walls, and the roofing was made from makeshifts such as sails,
+overturned whale-boats, and rocks; and had the ship got adrift and been
+lost, the houses on shore would have proved ample and comfortable for
+housing the expedition.
+
+A ship, and a good one like the _Roosevelt_, is the prime necessity in
+getting an expedition within striking distance of the Pole, but once
+here the ship (and no other boat, but the _Roosevelt_ could get here)
+is not indispensable, and accordingly all precautions against her loss
+were taken.
+
+It is a fact that Arctic expeditions have lost their ships early in the
+season and in spite of the loss have done successful work. The last
+Ziegler Polar Expedition of 1903-1905 is an example. In the ship
+_America_ they reached Crown Prince Rudolph Island on the European
+route, and shortly after landing, in the beginning of the long night,
+the _America_ went adrift, and has never been seen since. It is not
+difficult to imagine her still drifting in the lonely Arctic Ocean, with
+not a soul aboard (a modern phantom ship in a sea of eternal ice). A
+more likely idea is that she has been crushed by the ice, and sunk, and
+the skeleton of her hulk strewn along the bottom of the sea, full many a
+fathom deep.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+However, the depressing probabilities of the venture we are on are not
+permitted to worry us. The _Roosevelt_ is a "Homer" and we confidently
+expect to have her take us back to home and loved ones.
+
+In the meantime, I have a steady job carpentering, also interpreting,
+barbering, tailoring, dog-training, and chasing Esquimos out of my
+quarters. The Esquimos have the run of the ship and get everywhere
+except into the Commander's cabin, which they have been taught to regard
+as "The Holy of Holies." With the help of a sign which tersely proclaims
+"No Admittance," painted on a board and nailed over the door, they are
+without much difficulty restrained from going in.
+
+The Commander's stateroom is a _state_ room. He has a piano in there and
+a photograph of President Roosevelt; and right next door he has a
+private bath-room with a bath-tub in it. The bath-tub is chock-full of
+impedimenta of a much solider quality than water, but it is to be
+cleared out pretty soon, and every morning the Commander is going to
+have his cold-plunge, if there is enough hot water.
+
+There is a general rule that every member of the expedition, including
+the sailors, must take a bath at least once a week, and it is wonderful
+how contagious bathing is. Even the Esquimos catch it, and frequently
+Charley has to interrupt the upward development of some ambitious
+native, who has suddenly perceived the need of ablutions, and has
+started to scrub himself in the water that is intended for cooking
+purposes. If the husky has not gone too far, the water is not wasted,
+and our stew is all the more savory.
+
+On board ship there was quite an extensive library, especially on Arctic
+and Antarctic topics, but as it was in the Commander's cabin it was not
+heavily patronized. In my own cabin I had Dickens' "Bleak House,"
+Kipling's "Barrack Room Ballads," and the poems of Thomas Hood; also a
+copy of the Holy Bible, which had been given to me by a dear old lady in
+Brooklyn, N. Y. I also had Peary's books, "Northward Over the Great
+Ice," and his last work "Nearest the Pole." During the long dreary
+midnights of the Arctic winter, I spent many a pleasant hour with my
+books. I also took along with me a calendar for the years 1908 and 1909,
+for in the regions of noonday darkness and midnight daylight, a calendar
+is absolutely necessary.
+
+But mostly I had rougher things than reading to do.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+MAKING PEARY SLEDGES--HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC NIGHT--THE EXCITABLE DOGS
+AND THEIR HABITS
+
+
+I have been busy making sledges, sledges of a different pattern from
+those used heretofore, and it is expected that they will answer better
+than the Esquimo type of open-work sledge, of the earlier expeditions.
+These sledges have been designed by Commander Peary and I have done the
+work.
+
+The runners are longer, and are curved upwards at each end, so that they
+resemble the profile of a canoe, and are expected to rise over the
+inequalities of the ice much better than the old style. Lashed together
+with sealskin thongs, about twelve feet long, by two feet wide and seven
+inches high, the load can be spread along their entire length instead of
+being piled up, and a more even distribution of the weights is made. The
+Esquimos, used to their style of sledge, are of the opinion that the
+new style will prove too much for one man and an ordinary team to
+handle, but we have given both kinds a fair trial and it looks as if the
+new type has the old beaten by a good margin.
+
+The hunting is not going along as successfully as is desired. The sun is
+sinking lower and lower, and the different hunting parties return with
+poor luck, bringing to the ship nothing in some cases, and in others
+only a few hares and some fish.
+
+The Commander has told me that it is imperative that fresh meat be
+secured, and now that I have done all that it is positively necessary
+for me to do here at the ship, I am to take a couple of the Esquimo boys
+and try my luck for musk-oxen or reindeer, so to-morrow, early in the
+morning, it is off on the hunt.
+
+This from my diary: Eight days out and not a shot, not a sight of game,
+nothing. The night is coming quickly, the long months of darkness, of
+quiet and cold, that, in spite of my years of experience, I can never
+get used to; and up here at Sheridan it comes sooner and lasts longer
+than it does down at Etah and Bowdoin Bay. Only a few days' difference,
+but it _is_ longer, and I do not welcome it. Not a sound, except the
+report of a glacier, broken off by its weight, and causing a new iceberg
+to be born. The black darkness of the sky, the stars twinkling above,
+and hour after hour going by with no sunlight. Every now and then a moon
+when storms do not come, and always the cold, getting colder and colder,
+and me out on the hunt for fresh meat. I know it; the same old story, a
+man's work and a dog's life, and what does it amount to? What good is to
+be done? I am tired, sick, sore, and discouraged.
+
+The main thing was game, but I had a much livelier time with some
+members of the Peary Arctic Club's expedition known as "our four-footed
+friends"--the dogs.
+
+The dogs are ever interesting. They never bark, and often bite, but
+there is no danger from their bites. To get together a team that has not
+been tied down the night before is a job. You take a piece of meat,
+frozen as stiff as a piece of sheet-iron, in one hand, and the harness
+in the other, you single out the cur you are after, make proper
+advances, and when he comes sniffling and snuffling and all the time
+keeping at a safe distance, you drop the sheet-iron on the snow, the
+brute makes a dive, and you make a flop, you grab the nearest thing
+grabable--ear, leg, or bunch of hair--and do your best to catch his
+throat, after which, everything is easy. Slip the harness over the head,
+push the fore-paws through, and there you are, one dog hooked up and
+harnessed. After licking the bites and sucking the blood, you tie said
+dog to a rock and start for the next one. It is only a question of time
+before you have your team. When you have them, leave them alone; they
+must now decide who is fit to be the king of the team, and so they
+fight, they fight and fight; and once they have decided, the king is
+king. A growl from him, or only a look, is enough, all obey, except the
+females, and the females have their way, for, true to type, the males
+never harm the females, and it is always the females who start the
+trouble.
+
+The dogs when not hitched to the sledges were kept together in teams and
+tied up, both at the ship and while we were hunting. They were not
+allowed to roam at large, for past experience with these customers had
+taught us that nothing in the way of food was safe from the attack of
+Esquimo dogs. I have seen tin boxes that had been chewed open by dogs in
+order to get at the contents, tin cans of condensed milk being gnawed
+like a bone, and skin clothing being chewed up like so much gravy. Dog
+fights were hourly occurrences, and we lost a great many by the ravages
+of the mysterious Arctic disease, piblokto, which affects all dog life
+and frequently human life. Indeed, it looked for a time as if we should
+lose the whole pack, so rapidly did they die, but constant care and
+attention permitted us to save most of them, and the fittest survived.
+
+Next to the Esquimos, the dogs are the most interesting subjects in the
+Arctic regions, and I could tell lots of tales to prove their
+intelligence and sagacity. These animals, more wolf than dog, have
+associated themselves with the human beings of this country as have
+their kin in more congenial places of the earth. Wide head, sharp nose,
+and pointed ears, thick wiry hair, and, in some of the males, a heavy
+mane; thick bushy tail, curved up over the back; deep chest and fore
+legs wide apart; a typical Esquimo dog is the picture of alert
+attention. They are as intelligent as any dog in civilization, and a
+thousand times more useful. They earn their own livings and disdain any
+of the comforts of life. Indeed it seems that when life is made pleasant
+for them they get sick, lie down and die; and when out on the march,
+with no food for days, thin, gaunt skeletons of their former selves,
+they will drag at the traces of the sledges and by their uncomplaining
+conduct, inspire their human companions to keep on.
+
+Without the Esquimo dog, the story of the North Pole, would remain
+untold; for human ingenuity has not yet devised any other means to
+overcome the obstacles of cold, storm, and ice that nature has placed in
+the way than those that were utilized on this expedition.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE PEARY PLAN--A RAIN OF ROCKS--MY FRIENDS THE ESQUIMOS
+
+
+The story of the winter at Cape Sheridan is a story unique in the
+experience of Arctic exploration. Usually it is the rule to hibernate as
+much as possible during the period of darkness, and the party is
+confined closely to headquarters. The Peary plan is different; and
+constant activity and travel were insisted on.
+
+There were very few days when all of the members of the expedition were
+together, after the ship had reached her destination. Hunting parties
+were immediately sent out, for it was on the big game of the country
+that the expedition depended for fresh meat. Professor Marvin commenced
+his scientific work, and his several stations were all remote from
+headquarters; and all winter long, parties were sledging provisions,
+equipment, etc., to Cape Columbia, ninety-three miles northwest, in
+anticipation of the journey to the Pole. Those who remained at
+headquarters did not find life an idle dream. There was something in the
+way of work going on all of the time. I was away from the ship on two
+hunting trips of about ten days each, and while at headquarters, I
+shaped and built over two dozen sledges, besides doing lots of other
+work.
+
+Naturally there were frequent storms and intense cold, and in regard to
+the storms of the Arctic regions of North Greenland and Grant Land, the
+only word I can use to describe them is "terrible," in the fullest
+meaning it conveys. The effect of such storms of wind and snow, or rain,
+is abject physical terror, due to the realization of perfect
+helplessness. I have seen rocks a hundred and a hundred and fifty pounds
+in weight picked up by the storm and blown for distances of ninety or a
+hundred feet to the edge of a precipice, and there of their own momentum
+go hurtling through space to fall in crashing fragments at the base.
+Imagine the effect of such a rainfall of death-dealing bowlders on the
+feelings of a little group of three or four, who have sought the base
+of the cliff for shelter. I have been there and I have seen one of my
+Esquimo companions felled by a blow from a rock eighty-four pounds in
+weight, which struck him fairly between the shoulder-blades, literally
+knocking the life out of him. I have been there, and believe me, I have
+been afraid. A hundred-pound box of supplies, taking an aërial joy ride,
+during the progress of a storm down at Anniversary Lodge in 1894, struck
+Commander Peary a glancing blow which put him out of commission for over
+a week. These mighty winds make it possible for the herbivorous animals
+of this region to exist. They sweep the snow from vast stretches of
+land, exposing the hay and dried dwarf-willows, that the hare,
+musk-oxen, and reindeer feed on.
+
+The Esquimo families who came north to Cape Sheridan with us on the
+_Roosevelt_ found life much more ideal than down in their native land.
+It was a pleasure trip for them, with nothing to worry about, and
+everything provided. Some of the families lived aboard ship all through
+the winter, and some in the box-house on shore. They were perforce much
+cleaner in their personal habits than they were wont to be in their own
+home country, but never for an instant does the odor or appearance of an
+Esquimo's habitation suggest the rose or geranium. The aroma of an East
+Side lunch-room is more like it.
+
+There were thirty-nine Esquimos in the expedition, men, women and
+children; for the Esquimo travels heavy and takes his women and children
+with him as a matter of course. The women were as useful as the men, and
+the small boys did the ship's chores, sledging in fresh water from the
+lake, etc. They were mostly in families; but there were several young,
+unmarried men, and the unattached, much-married and divorced Miss
+"Bill," who domiciled herself aboard the ship and did much good work
+with her needle. She was my seamstress and the thick fur clothes worn on
+the trip to the Pole were sewn by her. The Esquimos lived as happily as
+in their own country and carried on their domestic affairs with almost
+the same care-free irregularity as usual. The best-natured people on
+earth, with no bad habits of their own, but a ready ability to
+assimilate the vices of civilization. Twenty years ago, when I first
+met them, not one used tobacco or craved it. To-day every member of the
+tribe has had experience with tobacco, craves it, and will give most
+everything, except his gun, to get it. Even little toddlers, three and
+four years old, will eat tobacco and, strange to say, it has no bad
+effect. They get tobacco from the Danish missionaries and from the
+sailors on board the whaling, seal, and walrus-ships. Whisky has not yet
+gotten in its demoralizing work.
+
+It is my conviction that the life of this little tribe is doomed, and
+that extinction is nearly due. It will be caused partly by themselves,
+and partly by the misguided endeavors of civilized people. Every year
+their number diminishes; in 1894, Hugh J. Lee took the census of the
+tribe, and it numbered two hundred and fifty-three; in 1906, Professor
+Marvin found them to have dwindled to two hundred and seven. At this
+writing I dare say their number is still further reduced, for the latest
+news I have had from the Whale Sound region informs me that quite a
+number of deaths have occurred, and the birth-rate is not high. It is
+sad to think of the fate of my friends who live in what was once a land
+of plenty, but which is, through the greed of the commercial hunter,
+becoming a land of frigid desolation. The seals are practically gone,
+and the walrus are being quickly exterminated. The reindeer and the
+musk-oxen are going the same way, for the Esquimos themselves now hunt
+inland, when, up to twenty years ago, their hunting was confined to the
+coast and the life-giving sea.
+
+They are very human in their attributes, and in spite of the fact that
+their diet is practically meat only, their tempers are gentle and mild,
+and there is a great deal of affection among them. Except between
+husband and wife, they seldom quarrel; and never hold spite or
+animosity. Children are a valuable asset, are much loved, never scolded
+or punished, and are not spoiled. An Esquimo mother washes her baby the
+same way a cat washes her kittens. There are lots of personal habits the
+description of which might scatter the reading circle, so I will desist
+with the bald statement, that, for them, dirt and filth have no
+terrors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+SLEDGING TO CAPE COLUMBIA--HOT SOLDERING IN COLD WEATHER
+
+
+If you will get out your geography and turn to the map of the Western
+Hemisphere you will be able to follow me. Take the seventieth meridian,
+west. It is the major meridian of the Western Hemisphere, its northern
+land extremity being Cape Columbia, Grant Land; southward it crosses our
+own Cape Cod and the island of Santo Domingo, and runs down through the
+Andes to Cape Horn, the southern extremity of South America.
+
+The seventieth meridian was our pathway to the Pole, based on the west
+longitude of 70°. Both Professor Marvin and Captain Bartlett took their
+observations at their respective farthests, and at the Pole, where all
+meridians meet, Commander Peary took his elevations of the sun, based on
+the local time of the Columbian meridian.
+
+Cape Columbia was discovered over fifty years ago, by the intrepid
+Captain Hall, who gave his life to Arctic exploration, and lies buried
+on the Greenland coast. From the time of the arrival of the _Roosevelt_
+at Cape Sheridan, the previous September, communications with Cape
+Columbia were opened up, the trail was made and kept open all through
+the winter by constant travel between the ship and the cape. Loads of
+supplies, in anticipation of the start for the Pole, were sledged there.
+
+The route to Cape Columbia is through a region of somber magnificence.
+Huge beetling cliffs overlook the pathway; dark savage headlands, around
+which we had to travel, project out into the ice-covered waters of the
+ocean, and vast stretches of wind-swept plains meet the eye in alternate
+changes. From Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia is a distance of
+ninety-three miles. In ordinary weather, it took about three and a half
+marches, although on the return from the Pole it was covered in two
+marches, men and dogs breezing in.
+
+On February 18, 1909, I left the _Roosevelt_ on what might be a
+returnless journey. The time to strike had come. Captain Bartlett and
+Dr. Goodsell had already started. The Commander gave me strict orders to
+the effect that I must get to Porter Bay, pick up the cache of alcohol
+left there late in the previous week, solder up the leaks, and take it
+to Cape Columbia, there to await his arrival. The cause of the
+alcohol-leakage was due to the jolting of the sledges over the rough
+ice, puncturing the thin tin of the alcohol-cases.
+
+I wish you could have seen me soldering those tins, under the conditions
+of darkness, intense cold, and insufficient furnace arrangement I had to
+endure. If there ever was a job for a demon in Hades, that was it. I
+vividly recall it. At the same instant I was in imminent danger of
+freezing to death and being burned alive; and the mental picture of
+those three fur-clad men, huddled around the little oil-stove heating
+the soldering-iron, and the hot solder dripping on the tin, is amusing
+now; but we were anything but amused then. The following is transcribed
+from my diary:
+
+February 18, 1909: Weather clear, temperature 28° at five A. M. We were
+ready to leave the ship at seven-thirty A. M., but a blinding gale
+delayed our start until nine A. M. Two parties have left for Columbia:
+Professor MacMillan, three boys, four sledges, and twenty-four dogs; and
+my party of three boys and the same outfit. Each sledge is loaded with
+about two hundred and fifty pounds of provisions, consisting of
+pemmican, biscuits, tea, and alcohol. The Arctic night still holds sway,
+but to-day at noon, far to the south, a thin band of twilight shows,
+giving promise of the return of the sun, and every day now will increase
+in light. Heavy going to Porter Bay, where we are to spend the night,
+and as soon as rested start to work soldering up the thirty-six leaky
+alcohol tins left there by George Borup last week. Professor MacMillan
+and his party have not shown up yet. They dropped behind at Cape
+Richardson and we are keeping a watch for them. Snow still drifting and
+the wind howling like old times. Have had our evening meal of
+travel-rations; pemmican, biscuits, and tea and condensed milk, which
+was eaten with a relish. Two meals a day now, and big work between
+meals. No sign of Professor MacMillan and his crew, so we are going to
+turn in. The other igloo is waiting for him and the storm keeps up.
+
+February 19, 1909: It was six A. M. when I routed out the boys for
+breakfast. I am writing while the tea is brewing. Had a good sleep last
+night when I did get to sleep. Snoring, talk about snoring! Sleeping
+with Esquimos on either side, who have already fallen asleep, is
+impossible. The only way to get asleep is to wake them up, get them good
+and wide-awake, inquire solicitously as to their comfort, and before
+they can get to sleep fall asleep yourself. After that, their rhythmic
+snores will only tend to soothe and rest you.
+
+Worked all day soldering the tins of alcohol, and a very trying job it
+was. I converted the oil-stove into an alcohol-burner, and used it to
+heat the irons. It took some time for me to gauge properly the height
+above the blue flame of the alcohol at which I would get the best
+results in heating the irons, but at last we found it. A cradle-shaped
+support made from biscuit-can wire was hung over the flame about an inch
+above it, and while the boys heated the irons, I squatted on my knees
+with a case of alcohol across my lap and got to work. I had watched Mr.
+Wardwell aboard the ship solder up the cases and I found that watching a
+man work, and doing the same thing yourself, were two different matters.
+I tried to work with mittens on; I tried to work with them off. As soon
+as my bare fingers would touch the cold metal of the tins, they would
+freeze, and if I attempted to use the mittens they would singe and burn,
+and it was impossible to hold the solder with my bearskin gloves on. But
+keeping everlastingly at it brings success, and with the help of the
+boys the work was slowly but surely done.
+
+Early this evening Professor MacMillan and his caravan arrived. He
+complimented me on the success of my work and informed me that they
+camped at Cape Richardson last night and that the trail had been pretty
+well blown over by the storm, but that the sledge-tracks were still to
+be seen. Dead tired, but not cold or uncomfortable. The stew is ready
+and so am I. Goodnight!
+
+February 20: Wind died down, sky clear, and weather cold as usual. Our
+next point is Sail Harbor and after breakfast we set out. The Professor
+has asked me the most advisable way; whether to keep to the sea-ice or
+go overland, and we have agreed to follow the northern route, overland
+across Fielden Peninsula, using Peary's Path. By this route we estimate
+a saving of eight miles of going, and we will hit the beach at James
+Ross Bay.
+
+Five P. M.: Sail Harbor. Stopped writing to eat breakfast, and then we
+loaded up and started. Reached here about an hour ago and from the fresh
+tracks in the snow, the Captain's or the Doctor's party have just
+recently left. It was evidently Doctor Goodsell and his crew who were
+here last; for Captain Bartlett left the _Roosevelt_ on February 15 and
+the Doctor did not leave until the 16th. The going has been heavy, due
+to loose snow and heavy winds. Also intense cold; the thermometers are
+all out of commission, due to bubbles; but a frozen bottle of brandy
+proves that we had at least 45° of cold. The igloo I built last December
+5 is the one my party are camped in. Professor MacMillan and his party
+kept up with us all day, and it was pleasant to have his society.
+Writing is difficult, the kettle is boiled, so here ends to-day's
+entry.
+
+February 21: Easy wind, clear sky, but awful cold. Going across Clements
+Markham Inlet was fine, and we were able to steal a ride on the sledges
+most of the way, but we all had our faces frosted, and my short flat
+nose, which does not readily succumb to the cold, suffered as much as
+did MacMillan's. Even these men of iron, the Esquimos, suffered from the
+cold, Ootah freezing the great toe of his right foot. Perforce, he was
+compelled to thaw it out in the usual way; that is, taking off his kamik
+and placing his freezing foot under my bearskin shirt, the heat of my
+body thawing out the frozen member.
+
+Cape Colan was reached about half past nine this morning. There we
+reloaded, and I fear overloaded, the sledges, from the cache which has
+been placed there. Our loads average about 550 pounds per sledge and we
+have left a lot of provisions behind.
+
+We are at Cape Good Point, having been unable to make Cape Columbia, and
+have had to build an igloo. With our overloaded sledges this has been a
+hard day's work. The dogs pulled, and we pushed, and frequently lifted
+the heavily loaded sledges through the deep, soft snow; but we did not
+dump any of our loads. Although the boys wanted to, I would not stand
+for it. The bad example of seeing some piles of provision-cases which
+had been unloaded by the preceding parties was what put the idea in
+their heads.
+
+We will make Cape Columbia to-morrow and will have to do no
+back-tracking. We are moving forward. I have started for a place, and do
+not intend to run back to get a better start.
+
+February 22, 1909: Cape Columbia. We left Cape Good Point at seven A. M.
+and reached Cape Columbia at eight P. M. No wind, but weather thick and
+hazy, and the same old cold. About two miles from Good Point, we passed
+the Doctor's igloo. About a mile beyond this, we passed the "Crystal
+Palace" that had been occupied by the Captain. Six miles farther north,
+we passed a second igloo, which had been built by the Doctor's party.
+How did we know who had built and occupied these igloos? It was easy, as
+an Esquimo knows and recognizes another Esquimo's handwork, the same as
+you recognize the handwriting of your friends. I noted the neat,
+orderly, shipshape condition of the Captain's igloo, and the empty
+cocoa-tins scattered around the Doctor's igloo. The Doctor was the only
+one who had cocoa as an article of supply.
+
+Following the trail four miles farther north, we passed the Captain's
+second igloo. He had unloaded his three sledges here and gone on to Parr
+Bay to hunt musk-oxen. We caught up with the Doctor and his party at the
+end of the ice-foot and pushed on to Cape Columbia. We found but one
+igloo here and I did the "after you my dear Alphonse," and the Doctor
+got the igloo. My boys and I have built a good big one in less than an
+hour, and we are now snug and warm.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+IN CAMP AT COLUMBIA--LITERARY IGLOOS--THE MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION OF THE
+ARCTIC
+
+
+Our heavy furs had been made by the Esquimo women on board the ship and
+had been thoroughly aired and carefully packed on the sledges. We were
+to discard our old clothes before leaving the land and endeavor to be in
+the cleanest condition possible while contending with the ice, for we
+knew that we would get dirty enough without having the discomfort of
+vermin added. It is easy to become vermin-infested, and when all forms
+of life but man and dog seem to have disappeared, the bedbug still
+remains. Each person had taken a good hot bath with plenty of soap and
+water before we left the ship, and we had given each other what we
+called a "prize-fighter's hair-cut." We ran the clippers from forehead
+back, all over the head, and we looked like a precious bunch but we had
+hair enough on our heads by the time we came back from our three months'
+journey, and we needed a few more baths and new clothes.
+
+When I met Dr. Goodsell at Cape Columbia, about a week after he had left
+the ship, he had already raised quite a beard, and, as his hair was
+black and heavy, it made quite a change in his appearance. The effect of
+the long period of darkness had been to give his complexion a
+greenish-yellow tinge. My complexion reminded him of a ginger cake with
+too much saleratus in it.
+
+February 23: Heavy snow-fall but practically no wind this morning at
+seven o'clock, when Dr. Goodsell left his igloo for Cape Colan to pick
+up the load he had left there when he lightened his sledges, also some
+loads of pemmican and biscuits that had been cached. We had supper
+together and also breakfast this morning, and as we ate we laughed and
+talked, and I taught him a few tricks for keeping himself warm.
+
+In spite of the snow, which was still falling, I routed out my boys, and
+in the dark we left camp for the western side of the cape, to get the
+four sledge-loads of rations that had been taken there the previous
+November. Got the loads and pushed south to Cape Aldrich, which is a
+point on the promontory of Cape Columbia. From Cape Aldrich the
+Commander intends to attack the sea-ice.
+
+After unloading the supplies on the point, we came back to camp at Cape
+Columbia. Shortly afterwards Captain Bartlett came into camp from his
+musk-ox-hunt around Parr Bay. He had not shot a thing and was very tired
+and discouraged, but I think he was glad to see me. He was so hungry
+that I gave him all the stew, which he swallowed whole.
+
+MacMillan and his party showed up about an hour after the Captain, and
+very shortly after George Borup came driving in, like "Ann Eliza
+Johnson, a swingin' down the line." I helped Mr. Borup build his igloo,
+for which he was grateful. He is a plucky young fellow and is always
+cheerful. He told us that Professor Marvin, according to the schedule,
+had left the ship on the 20th, and the Commander on the 21st, so they
+must be well on the way.
+
+While waiting in this camp for the Commander and Professor Marvin to
+arrive, we had plenty of work; re-adjusting the sledge-loads and also
+building snow-houses and banking them with blocks of snow, for the wind
+had eroded one end of my igloo and completely razed it to the level of
+the ground, and a more solidly constructed igloo was necessary to
+withstand the fury of the gale.
+
+We kept a fire going in one igloo and dried our mittens and kamiks.
+Though the tumpa, tumpa, plunk of the banjo was not heard, and our
+camp-fires were not scenes of revelry and joy, I frequently did the
+double-shuffle and an Old Virginia break-down, to keep my blood
+circulating.
+
+The hours preceding our advance from Cape Columbia were pleasantly
+spent, though we lost no time in literary debates. There were a few
+books along.
+
+Out on the ice of the Polar ocean, as far as reading matter went, I
+think Dr. Goodsell had a very small set of Shakespeare, and I know that
+I had a Holy Bible. The others who went out on the ice may have had
+reading matter with them, but they did not read it out loud, and so I
+am not in a position to say what their literary tastes were.
+
+Even on shipboard, we had no pigskin library or five-foot shelf of
+sleep-producers, but each member had some favorite books in his cabin,
+and they helped to form a circulating library.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+While we waited here, we had time to appreciate the magnificent
+desolation about us. Even on the march, with loaded sledges and tugging
+dogs to engage attention, unconsciously one finds oneself with wits
+wool-gathering and eyes taking in the scene, and suddenly being brought
+back to the business of the hour by the fiend-like conduct of his team.
+
+There is an irresistible fascination about the regions of northern-most
+Grant Land that is impossible for me to describe. Having no poetry in my
+soul, and being somewhat hardened by years of experience in that
+inhospitable country, words proper to give you an idea of its unique
+beauty do not come to mind. Imagine gorgeous bleakness, beautiful
+blankness. It never seems broad, bright day, even in the middle of June,
+and the sky has the different effects of the varying hours of morning
+and evening twilight from the first to the last peep of day. Early in
+February, at noon, a thin band of light appears far to the southward,
+heralding the approach of the sun, and daily the twilight lengthens,
+until early in March, the sun, a flaming disk of fiery crimson, shows
+his distorted image above the horizon. This distorted shape is due to
+the mirage caused by the cold, just as heat-waves above the rails on a
+railroad-track distort the shape of objects beyond.
+
+The south sides of the lofty peaks have for days reflected the glory of
+the coming sun, and it does not require an artist to enjoy the
+unexampled splendor of the view. The snows covering the peaks show all
+of the colors, variations, and tones of the artist's palette, and more.
+Artists have gone with us into the Arctic and I have heard them rave
+over the wonderful beauties of the scene, and I have seen them at work
+trying to reproduce some of it, with good results but with nothing like
+the effect of the original. As Mr. Stokes said, "it is color run riot."
+
+To the northward, all is dark and the brighter stars of the heavens are
+still visible, but growing fainter daily with the strengthening of the
+sunlight.
+
+When the sun finally gets above the horizon and swings his daily circle,
+the color effects grow less and less, but then the sky and cloud-effects
+improve and the shadows in the mountains and clefts of the ice show
+forth their beauty, cold blues and grays; the bare patches of the land,
+rich browns; and the whiteness of the snow is dazzling. At midday, the
+optical impression given by one's shadow is of about nine o'clock in the
+morning, this due to the altitude of the sun, always giving us long
+shadows. Above us the sky is blue and bright, bluer than the sky of the
+Mediterranean, and the clouds from the silky cirrus mare's-tails to the
+fantastic and heavy cumulus are always objects of beauty. This is the
+description of fine weather.
+
+Almost any spot would have been a fine one to get a round of views from;
+at Cape Sheridan, our headquarters, we were bounded by a series of land
+marks that have become historical; to the north, Cape Hecla, the point
+of departure of the 1906 expedition; to the west, Cape Joseph Henry,
+and beyond, the twin peaks of Cape Columbia rear their giant summits out
+to the ocean.
+
+From Cape Columbia the expedition was now to leave the land and sledge
+over the ice-covered ocean four hundred and thirteen miles north--to the
+Pole!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE--THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL
+
+
+The Diary--February 23: Heavy snow-fall and furious winds; accordingly
+intense darkness and much discomfort.
+
+There was a heavy gale blowing at seven o'clock in the morning, on
+February 22, and the snow was so thick and drifty that we kept close to
+our igloos and made no attempt to do more than feed the dogs. My igloo
+was completely covered with snow and the one occupied by Dr. Goodsell
+was blown away, so that he had to have another one, which I helped to
+build.
+
+The wind subsided considerably, leaving a thick haze, but after
+breakfast, Professor MacMillan, Mr. Borup, and their parties, left camp
+for Cape Colan, to get the supplies they had dumped there, and carry
+them to Cape Aldrich. I took one Esquimo, Pooadloonah, and one sledge
+from the Captain's party, and with my own three boys, Ooblooyah, Ootah,
+and I-forget-his-name, and a howling mob of dogs, we left for the
+western side of Cape Columbia, and got the rest of the pemmican and
+biscuits. On the way back, we met the Captain, who was out taking
+exercise. He had nothing to say; he did not shake hands, but there was
+something in his manner to show that he was glad to see us. With the
+coming of the daylight a man gets more cheerful, but it was still
+twilight when we left Cape Columbia, and melancholy would sometimes
+grip, as it often did during the darkness of midwinter.
+
+Captain Bartlett helped us to push the loaded sledges to Cape Aldrich
+and nothing was left at Cape Columbia.
+
+When we got back to camp we found Professor Marvin and his party of
+three Esquimos there. They had just reached the camp and were at work
+building an igloo.
+
+Professor Marvin came over to our igloo and changed his clothes; that
+is, in a temperature of at least 45° below zero, by the light of my
+lantern he coolly and calmly stripped to the pelt, and proceeded to
+cloth himself in the new suit of reindeerskin and polar bearskin
+clothing, that had been made for him by the Esquimo woman,
+Ahlikahsingwah, aboard the _Roosevelt_. It had taken him and his party
+five days to make the trip from Sheridan to Columbia.
+
+February 26: This from my log: "Clear, no wind, temperature 57° below
+zero." Listen! I will tell you about it. At seven A. M. we quit trying
+to sleep and started the pot a-boiling. A pint of hot tea gave us a
+different point of view, and Professor Marvin handed me the thermometer,
+which I took outside and got the reading; 57° below; that is cold
+enough. I have seen it lower, but after forty below the difference is
+not appreciable.
+
+I climbed to the highest pinnacle of the cape and in the gathering
+daylight gazed out over the ice-covered ocean to get an idea of its
+condition. At my back lay the land of sadness, just below me the little
+village of snow-houses, the northern-most city on the earth (Commander
+Peary give it the name Crane City), and, stretching wide and far to the
+northward, the irresistible influence that beckoned us on; broken ice, a
+sinister chaos, through which we would have to work our way. Dark and
+heavy clouds along the horizon gave indication of open water, and it was
+easy to see that the rough and heavy shore-ice would make no jokes for
+us to appreciate.
+
+About an hour or so after the midday meal, a loud outcry from the dogs
+made me go outside to see what was up. This was on the afternoon of
+February 26. I quickly saw what the dogs were excited about.
+
+With a "Whoop halloo," three Komaticks were racing and tearing down the
+gradient of the land to our camp, and all of us were out to see the
+finish. Kudlooktoo and Arkeo an even distance apart; and, heads up,
+tails up, a full five sledge-lengths ahead, with snowdust spinning free,
+the dog-team of the ever victorious Peary in the lead. The caravan came
+to a halt with a grandstand finish that it would have done you good to
+witness.
+
+The Commander didn't want to stop. He immediately commenced to shout and
+issue orders, and, by the time he had calmed down, both Captain Bartlett
+and George Borup had loaded up and pushed forward on to the ice of the
+Arctic Ocean, bound for the trophy of over four hundred years of
+effort. The Peary discipline is the iron hand ungloved. From now on we
+must be indifferent to comfort, and like poor little Joe, in "Bleak
+House" we must always be moving on.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+FORWARD! MARCH!
+
+
+Commander Peary was an officer of the United States Navy, but there
+never was the slightest military aspect to any of his expeditions. No
+banners flying, no trumpets blaring, and no sharp, incisive commands.
+Long ago, crossing the ice-cap of North Greenland, he carried a wand of
+bamboo, on one end of which was attached a little silk guidon, with a
+star embroidered on it, but even that had been discarded and the only
+thing military about this expedition was his peremptory "Forward!
+March!" What flags we had were folded and stowed on Commander Peary's
+sledge, and broken-out only at the North Pole.
+
+Captain Bartlett and Mr. George Borup were all alert and at attention,
+the command of preparation and the command of execution were quickly
+given in rapid succession, and they were off.
+
+From the diary.
+
+February 28, 1909: A bright, clear morning. Captain Bartlett and his
+crew, Ooqueah, Pooadloonah, and Harrigan; and George Borup and Karko,
+Seegloo, and Keshungwah, have set sail and are on their way.
+
+Captain Bartlett made the trail and George Borup was the scout, and a
+rare "Old Scout" he was. He kept up the going for three days and then
+came back to the land to start again with new loads of supplies.
+
+The party that stayed at Crane City until March 1, consisted of
+Commander Peary, MacMillan, Goodsell, Marvin, myself, and fourteen
+Esquimos, whom you don't know, and ninety-eight dogs, that you may have
+heard about.
+
+The dogs were double-fed and we put a good meal inside ourselves before
+turning-in on the night of February 28, 1909. The next morning was to be
+our launching, and we went to sleep full of the thought of what was
+before us. From now on it was keep on going, and keep on--and we kept
+on; sometimes in the face of storms of wind and snow that it is
+impossible for you to imagine.
+
+[Illustration: ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS]
+
+[Illustration: THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESKIMOS
+
+(From Henson's own Photograph)]
+
+Day does not break in the Arctic regions, it just comes on quietly the
+same as down here, but I must say that at daybreak on March 1, 1909, we
+were all excitement and attention. A furious wind was blowing, which we
+took as a good omen; for, on all of Commander Peary's travelings, a good
+big, heavy, storm of blinding snow has been his stirrup-cup and here he
+had his last. Systematically we had completed our preparations on the
+two days previous, so that, by six A. M. of the 1st of March, we were
+ready and standing at the upstanders of our sledges, awaiting the
+command "Forward! March!"
+
+Already, difficulties had commenced. Ooblooyah and Slocum (Esquimo name,
+Inighito, but, on account of his dilatory habits, known as Slocum) were
+incapacitated; Ooblooyah with a swelled knee, and Slocum with a frozen
+heel. The cold gets you in most any place, up there.
+
+I and my three boys were ordered to take the lead. We did so, at about
+half past six o'clock in the morning. Forward! March! and we were off.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+FIGHTING UP THE POLAR SEA--HELD UP BY THE "BIG LEAD"
+
+
+Following the trail made by Captain Bartlett, we pushed off, every man
+at the upstander of his sledge to urge his team by whip and voice. It
+was only when we had perfect going over sheets of young ice that we were
+able to steal a ride on the sledges.
+
+The trail led us over the glacial fringe for a quarter of a mile, and
+the going was fairly easy, but, after leaving the land ice-foot, the
+trail plunged into ice so rough that we had to use pickaxes to make a
+pathway. It took only about one mile of such going, and my sledge split.
+
+"Number one," said I to myself, and I came to a halt. The gale was still
+blowing, but I started to work on the necessary repairs. I have
+practically built one sledge out of two broken ones, while out on the
+ice and in weather almost as bad as this; and I have almost daily
+during the journey had to repair broken sledges, sometimes under fiercer
+conditions; and so I will describe this one job and hereafter, when
+writing about repairing a sledge, let it go at that.
+
+Cold and windy. Undo the lashings, unload the load, get out the brace
+and bit and bore new holes, taking plenty of time, for, in such cold,
+there is danger of the steel bit breaking. Then, with ungloved hands,
+thread the sealskin thongs through the hole. The fingers freeze. Stop
+work, pull the hand through the sleeve, and take your icy fingers to
+your heart; that is, put your hand under your armpit, and when you feel
+it burning you know it has thawed out. Then start to work again. By this
+time the party has advanced beyond you and, as orders are orders, and
+you have been ordered to take the lead, you have to start, catch up, and
+pass the column before you have reached your station.
+
+Of course, in catching up and overtaking the party, you have the
+advantage of the well-marked trail they have made. Once again in the
+lead; and my boy, Ootah, had to up and break his sledge, and there was
+some more tall talking when the Commander caught up with us and left us
+there mending it. A little farther on, and the amiable Kudlooktoo, who
+was in my party at the time, busted his sledge. You would have thought
+that Kudlooktoo was the last person in Commander Peary's estimation,
+when he got through talking to him and telling him what he thought of
+him. The sledge was so badly broken it had to be abandoned. The load was
+left on the spot where the accident happened, and Kudlooktoo, much
+chastened and crestfallen, drove his team of dogs back to the land for a
+new sledge.
+
+We did not wait for him, but kept on for about two hours longer, when we
+reached the Captain's first igloo, twelve miles out; a small day's
+traveling, but we were almost dead-beat, from having battled all day
+with the wind, which had blown a full-sized gale. No other but a Peary
+party would have attempted to travel in such weather. Our breath was
+frozen to our hoods of fur and our cheeks and noses frozen. Spreading
+our furs upon the snow, we dropped down and endeavored to sleep, but
+sound sleep was impossible. It was a night of Plutonian Purgatory. All
+through the night I would wake from the cold and beat my arms or feet to
+keep the circulation going, and I would hear one or both of my boys
+doing the same. I did not make any entries in the diary that day, and
+there was many a day like it after that.
+
+It was cold and dark when we left camp number one on the morning of
+March 2, at half past six o'clock. Breakfast had warmed us up a bit, but
+the hard pemmican had torn and cut the roofs and sides of our mouths so
+that we did not eat a full meal, and we decided that at our next camp we
+would boil the pemmican in the tea and have a combination stew. I will
+say now that this experiment was tried, but it made such an unwholesome
+mess that it was never repeated.
+
+The Captain's and Borup's trail was still evident, in spite of the low
+drifts of the snow, but progress was slow. We were still in the heavy
+rubble-ice and had to continuously hew our way with pickaxes to make a
+path for the sledges. While we were at work making a pathway, the dogs
+would curl up and lie down with their noses in their tails, and we
+would have to come back and start them, which was always the signal for
+a fight or two. We worked through the belt of rubble-ice at last, and
+came up with the heavy old floes and rafters of ice-blocks, larger than
+very large flag-stones and fully as thick as they were long and wide;
+the fissures between them full of the drifted snow. Even with our broad
+snow-shoes on, we sank knee-deep, and the dogs were in up to their
+breasts, the sledges up to the floors and frequently turning over, so it
+was a long time before we had covered seven miles, to be stopped by open
+water. I took no chances on this lead, although afterwards I did not
+hesitate at more desperate looking leads than this was. Instead of
+ferrying across on a block of ice, I left one of my boys to attend the
+dogs and sledges, and with Ootah I started to reconnoiter. We found that
+there were two leads, and the safest way to cross the first was to go
+west to a point where the young ice was strong enough to bear the weight
+of the sledges. We got across and had not gone very far before the other
+lead, in spite of a detour to the east, effectually blocked us. Starting
+back to the sledges, Ootah said he was "_damn feel good_," and in
+Esquimo gave me to understand that he was going back to the ship. I
+tried to tell him different, as we walked back; and when we reached camp
+we found the Commander and his party, who had just come in; and the
+Commander gave Ootah to distinctly understand that he was not going back
+just yet. Orders were given to camp, and while the igloos were being
+built, Marvin and MacMillan took soundings. There had been more daylight
+than on the day before, and the gale had subsided considerably, but it
+was dark when we turned in to have our evening meal and sleep.
+
+March 3: Right after breakfast, my party immediately started, taking the
+trail I had found the day previous. Examining the ice, we went to the
+westward, until we came to the almost solid new ice, and we took a
+chance. The ice commenced to rafter under us, but we got across safely
+with our loads, and started east again, for two miles; when we found
+ourselves on an island of ice completely surrounded by the heavy
+raftered ice. Here we halted and mended sledges and in the course of an
+hour the whole party had caught up. The ice had begun to rafter and the
+shattering reports made a noise that was almost ear-splitting, but we
+pushed and pulled and managed to get out of the danger-zone, and kept
+going northwestward, in the hope of picking up the trail of the Captain
+and Borup, which we did after a mile of going. Close examination of the
+trail showed us that Borup and his party had retraced their steps and
+gone quite a distance west in order to cross the lead. It was on this
+march that we were to have met Borup and his party returning, so Marvin
+and his boy Kyutah were sent to look them up. The rest of the party kept
+on in the newly found trail and came to the igloo and cache that had
+been left there by Borup. The Commander went into the igloo, and we made
+the dogs fast and built our own igloos, made our tea and went to sleep.
+
+March 4: Heavy snow fall; but Commander Peary routed out all hands, and
+by seven o'clock we were following the Captain's trail. Very rough
+going, and progress slow up to about nine o'clock, when conditions
+changed. We reached heavy, old floes of waving blue ice, the best
+traveling on sea ice I had ever encountered in eighteen years'
+experience. We went so fast that we more than made up for lost time and
+at two o'clock, myself in the lead, we reached the igloo built by
+Captain Bartlett. It had been arranged that I should stop for one sleep
+at every igloo built by the Captain, and that he should leave a note in
+his igloo for my instructions; but, in spite of these previous
+arrangements, I felt that with such good traveling it would be just as
+wise to keep on going, and so we did, but it was only about half or
+three-quarters of an hour later when we were stopped by a lead, beside
+which the Captain had camped. With Ootah and Tommy to help, we built an
+igloo and crawled inside. Two hours later, the Commander and his party
+arrived, and we crawled out and turned the igloo over to him. Tommy,
+Ootah, and I then built another igloo, crawled inside, and blocked the
+doorway up with a slab of snow, determined not to turn out again until
+we had had a good feed and snooze.
+
+From my diary, the first entry since leaving the land; with a couple of
+comments added afterward:
+
+March 5: A clear bright morning, 20° below zero; quite comfortable.
+Reached here yesterday at two-forty-five P. M., after some of the finest
+going I have ever seen. Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett, and Dr.
+Goodsell here, and fourteen Esquimos. First view of the sun to-day, for
+a few minutes at noon, makes us all cheerful. It was a crimson sphere,
+just balanced on the brink of the world. Had the weather been favorable,
+we could have seen the sun several days earlier. Every day following he
+will get higher and higher, until he finally swings around the sky above
+the horizon for the full twenty-four hours.
+
+Early in the morning of the 5th, Peary sent a detachment of three
+Esquimos, in charge of MacMillan, back to bring in Borup's cache, left
+by him at the point where he turned back to return to the land for more
+loads. This detachment was back in camp by four o'clock in the afternoon
+of the same day. Nothing left to do but to rearrange the loads and wait
+for the lead to close.
+
+The land is still in sight. Professor Marvin has gone back with two boys
+and is expected to keep on to the alcohol cache at Cape Columbia, turn
+back and meet us here, or, if the ice freezes, to follow us until he
+catches up with us. We are husbanding our fuel, and two meals a day is
+our programme. We are still south of the Big Lead of 1906, but to all
+intents and purposes this is it. I am able to recognize many of the
+characteristics of it, and I feel sure it is the same old lead that gave
+us many an anxious hour in our upward and downward journey three years
+ago.
+
+Fine weather, but we are still south of the 84th parallel and this open
+water marks it. 8° below zero and all comfortable. We should be doing
+twenty or twenty-five miles a day good traveling, but we are halted by
+this open water.
+
+March 7: Professor MacMillan came into camp to-day with the cache he had
+picked up. There was quite a hullabaloo among the boys, and a great deal
+of argument as to who owned various articles of provender and equipment
+that had been brought into camp by MacMillan, and even I was on the
+point of jumping into the fracas in order to see fair play, until a wink
+from MacMillan told me that it was simply a put-up job of his to
+disconcert the Esquimos. Confidentially and on the side he has been
+dressing his heel, which in spite of all keeps on freezing, and is in
+very bad shape. His kamiks stick to the loose flesh and the skin will
+not form. All of the frost has been taken out, but I think skin-grafting
+is the only thing that will cure it. He wants to keep on going and asks
+me how far we have gone and wants to know if he shall tell Commander
+Peary about his injury. I have advised him to make a clean breast of it,
+but he feels good for a week or so more, and it is up to him.
+
+We eat, and sleep, and watch the lead, and wonder. Are we to be repulsed
+again? Is the unseen, mysterious guardian of this mist-covered region
+foiling us? The Commander is taking it with a great deal more patience
+than he usually has with obstacles, but in the face of this one he
+probably realizes the necessity of a calm, philosophic mood.
+
+Captain Bartlett has been here longer than any of us, and he is
+commencing to get nervous. Commander Peary and he have done what is
+nautically known as "swinging the ship," for the purpose of correcting
+compass errors, and after that there is nothing for them to do but
+wait. Captain Bartlett describes it as "Hell on Earth"; the Commander
+has nothing to say, and I agree with him. Dr. Goodsell reads from his
+little books, studies Esquimo language, writes in his diary and talks to
+me and the rest of the party, and waits.
+
+Professor MacMillan, with his eye ever to the south, and an occasional
+glance at his frozen heel, cracks a joke and bids us be cheerful. He is
+one _man_, and has surely made good. His first trip to this forsaken
+region, yet he wakes up from his sleep with a smile on his face and a
+question as to how a nice, large, juicy steak would go about now. This
+is no place for jokes, yet his jokes are cheering and make us all feel
+more light-hearted. He is the "life of the funeral" and by his
+cheerfulness has kept our spirits from sinking to a dead level, and when
+the Esquimos commenced to get cranky, by his diplomacy he brought them
+to think of other subjects than going back to the ship.
+
+He has started to kid us along by instituting a series of competitions
+in athletic endeavors, and the Esquimos fall for it like the Innocents
+that they are, and that is the object he is after. They have tried all
+of their native stunts, wrestling, boxing, thumb-pulling, and
+elbow-tests; and each winner has been awarded a prize. Most of the
+prizes are back on the ship and include the anchors, rudders, keel, and
+spars. Everything else has long since been given away, and these people
+have keen memories.
+
+The Big Lead has no attraction for the Esquimos and the waiting for a
+chance to cross it has given them much opportunity to complain of cold
+feet. It is fierce, listening to their whines and howls. Of all
+yellow-livered curs deliver me. We have the best Esquimos in the tribe
+with us, and expect them to remain steadfast and loyal, but after they
+have had time to realize their position, the precariousness of it begins
+to magnify and they start in to whimper, and beg to be allowed to go
+back. They remember the other side of this damnable open water and what
+it meant to get back in 1906. I do not blame them, but I have had the
+Devil's own time in making my boys and some of the others see it the way
+the Commander wants us to look at it.
+
+Indeed, two of the older ones, Panikpah and Pooadloonah, became so
+fractious that the Commander sent them back, with a written order to
+Gushue on the ship, to let them pack up their things and take their
+families and dogs back to Esquimo land, which they did. When the
+_Roosevelt_ reached Etah the following August, on her return, these two
+men were there, fat and healthy, and merrily greeted us. No hard
+feelings whatever.
+
+March 10: We could have crossed to-day, but there was a chance of Marvin
+and Borup catching up with their loads of alcohol, etc. Whether they
+catch up or not, to-morrow, early, we start across, and the indications
+are that the going will be heavy, for the ice is piled in rafters of
+pressure-ridges.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was exasperating; seven precious days of fine weather lost; and fine
+weather is the exception, not the rule, in the Arctic. Here we were
+resting in camp, although we were not extremely tired and nowhere near
+exhausted. We were ready and anxious to travel on the 5th, next morning
+after we reached the "Big Lead," but were perforce compelled to
+inaction. And so did we wait for nearly seven days beside that lead,
+before conditions were favorable for a crossing.
+
+But early in the morning of March 11th the full party started; through
+the heaviest of going imaginable. Neither Borup nor Marvin had caught
+up, but we felt that unless something had happened to them, they would
+surely catch up in a few more days.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+PIONEERING THE WAY--BREAKING SLEDGES
+
+
+March 11, 1909: Clear, 45°. Off we go! Marvin and Borup have not yet
+shown up, but the lead is shut and the orders since yesterday afternoon
+have been to stand by for only twelve hours more; and while the tea is
+brewing I am using the warmth to write. We could have crossed thirty
+hours ago, but Commander Peary would not permit us to take chances; he
+wants to keep the party together as long as possible, and expects to
+have to send at least eight men back after the next march. MacMillan is
+not fit, and there are four or five of the natives who should be sent
+away. Three Esquimos apiece are too many, and I think Commander Peary is
+about ready to split the different crews of men and dogs. He himself is
+in very good shape and, due to his example, Captain Bartlett has again
+taken the field. A heavy storm of wind and snow is in progress, but the
+motion of the ice remains satisfactory.
+
+This is not a regular camp. We are sheltered north of a huge
+paleocrystic floeberg; and the dogs are at rest, with their noses in
+their tails. Dr. Goodsell has set his boys to work building an igloo,
+which will not be needed, for I see Ooqueah and Egingwah piling up the
+loads on their sledges, and Professor MacMillan is very busy with his
+own personal sledge. No halt, only a breathing spell and, as I have
+predicted, we are on our way again. This is an extremely dangerous zone
+to halt or hazard in. The ice is liable to open here at any moment and
+let us either sink in the cold, black water or drift on a block of
+frozen ice, much too thin to enable us to get on to the heavy ice again.
+Three miles wide at least.
+
+The foregoing was written while out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean, just
+after crossing the raftered hummocks of the ice of the Big Lead. While
+we were waiting for the rest of the expedition to gather in, I slumped
+down behind a peak of land or paleocrystic ice, and made the entry in my
+diary. We were not tired out; we had had more than six days' rest at
+the lead; and when it closed we pushed on across the pressure-ridges on
+to the heavy and cumbrous ice of the circumpolar sea. We were sure that
+we had passed the main obstruction, and in spite of the failure of
+Marvin and Borup to come in with the essentials of fuel-alcohol and
+food, Commander Peary insisted on pushing forward.
+
+Prof. Donald B. MacMillan was with the party, but Commander Peary knew,
+without his telling him, that he was really no longer fit to travel, and
+Dr. Goodsell was not as far north of the land as original plans
+intended, so when both MacMillan and Goodsell were told that they must
+start back to the ship, I was not surprised.
+
+It was on March 14 that the first supporting-party finally turned back.
+It was my impression that Professor MacMillan would command it, but
+Commander Peary sent the Doctor back in charge, with the two boys Arco
+and Wesharkoupsi. A few hours before the turning back of Dr. Goodsell,
+an Esquimo courier from Professor Marvin's detachment had overtaken us,
+with the welcome news that both Borup and Marvin, with complete loads,
+were immediately in our rear, safe across the lead that had so long
+delayed us. I was given instructions to govern my conduct for the
+following five marches and I was told to be ready to start right after
+breakfast.
+
+Dr. Goodsell came to me, congratulated me and, with the best wishes for
+success, bade me good-by. He was loath to go back, but he returned to
+the ship with the hearty assurance of every one that he had done good
+and effective work, equal to the best efforts of the more experienced
+members of the party.
+
+My boys, Ootah, Ahwatingwah, and Koolootingwah, under my command started
+north, to pioneer the route for five full marches, and it was with a
+firm resolve that I determined to cover a big mileage. We had been
+having extreme cold weather, as low as 59° below zero, and on the
+morning my party started the thermometers in the camp showed 49° below
+zero.
+
+An hour's travel brought us to a small lead, which was avoided by making
+a detour, and about four miles beyond this lead we came up to heavy old
+floes, on which the snow lay deep and soft. The sledges would sink to
+the depth of the cross-bars. Traveling was slow, and the dogs became
+demons; at one time, sullen and stubborn; then wildly excited and
+savage; and in our handling of them I fear we became fiendlike
+ourselves. Frequently we would have to lift them bodily from the pits of
+snow, and snow-filled fissures they had fallen into, and I am now sorry
+to say that we did not do it gently. The dogs, feeling the additional
+strain, refused to make the slightest effort when spoken to or touched
+with the whip, and to break them of this stubbornness, and to prevent
+further trouble, I took the leader or king dog of one team and, in the
+presence of the rest of the pack, I clubbed him severely. The dogs
+realized what was required of them, and that I would exact it of them in
+spite of what they would do, and they became submissive and pulled
+willingly, myself and the Esquimos doing our share at the upstanders.
+
+We got over the heavy floe-ice, to find ourselves confronted with
+jagged, rough ice, where we had to pickax our way. In one place we came
+to pressure-ridges separated by a deep gulch of very rough and uneven
+ice, in crossing which it took two men to manage each sledge, and
+another man to help pull them up on to the more even ice. We crossed
+several leads, mostly frozen over, and kept on going for over twelve
+hours. The mileage was small and, instead of elation, I felt
+discouragement. Two of the sledges had split their entire length and had
+to be repaired, and the going had been such that we could not cover any
+distance. We had a good long rest at the Big Lead for over six days, but
+at the end of this, my first day's pioneering, I was as tired out as I
+have ever been. It should be understood that while I was pioneering I
+was carrying the full-loaded sledges with about 550 pounds, while the
+other parties that were in the lead never carried but half of the
+regular load, which made our progress much slower.
+
+March 15: Bright, clear, and I am sure as cold as the record-breaking
+cold of the day previous. We made an early start, with hopes high; but
+the first two hours' traveling was simply a repetition of the going of
+the day before. But after that, and to the end of the day's march, the
+surface of the ice over which we traveled was most remarkably smooth.
+The fallen snow had packed solid into the areas of rough ice and on the
+edges of the large floes. The dogs, with tails up and heads out, stamped
+off mile after mile in rapid succession, and when we camped I
+conservatively made the estimate fifteen miles. It has to be good going
+to make such a distance with loaded sledges, but we made it and I was
+satisfied.
+
+March 16: We started going over ice conditions similar to the good part
+of the day before, but our hopes were soon shattered when the ice
+changed completely and, from being stationary, a distinct motion become
+observable. The movement of the ice increased, and the rumbling and
+roaring, as it raftered, was deafening. A dense fog, the sure indication
+of open water, overhung us, and in due time we came to the open lead,
+over which small broken floes were scattered, interspersed with thin
+young ice. These floes were hardly thick enough to hold a dog safely,
+but, there being no other way, we were obliged to cross on them. We set
+out with jaws squared by anxiety. A false step by any one would mean the
+end. With the utmost care, the sledges were placed on the most solid
+floes, and, with Ootah, the most experienced, in the lead, we followed
+in single file. Once started, there was no stopping; but push on with
+the utmost care and even pressure. You know that we got across, but
+there were instants during the crossing when I had my strongest doubts.
+After crossing the lead, the ice condition became horrible. Almost at
+the same time, three of the sledges broke, one sledge being completely
+smashed to pieces. We were forced to camp and start to work making two
+whole sledges from the wreckage of the three broken ones.
+
+We had barely completed this work when the Commander, the Captain,
+Marvin, Borup, and Esquimos came in. I was glad to see them all again,
+especially the smiling face of George Borup, whom I had not seen since
+the day he left Cape Columbia.
+
+We learned that MacMillan had been sent back to the ship on the 15th,
+that the party had been delayed on the second day's march by a new lead,
+which widened so rapidly and to such an extent that it was feared to be
+the twin sister of the Big Lead farther back.
+
+March 17: The whole party, with the exception of Professor Marvin and
+his detachment, remained in camp. Marvin was sent ahead to plot a route
+for the next marches of the column, and the party in camp busied itself
+in the general work of repairing sledges and equipment.
+
+The morning of the 18th found the main column ready to start, and start
+it did, in spite of the dreary outlook due to the condition of the
+weather and of the ice. Thermometer 40° below zero, and the loose ice to
+our right and in front distinctly in motion, but fortunately moving to
+the northward. A heavy wind of the force of a gale was at our backs, and
+for the first three miles our progress was slow. The hummocks of ice in
+wild disarrangement, and so difficult to cross that repeatedly the
+sledges were overturned; and one sledge was broken so badly that a halt
+had to be made to repair it. While repairing the sledge, our midday
+lunch of crackers was eaten. The dogs were not fed anything, experience
+having taught us that dogs will work better with hope for a reward in
+the future than when it is past.
+
+All that day the air was thick with haze and frost and we felt the cold
+even more than when the temperature was lower with the air clear. The
+wind would find the tiniest opening in our clothing and pierce us with
+the force of driving needles. Our hoods froze to our growing beards and
+when we halted we had to break away the ice that had been formed by the
+congealing of our breaths and from the moisture of perspiration exhaled
+by our bodies. When we finally camped and built our igloos, it was not
+with any degree of comfort that we lay down to rest. Actually it was
+more comfortable to keep on the march, and when we did rest it was
+fatigue that compelled.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE SUPPORTING-PARTIES BEGIN TO TURN BACK
+
+
+March 19: We left camp in a haze of bitter cold; the ice conditions
+about the same as the previous day; high rafters, huge and jagged; and
+we pickaxed the way continuously. By noontime, we found ourselves
+alongside of a lead covered by a film of young ice. We forced the dogs
+and they took it on the run, the ice undulating beneath them, the same
+as it does when little wanton boys play at _tickley benders_, often with
+serious results, on the newly formed ice on ponds and brooks down in
+civilization. Our _tickley benders_ were not done in the spirit of play,
+but on account of urgent necessity, and as it was I nearly suffered a
+serious loss of precious possessions.
+
+One of the sledges, driven by Ahwatingwah, broke through the ice and its
+load, which consisted of my extra equipment, such as kamiks, mittens,
+etc., was thoroughly soaked. Luckily for the boy, he was at the side of
+the sledge and escaped a ducking. Foolishly I rushed over, but, quickly
+realizing my danger, I slowed down, and with the utmost care he fished
+out the sledge, and the dogs, shaking as with palsy, were gently urged
+on. Walking wide, like the polar bear, we crept after, and without
+further incident reached the opposite side of the lead. My team had
+reached there before me and, with human intelligence, the dogs had
+dragged the sledge to a place of safety and were sitting on their
+haunches, with ears cocked forward, watching us in our precarious
+predicament. They seemed to rejoice at our deliverance, and as I went
+among them and untangled their traces I could not forbear giving each
+one an affectionate pat on the head.
+
+For the next five hours our trail lay over heavy pressure ridges, in
+some places sixty feet high. We had to make a trail over the mountains
+of ice and then come back for the sledges. A difficult climb began.
+Pushing from our very toes, straining every muscle, urging the dogs with
+voice and whip, we guided the sledges. On several occasions the dogs
+gave it up, standing still in their tracks, and we had to hold the
+sledges with the strength of our bones and muscles to prevent them from
+sliding backwards. When we had regained our equilibrium the dogs were
+again started, and in this way we gained the tops of the
+pressure-ridges.
+
+Going down on the opposite side was more nerve-racking. On the descent
+of one ridge, in spite of the experienced care of Ootah, the sledge
+bounded away from him, and at a declivity of thirty feet was completely
+wrecked. The frightened dogs dashed wildly in every direction to escape
+the falling sledge, and as quickly as possible we slid down the steep
+incline, at the same time guiding the dogs attached to the two remaining
+sledges. We rushed over, my two boys and I, to the spot where the poor
+dogs stood trembling with fright. We released them from the tangle they
+were in, and, with kind words and pats of the hand on their heads,
+quieted them. For over an hour we struggled with the broken pieces of
+the wreck and finally lashed them together with strips of _oog-sook_
+(seal-hide). We said nothing to the Commander when he caught up with
+us, but his quick eye took in at a glance the experience we had been
+through. The repairs having been completed, we again started. Before us
+stretched a heavy, old floe, giving us good going until we reached the
+lead, when the order was given to camp. We built our igloos, and boiled
+the tea and had what we called supper.
+
+Commander Peary called me over to his igloo and gave me my orders:
+first; that I should at once select the best dogs of the three teams, as
+the ones disqualified by me would on the following morning be sent back
+to the ship, in care of the third supporting party, which was to turn
+back. Secondly; that I should rearrange the loads on the remainder of
+the sledges, there now being ten in number. It was eight P. M. when I
+began work and two the following morning when I had finished.
+
+March 20: During the night, the Commander had a long talk with Borup,
+and in the morning my good friend, in command of the third supporting
+party, bade us all good-by and took his detachment back to land and
+headquarters. There were three Esquimos and seventeen dogs in his
+party. A fine and plucky young man, whose cheerful manner and ready
+willingness had made him a prime favorite; and he had done his work like
+an old campaigner.
+
+At the time of Borup's turning southward, Captain Bartlett, with two
+Esquimos, started out to the north to make trail. He was to act as
+pioneer. At ten-thirty A. M., I, with two Esquimos, followed; leaving at
+the igloos the Commander and Professor Marvin, with four Esquimos. The
+system of our marches from now on was that the first party, or pioneers,
+which consisted of Captain Bartlett, myself, and our Esquimos, should be
+trail-making, while the second party, consisting of Commander Peary and
+Marvin, with their Esquimos, should be sleeping; and while the first
+party was sleeping, the second should be traveling over the trail
+previously made. The sun was above the horizon the whole twenty-four
+hours of the day, and accordingly there was no darkness. Either the
+first or second party was always traveling, and progress was hourly
+made.
+
+March 21: Captain Bartlett got away early, leaving me in camp to await
+the arrival of Commander Peary and Marvin, with their party; and it was
+eight A. M. when they arrived. Commander Peary instructed me to the
+effect that, when I overtook the Captain, I should tell him to make as
+much speed as possible.
+
+The going was, for the first hour, over rough, raftered ice. Great care
+and caution had to be observed, but after that we reached a stretch of
+undulated, level ice, extending easily fifteen miles; and the
+exhilarating effect made our spirits rise. The snow-covering was soft,
+but with the help of our snow-shoes we paced off the miles, and at noon
+we caught up with the Captain and his boys. Together we traveled on, and
+at the end of an hour's going we halted for our noon-meal, consisting of
+a can of tea and three biscuits per man, the dogs doing the hungry
+looking on, as dogs have done and do and will do forever. As we sat and
+ate, we joshed each other, and the Esquimo boys joined in the
+good-natured raillery.
+
+The meal did not detain us long, and soon we were pushing on again as
+quickly as possible over the level ice, fearing that if we delayed the
+condition of the ice would change, for changes come suddenly, and
+frequently without warning. At nine P. M. we camped, the Captain having
+been on the go for fifteen hours, and I for thirteen; and we estimated
+that we had a good fourteen miles to our credit.
+
+March 22 was the finest day we had, and it was a day of unusual
+clearness and calm; practically no wind and a cloudless sky. The fields
+of ice and snow sparkled and glistened and the daylight lasted for the
+full twenty-four hours. It was six A. M. when Egingwah, the Commander's
+Esquimo courier, reached our camp, with the note of command and
+encouragement; and immediately the Captain and I left camp.
+
+Stretching to the northward was a brilliantly illuminated, level, and
+slightly drifted snow-plain, our imperial highway, presenting a
+spectacle grand and sublime; and we were truly grateful and inwardly
+prayed that this condition would last indefinitely. Without incident or
+accident, we marched on for fifteen hours, pacing off mile after mile in
+our steady northing, and at nine P. M. we halted. It was then we
+realized how utterly fatigued and exhausted we were. It took us over an
+hour and a half to build our igloos. We had a hard time finding suitable
+snow conditions for building them, and the weather was frightfully cold.
+The evening meal of pemmican-stew and tea was prepared, the dogs were
+fed, and we turned in.
+
+March 23: Our sleep-banked eyes were opened by the excitement caused by
+the arrival of Marvin and his division. He reported the same good going
+that we had had the day before, and also that he had taken an elevation
+of the sun and computed his latitude as 85° 46' north. We turned the
+igloos over to Marvin and his Esquimos, who were to await the arrival of
+the Commander, and Captain Bartlett and myself got our parties under
+way.
+
+Conditions are never similar, no two days are the same; and our going
+this day was nothing like the paradise of the day before. At a little
+distance from the igloos we encountered high masses of heavily-rubbled,
+old ice. The making of a trail through these masses of ice caused us to
+use our pickaxes continuously. It was backing and filling all of the
+time. First we would reconnoiter, then we would hew our way and make
+the trail, then we would go back and, getting in the traces, help the
+dogs pull the sledges, which were still heavily loaded. This operation
+was repeated practically all the day of March 23, except for the last
+hour of traveling, when we zigzagged to the eastward, where the ice
+appeared less formidable, consisting of small floes with rubble ice
+between and a heavy, old floe beyond. There we camped. The latitude was
+85° 46' north.
+
+The course from the land to the Pole was not direct and due north, for
+we followed the lines of least resistance, and frequently found
+ourselves going due east or west, in order to detour around pressure
+ridges, floebergs, and leads.
+
+March 24: Commander Peary reached camp shortly after six A. M., and
+after a few brief instructions, we started out. The going not as heavy
+as the day previous; but the sky overcast, and a heavy drift on the
+surface made it decidedly unpleasant for the dogs. For the first six
+hours the going was over rough, jagged ice, covered with deep, soft
+snow; for the rest of the day it improved. We encountered comparatively
+level ice, with a few hummocks, and in places covered with deep snow. We
+camped at eight P. M., beside a very heavy pressure-ridge as long as a
+city street and as high as the houses along the street.
+
+March 25: Turned out at four-thirty A. M., to find a steadily falling
+snow storm upon us. We breakfasted, and fifteen minutes later we were
+once more at work making trail. Our burly neighbor, the pressure-ridge,
+in whose lee we had spent the night, did not make an insuperable
+obstacle, and in the course of an hour we had made a trail across it,
+and returned to the igloo for the sledges. We found that the main column
+had reached camp, and after greetings had been given, Commander Peary
+called me aside and gave me my orders; to take the trail at once, to
+speed it up to the best of my ability and cover as much distance as
+possible; for he intended that I should remain at the igloo the
+following day to sort out the best dogs and rearrange the loads, as
+Marvin was to turn back with the fourth supporting-party. My heart
+stopped palpitating, I breathed easier, and my mind was relieved. It was
+not my turn yet, I was to continue onward and there only remained one
+person between me and the Pole--the Captain. We knew Commander Peary's
+general plan: that, at the end of certain periods, certain parties would
+turn south to the land and the ship; but we did not know who would
+comprise or command those parties and, until I had the Commander's word,
+I feared that I would be the next after Borup. At the same time, I did
+not see how Marvin could travel much longer, as his feet were very badly
+frozen.
+
+Obedient to the Commander's orders, the Captain, I, and our Esquimos,
+left camp with loaded sledges and trudged over the newly made trail,
+coming to rough ice which stretched for a distance of five miles, and
+kept us hard at back-straining, shoulder-wrenching work for several
+hours. The rest of the day's march was over level, unbroken, young ice;
+and the distance covered was considerable.
+
+March 26: The Commander and party reached the igloo at ten-forty-five A.
+M. Captain Bartlett had taken to the trail at six A. M., and was now
+miles to the northward, out of sight. I immediately started to work on
+the task assigned me by the Commander, assorting the dogs first, so that
+the different king dogs could fight it out and adjust themselves to new
+conditions while I was rearranging the loads.
+
+At twelve, noon, Professor Marvin took his final sight, and after
+figuring it out told me that he made it 86° 38' north.
+
+The work of readjusting the loads kept me busy until seven P. M. While
+doing this work I came across my Bible that I had neglected so long, and
+that night, before going to sleep, I read the twenty-third Psalm, and
+the fifth chapter of St. Matthew.
+
+March 27: I was to take the trail at six A. M., but before starting I
+went over to Marvin's igloo to bid him good-by. In his quiet, earnest
+manner, he advised me to keep on, and hoped for our success; he
+congratulated me and we gave each other the strong, fraternal grip of
+our honored fraternity and we confidently expected to see each other
+again at the ship. My good, kind friend was never again to see us, or
+talk with us. It is sad to write this. He went back to his death,
+drowned in the cold, black water of the Big Lead. In unmarked, unmarbled
+grave, he sleeps his last, long sleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+BARTLETT'S FARTHEST NORTH--HIS QUIET GOOD-BY
+
+
+Leaving the Commander and Marvin at the igloos, my party took up the
+Captain's trail northward. It was expected that Peary would follow in an
+hour and that at the same time Marvin would start his return march.
+After a few minutes' going, we came to young ice of this season, broken
+up and frozen solid, not difficult to negotiate, but requiring constant
+pulling; leaving this, we came to an open lead which caused us to make a
+detour to the westward for four miles. We crossed on ice so thin that
+one of the sledge-runners broke through, and a little beyond one of the
+dogs fell in so completely that it was a precarious effort to rescue
+him; but we made it and, doglike, he shook the water out of his fur and
+a little later, when his fur froze, I gave him a thorough beating; not
+for falling in the water, but in order to loosen the ice-particles, so
+that he could shake them off. Poor brute, it was no use, and in a short
+while he commenced to develop symptoms of the dread piblokto, so in
+mercy he was killed. One of the Esquimo boys did the killing.
+
+Dangerous as the crossing was, it was the only place possible, and we
+succeeded far better than we had anticipated. Beyond the lead we came to
+an old floe and, beyond that, young ice of one season's formation,
+similar to that which had been encountered earlier in the day. Before us
+lay a heavy, old floe, covered with soft, deep snow in which we sank
+continually; but it was only five P. M. when we reached the Captain's
+igloo. Anticipating the arrival of the Commander, we built another
+igloo, and about an hour and a half later the Commander and his party
+came in.
+
+March 28: Exactly 40° below zero when we pushed the sledges up to the
+curled-up dogs and started them off over rough ice covered with deep
+soft snow. It was like walking in loose granulated sugar. Indeed I might
+compare the snow of the Arctic to the granules of sugar, without their
+saccharine sweetness, but with freezing cold instead; you can not make
+snowballs of it, for it is too thoroughly congealed, and when it is
+packed by the wind it is almost as solid as ice. It is from the packed
+snow that the blocks used to form the igloo-walls are cut.
+
+At the end of four hours, we came to the igloo where the Captain and his
+boys were sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion. In order not to
+interrupt the Captain's rest, we built another igloo and unloaded his
+sledge, and distributed the greater part of the load among the sledges
+of the party. The Captain, on awakening, told us that the journey we had
+completed on that day had been made by him under the most trying
+conditions, and that it had taken him fourteen hours to do it. We were
+able to make better time because we had his trail to follow, and,
+therefore, the necessity of finding the easiest way was avoided. That
+was the object of the scout or pioneer party and Captain Bartlett had
+done practically all of it up to the time he turned back at 87° 48'
+north.
+
+March 29: You have undoubtedly taken into consideration the pangs of
+hunger and of cold that you know assailed us, going Poleward; but have
+you ever considered that we were thirsty for water to drink or hungry
+for fat? To eat snow to quench our thirsts would have been the height of
+folly, and as well as being thirsty, we were continuously assailed by
+the pangs of a hunger that called for the fat, good, rich, oily, juicy
+fat that our systems craved and demanded.
+
+Had we succumbed to the temptations of thirst and eaten the snow, we
+would not be able to tell the tale of the conquest of the Pole; for the
+result of eating snow is death. True, the dogs licked up enough moisture
+to quench their thirsts, but we were not made of such stern stuff as
+they. Snow would have reduced our temperatures and we would quickly have
+fallen by the way. We had to wait until camp was made and the fire of
+alcohol started before we had a chance, and it was with hot tea that we
+quenched our thirsts. The hunger for fat was not appeased; a dog or two
+was killed, but his carcass went to the Esquimos and the entrails were
+fed to the rest of the pack. We ate no dogs on this trip, for various
+reasons, mainly, that the eating of dog is only a last resort, and we
+had plenty of food, and raw dog is flavorless and very tough. The
+killing of a dog is such a horrible matter that I will not describe it,
+and it is permitted only when all other exigencies have been exhausted.
+An Esquimo does not permit one drop of blood to escape.
+
+The morning of the 29th of March, 1909, a heavy and dense fog of frost
+spicules overhung the camp. At four A. M., the Captain left camp to make
+as far a northing as possible. I with my Esquimos followed later. On our
+way we passed over very rough ice alternating with small floes, young
+ice of a few months' duration, and one old floe. We were now beside a
+lead of over three hundred feet in width, which we were unable to cross
+at that time because the ice was running steadily, though to the
+Northward. Following the trail of the Captain, which carried us a little
+to the westward of the lead, within one hundred feet of the Captain's
+igloo, the order to camp was given, as going forward was impossible. The
+whole party was together farther north than had ever been made by any
+other human beings, and in perfectly good condition; but the time was
+quickly coming when the little party would have to be made smaller and
+some part of it sent back. We were too fatigued to argue the question.
+
+We turned in for a rest and sleep, but soon turned out again in
+pandemonium incomprehensible; the ice moving in all directions, our
+igloos wrecked, and every instant our very lives in danger. With eyes
+dazed by sleep, we tried to guide the terror-stricken dogs and push the
+sledges to safety, but rapidly we saw the party being separated and the
+black water begin to appear amid the roar of the breaking ice floes.
+
+To the westward of our igloo stood the Captain's igloo, on an island of
+ice, which revolved, while swiftly drifting to the eastward. On one
+occasion the floe happened to strike the main floe. The Captain,
+intently watching his opportunity, quickly crossed with his Esquimos. He
+had scarcely set foot on the opposite floe when the floe on which he had
+been previously isolated swung off, and rapidly disappeared.
+
+Once more the parties were together. Thoroughly exhausted, we turned in
+and fell asleep, myself and the Esquimos too dumb for utterance, and
+Commander Peary and Bartlett too full of the realization of our escape
+to have much to say.
+
+The dogs were in very good condition, taking everything into
+consideration.
+
+[Illustration: CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+(From Henson's own Photograph)]
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO
+THE POLE AND BACK
+
+(Showing the effect of the excessive strain. Compare with frontispiece
+and with portrait facing page 139)]
+
+When we woke up it was the morning of another day, March 30, and we
+found open water all about us. We could not go on until either the lead
+had frozen or until it had raftered shut. Temperature 35° below zero,
+and the weather clear and calm with no visible motion of the ice. We
+spent the day industriously in camp, mending foot-gear, harness,
+clothing, and looking after the dogs and their traces. This was work
+enough, especially untangling the traces of the bewildered dogs. The
+traces, snarled and entangled, besides being frozen to the consistency
+of wire, gave us the hardest work; and, owing to the activity of the
+dogs in leaping and bounding over each other, we had the most _unideal_
+conditions possible to contend with, and we were handicapped by having
+to use mitted instead of ungloved fingers to untangle the snarls of
+knots. Unlike Alexander the Great, we dared not cut the "Gordian
+Knots," but we did get them untangled.
+
+About five o'clock in the afternoon, the temperature had fallen to 43°
+below zero, and at the same time the ice began to move again. Owing to
+the attraction of the moon, the mighty flanks of the earth were being
+drawn by her invisible force, and were commencing again to crack and be
+rent asunder.
+
+We loaded up hurriedly and all three parties left the camp and crossed
+over the place where recently had been the open lead, and beyond for
+more than five miles, until we reached the heavier and solid ice of the
+large floes. Northward our way led, and we kept on in that direction
+accordingly, at times crossing young ice so thin that the motion of the
+sledges would cause the ice to undulate. Over old floes of the blue,
+hummocky kind, on which the snow had fallen and become packed solid, the
+rest of this day's journey was completed. We staggered into camp like
+drunken men, and built our igloos by force of habit rather than with the
+intelligence of human beings.
+
+It was continuously daylight, but such a light as never was on land or
+sea.
+
+The next day was April 1, and the Farthest North of Bartlett. I knew at
+this time that he was to go back, and that I was to continue, so I had
+no misgivings and neither had he. He was ready and anxious to take the
+back-trail. His five marches were up and he was glad of it, and he was
+told that in the morning he must turn back and knit the trail together,
+so that the main column could return over a beaten path.
+
+Before going to sleep, Peary and he (Captain Bartlett) had figured out
+the reckoning of the distance, and, to insure the Captain's making at
+least 88° north, Peary let him have another go for a short distance
+northward, and at noon on the day of his return, the observations showed
+that Captain Bartlett had made 87° 47' North Latitude, or practically
+88° north. "Why, Peary," he said, "it is just like every day," and so it
+was, with this exception, like every day in the Arctic, but with all of
+every day's chances and hazards. The lion-like month of March had
+passed. Captain Bartlett bade us all farewell. He turned back from the
+Farthest North that had ever been reached by any one, to insure the safe
+return of him who was to go to a still Farther North, the very top of
+the world, the Pole itself.
+
+While waiting for Bartlett to return from his forced march, the main
+party had been at work, assorting dogs (by this time without much
+trouble, as only one was found utterly unfit to make progress), and
+rearranging loads, for the Captain had almost three hundred miles of
+sea-ice to negotiate before he would reach _terra firma_, and he had to
+have his food-supply arranged so that it would carry him to the land and
+back to the ship, and dogs in good enough condition to pull the loads,
+as well as enough sledges to bear his equipment. When he did come back
+to our camp, before the parting, he was perfectly satisfied, and with
+the same old confidence he swept his little party together and at three
+P. M., with a cheery "Good-by! Good Luck!" he was off. His Esquimo boys,
+attempting in English, too, gave us their "Good-bys." The least
+emotional of all of our partings; and this brave man, who had borne the
+brunt of all of the hardships, like the true-blue, dead-game,
+unconquerable hero that he was, set out to do the work that was left for
+him to do; to knit the broken strands of our upward trail together, so
+that we who were at his rear could follow in safety.
+
+I have never heard the story of the return of Captain Bartlett in
+detail; his Esquimo boys were incapable of telling it, and Captain
+Bartlett is altogether too modest.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE POLE!
+
+
+Captain Bartlett and his two boys had commenced their return journey,
+and the main column, depleted to its final strength, started northward.
+We were six: Peary, the commander, the Esquimos, Ootah, Egingwah,
+Seegloo and Ooqueah, and myself.
+
+Day and night were the same. My thoughts were on the going and getting
+forward, and on nothing else. The wind was from the southeast, and
+seemed to push us on, and the sun was at our backs, a ball of livid
+fire, rolling his way above the horizon in never-ending day.
+
+The Captain had gone, Commander Peary and I were alone (save for the
+four Esquimos), the same as we had been so often in the past years, and
+as we looked at each other we realized our position and we knew without
+speaking that the time had come for us to demonstrate that we were the
+men who, it had been ordained, should unlock the door which held the
+mystery of the Arctic. Without an instant's hesitation, the order to
+push on was given, and we started off in the trail made by the Captain
+to cover the Farthest North he had made and to push on over one hundred
+and thirty miles to our final destination.
+
+The Captain had had rough going, but, owing to the fact that his trail
+was our track for a short time, and that we came to good going shortly
+after leaving his turning point, we made excellent distance without any
+trouble, and only stopped when we came to a lead barely frozen over, a
+full twenty-five miles beyond. We camped and waited for the strong
+southeast wind to force the sides of the lead together. The Esquimos had
+eaten a meal of stewed dog, cooked over a fire of wood from a discarded
+sledge, and, owing to their wonderful powers of recuperation, were in
+good condition; Commander Peary and myself, rested and invigorated by
+our thirty hours in the last camp, waiting for the return and departure
+of Captain Bartlett, were also in fine fettle, and accordingly the
+accomplishment of twenty-five miles of northward progress was not
+exceptional. With my proven ability in gauging distances, Commander
+Peary was ready to take the reckoning as I made it and he did not resort
+to solar observations until we were within a hand's grasp of the Pole.
+
+The memory of those last five marches, from the Farthest North of
+Captain Bartlett to the arrival of our party at the Pole, is a memory of
+toil, fatigue, and exhaustion, but we were urged on and encouraged by
+our relentless commander, who was himself being scourged by the final
+lashings of the dominating influence that had controlled his life. From
+the land to 87° 48' north, Commander Peary had had the best of the
+going, for he had brought up the rear and had utilized the trail made by
+the preceding parties, and thus he had kept himself in the best of
+condition for the time when he made the spurt that brought him to the
+end of the race. From 87° 48' north, he kept in the lead and did his
+work in such a way as to convince me that he was still as good a man as
+he had ever been. We marched and marched, falling down in our tracks
+repeatedly, until it was impossible to go on. We were forced to camp, in
+spite of the impatience of the Commander, who found himself unable to
+rest, and who only waited long enough for us to relax into sound sleep,
+when he would wake us up and start us off again. I do not believe that
+he slept for one hour from April 2 until after he had loaded us up and
+ordered us to go back over our old trail, and I often think that from
+the instant when the order to return was given until the land was again
+sighted, he was in a continual daze.
+
+Onward we forced our weary way. Commander Peary took his sights from the
+time our chronometer-watches gave, and I, knowing that we had kept on
+going in practically a straight line, was sure that we had more than
+covered the necessary distance to insure our arrival at the top of the
+earth.
+
+It was during the march of the 3d of April that I endured an instant of
+hideous horror. We were crossing a lane of moving ice. Commander Peary
+was in the lead setting the pace, and a half hour later the four boys
+and myself followed in single file. They had all gone before, and I was
+standing and pushing at the upstanders of my sledge, when the block of
+ice I was using as a support slipped from underneath my feet, and before
+I knew it the sledge was out of my grasp, and I was floundering in the
+water of the lead. I did the best I could. I tore my hood from off my
+head and struggled frantically. My hands were gloved and I could not
+take hold of the ice, but before I could give the "Grand Hailing Sigh of
+Distress," faithful old Ootah had grabbed me by the nape of the neck,
+the same as he would have grabbed a dog, and with one hand he pulled me
+out of the water, and with the other hurried the team across.
+
+He had saved my life, but I did not tell him so, for such occurrences
+are taken as part of the day's work, and the sledge he safeguarded was
+of much more importance, for it held, as part of its load, the
+Commander's sextant, the mercury, and the coils of piano-wire that were
+the essential portion of the scientific part of the expedition. My
+kamiks (boots of sealskin) were stripped off, and the congealed water
+was beaten out of my bearskin trousers, and with a dry pair of kamiks,
+we hurried on to overtake the column. When we caught up, we found the
+boys gathered around the Commander, doing their best to relieve him of
+his discomfort, for he had fallen into the water also, and while he was
+not complaining, I was sure that his bath had not been any more
+voluntary than mine had been.
+
+When we halted on April 6, 1909, and started to build the igloos, the
+dogs and sledges having been secured, I noticed Commander Peary at work
+unloading his sledge and unpacking several bundles of equipment. He
+pulled out from under his _kooletah_ (thick, fur outer-garment) a small
+folded package and unfolded it. I recognized his old silk flag, and
+realized that this was to be a camp of importance. Our different camps
+had been known as Camp Number One, Number Two, etc., but after the
+turning back of Captain Bartlett, the camps had been given names such as
+Camp Nansen, Camp Cagni, etc., and I asked what the name of this camp
+was to be--"Camp Peary"? "This, my boy, is to be Camp Morris K. Jesup,
+the last and most northerly camp on the earth." He fastened the flag to
+a staff and planted it firmly on the top of his igloo. For a few
+minutes it hung limp and lifeless in the dead calm of the haze, and then
+a slight breeze, increasing in strength, caused the folds to straighten
+out, and soon it was rippling out in sparkling color. The stars and
+stripes were "nailed to the Pole."
+
+A thrill of patriotism ran through me and I raised my voice to cheer the
+starry emblem of my native land. The Esquimos gathered around and,
+taking the time from Commander Peary, three hearty cheers rang out on
+the still, frosty air, our dumb dogs looking on in puzzled surprise. As
+prospects for getting a sight of the sun were not good, we turned in and
+slept, leaving the flag proudly floating above us.
+
+This was a thin silk flag that Commander Peary had carried on all of his
+Arctic journeys, and he had always flown it at his last camps. It was as
+glorious and as inspiring a banner as any battle-scarred, blood-stained
+standard of the world--and this badge of honor and courage was also
+blood-stained and battle-scarred, for at several places there were blank
+squares marking the spots where pieces had been cut out at each of the
+"Farthests" of its brave bearer, and left with the records in the
+cairns, as mute but eloquent witnesses of his achievements. At the North
+Pole a diagonal strip running from the upper left to the lower right
+corner was cut and this precious strip, together with a brief record,
+was placed in an empty tin, sealed up and buried in the ice, as a record
+for all time.
+
+Commander Peary also had another American flag, sewn on a white ground,
+and it was the emblem of the "Daughters of the Revolution Peace
+Society"; he also had and flew the emblem of the Navy League, and the
+emblems of a couple of college fraternities of which he was a member.
+
+It was about ten or ten-thirty A. M., on the 7th of April, 1909, that
+the Commander gave the order to build a snow-shield to protect him from
+the flying drift of the surface-snow. I knew that he was about to take
+an observation, and while we worked I was nervously apprehensive, for I
+felt that the end of our journey had come. When we handed him the pan of
+mercury the hour was within a very few minutes of noon. Laying flat on
+his stomach, he took the elevation and made the notes on a piece of
+tissue-paper at his head. With sun-blinded eyes, he snapped shut the
+_vernier_ (a graduated scale that subdivides the smallest divisions on
+the sector of the circular scale of the sextant) and with the resolute
+squaring of his jaws, I was sure that he was satisfied, and I was
+confident that the journey had ended. Feeling that the time had come, I
+ungloved my right hand and went forward to congratulate him on the
+success of our eighteen years of effort, but a gust of wind blew
+something into his eye, or else the burning pain caused by his prolonged
+look at the reflection of the limb of the sun forced him to turn aside;
+and with both hands covering his eyes, he gave us orders to not let him
+sleep for more than four hours, for six hours later he purposed to take
+another sight about four miles beyond, and that he wanted at least two
+hours to make the trip and get everything in readiness.
+
+I unloaded a sledge, and reloaded it with a couple of skins, the
+instruments, and a cooker with enough alcohol and food for one meal for
+three, and then I turned in to the igloo where my boys were already
+sound asleep. The thermometer registered 29° below zero. I fell into a
+dreamless sleep and slept for about a minute, so I thought, when I was
+awakened by the clatter and noise made by the return of Peary and his
+boys.
+
+The Commander gave the word, "We will plant the stars and stripes--_at
+the North Pole!_" and it was done; on the peak of a huge paleocrystic
+floeberg the glorious banner was unfurled to the breeze, and as it
+snapped and crackled with the wind, I felt a savage joy and exultation.
+Another world's accomplishment was done and finished, and as in the
+past, from the beginning of history, wherever the world's work was done
+by a white man, he had been accompanied by a colored man. From the
+building of the pyramids and the journey to the Cross, to the discovery
+of the new world and the discovery of the North Pole, the Negro had been
+the faithful and constant companion of the Caucasian, and I felt all
+that it was possible for me to feel, that it was I, a lowly member of my
+race, who had been chosen by fate to represent it, at this, almost the
+last of the world's great _work_.
+
+The four Esquimos who stood with Commander Peary at the North Pole, were
+the brothers, Ootah and Egingwah, the old campaigner, Seegloo, and the
+sturdy, boyish Ooqueah. Four devoted companions, blindly confident in
+the leader, they worked only that he might succeed and for the promise
+of reward that had been made before they had left the ship, which
+promise they were sure would be kept. Together with the faithful dogs,
+these men had insured the success of the master. They had all of the
+characteristics of the dogs, including the dogs' fidelity. Within their
+breasts lingered the same infatuations that Commander Peary seemed to
+inspire in all who were with him, and though frequently complaining and
+constantly requiring to be urged to do their utmost, they worked
+faithfully and willingly. Ootah, of my party, was the oldest, a married
+man, of about thirty-four years, and regarded as the best all around
+member of the tribe, a great hunter, a kind father, and a good provider.
+Owing to his strong character and the fact that he was more easily
+managed by me than by any of the others, he had been a member of my
+party from the time we left the ship. Without exaggeration, I can say
+that we had both saved each other's lives more than once, but it had all
+gone in as part of the day's work, and neither of us dwelt on our
+obligations to the other.
+
+My other boy, Ooqueah, was a young man of about nineteen or twenty, very
+sturdy and stocky of build, and with an open, honest countenance, a
+smile that was "child-like and bland," and a character that _was_
+child-like and bland. It was alleged that the efforts of young Ooqueah
+were spurred on by the shafts of love, and that it was in the hopes of
+winning the hand of the demure Miss Anadore, the charming daughter of
+Ikwah, the first Esquimo of Commander Peary's acquaintance, that he
+worked so valiantly. His efforts were of an ardent character, but it was
+not due to the ardor of love, as far as I could see, but to his desire
+to please and his anxiety to win the promised rewards that would raise
+him to the grade of a millionaire, according to Esquimo standards.
+
+[Illustration: THE ROOSEVELT IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN]
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS
+RETURN TO CIVILIZATION]
+
+Commander Peary's boy, Egingwah, was the brother of my boy Ootah, also
+married and of good report in his community, and it was he who drove
+the Morris K. Jesup sledge.
+
+If there was any sentiment among the Esquimos in regard to the success
+of the venture, Ootah and Seegloo by their unswerving loyalty and
+fidelity expressed it. They had been members of the "Farthest North
+party" in 1906, the party that was almost lost beyond and in the "Big
+Lead," and only reached the land again in a state of almost complete
+collapse. They were the ones who, on bidding Commander Peary farewell in
+1906, when he was returning, a saddened and discouraged man, told him to
+be of good cheer and that when he came back again Ootah and Seegloo
+would go along, and stay until Commander Peary had succeeded, and they
+did. The cowardice of their fellow Esquimos at the "Big Lead" on this
+journey did not in the least demoralize them, and when they were
+absolutely alone on the trail, with every chance to turn back and return
+to comfort, wife, and family, they remained steadfast and true, and ever
+northward guided their sledges.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE FAST TREK BACK TO LAND
+
+
+The long trail was finished, the work was done, and there was only left
+for us to return and tell the tale of the doing. Reaction had set in,
+and it was with quavering voice that Commander Peary gave the order to
+break camp. Already the strain of the hard upward-journey was beginning
+to tell, and after the first two marches back, he was practically a dead
+weight, but do not think that we could have gotten back without him, for
+it was due to the fact that he was with us, and that we could depend
+upon him to direct and order us, that we were able to keep up the
+break-neck pace that enabled us to cover three of our upward marches on
+one of our return marches, and we never forgot that he was still the
+heart and head of the party.
+
+It was broad daylight and getting brighter, and accordingly I knew
+little fear, though I did think of the ghosts of other parties,
+flitting in spectral form over the ice-clad wastes, especially of that
+small detachment of the Italian expedition of the Duke D'Abruzzi, of
+which to this day neither track, trace, nor remembrance has ever been
+found. We crossed lead after lead, sometimes like a bare-back rider in
+the circus, balancing on cake after cake of ice, but good fortune was
+with us all of the way, and it was not until the land of recognizable
+character had been lifted that we lost the trail, and with the land in
+sight as an incentive, it was no trouble for us to gain the talus of the
+shore ice and find the trail again.
+
+When we "hit the beach for fair" it was early in the morning of April
+23, 1909, nearly seventeen days since we had left the Pole, but such a
+seventeen days of haste, toil, and misery as cannot be comprehended by
+the mind. We who experienced it, Commander Peary, the Esquimos, and
+myself, look back to it as to a horrid nightmare, and to describe it is
+impossible for me.
+
+Commander Peary had taken the North Pole by conquest, in the face of
+almost insuperable natural difficulties, by the tremendous
+fighting-power of himself. The winning of the North Pole was a fight
+with nature; the way to the Pole that had been covered and retraced by
+Commander Peary lay across the ever moving and drifting ice of the
+Arctic Ocean. For more than a hundred miles from Cape Columbia it was
+piled in heavy pressure ridges, ridge after ridge, some more than a
+hundred feet in height. In addition, open lanes of water held the
+parties back until the leads froze up again, and continually the steady
+drift of the ice carried us back on the course we had come, but due to
+his deathless ambition to know and to do, he had conquered. He had added
+to the sum of Earth's knowledge, and proven that the mind of man is
+boundless in its desire.
+
+The long quest for the North Pole is over and the awful space that
+separated man from the _Ultima Thule_ has been bridged. There is no more
+beyond; from Cape Columbia to Cape Chelyuskin, the route northward to
+the Pole, and southward again to the plains of Asia, is an open book and
+the geographical mind is at rest.
+
+We found the abandoned igloos of Crane City and realized that Captain
+Bartlett had reached the land safely. The damage due to the action of
+the storms was not material. We made the necessary repairs, and in a few
+minutes tea was boiled and rations eaten, and we turned in for sleep.
+For practically all of the two days following, that was what we did:
+sleep and eat; men and dogs thoroughly exhausted; and we slept the sleep
+of the just, without apprehensions or misgivings. Our toboggan from the
+Pole was ended.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Different from all other trips, we had not on this one been maddened by
+the pangs of hunger, but instead we felt the effects of lack of sleep,
+and brain- and body-fatigue. After reaching the land again, I gave a
+keen searching look at each member of the party, and I realized the
+strain they had been under. Instead of the plump, round countenances I
+knew so well, I saw lean, gaunt faces, seamed and wrinkled, the faces of
+old men, not those of boys, but in their eyes still shone the spark of
+resolute determination.
+
+Commander Peary's face was lined and seamed, his beard was fully an
+inch in length, and his mustaches, which had been closely cropped before
+he left the ship, had again attained their full flowing length. His
+features expressed fatigue, but the heart-breaking look of sadness, that
+had clung to him since the failure of the 1906 expedition, had vanished.
+From his steel-gray eyes flashed forth the light of glorious victory,
+and though he always carried himself proudly, there had come about him
+an air of erect assurance that was exhilarating.
+
+When I reached the ship again and gazed into my little mirror, it was
+the pinched and wrinkled visage of an old man that peered out at me, but
+the eyes still twinkled and life was still entrancing. This wizening of
+our features was due to the strain of travel and lack of sleep; we had
+enough to eat, and I have only mentioned it to help impress the fact
+that the journey to the Pole and back is not to be regarded as a
+pleasure outing, and our so-called jaunt was by no means a cake-walk.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+SAFE ON THE ROOSEVELT--POOR MARVIN
+
+
+If you will remember, the journey from Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia
+was with overloaded sledges in the darkness preceding the dawn of the
+Arctic day, mostly over rough going and up-hill, and now the tables were
+turned. It was broad day and down-hill with lightened sledges, so that
+we practically coasted the last miles from the twin peaks of Columbia to
+the low, slanting fore-shore of Sheridan and the _Roosevelt_. After the
+forty hours' rest at Cape Columbia, Commander Peary had his sledges
+loaded up, and with Egingwah and the best of the remaining dogs, he got
+away.
+
+I was told I could remain at the camp for another twelve hours. A large
+and substantial cache of supplies had been dropped at Cape Columbia by
+various members of the expedition and when the Commander was gone, I
+gave the boys full permission to turn in and eat all they wanted, and I
+also gave the dogs all they could stuff, and it was not until all of us
+had gorged ourselves to repletion that I gave the order to _vamoose_. We
+were loaded to capacity, outward and inward, and we saw a bountiful
+supply still lying there, but we could not pack another ounce. It was
+early in the morning of April 25 when Peary started for the ship; it was
+about four or five hours later, about noon, when I gave the word, and
+Ootah, Seegloo, Ooqueah, and myself left Crane City, Cape Columbia,
+Grant Land, for the last time.
+
+We overtook the Commander at Point Moss, and we traveled with him to
+Cape Colan, where we camped. Peary continued on to Sail Harbor, and we
+stayed in our comfortable camp and rested. We again caught up with the
+Commander at Porter Bay, where we camped for a few hours. The following
+morning I rearranged the sledges and left two of them at Porter Bay. It
+was my intention to reach the ship on this evening. We made a short stop
+at Black Cliff Bay and had lunch, and without further interruption we
+traveled on and at about eight-forty-five P. M. we sighted the
+_Roosevelt_.
+
+The sighting of the ship was our first view of home, and far away as she
+was, our acutely developed senses of smell were regaled with the
+appetizing odor of hot coffee, and the pungent aroma of tobacco-smoke,
+wafted to us through the clear, germ-free air. The Esquimo boys, usually
+excited on the slightest provocation, were surprisingly stolid and
+merely remarked, "_Oomiaksoah_" ("The ship") in quiet voices, until I,
+unable to control myself, burst forth with a loud "hip! hip! hurrah!"
+and with all that was left of my energy hurried my sledge in to the
+ship. We had been sighted almost as quickly as we had sighted the ship,
+and a party of the ship's crew came running out to meet us, and as we
+rushed on we were told about the safe arrival of Commander Peary,
+Bartlett, Borup, MacMillan, and Dr. Goodsell. Transported with elation
+and overjoyed to find myself once more safe among friends, I had rushed
+onward and as I recognized the different faces of the ship's company, I
+did not realize that some were missing.
+
+Chief Wardwell was the first man to greet me, he photographed me as I
+was closing in on the ship, and with his strong right arm pulled me up
+over the side and hugged me to his bosom. "Good boy, Matt," he said;
+"too bad about Marvin," and then I knew that all was wrong and that it
+was not the time for rejoicing. I asked for Peary and I was told that he
+was all right. I saw Captain Bartlett and I knew that he was there; but
+where was Borup, where were MacMillan, Marvin, and where was Dr.
+Goodsell? Dr. Goodsell was right by my side, holding me up, and I
+realized that it was of him I was demanding to know of the others.
+
+Reason had not left me, the bonds of sanity had not snapped, but for the
+time I was hysterical, and I only knew that all were well and safe
+excepting Marvin, who was drowned. A big mug of coffee was given to me,
+I drank a spoonful; a glass of spirits was handed me, I drank it all,
+and I was guided to my cabin, my fur clothes were taken off, and for the
+first time in sixty-eight days, I allowed myself to relax and I fell
+into a sleep.
+
+When I awoke, I had the grandest feast imaginable set before me, and
+after eating, I had the most luxurious bath possible, and then some more
+to eat, and afterwards, some more sleep; then I shaved myself, combed my
+hair, and came out of my cabin and crossed over to the galley, and sat
+on a box and watched Charley at work. Then I thought of the dogs and
+went outside and found that they had been cared for. I wondered when the
+Commander would want to see me. All of the time the sailors and Charley
+and the Esquimo folks were keeping up a running fire of conversation,
+and I was able to gather from what they said that my dear, good friend,
+Professor Marvin, was indeed lost; that Peary had reached the
+_Roosevelt_ about seven hours ahead of me; that Captain Bartlett was
+suffering with swollen legs and feet; that MacMillan and Borup with
+their own and Marvin's boys had gone to Cape Jesup; and that Pooadloonah
+and Panikpah had taken their families and returned to Esquimo land.
+
+For days after I reached the _Roosevelt_, I did nothing but rest and
+eat. The strain was over and I had all but collapsed, but with constant
+eating and sleeping, I was quickly myself again. The pains and
+swellings of my limbs did not come as they had on all of the other
+returnings, and neither was Peary troubled. Captain Bartlett was the
+only one of the expedition that had been out on the sea-ice who felt any
+after effects. Every day, a few minutes after rising, he would notice
+that his ankle-, knee- and hip-joints were swollen; and while the pain
+was not excessive, he was incapacitated for more than ten days, and he
+spent the most of his time in his cabin. When he came out of his cabin
+and did talk to me, it was only to compare notes and agree that our
+experiences proved that there was absolutely no question about our
+having discovered the Pole.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Captain Bartlett, Dr. Goodsell, Chief Wardwell, Percy--they could talk
+as they would; but the one ever-present thought in my mind was of
+Marvin, and of his death. I thought of him, and of his kindness to me;
+and the picture of his widowed mother, patiently waiting the return of
+her son, was before me all of the time. I thought of my own mother, whom
+I scarcely remembered, and I sincerely wished that it had been me who
+had been taken. When MacMillan and Borup returned, I learned all about
+the sad affair, from Kudlooktoo and Harrigan, and I feel that had he
+been with civilized companions the sad story of Marvin's death would not
+have to be told.
+
+On breaking camp he had gone on, leaving the boys to load up and follow
+him. They were going south to the land and the ship, and there was no
+need for him to stay with them, and when they came up to where he had
+disappeared, they saw the ice newly formed about him, his head and feet
+beneath, and nothing showing but the fur clothing of his back and
+shoulders. They made no effort to rescue him, and had they succeeded in
+getting his body out, there is little chance that they could have kept
+him alive, for the temperature was far below zero, and they knew nothing
+about restoring life to the drowned. No blame can be laid to his
+childish companions.
+
+He died alone, and he passed into the great unknown alone, bravely and
+honorably. He is the last of Earth's great martyrs; he is home; his work
+is done; he is where he longed to be; the Sailor is Home in the Sea. It
+is poor satisfaction to those that he left behind that his grave is the
+northern-most grave on the earth; but they realize that the sacrifice
+was not made in vain, for it was due to him that those who followed were
+able to keep the trail and reach the land again. The foolish boys, in
+accordance with Esquimo tradition, had unloaded all of Prof. Marvin's
+personal effects on the ice, so that his spirit should not follow them,
+and they hurried on back to land and to the ship, where they told their
+sad story.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+AFTER MUSK-OXEN--THE DOCTOR'S SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION
+
+
+From the time of my arrival at the _Roosevelt_, for nearly three weeks,
+my days were spent in complete idleness. I would catch a fleeting
+glimpse of Commander Peary, but not once in all of that time did he
+speak a word to me. Then he spoke to me in the most ordinary
+matter-of-fact way, and ordered me to get to work. Not a word about the
+North Pole or anything connected with it; simply, "There is enough wood
+left, and I would like to have you make a couple of sledges and mend the
+broken ones. I hope you are feeling all right." There was enough wood
+left and I made three sledges, as well as repaired those that were
+broken.
+
+The Commander was still running things and he remained the commander to
+the last minute; nothing escaped him, and when the time came to
+slow-down on provisions, he gave the orders, and we had but two spare
+meals a day to sustain us. The whole expedition lived on travel rations
+from before the time we left Cape Sheridan until we had reached Sidney,
+N. S., and like the keen-fanged hounds, we were always ready and fit.
+
+It was late in May when Prof. MacMillan and Mr. Borup, with their
+Esquimo companions returned from Cape Jesup, where they had been doing
+highly important scientific work, taking soundings out on the sea-ice
+north of the cape as high as 84° 15' north, and also at the cape. They
+had made a trip that was record-breaking; they had visited the different
+cairns made by Lockwood and Brainard and by Commander Peary, and they
+had also captured and brought into the ship a musk-ox calf; and they had
+most satisfactorily demonstrated their fitness as Arctic explorers,
+having followed the Commander's orders implicitly and secured more than
+the required number of tidal-readings and soundings.
+
+Prof. MacMillan, with Jack Barnes, a sailor, and Kudlooktoo, left for
+Fort Conger early in June, and continued the work of tidal-observations.
+They rejoined the _Roosevelt_ just before she left Cape Sheridan. A
+little later in the month, Borup went to Clements Markham Inlet to hunt
+musk-oxen, and from there he went to Cape Columbia, where he erected the
+cairn containing the record of the last and successful expedition of the
+"Peary Arctic Club." The cairn was a substantial pile of rocks,
+surmounted by a strong oaken guide-post, with arms pointing "North 413
+miles to the Pole"; "East, to Cape Morris K. Jesup, 275 miles"; "West to
+Cape Thomas H. Hubbard, 225 miles"; while the southern arm pointed
+south, but to no particular geographical spot; it was labeled "Cape
+Columbia." Underneath the arms of the guide-post, which had been made by
+Mate Gushue, was a small, glass-covered, box-like arrangement, in which
+was encased the record of Peary's successful journey to the Pole, and
+the roster of the expedition, my name included. From the cross-bars,
+guys of galvanized wire were stretched and secured to heavy rocks, to
+help sustain the monument from the fury of the storms. Borup did good
+work, photographed the result, and the picture of the cairn, when
+exhibited, proved very satisfactory to the Commander.
+
+Dr. Goodsell with two teams, and the Esquimo men, Keshungwah and
+Tawchingwah, left the ship on May 27, to hunt in the Lake Hazen and
+Ruggles River regions. They were successful in securing thirteen
+musk-oxen in that neighborhood, and in Bellows Valley they shot a number
+of the "Peary" caribou, the species "_Rangifer Pearyi_," a distinct
+class of reindeer inhabiting that region.
+
+On the return of Dr. Goodsell, he told of his fascinating experiences in
+that wonderland. Leaving the _Roosevelt_, he had turned inland at Black
+Cliff Bay. Past the glaciers he went with his little party, down the
+Bellows Valley to the Ruggles River, an actual stream of clear-running
+water, alive with the finest of salmon trout. Adopting the Esquimo
+methods, he fished for these speckled beauties with joyful success. Here
+he rounded up and shot the herd of musk-oxen, and here he bagged his
+caribou. He was in a hunter's paradise and made no haste to return, but
+crossed overland to Discovery Harbor and the barn-like structure of Fort
+Conger, the headquarters of General Greely's "Lady Franklin Bay
+Expedition" of 1882-1883. Professor MacMillan was on his way to Fort
+Conger and it was with much surprise, on arriving there, that he found
+that Dr. Goodsell had reached it an hour before him. It was an
+unexpected meeting and quite a pleasure to the Professor to find the
+Doctor there, ready to offer him the hospitality of the fort.
+
+Dr. Goodsell returned to the _Roosevelt_ on June 15, with a load of
+geological, zoölogical, and botanical specimens almost as heavy as the
+loads of meat and skins he brought in. He was an ardent scientist, and
+viewed nearly every situation and object from the view-point of the
+scientist. Nothing escaped him; a peculiar form of rock or plant, the
+different features of the animal life, all received his close and eager
+attention, and he had the faculty of imparting his knowledge to others,
+like the born teacher that he was. He evinced an eager interest in the
+Esquimos and got along famously with them.
+
+His physical equipment was the finest; a giant in stature and strength,
+but withal the gentlest of men having an even, mellow disposition that
+never was ruffled. In the field the previous spring he had accompanied
+the expedition beyond the "Big Lead" to 84° 29', and with the strength
+of his broad shoulders he had pickaxed the way.
+
+On account of his calm, quiet manner I had hesitated to form an opinion
+of him at first, but you can rest assured this was a "Tenderfoot" who
+made good.
+
+During this time I left the ship on short hunting trips, but I was never
+away from the ship for more than ten or twelve hours.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+On July 1 quite a lead was opened in the channel south from Cape
+Sheridan to Cape Rawson. The ice was slowly moving southward, and the
+prospects for freeing the _Roosevelt_ and getting her started on her
+homeward way were commencing to brighten. The following day a new lead
+opened much nearer shore, and on July 3 the Esquimos, who had been out
+hunting, returned from Black Cliff Bay, without game, but with the good
+news that as far south as Dumb Bell Bay there stretched a lead of open
+water. July 4, a new lead opened very close to the _Roosevelt_. The
+spring tides, with a strong southerly wind, had set in so very much
+earlier, three years before, that on July 4, 1906, the _Roosevelt_ had
+been entirely free of ice, with clear, open water for quite a distance
+to the south; but this year the ship was still completely packed in the
+ice, and furthermore she was listed at the same angle as during the
+winter.
+
+On July 5, I was detailed to help Gushue repair the more or less damaged
+whale-boats. The heavy and solidly packed snow of the winter had stove
+them in. On July 6, the anniversary of our departure from New York a
+year before, the greater part of the day was spent in pumping water from
+the top of a heavy floeberg into the ship's boilers. This work was not
+completed until the morning of the 7th, when the fires were started. Due
+to the cold, the process of getting up steam was slow work. The ice had
+been breaking up daily, new leads were noticed, and on this day, July 7,
+a new lead opened at a distance of fifty yards from the ship, and open
+water stretched as far south as the eye could see. All hands were put to
+work reloading the supplies that had been placed on shore the fall
+previous, for it was easy to see that the time for departure was at
+hand.
+
+With the boilers in order, an attempt was made to revolve the shaft, but
+the propeller was too securely frozen in the ice to move, and so Captain
+Bartlett got out the dynamite and succeeded in freeing the bronze
+blades.
+
+From the 10th of July to the 13th, a fierce storm raged, clouds of
+freeing spray broke over the ship, incasing her in a coat of icy mail,
+and the tempest forced all of the ice out of the lower end of the
+channel and beyond as far as the eye could see, but the _Roosevelt_
+still remained surrounded by ice.
+
+The morning of the 15th, a smart breeze from the northeast was blowing,
+and proved of valuable assistance to us, for it caused the huge blocks
+of ice that were surrounding the ship to loosen their hold, and for the
+first time since October, 1908, the _Roosevelt_ righted herself to an
+even keel.
+
+By this time all of our supplies had been loaded and stored, and from
+the crow's-nest a stretch of open water could be seen as far as Cape
+Rawson. From there to Cape Union the ice was packed solid.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE ROOSEVELT STARTS FOR HOME--ESQUIMO VILLAGES--NEW DOGS AND NEW DOG
+FIGHTS
+
+
+It was two-thirty P. M., July 17, 1909, that the _Roosevelt_ pointed her
+bow southward and we left our winter quarters and Cape Sheridan. We were
+on our journey home, all hands as happy as when, a year previous, we had
+started on our way north, with the added satisfaction of complete
+success. The ship had steamed but a short distance, when, owing to the
+rapidly drifting ice in the channel, she had to be made fast to a
+floeberg. At ten-thirty P. M., the lines were loosed and a new start
+made. Without further incident, we reached Black Cape.
+
+In rounding the cape the ship encountered a terrific storm, and it was
+with the greatest difficulty that she made any headway. The storm
+increased and the _Roosevelt_ had to remain in the channel, surrounded
+by the tightly wedged floes, at the mercy of the wind. The gale
+continued until the evening of the 20th. The constant surging back and
+forth of the channel-pack, with the spring tides and the several huge
+masses of ice, which repeatedly crashed against the ship's sides, caused
+a delay of twelve days in Robeson Channel opposite Lincoln Bay.
+Throughout the width of the entire channel nothing could be seen but
+small pools of open water; two seals were seen sporting in one of these
+pools, and one of the Esquimos attempted to kill them, but his aim
+proved false.
+
+It was not until the 25th that the ship was able to move of her own free
+will, small leads having opened in close proximity to her. Ootah shot a
+seal in one of the leads, and also harpooned a narwhal, but he did not
+succeed in securing either. His brother Egingwah on the following day
+shot two seals and harpooned a narwhal, and he secured all three of his
+prizes. The Esquimos had a grand feast off the skin of the narwhal,
+which they esteem as a great delicacy.
+
+By the 27th the _Roosevelt_ had drifted as far south as Wrangell Bay,
+and it was here that Slocum (Inighito) shot and secured a hood-seal,
+which weighed over six hundred pounds, and seal-steaks were added to the
+bill-of-fare.
+
+The snow storms of the two days ceased on the 28th, and when the weather
+cleared sufficiently for us to ascertain our whereabouts, we were much
+surprised to find that we had drifted back north, opposite Lincoln Bay.
+During the day the wind shifted to the north. Again we drifted
+southward, until, just off Cape Beechey, the narrowest part of Robeson
+Channel, a lead stretching southward for a distance of five miles was
+sighted, and into this open water the ship steamed until the lead
+terminated in Kennedy Channel, opposite Lady Franklin Bay, where the
+_Roosevelt_ was ice-bound until August 4, drifting with the pack until
+we were in a direct line with Cape Tyson and Bellot Isle. Three seals
+were captured, one a hood-seal weighing 624 pounds, being eight feet
+eleven inches in length; the other two were small ring-seals.
+
+By ten A. M. of the 4th, the ice had slackened so considerably that the
+_Roosevelt_, under full steam, set out and rapidly worked her way down
+Kennedy Channel. From Crozier Island to Cape D'Urville she steamed
+through practically open water, but a dense fog compelled us to make
+fast to a large floe when almost opposite Cape Albert. It was not until
+one A. M. of the 7th, despite several attempts, that the ship got clear
+and steamed south again. Several small leads were noticed and numerous
+narwhals were seen, but none were captured.
+
+At three-thirty A. M., when nearing Cape Sabine, we observed that the
+barometer had dropped to 29.73. A storm was coming, and every effort was
+made to reach Payer Harbor, but before half of the distance had been
+covered, the storm broke with terrific violence. The force of the gale
+was such that, while swinging the boats inboard, we were drenched and
+thoroughly chilled by the sheets of icy spray, which saturated us and
+instantly froze. The _Roosevelt_ was blown over to starboard until the
+rails were submerged. To save her, she was steered into Buchanan Bay,
+under the lee of the cliffs, where she remained until the morning of
+August 8.
+
+At an early hour, we steamed down Buchanan Bay, passed Cocked Hat
+Island, and a little later, Cape Sabine. At Cape Sabine was located
+Camp Clay, the starvation camp of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition of
+1881-1883, where the five survivors of the twenty-three members of the
+expedition were rescued.
+
+We entered Smith Sound. Instead of sailing on to Etah, Peary ordered the
+ship into Whale Sound, in order that walrus-hunting could be done, so
+that the Esquimos should have a plentiful supply of meat for the
+following winter. Three walrus were captured, when a storm sprang up
+with all of the suddenness of storms in this neighborhood, and the ship
+crossed over from Cape Alexander to Cape Chalon. Cape Chalon is a
+favorite resort of the Esquimos, and is known as Peter-ar-wick, on
+account of the walrus that are to be found here during the months of
+February and March.
+
+At Nerke, just below Cape Chalon, we found the three Esquimo families of
+Ahsayoo, Tungwingwah, and Teddylingwah, and it was from these people we
+first learned of Dr. Cook's safe return from Ellesmere Land. In spite of
+the fact that the _Roosevelt_ was overloaded with dogs, paraphernalia,
+and Esquimos, these three families were taken aboard.
+
+With them were several teams of dogs. The dogs aboard ship were the
+survivors of the pack that had been with us all through the campaign,
+and a number of litters of puppies that had been whelped since the
+spring season. Our dogs were well acquainted with each other and dog
+fights were infrequent and of little interest, but the arrival of the
+first dog of the new party was the signal for the grandest dog fight I
+have ever witnessed. I feel justified in using the language of the fairy
+Ariel, in Shakespeare's "Tempest": "Now is Hell empty, and all the
+devils are here."
+
+Backward and forward, the foredeck of the ship was a howling, snarling,
+biting, yelping, moving mass of fury, and it was a long round of fully
+ten or fifteen minutes before the two king dogs of the packs got
+together, and then began the battle for supremacy of the pack. It lasted
+for some time. It would have been useless to separate them. They would
+decide sooner or later, and it was better to have it over, even if one
+or both contestants were killed. At length the fight was ended; our old
+king dog, Nalegaksoah, the champion of the pack, and the laziest dog in
+it, was still the king. After vanquishing his opponent and receiving
+humble acknowledgments, King Nalegaksoah went stamping up and down
+before the pack and received the homage due him; the new dogs, whining
+and fawning and cringingly submissive, bowed down before him.
+
+The chief pleasure of the Esquimo dogs is fighting; two dogs, the best
+of friends, will hair-pull and bite each other for no cause whatever,
+and strange dogs fight at sight; team-mates fight each other on the
+slightest of provocations; and it seems as though sometimes the fights
+are held for the purpose of educating the young. When a fight is in
+progress, it is the usual sight to see several mother dogs, with their
+litters, occupying ring-side seats. I have often wondered what chance a
+cat would stand against an Esquimo dog.
+
+The ship kept on, and I had turned in and slept, and on arising had
+found that we had reached a place called Igluduhomidy, where a single
+family was located. Living with this family was a very old Esquimo,
+Merktoshah, the oldest man in the whole tribe, and not a blood-relation
+to any member of it. He had crossed over from the west coast of Smith
+Sound the same year that Hall's expedition had wintered there, and has
+lived there ever since. He had been a champion polar bear and big game
+hunter, and though now a very old man, was still vigorous and valiant,
+in spite of the loss of one eye.
+
+We stopped at Kookan, the most prosperous of the Esquimo settlements, a
+village of five tupiks (skin tents), housing twenty-four people, and
+from there we sailed to the ideal community of Karnah. Karnah is the
+most delightful spot on the Greenland coast. Situated on a gently
+southward sloping knoll are the igloos and tupiks, where I have spent
+many pleasant days with my Esquimo friends and learned much of the
+folk-lore and history. Lofty mountains, sublime in their grandeur,
+overtower and surround this place, and its only exposure is southward
+toward the sun. In winter its climate is not severe, as compared with
+other portions of this country, and in the perpetual daylight of summer,
+life here is ideal. Rivulets of clear, cold water, the beds of which
+are grass- and flower-covered, run down the sides of the mountains and,
+but for the lack of trees, the landscape is as delightful as anywhere on
+earth.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+TWO NARROW ESCAPES--ARRIVAL AT ETAH--HARRY WHITNEY--DR. COOK'S CLAIMS
+
+
+From Karnah the _Roosevelt_ sailed to Itiblu, where hunting-parties
+secured thirty-one walrus and one seal. By the 11th of August we had
+reached the northern shore of Northumberland Island, where we were
+delayed by storm. It was shortly before noon of this day that we barely
+escaped another fatal calamity.
+
+Chief Wardwell, while cleaning the rifle of Commander Peary, had the
+misfortune to have the piece explode while in his hands. From some
+unknown cause a cartridge was discharged, the projectile pierced two
+thick partitions of inch-and-a-half pine, and penetrated the cabin
+occupied by Professor MacMillan and Mr. Borup. The billet of that bullet
+was the shoulder and forearm of Professor MacMillan, who at the time was
+sound asleep in his berth. He had been lying with his arm doubled and
+his head resting on his hand. A half inch nearer and the bullet would
+have entered his brain.
+
+As is always the case with narrow escapes, I, too, had a narrow escape,
+for that same bullet entered the partition on its death-dealing mission
+at identically the same spot where a few minutes previously _my_ head
+had rested. Dr. Goodsell was quickly aroused, he attended Professor
+MacMillan, and in a short time he diagnosed the case as a "gun-shot
+wound." Finding no bones broken, or veins or arteries open, he soon had
+the Professor bandaged and comfortable.
+
+At the time of the accident to Professor MacMillan the ship was riding
+at anchor, but with insufficient slack-way, so in the afternoon, when
+the excitement had somewhat abated, Captain Bob decided to give the ship
+more chain, for a storm was imminent, and he gave the order accordingly.
+The boatswain, in his haste to execute the order, and overestimating the
+amount of chain in the locker, permitted all of it to run overboard. We
+were in a predicament, with the storm upon us, no anchor to hold the
+boat, and a savage, rocky shore on which we were in danger of being
+wrecked. There was a small five-hundred-pound anchor with a nine-inch
+cable of about one hundred and fifty fathoms remaining, which was
+repeatedly tried, but the ship was too much for this feather-weight
+anchor, and dragged it at will. Commander Peary, with his usual
+foresight, had ordered steam as soon as the approach of the storm was
+noticed, and now that the steam was up, he ordered that the ship be kept
+head-on, and steam up and down the coast until the storm abated. The
+storm lasted until the night of August 13, and the best part of the
+following day was spent by two boat-crews of twelve men, in grappling
+for the lost anchor and chain, and not until they had secured it and
+restored it once more to its locker were they permitted to rest. With
+the anchor secure, walrus-hunting commenced afresh, and on the ice-floes
+between Hakluyt and Northumberland Islands thirty more walrus were
+secured.
+
+On August 16, the _Roosevelt_ steamed back to Karnah, and the Esquimo
+people who intended living there for the following winter were landed.
+A very large supply of meat was landed also; in addition to the meat
+quite a number of useful presents, hatchets, knives, needles, some
+boards for the making and repairing of sledges, and some wood for
+lance-and harpoon-staves, and a box full of soap were landed. This
+inventory of presents may seem cheap and paltry to you, but to these
+natives such presents as we made were more appreciated than the gift of
+many dollars would be by a poverty-stricken family in this country. With
+the materials that Commander Peary furnished would be made the weapons
+of the chase, the tools of the seamstress, and the implements of the
+home-maker. The Esquimos have always known how to utilize every factor
+furnished by nature, and what has been given to them by the Commander
+has been given with the simple idea of helping them to make their life
+easier, and proves again the axiom, "The Lord helps those who help
+themselves."
+
+After disembarking the Karnah contingent, the ship steamed to Etah,
+arriving there on the afternoon of August 17. As the _Roosevelt_ was
+entering the harbor of Etah, all hands were on deck and on the lookout,
+for it was here that we were again to come in touch with the world we
+had left behind a year before. A large number of Esquimos were running
+up and down the shore, but there was no sign of the expected ship.
+Quickly a boat was lowered, and I saw to it that I was a member of the
+crew of that boat, and when we reached the beach the first person to
+greet me was old Panikpah, greasy, smiling, and happy as if I were his
+own son. I quickly recognized my old friend Pooadloonah, who greeted me
+with a merry laugh, and my misgivings as to the fate of this precious
+pair were dispelled. If you will remember, Panikpah and Pooadloonah were
+the two Esquimos who found, when on our Poleward journey, just about the
+time we had struck the "Big Lead," that there were a couple of
+fox-traps, or something like that, that they had forgotten to attend to,
+and that it was extremely necessary for them to go back and square up
+their accounts. Here they were, fat, smiling, and healthy; and I
+apprehend somewhat surprised to see us, but they bluffed it out well.
+
+Murphy and the young man Pritchard were also here. Murphy and Pritchard
+were the members of the crew who had been left here to guard the
+provisions of the expedition, and to trade with the Esquimos. Another
+person also was there to greet us; but who had kept himself alive and
+well by his own pluck and clear grit, and who reported on meeting the
+Commander of having had a most satisfactory and enjoyable experience. I
+refer to Mr. Harry Whitney, the young man from New Haven, Conn., who had
+elected at the last hour, the previous autumn, to remain at Etah, to
+hunt the big game of the region. When the _Roosevelt_ had sailed north
+from Etah, the previous August, he had been left absolutely alone; the
+_Erik_ had sailed for home, and there was no way out of this desolate
+land for him until the relief ship came north the following year, or the
+_Roosevelt_ came south to take him aboard. His outfit and equipment were
+sufficient for him and complete, but he had shared it with the natives
+until it was exhausted, and after that he had reverted to the life of
+the aborigines. When the _Roosevelt_ reached Etah, Mr. Whitney was an
+Esquimo; but within one hour, he had a bath, a shave, and a hair-cut,
+and was the same mild-mannered gentleman that we had left there in the
+fall. He had gratified his ambitions in shooting musk-oxen, but he had
+not killed a single polar bear.
+
+At Etah there were two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, boys about
+sixteen or seventeen years old, who had been with Dr. Cook for a year,
+or ever since he had crossed the channel to Ellesmere Land and returned
+again. These boys are the two he claims accompanied him to the North
+Pole. To us, up there at Etah, such a story was so ridiculous and absurd
+that we simply laughed at it. We knew Dr. Cook and his abilities; he had
+been the surgeon on two of Peary's expeditions and, aside from his
+medical ability, we had no faith in him whatever. He was not even good
+for a day's work, and the idea of his making such an astounding claim as
+having reached the Pole was so ludicrous that, after our laugh, we
+dropped the matter altogether.
+
+On account of the world-wide controversy his story has caused, I will
+quote from my diary the impressions noted in regard to him:
+
+"August 17, 1909, Etah, North Greenland.
+
+"Mr. Harry Whitney came aboard with the boatswain and the cabin-boy, who
+had been left here last fall on our way to Cape Sheridan. Murphy is the
+boatswain and Pritchard the boy, both from Newfoundland, and they look
+none the worse for wear, in spite of the long time they have spent here.
+Mr. Whitney is the gentleman who came up on the _Erik_ last year, and at
+the last moment decided to spend the winter with the natives. He had a
+long talk with the Commander before we left for the north, and has had
+quite a lengthy session with him since. I learn that Dr. Cook came over
+from Ellesmere Land with his two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, and in
+a confidential conversation with Mr. Whitney made the statement that he
+had reached the North Pole. Professor MacMillan and I have talked to his
+two boys and have learned that there is no foundation in fact for such a
+statement, and the Captain and others of the expedition have questioned
+them, and if they were out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean it was only
+for a very short distance, not more than twenty or twenty-five miles.
+The boys are positive in this statement, and my own boys, Ootah and
+Ooqueah, have talked to them also, and get the same replies. It is a
+fact that they had a very hard time and were reduced to low limits, but
+they have not been any distance north, and the Commander and the rest of
+us are in the humor to regard Mr. Whitney as a person who has been
+hoodwinked. We know Dr. Cook very well and also his reputation, and we
+know that he was never good for a hard day's work; in fact he was not up
+to the average, and he is no hand at all in making the most of his
+resources. He probably has spun this yarn to Mr. Whitney and the
+boatswain to make himself look big to them.
+
+"The Commander will not permit Mr. Whitney to bring any of the Dr. Cook
+effects aboard the _Roosevelt_ and they have been left in a cache on
+shore. Koolootingwah is here again, after his trip to North Star Bay
+with Dr. Cook, and tells an amusing story of his experience."
+
+It is only from a sense of justice to Commander Peary and those who were
+with him that I have mentioned Dr. Cook. The outfitting of the hunting
+expedition of Mr. Bradley was well known to us. Captain Bartlett had
+directed it and had advised and arranged for the purchase of the
+Schooner _John R. Bradley_ to carry the hunting party to the region
+where big game of the character Mr. Bradley wished to hunt could be
+found. We knew that Dr. Cook was accompanying Mr. Bradley, but we had no
+idea that the question of the discovery of the North Pole was to be
+involved.
+
+I have reason to be grateful to Dr. Cook for favors received; I lived
+with his folks while I was suffering with my eyes, due to snow
+blindness, but I feel that all of the debts of gratitude have been
+liquidated by my silence in this controversy, and I will have nothing
+more to say in regard to him or to his claims.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+ETAH TO NEW YORK--COMING OF MAIL AND REPORTERS--HOME!
+
+
+At Etah we expected to meet the relief ship. Sixty tons of coal and a
+small quantity of provisions had been left there during the previous
+summer, to be used by us on our homeward voyage. This coal was loaded on
+board and the Esquimos who desired to remain at Etah were landed. Just
+at the time we were ready to sail a heavy storm of wind and snow blew
+up, and it was not until six P. M. on the 20th that we left the harbor.
+Farewells had been said to the Esquimos, all that had been promised them
+for faithful services had been given to them, and we commenced the final
+stage of our journey home.
+
+From Etah, August 20, the ship sailed along the coast, landing Esquimos
+at the different settlements, and on the 23rd of August at two A. M., we
+met the Schooner _Jeanie_, of St. John, N. F., commanded by Samuel
+Bartlett. The schooner was supplied with provisions and coal for the
+relief of the _Roosevelt_, and was executing the plan of the Peary
+Arctic Club.
+
+There was mail aboard her and we had our first tidings of home and
+friends in a twelve-month. From newspaper clippings I learned that the
+British Antarctic Expedition, commanded by Sir Ernest H. Shackleton, had
+reached within 111 miles of the South Pole.
+
+The mail contained good news for all but one of us. Mr. Borup, in his
+bunk above the Professor's, read his letters, and in the course of his
+reading was heard to emit a deep sigh, then to utter an agonizing groan.
+Prof. MacMillan, thinking that Borup had received bad news indeed,
+endeavored to console him, and at the same time asked what was the bad
+news, feeling sure it could be nothing less than the death of Colonel
+Borup or some other close relative of his.
+
+"What is the matter, George? Tell me."
+
+"HARVARD BEAT YALE!"
+
+The _Roosevelt_, accompanied by her consort, sailed south to North Star
+Bay and while entering the harbor ran ashore. Late in the afternoon,
+however, the rising tide floated her. While waiting for the tide, a
+party of six, I among the number, went ashore and visited the Danish
+Missionary settlement established there, the Esquimos acting as our
+interpreters, we being unable to speak Danish and the missionaries being
+unable to speak English. It was in North Star Bay that the coal and
+provisions from the _Jeanie_ were transferred to the _Roosevelt_.
+
+Aboard the _Jeanie_, there was a young Esquimo man, Mene, who for the
+past twelve years had lived in New York City, but, overcome by a strong
+desire to live again in his own country, had been sent north by his
+friends in the States. He was almost destitute, having positively
+nothing in the way of an equipment to enable him to withstand the rigors
+of the country, and was no more fitted for the life he was to take up
+than any boy of eighteen or twenty would be, for he was but a little boy
+when he first left North Greenland. However, Commander Peary ordered
+that he be given a plentiful supply of furs to keep him warm, food,
+ammunition and loading outfit, traps and guns, but, I believe, he would
+have gladly returned with us, for it was a wistful farewell he made, and
+an Esquimo's farewell is usually very barren of pathos.
+
+Mr. Whitney transferred his augmented equipment to the _Jeanie_,
+intending to remain with her down the Labrador, for her Captain had
+agreed to use every effort to help Mr. Whitney secure at least one polar
+bear.
+
+Cape York was reached on the morning of August 25, and from the two
+Esquimo families, living at the extreme point of the Cape, we obtained
+the mail which had been left there by Captain Adams of the Dundee
+Whaling Fleet _Morning Star_. Our letters, although they bore no more
+recent a date than that of March 23, 1909, were eagerly read.
+
+At Cape York we landed the last of the Esquimos. The decks were now
+cleared. The boats were securely lashed in their davits, and nine A. M.,
+August 26, in a gale of wind, the _Roosevelt_ put out to sea,
+homeward-bound, but not yet out of danger, for the gale increased so
+considerably that the _Roosevelt_ was forced to lay to under reefed
+foresail, in the lee of the middle pack, until the 29th, when the storm
+subsided and the ship got under way again.
+
+On September 4 the Labrador was sighted. Under full steam we passed the
+Farmyard, a group of small islands which lie off the coast.
+
+We arrived at Turnavik at seven-thirty P. M. Once again we saw signs of
+civilization. The men and women appeared in costumes of the Twentieth
+Century instead of the fur garments of the Esquimos. Here we loaded
+nineteen tons of coal. Here we feasted on fresh codfish, fresh
+vegetables, and other appetizing foods to which our palates had long
+been strangers.
+
+You know the rest, for from Turnavik to Indian Harbor was only a few
+hours' sailing.
+
+At Indian Harbor was located the wireless telegraph station from where
+Commander Peary flashed to the civilized world his laconic message,
+"Stars and Stripes nailed to the North Pole."
+
+Within half an hour of our arrival, the British cutter _Fiona_ entered
+the harbor and the officers came aboard the _Roosevelt_. Thereafter for
+every hour there was continuous excitement and reception of visitors.
+
+On September 13th the steamer _Douglas H. Thomas_, of Sydney, C. B.,
+arrived, having on board two representatives of the Associated Press,
+accompanied by Mr. Rood, a representative of _Harper's Magazine_.
+
+The next day the cable-boat _Tyrian_ arrived, with seventeen newspaper
+reporters, five photographers, and one stenographer. The _Tyrian_
+anchored outside the harbor and in five life-boats the party was brought
+aboard the _Roosevelt_. As they rowed they cheered, and when they
+sighted Commander Peary three ringing cheers and a tiger were given. The
+newspaper men requested an interview with the Commander. He granted
+their request, at the same time suggesting that they accompany him
+ashore to a fish-loft at the end of the pier, where there would be more
+room than aboard the ship. Accompanied by the members of the expedition,
+the Commander and the reporters left the ship. Arriving at the loft
+Commander Peary sat on some fishnets at the rear end of the loft, some
+of the reporters sat on barrels and nets, others squatted on the floor.
+They formed a semi-circle around him and eagerly listened to the first
+telling of his stirring story.
+
+Before leaving Battle Harbor, we received a visit from the great
+missionary, Dr. Grenfell, the effect of whose presence was almost like a
+benediction.
+
+On the morning of the 18th we left Battle Harbor accompanied by the tug
+_Douglas H. Thomas_, amidst the salutes of the many vessels and boats in
+the harbor and the cannon on the hill.
+
+Through the Straits of Belle Isle we steamed, with a fair wind and a
+choppy sea. In the meantime I was busily engaged in making a strip to
+sew upon a large American flag. This was a broad white bar which was to
+extend from the upper right to the lower left corner of the flag, with
+the words "North Pole" sewed on it.
+
+About six A. M. on the 21st, a large white, steam-yacht was seen
+approaching, flying an American flag from her foremast and the English
+flag from the mizzenmast. We were close enough to her to distinguish
+Mrs. Peary and the children on board. A boat was quickly lowered from
+the yacht and the Peary family was soon united aboard the _Roosevelt_.
+
+All kinds of sailing craft now met the _Roosevelt_ and by them she was
+escorted into the harbor of Sydney, C. B. Whistles were blown, thousands
+of people lined the shores of the harbor, cheering enthusiastically and
+waving flags, and as the _Roosevelt_ was moored alongside the pier, a
+delegation of school-girls met the Commander, made an address, and
+presented him with a magnificent bouquet. The streets were gorgeously
+decorated and a holiday had been declared. A ripe, royal welcome was
+accorded the _Roosevelt_ and the members of the expedition. Visitors
+boarded the ship and looted successfully for souvenirs.
+
+It was at Sydney that the expedition commenced to disband. Commander
+Peary and his family returned to the United States via railroad-train.
+
+The _Roosevelt_ left Sydney on September 22 for New York City. A stop
+was made at Eagle Island, in Casco Bay, off the coast of Maine, where is
+located the summer home of Commander Peary, and here we landed most of
+his paraphernalia, some sledges and dogs. From Eagle Island we steamed
+direct to Sandy Hook, reaching there at noon on October 2. The next day
+the _Roosevelt_ took her place with the replica of those two historic
+ships, the _Half Moon_ and the _Clermont_, in the lead of the great
+naval parade.
+
+And now my story is ended; it is a tale that is told. "Now is Othello's
+occupation gone."
+
+I long to see them all again! the brave, cheery companions of the trail
+of the North. I long to see again the lithe figure of my Commander! and
+to hear again his clear, ringing voice urging and encouraging me onward,
+with his "Well done, my boy." I want to be with the party when they
+reach the untrod shores of Crocker Land; I yearn to be with those who
+reach the South Pole, the lure of the Arctic is tugging at my heart, to
+me the trail is calling!
+
+          "The Old Trail!
+           The Trail that is always New!"
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX I
+
+NOTES ON THE ESQUIMOS
+
+
+The origin of the Esquimos is not known to a certainty. In color they
+are brown, their hair is heavy, straight, coarse, and black. In
+appearance they are short, fat, and well-developed; and they bear a
+strong resemblance to the Mongolian race.
+
+Among the men of this tribe, quarrels and fights very rarely occur; but
+it is a very noticeable fact that while the men of the tribe do not make
+war on each other, the man of the family will, at the least provocation
+on the part of his better-half, without hesitation apply brute force to
+show his authority.
+
+The tribe of these, the North Greenland Esquimos, numbers two hundred
+and eighteen.
+
+Great interest was shown by the men when working implements, such as we
+used on board ship, were shown them. Eagerly they listened while the
+uses of many of these tools were explained to them. The women also
+showed great interest in any article that was foreign to them. They have
+a special liking for fancy beads of the smaller variety.
+
+The Esquimos show a great capacity for imitation. They have also a
+marked sense of humor.
+
+An Esquimo's sense of imitation is so keen that it is only necessary for
+him to observe a sledge-maker at work but once, when the same type of
+sledge will be reproduced in a very short time. On my last trip north, I
+noticed that the shirts worn by the Esquimos were similar in style and
+cut to our own. In 1906, the style had been entirely different.
+
+The Esquimos show no desire to acquire the English language. With the
+exception of Kudlooktoo and Inighito, none of the tribe could speak
+English intelligently. The Esquimos' vocabulary is a complication of
+prefixes and suffixes, and many words in his language are very hard to
+pronounce.
+
+The _tupiks_ (tents) are made of sealskin, and are used in summer. The
+igloos are built of snow, and are used in winter. A few igloos built of
+bowlders can be seen. The workmanship of this latter type of igloos is
+necessarily crude, for the bowlders are used in the rough state. On
+entering the _tuscoonah_ (entrance), a bed-platform of stones five feet
+long, and six feet wide, confronts one. On each side of this platform
+are seen smaller platforms, each holding a _koodlah_ (fire-pot).
+
+This _koodlah_ is made of a stone so soft that before it comes in
+contact with fire it can easily be cut with a knife. The name given by
+the Esquimos to it is _okeyoah_. Cooking utensils are first formed in
+the desired shape, then heat is applied, as a result of which the stone
+quickly hardens. The method of cooking as employed by the Esquimos is to
+suspend the _kooleesoo_ (cooking-pot) over the _koodlah_ (fire-pot). The
+_koodlah_ is the only means by which light can be secured in an Esquimo
+igloo. As fuel, the blubber of the narwhal is used.
+
+The clothing of the male Esquimo consists of a _kooletah_ (deerskin coat
+with hood attached), _nanookes_ (foxskin trousers) and _kamiks_
+(sealskin boots); that of the female Esquimo, a _kopetah_ (foxskin coat
+with hood attached), _nanookes_ (foxskin trousers) and hip length
+_kamiks_ (sealskin boots). The shirts of the male and female Esquimo are
+made from the skin of the auks, and one hundred and fifty of these
+little birds are used in the manufacture of one shirt.
+
+The largest Esquimo family known among the North Greenland tribe,
+numbers six; as a rule, an Esquimo family rarely outnumbers three. An
+Esquimo family is not stationary. Rarely does a family remain in one
+place longer than one season, which is nine months. The principal reason
+for this constant moving is the scarcity of game; for after a season of
+hunting in one place, game becomes very scarce; and there is no other
+alternative but for the family to move on. Transportation is by means of
+sledges drawn by a team of dogs. Alcoholic drinks are not known among
+this tribe; but, of late, tobacco is extensively used. Previous to 1902,
+before the arrival of the Danes, tobacco was an unknown quantity.
+
+The cleanliness of the Esquimos leaves room for much improvement.
+
+With reference to their morals, strictly speaking they are markedly
+lax. The wife of an Esquimo is held in no higher esteem than are the
+goods and chattels of the household. She may at any time be loaned,
+borrowed, sold, or exchanged. They have no marriage ceremony.
+
+The amusements of the Esquimos are few. Tests of strength and endurance
+occur between the men of the tribe; and visits are paid to the various
+settlements, during the long winter nights; and songs and choruses are
+sung, accompanied by a kind of tambourine which is made from the bladder
+of a walrus or seal, and stretched across the antlers of a reindeer.
+
+The Esquimos are a very superstitious people. In the event of a fatal
+illness, the victim, just before death, is removed to a place outside
+the igloo, for should death enter the igloo that dwelling would
+instantly be destroyed. If the deceased be a man, he is rolled up in a
+sealskin, and strips of rawhide are lashed around the body to keep the
+skin intact. He is then carried to his last resting place. A low stone
+structure is built around the body to protect it from the foxes. His
+sledge, containing all his belongings, is placed close beside this
+structure, and his dogs harnessed to his sledge are strangled, and
+stretched their full length, with their forepaws extended. In the event
+of the deceased being a woman, her cooking utensils are placed beside
+her, and should she be the mother of a very young infant, its life is
+taken. In the case of a widower, the bereaved Esquimo remains in the
+igloo for three days, during which time a new suit of wearing apparel is
+made, and worn by him, and all clothing made by the deceased, is, by
+him, destroyed. His term of mourning now being ended, the Esquimo,
+without more ado, takes unto himself a new wife. Members of the tribe
+who have the same name as the deceased have to change that name until
+the arrival of a new-born babe, to whom the name is given, whereby the
+ban is removed. The Esquimos have no decided form of religion. When
+questioned as to where the soul of the good Esquimo will go, they reply
+by pointing upward; and by pointing downward, the question is answered
+as to the final dwelling-place of the wicked.
+
+The main cause of death amongst the Esquimos is from a disease the
+symptoms of which are a cough, nausea, and fever, which disease quickly
+causes death.
+
+It is true that the Esquimos are of little value to the commercial
+world, due probably to their isolated position; but these same unlearned
+and uncivilized people have rendered valuable assistance in the
+discovery of the North Pole.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX II
+
+LIST OF SMITH SOUND ESQUIMOS
+
+(Males marked by an asterisk)
+
+
+          Ac-com-o-ding´-wah *
+          Ah-ding´-ah-loo
+          Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee´-ah *
+          Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee´-ah *
+          Ah-ga-tah´
+          Ah-go´-tah *
+          Ah-kah-gee´-ah-how
+          A-ka-ting´-wah
+          A-ka-ting´-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing´-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing´-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing´-wah
+          Ah´-mah
+          Ah-mame´-ee
+          Ah-mo-ned´-dy
+          Ah-mung´-wah
+          Ah-nad´-doo
+          Ah-nah´-we
+          Ah-nah-wing´-wah
+          Ahng-een´-yah *
+          Ahng-een´-yah
+          Ahng´-ing-nah
+          Ahng-ma-lok´-to *
+          Ahng-nah´-nia
+          Ahng-no-ding´-wah
+          Ahng-o-do-blah´-o *
+          Ahng-o-di-gip´-so
+          Ahng´-od-loo *
+          Ah-ni-ghi´-to
+          Ah-ni-ghi´-to
+          Ah-ning´-wah
+          Ah-ning´-wah
+          Ah-now´-kah *
+          Ah-now´-kah *
+          Ah´-pel-lah *
+          Ah´-pel-lah *
+          Ah-pu-ding´-wah *
+          Ah-say´-oo *
+          Ah´-te-tah
+          Ah´-te-tah
+          Ah-took-sung´-wah
+          Ah-tung´-ee-nah
+          Ah-tung´-ee-nah
+          Ah-wa-ting´-wah *
+          Ah-wa-tok´-suah *
+          Ah-wee´-ah
+          Ah-wee´-ah
+          Ah-wee-ah-good´-loo
+          Ah-wee-aung-o´-nah
+          Ah-wee´-i-ah *
+          Ah-we-ging´-wah *
+          Ah-we-shung´-wah *
+          Ah-wok-tun´-ee-ah
+          Ak-pood-ah-shah´-o *
+          Ak-pood-ah-shah´-o *
+          Ak-pood´-ee-ark *
+          Ak-pood-e-uk´-ee
+          A-le´-tah *
+          Al´-nay-ah
+          Al-nay-du´-ah
+          Ar-ke´-o *
+          Ar-ke´-o *
+          Ar-ke´-o *
+
+          E-gee´-ah *
+          E-ging´-wah *
+          E-ging´-wah *
+          E-lay-ting´-wah
+          E-ling´-wah *
+          E-meen´-yah *
+          E-she-a´-too
+          E-shing´-wah
+          E-tood´-loo *
+          E-took´-ah-shoo *
+          E-took´-ah-shoo *
+          E-too-shok´-swah
+          E´-vah-loo
+          E´-vah-loo
+          E´-we
+
+          I-ah-ping´-wah *
+          I-ah-ping´-wah *
+          Ig-lood-ee-ark´-swee *
+          Ihr´-lee *
+          Ik´-wah *
+          Ik-kile-e-oo´-shah
+          Il-kah-lin´-ah
+          Il-kli-ah´ *
+          Il-kli-ah´ *
+          In-ad-lee´-ah
+          In-ad-lee´-ah
+          In´-ah-loo
+          In-i-ghi´-to *
+          In-i-ghi´-to *
+          In-i-ghi´-to *
+          In-noo´-i-tah *
+          In-noo-tah´
+          In-noo-tah´
+          In-u-ah-pud´-o *
+          In-u-ah´-o
+          In-yah-lung´-wah
+          I-on´-ah
+          I-o-wit´-ty *
+
+          Jacok-su´-nah *
+
+          Kah´-dah *
+          Kah-ko-tee´-ah
+          Kah-ko-tee´-ah *
+          Kah-shad´-doo
+          Kah-shoo´-be-doo *
+          Kai-o-ang´-wah *
+          Kai-o-ang´-wah *
+          Kai´-oh *
+          Kai-o-look´-to *
+          Kai-o´-tah *
+          Kai-we-ark´-shah *
+          Kai-we-ing´-wah *
+          Kai´-we-kah *
+          Kai-ung´-wah *
+          Kang-nah´ *
+          Kes-shoo´ *
+          Ke-shung´-wah *
+          Klay´-oo
+          Klay´-oo
+          Klay-ung´-wah
+          Klip-e-sok´-swah *
+          Kood´-ee-puck
+          Kood-loo-tin´-ah *
+          Kood-loo-tin´-ah * (or
+          Koolatoonah)
+          Koo-e-tig´-e-to *
+          Koo´-lee
+          Kool-oo-ting´-wah *
+          Koo-u-pee´
+          Koo-u-pee´
+          Kud´-ah-shah *
+          Kud´-lah *
+          Kud´-lah *
+          Kud-lun´-ah *
+          Kud-look´-too *
+          Ky-u-tah *
+
+          Ma-gip´-soo
+          Mah-so´-nah *
+          Mah-so´-nah *
+          Mah-so´-nah *
+          Mah-so´-nah *
+          Mark-sing´-wah *
+          Mee´-tik *
+          Mee´-tik *
+          Me-gip´-soo
+          Mek´-kah
+          Me´-ne *
+          Merk-to-shah´ *
+          Mok´-sah *
+          Mok-sang´-wah
+          Mok-sang´-wah
+          Mon´-nie
+          Mon´-nie
+          Micky´-shoo
+          My´-ah *
+          My-o´-tah *
+
+          Nay-dee-ing´-wah
+          Nel-lee´-kah
+          Nel-lee-ka-tee´-ah
+          Net´-too
+          Net´-too
+          New-e-king´-wah
+          New-e-king´-wah
+          New-e-king´-wah
+          New-hate´-e-lah´-o *
+          New-hate´-e-lah´-o *
+          New-kah-ping´-wah *
+          Nip-sang´-wah *
+          Now-o-yat´-loe
+          Nup´-sah
+
+          Og´-we *
+          Oo-ah-oun´ *
+          Oo-bloo´-yah *
+          Oo-bloo´-yah *
+          Oo´-mah *
+          Oo-que´-ah *
+          Oo´-tah*
+          Oo-tun´-iah
+          Oo-we´-ah-oop *
+          Oo-we-she-a´-too
+
+          Pan´-ik-pah *
+          Pee-ah-wah´-to *
+          Poo-ad-loo´-nah*
+          Poo-ad-loo´-nah *
+          Poo-ad-loo´-nah *
+          Poob´-lah *
+          Poob´-lah *
+          Pood-lung´-wah
+          Poo´-too
+
+          Sag´-wah
+          Sat´-too *
+          Seeg´-loo *
+          Seen-o-ung´-wah
+          See-o-dee-kah´-to
+          Shoo-e-king´-wah
+          Sim´-e-ah
+          Sin-ah´-ew
+          Sip´-soo
+          Sow´-nah
+          Suk´-kun *
+          Sul-ming´-wah *
+
+          Tah´-tah-rah *
+          Tah´-wah-nah *
+          Taw-ching´-wah *
+          Taw-ching´-wah *
+          Teddy-ling´-wah *
+          Toi-tee´-ah *
+          Took-e-ming´-wah
+          Too´-koom-ah
+          Tu-bing´-wah
+          Tung-wing´-wah
+          Tung´-we *
+
+          Ung´-ah *
+
+          We´-ark
+          We-shark´-oup-si *
+
+
+Two female babies not named
+
+          Male          122
+          Female         96
+                       ----
+          Total         218
+
+
+THE END
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+The illustrations have been moved out of the middle of paragraphs so as
+to not interrupt the flow of reading.
+
+Obvious punctuation errors have been repaired.
+
+Page xiii, "ESKIMOS" changed to "ESQUIMOS". (NORTH POLE ESQUIMOS)
+
+Page 76, "Equimos" changed to "Esquimos". (fourteen Esquimos)
+
+One instance each of the following was retained:
+
+  fiendlike/fiend-like
+  forepaws/fore-paws
+  readjusting/re-adjusting
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by 
+Matthew A. Henson
+
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+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by Matthew A. Henson.
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+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by Matthew A. Henson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Negro Explorer at the North Pole
+
+Author: Matthew A. Henson
+
+Commentator: Robert E. Peary
+             Booker T. Washington
+
+Release Date: March 28, 2007 [EBook #20923]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span><br /></p>
+
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p>
+
+<h1>A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE<br />NORTH POLE</h1>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 240px;">
+<img src="images/frontis.jpg" width="240" height="400" alt="MATTHEW A. HENSON" title="MATTHEW A. HENSON" />
+<span class="caption">MATTHEW A. HENSON</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>A</h2>
+<h1>NEGRO EXPLORER</h1>
+<h2>AT THE</h2>
+<h1>NORTH POLE</h1>
+
+<h3>BY</h3>
+
+<h2>MATTHEW A. HENSON</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>
+WITH A FOREWORD BY<br />
+<big>ROBERT E. PEARY</big><br />
+REAR ADMIRAL, U. S. N., RETIRED<br />
+<br /><br />
+AND AN INTRODUCTION BY<br />
+<big>BOOKER T. WASHINGTON</big><br />
+
+<br /><br /><br />
+<i>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS</i>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+
+NEW YORK<br />
+FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY<br />
+PUBLISHERS</div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span><br />
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<i>Copyright, 1912, by</i><br />
+<span class="smcap">Frederick A. Stokes Company</span><br />
+<hr style="width: 15%;" />
+<i>All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign<br />
+languages, including the Scandinavian</i><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 200px;">
+<img src="images/emblem.png" width="200" height="52" alt="February, 1912" title="February, 1912" />
+</div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>FOREWORD</h2>
+
+
+<p>Friends of Arctic exploration and discovery, with whom I have come in
+contact, and many whom I know only by letter, have been greatly
+interested in the fact of a colored man being an effective member of a
+serious Arctic expedition, and going north, not once, but numerous times
+during a period of over twenty years, in a way that showed that he not
+only could and did endure all the stress of Arctic conditions and work,
+but that he evidently found pleasure in the work.</p>
+
+<p>The example and experience of Matthew Henson, who has been a member of
+each and of all my Arctic expeditions, since '91 (my trip in 1886 was
+taken before I knew Henson) is only another one of the multiplying
+illustrations of the fact that race, or color, or bringing-up, or
+environment, count nothing against a determined heart, if it is backed
+and aided by intelligence.</p>
+
+<p>Henson proved his fitness by long and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a></span> thorough apprenticeship, and his
+participation in the final victory which planted the Stars and Stripes
+at the North Pole, and won for this country the international prize of
+nearly four centuries, is a distinct credit and feather in the cap of
+his race.</p>
+
+<p>As I wired Charles W. Anderson, collector of internal revenue, and
+chairman of the dinner which was given to Henson in New York, in
+October, 1909, on the occasion of the presentation to him of a gold
+watch and chain by his admirers:</p>
+
+<p>"I congratulate you and your race upon Matthew Henson. He has driven
+home to the world your great adaptability and the fiber of which you are
+made. He has added to the moral stature of every intelligent man among
+you. His is the hard-earned reward of tried loyalty, persistence, and
+endurance. He should be an everlasting example to your young men that
+these qualities will win whatever object they are directed at. He
+deserves every attention you can show him. I regret that it is
+impossible for me to be present at your dinner. My compliments to your
+assembled guests."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It would be superfluous to enlarge on Henson in this introduction. His
+work in the north has already spoken for itself and for him. His book
+will speak for itself and him.</p>
+
+<p>Yet two of the interesting points which present themselves in connection
+with his work may be noted.</p>
+
+<p>Henson, son of the tropics, has proven through years, his ability to
+stand tropical, temperate, and the fiercest stress of frigid, climate
+and exposure, while on the other hand, it is well known that the
+inhabitants of the highest north, tough and hardy as they are to the
+rigors of their own climate, succumb very quickly to the vagaries of
+even a temperate climate. The question presents itself at once: "Is it a
+difference in physical fiber, or in brain and will power, or is the
+difference in the climatic conditions themselves?"</p>
+
+<p>Again it is an interesting fact that in the final conquest of the "prize
+of the centuries," not alone individuals, but <i>races</i> were represented.
+On that bitter brilliant day in April, 1909, when the Stars and Stripes
+floated at the North Pole, Caucasian, Ethiopian, and Mongolian stood
+side by side at the apex of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span> earth, in the harmonious companionship
+resulting from hard work, exposure, danger, and a common object.</p>
+
+<div class='right'>
+<span class="smcap">R. E. Peary</span>.<br />
+</div>
+
+<p><i>Washington, Dec., 1911.</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>TABLE OF CONTENTS</h2>
+
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents">
+<tr><td align='left'>&nbsp;</td><td align='center'><span class="smcap">page</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Foreword</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_v'>v</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_xv'>xv</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER I</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Early Years: Schoolboy, Cabin-Boy, Seaman, and Lieutenant Peary's Body-Servant&mdash;First Trips to the Arctic</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER II</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Off for the Pole&mdash;How the Other Explorers Looked&mdash;The Lamb-Like Esquimos&mdash;Arrival at Etah</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_15'>15</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER III</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Finding of Rudolph Franke&mdash;Whitney Landed&mdash;Trading and Coaling&mdash;Fighting the Ice-packs</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_26'>26</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER IV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span><span class="smcap">Preparing for Winter at Cape Sheridan&mdash;The Arctic Library</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_35'>35</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER V</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Making Peary Sledges&mdash;Hunting in the Arctic Night&mdash;the Excitable Dogs and Their Habits</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_40'>40</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Peary Plan&mdash;a Rain of Rocks&mdash;My Friends, the Esquimos</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_46'>46</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Sledging to Cape Columbia&mdash;Hot Soldering in Cold Weather</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_52'>52</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER VIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">In Camp at Columbia&mdash;Literary Igloos&mdash;The Magnificent Desolation of the Arctic</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_62'>62</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER IX</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Ready for the Dash to the Pole&mdash;The Commander's Arrival</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_70'>70</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER X</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Forward! March!</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_75'>75</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[xi]</a></span><span class="smcap">Fighting up the Polar Sea&mdash;Held up by the "Big Lead"</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Pioneering the Way&mdash;Breaking Sledges</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Supporting-Parties Begin to Turn Back</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XIV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Bartlett's Farthest North&mdash;His Quiet Good-By</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_116'>116</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XV</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Pole!</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_127'>127</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Fast Trek Back to Land</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_140'>140</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Safe on the Roosevelt&mdash;Poor Marvin</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XVIII</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">After Musk-Oxen&mdash;The Doctor's Scientific Expedition</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XIX</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[xii]</a></span><span class="smcap">The Roosevelt Starts for Home&mdash;Esquimo Villages&mdash;New Dogs and New Dog Fights</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_161'>161</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XX</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Two Narrow Escapes&mdash;Arrival at Etah&mdash;Harry Whitney&mdash;Dr. Cook's Claims</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_170'>170</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center' colspan='2'><br />CHAPTER XXI</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Etah to New York&mdash;Coming of Mail and Reporters&mdash;Home!</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap"><br />Appendix I&mdash;Notes on the Esquimos</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap"><br />Appendix II&mdash;List of Smith Sound Esquimos</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_196'>196</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[xiii]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Illustrations">
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">matthew a. henson</span></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_iii'><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>nothing</td><td align='center'><span class="smcap">facing<br />page</span></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">robert e. peary in his north pole furs</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_75'>76</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">the four north pole <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'eskimos'">esquimos</ins></span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_77'>77</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">camp morris k. jesup at the north pole</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_122'>122</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">matthew a. henson immediately after the sledge journey to the pole and back</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_123'>123</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">the "roosevelt" in winter quarters at cape sheridan</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_138'>138</a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">matthew a. henson in his north pole furs, taken after his return to civilization</span></td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_139'>139</a></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[xv]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>INTRODUCTION</h2>
+
+
+<p>One of the first questions which Commander Peary was asked when he
+returned home from his long, patient, and finally successful struggle to
+reach the Pole was how it came about that, beside the four Esquimos,
+Matt Henson, a Negro, was the only man to whom was accorded the honor of
+accompanying him on the final dash to the goal.</p>
+
+<p>The question was suggested no doubt by the thought that it was but
+natural that the positions of greatest responsibility and honor on such
+an expedition would as a matter of course fall to the white men of the
+party rather than to a Negro. To this question, however, Commander Peary
+replied, in substance:</p>
+
+<p>"Matthew A. Henson, my Negro assistant, has been with me in one capacity
+or another since my second trip to Nicaragua in 1887. I have taken him
+on each and all of my expeditions, except the first, and also without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[xvi]</a></span>
+exception on each of my farthest sledge trips. This position I have
+given him primarily because of his adaptability and fitness for the work
+and secondly on account of his loyalty. He is a better dog driver and
+can handle a sledge better than any man living, except some of the best
+Esquimo hunters themselves."</p>
+
+<p>In short, Matthew Henson, next to Commander Peary, held and still holds
+the place of honor in the history of the expedition that finally located
+the position of the Pole, because he was the best man for the place.
+During twenty-three years of faithful service he had made himself
+indispensable. From the position of a servant he rose to that of
+companion and assistant in one of the most dangerous and difficult tasks
+that was ever undertaken by men. In extremity, when both the danger and
+the difficulty were greatest, the Commander wanted by his side the man
+upon whose skill and loyalty he could put the most absolute dependence
+and when that man turned out to be black instead of white, the Commander
+was not only willing to accept the service but was at the same time
+generous enough to acknowledge it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[xvii]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>There never seems to have been any doubt in Commander Peary's mind about
+Henson's part and place in the expedition.</p>
+
+<p>Matt Henson, who was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866,
+began life as a cabin-boy on an ocean steamship, and before he met
+Commander Peary had already made a voyage to China. He was eighteen
+years old when he made the acquaintance of Commander Peary which gave
+him his chance. During the twenty-three years in which he was the
+companion of the explorer he not only had time and opportunity to
+perfect himself in his knowledge of the books, but he acquired a good
+practical knowledge of everything that was a necessary part of the daily
+life in the ice-bound wilderness of polar exploration. He was at times a
+blacksmith, a carpenter, and a cook. He was thoroughly acquainted with
+the life, customs, and language of the Esquimos. He himself built the
+sledges with which the journey to the Pole was successfully completed.
+He could not merely drive a dog-team or skin a musk-ox with the skill of
+a native, but he was something of a navigator as well. In this way Mr.
+Henson made him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xviii" id="Page_xviii">[xviii]</a></span>self not only the most trusted but the most useful
+member of the expedition.</p>
+
+<p>I am reminded in this connection that Matthew Henson is not the first
+colored man who by his fidelity and devotion has made himself the trusty
+companion of the men who have explored and opened up the western
+continent. Even in the days when the Negro had little or no opportunity
+to show his ability as a leader, he proved himself at least a splendid
+follower, and there are few great adventures in which the American white
+man has engaged where he has not been accompanied by a colored man.</p>
+
+<p>Nearly all the early Spanish explorers were accompanied by Negroes. It
+is said that the first ship built in America was constructed by the
+slaves of Vasquez de Ayllon, who attempted to establish a Spanish
+settlement where Jamestown, Virginia, was later founded. Balboa had 30
+Negroes with him, and they assisted him in constructing the first ship
+on the Pacific coast. Three hundred slaves were brought to this country
+by Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, and it is said that the town of
+Santiago del Principe was founded by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xix" id="Page_xix">[xix]</a></span> Negro slaves who later rebelled
+against their Spanish masters.</p>
+
+<p>Of the story of those earlier Negro explorers we have, aside from the
+Negro Estevan or "little Steve," who was the guide and leader in the
+search for the fabulous seven cities, almost nothing more than a passing
+reference in the accounts which have come down to us. Now, a race which
+has come up from slavery; which is just now for the first time learning
+to build for itself homes, churches, schools; which is learning for the
+first time to start banks, organize insurance companies, erect
+manufacturing plants, establish hospitals; a race which is doing all the
+fundamental things for the first time; which has, in short, its history
+before it instead of behind; such a race in such conditions needs for
+its own encouragement, as well as to justify the hopes of its friends,
+the records of the members of the race who have been a part of any great
+and historic achievement.</p>
+
+<p>For this reason, as well as for others; for the sake of my race as well
+as the truth of history; I am proud and glad to welcome this account of
+his adventure from a man who has<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xx" id="Page_xx">[xx]</a></span> not only honored the race of which he
+is a member, but has proven again that courage, fidelity, and ability
+are honored and rewarded under a black skin as well as under a white.</p>
+
+<div class='right'>
+<span class="smcap">Booker T. Washington.</span><br />
+<br /></div>
+<div>
+Principal, Tuskegee Normal<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">and Industrial Institute.</span><br />
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>A NEGRO EXPLORER AT<br />THE NORTH POLE</h2>
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER I</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE EARLY YEARS: SCHOOLBOY, CABIN-BOY, SEAMAN, AND LIEUTENANT PEARY'S
+BODY-SERVANT&mdash;FIRST TRIPS TO THE ARCTIC</div>
+
+
+<p>When the news of the discovery of the North Pole, by Commander Peary,
+was first sent to the world, a distinguished citizen of New York City,
+well versed in the affairs of the Peary Arctic Club, made the statement,
+that he was sure that Matt Henson had been with Commander Peary on the
+day of the discovery. There were not many people who knew who Henson
+was, or the reason why the gentleman had made the remark, and, when
+asked why he was so certain, he explained that, for the best part of the
+twenty years of Commander Peary's Arctic work, his faithful and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> often
+only companion was Matthew Alexander Henson.</p>
+
+<p>To-day there is a more general knowledge of Commander Peary, his work
+and his success, and a vague understanding of the fact that Commander
+Peary's sole companion from the realm of civilization, when he stood at
+the North Pole, was Matthew A. Henson, a Colored Man.</p>
+
+<p>To satisfy the demand of perfectly natural curiosity, I have undertaken
+to write a brief autobiography, giving particularly an account of my
+Arctic work.</p>
+
+<p>I was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866. The place of my
+birth was on the Potomac River, about forty-four miles below Washington,
+D. C. Slavery days were over forever when I was born. Besides, my
+parents were both free born before me, and in my mother's veins ran some
+white blood. At an early age, my parents were induced to leave the
+country and remove to Washington, D. C. My mother died when I was seven
+years old. I was taken in charge by my uncle, who sent me to school, the
+"N Street School" in Washington, D. C., which I attended for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> over six
+years. After leaving school I went to Baltimore, Md., where I shipped as
+cabin-boy, on board a vessel bound for China. After my first voyage I
+became an able-bodied seaman, and for four years followed the sea in
+that capacity, sailing to China, Japan, Manilla, North Africa, Spain,
+France, and through the Black Sea to Southern Russia.</p>
+
+<p>It was while I was in Washington, D. C., in 1888, that I first attracted
+the attention of Commander Peary, who at that time was a civil engineer
+in the United States Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, and it was with
+the instinct of my race that I recognized in him the qualities that made
+me willing to engage myself in his service. I accompanied him as his
+body-servant to Nicaragua. I was his messenger at the League Island Navy
+Yard, and from the beginning of his second expedition to the Arctic
+regions, in 1891, I have been a member of every expedition of his, in
+the capacity of assistant: a term that covers a multitude of duties,
+abilities, and responsibilities.</p>
+
+<p>The narrative that follows is a record of the last and successful
+expedition of the Peary<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> Arctic Club, which had as its attainment the
+discovery of the North Pole, and is compiled from notes made by me at
+different times during the course of the expedition. I did endeavor to
+keep a diary or journal of daily events during my last trip, and did not
+find it difficult aboard the ship while sailing north, or when in
+winter-quarters at Cape Sheridan, but I found it impossible to make
+daily entries while in the field, on account of the constant necessity
+of concentrating my attention on the real business of the expedition.
+Entries were made daily of the records of temperature and the estimates
+of distance traveled; and when solar observations were made the results
+were always carefully noted. There were opportunities to complete the
+brief entries on several occasions while out on the ice, notably the six
+days' enforced delay at the "Big Lead," 84&deg; north, the twelve hours
+preceding the return of Captain Bartlett at 87&deg; 47' north, and the
+thirty-three hours at North Pole, while Commander Peary was determining
+to a certainty his position. During the return from the Pole to Cape
+Columbia, we were so urged by the knowledge of the supreme necessity of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>
+speed that the thought of recording the events of that part of the
+journey did not occur to me so forcibly as to compel me to pay heed to
+it, and that story was written aboard the ship while waiting for
+favorable conditions to sail toward home lands.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>It was in June, 1891, that I started on my first trip to the Arctic
+regions, as a member of what was known as the "North Greenland
+Expedition." Mrs. Peary accompanied her husband, and among the members
+of the expedition were Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Mr.
+Langdon Gibson, of Flushing, N. Y., and Mr. Eivind Astr&uuml;p, of
+Christiania, Norway, who had the honor of being the companion of
+Commander Peary in the first crossing of North Greenland&mdash;and of having
+an Esquimo at Cape York become so fond of him that he named his son for
+him! It was on this voyage north that Peary's leg was broken.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. John M. Verhoeff, a stalwart young Kentuckian, was also an
+enthusiastic member of the party. When the expedition was ready to sail
+home the following summer, he lost his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> life by falling in a crevasse in
+a glacier. His body was never recovered. On the first and the last of
+Peary's expeditions, success was marred by tragedy. On the last
+expedition, Professor Ross G. Marvin, of Cornell University, lost his
+life by being drowned in the Arctic Ocean, on his return from his
+farthest north, a farther north than had ever been made by any other
+explorers except the members of the last expedition. Both Verhoeff and
+Marvin were good friends of mine, and I respect and venerate their
+memories.</p>
+
+<p>Naturally the impressions formed on my first visit to the Land of Ice
+and Snow were the most lasting, but in the coming years I was to learn
+more and more that such a life was no picnic, and to realize what
+primitive life meant. I was to live with a people who, the scientists
+stated, represented the earliest form of human life, living in what is
+known as the Stone Age, and I was to revert to that stage of life by
+leaps and bounds, and to emerge from it by the same sudden means. Many
+and many a time, for periods covering more than twelve months, I have
+been to all intents an Esquimo, with Esquimos for com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>panions, speaking
+their language, dressing in the same kind of clothes, living in the same
+kind of dens, eating the same food, enjoying their pleasures, and
+frequently sharing their griefs. I have come to love these people. I
+know every man, woman, and child in their tribe. They are my friends and
+they regard me as theirs.</p>
+
+<p>After the first return to civilization, I was to come back to the
+savage, ice- and rock-bound country seven times more. It was in June,
+1893, that I again sailed north with Commander Peary and his party on
+board the <i>Falcon</i>, a larger ship than the <i>Kite</i>, the one we sailed
+north in on the previous expedition, and with a much larger equipment,
+including several burros from Colorado, which were intended for ice-cap
+work, but which did not make good, making better dog-food instead.
+Indeed the dogs made life a burden for the poor brutes from the very
+start. Mrs. Peary was again a member of the expedition, as well as
+another woman, Mrs. Cross, who acted as Mrs. Peary's maid and nurse. It
+was on this trip that I adopted the orphan Esquimo boy, Kudlooktoo, his
+mother having died just pre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>vious to our arrival at the Red Cliffs.
+After this boy was washed and scrubbed by me, his long hair cut short,
+and his greasy, dirty clothes of skins and furs burned, a new suit made
+of odds and ends collected from different wardrobes on the ship made him
+a presentable Young American. I was proud of him, and he of me. He
+learned to speak English and slept underneath my bunk.</p>
+
+<p>This expedition was larger in numbers than the previous one, but the
+results, owing to the impossible weather conditions, were by no means
+successful, and the following season all of the expedition returned to
+the United States except Commander Peary, Hugh J. Lee, and myself. When
+the expedition returned, there were two who went back who had not come
+north with us. Miss Marie Ahnighito Peary, aged about ten months, who
+first saw the light of day at Anniversary Lodge on the 12th of the
+previous September, was taken by her mother to her kinfolks in the
+South. Mrs. Peary also took a young Esquimo girl, well known among us as
+"Miss Bill," along with her, and kept her for nearly a year, when she
+gladly permitted her to return to Greenland<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> and her own people. Miss
+Bill is now grown up, and has been married three times and widowed, not
+by death but by desertion. She is known as a "Holy Terror." I do not
+know the reason why, but I have my suspicions.</p>
+
+<p>The memory of the winter of 1894 and 1895 and the summer following will
+never leave me. The events of the journey to 87&deg; 6' in 1906 and the
+discovery of the North Pole in 1909 are indelibly impressed on my mind,
+but the recollections of the long race with death across the 450 miles
+of the ice-cap of North Greenland in 1895, with Commander Peary and Hugh
+Lee, are still the most vivid.</p>
+
+<p>For weeks and weeks, across the seemingly never-ending wastes of the
+ice-cap of North Greenland, I marched with Peary and Lee from
+Independence Bay and the land beyond back to Anniversary Lodge. We
+started on April 1, 1895, with three sledges and thirty-seven dogs, with
+the object of determining to a certainty the northeastern terminus of
+Greenland. We reached the northern land beyond the ice-cap, but the
+condition of the country did not allow much exploration, and after
+killing a few musk-oxen we started on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> June 1 to make our return. We had
+one sledge and nine dogs.</p>
+
+<p>We reached Anniversary Lodge on June 25, with one dog.</p>
+
+<p>The Grim Destroyer had been our constant companion, and it was months
+before I fully recovered from the effects of that struggle. When I left
+for home and God's Country the following September, on board the good
+old <i>Kite</i>, it was with the strongest resolution to never again! no
+more! forever! leave my happy home in warmer lands.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Nevertheless, the following summer I was again "Northward Bound," with
+Commander Peary, to help him secure, and bring to New York, the three
+big meteorites that he and Lee had discovered during the winter of
+1894-1895.</p>
+
+<p>The meteorites known as "The Woman" and "The Dog" were secured with
+comparative ease, and the work of getting the large seventy-ton meteor,
+known as "The Tent," into such a position as to insure our securing it
+the following summer, was done, so it was not strange that the following
+summer I was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> again in Greenland, but the meteorite was not brought away
+that season.</p>
+
+<p>It is well known that the chief characteristic of Commander Peary is
+persistency which, coupled with fortitude, is the secret of his success.
+The next summer, 1897, he was again at the island after his prize, and
+he got it this time and brought it safely to New York, where it now
+reposes in the "American Museum of Natural History." As usual I was a
+member of the party, and my back still aches when I think of the hard
+work I did to help load that monster aboard the <i>Hope</i>.</p>
+
+<p>It was during this voyage that Commander Peary announced his
+determination to discover the North Pole, and the following years (from
+1898 to 1902) were spent in the Arctic.</p>
+
+<p>In 1900, the American record of Farthest North, held by Lockwood and
+Brainard, was equaled and exceeded; their cairn visited and their
+records removed. On April 21, 1902, a new American record of 84&deg; 17' was
+made by Commander Peary, further progress north being frustrated by a
+lack of provisions and by a lane of open water, more than a mile wide.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>
+This lead or lane of open water I have since become more familiarly
+acquainted with. We have called it many names, but it is popularly known
+as the "Big Lead." Going north, meeting it can be depended upon. It is
+situated just a few miles north of the 84th parallel, and is believed to
+mark the continental shelf of the land masses in the Northern
+Hemisphere.</p>
+
+<p>During the four years from 1898 to 1902, which were continuously spent
+in the regions about North Greenland, we had every experience, except
+death, that had ever fallen to the lot of the explorers who had preceded
+us, and more than once we looked death squarely in the face. Besides, we
+had many experiences that earlier explorers did not meet. In January,
+1899, Commander Peary froze his feet so badly that all but one of his
+toes fell off.</p>
+
+<p>After the return home, in 1902, it was three years before Commander
+Peary made another attack on the Pole, but during those years he was not
+resting.</p>
+
+<p>He was preparing to launch his final and "sincerely to be hoped"
+successful expedition,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> and in July, 1905, in the newly built ship,
+<i>Roosevelt</i>, we were again "Poleward-bound." The following September,
+the <i>Roosevelt</i> reached Cape Sheridan, latitude 82&deg; 27' north, under her
+own steam, a record unequaled by any other vessel, sail or steam.</p>
+
+<p>Early the next year, the negotiation of the Arctic Ocean was commenced,
+not as oceans usually are negotiated, but as this ocean must be, by men,
+sledges, and dogs. The field party consisted of twenty-six men, twenty
+sledges, and one hundred and thirty dogs.</p>
+
+<p>That was an open winter and an early spring, very desirable conditions
+in some parts of the world, but very undesirable to us on the northern
+coast of Greenland. The ice-pack began disintegrating much too early
+that year to suit, but we pushed on, and had it not been for furious
+storms enforcing delays and losses of many precious days, the Pole would
+have been reached. As it was, Commander Peary and his party got to 87&deg;
+6' north, thereby breaking <i>all records</i>, and in spite of incredible
+hardships, hunger and cold, returned safely with all of the expedition,
+and on Christmas Eve the <i>Roosevelt</i>, after a most trying voy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>age,
+entered New York harbor, somewhat battered but still seaworthy.</p>
+
+<p>Despite the fact that it was to be his last attempt, Commander Peary no
+sooner reached home than he announced his intention to return, this time
+to be the last, and this time to win.</p>
+
+<p>However, a year intervened, and it was not until July 6, 1908, with the
+God-Speed and good wishes of President Roosevelt, that the good ship
+named in his honor set sail again. The narrative of that voyage, and the
+story of the discovery of the North Pole, follow.</p>
+
+<p>The ages of the wild, misgiving mystery of the North Pole are over,
+to-day, and forever it stands under the folds of Old Glory.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER II</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>OFF FOR THE POLE&mdash;HOW THE OTHER EXPLORERS LOOKED&mdash;THE LAMB-LIKE
+ESQUIMOS&mdash;ARRIVAL AT ETAH</div>
+
+
+<p>July 6, 1908: We're off! For a year and a half I have waited for this
+order, and now we have cast off. The shouting and the tumult ceases, the
+din of whistles, bells, and throats dies out, and once again the long,
+slow surge of the ocean hits the good ship that we have embarked in. It
+was at one-thirty <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> to-day that I saw the last hawse-line cast
+adrift, and felt the throb of the engines of our own ship. Chief
+Wardwell is on the job, and from now on it is due north.</p>
+
+<p>Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound: We are expecting President Roosevelt. The
+ship has been named in his honor and has already made one voyage towards
+the North Pole, farther north than any ship has ever made.</p>
+
+<p>July 7: At anchor, the soft wooded hills of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> Long Island give me a
+curious impression. I am waiting for the command to attack the savage
+ice- and rock-bound fortress of the North, and here instead we are at
+anchor in the neighborhood of sheep grazing in green fields.</p>
+
+<p>Sydney, N. S., July 17, 1908: All of the expedition are aboard and those
+going home have gone. Mrs. Peary and the children, Mr. Borup's father,
+and Mr. Harry Whitney, and some other guests were the last to leave the
+<i>Roosevelt</i>, and have given us a last good-by from the tug, which came
+alongside to take them off.</p>
+
+<p>Good-by all. Every one is sending back a word to some one he has left
+behind, but I have said my good-bys a long time ago, and as I waved my
+hand in parting salutation to the little group on the deck of the tug,
+my thoughts were with my wife, and I hoped when she next heard of me it
+would be with feelings of joy and happiness, and that she would be glad
+she had permitted me to leave her for an absence that might never end.</p>
+
+<p>The tenderfeet, as the Commander calls them, are the Doctor, Professor
+MacMillan, and young Mr. Borup. The Doctor is a fine-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>looking, big
+fellow, John W. Goodsell, and has a swarthy complexion and straight
+hair; on meeting me he told me that he was well acquainted with me by
+reputation, and hoped to know me more intimately.</p>
+
+<p>Professor Donald B. MacMillan is a professor in a college in
+Massachusetts, near Worcester, and I am going to cultivate his
+acquaintance.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. George Borup is the kid, only twenty-one years old but well set up
+for his age, always ready to laugh, and has thick, curly hair. I
+understand he is a record-breaker in athletics. He will need his
+athletic ability on this trip. I am making no judgments or comments on
+these fellows now. Wait; I have seen too many enthusiastic starters, and
+I am sorry to say some of them did not finish well.</p>
+
+<p>All of the rest of the members of the expedition are the same as were on
+the first trip of the <i>Roosevelt:</i>&mdash;Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett,
+Professor Marvin, Chief Engineer Wardwell, Charley Percy the steward,
+and myself. The crew has been selected by Captain Bartlett, and are
+mostly strangers to me.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary is too well known for me to describe him at length;
+thick reddish hair turning gray; heavy, bushy eyebrows shading his
+"sharpshooter's eyes" of steel gray, and long mustache. His hair grows
+rapidly and, when on the march, a thick heavy beard quickly appears. He
+is six feet tall, very graceful, and well built, especially about the
+chest and shoulders; long arms, and legs slightly bowed. Since losing
+his toes, he walks with a peculiar slide-like stride. He has a voice
+clear and loud, and words never fail him.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett is about my height and weight. He has short, curly,
+light-brown hair and red cheeks; is slightly round-shouldered, due to
+the large shoulder-muscles caused by pulling the oars, and is as quick
+in his actions as a cat. His manner and conduct indicate that he has
+always been the leader of his crowd from boyhood up, and there is no man
+on this ship that he would be afraid to tackle. He is a young man
+(thirty-three years old) for a ship captain, but he knows his job.</p>
+
+<p>Professor Marvin is a quiet, earnest person, and has had plenty of
+practical experience besides his splendid education. He is rapidly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>
+growing bald; his face is rather thin, and his neck is long. He has
+taken great interest in me and, being a teacher, has tried to teach me.
+Although I hope to perfect myself in navigation, my knowledge so far
+consists only of knot and splice seamanship, and I need to master the
+mathematical end.</p>
+
+<p>The Chief Engineer, Mr. Wardwell, is a fine-looking, ruddy-complexioned
+giant, with the most honest eyes I have ever looked into. His hair is
+thinning and is almost pure white, and I should judge him to be about
+forty-five years old. He has the greatest patience, and I have never
+seen him lose his temper or get rattled.</p>
+
+<p>Charley Percy is Commander Peary's oldest hand, next to me. He is our
+steward, and sees to it that we are properly fed while aboard ship, and
+he certainly does see to it with credit to himself.</p>
+
+<p>From Sydney to Hawks Harbor, where we met the <i>Erik</i>, has been
+uneventful except for the odor of the <i>Erik</i>, which is loaded with
+whale-meat and can be smelled for miles. We passed St. Paul's Island and
+Cape St. George early in the day and through the Straits of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> Belle Isle
+to Hawks Harbor, where there is a whale-factory. From here we leave for
+Turnavik.</p>
+
+<p>We have been racing with the <i>Erik</i> all day, and have beaten her to this
+place. Captain Bartlett's father owns it, and we loaded a lot of boots
+and skins, which the Captain's father had ready for us. From here we
+sail to the Esquimo country of North Greenland, without a stop if
+possible, as the Commander has no intention of visiting any of the
+Danish settlements in South Greenland.</p>
+
+<p>Cape York is our next point, and the ship is sailing free. Aside from
+the excitement of the start, and the honor of receiving the personal
+visit of the President, and his words of encouragement and cheer, the
+trip so far has been uneventful; and I have busied myself in putting my
+cabin in order, and making myself useful in overhauling and stowing
+provisions in the afterhold.</p>
+
+<p>July 24: Still northward-bound, with the sea rolling and washing over
+the ship; and the <i>Erik</i> in the distance seems to be getting her share
+of the wash. She is loaded heavily with fresh whale-meat, and is
+purposely keeping in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> leeward of us to spare us the discomfort of the
+odor.</p>
+
+<p>July 25 and 26: Busy with my carpenter's kit in the Commander's cabin
+and elsewhere. There has been heavy rain and seas, and we have dropped
+the <i>Erik</i> completely. The <i>Roosevelt</i> is going fine. We can see the
+Greenland coast plainly and to-day, the 29th, we raised and passed Disco
+Island. Icebergs on all sides. The light at midnight is almost as bright
+as early evening twilight in New York on the Fourth of July and the
+ice-blink of the interior ice-cap is quite plain. We have gone through
+Baffin's Bay with a rush and raised Duck Island about ten <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> and
+passed and dropped it by two <span class="smcap">p. m.</span></p>
+
+<p>I was ashore on Duck Island in 1891, on my first voyage north, and I
+remember distinctly the cairn the party built and the money they
+deposited in it. I wonder if it is still there? There is little use for
+money up here, and the place is seldom visited except by men from the
+whalers, when their ships are locked in by ice.</p>
+
+<p>From here it is two hundred miles due north to Cape York.</p>
+
+<p>August 1: Arrived at Cape York Bay and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> went ashore with the party to
+communicate with the Esquimos of whom there were three families. They
+remembered us and were dancing up and down the shore, and waving to us
+in welcome, and as soon as the bow of the boat had grazed the little
+beach, willing hands helped to run her up on shore. These people are
+hospitable and helpful, and always willing, sometimes too willing. As an
+example, I will tell how, at a settlement farther north, we were going
+ashore in one of the whale-boats. Captain Bartlett was forward,
+astraddle of the bow with the boat-hook in his hands to fend off the
+blocks of ice, and knew perfectly well where he wanted to land, but the
+group of excited Esquimos were in his way and though he ordered them
+back, they continued running about and getting in his way. In a very
+short while the Captain lost patience and commenced to talk loudly and
+with excitement; immediately Sipsoo took up his language and parrot-like
+started to repeat the Captain's exact words: "Get back there, get
+back&mdash;how in &mdash;&mdash;do you expect me to make a landing?" And thus does the
+innocent lamb of the North acquire a civilized tongue.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It is amusing to hear Kudlooktoo in the most charming manner give
+Charley a cussing that from any one else would cause Charley to break
+his head open.</p>
+
+<p>For the last week I have been busy, with "Matt! The Commander wants
+you," "Matt do this," and "Matt do that," and with going ashore and
+trading for skins, dogs, lines, and other things; and also
+walrus-hunting. I have been up to my neck in work, and have had small
+opportunity to keep my diary up to date. We have all put on heavy
+clothing; not the regular fur clothes for the winter, but our thickest
+civilized clothing, that we would wear in midwinter in the States. In
+the middle of the day, if the sun shines, the heat is felt; but if foggy
+or cloudy, the heavy clothing is comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>All of the Esquimos want to come aboard and stay aboard. Some we want
+and will take along, but there are others we will not have or take along
+on a bet, and the pleasant duty of telling them so and putting them
+ashore falls to me. It is not a pleasant job to disappoint these people,
+but they would be a burden to us and in our way. Besides, we have left
+them a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> plentiful supply of needfuls, and our trading with them has been
+fair and generous.</p>
+
+<p>The "Crow's-Nest" has been rigged upon the mainmast, and this morning,
+after breakfast, Mr. Whitney, three Esquimos, and myself started in Mr.
+Whitney's motor-boat to hunt walrus. The motor gave out very shortly
+after the start, and the oars had to be used. We were fortunate in
+getting two walrus, which I shot, and then we returned to the ship for
+the whale-boat. We left the ship with three more Esquimos in the
+whale-boat, and got four more walrus.</p>
+
+<p>Sunday, at Kangerdlooksoah; the land of the reindeer, and the one
+pleasant appearing spot on this coast. Mr. Whitney and his six Esquimo
+guides have gone hunting for deer, and I have been ashore to trade for
+dogs and furs, and have gotten twenty-seven dogs, sealskin-lines for
+lashings, a big bearskin, and some foxskins. I try to get furskins from
+animals that were killed when in full fur and before they have started
+to shed, but some of the skins I have traded in are raw, and will have
+to be dried.</p>
+
+<p>I have had the disagreeable job of putting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> the undesirable ashore, and
+it was like handling a lot of sulky school children.</p>
+
+<p>Seegloo, the dog-owner, is invited to bring his pack aboard and is
+easily persuaded. He will get a Springfield rifle and loading-outfit and
+also a Winchester, if he will sell, and he is more than willing.</p>
+
+<p>And this is the story of day after day from Cape York to Etah Harbor,
+which we reached on August 12.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER III</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>FINDING OF RUDOLPH FRANKE&mdash;WHITNEY LANDED&mdash;TRADING AND COALING&mdash;FIGHTING
+THE ICE-PACKS</div>
+
+
+<p>At Etah we take on the final load of coal from the <i>Erik</i> 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.</p>
+
+<p>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<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>
+member of other expeditions of the Commander's.</p>
+
+<p>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 <i>Erik</i>. The poor fellow's spirits commenced to rise
+immediately and there is good chance of his recovery and safe return
+home.</p>
+
+<p>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.</p>
+
+<p>There is a cache of Dr. Cook's provisions here, which Franke turned over
+to the Com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>mander, and Mr. Whitney has agreed to help Murphy and Billy
+to guard it.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Harry Whitney is one of the party of men who came here on the <i>Erik</i>
+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
+<i>Erik</i>. 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 deal of roughness. He will have to become like the Esquimos and
+they will be practically his only companions. However, Mr. Whitney has
+had a talk with the Commander in the cabin of the <i>Roosevelt</i>, and the
+Commander has given his consent and best wishes. Mr. Whitney's supplies
+have been unloaded and some additions from the <i>Erik</i> made, and there is
+no reason to fear for his safety.</p>
+
+<p>August 8, 1908: My forty-second birthday. I have not mentioned it to any
+one, and there's only one other besides myself who knows that to-day I
+am twice three times seven<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> years of age. Seventeen years ago to-day,
+Commander Peary, hobbling about on his crutches with his right leg in a
+sling, insisted on giving me a birthday party. I was twenty-five years
+old then, and on the threshold of my Arctic experience. Never before in
+my life had the anniversary of my birth been celebrated, and to have a
+party given in my honor touched me deeply. Mrs. Peary was a member of
+the expedition then, and I suppose that it was due to her that the
+occasion was made a memorable one for me. Last year, I was aboard the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> in the shadow of the "Statue of Liberty" in New York Bay,
+and was treated to a pleasant surprise by my wife.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary gave me explicit instructions to get Nipsangwah and Myah
+ashore as quick as the Creator would let them, but to be sure that their
+seven curs were kept aboard; these two huskies having exalted ideas as
+to their rights and privileges. Egingwah, or Karko as we knew him, and
+Koodlootinah and his family were to come aboard.</p>
+
+<p>Acting under orders, I obeyed, but it was not a pleasant task. I have
+known men who needed dogs less to pay a great deal more for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> one pup
+than was paid to Nipsangwah for his pack of seven. The dogs are a
+valuable asset to this people and these two men were dependent on their
+little teams to a greater extent than on the plates and cups of tin
+which they received in exchange for them.</p>
+
+<p>August 8-9, 1908: Have been trading with the natives without any
+trouble; they will give anything I want for anything that I have that
+they want. "It's a shame to take the money," or, as money is unknown up
+here and has no value, I should say that I should be ashamed to take
+such an advantage of them, but if I should stop to consider the
+freight-rates to this part of the world, no doubt a hatchet or a knife
+is worth just what it can be traded in for.</p>
+
+<p>The ship has been rapidly littering up until it is now in a most perfect
+state of dirtiness, and in order to get the supplies from the <i>Erik</i>,
+coal, etc., the movable articles, dogs, Esquimos, etc., will have to be
+shifted and yours truly is helping.</p>
+
+<p>The dogs have been landed on a small island in the bay, where they are
+safe and cannot run away, and they can have a glorious time, fight<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>ing
+and getting acquainted with each other. Some of the Esquimos' goods are
+ashore, some aboard the <i>Erik</i>, and the rest forward on the roof of the
+deck-house, while the <i>Roosevelt</i> is getting her coal aboard.</p>
+
+<p>The loading of the meat and coal has been done by the crews of the
+ships, assisted and <i>hampered</i> by some of the Esquimos, and I have been
+walrus-hunting, and taxidermizing; that is, I have skinned a pair of
+walrus so that they can be stuffed and mounted. This job has been very
+carefully, and I think successfully, done and the skins have been towed
+ashore. The hearts, livers, and kidneys have been brought aboard and the
+meat is to be loaded to-morrow. Two boat-loads of bones have been rowed
+over to Dog Island for dog-food.</p>
+
+<p>Coaling and stowing of whale-meat aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i> was finished at
+noon, August 15, and all day Sunday, August 16, all hands were at the
+job transferring to the <i>Erik</i> the boxes of provisions that were to be
+left at the cache at Etah. Bos'n Murphy and Billy Pritchard, the
+cabin-boy, are to stay as guard until the return of the <i>Roosevelt</i> next
+summer.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> A blinding storm of wind and snow prevented the <i>Roosevelt</i>
+from starting until about two-thirty <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, when, with all the dogs
+a-howling, the whistle tooting, and the crew and members cheering, we
+steamed out of the Harbor into Smith Sound, and a thick fog which
+compelled half-speed past Littleton Island and into heavy pack-ice.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett was navigating the ship and his eagle eye found a lane
+of open water from Cape Sabine to Bache Peninsula and open water from
+Ellesmere Land half-way across Buchanan Bay, but this lead closed on
+him, and the <i>Roosevelt</i> had to stop. Late in the evening, the ice
+started to move and grind alongside of the ship, but did no damage
+except scaring the Esquimos. Daylight still kept up and we went to sleep
+with our boots on!</p>
+
+<p>From Etah to Cape Sheridan, which was to be our last point north in the
+ship, consumed twenty-one days of the hardest kind of work imaginable
+for a ship; actually fighting for every foot of the way against the
+almost impassable ice. For another ship it would have been impassable,
+but the <i>Roosevelt</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> was built for this kind of work, and her worth and
+ability had been proven on the voyage of 1905. The constant jolting,
+bumping, and jarring against the ice-packs, forwards and backwards, the
+sudden stops and starts and the frequent storms made work and comfort
+aboard ship all but impossible.</p>
+
+<p>Had it been possible to be ashore at some point of vantage, to witness
+the struggles of our little ship against her giant adversaries would
+have been an impressive sight.</p>
+
+<p>I will not dwell on the trying hours and days of her successful battle,
+the six days of watching and waiting for a chance to get out of our
+dangerous predicament in Lincoln Bay, the rounding of the different
+capes en route, or the horrible jams in Lady Franklin Bay. The good ship
+kept at the fight and won by sheer bulldogged tenacity and pluck. Life
+aboard her during those twenty-one days was not one sweet song, but we
+did not suffer unusually, and a great deal of necessary work was done on
+our equipments. The Esquimo women sewed diligently on the fur clothing
+we were to wear during the coming winter and I worked on the sledges
+that were to be used.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> Provisions were packed in compact shape and every
+one was busy. Two caches of provisions were made ashore in the event of
+an overland retreat, and the small boats were fully provisioned as a
+precaution against the loss of the ship. We did not dwell on the thought
+of losing it, but we took no chances.</p>
+
+<p>Meeting with continual rebuffs, but persistently forging ahead and
+gaining deliberately day by day, the <i>Roosevelt</i> pushed steadily
+northward through the ice-encumbered waters of Kane Basin, Kennedy and
+Robeson Channels, and around the northeast corner of Grant Land to the
+shelter of Cape Sheridan, which was reached early in the afternoon of
+September 5, 1908.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>PREPARING FOR WINTER AT CAPE SHERIDAN&mdash;THE ARCTIC LIBRARY</div>
+
+
+<p>Now that we had reached Cape Sheridan in the ship, every one's spirits
+seemed to soar. It was still daylight, with the sun above the horizon,
+and although two parties had been landed for hunting, no one seemed to
+be in any particular hurry. The weather was cold but calm, and even in
+the rush of unloading the ship I often heard the hum of songs, and had
+it not been for the fur-jacketed men who were doing the work, it would
+not have been difficult for me to imagine myself in a much warmer
+climate.</p>
+
+<p>Of course! in accordance with my agreement with some other members of
+this expedition I kept my eye on the Commander, and although it was not
+usual for him to break forth into song, I frequently heard him hum<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>ming
+a popular air, and I knew that for the present all was well with him.</p>
+
+<p>With the ship lightened, by being unloaded, to a large extent, of all of
+the stores, she did not very appreciably rise, but the Commander and the
+Captain agreed that she could be safely worked considerably closer to
+the shore, inside of the tide-crack possibly; and the <i>Roosevelt</i> was
+made fast to the ice-foot of the land, with a very considerable distance
+between her and open water. Her head was pointed due north, and affairs
+aboard her assumed regulation routine. The stores ashore were
+contracted, and work on getting them into shape for building temporary
+houses was soon under way. The boxes of provisions themselves formed the
+walls, and the roofing was made from makeshifts such as sails,
+overturned whale-boats, and rocks; and had the ship got adrift and been
+lost, the houses on shore would have proved ample and comfortable for
+housing the expedition.</p>
+
+<p>A ship, and a good one like the <i>Roosevelt</i>, is the prime necessity in
+getting an expedition within striking distance of the Pole, but once
+here the ship (and no other boat, but the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> <i>Roosevelt</i> could get here)
+is not indispensable, and accordingly all precautions against her loss
+were taken.</p>
+
+<p>It is a fact that Arctic expeditions have lost their ships early in the
+season and in spite of the loss have done successful work. The last
+Ziegler Polar Expedition of 1903-1905 is an example. In the ship
+<i>America</i> they reached Crown Prince Rudolph Island on the European
+route, and shortly after landing, in the beginning of the long night,
+the <i>America</i> went adrift, and has never been seen since. It is not
+difficult to imagine her still drifting in the lonely Arctic Ocean, with
+not a soul aboard (a modern phantom ship in a sea of eternal ice). A
+more likely idea is that she has been crushed by the ice, and sunk, and
+the skeleton of her hulk strewn along the bottom of the sea, full many a
+fathom deep.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>However, the depressing probabilities of the venture we are on are not
+permitted to worry us. The <i>Roosevelt</i> is a "Homer" and we confidently
+expect to have her take us back to home and loved ones.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, I have a steady job<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> carpentering, also interpreting,
+barbering, tailoring, dog-training, and chasing Esquimos out of my
+quarters. The Esquimos have the run of the ship and get everywhere
+except into the Commander's cabin, which they have been taught to regard
+as "The Holy of Holies." With the help of a sign which tersely proclaims
+"No Admittance," painted on a board and nailed over the door, they are
+without much difficulty restrained from going in.</p>
+
+<p>The Commander's stateroom is a <i>state</i> room. He has a piano in there and
+a photograph of President Roosevelt; and right next door he has a
+private bath-room with a bath-tub in it. The bath-tub is chock-full of
+impedimenta of a much solider quality than water, but it is to be
+cleared out pretty soon, and every morning the Commander is going to
+have his cold-plunge, if there is enough hot water.</p>
+
+<p>There is a general rule that every member of the expedition, including
+the sailors, must take a bath at least once a week, and it is wonderful
+how contagious bathing is. Even the Esquimos catch it, and frequently
+Charley has to interrupt the upward development of some ambitious
+native, who has suddenly perceived<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> the need of ablutions, and has
+started to scrub himself in the water that is intended for cooking
+purposes. If the husky has not gone too far, the water is not wasted,
+and our stew is all the more savory.</p>
+
+<p>On board ship there was quite an extensive library, especially on Arctic
+and Antarctic topics, but as it was in the Commander's cabin it was not
+heavily patronized. In my own cabin I had Dickens' "Bleak House,"
+Kipling's "Barrack Room Ballads," and the poems of Thomas Hood; also a
+copy of the Holy Bible, which had been given to me by a dear old lady in
+Brooklyn, N. Y. I also had Peary's books, "Northward Over the Great
+Ice," and his last work "Nearest the Pole." During the long dreary
+midnights of the Arctic winter, I spent many a pleasant hour with my
+books. I also took along with me a calendar for the years 1908 and 1909,
+for in the regions of noonday darkness and midnight daylight, a calendar
+is absolutely necessary.</p>
+
+<p>But mostly I had rougher things than reading to do.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER V</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>MAKING PEARY SLEDGES&mdash;HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC NIGHT&mdash;THE EXCITABLE DOGS
+AND THEIR HABITS</div>
+
+
+<p>I have been busy making sledges, sledges of a different pattern from
+those used heretofore, and it is expected that they will answer better
+than the Esquimo type of open-work sledge, of the earlier expeditions.
+These sledges have been designed by Commander Peary and I have done the
+work.</p>
+
+<p>The runners are longer, and are curved upwards at each end, so that they
+resemble the profile of a canoe, and are expected to rise over the
+inequalities of the ice much better than the old style. Lashed together
+with sealskin thongs, about twelve feet long, by two feet wide and seven
+inches high, the load can be spread along their entire length instead of
+being piled up, and a more even distribution of the weights is made. The
+Esquimos, used<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> to their style of sledge, are of the opinion that the
+new style will prove too much for one man and an ordinary team to
+handle, but we have given both kinds a fair trial and it looks as if the
+new type has the old beaten by a good margin.</p>
+
+<p>The hunting is not going along as successfully as is desired. The sun is
+sinking lower and lower, and the different hunting parties return with
+poor luck, bringing to the ship nothing in some cases, and in others
+only a few hares and some fish.</p>
+
+<p>The Commander has told me that it is imperative that fresh meat be
+secured, and now that I have done all that it is positively necessary
+for me to do here at the ship, I am to take a couple of the Esquimo boys
+and try my luck for musk-oxen or reindeer, so to-morrow, early in the
+morning, it is off on the hunt.</p>
+
+<p>This from my diary: Eight days out and not a shot, not a sight of game,
+nothing. The night is coming quickly, the long months of darkness, of
+quiet and cold, that, in spite of my years of experience, I can never
+get used to; and up here at Sheridan it comes sooner and lasts longer
+than it does down at Etah<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> and Bowdoin Bay. Only a few days' difference,
+but it <i>is</i> longer, and I do not welcome it. Not a sound, except the
+report of a glacier, broken off by its weight, and causing a new iceberg
+to be born. The black darkness of the sky, the stars twinkling above,
+and hour after hour going by with no sunlight. Every now and then a moon
+when storms do not come, and always the cold, getting colder and colder,
+and me out on the hunt for fresh meat. I know it; the same old story, a
+man's work and a dog's life, and what does it amount to? What good is to
+be done? I am tired, sick, sore, and discouraged.</p>
+
+<p>The main thing was game, but I had a much livelier time with some
+members of the Peary Arctic Club's expedition known as "our four-footed
+friends"&mdash;the dogs.</p>
+
+<p>The dogs are ever interesting. They never bark, and often bite, but
+there is no danger from their bites. To get together a team that has not
+been tied down the night before is a job. You take a piece of meat,
+frozen as stiff as a piece of sheet-iron, in one hand, and the harness
+in the other, you single out the cur you are after, make proper
+advances, and when he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> comes sniffling and snuffling and all the time
+keeping at a safe distance, you drop the sheet-iron on the snow, the
+brute makes a dive, and you make a flop, you grab the nearest thing
+grabable&mdash;ear, leg, or bunch of hair&mdash;and do your best to catch his
+throat, after which, everything is easy. Slip the harness over the head,
+push the fore-paws through, and there you are, one dog hooked up and
+harnessed. After licking the bites and sucking the blood, you tie said
+dog to a rock and start for the next one. It is only a question of time
+before you have your team. When you have them, leave them alone; they
+must now decide who is fit to be the king of the team, and so they
+fight, they fight and fight; and once they have decided, the king is
+king. A growl from him, or only a look, is enough, all obey, except the
+females, and the females have their way, for, true to type, the males
+never harm the females, and it is always the females who start the
+trouble.</p>
+
+<p>The dogs when not hitched to the sledges were kept together in teams and
+tied up, both at the ship and while we were hunting. They were not
+allowed to roam at large, for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> past experience with these customers had
+taught us that nothing in the way of food was safe from the attack of
+Esquimo dogs. I have seen tin boxes that had been chewed open by dogs in
+order to get at the contents, tin cans of condensed milk being gnawed
+like a bone, and skin clothing being chewed up like so much gravy. Dog
+fights were hourly occurrences, and we lost a great many by the ravages
+of the mysterious Arctic disease, piblokto, which affects all dog life
+and frequently human life. Indeed, it looked for a time as if we should
+lose the whole pack, so rapidly did they die, but constant care and
+attention permitted us to save most of them, and the fittest survived.</p>
+
+<p>Next to the Esquimos, the dogs are the most interesting subjects in the
+Arctic regions, and I could tell lots of tales to prove their
+intelligence and sagacity. These animals, more wolf than dog, have
+associated themselves with the human beings of this country as have
+their kin in more congenial places of the earth. Wide head, sharp nose,
+and pointed ears, thick wiry hair, and, in some of the males, a heavy
+mane; thick bushy tail, curved up over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> the back; deep chest and fore
+legs wide apart; a typical Esquimo dog is the picture of alert
+attention. They are as intelligent as any dog in civilization, and a
+thousand times more useful. They earn their own livings and disdain any
+of the comforts of life. Indeed it seems that when life is made pleasant
+for them they get sick, lie down and die; and when out on the march,
+with no food for days, thin, gaunt skeletons of their former selves,
+they will drag at the traces of the sledges and by their uncomplaining
+conduct, inspire their human companions to keep on.</p>
+
+<p>Without the Esquimo dog, the story of the North Pole, would remain
+untold; for human ingenuity has not yet devised any other means to
+overcome the obstacles of cold, storm, and ice that nature has placed in
+the way than those that were utilized on this expedition.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE PEARY PLAN&mdash;A RAIN OF ROCKS&mdash;MY FRIENDS THE ESQUIMOS</div>
+
+
+<p>The story of the winter at Cape Sheridan is a story unique in the
+experience of Arctic exploration. Usually it is the rule to hibernate as
+much as possible during the period of darkness, and the party is
+confined closely to headquarters. The Peary plan is different; and
+constant activity and travel were insisted on.</p>
+
+<p>There were very few days when all of the members of the expedition were
+together, after the ship had reached her destination. Hunting parties
+were immediately sent out, for it was on the big game of the country
+that the expedition depended for fresh meat. Professor Marvin commenced
+his scientific work, and his several stations were all remote from
+headquarters; and all winter long, parties were sledging provisions,
+equipment, etc., to Cape<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> Columbia, ninety-three miles northwest, in
+anticipation of the journey to the Pole. Those who remained at
+headquarters did not find life an idle dream. There was something in the
+way of work going on all of the time. I was away from the ship on two
+hunting trips of about ten days each, and while at headquarters, I
+shaped and built over two dozen sledges, besides doing lots of other
+work.</p>
+
+<p>Naturally there were frequent storms and intense cold, and in regard to
+the storms of the Arctic regions of North Greenland and Grant Land, the
+only word I can use to describe them is "terrible," in the fullest
+meaning it conveys. The effect of such storms of wind and snow, or rain,
+is abject physical terror, due to the realization of perfect
+helplessness. I have seen rocks a hundred and a hundred and fifty pounds
+in weight picked up by the storm and blown for distances of ninety or a
+hundred feet to the edge of a precipice, and there of their own momentum
+go hurtling through space to fall in crashing fragments at the base.
+Imagine the effect of such a rainfall of death-dealing bowlders on the
+feelings of a little group of three or four, who have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> sought the base
+of the cliff for shelter. I have been there and I have seen one of my
+Esquimo companions felled by a blow from a rock eighty-four pounds in
+weight, which struck him fairly between the shoulder-blades, literally
+knocking the life out of him. I have been there, and believe me, I have
+been afraid. A hundred-pound box of supplies, taking an a&euml;rial joy ride,
+during the progress of a storm down at Anniversary Lodge in 1894, struck
+Commander Peary a glancing blow which put him out of commission for over
+a week. These mighty winds make it possible for the herbivorous animals
+of this region to exist. They sweep the snow from vast stretches of
+land, exposing the hay and dried dwarf-willows, that the hare,
+musk-oxen, and reindeer feed on.</p>
+
+<p>The Esquimo families who came north to Cape Sheridan with us on the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> found life much more ideal than down in their native land.
+It was a pleasure trip for them, with nothing to worry about, and
+everything provided. Some of the families lived aboard ship all through
+the winter, and some in the box-house on shore. They were perforce much<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>
+cleaner in their personal habits than they were wont to be in their own
+home country, but never for an instant does the odor or appearance of an
+Esquimo's habitation suggest the rose or geranium. The aroma of an East
+Side lunch-room is more like it.</p>
+
+<p>There were thirty-nine Esquimos in the expedition, men, women and
+children; for the Esquimo travels heavy and takes his women and children
+with him as a matter of course. The women were as useful as the men, and
+the small boys did the ship's chores, sledging in fresh water from the
+lake, etc. They were mostly in families; but there were several young,
+unmarried men, and the unattached, much-married and divorced Miss
+"Bill," who domiciled herself aboard the ship and did much good work
+with her needle. She was my seamstress and the thick fur clothes worn on
+the trip to the Pole were sewn by her. The Esquimos lived as happily as
+in their own country and carried on their domestic affairs with almost
+the same care-free irregularity as usual. The best-natured people on
+earth, with no bad habits of their own, but a ready ability to
+assimilate the vices of civilization.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> Twenty years ago, when I first
+met them, not one used tobacco or craved it. To-day every member of the
+tribe has had experience with tobacco, craves it, and will give most
+everything, except his gun, to get it. Even little toddlers, three and
+four years old, will eat tobacco and, strange to say, it has no bad
+effect. They get tobacco from the Danish missionaries and from the
+sailors on board the whaling, seal, and walrus-ships. Whisky has not yet
+gotten in its demoralizing work.</p>
+
+<p>It is my conviction that the life of this little tribe is doomed, and
+that extinction is nearly due. It will be caused partly by themselves,
+and partly by the misguided endeavors of civilized people. Every year
+their number diminishes; in 1894, Hugh J. Lee took the census of the
+tribe, and it numbered two hundred and fifty-three; in 1906, Professor
+Marvin found them to have dwindled to two hundred and seven. At this
+writing I dare say their number is still further reduced, for the latest
+news I have had from the Whale Sound region informs me that quite a
+number of deaths have occurred, and the birth-rate is not high. It is
+sad to think of the fate of my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> friends who live in what was once a land
+of plenty, but which is, through the greed of the commercial hunter,
+becoming a land of frigid desolation. The seals are practically gone,
+and the walrus are being quickly exterminated. The reindeer and the
+musk-oxen are going the same way, for the Esquimos themselves now hunt
+inland, when, up to twenty years ago, their hunting was confined to the
+coast and the life-giving sea.</p>
+
+<p>They are very human in their attributes, and in spite of the fact that
+their diet is practically meat only, their tempers are gentle and mild,
+and there is a great deal of affection among them. Except between
+husband and wife, they seldom quarrel; and never hold spite or
+animosity. Children are a valuable asset, are much loved, never scolded
+or punished, and are not spoiled. An Esquimo mother washes her baby the
+same way a cat washes her kittens. There are lots of personal habits the
+description of which might scatter the reading circle, so I will desist
+with the bald statement, that, for them, dirt and filth have no
+terrors.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>SLEDGING TO CAPE COLUMBIA&mdash;HOT SOLDERING IN COLD WEATHER</div>
+
+
+<p>If you will get out your geography and turn to the map of the Western
+Hemisphere you will be able to follow me. Take the seventieth meridian,
+west. It is the major meridian of the Western Hemisphere, its northern
+land extremity being Cape Columbia, Grant Land; southward it crosses our
+own Cape Cod and the island of Santo Domingo, and runs down through the
+Andes to Cape Horn, the southern extremity of South America.</p>
+
+<p>The seventieth meridian was our pathway to the Pole, based on the west
+longitude of 70&deg;. Both Professor Marvin and Captain Bartlett took their
+observations at their respective farthests, and at the Pole, where all
+meridians meet, Commander Peary took his elevations of the sun, based on
+the local time of the Columbian meridian.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Cape Columbia was discovered over fifty years ago, by the intrepid
+Captain Hall, who gave his life to Arctic exploration, and lies buried
+on the Greenland coast. From the time of the arrival of the <i>Roosevelt</i>
+at Cape Sheridan, the previous September, communications with Cape
+Columbia were opened up, the trail was made and kept open all through
+the winter by constant travel between the ship and the cape. Loads of
+supplies, in anticipation of the start for the Pole, were sledged there.</p>
+
+<p>The route to Cape Columbia is through a region of somber magnificence.
+Huge beetling cliffs overlook the pathway; dark savage headlands, around
+which we had to travel, project out into the ice-covered waters of the
+ocean, and vast stretches of wind-swept plains meet the eye in alternate
+changes. From Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia is a distance of
+ninety-three miles. In ordinary weather, it took about three and a half
+marches, although on the return from the Pole it was covered in two
+marches, men and dogs breezing in.</p>
+
+<p>On February 18, 1909, I left the <i>Roosevelt</i> on what might be a
+returnless journey. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> time to strike had come. Captain Bartlett and
+Dr. Goodsell had already started. The Commander gave me strict orders to
+the effect that I must get to Porter Bay, pick up the cache of alcohol
+left there late in the previous week, solder up the leaks, and take it
+to Cape Columbia, there to await his arrival. The cause of the
+alcohol-leakage was due to the jolting of the sledges over the rough
+ice, puncturing the thin tin of the alcohol-cases.</p>
+
+<p>I wish you could have seen me soldering those tins, under the conditions
+of darkness, intense cold, and insufficient furnace arrangement I had to
+endure. If there ever was a job for a demon in Hades, that was it. I
+vividly recall it. At the same instant I was in imminent danger of
+freezing to death and being burned alive; and the mental picture of
+those three fur-clad men, huddled around the little oil-stove heating
+the soldering-iron, and the hot solder dripping on the tin, is amusing
+now; but we were anything but amused then. The following is transcribed
+from my diary:</p>
+
+<p>February 18, 1909: Weather clear, temperature 28&deg; at five <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> We were
+ready to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> leave the ship at seven-thirty <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, but a blinding gale
+delayed our start until nine <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> Two parties have left for Columbia:
+Professor MacMillan, three boys, four sledges, and twenty-four dogs; and
+my party of three boys and the same outfit. Each sledge is loaded with
+about two hundred and fifty pounds of provisions, consisting of
+pemmican, biscuits, tea, and alcohol. The Arctic night still holds sway,
+but to-day at noon, far to the south, a thin band of twilight shows,
+giving promise of the return of the sun, and every day now will increase
+in light. Heavy going to Porter Bay, where we are to spend the night,
+and as soon as rested start to work soldering up the thirty-six leaky
+alcohol tins left there by George Borup last week. Professor MacMillan
+and his party have not shown up yet. They dropped behind at Cape
+Richardson and we are keeping a watch for them. Snow still drifting and
+the wind howling like old times. Have had our evening meal of
+travel-rations; pemmican, biscuits, and tea and condensed milk, which
+was eaten with a relish. Two meals a day now, and big work between
+meals. No sign of Professor MacMillan and his crew,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> so we are going to
+turn in. The other igloo is waiting for him and the storm keeps up.</p>
+
+<p>February 19, 1909: It was six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> when I routed out the boys for
+breakfast. I am writing while the tea is brewing. Had a good sleep last
+night when I did get to sleep. Snoring, talk about snoring! Sleeping
+with Esquimos on either side, who have already fallen asleep, is
+impossible. The only way to get asleep is to wake them up, get them good
+and wide-awake, inquire solicitously as to their comfort, and before
+they can get to sleep fall asleep yourself. After that, their rhythmic
+snores will only tend to soothe and rest you.</p>
+
+<p>Worked all day soldering the tins of alcohol, and a very trying job it
+was. I converted the oil-stove into an alcohol-burner, and used it to
+heat the irons. It took some time for me to gauge properly the height
+above the blue flame of the alcohol at which I would get the best
+results in heating the irons, but at last we found it. A cradle-shaped
+support made from biscuit-can wire was hung over the flame about an inch
+above it, and while the boys heated the irons, I squatted on my knees
+with a case of alcohol across my lap and got to work.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> I had watched Mr.
+Wardwell aboard the ship solder up the cases and I found that watching a
+man work, and doing the same thing yourself, were two different matters.
+I tried to work with mittens on; I tried to work with them off. As soon
+as my bare fingers would touch the cold metal of the tins, they would
+freeze, and if I attempted to use the mittens they would singe and burn,
+and it was impossible to hold the solder with my bearskin gloves on. But
+keeping everlastingly at it brings success, and with the help of the
+boys the work was slowly but surely done.</p>
+
+<p>Early this evening Professor MacMillan and his caravan arrived. He
+complimented me on the success of my work and informed me that they
+camped at Cape Richardson last night and that the trail had been pretty
+well blown over by the storm, but that the sledge-tracks were still to
+be seen. Dead tired, but not cold or uncomfortable. The stew is ready
+and so am I. Goodnight!</p>
+
+<p>February 20: Wind died down, sky clear, and weather cold as usual. Our
+next point is Sail Harbor and after breakfast we set out. The Professor
+has asked me the most advisable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> way; whether to keep to the sea-ice or
+go overland, and we have agreed to follow the northern route, overland
+across Fielden Peninsula, using Peary's Path. By this route we estimate
+a saving of eight miles of going, and we will hit the beach at James
+Ross Bay.</p>
+
+<p>Five <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>: Sail Harbor. Stopped writing to eat breakfast, and then we
+loaded up and started. Reached here about an hour ago and from the fresh
+tracks in the snow, the Captain's or the Doctor's party have just
+recently left. It was evidently Doctor Goodsell and his crew who were
+here last; for Captain Bartlett left the <i>Roosevelt</i> on February 15 and
+the Doctor did not leave until the 16th. The going has been heavy, due
+to loose snow and heavy winds. Also intense cold; the thermometers are
+all out of commission, due to bubbles; but a frozen bottle of brandy
+proves that we had at least 45&deg; of cold. The igloo I built last December
+5 is the one my party are camped in. Professor MacMillan and his party
+kept up with us all day, and it was pleasant to have his society.
+Writing is difficult, the kettle is boiled, so here ends to-day's
+entry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>February 21: Easy wind, clear sky, but awful cold. Going across Clements
+Markham Inlet was fine, and we were able to steal a ride on the sledges
+most of the way, but we all had our faces frosted, and my short flat
+nose, which does not readily succumb to the cold, suffered as much as
+did MacMillan's. Even these men of iron, the Esquimos, suffered from the
+cold, Ootah freezing the great toe of his right foot. Perforce, he was
+compelled to thaw it out in the usual way; that is, taking off his kamik
+and placing his freezing foot under my bearskin shirt, the heat of my
+body thawing out the frozen member.</p>
+
+<p>Cape Colan was reached about half past nine this morning. There we
+reloaded, and I fear overloaded, the sledges, from the cache which has
+been placed there. Our loads average about 550 pounds per sledge and we
+have left a lot of provisions behind.</p>
+
+<p>We are at Cape Good Point, having been unable to make Cape Columbia, and
+have had to build an igloo. With our overloaded sledges this has been a
+hard day's work. The dogs pulled, and we pushed, and frequently lifted
+the heavily loaded sledges through the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> deep, soft snow; but we did not
+dump any of our loads. Although the boys wanted to, I would not stand
+for it. The bad example of seeing some piles of provision-cases which
+had been unloaded by the preceding parties was what put the idea in
+their heads.</p>
+
+<p>We will make Cape Columbia to-morrow and will have to do no
+back-tracking. We are moving forward. I have started for a place, and do
+not intend to run back to get a better start.</p>
+
+<p>February 22, 1909: Cape Columbia. We left Cape Good Point at seven <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>
+and reached Cape Columbia at eight <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> No wind, but weather thick and
+hazy, and the same old cold. About two miles from Good Point, we passed
+the Doctor's igloo. About a mile beyond this, we passed the "Crystal
+Palace" that had been occupied by the Captain. Six miles farther north,
+we passed a second igloo, which had been built by the Doctor's party.
+How did we know who had built and occupied these igloos? It was easy, as
+an Esquimo knows and recognizes another Esquimo's handwork, the same as
+you recognize the handwriting of your friends. I noted the neat,
+or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>derly, shipshape condition of the Captain's igloo, and the empty
+cocoa-tins scattered around the Doctor's igloo. The Doctor was the only
+one who had cocoa as an article of supply.</p>
+
+<p>Following the trail four miles farther north, we passed the Captain's
+second igloo. He had unloaded his three sledges here and gone on to Parr
+Bay to hunt musk-oxen. We caught up with the Doctor and his party at the
+end of the ice-foot and pushed on to Cape Columbia. We found but one
+igloo here and I did the "after you my dear Alphonse," and the Doctor
+got the igloo. My boys and I have built a good big one in less than an
+hour, and we are now snug and warm.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>IN CAMP AT COLUMBIA&mdash;LITERARY IGLOOS&mdash;THE MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION OF THE
+ARCTIC</div>
+
+
+<p>Our heavy furs had been made by the Esquimo women on board the ship and
+had been thoroughly aired and carefully packed on the sledges. We were
+to discard our old clothes before leaving the land and endeavor to be in
+the cleanest condition possible while contending with the ice, for we
+knew that we would get dirty enough without having the discomfort of
+vermin added. It is easy to become vermin-infested, and when all forms
+of life but man and dog seem to have disappeared, the bedbug still
+remains. Each person had taken a good hot bath with plenty of soap and
+water before we left the ship, and we had given each other what we
+called a "prize-fighter's hair-cut." We ran the clippers from forehead
+back, all over the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> head, and we looked like a precious bunch but we had
+hair enough on our heads by the time we came back from our three months'
+journey, and we needed a few more baths and new clothes.</p>
+
+<p>When I met Dr. Goodsell at Cape Columbia, about a week after he had left
+the ship, he had already raised quite a beard, and, as his hair was
+black and heavy, it made quite a change in his appearance. The effect of
+the long period of darkness had been to give his complexion a
+greenish-yellow tinge. My complexion reminded him of a ginger cake with
+too much saleratus in it.</p>
+
+<p>February 23: Heavy snow-fall but practically no wind this morning at
+seven o'clock, when Dr. Goodsell left his igloo for Cape Colan to pick
+up the load he had left there when he lightened his sledges, also some
+loads of pemmican and biscuits that had been cached. We had supper
+together and also breakfast this morning, and as we ate we laughed and
+talked, and I taught him a few tricks for keeping himself warm.</p>
+
+<p>In spite of the snow, which was still falling, I routed out my boys, and
+in the dark we left<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> camp for the western side of the cape, to get the
+four sledge-loads of rations that had been taken there the previous
+November. Got the loads and pushed south to Cape Aldrich, which is a
+point on the promontory of Cape Columbia. From Cape Aldrich the
+Commander intends to attack the sea-ice.</p>
+
+<p>After unloading the supplies on the point, we came back to camp at Cape
+Columbia. Shortly afterwards Captain Bartlett came into camp from his
+musk-ox-hunt around Parr Bay. He had not shot a thing and was very tired
+and discouraged, but I think he was glad to see me. He was so hungry
+that I gave him all the stew, which he swallowed whole.</p>
+
+<p>MacMillan and his party showed up about an hour after the Captain, and
+very shortly after George Borup came driving in, like "Ann Eliza
+Johnson, a swingin' down the line." I helped Mr. Borup build his igloo,
+for which he was grateful. He is a plucky young fellow and is always
+cheerful. He told us that Professor Marvin, according to the schedule,
+had left the ship on the 20th, and the Commander on the 21st, so they
+must be well on the way.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>While waiting in this camp for the Commander and Professor Marvin to
+arrive, we had plenty of work; re-adjusting the sledge-loads and also
+building snow-houses and banking them with blocks of snow, for the wind
+had eroded one end of my igloo and completely razed it to the level of
+the ground, and a more solidly constructed igloo was necessary to
+withstand the fury of the gale.</p>
+
+<p>We kept a fire going in one igloo and dried our mittens and kamiks.
+Though the tumpa, tumpa, plunk of the banjo was not heard, and our
+camp-fires were not scenes of revelry and joy, I frequently did the
+double-shuffle and an Old Virginia break-down, to keep my blood
+circulating.</p>
+
+<p>The hours preceding our advance from Cape Columbia were pleasantly
+spent, though we lost no time in literary debates. There were a few
+books along.</p>
+
+<p>Out on the ice of the Polar ocean, as far as reading matter went, I
+think Dr. Goodsell had a very small set of Shakespeare, and I know that
+I had a Holy Bible. The others who went out on the ice may have had
+reading matter with them, but they did not read it out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> loud, and so I
+am not in a position to say what their literary tastes were.</p>
+
+<p>Even on shipboard, we had no pigskin library or five-foot shelf of
+sleep-producers, but each member had some favorite books in his cabin,
+and they helped to form a circulating library.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>While we waited here, we had time to appreciate the magnificent
+desolation about us. Even on the march, with loaded sledges and tugging
+dogs to engage attention, unconsciously one finds oneself with wits
+wool-gathering and eyes taking in the scene, and suddenly being brought
+back to the business of the hour by the fiend-like conduct of his team.</p>
+
+<p>There is an irresistible fascination about the regions of northern-most
+Grant Land that is impossible for me to describe. Having no poetry in my
+soul, and being somewhat hardened by years of experience in that
+inhospitable country, words proper to give you an idea of its unique
+beauty do not come to mind. Imagine gorgeous bleakness, beautiful
+blankness. It never seems broad, bright day, even in the middle of June,
+and the sky has the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> different effects of the varying hours of morning
+and evening twilight from the first to the last peep of day. Early in
+February, at noon, a thin band of light appears far to the southward,
+heralding the approach of the sun, and daily the twilight lengthens,
+until early in March, the sun, a flaming disk of fiery crimson, shows
+his distorted image above the horizon. This distorted shape is due to
+the mirage caused by the cold, just as heat-waves above the rails on a
+railroad-track distort the shape of objects beyond.</p>
+
+<p>The south sides of the lofty peaks have for days reflected the glory of
+the coming sun, and it does not require an artist to enjoy the
+unexampled splendor of the view. The snows covering the peaks show all
+of the colors, variations, and tones of the artist's palette, and more.
+Artists have gone with us into the Arctic and I have heard them rave
+over the wonderful beauties of the scene, and I have seen them at work
+trying to reproduce some of it, with good results but with nothing like
+the effect of the original. As Mr. Stokes said, "it is color run riot."</p>
+
+<p>To the northward, all is dark and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> brighter stars of the heavens are
+still visible, but growing fainter daily with the strengthening of the
+sunlight.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun finally gets above the horizon and swings his daily circle,
+the color effects grow less and less, but then the sky and cloud-effects
+improve and the shadows in the mountains and clefts of the ice show
+forth their beauty, cold blues and grays; the bare patches of the land,
+rich browns; and the whiteness of the snow is dazzling. At midday, the
+optical impression given by one's shadow is of about nine o'clock in the
+morning, this due to the altitude of the sun, always giving us long
+shadows. Above us the sky is blue and bright, bluer than the sky of the
+Mediterranean, and the clouds from the silky cirrus mare's-tails to the
+fantastic and heavy cumulus are always objects of beauty. This is the
+description of fine weather.</p>
+
+<p>Almost any spot would have been a fine one to get a round of views from;
+at Cape Sheridan, our headquarters, we were bounded by a series of land
+marks that have become historical; to the north, Cape Hecla, the point
+of departure of the 1906 expedition; to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> west, Cape Joseph Henry,
+and beyond, the twin peaks of Cape Columbia rear their giant summits out
+to the ocean.</p>
+
+<p>From Cape Columbia the expedition was now to leave the land and sledge
+over the ice-covered ocean four hundred and thirteen miles north&mdash;to the
+Pole!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE&mdash;THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL</div>
+
+
+<p>The Diary&mdash;February 23: Heavy snow-fall and furious winds; accordingly
+intense darkness and much discomfort.</p>
+
+<p>There was a heavy gale blowing at seven o'clock in the morning, on
+February 22, and the snow was so thick and drifty that we kept close to
+our igloos and made no attempt to do more than feed the dogs. My igloo
+was completely covered with snow and the one occupied by Dr. Goodsell
+was blown away, so that he had to have another one, which I helped to
+build.</p>
+
+<p>The wind subsided considerably, leaving a thick haze, but after
+breakfast, Professor MacMillan, Mr. Borup, and their parties, left camp
+for Cape Colan, to get the supplies they had dumped there, and carry
+them to Cape Aldrich. I took one Esquimo, Pooadloonah,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> and one sledge
+from the Captain's party, and with my own three boys, Ooblooyah, Ootah,
+and I-forget-his-name, and a howling mob of dogs, we left for the
+western side of Cape Columbia, and got the rest of the pemmican and
+biscuits. On the way back, we met the Captain, who was out taking
+exercise. He had nothing to say; he did not shake hands, but there was
+something in his manner to show that he was glad to see us. With the
+coming of the daylight a man gets more cheerful, but it was still
+twilight when we left Cape Columbia, and melancholy would sometimes
+grip, as it often did during the darkness of midwinter.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett helped us to push the loaded sledges to Cape Aldrich
+and nothing was left at Cape Columbia.</p>
+
+<p>When we got back to camp we found Professor Marvin and his party of
+three Esquimos there. They had just reached the camp and were at work
+building an igloo.</p>
+
+<p>Professor Marvin came over to our igloo and changed his clothes; that
+is, in a temperature of at least 45&deg; below zero, by the light of my
+lantern he coolly and calmly stripped to the pelt, and proceeded to
+cloth himself in the new<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> suit of reindeerskin and polar bearskin
+clothing, that had been made for him by the Esquimo woman,
+Ahlikahsingwah, aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i>. It had taken him and his party
+five days to make the trip from Sheridan to Columbia.</p>
+
+<p>February 26: This from my log: "Clear, no wind, temperature 57&deg; below
+zero." Listen! I will tell you about it. At seven <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> we quit trying
+to sleep and started the pot a-boiling. A pint of hot tea gave us a
+different point of view, and Professor Marvin handed me the thermometer,
+which I took outside and got the reading; 57&deg; below; that is cold
+enough. I have seen it lower, but after forty below the difference is
+not appreciable.</p>
+
+<p>I climbed to the highest pinnacle of the cape and in the gathering
+daylight gazed out over the ice-covered ocean to get an idea of its
+condition. At my back lay the land of sadness, just below me the little
+village of snow-houses, the northern-most city on the earth (Commander
+Peary give it the name Crane City), and, stretching wide and far to the
+northward, the irresistible influence that beckoned us on; broken ice, a
+sinister chaos, through which we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> would have to work our way. Dark and
+heavy clouds along the horizon gave indication of open water, and it was
+easy to see that the rough and heavy shore-ice would make no jokes for
+us to appreciate.</p>
+
+<p>About an hour or so after the midday meal, a loud outcry from the dogs
+made me go outside to see what was up. This was on the afternoon of
+February 26. I quickly saw what the dogs were excited about.</p>
+
+<p>With a "Whoop halloo," three Komaticks were racing and tearing down the
+gradient of the land to our camp, and all of us were out to see the
+finish. Kudlooktoo and Arkeo an even distance apart; and, heads up,
+tails up, a full five sledge-lengths ahead, with snowdust spinning free,
+the dog-team of the ever victorious Peary in the lead. The caravan came
+to a halt with a grandstand finish that it would have done you good to
+witness.</p>
+
+<p>The Commander didn't want to stop. He immediately commenced to shout and
+issue orders, and, by the time he had calmed down, both Captain Bartlett
+and George Borup had loaded up and pushed forward on to the ice of the
+Arctic Ocean, bound for the trophy of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> over four hundred years of
+effort. The Peary discipline is the iron hand ungloved. From now on we
+must be indifferent to comfort, and like poor little Joe, in "Bleak
+House" we must always be moving on.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER X</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>FORWARD! MARCH!</div>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 261px;">
+<img src="images/gs02.jpg" width="261" height="400" alt="ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS" title="ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS" />
+<span class="caption">ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Commander Peary was an officer of the United States Navy, but there
+never was the slightest military aspect to any of his expeditions. No
+banners flying, no trumpets blaring, and no sharp, incisive commands.
+Long ago, crossing the ice-cap of North Greenland, he carried a wand of
+bamboo, on one end of which was attached a little silk guidon, with a
+star embroidered on it, but even that had been discarded and the only
+thing military about this expedition was his peremptory "Forward!
+March!" What flags we had were folded and stowed on Commander Peary's
+sledge, and broken-out only at the North Pole.</p>
+
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett and Mr. George Borup were all alert and at attention,
+the command of preparation and the command of execution were quickly
+given in rapid succession, and they were off.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<p>From the diary.</p>
+
+<p>February 28, 1909: A bright, clear morning. Captain Bartlett and his
+crew, Ooqueah, Pooadloonah, and Harrigan; and George Borup and Karko,
+Seegloo, and Keshungwah, have set sail and are on their way.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett made the trail and George Borup was the scout, and a
+rare "Old Scout" he was. He kept up the going for three days and then
+came back to the land to start again with new loads of supplies.</p>
+
+<p>The party that stayed at Crane City until March 1, consisted of
+Commander Peary, MacMillan, Goodsell, Marvin, myself, and fourteen
+<ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'Equimos'">Esquimos</ins>, whom you don't know, and ninety-eight dogs, that you may have
+heard about.</p>
+
+<p>The dogs were double-fed and we put a good meal inside ourselves before
+turning-in on the night of February 28, 1909. The next morning was to be
+our launching, and we went to sleep full of the thought of what was
+before us. From now on it was keep on going, and keep on&mdash;and we kept
+on; sometimes in the face of storms of wind and snow that it is
+impossible for you to imagine.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Day does not break in the Arctic regions, it just comes on quietly the
+same as down here, but I must say that at daybreak on March 1, 1909, we
+were all excitement and attention. A furious wind was blowing, which we
+took as a good omen; for, on all of Commander Peary's travelings, a good
+big, heavy, storm of blinding snow has been his stirrup-cup and here he
+had his last. Systematically we had completed our preparations on the
+two days previous, so that, by six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> of the 1st of March, we were
+ready and standing at the upstanders of our sledges, awaiting the
+command "Forward! March!"</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/gs03.jpg" width="600" height="355" alt="THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESKIMOS (From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)" title="THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESKIMOS (From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)" />
+<span class="caption">THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESKIMOS<br />(From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)</span>
+</div>
+
+<p>Already, difficulties had commenced. Ooblooyah and Slocum (Esquimo name,
+Inighito, but, on account of his dilatory habits, known as Slocum) were
+incapacitated; Ooblooyah with a swelled knee, and Slocum with a frozen
+heel. The cold gets you in most any place, up there.</p>
+
+<p>I and my three boys were ordered to take the lead. We did so, at about
+half past six o'clock in the morning. Forward! March! and we were off.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>FIGHTING UP THE POLAR SEA&mdash;HELD UP BY THE "BIG LEAD"</div>
+
+
+<p>Following the trail made by Captain Bartlett, we pushed off, every man
+at the upstander of his sledge to urge his team by whip and voice. It
+was only when we had perfect going over sheets of young ice that we were
+able to steal a ride on the sledges.</p>
+
+<p>The trail led us over the glacial fringe for a quarter of a mile, and
+the going was fairly easy, but, after leaving the land ice-foot, the
+trail plunged into ice so rough that we had to use pickaxes to make a
+pathway. It took only about one mile of such going, and my sledge split.</p>
+
+<p>"Number one," said I to myself, and I came to a halt. The gale was still
+blowing, but I started to work on the necessary repairs. I have
+practically built one sledge out of two broken ones, while out on the
+ice and in weather<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> almost as bad as this; and I have almost daily
+during the journey had to repair broken sledges, sometimes under fiercer
+conditions; and so I will describe this one job and hereafter, when
+writing about repairing a sledge, let it go at that.</p>
+
+<p>Cold and windy. Undo the lashings, unload the load, get out the brace
+and bit and bore new holes, taking plenty of time, for, in such cold,
+there is danger of the steel bit breaking. Then, with ungloved hands,
+thread the sealskin thongs through the hole. The fingers freeze. Stop
+work, pull the hand through the sleeve, and take your icy fingers to
+your heart; that is, put your hand under your armpit, and when you feel
+it burning you know it has thawed out. Then start to work again. By this
+time the party has advanced beyond you and, as orders are orders, and
+you have been ordered to take the lead, you have to start, catch up, and
+pass the column before you have reached your station.</p>
+
+<p>Of course, in catching up and overtaking the party, you have the
+advantage of the well-marked trail they have made. Once again in the
+lead; and my boy, Ootah, had to up and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> break his sledge, and there was
+some more tall talking when the Commander caught up with us and left us
+there mending it. A little farther on, and the amiable Kudlooktoo, who
+was in my party at the time, busted his sledge. You would have thought
+that Kudlooktoo was the last person in Commander Peary's estimation,
+when he got through talking to him and telling him what he thought of
+him. The sledge was so badly broken it had to be abandoned. The load was
+left on the spot where the accident happened, and Kudlooktoo, much
+chastened and crestfallen, drove his team of dogs back to the land for a
+new sledge.</p>
+
+<p>We did not wait for him, but kept on for about two hours longer, when we
+reached the Captain's first igloo, twelve miles out; a small day's
+traveling, but we were almost dead-beat, from having battled all day
+with the wind, which had blown a full-sized gale. No other but a Peary
+party would have attempted to travel in such weather. Our breath was
+frozen to our hoods of fur and our cheeks and noses frozen. Spreading
+our furs upon the snow, we dropped down and endeavored to sleep, but
+sound sleep was impossible. It was a night<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> of Plutonian Purgatory. All
+through the night I would wake from the cold and beat my arms or feet to
+keep the circulation going, and I would hear one or both of my boys
+doing the same. I did not make any entries in the diary that day, and
+there was many a day like it after that.</p>
+
+<p>It was cold and dark when we left camp number one on the morning of
+March 2, at half past six o'clock. Breakfast had warmed us up a bit, but
+the hard pemmican had torn and cut the roofs and sides of our mouths so
+that we did not eat a full meal, and we decided that at our next camp we
+would boil the pemmican in the tea and have a combination stew. I will
+say now that this experiment was tried, but it made such an unwholesome
+mess that it was never repeated.</p>
+
+<p>The Captain's and Borup's trail was still evident, in spite of the low
+drifts of the snow, but progress was slow. We were still in the heavy
+rubble-ice and had to continuously hew our way with pickaxes to make a
+path for the sledges. While we were at work making a pathway, the dogs
+would curl up and lie down with their noses in their tails, and we
+would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> have to come back and start them, which was always the signal for
+a fight or two. We worked through the belt of rubble-ice at last, and
+came up with the heavy old floes and rafters of ice-blocks, larger than
+very large flag-stones and fully as thick as they were long and wide;
+the fissures between them full of the drifted snow. Even with our broad
+snow-shoes on, we sank knee-deep, and the dogs were in up to their
+breasts, the sledges up to the floors and frequently turning over, so it
+was a long time before we had covered seven miles, to be stopped by open
+water. I took no chances on this lead, although afterwards I did not
+hesitate at more desperate looking leads than this was. Instead of
+ferrying across on a block of ice, I left one of my boys to attend the
+dogs and sledges, and with Ootah I started to reconnoiter. We found that
+there were two leads, and the safest way to cross the first was to go
+west to a point where the young ice was strong enough to bear the weight
+of the sledges. We got across and had not gone very far before the other
+lead, in spite of a detour to the east, effectually blocked us. Starting
+back to the sledges,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> Ootah said he was "<i>damn feel good</i>," and in
+Esquimo gave me to understand that he was going back to the ship. I
+tried to tell him different, as we walked back; and when we reached camp
+we found the Commander and his party, who had just come in; and the
+Commander gave Ootah to distinctly understand that he was not going back
+just yet. Orders were given to camp, and while the igloos were being
+built, Marvin and MacMillan took soundings. There had been more daylight
+than on the day before, and the gale had subsided considerably, but it
+was dark when we turned in to have our evening meal and sleep.</p>
+
+<p>March 3: Right after breakfast, my party immediately started, taking the
+trail I had found the day previous. Examining the ice, we went to the
+westward, until we came to the almost solid new ice, and we took a
+chance. The ice commenced to rafter under us, but we got across safely
+with our loads, and started east again, for two miles; when we found
+ourselves on an island of ice completely surrounded by the heavy
+raftered ice. Here we halted and mended sledges and in the course of an
+hour the whole party had caught up.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> The ice had begun to rafter and the
+shattering reports made a noise that was almost ear-splitting, but we
+pushed and pulled and managed to get out of the danger-zone, and kept
+going northwestward, in the hope of picking up the trail of the Captain
+and Borup, which we did after a mile of going. Close examination of the
+trail showed us that Borup and his party had retraced their steps and
+gone quite a distance west in order to cross the lead. It was on this
+march that we were to have met Borup and his party returning, so Marvin
+and his boy Kyutah were sent to look them up. The rest of the party kept
+on in the newly found trail and came to the igloo and cache that had
+been left there by Borup. The Commander went into the igloo, and we made
+the dogs fast and built our own igloos, made our tea and went to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>March 4: Heavy snow fall; but Commander Peary routed out all hands, and
+by seven o'clock we were following the Captain's trail. Very rough
+going, and progress slow up to about nine o'clock, when conditions
+changed. We reached heavy, old floes of waving blue ice, the best
+traveling on sea ice I had ever<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> encountered in eighteen years'
+experience. We went so fast that we more than made up for lost time and
+at two o'clock, myself in the lead, we reached the igloo built by
+Captain Bartlett. It had been arranged that I should stop for one sleep
+at every igloo built by the Captain, and that he should leave a note in
+his igloo for my instructions; but, in spite of these previous
+arrangements, I felt that with such good traveling it would be just as
+wise to keep on going, and so we did, but it was only about half or
+three-quarters of an hour later when we were stopped by a lead, beside
+which the Captain had camped. With Ootah and Tommy to help, we built an
+igloo and crawled inside. Two hours later, the Commander and his party
+arrived, and we crawled out and turned the igloo over to him. Tommy,
+Ootah, and I then built another igloo, crawled inside, and blocked the
+doorway up with a slab of snow, determined not to turn out again until
+we had had a good feed and snooze.</p>
+
+<p>From my diary, the first entry since leaving the land; with a couple of
+comments added afterward:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>March 5: A clear bright morning, 20&deg; below zero; quite comfortable.
+Reached here yesterday at two-forty-five <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, after some of the finest
+going I have ever seen. Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett, and Dr.
+Goodsell here, and fourteen Esquimos. First view of the sun to-day, for
+a few minutes at noon, makes us all cheerful. It was a crimson sphere,
+just balanced on the brink of the world. Had the weather been favorable,
+we could have seen the sun several days earlier. Every day following he
+will get higher and higher, until he finally swings around the sky above
+the horizon for the full twenty-four hours.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning of the 5th, Peary sent a detachment of three
+Esquimos, in charge of MacMillan, back to bring in Borup's cache, left
+by him at the point where he turned back to return to the land for more
+loads. This detachment was back in camp by four o'clock in the afternoon
+of the same day. Nothing left to do but to rearrange the loads and wait
+for the lead to close.</p>
+
+<p>The land is still in sight. Professor Marvin has gone back with two boys
+and is expected<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> to keep on to the alcohol cache at Cape Columbia, turn
+back and meet us here, or, if the ice freezes, to follow us until he
+catches up with us. We are husbanding our fuel, and two meals a day is
+our programme. We are still south of the Big Lead of 1906, but to all
+intents and purposes this is it. I am able to recognize many of the
+characteristics of it, and I feel sure it is the same old lead that gave
+us many an anxious hour in our upward and downward journey three years
+ago.</p>
+
+<p>Fine weather, but we are still south of the 84th parallel and this open
+water marks it. 8&deg; below zero and all comfortable. We should be doing
+twenty or twenty-five miles a day good traveling, but we are halted by
+this open water.</p>
+
+<p>March 7: Professor MacMillan came into camp to-day with the cache he had
+picked up. There was quite a hullabaloo among the boys, and a great deal
+of argument as to who owned various articles of provender and equipment
+that had been brought into camp by MacMillan, and even I was on the
+point of jumping into the fracas in order to see fair play, until a wink
+from MacMillan told me that it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> simply a put-up job of his to
+disconcert the Esquimos. Confidentially and on the side he has been
+dressing his heel, which in spite of all keeps on freezing, and is in
+very bad shape. His kamiks stick to the loose flesh and the skin will
+not form. All of the frost has been taken out, but I think skin-grafting
+is the only thing that will cure it. He wants to keep on going and asks
+me how far we have gone and wants to know if he shall tell Commander
+Peary about his injury. I have advised him to make a clean breast of it,
+but he feels good for a week or so more, and it is up to him.</p>
+
+<p>We eat, and sleep, and watch the lead, and wonder. Are we to be repulsed
+again? Is the unseen, mysterious guardian of this mist-covered region
+foiling us? The Commander is taking it with a great deal more patience
+than he usually has with obstacles, but in the face of this one he
+probably realizes the necessity of a calm, philosophic mood.</p>
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett has been here longer than any of us, and he is
+commencing to get nervous. Commander Peary and he have done what is
+nautically known as "swinging the ship," for the purpose of correcting
+compass<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> errors, and after that there is nothing for them to do but
+wait. Captain Bartlett describes it as "Hell on Earth"; the Commander
+has nothing to say, and I agree with him. Dr. Goodsell reads from his
+little books, studies Esquimo language, writes in his diary and talks to
+me and the rest of the party, and waits.</p>
+
+<p>Professor MacMillan, with his eye ever to the south, and an occasional
+glance at his frozen heel, cracks a joke and bids us be cheerful. He is
+one <i>man</i>, and has surely made good. His first trip to this forsaken
+region, yet he wakes up from his sleep with a smile on his face and a
+question as to how a nice, large, juicy steak would go about now. This
+is no place for jokes, yet his jokes are cheering and make us all feel
+more light-hearted. He is the "life of the funeral" and by his
+cheerfulness has kept our spirits from sinking to a dead level, and when
+the Esquimos commenced to get cranky, by his diplomacy he brought them
+to think of other subjects than going back to the ship.</p>
+
+<p>He has started to kid us along by instituting a series of competitions
+in athletic endeavors, and the Esquimos fall for it like the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> Innocents
+that they are, and that is the object he is after. They have tried all
+of their native stunts, wrestling, boxing, thumb-pulling, and
+elbow-tests; and each winner has been awarded a prize. Most of the
+prizes are back on the ship and include the anchors, rudders, keel, and
+spars. Everything else has long since been given away, and these people
+have keen memories.</p>
+
+<p>The Big Lead has no attraction for the Esquimos and the waiting for a
+chance to cross it has given them much opportunity to complain of cold
+feet. It is fierce, listening to their whines and howls. Of all
+yellow-livered curs deliver me. We have the best Esquimos in the tribe
+with us, and expect them to remain steadfast and loyal, but after they
+have had time to realize their position, the precariousness of it begins
+to magnify and they start in to whimper, and beg to be allowed to go
+back. They remember the other side of this damnable open water and what
+it meant to get back in 1906. I do not blame them, but I have had the
+Devil's own time in making my boys and some of the others see it the way
+the Commander wants us to look at it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Indeed, two of the older ones, Panikpah and Pooadloonah, became so
+fractious that the Commander sent them back, with a written order to
+Gushue on the ship, to let them pack up their things and take their
+families and dogs back to Esquimo land, which they did. When the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> reached Etah the following August, on her return, these two
+men were there, fat and healthy, and merrily greeted us. No hard
+feelings whatever.</p>
+
+<p>March 10: We could have crossed to-day, but there was a chance of Marvin
+and Borup catching up with their loads of alcohol, etc. Whether they
+catch up or not, to-morrow, early, we start across, and the indications
+are that the going will be heavy, for the ice is piled in rafters of
+pressure-ridges.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>It was exasperating; seven precious days of fine weather lost; and fine
+weather is the exception, not the rule, in the Arctic. Here we were
+resting in camp, although we were not extremely tired and nowhere near
+exhausted. We were ready and anxious to travel on the 5th, next morning
+after we reached the "Big Lead," but were perforce compelled to
+inac<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>tion. And so did we wait for nearly seven days beside that lead,
+before conditions were favorable for a crossing.</p>
+
+<p>But early in the morning of March 11th the full party started; through
+the heaviest of going imaginable. Neither Borup nor Marvin had caught
+up, but we felt that unless something had happened to them, they would
+surely catch up in a few more days.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>PIONEERING THE WAY&mdash;BREAKING SLEDGES</div>
+
+
+<p>March 11, 1909: Clear, 45&deg;. Off we go! Marvin and Borup have not yet
+shown up, but the lead is shut and the orders since yesterday afternoon
+have been to stand by for only twelve hours more; and while the tea is
+brewing I am using the warmth to write. We could have crossed thirty
+hours ago, but Commander Peary would not permit us to take chances; he
+wants to keep the party together as long as possible, and expects to
+have to send at least eight men back after the next march. MacMillan is
+not fit, and there are four or five of the natives who should be sent
+away. Three Esquimos apiece are too many, and I think Commander Peary is
+about ready to split the different crews of men and dogs. He himself is
+in very good shape and, due to his example, Captain Bartlett has again
+taken the field. A heavy storm of wind and snow is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> in progress, but the
+motion of the ice remains satisfactory.</p>
+
+<p>This is not a regular camp. We are sheltered north of a huge
+paleocrystic floeberg; and the dogs are at rest, with their noses in
+their tails. Dr. Goodsell has set his boys to work building an igloo,
+which will not be needed, for I see Ooqueah and Egingwah piling up the
+loads on their sledges, and Professor MacMillan is very busy with his
+own personal sledge. No halt, only a breathing spell and, as I have
+predicted, we are on our way again. This is an extremely dangerous zone
+to halt or hazard in. The ice is liable to open here at any moment and
+let us either sink in the cold, black water or drift on a block of
+frozen ice, much too thin to enable us to get on to the heavy ice again.
+Three miles wide at least.</p>
+
+<p>The foregoing was written while out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean, just
+after crossing the raftered hummocks of the ice of the Big Lead. While
+we were waiting for the rest of the expedition to gather in, I slumped
+down behind a peak of land or paleocrystic ice, and made the entry in my
+diary. We were not tired out; we had had more than six days' rest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> at
+the lead; and when it closed we pushed on across the pressure-ridges on
+to the heavy and cumbrous ice of the circumpolar sea. We were sure that
+we had passed the main obstruction, and in spite of the failure of
+Marvin and Borup to come in with the essentials of fuel-alcohol and
+food, Commander Peary insisted on pushing forward.</p>
+
+<p>Prof. Donald B. MacMillan was with the party, but Commander Peary knew,
+without his telling him, that he was really no longer fit to travel, and
+Dr. Goodsell was not as far north of the land as original plans
+intended, so when both MacMillan and Goodsell were told that they must
+start back to the ship, I was not surprised.</p>
+
+<p>It was on March 14 that the first supporting-party finally turned back.
+It was my impression that Professor MacMillan would command it, but
+Commander Peary sent the Doctor back in charge, with the two boys Arco
+and Wesharkoupsi. A few hours before the turning back of Dr. Goodsell,
+an Esquimo courier from Professor Marvin's detachment had overtaken us,
+with the welcome news that both Borup and Marvin, with complete loads,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>
+were immediately in our rear, safe across the lead that had so long
+delayed us. I was given instructions to govern my conduct for the
+following five marches and I was told to be ready to start right after
+breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Goodsell came to me, congratulated me and, with the best wishes for
+success, bade me good-by. He was loath to go back, but he returned to
+the ship with the hearty assurance of every one that he had done good
+and effective work, equal to the best efforts of the more experienced
+members of the party.</p>
+
+<p>My boys, Ootah, Ahwatingwah, and Koolootingwah, under my command started
+north, to pioneer the route for five full marches, and it was with a
+firm resolve that I determined to cover a big mileage. We had been
+having extreme cold weather, as low as 59&deg; below zero, and on the
+morning my party started the thermometers in the camp showed 49&deg; below
+zero.</p>
+
+<p>An hour's travel brought us to a small lead, which was avoided by making
+a detour, and about four miles beyond this lead we came up to heavy old
+floes, on which the snow lay deep and soft. The sledges would sink to
+the depth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> of the cross-bars. Traveling was slow, and the dogs became
+demons; at one time, sullen and stubborn; then wildly excited and
+savage; and in our handling of them I fear we became fiendlike
+ourselves. Frequently we would have to lift them bodily from the pits of
+snow, and snow-filled fissures they had fallen into, and I am now sorry
+to say that we did not do it gently. The dogs, feeling the additional
+strain, refused to make the slightest effort when spoken to or touched
+with the whip, and to break them of this stubbornness, and to prevent
+further trouble, I took the leader or king dog of one team and, in the
+presence of the rest of the pack, I clubbed him severely. The dogs
+realized what was required of them, and that I would exact it of them in
+spite of what they would do, and they became submissive and pulled
+willingly, myself and the Esquimos doing our share at the upstanders.</p>
+
+<p>We got over the heavy floe-ice, to find ourselves confronted with
+jagged, rough ice, where we had to pickax our way. In one place we came
+to pressure-ridges separated by a deep gulch of very rough and uneven
+ice, in crossing which it took two men to manage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> each sledge, and
+another man to help pull them up on to the more even ice. We crossed
+several leads, mostly frozen over, and kept on going for over twelve
+hours. The mileage was small and, instead of elation, I felt
+discouragement. Two of the sledges had split their entire length and had
+to be repaired, and the going had been such that we could not cover any
+distance. We had a good long rest at the Big Lead for over six days, but
+at the end of this, my first day's pioneering, I was as tired out as I
+have ever been. It should be understood that while I was pioneering I
+was carrying the full-loaded sledges with about 550 pounds, while the
+other parties that were in the lead never carried but half of the
+regular load, which made our progress much slower.</p>
+
+<p>March 15: Bright, clear, and I am sure as cold as the record-breaking
+cold of the day previous. We made an early start, with hopes high; but
+the first two hours' traveling was simply a repetition of the going of
+the day before. But after that, and to the end of the day's march, the
+surface of the ice over which we traveled was most remarkably smooth.
+The fallen snow had packed solid into the areas<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> of rough ice and on the
+edges of the large floes. The dogs, with tails up and heads out, stamped
+off mile after mile in rapid succession, and when we camped I
+conservatively made the estimate fifteen miles. It has to be good going
+to make such a distance with loaded sledges, but we made it and I was
+satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>March 16: We started going over ice conditions similar to the good part
+of the day before, but our hopes were soon shattered when the ice
+changed completely and, from being stationary, a distinct motion become
+observable. The movement of the ice increased, and the rumbling and
+roaring, as it raftered, was deafening. A dense fog, the sure indication
+of open water, overhung us, and in due time we came to the open lead,
+over which small broken floes were scattered, interspersed with thin
+young ice. These floes were hardly thick enough to hold a dog safely,
+but, there being no other way, we were obliged to cross on them. We set
+out with jaws squared by anxiety. A false step by any one would mean the
+end. With the utmost care, the sledges were placed on the most solid
+floes,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> and, with Ootah, the most experienced, in the lead, we followed
+in single file. Once started, there was no stopping; but push on with
+the utmost care and even pressure. You know that we got across, but
+there were instants during the crossing when I had my strongest doubts.
+After crossing the lead, the ice condition became horrible. Almost at
+the same time, three of the sledges broke, one sledge being completely
+smashed to pieces. We were forced to camp and start to work making two
+whole sledges from the wreckage of the three broken ones.</p>
+
+<p>We had barely completed this work when the Commander, the Captain,
+Marvin, Borup, and Esquimos came in. I was glad to see them all again,
+especially the smiling face of George Borup, whom I had not seen since
+the day he left Cape Columbia.</p>
+
+<p>We learned that MacMillan had been sent back to the ship on the 15th,
+that the party had been delayed on the second day's march by a new lead,
+which widened so rapidly and to such an extent that it was feared to be
+the twin sister of the Big Lead farther back.</p>
+
+<p>March 17: The whole party, with the ex<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>ception of Professor Marvin and
+his detachment, remained in camp. Marvin was sent ahead to plot a route
+for the next marches of the column, and the party in camp busied itself
+in the general work of repairing sledges and equipment.</p>
+
+<p>The morning of the 18th found the main column ready to start, and start
+it did, in spite of the dreary outlook due to the condition of the
+weather and of the ice. Thermometer 40&deg; below zero, and the loose ice to
+our right and in front distinctly in motion, but fortunately moving to
+the northward. A heavy wind of the force of a gale was at our backs, and
+for the first three miles our progress was slow. The hummocks of ice in
+wild disarrangement, and so difficult to cross that repeatedly the
+sledges were overturned; and one sledge was broken so badly that a halt
+had to be made to repair it. While repairing the sledge, our midday
+lunch of crackers was eaten. The dogs were not fed anything, experience
+having taught us that dogs will work better with hope for a reward in
+the future than when it is past.</p>
+
+<p>All that day the air was thick with haze and frost and we felt the cold
+even more than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> when the temperature was lower with the air clear. The
+wind would find the tiniest opening in our clothing and pierce us with
+the force of driving needles. Our hoods froze to our growing beards and
+when we halted we had to break away the ice that had been formed by the
+congealing of our breaths and from the moisture of perspiration exhaled
+by our bodies. When we finally camped and built our igloos, it was not
+with any degree of comfort that we lay down to rest. Actually it was
+more comfortable to keep on the march, and when we did rest it was
+fatigue that compelled.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE SUPPORTING-PARTIES BEGIN TO TURN BACK</div>
+
+
+<p>March 19: We left camp in a haze of bitter cold; the ice conditions
+about the same as the previous day; high rafters, huge and jagged; and
+we pickaxed the way continuously. By noontime, we found ourselves
+alongside of a lead covered by a film of young ice. We forced the dogs
+and they took it on the run, the ice undulating beneath them, the same
+as it does when little wanton boys play at <i>tickley benders</i>, often with
+serious results, on the newly formed ice on ponds and brooks down in
+civilization. Our <i>tickley benders</i> were not done in the spirit of play,
+but on account of urgent necessity, and as it was I nearly suffered a
+serious loss of precious possessions.</p>
+
+<p>One of the sledges, driven by Ahwatingwah, broke through the ice and its
+load, which consisted of my extra equipment, such as kamiks,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> mittens,
+etc., was thoroughly soaked. Luckily for the boy, he was at the side of
+the sledge and escaped a ducking. Foolishly I rushed over, but, quickly
+realizing my danger, I slowed down, and with the utmost care he fished
+out the sledge, and the dogs, shaking as with palsy, were gently urged
+on. Walking wide, like the polar bear, we crept after, and without
+further incident reached the opposite side of the lead. My team had
+reached there before me and, with human intelligence, the dogs had
+dragged the sledge to a place of safety and were sitting on their
+haunches, with ears cocked forward, watching us in our precarious
+predicament. They seemed to rejoice at our deliverance, and as I went
+among them and untangled their traces I could not forbear giving each
+one an affectionate pat on the head.</p>
+
+<p>For the next five hours our trail lay over heavy pressure ridges, in
+some places sixty feet high. We had to make a trail over the mountains
+of ice and then come back for the sledges. A difficult climb began.
+Pushing from our very toes, straining every muscle, urging the dogs with
+voice and whip, we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> guided the sledges. On several occasions the dogs
+gave it up, standing still in their tracks, and we had to hold the
+sledges with the strength of our bones and muscles to prevent them from
+sliding backwards. When we had regained our equilibrium the dogs were
+again started, and in this way we gained the tops of the
+pressure-ridges.</p>
+
+<p>Going down on the opposite side was more nerve-racking. On the descent
+of one ridge, in spite of the experienced care of Ootah, the sledge
+bounded away from him, and at a declivity of thirty feet was completely
+wrecked. The frightened dogs dashed wildly in every direction to escape
+the falling sledge, and as quickly as possible we slid down the steep
+incline, at the same time guiding the dogs attached to the two remaining
+sledges. We rushed over, my two boys and I, to the spot where the poor
+dogs stood trembling with fright. We released them from the tangle they
+were in, and, with kind words and pats of the hand on their heads,
+quieted them. For over an hour we struggled with the broken pieces of
+the wreck and finally lashed them together with strips of <i>oog-sook</i>
+(seal-hide).<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> We said nothing to the Commander when he caught up with
+us, but his quick eye took in at a glance the experience we had been
+through. The repairs having been completed, we again started. Before us
+stretched a heavy, old floe, giving us good going until we reached the
+lead, when the order was given to camp. We built our igloos, and boiled
+the tea and had what we called supper.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary called me over to his igloo and gave me my orders:
+first; that I should at once select the best dogs of the three teams, as
+the ones disqualified by me would on the following morning be sent back
+to the ship, in care of the third supporting party, which was to turn
+back. Secondly; that I should rearrange the loads on the remainder of
+the sledges, there now being ten in number. It was eight <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> when I
+began work and two the following morning when I had finished.</p>
+
+<p>March 20: During the night, the Commander had a long talk with Borup,
+and in the morning my good friend, in command of the third supporting
+party, bade us all good-by and took his detachment back to land and
+headquarters. There were three Esquimos<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> and seventeen dogs in his
+party. A fine and plucky young man, whose cheerful manner and ready
+willingness had made him a prime favorite; and he had done his work like
+an old campaigner.</p>
+
+<p>At the time of Borup's turning southward, Captain Bartlett, with two
+Esquimos, started out to the north to make trail. He was to act as
+pioneer. At ten-thirty <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, I, with two Esquimos, followed; leaving at
+the igloos the Commander and Professor Marvin, with four Esquimos. The
+system of our marches from now on was that the first party, or pioneers,
+which consisted of Captain Bartlett, myself, and our Esquimos, should be
+trail-making, while the second party, consisting of Commander Peary and
+Marvin, with their Esquimos, should be sleeping; and while the first
+party was sleeping, the second should be traveling over the trail
+previously made. The sun was above the horizon the whole twenty-four
+hours of the day, and accordingly there was no darkness. Either the
+first or second party was always traveling, and progress was hourly
+made.</p>
+
+<p>March 21: Captain Bartlett got away early, leaving me in camp to await
+the arrival<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> of Commander Peary and Marvin, with their party; and it was
+eight <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> when they arrived. Commander Peary instructed me to the
+effect that, when I overtook the Captain, I should tell him to make as
+much speed as possible.</p>
+
+<p>The going was, for the first hour, over rough, raftered ice. Great care
+and caution had to be observed, but after that we reached a stretch of
+undulated, level ice, extending easily fifteen miles; and the
+exhilarating effect made our spirits rise. The snow-covering was soft,
+but with the help of our snow-shoes we paced off the miles, and at noon
+we caught up with the Captain and his boys. Together we traveled on, and
+at the end of an hour's going we halted for our noon-meal, consisting of
+a can of tea and three biscuits per man, the dogs doing the hungry
+looking on, as dogs have done and do and will do forever. As we sat and
+ate, we joshed each other, and the Esquimo boys joined in the
+good-natured raillery.</p>
+
+<p>The meal did not detain us long, and soon we were pushing on again as
+quickly as possible over the level ice, fearing that if we de<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span>layed the
+condition of the ice would change, for changes come suddenly, and
+frequently without warning. At nine <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> we camped, the Captain having
+been on the go for fifteen hours, and I for thirteen; and we estimated
+that we had a good fourteen miles to our credit.</p>
+
+<p>March 22 was the finest day we had, and it was a day of unusual
+clearness and calm; practically no wind and a cloudless sky. The fields
+of ice and snow sparkled and glistened and the daylight lasted for the
+full twenty-four hours. It was six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> when Egingwah, the Commander's
+Esquimo courier, reached our camp, with the note of command and
+encouragement; and immediately the Captain and I left camp.</p>
+
+<p>Stretching to the northward was a brilliantly illuminated, level, and
+slightly drifted snow-plain, our imperial highway, presenting a
+spectacle grand and sublime; and we were truly grateful and inwardly
+prayed that this condition would last indefinitely. Without incident or
+accident, we marched on for fifteen hours, pacing off mile after mile in
+our steady northing, and at nine <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> we halted. It was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> then we
+realized how utterly fatigued and exhausted we were. It took us over an
+hour and a half to build our igloos. We had a hard time finding suitable
+snow conditions for building them, and the weather was frightfully cold.
+The evening meal of pemmican-stew and tea was prepared, the dogs were
+fed, and we turned in.</p>
+
+<p>March 23: Our sleep-banked eyes were opened by the excitement caused by
+the arrival of Marvin and his division. He reported the same good going
+that we had had the day before, and also that he had taken an elevation
+of the sun and computed his latitude as 85&deg; 46' north. We turned the
+igloos over to Marvin and his Esquimos, who were to await the arrival of
+the Commander, and Captain Bartlett and myself got our parties under
+way.</p>
+
+<p>Conditions are never similar, no two days are the same; and our going
+this day was nothing like the paradise of the day before. At a little
+distance from the igloos we encountered high masses of heavily-rubbled,
+old ice. The making of a trail through these masses of ice caused us to
+use our pickaxes continuously. It was backing and filling all of the
+time.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> First we would reconnoiter, then we would hew our way and make
+the trail, then we would go back and, getting in the traces, help the
+dogs pull the sledges, which were still heavily loaded. This operation
+was repeated practically all the day of March 23, except for the last
+hour of traveling, when we zigzagged to the eastward, where the ice
+appeared less formidable, consisting of small floes with rubble ice
+between and a heavy, old floe beyond. There we camped. The latitude was
+85&deg; 46' north.</p>
+
+<p>The course from the land to the Pole was not direct and due north, for
+we followed the lines of least resistance, and frequently found
+ourselves going due east or west, in order to detour around pressure
+ridges, floebergs, and leads.</p>
+
+<p>March 24: Commander Peary reached camp shortly after six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, and
+after a few brief instructions, we started out. The going not as heavy
+as the day previous; but the sky overcast, and a heavy drift on the
+surface made it decidedly unpleasant for the dogs. For the first six
+hours the going was over rough, jagged ice, covered with deep, soft<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>
+snow; for the rest of the day it improved. We encountered comparatively
+level ice, with a few hummocks, and in places covered with deep snow. We
+camped at eight <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, beside a very heavy pressure-ridge as long as a
+city street and as high as the houses along the street.</p>
+
+<p>March 25: Turned out at four-thirty <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, to find a steadily falling
+snow storm upon us. We breakfasted, and fifteen minutes later we were
+once more at work making trail. Our burly neighbor, the pressure-ridge,
+in whose lee we had spent the night, did not make an insuperable
+obstacle, and in the course of an hour we had made a trail across it,
+and returned to the igloo for the sledges. We found that the main column
+had reached camp, and after greetings had been given, Commander Peary
+called me aside and gave me my orders; to take the trail at once, to
+speed it up to the best of my ability and cover as much distance as
+possible; for he intended that I should remain at the igloo the
+following day to sort out the best dogs and rearrange the loads, as
+Marvin was to turn back with the fourth supporting-party. My<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> heart
+stopped palpitating, I breathed easier, and my mind was relieved. It was
+not my turn yet, I was to continue onward and there only remained one
+person between me and the Pole&mdash;the Captain. We knew Commander Peary's
+general plan: that, at the end of certain periods, certain parties would
+turn south to the land and the ship; but we did not know who would
+comprise or command those parties and, until I had the Commander's word,
+I feared that I would be the next after Borup. At the same time, I did
+not see how Marvin could travel much longer, as his feet were very badly
+frozen.</p>
+
+<p>Obedient to the Commander's orders, the Captain, I, and our Esquimos,
+left camp with loaded sledges and trudged over the newly made trail,
+coming to rough ice which stretched for a distance of five miles, and
+kept us hard at back-straining, shoulder-wrenching work for several
+hours. The rest of the day's march was over level, unbroken, young ice;
+and the distance covered was considerable.</p>
+
+<p>March 26: The Commander and party reached the igloo at ten-forty-five <span class="smcap">a.
+m.</span> Captain Bartlett had taken to the trail at six<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, and was now
+miles to the northward, out of sight. I immediately started to work on
+the task assigned me by the Commander, assorting the dogs first, so that
+the different king dogs could fight it out and adjust themselves to new
+conditions while I was rearranging the loads.</p>
+
+<p>At twelve, noon, Professor Marvin took his final sight, and after
+figuring it out told me that he made it 86&deg; 38' north.</p>
+
+<p>The work of readjusting the loads kept me busy until seven <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> While
+doing this work I came across my Bible that I had neglected so long, and
+that night, before going to sleep, I read the twenty-third Psalm, and
+the fifth chapter of St. Matthew.</p>
+
+<p>March 27: I was to take the trail at six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, but before starting I
+went over to Marvin's igloo to bid him good-by. In his quiet, earnest
+manner, he advised me to keep on, and hoped for our success; he
+congratulated me and we gave each other the strong, fraternal grip of
+our honored fraternity and we confidently expected to see each other
+again at the ship. My good, kind friend was never again to see us, or
+talk with us. It is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> sad to write this. He went back to his death,
+drowned in the cold, black water of the Big Lead. In unmarked, unmarbled
+grave, he sleeps his last, long sleep.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>BARTLETT'S FARTHEST NORTH&mdash;HIS QUIET GOOD-BY</div>
+
+
+<p>Leaving the Commander and Marvin at the igloos, my party took up the
+Captain's trail northward. It was expected that Peary would follow in an
+hour and that at the same time Marvin would start his return march.
+After a few minutes' going, we came to young ice of this season, broken
+up and frozen solid, not difficult to negotiate, but requiring constant
+pulling; leaving this, we came to an open lead which caused us to make a
+detour to the westward for four miles. We crossed on ice so thin that
+one of the sledge-runners broke through, and a little beyond one of the
+dogs fell in so completely that it was a precarious effort to rescue
+him; but we made it and, doglike, he shook the water out of his fur and
+a little later, when his fur froze, I gave him a thorough beating; not
+for fall<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>ing in the water, but in order to loosen the ice-particles, so
+that he could shake them off. Poor brute, it was no use, and in a short
+while he commenced to develop symptoms of the dread piblokto, so in
+mercy he was killed. One of the Esquimo boys did the killing.</p>
+
+<p>Dangerous as the crossing was, it was the only place possible, and we
+succeeded far better than we had anticipated. Beyond the lead we came to
+an old floe and, beyond that, young ice of one season's formation,
+similar to that which had been encountered earlier in the day. Before us
+lay a heavy, old floe, covered with soft, deep snow in which we sank
+continually; but it was only five <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> when we reached the Captain's
+igloo. Anticipating the arrival of the Commander, we built another
+igloo, and about an hour and a half later the Commander and his party
+came in.</p>
+
+<p>March 28: Exactly 40&deg; below zero when we pushed the sledges up to the
+curled-up dogs and started them off over rough ice covered with deep
+soft snow. It was like walking in loose granulated sugar. Indeed I might
+compare the snow of the Arctic to the granules of sugar, without their
+saccharine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> sweetness, but with freezing cold instead; you can not make
+snowballs of it, for it is too thoroughly congealed, and when it is
+packed by the wind it is almost as solid as ice. It is from the packed
+snow that the blocks used to form the igloo-walls are cut.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of four hours, we came to the igloo where the Captain and his
+boys were sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion. In order not to
+interrupt the Captain's rest, we built another igloo and unloaded his
+sledge, and distributed the greater part of the load among the sledges
+of the party. The Captain, on awakening, told us that the journey we had
+completed on that day had been made by him under the most trying
+conditions, and that it had taken him fourteen hours to do it. We were
+able to make better time because we had his trail to follow, and,
+therefore, the necessity of finding the easiest way was avoided. That
+was the object of the scout or pioneer party and Captain Bartlett had
+done practically all of it up to the time he turned back at 87&deg; 48'
+north.</p>
+
+<p>March 29: You have undoubtedly taken into consideration the pangs of
+hunger and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> of cold that you know assailed us, going Poleward; but have
+you ever considered that we were thirsty for water to drink or hungry
+for fat? To eat snow to quench our thirsts would have been the height of
+folly, and as well as being thirsty, we were continuously assailed by
+the pangs of a hunger that called for the fat, good, rich, oily, juicy
+fat that our systems craved and demanded.</p>
+
+<p>Had we succumbed to the temptations of thirst and eaten the snow, we
+would not be able to tell the tale of the conquest of the Pole; for the
+result of eating snow is death. True, the dogs licked up enough moisture
+to quench their thirsts, but we were not made of such stern stuff as
+they. Snow would have reduced our temperatures and we would quickly have
+fallen by the way. We had to wait until camp was made and the fire of
+alcohol started before we had a chance, and it was with hot tea that we
+quenched our thirsts. The hunger for fat was not appeased; a dog or two
+was killed, but his carcass went to the Esquimos and the entrails were
+fed to the rest of the pack. We ate no dogs on this trip, for various
+reasons, mainly,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> that the eating of dog is only a last resort, and we
+had plenty of food, and raw dog is flavorless and very tough. The
+killing of a dog is such a horrible matter that I will not describe it,
+and it is permitted only when all other exigencies have been exhausted.
+An Esquimo does not permit one drop of blood to escape.</p>
+
+<p>The morning of the 29th of March, 1909, a heavy and dense fog of frost
+spicules overhung the camp. At four <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, the Captain left camp to make
+as far a northing as possible. I with my Esquimos followed later. On our
+way we passed over very rough ice alternating with small floes, young
+ice of a few months' duration, and one old floe. We were now beside a
+lead of over three hundred feet in width, which we were unable to cross
+at that time because the ice was running steadily, though to the
+Northward. Following the trail of the Captain, which carried us a little
+to the westward of the lead, within one hundred feet of the Captain's
+igloo, the order to camp was given, as going forward was impossible. The
+whole party was together farther north than had ever been made by any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>
+other human beings, and in perfectly good condition; but the time was
+quickly coming when the little party would have to be made smaller and
+some part of it sent back. We were too fatigued to argue the question.</p>
+
+<p>We turned in for a rest and sleep, but soon turned out again in
+pandemonium incomprehensible; the ice moving in all directions, our
+igloos wrecked, and every instant our very lives in danger. With eyes
+dazed by sleep, we tried to guide the terror-stricken dogs and push the
+sledges to safety, but rapidly we saw the party being separated and the
+black water begin to appear amid the roar of the breaking ice floes.</p>
+
+<p>To the westward of our igloo stood the Captain's igloo, on an island of
+ice, which revolved, while swiftly drifting to the eastward. On one
+occasion the floe happened to strike the main floe. The Captain,
+intently watching his opportunity, quickly crossed with his Esquimos. He
+had scarcely set foot on the opposite floe when the floe on which he had
+been previously isolated swung off, and rapidly disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Once more the parties were together.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> Thoroughly exhausted, we turned in
+and fell asleep, myself and the Esquimos too dumb for utterance, and
+Commander Peary and Bartlett too full of the realization of our escape
+to have much to say.</p>
+
+<p>The dogs were in very good condition, taking everything into
+consideration.</p>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 239px;">
+<img src="images/gs04.jpg" width="239" height="399" alt="CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE (From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)" title="CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE (From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)" />
+<span class="caption">CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE<br />(From Henson&#39;s own Photograph)</span>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+<p>When we woke up it was the morning of another day, March 30, and we
+found open water all about us. We could not go on until either the lead
+had frozen or until it had raftered shut. Temperature 35&deg; below zero,
+and the weather clear and calm with no visible motion of the ice. We
+spent the day industriously in camp, mending foot-gear, harness,
+clothing, and looking after the dogs and their traces. This was work
+enough, especially untangling the traces of the bewildered dogs. The
+traces, snarled and entangled, besides being frozen to the consistency
+of wire, gave us the hardest work; and, owing to the activity of the
+dogs in leaping and bounding over each other, we had the most <i>unideal</i>
+conditions possible to contend with, and we were handicapped by having
+to use mitted instead of ungloved fingers to untangle the snarls of
+knots. Un<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>like Alexander the Great, we dared not cut the "Gordian
+Knots," but we did get them untangled.</p>
+
+<div class="figright" style="width: 245px;">
+<img src="images/gs05.jpg" width="245" height="400" alt="MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO THE POLE AND BACK (Showing the effect of the excessive strain. Compare with frontispiece and with portrait facing page 139)" title="MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO THE POLE AND BACK (Showing the effect of the excessive strain. Compare with frontispiece and with portrait facing page 139)" />
+<span class="caption">MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO THE POLE AND BACK<br />(Showing the effect of the excessive strain. Compare with frontispiece and with portrait facing <a href='#Page_139'>page 139</a>)</span>
+</div>
+<p>About five o'clock in the afternoon, the temperature had fallen to 43&deg;
+below zero, and at the same time the ice began to move again. Owing to
+the attraction of the moon, the mighty flanks of the earth were being
+drawn by her invisible force, and were commencing again to crack and be
+rent asunder.</p>
+
+<p>We loaded up hurriedly and all three parties left the camp and crossed
+over the place where recently had been the open lead, and beyond for
+more than five miles, until we reached the heavier and solid ice of the
+large floes. Northward our way led, and we kept on in that direction
+accordingly, at times crossing young ice so thin that the motion of the
+sledges would cause the ice to undulate. Over old floes of the blue,
+hummocky kind, on which the snow had fallen and become packed solid, the
+rest of this day's journey was completed. We staggered into camp like
+drunken men, and built our igloos by force of habit rather than with the
+intelligence of human beings.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It was continuously daylight, but such a light as never was on land or
+sea.</p>
+
+<p>The next day was April 1, and the Farthest North of Bartlett. I knew at
+this time that he was to go back, and that I was to continue, so I had
+no misgivings and neither had he. He was ready and anxious to take the
+back-trail. His five marches were up and he was glad of it, and he was
+told that in the morning he must turn back and knit the trail together,
+so that the main column could return over a beaten path.</p>
+
+<p>Before going to sleep, Peary and he (Captain Bartlett) had figured out
+the reckoning of the distance, and, to insure the Captain's making at
+least 88&deg; north, Peary let him have another go for a short distance
+northward, and at noon on the day of his return, the observations showed
+that Captain Bartlett had made 87&deg; 47' North Latitude, or practically
+88&deg; north. "Why, Peary," he said, "it is just like every day," and so it
+was, with this exception, like every day in the Arctic, but with all of
+every day's chances and hazards. The lion-like month of March had
+passed. Captain Bartlett bade us all farewell. He turned back from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> the
+Farthest North that had ever been reached by any one, to insure the safe
+return of him who was to go to a still Farther North, the very top of
+the world, the Pole itself.</p>
+
+<p>While waiting for Bartlett to return from his forced march, the main
+party had been at work, assorting dogs (by this time without much
+trouble, as only one was found utterly unfit to make progress), and
+rearranging loads, for the Captain had almost three hundred miles of
+sea-ice to negotiate before he would reach <i>terra firma</i>, and he had to
+have his food-supply arranged so that it would carry him to the land and
+back to the ship, and dogs in good enough condition to pull the loads,
+as well as enough sledges to bear his equipment. When he did come back
+to our camp, before the parting, he was perfectly satisfied, and with
+the same old confidence he swept his little party together and at three
+<span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, with a cheery "Good-by! Good Luck!" he was off. His Esquimo boys,
+attempting in English, too, gave us their "Good-bys." The least
+emotional of all of our partings; and this brave man, who had borne the
+brunt of all of the hardships, like the true-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span>blue, dead-game,
+unconquerable hero that he was, set out to do the work that was left for
+him to do; to knit the broken strands of our upward trail together, so
+that we who were at his rear could follow in safety.</p>
+
+<p>I have never heard the story of the return of Captain Bartlett in
+detail; his Esquimo boys were incapable of telling it, and Captain
+Bartlett is altogether too modest.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE POLE!</div>
+
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett and his two boys had commenced their return journey,
+and the main column, depleted to its final strength, started northward.
+We were six: Peary, the commander, the Esquimos, Ootah, Egingwah,
+Seegloo and Ooqueah, and myself.</p>
+
+<p>Day and night were the same. My thoughts were on the going and getting
+forward, and on nothing else. The wind was from the southeast, and
+seemed to push us on, and the sun was at our backs, a ball of livid
+fire, rolling his way above the horizon in never-ending day.</p>
+
+<p>The Captain had gone, Commander Peary and I were alone (save for the
+four Esquimos), the same as we had been so often in the past years, and
+as we looked at each other we realized our position and we knew without
+speaking that the time had come for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> us to demonstrate that we were the
+men who, it had been ordained, should unlock the door which held the
+mystery of the Arctic. Without an instant's hesitation, the order to
+push on was given, and we started off in the trail made by the Captain
+to cover the Farthest North he had made and to push on over one hundred
+and thirty miles to our final destination.</p>
+
+<p>The Captain had had rough going, but, owing to the fact that his trail
+was our track for a short time, and that we came to good going shortly
+after leaving his turning point, we made excellent distance without any
+trouble, and only stopped when we came to a lead barely frozen over, a
+full twenty-five miles beyond. We camped and waited for the strong
+southeast wind to force the sides of the lead together. The Esquimos had
+eaten a meal of stewed dog, cooked over a fire of wood from a discarded
+sledge, and, owing to their wonderful powers of recuperation, were in
+good condition; Commander Peary and myself, rested and invigorated by
+our thirty hours in the last camp, waiting for the return and departure
+of Captain Bartlett, were also in fine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> fettle, and accordingly the
+accomplishment of twenty-five miles of northward progress was not
+exceptional. With my proven ability in gauging distances, Commander
+Peary was ready to take the reckoning as I made it and he did not resort
+to solar observations until we were within a hand's grasp of the Pole.</p>
+
+<p>The memory of those last five marches, from the Farthest North of
+Captain Bartlett to the arrival of our party at the Pole, is a memory of
+toil, fatigue, and exhaustion, but we were urged on and encouraged by
+our relentless commander, who was himself being scourged by the final
+lashings of the dominating influence that had controlled his life. From
+the land to 87&deg; 48' north, Commander Peary had had the best of the
+going, for he had brought up the rear and had utilized the trail made by
+the preceding parties, and thus he had kept himself in the best of
+condition for the time when he made the spurt that brought him to the
+end of the race. From 87&deg; 48' north, he kept in the lead and did his
+work in such a way as to convince me that he was still as good a man as
+he had ever been. We marched and marched, falling down in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> our tracks
+repeatedly, until it was impossible to go on. We were forced to camp, in
+spite of the impatience of the Commander, who found himself unable to
+rest, and who only waited long enough for us to relax into sound sleep,
+when he would wake us up and start us off again. I do not believe that
+he slept for one hour from April 2 until after he had loaded us up and
+ordered us to go back over our old trail, and I often think that from
+the instant when the order to return was given until the land was again
+sighted, he was in a continual daze.</p>
+
+<p>Onward we forced our weary way. Commander Peary took his sights from the
+time our chronometer-watches gave, and I, knowing that we had kept on
+going in practically a straight line, was sure that we had more than
+covered the necessary distance to insure our arrival at the top of the
+earth.</p>
+
+<p>It was during the march of the 3d of April that I endured an instant of
+hideous horror. We were crossing a lane of moving ice. Commander Peary
+was in the lead setting the pace, and a half hour later the four boys
+and myself followed in single file. They had all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> gone before, and I was
+standing and pushing at the upstanders of my sledge, when the block of
+ice I was using as a support slipped from underneath my feet, and before
+I knew it the sledge was out of my grasp, and I was floundering in the
+water of the lead. I did the best I could. I tore my hood from off my
+head and struggled frantically. My hands were gloved and I could not
+take hold of the ice, but before I could give the "Grand Hailing Sigh of
+Distress," faithful old Ootah had grabbed me by the nape of the neck,
+the same as he would have grabbed a dog, and with one hand he pulled me
+out of the water, and with the other hurried the team across.</p>
+
+<p>He had saved my life, but I did not tell him so, for such occurrences
+are taken as part of the day's work, and the sledge he safeguarded was
+of much more importance, for it held, as part of its load, the
+Commander's sextant, the mercury, and the coils of piano-wire that were
+the essential portion of the scientific part of the expedition. My
+kamiks (boots of sealskin) were stripped off, and the congealed water
+was beaten out of my bearskin trousers, and with a dry pair of kamiks,
+we hurried on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> to overtake the column. When we caught up, we found the
+boys gathered around the Commander, doing their best to relieve him of
+his discomfort, for he had fallen into the water also, and while he was
+not complaining, I was sure that his bath had not been any more
+voluntary than mine had been.</p>
+
+<p>When we halted on April 6, 1909, and started to build the igloos, the
+dogs and sledges having been secured, I noticed Commander Peary at work
+unloading his sledge and unpacking several bundles of equipment. He
+pulled out from under his <i>kooletah</i> (thick, fur outer-garment) a small
+folded package and unfolded it. I recognized his old silk flag, and
+realized that this was to be a camp of importance. Our different camps
+had been known as Camp Number One, Number Two, etc., but after the
+turning back of Captain Bartlett, the camps had been given names such as
+Camp Nansen, Camp Cagni, etc., and I asked what the name of this camp
+was to be&mdash;"Camp Peary"? "This, my boy, is to be Camp Morris K. Jesup,
+the last and most northerly camp on the earth." He fastened the flag to
+a staff and planted it firmly on the top of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> igloo. For a few
+minutes it hung limp and lifeless in the dead calm of the haze, and then
+a slight breeze, increasing in strength, caused the folds to straighten
+out, and soon it was rippling out in sparkling color. The stars and
+stripes were "nailed to the Pole."</p>
+
+<p>A thrill of patriotism ran through me and I raised my voice to cheer the
+starry emblem of my native land. The Esquimos gathered around and,
+taking the time from Commander Peary, three hearty cheers rang out on
+the still, frosty air, our dumb dogs looking on in puzzled surprise. As
+prospects for getting a sight of the sun were not good, we turned in and
+slept, leaving the flag proudly floating above us.</p>
+
+<p>This was a thin silk flag that Commander Peary had carried on all of his
+Arctic journeys, and he had always flown it at his last camps. It was as
+glorious and as inspiring a banner as any battle-scarred, blood-stained
+standard of the world&mdash;and this badge of honor and courage was also
+blood-stained and battle-scarred, for at several places there were blank
+squares marking the spots where pieces had been cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> out at each of the
+"Farthests" of its brave bearer, and left with the records in the
+cairns, as mute but eloquent witnesses of his achievements. At the North
+Pole a diagonal strip running from the upper left to the lower right
+corner was cut and this precious strip, together with a brief record,
+was placed in an empty tin, sealed up and buried in the ice, as a record
+for all time.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary also had another American flag, sewn on a white ground,
+and it was the emblem of the "Daughters of the Revolution Peace
+Society"; he also had and flew the emblem of the Navy League, and the
+emblems of a couple of college fraternities of which he was a member.</p>
+
+<p>It was about ten or ten-thirty <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, on the 7th of April, 1909, that
+the Commander gave the order to build a snow-shield to protect him from
+the flying drift of the surface-snow. I knew that he was about to take
+an observation, and while we worked I was nervously apprehensive, for I
+felt that the end of our journey had come. When we handed him the pan of
+mercury the hour was within a very few minutes of noon. Laying flat on
+his stomach, he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> took the elevation and made the notes on a piece of
+tissue-paper at his head. With sun-blinded eyes, he snapped shut the
+<i>vernier</i> (a graduated scale that subdivides the smallest divisions on
+the sector of the circular scale of the sextant) and with the resolute
+squaring of his jaws, I was sure that he was satisfied, and I was
+confident that the journey had ended. Feeling that the time had come, I
+ungloved my right hand and went forward to congratulate him on the
+success of our eighteen years of effort, but a gust of wind blew
+something into his eye, or else the burning pain caused by his prolonged
+look at the reflection of the limb of the sun forced him to turn aside;
+and with both hands covering his eyes, he gave us orders to not let him
+sleep for more than four hours, for six hours later he purposed to take
+another sight about four miles beyond, and that he wanted at least two
+hours to make the trip and get everything in readiness.</p>
+
+<p>I unloaded a sledge, and reloaded it with a couple of skins, the
+instruments, and a cooker with enough alcohol and food for one meal for
+three, and then I turned in to the igloo<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> where my boys were already
+sound asleep. The thermometer registered 29&deg; below zero. I fell into a
+dreamless sleep and slept for about a minute, so I thought, when I was
+awakened by the clatter and noise made by the return of Peary and his
+boys.</p>
+
+<p>The Commander gave the word, "We will plant the stars and stripes&mdash;<i>at
+the North Pole!</i>" and it was done; on the peak of a huge paleocrystic
+floeberg the glorious banner was unfurled to the breeze, and as it
+snapped and crackled with the wind, I felt a savage joy and exultation.
+Another world's accomplishment was done and finished, and as in the
+past, from the beginning of history, wherever the world's work was done
+by a white man, he had been accompanied by a colored man. From the
+building of the pyramids and the journey to the Cross, to the discovery
+of the new world and the discovery of the North Pole, the Negro had been
+the faithful and constant companion of the Caucasian, and I felt all
+that it was possible for me to feel, that it was I, a lowly member of my
+race, who had been chosen by fate to represent it, at this, almost the
+last of the world's great <i>work</i>.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The four Esquimos who stood with Commander Peary at the North Pole, were
+the brothers, Ootah and Egingwah, the old campaigner, Seegloo, and the
+sturdy, boyish Ooqueah. Four devoted companions, blindly confident in
+the leader, they worked only that he might succeed and for the promise
+of reward that had been made before they had left the ship, which
+promise they were sure would be kept. Together with the faithful dogs,
+these men had insured the success of the master. They had all of the
+characteristics of the dogs, including the dogs' fidelity. Within their
+breasts lingered the same infatuations that Commander Peary seemed to
+inspire in all who were with him, and though frequently complaining and
+constantly requiring to be urged to do their utmost, they worked
+faithfully and willingly. Ootah, of my party, was the oldest, a married
+man, of about thirty-four years, and regarded as the best all around
+member of the tribe, a great hunter, a kind father, and a good provider.
+Owing to his strong character and the fact that he was more easily
+managed by me than by any of the others, he had been a member of my
+party<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> from the time we left the ship. Without exaggeration, I can say
+that we had both saved each other's lives more than once, but it had all
+gone in as part of the day's work, and neither of us dwelt on our
+obligations to the other.</p>
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 600px;">
+<img src="images/gs06.jpg" width="600" height="359" alt="THE ROOSEVELT IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN" title="THE ROOSEVELT IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN" />
+<span class="caption">THE ROOSEVELT IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN</span>
+</div>
+
+<div class="figleft" style="width: 245px;">
+<img src="images/gs07.jpg" width="245" height="400" alt="MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS RETURN TO CIVILIZATION" title="MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS RETURN TO CIVILIZATION" />
+<span class="caption">MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS RETURN TO CIVILIZATION</span>
+</div>
+<p>My other boy, Ooqueah, was a young man of about nineteen or twenty, very
+sturdy and stocky of build, and with an open, honest countenance, a
+smile that was "child-like and bland," and a character that <i>was</i>
+child-like and bland. It was alleged that the efforts of young Ooqueah
+were spurred on by the shafts of love, and that it was in the hopes of
+winning the hand of the demure Miss Anadore, the charming daughter of
+Ikwah, the first Esquimo of Commander Peary's acquaintance, that he
+worked so valiantly. His efforts were of an ardent character, but it was
+not due to the ardor of love, as far as I could see, but to his desire
+to please and his anxiety to win the promised rewards that would raise
+him to the grade of a millionaire, according to Esquimo standards.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+<p>Commander Peary's boy, Egingwah, was the brother of my boy Ootah, also
+married and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> of good report in his community, and it was he who drove
+the Morris K. Jesup sledge.</p>
+
+<p>If there was any sentiment among the Esquimos in regard to the success
+of the venture, Ootah and Seegloo by their unswerving loyalty and
+fidelity expressed it. They had been members of the "Farthest North
+party" in 1906, the party that was almost lost beyond and in the "Big
+Lead," and only reached the land again in a state of almost complete
+collapse. They were the ones who, on bidding Commander Peary farewell in
+1906, when he was returning, a saddened and discouraged man, told him to
+be of good cheer and that when he came back again Ootah and Seegloo
+would go along, and stay until Commander Peary had succeeded, and they
+did. The cowardice of their fellow Esquimos at the "Big Lead" on this
+journey did not in the least demoralize them, and when they were
+absolutely alone on the trail, with every chance to turn back and return
+to comfort, wife, and family, they remained steadfast and true, and ever
+northward guided their sledges.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE FAST TREK BACK TO LAND</div>
+
+
+<p>The long trail was finished, the work was done, and there was only left
+for us to return and tell the tale of the doing. Reaction had set in,
+and it was with quavering voice that Commander Peary gave the order to
+break camp. Already the strain of the hard upward-journey was beginning
+to tell, and after the first two marches back, he was practically a dead
+weight, but do not think that we could have gotten back without him, for
+it was due to the fact that he was with us, and that we could depend
+upon him to direct and order us, that we were able to keep up the
+break-neck pace that enabled us to cover three of our upward marches on
+one of our return marches, and we never forgot that he was still the
+heart and head of the party.</p>
+
+<p>It was broad daylight and getting brighter, and accordingly I knew
+little fear, though I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> did think of the ghosts of other parties,
+flitting in spectral form over the ice-clad wastes, especially of that
+small detachment of the Italian expedition of the Duke D'Abruzzi, of
+which to this day neither track, trace, nor remembrance has ever been
+found. We crossed lead after lead, sometimes like a bare-back rider in
+the circus, balancing on cake after cake of ice, but good fortune was
+with us all of the way, and it was not until the land of recognizable
+character had been lifted that we lost the trail, and with the land in
+sight as an incentive, it was no trouble for us to gain the talus of the
+shore ice and find the trail again.</p>
+
+<p>When we "hit the beach for fair" it was early in the morning of April
+23, 1909, nearly seventeen days since we had left the Pole, but such a
+seventeen days of haste, toil, and misery as cannot be comprehended by
+the mind. We who experienced it, Commander Peary, the Esquimos, and
+myself, look back to it as to a horrid nightmare, and to describe it is
+impossible for me.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary had taken the North Pole by conquest, in the face of
+almost in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span>superable natural difficulties, by the tremendous
+fighting-power of himself. The winning of the North Pole was a fight
+with nature; the way to the Pole that had been covered and retraced by
+Commander Peary lay across the ever moving and drifting ice of the
+Arctic Ocean. For more than a hundred miles from Cape Columbia it was
+piled in heavy pressure ridges, ridge after ridge, some more than a
+hundred feet in height. In addition, open lanes of water held the
+parties back until the leads froze up again, and continually the steady
+drift of the ice carried us back on the course we had come, but due to
+his deathless ambition to know and to do, he had conquered. He had added
+to the sum of Earth's knowledge, and proven that the mind of man is
+boundless in its desire.</p>
+
+<p>The long quest for the North Pole is over and the awful space that
+separated man from the <i>Ultima Thule</i> has been bridged. There is no more
+beyond; from Cape Columbia to Cape Chelyuskin, the route northward to
+the Pole, and southward again to the plains of Asia, is an open book and
+the geographical mind is at rest.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>We found the abandoned igloos of Crane City and realized that Captain
+Bartlett had reached the land safely. The damage due to the action of
+the storms was not material. We made the necessary repairs, and in a few
+minutes tea was boiled and rations eaten, and we turned in for sleep.
+For practically all of the two days following, that was what we did:
+sleep and eat; men and dogs thoroughly exhausted; and we slept the sleep
+of the just, without apprehensions or misgivings. Our toboggan from the
+Pole was ended.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Different from all other trips, we had not on this one been maddened by
+the pangs of hunger, but instead we felt the effects of lack of sleep,
+and brain- and body-fatigue. After reaching the land again, I gave a
+keen searching look at each member of the party, and I realized the
+strain they had been under. Instead of the plump, round countenances I
+knew so well, I saw lean, gaunt faces, seamed and wrinkled, the faces of
+old men, not those of boys, but in their eyes still shone the spark of
+resolute determination.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Peary's face was lined and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> seamed, his beard was fully an
+inch in length, and his mustaches, which had been closely cropped before
+he left the ship, had again attained their full flowing length. His
+features expressed fatigue, but the heart-breaking look of sadness, that
+had clung to him since the failure of the 1906 expedition, had vanished.
+From his steel-gray eyes flashed forth the light of glorious victory,
+and though he always carried himself proudly, there had come about him
+an air of erect assurance that was exhilarating.</p>
+
+<p>When I reached the ship again and gazed into my little mirror, it was
+the pinched and wrinkled visage of an old man that peered out at me, but
+the eyes still twinkled and life was still entrancing. This wizening of
+our features was due to the strain of travel and lack of sleep; we had
+enough to eat, and I have only mentioned it to help impress the fact
+that the journey to the Pole and back is not to be regarded as a
+pleasure outing, and our so-called jaunt was by no means a cake-walk.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>SAFE ON THE ROOSEVELT&mdash;POOR MARVIN</div>
+
+
+<p>If you will remember, the journey from Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia
+was with overloaded sledges in the darkness preceding the dawn of the
+Arctic day, mostly over rough going and up-hill, and now the tables were
+turned. It was broad day and down-hill with lightened sledges, so that
+we practically coasted the last miles from the twin peaks of Columbia to
+the low, slanting fore-shore of Sheridan and the <i>Roosevelt</i>. After the
+forty hours' rest at Cape Columbia, Commander Peary had his sledges
+loaded up, and with Egingwah and the best of the remaining dogs, he got
+away.</p>
+
+<p>I was told I could remain at the camp for another twelve hours. A large
+and substantial cache of supplies had been dropped at Cape Columbia by
+various members of the expedition and when the Commander was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> gone, I
+gave the boys full permission to turn in and eat all they wanted, and I
+also gave the dogs all they could stuff, and it was not until all of us
+had gorged ourselves to repletion that I gave the order to <i>vamoose</i>. We
+were loaded to capacity, outward and inward, and we saw a bountiful
+supply still lying there, but we could not pack another ounce. It was
+early in the morning of April 25 when Peary started for the ship; it was
+about four or five hours later, about noon, when I gave the word, and
+Ootah, Seegloo, Ooqueah, and myself left Crane City, Cape Columbia,
+Grant Land, for the last time.</p>
+
+<p>We overtook the Commander at Point Moss, and we traveled with him to
+Cape Colan, where we camped. Peary continued on to Sail Harbor, and we
+stayed in our comfortable camp and rested. We again caught up with the
+Commander at Porter Bay, where we camped for a few hours. The following
+morning I rearranged the sledges and left two of them at Porter Bay. It
+was my intention to reach the ship on this evening. We made a short stop
+at Black Cliff Bay and had lunch, and without further interruption we
+traveled on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> and at about eight-forty-five <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> we sighted the
+<i>Roosevelt</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The sighting of the ship was our first view of home, and far away as she
+was, our acutely developed senses of smell were regaled with the
+appetizing odor of hot coffee, and the pungent aroma of tobacco-smoke,
+wafted to us through the clear, germ-free air. The Esquimo boys, usually
+excited on the slightest provocation, were surprisingly stolid and
+merely remarked, "<i>Oomiaksoah</i>" ("The ship") in quiet voices, until I,
+unable to control myself, burst forth with a loud "hip! hip! hurrah!"
+and with all that was left of my energy hurried my sledge in to the
+ship. We had been sighted almost as quickly as we had sighted the ship,
+and a party of the ship's crew came running out to meet us, and as we
+rushed on we were told about the safe arrival of Commander Peary,
+Bartlett, Borup, MacMillan, and Dr. Goodsell. Transported with elation
+and overjoyed to find myself once more safe among friends, I had rushed
+onward and as I recognized the different faces of the ship's company, I
+did not realize that some were missing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Chief Wardwell was the first man to greet me, he photographed me as I
+was closing in on the ship, and with his strong right arm pulled me up
+over the side and hugged me to his bosom. "Good boy, Matt," he said;
+"too bad about Marvin," and then I knew that all was wrong and that it
+was not the time for rejoicing. I asked for Peary and I was told that he
+was all right. I saw Captain Bartlett and I knew that he was there; but
+where was Borup, where were MacMillan, Marvin, and where was Dr.
+Goodsell? Dr. Goodsell was right by my side, holding me up, and I
+realized that it was of him I was demanding to know of the others.</p>
+
+<p>Reason had not left me, the bonds of sanity had not snapped, but for the
+time I was hysterical, and I only knew that all were well and safe
+excepting Marvin, who was drowned. A big mug of coffee was given to me,
+I drank a spoonful; a glass of spirits was handed me, I drank it all,
+and I was guided to my cabin, my fur clothes were taken off, and for the
+first time in sixty-eight days, I allowed myself to relax and I fell
+into a sleep.</p>
+
+<p>When I awoke, I had the grandest feast im<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>aginable set before me, and
+after eating, I had the most luxurious bath possible, and then some more
+to eat, and afterwards, some more sleep; then I shaved myself, combed my
+hair, and came out of my cabin and crossed over to the galley, and sat
+on a box and watched Charley at work. Then I thought of the dogs and
+went outside and found that they had been cared for. I wondered when the
+Commander would want to see me. All of the time the sailors and Charley
+and the Esquimo folks were keeping up a running fire of conversation,
+and I was able to gather from what they said that my dear, good friend,
+Professor Marvin, was indeed lost; that Peary had reached the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> about seven hours ahead of me; that Captain Bartlett was
+suffering with swollen legs and feet; that MacMillan and Borup with
+their own and Marvin's boys had gone to Cape Jesup; and that Pooadloonah
+and Panikpah had taken their families and returned to Esquimo land.</p>
+
+<p>For days after I reached the <i>Roosevelt</i>, I did nothing but rest and
+eat. The strain was over and I had all but collapsed, but with constant
+eating and sleeping, I was quickly my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>self again. The pains and
+swellings of my limbs did not come as they had on all of the other
+returnings, and neither was Peary troubled. Captain Bartlett was the
+only one of the expedition that had been out on the sea-ice who felt any
+after effects. Every day, a few minutes after rising, he would notice
+that his ankle-, knee- and hip-joints were swollen; and while the pain
+was not excessive, he was incapacitated for more than ten days, and he
+spent the most of his time in his cabin. When he came out of his cabin
+and did talk to me, it was only to compare notes and agree that our
+experiences proved that there was absolutely no question about our
+having discovered the Pole.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Captain Bartlett, Dr. Goodsell, Chief Wardwell, Percy&mdash;they could talk
+as they would; but the one ever-present thought in my mind was of
+Marvin, and of his death. I thought of him, and of his kindness to me;
+and the picture of his widowed mother, patiently waiting the return of
+her son, was before me all of the time. I thought of my own mother, whom
+I scarcely remembered, and I sincerely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span> wished that it had been me who
+had been taken. When MacMillan and Borup returned, I learned all about
+the sad affair, from Kudlooktoo and Harrigan, and I feel that had he
+been with civilized companions the sad story of Marvin's death would not
+have to be told.</p>
+
+<p>On breaking camp he had gone on, leaving the boys to load up and follow
+him. They were going south to the land and the ship, and there was no
+need for him to stay with them, and when they came up to where he had
+disappeared, they saw the ice newly formed about him, his head and feet
+beneath, and nothing showing but the fur clothing of his back and
+shoulders. They made no effort to rescue him, and had they succeeded in
+getting his body out, there is little chance that they could have kept
+him alive, for the temperature was far below zero, and they knew nothing
+about restoring life to the drowned. No blame can be laid to his
+childish companions.</p>
+
+<p>He died alone, and he passed into the great unknown alone, bravely and
+honorably. He is the last of Earth's great martyrs; he is home; his work
+is done; he is where he longed to be; the Sailor is Home in the Sea. It
+is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> poor satisfaction to those that he left behind that his grave is the
+northern-most grave on the earth; but they realize that the sacrifice
+was not made in vain, for it was due to him that those who followed were
+able to keep the trail and reach the land again. The foolish boys, in
+accordance with Esquimo tradition, had unloaded all of Prof. Marvin's
+personal effects on the ice, so that his spirit should not follow them,
+and they hurried on back to land and to the ship, where they told their
+sad story.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>AFTER MUSK-OXEN&mdash;THE DOCTOR'S SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION</div>
+
+
+<p>From the time of my arrival at the <i>Roosevelt</i>, for nearly three weeks,
+my days were spent in complete idleness. I would catch a fleeting
+glimpse of Commander Peary, but not once in all of that time did he
+speak a word to me. Then he spoke to me in the most ordinary
+matter-of-fact way, and ordered me to get to work. Not a word about the
+North Pole or anything connected with it; simply, "There is enough wood
+left, and I would like to have you make a couple of sledges and mend the
+broken ones. I hope you are feeling all right." There was enough wood
+left and I made three sledges, as well as repaired those that were
+broken.</p>
+
+<p>The Commander was still running things and he remained the commander to
+the last minute; nothing escaped him, and when the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> time came to
+slow-down on provisions, he gave the orders, and we had but two spare
+meals a day to sustain us. The whole expedition lived on travel rations
+from before the time we left Cape Sheridan until we had reached Sidney,
+N. S., and like the keen-fanged hounds, we were always ready and fit.</p>
+
+<p>It was late in May when Prof. MacMillan and Mr. Borup, with their
+Esquimo companions returned from Cape Jesup, where they had been doing
+highly important scientific work, taking soundings out on the sea-ice
+north of the cape as high as 84&deg; 15' north, and also at the cape. They
+had made a trip that was record-breaking; they had visited the different
+cairns made by Lockwood and Brainard and by Commander Peary, and they
+had also captured and brought into the ship a musk-ox calf; and they had
+most satisfactorily demonstrated their fitness as Arctic explorers,
+having followed the Commander's orders implicitly and secured more than
+the required number of tidal-readings and soundings.</p>
+
+<p>Prof. MacMillan, with Jack Barnes, a sailor, and Kudlooktoo, left for
+Fort Conger early in June, and continued the work of
+tidal-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>observations. They rejoined the <i>Roosevelt</i> just before she left
+Cape Sheridan. A little later in the month, Borup went to Clements
+Markham Inlet to hunt musk-oxen, and from there he went to Cape
+Columbia, where he erected the cairn containing the record of the last
+and successful expedition of the "Peary Arctic Club." The cairn was a
+substantial pile of rocks, surmounted by a strong oaken guide-post, with
+arms pointing "North 413 miles to the Pole"; "East, to Cape Morris K.
+Jesup, 275 miles"; "West to Cape Thomas H. Hubbard, 225 miles"; while
+the southern arm pointed south, but to no particular geographical spot;
+it was labeled "Cape Columbia." Underneath the arms of the guide-post,
+which had been made by Mate Gushue, was a small, glass-covered, box-like
+arrangement, in which was encased the record of Peary's successful
+journey to the Pole, and the roster of the expedition, my name included.
+From the cross-bars, guys of galvanized wire were stretched and secured
+to heavy rocks, to help sustain the monument from the fury of the
+storms. Borup did good work, photographed the result, and the picture of
+the cairn, when ex<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span>hibited, proved very satisfactory to the Commander.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Goodsell with two teams, and the Esquimo men, Keshungwah and
+Tawchingwah, left the ship on May 27, to hunt in the Lake Hazen and
+Ruggles River regions. They were successful in securing thirteen
+musk-oxen in that neighborhood, and in Bellows Valley they shot a number
+of the "Peary" caribou, the species "<i>Rangifer Pearyi</i>," a distinct
+class of reindeer inhabiting that region.</p>
+
+<p>On the return of Dr. Goodsell, he told of his fascinating experiences in
+that wonderland. Leaving the <i>Roosevelt</i>, he had turned inland at Black
+Cliff Bay. Past the glaciers he went with his little party, down the
+Bellows Valley to the Ruggles River, an actual stream of clear-running
+water, alive with the finest of salmon trout. Adopting the Esquimo
+methods, he fished for these speckled beauties with joyful success. Here
+he rounded up and shot the herd of musk-oxen, and here he bagged his
+caribou. He was in a hunter's paradise and made no haste to return, but
+crossed overland to Discovery Harbor and the barn-like structure of Fort
+Conger, the headquarters of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> General Greely's "Lady Franklin Bay
+Expedition" of 1882-1883. Professor MacMillan was on his way to Fort
+Conger and it was with much surprise, on arriving there, that he found
+that Dr. Goodsell had reached it an hour before him. It was an
+unexpected meeting and quite a pleasure to the Professor to find the
+Doctor there, ready to offer him the hospitality of the fort.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. Goodsell returned to the <i>Roosevelt</i> on June 15, with a load of
+geological, zo&ouml;logical, and botanical specimens almost as heavy as the
+loads of meat and skins he brought in. He was an ardent scientist, and
+viewed nearly every situation and object from the view-point of the
+scientist. Nothing escaped him; a peculiar form of rock or plant, the
+different features of the animal life, all received his close and eager
+attention, and he had the faculty of imparting his knowledge to others,
+like the born teacher that he was. He evinced an eager interest in the
+Esquimos and got along famously with them.</p>
+
+<p>His physical equipment was the finest; a giant in stature and strength,
+but withal the gentlest of men having an even, mellow dis<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>position that
+never was ruffled. In the field the previous spring he had accompanied
+the expedition beyond the "Big Lead" to 84&deg; 29', and with the strength
+of his broad shoulders he had pickaxed the way.</p>
+
+<p>On account of his calm, quiet manner I had hesitated to form an opinion
+of him at first, but you can rest assured this was a "Tenderfoot" who
+made good.</p>
+
+<p>During this time I left the ship on short hunting trips, but I was never
+away from the ship for more than ten or twelve hours.</p>
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>On July 1 quite a lead was opened in the channel south from Cape
+Sheridan to Cape Rawson. The ice was slowly moving southward, and the
+prospects for freeing the <i>Roosevelt</i> and getting her started on her
+homeward way were commencing to brighten. The following day a new lead
+opened much nearer shore, and on July 3 the Esquimos, who had been out
+hunting, returned from Black Cliff Bay, without game, but with the good
+news that as far south as Dumb Bell Bay there stretched a lead of open
+water. July 4, a new lead opened very close to the <i>Roosevelt</i>. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>
+spring tides, with a strong southerly wind, had set in so very much
+earlier, three years before, that on July 4, 1906, the <i>Roosevelt</i> had
+been entirely free of ice, with clear, open water for quite a distance
+to the south; but this year the ship was still completely packed in the
+ice, and furthermore she was listed at the same angle as during the
+winter.</p>
+
+<p>On July 5, I was detailed to help Gushue repair the more or less damaged
+whale-boats. The heavy and solidly packed snow of the winter had stove
+them in. On July 6, the anniversary of our departure from New York a
+year before, the greater part of the day was spent in pumping water from
+the top of a heavy floeberg into the ship's boilers. This work was not
+completed until the morning of the 7th, when the fires were started. Due
+to the cold, the process of getting up steam was slow work. The ice had
+been breaking up daily, new leads were noticed, and on this day, July 7,
+a new lead opened at a distance of fifty yards from the ship, and open
+water stretched as far south as the eye could see. All hands were put to
+work reloading the supplies that had been placed on shore the fall
+previous, for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> it was easy to see that the time for departure was at
+hand.</p>
+
+<p>With the boilers in order, an attempt was made to revolve the shaft, but
+the propeller was too securely frozen in the ice to move, and so Captain
+Bartlett got out the dynamite and succeeded in freeing the bronze
+blades.</p>
+
+<p>From the 10th of July to the 13th, a fierce storm raged, clouds of
+freeing spray broke over the ship, incasing her in a coat of icy mail,
+and the tempest forced all of the ice out of the lower end of the
+channel and beyond as far as the eye could see, but the <i>Roosevelt</i>
+still remained surrounded by ice.</p>
+
+<p>The morning of the 15th, a smart breeze from the northeast was blowing,
+and proved of valuable assistance to us, for it caused the huge blocks
+of ice that were surrounding the ship to loosen their hold, and for the
+first time since October, 1908, the <i>Roosevelt</i> righted herself to an
+even keel.</p>
+
+<p>By this time all of our supplies had been loaded and stored, and from
+the crow's-nest a stretch of open water could be seen as far as Cape
+Rawson. From there to Cape Union the ice was packed solid.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XIX</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>THE ROOSEVELT STARTS FOR HOME&mdash;ESQUIMO VILLAGES&mdash;NEW DOGS AND NEW DOG
+FIGHTS</div>
+
+
+<p>It was two-thirty <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, July 17, 1909, that the <i>Roosevelt</i> pointed her
+bow southward and we left our winter quarters and Cape Sheridan. We were
+on our journey home, all hands as happy as when, a year previous, we had
+started on our way north, with the added satisfaction of complete
+success. The ship had steamed but a short distance, when, owing to the
+rapidly drifting ice in the channel, she had to be made fast to a
+floeberg. At ten-thirty <span class="smcap">p. m.</span>, the lines were loosed and a new start
+made. Without further incident, we reached Black Cape.</p>
+
+<p>In rounding the cape the ship encountered a terrific storm, and it was
+with the greatest difficulty that she made any headway. The storm
+increased and the <i>Roosevelt</i> had to remain in the channel, surrounded
+by the tightly wedged<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> floes, at the mercy of the wind. The gale
+continued until the evening of the 20th. The constant surging back and
+forth of the channel-pack, with the spring tides and the several huge
+masses of ice, which repeatedly crashed against the ship's sides, caused
+a delay of twelve days in Robeson Channel opposite Lincoln Bay.
+Throughout the width of the entire channel nothing could be seen but
+small pools of open water; two seals were seen sporting in one of these
+pools, and one of the Esquimos attempted to kill them, but his aim
+proved false.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until the 25th that the ship was able to move of her own free
+will, small leads having opened in close proximity to her. Ootah shot a
+seal in one of the leads, and also harpooned a narwhal, but he did not
+succeed in securing either. His brother Egingwah on the following day
+shot two seals and harpooned a narwhal, and he secured all three of his
+prizes. The Esquimos had a grand feast off the skin of the narwhal,
+which they esteem as a great delicacy.</p>
+
+<p>By the 27th the <i>Roosevelt</i> had drifted as far south as Wrangell Bay,
+and it was here that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> Slocum (Inighito) shot and secured a hood-seal,
+which weighed over six hundred pounds, and seal-steaks were added to the
+bill-of-fare.</p>
+
+<p>The snow storms of the two days ceased on the 28th, and when the weather
+cleared sufficiently for us to ascertain our whereabouts, we were much
+surprised to find that we had drifted back north, opposite Lincoln Bay.
+During the day the wind shifted to the north. Again we drifted
+southward, until, just off Cape Beechey, the narrowest part of Robeson
+Channel, a lead stretching southward for a distance of five miles was
+sighted, and into this open water the ship steamed until the lead
+terminated in Kennedy Channel, opposite Lady Franklin Bay, where the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> was ice-bound until August 4, drifting with the pack until
+we were in a direct line with Cape Tyson and Bellot Isle. Three seals
+were captured, one a hood-seal weighing 624 pounds, being eight feet
+eleven inches in length; the other two were small ring-seals.</p>
+
+<p>By ten <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> of the 4th, the ice had slackened so considerably that the
+<i>Roosevelt</i>, under full steam, set out and rapidly worked her way down
+Kennedy Channel. From Crozier<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> Island to Cape D'Urville she steamed
+through practically open water, but a dense fog compelled us to make
+fast to a large floe when almost opposite Cape Albert. It was not until
+one <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> of the 7th, despite several attempts, that the ship got clear
+and steamed south again. Several small leads were noticed and numerous
+narwhals were seen, but none were captured.</p>
+
+<p>At three-thirty <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, when nearing Cape Sabine, we observed that the
+barometer had dropped to 29.73. A storm was coming, and every effort was
+made to reach Payer Harbor, but before half of the distance had been
+covered, the storm broke with terrific violence. The force of the gale
+was such that, while swinging the boats inboard, we were drenched and
+thoroughly chilled by the sheets of icy spray, which saturated us and
+instantly froze. The <i>Roosevelt</i> was blown over to starboard until the
+rails were submerged. To save her, she was steered into Buchanan Bay,
+under the lee of the cliffs, where she remained until the morning of
+August 8.</p>
+
+<p>At an early hour, we steamed down Buchanan Bay, passed Cocked Hat
+Island, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> a little later, Cape Sabine. At Cape Sabine was located
+Camp Clay, the starvation camp of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition of
+1881-1883, where the five survivors of the twenty-three members of the
+expedition were rescued.</p>
+
+<p>We entered Smith Sound. Instead of sailing on to Etah, Peary ordered the
+ship into Whale Sound, in order that walrus-hunting could be done, so
+that the Esquimos should have a plentiful supply of meat for the
+following winter. Three walrus were captured, when a storm sprang up
+with all of the suddenness of storms in this neighborhood, and the ship
+crossed over from Cape Alexander to Cape Chalon. Cape Chalon is a
+favorite resort of the Esquimos, and is known as Peter-ar-wick, on
+account of the walrus that are to be found here during the months of
+February and March.</p>
+
+<p>At Nerke, just below Cape Chalon, we found the three Esquimo families of
+Ahsayoo, Tungwingwah, and Teddylingwah, and it was from these people we
+first learned of Dr. Cook's safe return from Ellesmere Land. In spite of
+the fact that the <i>Roosevelt</i> was over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>loaded with dogs, paraphernalia,
+and Esquimos, these three families were taken aboard.</p>
+
+<p>With them were several teams of dogs. The dogs aboard ship were the
+survivors of the pack that had been with us all through the campaign,
+and a number of litters of puppies that had been whelped since the
+spring season. Our dogs were well acquainted with each other and dog
+fights were infrequent and of little interest, but the arrival of the
+first dog of the new party was the signal for the grandest dog fight I
+have ever witnessed. I feel justified in using the language of the fairy
+Ariel, in Shakespeare's "Tempest": "Now is Hell empty, and all the
+devils are here."</p>
+
+<p>Backward and forward, the foredeck of the ship was a howling, snarling,
+biting, yelping, moving mass of fury, and it was a long round of fully
+ten or fifteen minutes before the two king dogs of the packs got
+together, and then began the battle for supremacy of the pack. It lasted
+for some time. It would have been useless to separate them. They would
+decide sooner or later, and it was better to have it over, even if one
+or both contestants were killed. At length the fight was ended; our old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>
+king dog, Nalegaksoah, the champion of the pack, and the laziest dog in
+it, was still the king. After vanquishing his opponent and receiving
+humble acknowledgments, King Nalegaksoah went stamping up and down
+before the pack and received the homage due him; the new dogs, whining
+and fawning and cringingly submissive, bowed down before him.</p>
+
+<p>The chief pleasure of the Esquimo dogs is fighting; two dogs, the best
+of friends, will hair-pull and bite each other for no cause whatever,
+and strange dogs fight at sight; team-mates fight each other on the
+slightest of provocations; and it seems as though sometimes the fights
+are held for the purpose of educating the young. When a fight is in
+progress, it is the usual sight to see several mother dogs, with their
+litters, occupying ring-side seats. I have often wondered what chance a
+cat would stand against an Esquimo dog.</p>
+
+<p>The ship kept on, and I had turned in and slept, and on arising had
+found that we had reached a place called Igluduhomidy, where a single
+family was located. Living with this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> family was a very old Esquimo,
+Merktoshah, the oldest man in the whole tribe, and not a blood-relation
+to any member of it. He had crossed over from the west coast of Smith
+Sound the same year that Hall's expedition had wintered there, and has
+lived there ever since. He had been a champion polar bear and big game
+hunter, and though now a very old man, was still vigorous and valiant,
+in spite of the loss of one eye.</p>
+
+<p>We stopped at Kookan, the most prosperous of the Esquimo settlements, a
+village of five tupiks (skin tents), housing twenty-four people, and
+from there we sailed to the ideal community of Karnah. Karnah is the
+most delightful spot on the Greenland coast. Situated on a gently
+southward sloping knoll are the igloos and tupiks, where I have spent
+many pleasant days with my Esquimo friends and learned much of the
+folk-lore and history. Lofty mountains, sublime in their grandeur,
+overtower and surround this place, and its only exposure is southward
+toward the sun. In winter its climate is not severe, as compared with
+other portions of this country, and in the perpetual daylight of summer,
+life<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> here is ideal. Rivulets of clear, cold water, the beds of which
+are grass- and flower-covered, run down the sides of the mountains and,
+but for the lack of trees, the landscape is as delightful as anywhere on
+earth.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XX</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>TWO NARROW ESCAPES&mdash;ARRIVAL AT ETAH&mdash;HARRY WHITNEY&mdash;DR. COOK'S CLAIMS</div>
+
+
+<p>From Karnah the <i>Roosevelt</i> sailed to Itiblu, where hunting-parties
+secured thirty-one walrus and one seal. By the 11th of August we had
+reached the northern shore of Northumberland Island, where we were
+delayed by storm. It was shortly before noon of this day that we barely
+escaped another fatal calamity.</p>
+
+<p>Chief Wardwell, while cleaning the rifle of Commander Peary, had the
+misfortune to have the piece explode while in his hands. From some
+unknown cause a cartridge was discharged, the projectile pierced two
+thick partitions of inch-and-a-half pine, and penetrated the cabin
+occupied by Professor MacMillan and Mr. Borup. The billet of that bullet
+was the shoulder and forearm of Professor MacMillan, who at the time was
+sound<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> asleep in his berth. He had been lying with his arm doubled and
+his head resting on his hand. A half inch nearer and the bullet would
+have entered his brain.</p>
+
+<p>As is always the case with narrow escapes, I, too, had a narrow escape,
+for that same bullet entered the partition on its death-dealing mission
+at identically the same spot where a few minutes previously <i>my</i> head
+had rested. Dr. Goodsell was quickly aroused, he attended Professor
+MacMillan, and in a short time he diagnosed the case as a "gun-shot
+wound." Finding no bones broken, or veins or arteries open, he soon had
+the Professor bandaged and comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>At the time of the accident to Professor MacMillan the ship was riding
+at anchor, but with insufficient slack-way, so in the afternoon, when
+the excitement had somewhat abated, Captain Bob decided to give the ship
+more chain, for a storm was imminent, and he gave the order accordingly.
+The boatswain, in his haste to execute the order, and overestimating the
+amount of chain in the locker, permitted all of it to run overboard. We
+were in a predicament, with the storm<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> upon us, no anchor to hold the
+boat, and a savage, rocky shore on which we were in danger of being
+wrecked. There was a small five-hundred-pound anchor with a nine-inch
+cable of about one hundred and fifty fathoms remaining, which was
+repeatedly tried, but the ship was too much for this feather-weight
+anchor, and dragged it at will. Commander Peary, with his usual
+foresight, had ordered steam as soon as the approach of the storm was
+noticed, and now that the steam was up, he ordered that the ship be kept
+head-on, and steam up and down the coast until the storm abated. The
+storm lasted until the night of August 13, and the best part of the
+following day was spent by two boat-crews of twelve men, in grappling
+for the lost anchor and chain, and not until they had secured it and
+restored it once more to its locker were they permitted to rest. With
+the anchor secure, walrus-hunting commenced afresh, and on the ice-floes
+between Hakluyt and Northumberland Islands thirty more walrus were
+secured.</p>
+
+<p>On August 16, the <i>Roosevelt</i> steamed back to Karnah, and the Esquimo
+people who intended living there for the following winter<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> were landed.
+A very large supply of meat was landed also; in addition to the meat
+quite a number of useful presents, hatchets, knives, needles, some
+boards for the making and repairing of sledges, and some wood for
+lance-and harpoon-staves, and a box full of soap were landed. This
+inventory of presents may seem cheap and paltry to you, but to these
+natives such presents as we made were more appreciated than the gift of
+many dollars would be by a poverty-stricken family in this country. With
+the materials that Commander Peary furnished would be made the weapons
+of the chase, the tools of the seamstress, and the implements of the
+home-maker. The Esquimos have always known how to utilize every factor
+furnished by nature, and what has been given to them by the Commander
+has been given with the simple idea of helping them to make their life
+easier, and proves again the axiom, "The Lord helps those who help
+themselves."</p>
+
+<p>After disembarking the Karnah contingent, the ship steamed to Etah,
+arriving there on the afternoon of August 17. As the <i>Roosevelt</i> was
+entering the harbor of Etah, all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> hands were on deck and on the lookout,
+for it was here that we were again to come in touch with the world we
+had left behind a year before. A large number of Esquimos were running
+up and down the shore, but there was no sign of the expected ship.
+Quickly a boat was lowered, and I saw to it that I was a member of the
+crew of that boat, and when we reached the beach the first person to
+greet me was old Panikpah, greasy, smiling, and happy as if I were his
+own son. I quickly recognized my old friend Pooadloonah, who greeted me
+with a merry laugh, and my misgivings as to the fate of this precious
+pair were dispelled. If you will remember, Panikpah and Pooadloonah were
+the two Esquimos who found, when on our Poleward journey, just about the
+time we had struck the "Big Lead," that there were a couple of
+fox-traps, or something like that, that they had forgotten to attend to,
+and that it was extremely necessary for them to go back and square up
+their accounts. Here they were, fat, smiling, and healthy; and I
+apprehend somewhat surprised to see us, but they bluffed it out well.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Murphy and the young man Pritchard were also here. Murphy and Pritchard
+were the members of the crew who had been left here to guard the
+provisions of the expedition, and to trade with the Esquimos. Another
+person also was there to greet us; but who had kept himself alive and
+well by his own pluck and clear grit, and who reported on meeting the
+Commander of having had a most satisfactory and enjoyable experience. I
+refer to Mr. Harry Whitney, the young man from New Haven, Conn., who had
+elected at the last hour, the previous autumn, to remain at Etah, to
+hunt the big game of the region. When the <i>Roosevelt</i> had sailed north
+from Etah, the previous August, he had been left absolutely alone; the
+<i>Erik</i> had sailed for home, and there was no way out of this desolate
+land for him until the relief ship came north the following year, or the
+<i>Roosevelt</i> came south to take him aboard. His outfit and equipment were
+sufficient for him and complete, but he had shared it with the natives
+until it was exhausted, and after that he had reverted to the life of
+the aborigines. When the <i>Roosevelt</i> reached Etah, Mr.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> Whitney was an
+Esquimo; but within one hour, he had a bath, a shave, and a hair-cut,
+and was the same mild-mannered gentleman that we had left there in the
+fall. He had gratified his ambitions in shooting musk-oxen, but he had
+not killed a single polar bear.</p>
+
+<p>At Etah there were two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, boys about
+sixteen or seventeen years old, who had been with Dr. Cook for a year,
+or ever since he had crossed the channel to Ellesmere Land and returned
+again. These boys are the two he claims accompanied him to the North
+Pole. To us, up there at Etah, such a story was so ridiculous and absurd
+that we simply laughed at it. We knew Dr. Cook and his abilities; he had
+been the surgeon on two of Peary's expeditions and, aside from his
+medical ability, we had no faith in him whatever. He was not even good
+for a day's work, and the idea of his making such an astounding claim as
+having reached the Pole was so ludicrous that, after our laugh, we
+dropped the matter altogether.</p>
+
+<p>On account of the world-wide controversy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> his story has caused, I will
+quote from my diary the impressions noted in regard to him:</p>
+
+<p>"August 17, 1909, Etah, North Greenland.</p>
+
+<p>"Mr. Harry Whitney came aboard with the boatswain and the cabin-boy, who
+had been left here last fall on our way to Cape Sheridan. Murphy is the
+boatswain and Pritchard the boy, both from Newfoundland, and they look
+none the worse for wear, in spite of the long time they have spent here.
+Mr. Whitney is the gentleman who came up on the <i>Erik</i> last year, and at
+the last moment decided to spend the winter with the natives. He had a
+long talk with the Commander before we left for the north, and has had
+quite a lengthy session with him since. I learn that Dr. Cook came over
+from Ellesmere Land with his two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, and in
+a confidential conversation with Mr. Whitney made the statement that he
+had reached the North Pole. Professor MacMillan and I have talked to his
+two boys and have learned that there is no foundation in fact for such a
+statement, and the Captain and others of the expedition have questioned
+them, and if they were out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> it was only
+for a very short distance, not more than twenty or twenty-five miles.
+The boys are positive in this statement, and my own boys, Ootah and
+Ooqueah, have talked to them also, and get the same replies. It is a
+fact that they had a very hard time and were reduced to low limits, but
+they have not been any distance north, and the Commander and the rest of
+us are in the humor to regard Mr. Whitney as a person who has been
+hoodwinked. We know Dr. Cook very well and also his reputation, and we
+know that he was never good for a hard day's work; in fact he was not up
+to the average, and he is no hand at all in making the most of his
+resources. He probably has spun this yarn to Mr. Whitney and the
+boatswain to make himself look big to them.</p>
+
+<p>"The Commander will not permit Mr. Whitney to bring any of the Dr. Cook
+effects aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i> and they have been left in a cache on
+shore. Koolootingwah is here again, after his trip to North Star Bay
+with Dr. Cook, and tells an amusing story of his experience."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It is only from a sense of justice to Commander Peary and those who were
+with him that I have mentioned Dr. Cook. The outfitting of the hunting
+expedition of Mr. Bradley was well known to us. Captain Bartlett had
+directed it and had advised and arranged for the purchase of the
+Schooner <i>John R. Bradley</i> to carry the hunting party to the region
+where big game of the character Mr. Bradley wished to hunt could be
+found. We knew that Dr. Cook was accompanying Mr. Bradley, but we had no
+idea that the question of the discovery of the North Pole was to be
+involved.</p>
+
+<p>I have reason to be grateful to Dr. Cook for favors received; I lived
+with his folks while I was suffering with my eyes, due to snow
+blindness, but I feel that all of the debts of gratitude have been
+liquidated by my silence in this controversy, and I will have nothing
+more to say in regard to him or to his claims.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XXI</h2>
+
+<div class='center'>ETAH TO NEW YORK&mdash;COMING OF MAIL AND REPORTERS&mdash;HOME!</div>
+
+
+<p>At Etah we expected to meet the relief ship. Sixty tons of coal and a
+small quantity of provisions had been left there during the previous
+summer, to be used by us on our homeward voyage. This coal was loaded on
+board and the Esquimos who desired to remain at Etah were landed. Just
+at the time we were ready to sail a heavy storm of wind and snow blew
+up, and it was not until six <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> on the 20th that we left the harbor.
+Farewells had been said to the Esquimos, all that had been promised them
+for faithful services had been given to them, and we commenced the final
+stage of our journey home.</p>
+
+<p>From Etah, August 20, the ship sailed along the coast, landing Esquimos
+at the different settlements, and on the 23rd of August at two <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>, we
+met the Schooner <i>Jeanie</i>, of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> St. John, N. F., commanded by Samuel
+Bartlett. The schooner was supplied with provisions and coal for the
+relief of the <i>Roosevelt</i>, and was executing the plan of the Peary
+Arctic Club.</p>
+
+<p>There was mail aboard her and we had our first tidings of home and
+friends in a twelve-month. From newspaper clippings I learned that the
+British Antarctic Expedition, commanded by Sir Ernest H. Shackleton, had
+reached within 111 miles of the South Pole.</p>
+
+<p>The mail contained good news for all but one of us. Mr. Borup, in his
+bunk above the Professor's, read his letters, and in the course of his
+reading was heard to emit a deep sigh, then to utter an agonizing groan.
+Prof. MacMillan, thinking that Borup had received bad news indeed,
+endeavored to console him, and at the same time asked what was the bad
+news, feeling sure it could be nothing less than the death of Colonel
+Borup or some other close relative of his.</p>
+
+<p>"What is the matter, George? Tell me."</p>
+
+<p>"HARVARD BEAT YALE!"</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Roosevelt</i>, accompanied by her consort, sailed south to North Star
+Bay and while<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> entering the harbor ran ashore. Late in the afternoon,
+however, the rising tide floated her. While waiting for the tide, a
+party of six, I among the number, went ashore and visited the Danish
+Missionary settlement established there, the Esquimos acting as our
+interpreters, we being unable to speak Danish and the missionaries being
+unable to speak English. It was in North Star Bay that the coal and
+provisions from the <i>Jeanie</i> were transferred to the <i>Roosevelt</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Aboard the <i>Jeanie</i>, there was a young Esquimo man, Mene, who for the
+past twelve years had lived in New York City, but, overcome by a strong
+desire to live again in his own country, had been sent north by his
+friends in the States. He was almost destitute, having positively
+nothing in the way of an equipment to enable him to withstand the rigors
+of the country, and was no more fitted for the life he was to take up
+than any boy of eighteen or twenty would be, for he was but a little boy
+when he first left North Greenland. However, Commander Peary ordered
+that he be given a plentiful supply of furs to keep him warm, food,
+ammunition and loading<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> outfit, traps and guns, but, I believe, he would
+have gladly returned with us, for it was a wistful farewell he made, and
+an Esquimo's farewell is usually very barren of pathos.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Whitney transferred his augmented equipment to the <i>Jeanie</i>,
+intending to remain with her down the Labrador, for her Captain had
+agreed to use every effort to help Mr. Whitney secure at least one polar
+bear.</p>
+
+<p>Cape York was reached on the morning of August 25, and from the two
+Esquimo families, living at the extreme point of the Cape, we obtained
+the mail which had been left there by Captain Adams of the Dundee
+Whaling Fleet <i>Morning Star</i>. Our letters, although they bore no more
+recent a date than that of March 23, 1909, were eagerly read.</p>
+
+<p>At Cape York we landed the last of the Esquimos. The decks were now
+cleared. The boats were securely lashed in their davits, and nine <span class="smcap">a. m.</span>,
+August 26, in a gale of wind, the <i>Roosevelt</i> put out to sea,
+homeward-bound, but not yet out of danger, for the gale increased so
+considerably that the <i>Roosevelt</i> was forced to lay to under reefed
+foresail, in the lee of the middle pack, until the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> 29th, when the storm
+subsided and the ship got under way again.</p>
+
+<p>On September 4 the Labrador was sighted. Under full steam we passed the
+Farmyard, a group of small islands which lie off the coast.</p>
+
+<p>We arrived at Turnavik at seven-thirty <span class="smcap">p. m.</span> Once again we saw signs of
+civilization. The men and women appeared in costumes of the Twentieth
+Century instead of the fur garments of the Esquimos. Here we loaded
+nineteen tons of coal. Here we feasted on fresh codfish, fresh
+vegetables, and other appetizing foods to which our palates had long
+been strangers.</p>
+
+<p>You know the rest, for from Turnavik to Indian Harbor was only a few
+hours' sailing.</p>
+
+<p>At Indian Harbor was located the wireless telegraph station from where
+Commander Peary flashed to the civilized world his laconic message,
+"Stars and Stripes nailed to the North Pole."</p>
+
+<p>Within half an hour of our arrival, the British cutter <i>Fiona</i> entered
+the harbor and the officers came aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i>. Thereafter for
+every hour there was contin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>uous excitement and reception of visitors.</p>
+
+<p>On September 13th the steamer <i>Douglas H. Thomas</i>, of Sydney, C. B.,
+arrived, having on board two representatives of the Associated Press,
+accompanied by Mr. Rood, a representative of <i>Harper's Magazine</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the cable-boat <i>Tyrian</i> arrived, with seventeen newspaper
+reporters, five photographers, and one stenographer. The <i>Tyrian</i>
+anchored outside the harbor and in five life-boats the party was brought
+aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i>. As they rowed they cheered, and when they
+sighted Commander Peary three ringing cheers and a tiger were given. The
+newspaper men requested an interview with the Commander. He granted
+their request, at the same time suggesting that they accompany him
+ashore to a fish-loft at the end of the pier, where there would be more
+room than aboard the ship. Accompanied by the members of the expedition,
+the Commander and the reporters left the ship. Arriving at the loft
+Commander Peary sat on some fishnets at the rear end of the loft, some
+of the reporters sat on barrels and nets, others squatted on the floor.
+They formed a semi-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>circle around him and eagerly listened to the first
+telling of his stirring story.</p>
+
+<p>Before leaving Battle Harbor, we received a visit from the great
+missionary, Dr. Grenfell, the effect of whose presence was almost like a
+benediction.</p>
+
+<p>On the morning of the 18th we left Battle Harbor accompanied by the tug
+<i>Douglas H. Thomas</i>, amidst the salutes of the many vessels and boats in
+the harbor and the cannon on the hill.</p>
+
+<p>Through the Straits of Belle Isle we steamed, with a fair wind and a
+choppy sea. In the meantime I was busily engaged in making a strip to
+sew upon a large American flag. This was a broad white bar which was to
+extend from the upper right to the lower left corner of the flag, with
+the words "North Pole" sewed on it.</p>
+
+<p>About six <span class="smcap">a. m.</span> on the 21st, a large white, steam-yacht was seen
+approaching, flying an American flag from her foremast and the English
+flag from the mizzenmast. We were close enough to her to distinguish
+Mrs. Peary and the children on board. A boat was quickly lowered from
+the yacht and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> Peary family was soon united aboard the <i>Roosevelt</i>.</p>
+
+<p>All kinds of sailing craft now met the <i>Roosevelt</i> and by them she was
+escorted into the harbor of Sydney, C. B. Whistles were blown, thousands
+of people lined the shores of the harbor, cheering enthusiastically and
+waving flags, and as the <i>Roosevelt</i> was moored alongside the pier, a
+delegation of school-girls met the Commander, made an address, and
+presented him with a magnificent bouquet. The streets were gorgeously
+decorated and a holiday had been declared. A ripe, royal welcome was
+accorded the <i>Roosevelt</i> and the members of the expedition. Visitors
+boarded the ship and looted successfully for souvenirs.</p>
+
+<p>It was at Sydney that the expedition commenced to disband. Commander
+Peary and his family returned to the United States via railroad-train.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Roosevelt</i> left Sydney on September 22 for New York City. A stop
+was made at Eagle Island, in Casco Bay, off the coast of Maine, where is
+located the summer home of Commander Peary, and here we landed most of
+his paraphernalia, some sledges and dogs.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> From Eagle Island we steamed
+direct to Sandy Hook, reaching there at noon on October 2. The next day
+the <i>Roosevelt</i> took her place with the replica of those two historic
+ships, the <i>Half Moon</i> and the <i>Clermont</i>, in the lead of the great
+naval parade.</p>
+
+<p>And now my story is ended; it is a tale that is told. "Now is Othello's
+occupation gone."</p>
+
+<p>I long to see them all again! the brave, cheery companions of the trail
+of the North. I long to see again the lithe figure of my Commander! and
+to hear again his clear, ringing voice urging and encouraging me onward,
+with his "Well done, my boy." I want to be with the party when they
+reach the untrod shores of Crocker Land; I yearn to be with those who
+reach the South Pole, the lure of the Arctic is tugging at my heart, to
+me the trail is calling!</p>
+
+
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="The Old Trail">
+<tr><td align='left'>"The Old Trail!</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'><span style="margin-left: .5em;">The Trail that is always New!"</span></td></tr>
+</table></div>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>APPENDIX I</h2>
+
+<div class='center'><span class="smcap">Notes on the Esquimos</span></div>
+
+
+<p>The origin of the Esquimos is not known to a certainty. In color they
+are brown, their hair is heavy, straight, coarse, and black. In
+appearance they are short, fat, and well-developed; and they bear a
+strong resemblance to the Mongolian race.</p>
+
+<p>Among the men of this tribe, quarrels and fights very rarely occur; but
+it is a very noticeable fact that while the men of the tribe do not make
+war on each other, the man of the family will, at the least provocation
+on the part of his better-half, without hesitation apply brute force to
+show his authority.</p>
+
+<p>The tribe of these, the North Greenland Esquimos, numbers two hundred
+and eighteen.</p>
+
+<p>Great interest was shown by the men when working implements, such as we
+used on board ship, were shown them. Eagerly they listened while the
+uses of many of these tools<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> were explained to them. The women also
+showed great interest in any article that was foreign to them. They have
+a special liking for fancy beads of the smaller variety.</p>
+
+<p>The Esquimos show a great capacity for imitation. They have also a
+marked sense of humor.</p>
+
+<p>An Esquimo's sense of imitation is so keen that it is only necessary for
+him to observe a sledge-maker at work but once, when the same type of
+sledge will be reproduced in a very short time. On my last trip north, I
+noticed that the shirts worn by the Esquimos were similar in style and
+cut to our own. In 1906, the style had been entirely different.</p>
+
+<p>The Esquimos show no desire to acquire the English language. With the
+exception of Kudlooktoo and Inighito, none of the tribe could speak
+English intelligently. The Esquimos' vocabulary is a complication of
+prefixes and suffixes, and many words in his language are very hard to
+pronounce.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>tupiks</i> (tents) are made of sealskin, and are used in summer. The
+igloos are built of snow, and are used in winter. A few igloos built of
+bowlders can be seen. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> workmanship of this latter type of igloos is
+necessarily crude, for the bowlders are used in the rough state. On
+entering the <i>tuscoonah</i> (entrance), a bed-platform of stones five feet
+long, and six feet wide, confronts one. On each side of this platform
+are seen smaller platforms, each holding a <i>koodlah</i> (fire-pot).</p>
+
+<p>This <i>koodlah</i> is made of a stone so soft that before it comes in
+contact with fire it can easily be cut with a knife. The name given by
+the Esquimos to it is <i>okeyoah</i>. Cooking utensils are first formed in
+the desired shape, then heat is applied, as a result of which the stone
+quickly hardens. The method of cooking as employed by the Esquimos is to
+suspend the <i>kooleesoo</i> (cooking-pot) over the <i>koodlah</i> (fire-pot). The
+<i>koodlah</i> is the only means by which light can be secured in an Esquimo
+igloo. As fuel, the blubber of the narwhal is used.</p>
+
+<p>The clothing of the male Esquimo consists of a <i>kooletah</i> (deerskin coat
+with hood attached), <i>nanookes</i> (foxskin trousers) and <i>kamiks</i>
+(sealskin boots); that of the female Esquimo, a <i>kopetah</i> (foxskin coat
+with hood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> attached), <i>nanookes</i> (foxskin trousers) and hip length
+<i>kamiks</i> (sealskin boots). The shirts of the male and female Esquimo are
+made from the skin of the auks, and one hundred and fifty of these
+little birds are used in the manufacture of one shirt.</p>
+
+<p>The largest Esquimo family known among the North Greenland tribe,
+numbers six; as a rule, an Esquimo family rarely outnumbers three. An
+Esquimo family is not stationary. Rarely does a family remain in one
+place longer than one season, which is nine months. The principal reason
+for this constant moving is the scarcity of game; for after a season of
+hunting in one place, game becomes very scarce; and there is no other
+alternative but for the family to move on. Transportation is by means of
+sledges drawn by a team of dogs. Alcoholic drinks are not known among
+this tribe; but, of late, tobacco is extensively used. Previous to 1902,
+before the arrival of the Danes, tobacco was an unknown quantity.</p>
+
+<p>The cleanliness of the Esquimos leaves room for much improvement.</p>
+
+<p>With reference to their morals, strictly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> speaking they are markedly
+lax. The wife of an Esquimo is held in no higher esteem than are the
+goods and chattels of the household. She may at any time be loaned,
+borrowed, sold, or exchanged. They have no marriage ceremony.</p>
+
+<p>The amusements of the Esquimos are few. Tests of strength and endurance
+occur between the men of the tribe; and visits are paid to the various
+settlements, during the long winter nights; and songs and choruses are
+sung, accompanied by a kind of tambourine which is made from the bladder
+of a walrus or seal, and stretched across the antlers of a reindeer.</p>
+
+<p>The Esquimos are a very superstitious people. In the event of a fatal
+illness, the victim, just before death, is removed to a place outside
+the igloo, for should death enter the igloo that dwelling would
+instantly be destroyed. If the deceased be a man, he is rolled up in a
+sealskin, and strips of rawhide are lashed around the body to keep the
+skin intact. He is then carried to his last resting place. A low stone
+structure is built around the body to protect it from the foxes. His
+sledge, con<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span>taining all his belongings, is placed close beside this
+structure, and his dogs harnessed to his sledge are strangled, and
+stretched their full length, with their forepaws extended. In the event
+of the deceased being a woman, her cooking utensils are placed beside
+her, and should she be the mother of a very young infant, its life is
+taken. In the case of a widower, the bereaved Esquimo remains in the
+igloo for three days, during which time a new suit of wearing apparel is
+made, and worn by him, and all clothing made by the deceased, is, by
+him, destroyed. His term of mourning now being ended, the Esquimo,
+without more ado, takes unto himself a new wife. Members of the tribe
+who have the same name as the deceased have to change that name until
+the arrival of a new-born babe, to whom the name is given, whereby the
+ban is removed. The Esquimos have no decided form of religion. When
+questioned as to where the soul of the good Esquimo will go, they reply
+by pointing upward; and by pointing downward, the question is answered
+as to the final dwelling-place of the wicked.</p>
+
+<p>The main cause of death amongst the Es<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span>quimos is from a disease the
+symptoms of which are a cough, nausea, and fever, which disease quickly
+causes death.</p>
+
+<p>It is true that the Esquimos are of little value to the commercial
+world, due probably to their isolated position; but these same unlearned
+and uncivilized people have rendered valuable assistance in the
+discovery of the North Pole.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>APPENDIX II</h2>
+
+<div class='center'><span class="smcap">List of Smith Sound Esquimos</span></div>
+
+<div class='center'><br />(Males marked by an asterisk)</div>
+
+
+<div>
+Ac-com-o-ding&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ah-ding&acute;-ah-loo<br />
+Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee&acute;-ah *<br />
+Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee&acute;-ah *<br />
+Ah-ga-tah&acute;<br />
+Ah-go&acute;-tah *<br />
+Ah-kah-gee&acute;-ah-how<br />
+A-ka-ting&acute;-wah<br />
+A-ka-ting&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-li-kah-sing&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-li-kah-sing&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-li-kah-sing&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah&acute;-mah<br />
+Ah-mame&acute;-ee<br />
+Ah-mo-ned&acute;-dy<br />
+Ah-mung&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-nad&acute;-doo<br />
+Ah-nah&acute;-we<br />
+Ah-nah-wing&acute;-wah<br />
+Ahng-een&acute;-yah *<br />
+Ahng-een&acute;-yah<br />
+Ahng&acute;-ing-nah<br />
+Ahng-ma-lok&acute;-to *<br />
+Ahng-nah&acute;-nia<br />
+Ahng-no-ding&acute;-wah<br />
+Ahng-o-do-blah&acute;-o *<br />
+Ahng-o-di-gip&acute;-so<br />
+Ahng&acute;-od-loo *<br />
+Ah-ni-ghi&acute;-to<br />
+Ah-ni-ghi&acute;-to<br />
+Ah-ning&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-ning&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-now&acute;-kah *<br />
+Ah-now&acute;-kah *<br />
+Ah&acute;-pel-lah *<br />
+Ah&acute;-pel-lah *<br />
+Ah-pu-ding&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ah-say&acute;-oo *<br />
+Ah&acute;-te-tah<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span>Ah&acute;-te-tah<br />
+Ah-took-sung&acute;-wah<br />
+Ah-tung&acute;-ee-nah<br />
+Ah-tung&acute;-ee-nah<br />
+Ah-wa-ting&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ah-wa-tok&acute;-suah *<br />
+Ah-wee&acute;-ah<br />
+Ah-wee&acute;-ah<br />
+Ah-wee-ah-good&acute;-loo<br />
+Ah-wee-aung-o&acute;-nah<br />
+Ah-wee&acute;-i-ah *<br />
+Ah-we-ging&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ah-we-shung&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ah-wok-tun&acute;-ee-ah<br />
+Ak-pood-ah-shah&acute;-o *<br />
+Ak-pood-ah-shah&acute;-o *<br />
+Ak-pood&acute;-ee-ark *<br />
+Ak-pood-e-uk&acute;-ee<br />
+A-le&acute;-tah *<br />
+Al&acute;-nay-ah<br />
+Al-nay-du&acute;-ah<br />
+Ar-ke&acute;-o *<br />
+Ar-ke&acute;-o *<br />
+Ar-ke&acute;-o *<br />
+<br />
+E-gee&acute;-ah *<br />
+E-ging&acute;-wah *<br />
+E-ging&acute;-wah *<br />
+E-lay-ting&acute;-wah<br />
+E-ling&acute;-wah *<br />
+E-meen&acute;-yah *<br />
+E-she-a&acute;-too<br />
+E-shing&acute;-wah<br />
+E-tood&acute;-loo *<br />
+E-took&acute;-ah-shoo *<br />
+E-took&acute;-ah-shoo *<br />
+E-too-shok&acute;-swah<br />
+E&acute;-vah-loo<br />
+E&acute;-vah-loo<br />
+E&acute;-we<br />
+<br />
+I-ah-ping&acute;-wah *<br />
+I-ah-ping&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ig-lood-ee-ark&acute;-swee *<br />
+Ihr&acute;-lee *<br />
+Ik&acute;-wah *<br />
+Ik-kile-e-oo&acute;-shah<br />
+Il-kah-lin&acute;-ah<br />
+Il-kli-ah&acute; *<br />
+Il-kli-ah&acute; *<br />
+In-ad-lee&acute;-ah<br />
+In-ad-lee&acute;-ah<br />
+In&acute;-ah-loo<br />
+In-i-ghi&acute;-to *<br />
+In-i-ghi&acute;-to *<br />
+In-i-ghi&acute;-to *<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>In-noo&acute;-i-tah *<br />
+In-noo-tah&acute;<br />
+In-noo-tah&acute;<br />
+In-u-ah-pud&acute;-o *<br />
+In-u-ah&acute;-o<br />
+In-yah-lung&acute;-wah<br />
+I-on&acute;-ah<br />
+I-o-wit&acute;-ty *<br />
+<br />
+Jacok-su&acute;-nah *<br />
+<br />
+Kah&acute;-dah *<br />
+Kah-ko-tee&acute;-ah<br />
+Kah-ko-tee&acute;-ah *<br />
+Kah-shad&acute;-doo<br />
+Kah-shoo&acute;-be-doo *<br />
+Kai-o-ang&acute;-wah *<br />
+Kai-o-ang&acute;-wah *<br />
+Kai&acute;-oh *<br />
+Kai-o-look&acute;-to *<br />
+Kai-o&acute;-tah *<br />
+Kai-we-ark&acute;-shah *<br />
+Kai-we-ing&acute;-wah *<br />
+Kai&acute;-we-kah *<br />
+Kai-ung&acute;-wah *<br />
+Kang-nah&acute; *<br />
+Kes-shoo&acute; *<br />
+Ke-shung&acute;-wah *<br />
+Klay&acute;-oo<br />
+Klay&acute;-oo<br />
+Klay-ung&acute;-wah<br />
+Klip-e-sok&acute;-swah *<br />
+Kood&acute;-ee-puck<br />
+Kood-loo-tin&acute;-ah *<br />
+Kood-loo-tin&acute;-ah * (or<br />
+Koolatoonah)<br />
+Koo-e-tig&acute;-e-to *<br />
+Koo&acute;-lee<br />
+Kool-oo-ting&acute;-wah *<br />
+Koo-u-pee&acute;<br />
+Koo-u-pee&acute;<br />
+Kud&acute;-ah-shah *<br />
+Kud&acute;-lah *<br />
+Kud&acute;-lah *<br />
+Kud-lun&acute;-ah *<br />
+Kud-look&acute;-too *<br />
+Ky-u-tah *<br />
+<br />
+Ma-gip&acute;-soo<br />
+Mah-so&acute;-nah *<br />
+Mah-so&acute;-nah *<br />
+Mah-so&acute;-nah *<br />
+Mah-so&acute;-nah *<br />
+Mark-sing&acute;-wah *<br />
+Mee&acute;-tik *<br />
+Mee&acute;-tik *<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span>Me-gip&acute;-soo<br />
+Mek&acute;-kah<br />
+Me&acute;-ne *<br />
+Merk-to-shah&acute; *<br />
+Mok&acute;-sah *<br />
+Mok-sang&acute;-wah<br />
+Mok-sang&acute;-wah<br />
+Mon&acute;-nie<br />
+Mon&acute;-nie<br />
+Micky&acute;-shoo<br />
+My&acute;-ah *<br />
+My-o&acute;-tah *<br />
+<br />
+Nay-dee-ing&acute;-wah<br />
+Nel-lee&acute;-kah<br />
+Nel-lee-ka-tee&acute;-ah<br />
+Net&acute;-too<br />
+Net&acute;-too<br />
+New-e-king&acute;-wah<br />
+New-e-king&acute;-wah<br />
+New-e-king&acute;-wah<br />
+New-hate&acute;-e-lah&acute;-o *<br />
+New-hate&acute;-e-lah&acute;-o *<br />
+New-kah-ping&acute;-wah *<br />
+Nip-sang&acute;-wah *<br />
+Now-o-yat&acute;-loe<br />
+Nup&acute;-sah<br />
+<br />
+Og&acute;-we *<br />
+Oo-ah-oun&acute; *<br />
+Oo-bloo&acute;-yah *<br />
+Oo-bloo&acute;-yah *<br />
+Oo&acute;-mah *<br />
+Oo-que&acute;-ah *<br />
+Oo&acute;-tah*<br />
+Oo-tun&acute;-iah<br />
+Oo-we&acute;-ah-oop *<br />
+Oo-we-she-a&acute;-too<br />
+<br />
+Pan&acute;-ik-pah *<br />
+Pee-ah-wah&acute;-to *<br />
+Poo-ad-loo&acute;-nah*<br />
+Poo-ad-loo&acute;-nah *<br />
+Poo-ad-loo&acute;-nah *<br />
+Poob&acute;-lah *<br />
+Poob&acute;-lah *<br />
+Pood-lung&acute;-wah<br />
+Poo&acute;-too<br />
+<br />
+Sag&acute;-wah<br />
+Sat&acute;-too *<br />
+Seeg&acute;-loo *<br />
+Seen-o-ung&acute;-wah<br />
+See-o-dee-kah&acute;-to<br />
+Shoo-e-king&acute;-wah<br />
+Sim&acute;-e-ah<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>Sin-ah&acute;-ew<br />
+Sip&acute;-soo<br />
+Sow&acute;-nah<br />
+Suk&acute;-kun *<br />
+Sul-ming&acute;-wah *<br />
+<br />
+Tah&acute;-tah-rah *<br />
+Tah&acute;-wah-nah *<br />
+Taw-ching&acute;-wah *<br />
+Taw-ching&acute;-wah *<br />
+Teddy-ling&acute;-wah *<br />
+Toi-tee&acute;-ah *<br />
+Took-e-ming&acute;-wah<br />
+Too&acute;-koom-ah<br />
+Tu-bing&acute;-wah<br />
+Tung-wing&acute;-wah<br />
+Tung&acute;-we *<br />
+<br />
+Ung&acute;-ah *<br />
+<br />
+We&acute;-ark<br />
+We-shark&acute;-oup-si *<br />
+</div>
+
+<div><br />Two female babies not named<br /><br /></div>
+
+
+<div>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="Total">
+<tr><td align='left'>Male</td><td align='right'>122</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Female</td><td align='right'>96<br /></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>&nbsp;</td><td align='right'>&mdash;&mdash;</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Total</td><td align='right'>218</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+
+<h2>THE END</h2>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes</h3>
+<p>Obvious punctuation errors repaired.</p>
+
+<p>One instance of each of the following was retained:</p>
+
+<div class='center'>
+<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Varied hyphenation">
+<tr><td align='left'>fiendlike/fiend-like</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>forepaws/fore-paws</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>readjusting/re-adjusting</td></tr>
+</table></div>
+
+<p>The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections.
+Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by 
+Matthew A. Henson
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+</body>
+</html>
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+Project Gutenberg's A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by Matthew A. Henson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: A Negro Explorer at the North Pole
+
+Author: Matthew A. Henson
+
+Commentator: Robert E. Peary
+             Booker T. Washington
+
+Release Date: March 28, 2007 [EBook #20923]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Emmy and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON]
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+BY
+
+MATTHEW A. HENSON
+
+          WITH A FOREWORD BY
+          ROBERT E. PEARY
+          REAR ADMIRAL, U. S. N., RETIRED
+
+          AND AN INTRODUCTION BY
+          BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
+
+_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS_
+
+          NEW YORK
+          FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+          PUBLISHERS
+
+
+
+
+         _Copyright, 1912, by_
+         FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY
+
+         _All rights reserved, including that of translation
+         into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian_
+
+         _February, 1912_
+
+
+
+
+FOREWORD
+
+
+Friends of Arctic exploration and discovery, with whom I have come in
+contact, and many whom I know only by letter, have been greatly
+interested in the fact of a colored man being an effective member of a
+serious Arctic expedition, and going north, not once, but numerous times
+during a period of over twenty years, in a way that showed that he not
+only could and did endure all the stress of Arctic conditions and work,
+but that he evidently found pleasure in the work.
+
+The example and experience of Matthew Henson, who has been a member of
+each and of all my Arctic expeditions, since '91 (my trip in 1886 was
+taken before I knew Henson) is only another one of the multiplying
+illustrations of the fact that race, or color, or bringing-up, or
+environment, count nothing against a determined heart, if it is backed
+and aided by intelligence.
+
+Henson proved his fitness by long and thorough apprenticeship, and his
+participation in the final victory which planted the Stars and Stripes
+at the North Pole, and won for this country the international prize of
+nearly four centuries, is a distinct credit and feather in the cap of
+his race.
+
+As I wired Charles W. Anderson, collector of internal revenue, and
+chairman of the dinner which was given to Henson in New York, in
+October, 1909, on the occasion of the presentation to him of a gold
+watch and chain by his admirers:
+
+"I congratulate you and your race upon Matthew Henson. He has driven
+home to the world your great adaptability and the fiber of which you are
+made. He has added to the moral stature of every intelligent man among
+you. His is the hard-earned reward of tried loyalty, persistence, and
+endurance. He should be an everlasting example to your young men that
+these qualities will win whatever object they are directed at. He
+deserves every attention you can show him. I regret that it is
+impossible for me to be present at your dinner. My compliments to your
+assembled guests."
+
+It would be superfluous to enlarge on Henson in this introduction. His
+work in the north has already spoken for itself and for him. His book
+will speak for itself and him.
+
+Yet two of the interesting points which present themselves in connection
+with his work may be noted.
+
+Henson, son of the tropics, has proven through years, his ability to
+stand tropical, temperate, and the fiercest stress of frigid, climate
+and exposure, while on the other hand, it is well known that the
+inhabitants of the highest north, tough and hardy as they are to the
+rigors of their own climate, succumb very quickly to the vagaries of
+even a temperate climate. The question presents itself at once: "Is it a
+difference in physical fiber, or in brain and will power, or is the
+difference in the climatic conditions themselves?"
+
+Again it is an interesting fact that in the final conquest of the "prize
+of the centuries," not alone individuals, but _races_ were represented.
+On that bitter brilliant day in April, 1909, when the Stars and Stripes
+floated at the North Pole, Caucasian, Ethiopian, and Mongolian stood
+side by side at the apex of the earth, in the harmonious companionship
+resulting from hard work, exposure, danger, and a common object.
+
+                                                          R. E. PEARY.
+
+_Washington, Dec., 1911._
+
+
+
+
+TABLE OF CONTENTS
+
+                                                             PAGE
+
+  FOREWORD                                                      v
+
+  INTRODUCTION                                                 xv
+
+  CHAPTER I
+  THE EARLY YEARS: SCHOOLBOY, CABIN-BOY, SEAMAN, AND
+    LIEUTENANT PEARY'S BODY-SERVANT--FIRST TRIPS TO THE ARCTIC  1
+
+  CHAPTER II
+  OFF FOR THE POLE--HOW THE OTHER EXPLORERS LOOKED--THE
+    LAMB-LIKE  ESQUIMOS--ARRIVAL AT ETAH                       15
+
+  CHAPTER III
+  FINDING OF RUDOLPH FRANKE--WHITNEY LANDED--TRADING AND
+    COALING--FIGHTING THE ICE-PACKS                            26
+
+  CHAPTER IV
+  PREPARING FOR WINTER AT CAPE SHERIDAN--THE ARCTIC LIBRARY    35
+
+  CHAPTER V
+  MAKING PEARY SLEDGES--HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC NIGHT--THE
+    EXCITABLE DOGS AND THEIR HABITS                            40
+
+  CHAPTER VI
+  THE PEARY PLAN--A RAIN OF ROCKS--MY FRIENDS, THE ESQUIMOS    46
+
+  CHAPTER VII
+  SLEDGING TO CAPE COLUMBIA--HOT SOLDERING IN COLD WEATHER     52
+
+  CHAPTER VIII
+  IN CAMP AT COLUMBIA--LITERARY IGLOOS--THE MAGNIFICENT
+    DESOLATION OF THE ARCTIC                                   62
+
+  CHAPTER IX
+  READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE--THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL      70
+
+  CHAPTER X
+  FORWARD! MARCH!                                              75
+
+  CHAPTER XI
+  FIGHTING UP THE POLAR SEA--HELD UP BY THE "BIG LEAD"         78
+
+  CHAPTER XII
+  PIONEERING THE WAY--BREAKING SLEDGES                         93
+
+  CHAPTER XIII
+  THE SUPPORTING-PARTIES BEGIN TO TURN BACK                   103
+
+  CHAPTER XIV
+  BARTLETT'S FARTHEST NORTH--HIS QUIET GOOD-BY                116
+
+  CHAPTER XV
+  THE POLE!                                                   127
+
+  CHAPTER XVI
+  THE FAST TREK BACK TO LAND                                  140
+
+  CHAPTER XVII
+  SAFE ON THE ROOSEVELT--POOR MARVIN                          145
+
+  CHAPTER XVIII
+  AFTER MUSK-OXEN--THE DOCTOR'S SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION         153
+
+  CHAPTER XIX
+  THE ROOSEVELT STARTS FOR HOME--ESQUIMO VILLAGES--NEW DOGS
+    AND NEW DOG FIGHTS                                        161
+
+  CHAPTER XX
+  TWO NARROW ESCAPES--ARRIVAL AT ETAH--HARRY WHITNEY--DR.
+    COOK'S CLAIMS                                             170
+
+  CHAPTER XXI
+  ETAH TO NEW YORK--COMING OF MAIL AND REPORTERS--HOME!       180
+
+  APPENDIX I--NOTES ON THE ESQUIMOS                           189
+
+  APPENDIX II--LIST OF SMITH SOUND ESQUIMOS                   196
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON                                 _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                            FACING
+                                                             PAGE
+
+  ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS                       76
+
+  THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESQUIMOS                                 77
+
+  CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE                      122
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO
+    THE POLE AND BACK                                         123
+
+  THE "ROOSEVELT" IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN         138
+
+  MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS
+    RETURN TO CIVILIZATION                                    139
+
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+
+One of the first questions which Commander Peary was asked when he
+returned home from his long, patient, and finally successful struggle to
+reach the Pole was how it came about that, beside the four Esquimos,
+Matt Henson, a Negro, was the only man to whom was accorded the honor of
+accompanying him on the final dash to the goal.
+
+The question was suggested no doubt by the thought that it was but
+natural that the positions of greatest responsibility and honor on such
+an expedition would as a matter of course fall to the white men of the
+party rather than to a Negro. To this question, however, Commander Peary
+replied, in substance:
+
+"Matthew A. Henson, my Negro assistant, has been with me in one capacity
+or another since my second trip to Nicaragua in 1887. I have taken him
+on each and all of my expeditions, except the first, and also without
+exception on each of my farthest sledge trips. This position I have
+given him primarily because of his adaptability and fitness for the work
+and secondly on account of his loyalty. He is a better dog driver and
+can handle a sledge better than any man living, except some of the best
+Esquimo hunters themselves."
+
+In short, Matthew Henson, next to Commander Peary, held and still holds
+the place of honor in the history of the expedition that finally located
+the position of the Pole, because he was the best man for the place.
+During twenty-three years of faithful service he had made himself
+indispensable. From the position of a servant he rose to that of
+companion and assistant in one of the most dangerous and difficult tasks
+that was ever undertaken by men. In extremity, when both the danger and
+the difficulty were greatest, the Commander wanted by his side the man
+upon whose skill and loyalty he could put the most absolute dependence
+and when that man turned out to be black instead of white, the Commander
+was not only willing to accept the service but was at the same time
+generous enough to acknowledge it.
+
+There never seems to have been any doubt in Commander Peary's mind about
+Henson's part and place in the expedition.
+
+Matt Henson, who was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866,
+began life as a cabin-boy on an ocean steamship, and before he met
+Commander Peary had already made a voyage to China. He was eighteen
+years old when he made the acquaintance of Commander Peary which gave
+him his chance. During the twenty-three years in which he was the
+companion of the explorer he not only had time and opportunity to
+perfect himself in his knowledge of the books, but he acquired a good
+practical knowledge of everything that was a necessary part of the daily
+life in the ice-bound wilderness of polar exploration. He was at times a
+blacksmith, a carpenter, and a cook. He was thoroughly acquainted with
+the life, customs, and language of the Esquimos. He himself built the
+sledges with which the journey to the Pole was successfully completed.
+He could not merely drive a dog-team or skin a musk-ox with the skill of
+a native, but he was something of a navigator as well. In this way Mr.
+Henson made himself not only the most trusted but the most useful
+member of the expedition.
+
+I am reminded in this connection that Matthew Henson is not the first
+colored man who by his fidelity and devotion has made himself the trusty
+companion of the men who have explored and opened up the western
+continent. Even in the days when the Negro had little or no opportunity
+to show his ability as a leader, he proved himself at least a splendid
+follower, and there are few great adventures in which the American white
+man has engaged where he has not been accompanied by a colored man.
+
+Nearly all the early Spanish explorers were accompanied by Negroes. It
+is said that the first ship built in America was constructed by the
+slaves of Vasquez de Ayllon, who attempted to establish a Spanish
+settlement where Jamestown, Virginia, was later founded. Balboa had 30
+Negroes with him, and they assisted him in constructing the first ship
+on the Pacific coast. Three hundred slaves were brought to this country
+by Cortez, the conqueror of Mexico, and it is said that the town of
+Santiago del Principe was founded by Negro slaves who later rebelled
+against their Spanish masters.
+
+Of the story of those earlier Negro explorers we have, aside from the
+Negro Estevan or "little Steve," who was the guide and leader in the
+search for the fabulous seven cities, almost nothing more than a passing
+reference in the accounts which have come down to us. Now, a race which
+has come up from slavery; which is just now for the first time learning
+to build for itself homes, churches, schools; which is learning for the
+first time to start banks, organize insurance companies, erect
+manufacturing plants, establish hospitals; a race which is doing all the
+fundamental things for the first time; which has, in short, its history
+before it instead of behind; such a race in such conditions needs for
+its own encouragement, as well as to justify the hopes of its friends,
+the records of the members of the race who have been a part of any great
+and historic achievement.
+
+For this reason, as well as for others; for the sake of my race as well
+as the truth of history; I am proud and glad to welcome this account of
+his adventure from a man who has not only honored the race of which he
+is a member, but has proven again that courage, fidelity, and ability
+are honored and rewarded under a black skin as well as under a white.
+
+                                               BOOKER T. WASHINGTON.
+
+  Principal, Tuskegee Normal
+    and Industrial Institute.
+
+
+
+
+A NEGRO EXPLORER AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE EARLY YEARS: SCHOOLBOY, CABIN-BOY, SEAMAN, AND LIEUTENANT PEARY'S
+BODY-SERVANT--FIRST TRIPS TO THE ARCTIC
+
+
+When the news of the discovery of the North Pole, by Commander Peary,
+was first sent to the world, a distinguished citizen of New York City,
+well versed in the affairs of the Peary Arctic Club, made the statement,
+that he was sure that Matt Henson had been with Commander Peary on the
+day of the discovery. There were not many people who knew who Henson
+was, or the reason why the gentleman had made the remark, and, when
+asked why he was so certain, he explained that, for the best part of the
+twenty years of Commander Peary's Arctic work, his faithful and often
+only companion was Matthew Alexander Henson.
+
+To-day there is a more general knowledge of Commander Peary, his work
+and his success, and a vague understanding of the fact that Commander
+Peary's sole companion from the realm of civilization, when he stood at
+the North Pole, was Matthew A. Henson, a Colored Man.
+
+To satisfy the demand of perfectly natural curiosity, I have undertaken
+to write a brief autobiography, giving particularly an account of my
+Arctic work.
+
+I was born in Charles County, Maryland, August 8, 1866. The place of my
+birth was on the Potomac River, about forty-four miles below Washington,
+D. C. Slavery days were over forever when I was born. Besides, my
+parents were both free born before me, and in my mother's veins ran some
+white blood. At an early age, my parents were induced to leave the
+country and remove to Washington, D. C. My mother died when I was seven
+years old. I was taken in charge by my uncle, who sent me to school, the
+"N Street School" in Washington, D. C., which I attended for over six
+years. After leaving school I went to Baltimore, Md., where I shipped as
+cabin-boy, on board a vessel bound for China. After my first voyage I
+became an able-bodied seaman, and for four years followed the sea in
+that capacity, sailing to China, Japan, Manilla, North Africa, Spain,
+France, and through the Black Sea to Southern Russia.
+
+It was while I was in Washington, D. C., in 1888, that I first attracted
+the attention of Commander Peary, who at that time was a civil engineer
+in the United States Navy, with the rank of lieutenant, and it was with
+the instinct of my race that I recognized in him the qualities that made
+me willing to engage myself in his service. I accompanied him as his
+body-servant to Nicaragua. I was his messenger at the League Island Navy
+Yard, and from the beginning of his second expedition to the Arctic
+regions, in 1891, I have been a member of every expedition of his, in
+the capacity of assistant: a term that covers a multitude of duties,
+abilities, and responsibilities.
+
+The narrative that follows is a record of the last and successful
+expedition of the Peary Arctic Club, which had as its attainment the
+discovery of the North Pole, and is compiled from notes made by me at
+different times during the course of the expedition. I did endeavor to
+keep a diary or journal of daily events during my last trip, and did not
+find it difficult aboard the ship while sailing north, or when in
+winter-quarters at Cape Sheridan, but I found it impossible to make
+daily entries while in the field, on account of the constant necessity
+of concentrating my attention on the real business of the expedition.
+Entries were made daily of the records of temperature and the estimates
+of distance traveled; and when solar observations were made the results
+were always carefully noted. There were opportunities to complete the
+brief entries on several occasions while out on the ice, notably the six
+days' enforced delay at the "Big Lead," 84 deg. north, the twelve hours
+preceding the return of Captain Bartlett at 87 deg. 47' north, and the
+thirty-three hours at North Pole, while Commander Peary was determining
+to a certainty his position. During the return from the Pole to Cape
+Columbia, we were so urged by the knowledge of the supreme necessity of
+speed that the thought of recording the events of that part of the
+journey did not occur to me so forcibly as to compel me to pay heed to
+it, and that story was written aboard the ship while waiting for
+favorable conditions to sail toward home lands.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was in June, 1891, that I started on my first trip to the Arctic
+regions, as a member of what was known as the "North Greenland
+Expedition." Mrs. Peary accompanied her husband, and among the members
+of the expedition were Dr. Frederick A. Cook, of Brooklyn, N. Y., Mr.
+Langdon Gibson, of Flushing, N. Y., and Mr. Eivind Astruep, of
+Christiania, Norway, who had the honor of being the companion of
+Commander Peary in the first crossing of North Greenland--and of having
+an Esquimo at Cape York become so fond of him that he named his son for
+him! It was on this voyage north that Peary's leg was broken.
+
+Mr. John M. Verhoeff, a stalwart young Kentuckian, was also an
+enthusiastic member of the party. When the expedition was ready to sail
+home the following summer, he lost his life by falling in a crevasse in
+a glacier. His body was never recovered. On the first and the last of
+Peary's expeditions, success was marred by tragedy. On the last
+expedition, Professor Ross G. Marvin, of Cornell University, lost his
+life by being drowned in the Arctic Ocean, on his return from his
+farthest north, a farther north than had ever been made by any other
+explorers except the members of the last expedition. Both Verhoeff and
+Marvin were good friends of mine, and I respect and venerate their
+memories.
+
+Naturally the impressions formed on my first visit to the Land of Ice
+and Snow were the most lasting, but in the coming years I was to learn
+more and more that such a life was no picnic, and to realize what
+primitive life meant. I was to live with a people who, the scientists
+stated, represented the earliest form of human life, living in what is
+known as the Stone Age, and I was to revert to that stage of life by
+leaps and bounds, and to emerge from it by the same sudden means. Many
+and many a time, for periods covering more than twelve months, I have
+been to all intents an Esquimo, with Esquimos for companions, speaking
+their language, dressing in the same kind of clothes, living in the same
+kind of dens, eating the same food, enjoying their pleasures, and
+frequently sharing their griefs. I have come to love these people. I
+know every man, woman, and child in their tribe. They are my friends and
+they regard me as theirs.
+
+After the first return to civilization, I was to come back to the
+savage, ice- and rock-bound country seven times more. It was in June,
+1893, that I again sailed north with Commander Peary and his party on
+board the _Falcon_, a larger ship than the _Kite_, the one we sailed
+north in on the previous expedition, and with a much larger equipment,
+including several burros from Colorado, which were intended for ice-cap
+work, but which did not make good, making better dog-food instead.
+Indeed the dogs made life a burden for the poor brutes from the very
+start. Mrs. Peary was again a member of the expedition, as well as
+another woman, Mrs. Cross, who acted as Mrs. Peary's maid and nurse. It
+was on this trip that I adopted the orphan Esquimo boy, Kudlooktoo, his
+mother having died just previous to our arrival at the Red Cliffs.
+After this boy was washed and scrubbed by me, his long hair cut short,
+and his greasy, dirty clothes of skins and furs burned, a new suit made
+of odds and ends collected from different wardrobes on the ship made him
+a presentable Young American. I was proud of him, and he of me. He
+learned to speak English and slept underneath my bunk.
+
+This expedition was larger in numbers than the previous one, but the
+results, owing to the impossible weather conditions, were by no means
+successful, and the following season all of the expedition returned to
+the United States except Commander Peary, Hugh J. Lee, and myself. When
+the expedition returned, there were two who went back who had not come
+north with us. Miss Marie Ahnighito Peary, aged about ten months, who
+first saw the light of day at Anniversary Lodge on the 12th of the
+previous September, was taken by her mother to her kinfolks in the
+South. Mrs. Peary also took a young Esquimo girl, well known among us as
+"Miss Bill," along with her, and kept her for nearly a year, when she
+gladly permitted her to return to Greenland and her own people. Miss
+Bill is now grown up, and has been married three times and widowed, not
+by death but by desertion. She is known as a "Holy Terror." I do not
+know the reason why, but I have my suspicions.
+
+The memory of the winter of 1894 and 1895 and the summer following will
+never leave me. The events of the journey to 87 deg. 6' in 1906 and the
+discovery of the North Pole in 1909 are indelibly impressed on my mind,
+but the recollections of the long race with death across the 450 miles
+of the ice-cap of North Greenland in 1895, with Commander Peary and Hugh
+Lee, are still the most vivid.
+
+For weeks and weeks, across the seemingly never-ending wastes of the
+ice-cap of North Greenland, I marched with Peary and Lee from
+Independence Bay and the land beyond back to Anniversary Lodge. We
+started on April 1, 1895, with three sledges and thirty-seven dogs, with
+the object of determining to a certainty the northeastern terminus of
+Greenland. We reached the northern land beyond the ice-cap, but the
+condition of the country did not allow much exploration, and after
+killing a few musk-oxen we started on June 1 to make our return. We had
+one sledge and nine dogs.
+
+We reached Anniversary Lodge on June 25, with one dog.
+
+The Grim Destroyer had been our constant companion, and it was months
+before I fully recovered from the effects of that struggle. When I left
+for home and God's Country the following September, on board the good
+old _Kite_, it was with the strongest resolution to never again! no
+more! forever! leave my happy home in warmer lands.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Nevertheless, the following summer I was again "Northward Bound," with
+Commander Peary, to help him secure, and bring to New York, the three
+big meteorites that he and Lee had discovered during the winter of
+1894-1895.
+
+The meteorites known as "The Woman" and "The Dog" were secured with
+comparative ease, and the work of getting the large seventy-ton meteor,
+known as "The Tent," into such a position as to insure our securing it
+the following summer, was done, so it was not strange that the following
+summer I was again in Greenland, but the meteorite was not brought away
+that season.
+
+It is well known that the chief characteristic of Commander Peary is
+persistency which, coupled with fortitude, is the secret of his success.
+The next summer, 1897, he was again at the island after his prize, and
+he got it this time and brought it safely to New York, where it now
+reposes in the "American Museum of Natural History." As usual I was a
+member of the party, and my back still aches when I think of the hard
+work I did to help load that monster aboard the _Hope_.
+
+It was during this voyage that Commander Peary announced his
+determination to discover the North Pole, and the following years (from
+1898 to 1902) were spent in the Arctic.
+
+In 1900, the American record of Farthest North, held by Lockwood and
+Brainard, was equaled and exceeded; their cairn visited and their
+records removed. On April 21, 1902, a new American record of 84 deg. 17' was
+made by Commander Peary, further progress north being frustrated by a
+lack of provisions and by a lane of open water, more than a mile wide.
+This lead or lane of open water I have since become more familiarly
+acquainted with. We have called it many names, but it is popularly known
+as the "Big Lead." Going north, meeting it can be depended upon. It is
+situated just a few miles north of the 84th parallel, and is believed to
+mark the continental shelf of the land masses in the Northern
+Hemisphere.
+
+During the four years from 1898 to 1902, which were continuously spent
+in the regions about North Greenland, we had every experience, except
+death, that had ever fallen to the lot of the explorers who had preceded
+us, and more than once we looked death squarely in the face. Besides, we
+had many experiences that earlier explorers did not meet. In January,
+1899, Commander Peary froze his feet so badly that all but one of his
+toes fell off.
+
+After the return home, in 1902, it was three years before Commander
+Peary made another attack on the Pole, but during those years he was not
+resting.
+
+He was preparing to launch his final and "sincerely to be hoped"
+successful expedition, and in July, 1905, in the newly built ship,
+_Roosevelt_, we were again "Poleward-bound." The following September,
+the _Roosevelt_ reached Cape Sheridan, latitude 82 deg. 27' north, under her
+own steam, a record unequaled by any other vessel, sail or steam.
+
+Early the next year, the negotiation of the Arctic Ocean was commenced,
+not as oceans usually are negotiated, but as this ocean must be, by men,
+sledges, and dogs. The field party consisted of twenty-six men, twenty
+sledges, and one hundred and thirty dogs.
+
+That was an open winter and an early spring, very desirable conditions
+in some parts of the world, but very undesirable to us on the northern
+coast of Greenland. The ice-pack began disintegrating much too early
+that year to suit, but we pushed on, and had it not been for furious
+storms enforcing delays and losses of many precious days, the Pole would
+have been reached. As it was, Commander Peary and his party got to 87 deg.
+6' north, thereby breaking _all records_, and in spite of incredible
+hardships, hunger and cold, returned safely with all of the expedition,
+and on Christmas Eve the _Roosevelt_, after a most trying voyage,
+entered New York harbor, somewhat battered but still seaworthy.
+
+Despite the fact that it was to be his last attempt, Commander Peary no
+sooner reached home than he announced his intention to return, this time
+to be the last, and this time to win.
+
+However, a year intervened, and it was not until July 6, 1908, with the
+God-Speed and good wishes of President Roosevelt, that the good ship
+named in his honor set sail again. The narrative of that voyage, and the
+story of the discovery of the North Pole, follow.
+
+The ages of the wild, misgiving mystery of the North Pole are over,
+to-day, and forever it stands under the folds of Old Glory.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+OFF FOR THE POLE--HOW THE OTHER EXPLORERS LOOKED--THE LAMB-LIKE
+ESQUIMOS--ARRIVAL AT ETAH
+
+
+July 6, 1908: We're off! For a year and a half I have waited for this
+order, and now we have cast off. The shouting and the tumult ceases, the
+din of whistles, bells, and throats dies out, and once again the long,
+slow surge of the ocean hits the good ship that we have embarked in. It
+was at one-thirty P. M. to-day that I saw the last hawse-line cast
+adrift, and felt the throb of the engines of our own ship. Chief
+Wardwell is on the job, and from now on it is due north.
+
+Oyster Bay, Long Island Sound: We are expecting President Roosevelt. The
+ship has been named in his honor and has already made one voyage towards
+the North Pole, farther north than any ship has ever made.
+
+July 7: At anchor, the soft wooded hills of Long Island give me a
+curious impression. I am waiting for the command to attack the savage
+ice- and rock-bound fortress of the North, and here instead we are at
+anchor in the neighborhood of sheep grazing in green fields.
+
+Sydney, N. S., July 17, 1908: All of the expedition are aboard and those
+going home have gone. Mrs. Peary and the children, Mr. Borup's father,
+and Mr. Harry Whitney, and some other guests were the last to leave the
+_Roosevelt_, and have given us a last good-by from the tug, which came
+alongside to take them off.
+
+Good-by all. Every one is sending back a word to some one he has left
+behind, but I have said my good-bys a long time ago, and as I waved my
+hand in parting salutation to the little group on the deck of the tug,
+my thoughts were with my wife, and I hoped when she next heard of me it
+would be with feelings of joy and happiness, and that she would be glad
+she had permitted me to leave her for an absence that might never end.
+
+The tenderfeet, as the Commander calls them, are the Doctor, Professor
+MacMillan, and young Mr. Borup. The Doctor is a fine-looking, big
+fellow, John W. Goodsell, and has a swarthy complexion and straight
+hair; on meeting me he told me that he was well acquainted with me by
+reputation, and hoped to know me more intimately.
+
+Professor Donald B. MacMillan is a professor in a college in
+Massachusetts, near Worcester, and I am going to cultivate his
+acquaintance.
+
+Mr. George Borup is the kid, only twenty-one years old but well set up
+for his age, always ready to laugh, and has thick, curly hair. I
+understand he is a record-breaker in athletics. He will need his
+athletic ability on this trip. I am making no judgments or comments on
+these fellows now. Wait; I have seen too many enthusiastic starters, and
+I am sorry to say some of them did not finish well.
+
+All of the rest of the members of the expedition are the same as were on
+the first trip of the _Roosevelt_:--Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett,
+Professor Marvin, Chief Engineer Wardwell, Charley Percy the steward,
+and myself. The crew has been selected by Captain Bartlett, and are
+mostly strangers to me.
+
+Commander Peary is too well known for me to describe him at length;
+thick reddish hair turning gray; heavy, bushy eyebrows shading his
+"sharpshooter's eyes" of steel gray, and long mustache. His hair grows
+rapidly and, when on the march, a thick heavy beard quickly appears. He
+is six feet tall, very graceful, and well built, especially about the
+chest and shoulders; long arms, and legs slightly bowed. Since losing
+his toes, he walks with a peculiar slide-like stride. He has a voice
+clear and loud, and words never fail him.
+
+Captain Bartlett is about my height and weight. He has short, curly,
+light-brown hair and red cheeks; is slightly round-shouldered, due to
+the large shoulder-muscles caused by pulling the oars, and is as quick
+in his actions as a cat. His manner and conduct indicate that he has
+always been the leader of his crowd from boyhood up, and there is no man
+on this ship that he would be afraid to tackle. He is a young man
+(thirty-three years old) for a ship captain, but he knows his job.
+
+Professor Marvin is a quiet, earnest person, and has had plenty of
+practical experience besides his splendid education. He is rapidly
+growing bald; his face is rather thin, and his neck is long. He has
+taken great interest in me and, being a teacher, has tried to teach me.
+Although I hope to perfect myself in navigation, my knowledge so far
+consists only of knot and splice seamanship, and I need to master the
+mathematical end.
+
+The Chief Engineer, Mr. Wardwell, is a fine-looking, ruddy-complexioned
+giant, with the most honest eyes I have ever looked into. His hair is
+thinning and is almost pure white, and I should judge him to be about
+forty-five years old. He has the greatest patience, and I have never
+seen him lose his temper or get rattled.
+
+Charley Percy is Commander Peary's oldest hand, next to me. He is our
+steward, and sees to it that we are properly fed while aboard ship, and
+he certainly does see to it with credit to himself.
+
+From Sydney to Hawks Harbor, where we met the _Erik_, has been
+uneventful except for the odor of the _Erik_, which is loaded with
+whale-meat and can be smelled for miles. We passed St. Paul's Island and
+Cape St. George early in the day and through the Straits of Belle Isle
+to Hawks Harbor, where there is a whale-factory. From here we leave for
+Turnavik.
+
+We have been racing with the _Erik_ all day, and have beaten her to this
+place. Captain Bartlett's father owns it, and we loaded a lot of boots
+and skins, which the Captain's father had ready for us. From here we
+sail to the Esquimo country of North Greenland, without a stop if
+possible, as the Commander has no intention of visiting any of the
+Danish settlements in South Greenland.
+
+Cape York is our next point, and the ship is sailing free. Aside from
+the excitement of the start, and the honor of receiving the personal
+visit of the President, and his words of encouragement and cheer, the
+trip so far has been uneventful; and I have busied myself in putting my
+cabin in order, and making myself useful in overhauling and stowing
+provisions in the afterhold.
+
+July 24: Still northward-bound, with the sea rolling and washing over
+the ship; and the _Erik_ in the distance seems to be getting her share
+of the wash. She is loaded heavily with fresh whale-meat, and is
+purposely keeping in leeward of us to spare us the discomfort of the
+odor.
+
+July 25 and 26: Busy with my carpenter's kit in the Commander's cabin
+and elsewhere. There has been heavy rain and seas, and we have dropped
+the _Erik_ completely. The _Roosevelt_ is going fine. We can see the
+Greenland coast plainly and to-day, the 29th, we raised and passed Disco
+Island. Icebergs on all sides. The light at midnight is almost as bright
+as early evening twilight in New York on the Fourth of July and the
+ice-blink of the interior ice-cap is quite plain. We have gone through
+Baffin's Bay with a rush and raised Duck Island about ten A. M. and
+passed and dropped it by two P. M.
+
+I was ashore on Duck Island in 1891, on my first voyage north, and I
+remember distinctly the cairn the party built and the money they
+deposited in it. I wonder if it is still there? There is little use for
+money up here, and the place is seldom visited except by men from the
+whalers, when their ships are locked in by ice.
+
+From here it is two hundred miles due north to Cape York.
+
+August 1: Arrived at Cape York Bay and went ashore with the party to
+communicate with the Esquimos of whom there were three families. They
+remembered us and were dancing up and down the shore, and waving to us
+in welcome, and as soon as the bow of the boat had grazed the little
+beach, willing hands helped to run her up on shore. These people are
+hospitable and helpful, and always willing, sometimes too willing. As an
+example, I will tell how, at a settlement farther north, we were going
+ashore in one of the whale-boats. Captain Bartlett was forward,
+astraddle of the bow with the boat-hook in his hands to fend off the
+blocks of ice, and knew perfectly well where he wanted to land, but the
+group of excited Esquimos were in his way and though he ordered them
+back, they continued running about and getting in his way. In a very
+short while the Captain lost patience and commenced to talk loudly and
+with excitement; immediately Sipsoo took up his language and parrot-like
+started to repeat the Captain's exact words: "Get back there, get
+back--how in ---- do you expect me to make a landing?" And thus does the
+innocent lamb of the North acquire a civilized tongue.
+
+It is amusing to hear Kudlooktoo in the most charming manner give
+Charley a cussing that from any one else would cause Charley to break
+his head open.
+
+For the last week I have been busy, with "Matt! The Commander wants
+you," "Matt do this," and "Matt do that," and with going ashore and
+trading for skins, dogs, lines, and other things; and also
+walrus-hunting. I have been up to my neck in work, and have had small
+opportunity to keep my diary up to date. We have all put on heavy
+clothing; not the regular fur clothes for the winter, but our thickest
+civilized clothing, that we would wear in midwinter in the States. In
+the middle of the day, if the sun shines, the heat is felt; but if foggy
+or cloudy, the heavy clothing is comfortable.
+
+All of the Esquimos want to come aboard and stay aboard. Some we want
+and will take along, but there are others we will not have or take along
+on a bet, and the pleasant duty of telling them so and putting them
+ashore falls to me. It is not a pleasant job to disappoint these people,
+but they would be a burden to us and in our way. Besides, we have left
+them a plentiful supply of needfuls, and our trading with them has been
+fair and generous.
+
+The "Crow's-Nest" has been rigged upon the mainmast, and this morning,
+after breakfast, Mr. Whitney, three Esquimos, and myself started in Mr.
+Whitney's motor-boat to hunt walrus. The motor gave out very shortly
+after the start, and the oars had to be used. We were fortunate in
+getting two walrus, which I shot, and then we returned to the ship for
+the whale-boat. We left the ship with three more Esquimos in the
+whale-boat, and got four more walrus.
+
+Sunday, at Kangerdlooksoah; the land of the reindeer, and the one
+pleasant appearing spot on this coast. Mr. Whitney and his six Esquimo
+guides have gone hunting for deer, and I have been ashore to trade for
+dogs and furs, and have gotten twenty-seven dogs, sealskin-lines for
+lashings, a big bearskin, and some foxskins. I try to get furskins from
+animals that were killed when in full fur and before they have started
+to shed, but some of the skins I have traded in are raw, and will have
+to be dried.
+
+I have had the disagreeable job of putting the undesirable ashore, and
+it was like handling a lot of sulky school children.
+
+Seegloo, the dog-owner, is invited to bring his pack aboard and is
+easily persuaded. He will get a Springfield rifle and loading-outfit and
+also a Winchester, if he will sell, and he is more than willing.
+
+And this is the story of day after day from Cape York to Etah Harbor,
+which we reached on August 12.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+FINDING OF RUDOLPH FRANKE--WHITNEY 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 deal of roughness. He will have to become like the Esquimos and
+they will be practically his only companions. However, Mr. Whitney has
+had a talk with the Commander in the cabin of the _Roosevelt_, and the
+Commander has given his consent and best wishes. Mr. Whitney's supplies
+have been unloaded and some additions from the _Erik_ made, and there is
+no reason to fear for his safety.
+
+August 8, 1908: My forty-second birthday. I have not mentioned it to any
+one, and there's only one other besides myself who knows that to-day I
+am twice three times seven years of age. Seventeen years ago to-day,
+Commander Peary, hobbling about on his crutches with his right leg in a
+sling, insisted on giving me a birthday party. I was twenty-five years
+old then, and on the threshold of my Arctic experience. Never before in
+my life had the anniversary of my birth been celebrated, and to have a
+party given in my honor touched me deeply. Mrs. Peary was a member of
+the expedition then, and I suppose that it was due to her that the
+occasion was made a memorable one for me. Last year, I was aboard the
+_Roosevelt_ in the shadow of the "Statue of Liberty" in New York Bay,
+and was treated to a pleasant surprise by my wife.
+
+Commander Peary gave me explicit instructions to get Nipsangwah and Myah
+ashore as quick as the Creator would let them, but to be sure that their
+seven curs were kept aboard; these two huskies having exalted ideas as
+to their rights and privileges. Egingwah, or Karko as we knew him, and
+Koodlootinah and his family were to come aboard.
+
+Acting under orders, I obeyed, but it was not a pleasant task. I have
+known men who needed dogs less to pay a great deal more for one pup
+than was paid to Nipsangwah for his pack of seven. The dogs are a
+valuable asset to this people and these two men were dependent on their
+little teams to a greater extent than on the plates and cups of tin
+which they received in exchange for them.
+
+August 8-9, 1908: Have been trading with the natives without any
+trouble; they will give anything I want for anything that I have that
+they want. "It's a shame to take the money," or, as money is unknown up
+here and has no value, I should say that I should be ashamed to take
+such an advantage of them, but if I should stop to consider the
+freight-rates to this part of the world, no doubt a hatchet or a knife
+is worth just what it can be traded in for.
+
+The ship has been rapidly littering up until it is now in a most perfect
+state of dirtiness, and in order to get the supplies from the _Erik_,
+coal, etc., the movable articles, dogs, Esquimos, etc., will have to be
+shifted and yours truly is helping.
+
+The dogs have been landed on a small island in the bay, where they are
+safe and cannot run away, and they can have a glorious time, fighting
+and getting acquainted with each other. Some of the Esquimos' goods are
+ashore, some aboard the _Erik_, and the rest forward on the roof of the
+deck-house, while the _Roosevelt_ is getting her coal aboard.
+
+The loading of the meat and coal has been done by the crews of the
+ships, assisted and _hampered_ by some of the Esquimos, and I have been
+walrus-hunting, and taxidermizing; that is, I have skinned a pair of
+walrus so that they can be stuffed and mounted. This job has been very
+carefully, and I think successfully, done and the skins have been towed
+ashore. The hearts, livers, and kidneys have been brought aboard and the
+meat is to be loaded to-morrow. Two boat-loads of bones have been rowed
+over to Dog Island for dog-food.
+
+Coaling and stowing of whale-meat aboard the _Roosevelt_ was finished at
+noon, August 15, and all day Sunday, August 16, all hands were at the
+job transferring to the _Erik_ the boxes of provisions that were to be
+left at the cache at Etah. Bos'n Murphy and Billy Pritchard, the
+cabin-boy, are to stay as guard until the return of the _Roosevelt_ next
+summer. A blinding storm of wind and snow prevented the _Roosevelt_
+from starting until about two-thirty P. M., when, with all the dogs
+a-howling, the whistle tooting, and the crew and members cheering, we
+steamed out of the Harbor into Smith Sound, and a thick fog which
+compelled half-speed past Littleton Island and into heavy pack-ice.
+
+Captain Bartlett was navigating the ship and his eagle eye found a lane
+of open water from Cape Sabine to Bache Peninsula and open water from
+Ellesmere Land half-way across Buchanan Bay, but this lead closed on
+him, and the _Roosevelt_ had to stop. Late in the evening, the ice
+started to move and grind alongside of the ship, but did no damage
+except scaring the Esquimos. Daylight still kept up and we went to sleep
+with our boots on!
+
+From Etah to Cape Sheridan, which was to be our last point north in the
+ship, consumed twenty-one days of the hardest kind of work imaginable
+for a ship; actually fighting for every foot of the way against the
+almost impassable ice. For another ship it would have been impassable,
+but the _Roosevelt_ was built for this kind of work, and her worth and
+ability had been proven on the voyage of 1905. The constant jolting,
+bumping, and jarring against the ice-packs, forwards and backwards, the
+sudden stops and starts and the frequent storms made work and comfort
+aboard ship all but impossible.
+
+Had it been possible to be ashore at some point of vantage, to witness
+the struggles of our little ship against her giant adversaries would
+have been an impressive sight.
+
+I will not dwell on the trying hours and days of her successful battle,
+the six days of watching and waiting for a chance to get out of our
+dangerous predicament in Lincoln Bay, the rounding of the different
+capes en route, or the horrible jams in Lady Franklin Bay. The good ship
+kept at the fight and won by sheer bulldogged tenacity and pluck. Life
+aboard her during those twenty-one days was not one sweet song, but we
+did not suffer unusually, and a great deal of necessary work was done on
+our equipments. The Esquimo women sewed diligently on the fur clothing
+we were to wear during the coming winter and I worked on the sledges
+that were to be used. Provisions were packed in compact shape and every
+one was busy. Two caches of provisions were made ashore in the event of
+an overland retreat, and the small boats were fully provisioned as a
+precaution against the loss of the ship. We did not dwell on the thought
+of losing it, but we took no chances.
+
+Meeting with continual rebuffs, but persistently forging ahead and
+gaining deliberately day by day, the _Roosevelt_ pushed steadily
+northward through the ice-encumbered waters of Kane Basin, Kennedy and
+Robeson Channels, and around the northeast corner of Grant Land to the
+shelter of Cape Sheridan, which was reached early in the afternoon of
+September 5, 1908.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+PREPARING FOR WINTER AT CAPE SHERIDAN--THE ARCTIC LIBRARY
+
+
+Now that we had reached Cape Sheridan in the ship, every one's spirits
+seemed to soar. It was still daylight, with the sun above the horizon,
+and although two parties had been landed for hunting, no one seemed to
+be in any particular hurry. The weather was cold but calm, and even in
+the rush of unloading the ship I often heard the hum of songs, and had
+it not been for the fur-jacketed men who were doing the work, it would
+not have been difficult for me to imagine myself in a much warmer
+climate.
+
+Of course! in accordance with my agreement with some other members of
+this expedition I kept my eye on the Commander, and although it was not
+usual for him to break forth into song, I frequently heard him humming
+a popular air, and I knew that for the present all was well with him.
+
+With the ship lightened, by being unloaded, to a large extent, of all of
+the stores, she did not very appreciably rise, but the Commander and the
+Captain agreed that she could be safely worked considerably closer to
+the shore, inside of the tide-crack possibly; and the _Roosevelt_ was
+made fast to the ice-foot of the land, with a very considerable distance
+between her and open water. Her head was pointed due north, and affairs
+aboard her assumed regulation routine. The stores ashore were
+contracted, and work on getting them into shape for building temporary
+houses was soon under way. The boxes of provisions themselves formed the
+walls, and the roofing was made from makeshifts such as sails,
+overturned whale-boats, and rocks; and had the ship got adrift and been
+lost, the houses on shore would have proved ample and comfortable for
+housing the expedition.
+
+A ship, and a good one like the _Roosevelt_, is the prime necessity in
+getting an expedition within striking distance of the Pole, but once
+here the ship (and no other boat, but the _Roosevelt_ could get here)
+is not indispensable, and accordingly all precautions against her loss
+were taken.
+
+It is a fact that Arctic expeditions have lost their ships early in the
+season and in spite of the loss have done successful work. The last
+Ziegler Polar Expedition of 1903-1905 is an example. In the ship
+_America_ they reached Crown Prince Rudolph Island on the European
+route, and shortly after landing, in the beginning of the long night,
+the _America_ went adrift, and has never been seen since. It is not
+difficult to imagine her still drifting in the lonely Arctic Ocean, with
+not a soul aboard (a modern phantom ship in a sea of eternal ice). A
+more likely idea is that she has been crushed by the ice, and sunk, and
+the skeleton of her hulk strewn along the bottom of the sea, full many a
+fathom deep.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+However, the depressing probabilities of the venture we are on are not
+permitted to worry us. The _Roosevelt_ is a "Homer" and we confidently
+expect to have her take us back to home and loved ones.
+
+In the meantime, I have a steady job carpentering, also interpreting,
+barbering, tailoring, dog-training, and chasing Esquimos out of my
+quarters. The Esquimos have the run of the ship and get everywhere
+except into the Commander's cabin, which they have been taught to regard
+as "The Holy of Holies." With the help of a sign which tersely proclaims
+"No Admittance," painted on a board and nailed over the door, they are
+without much difficulty restrained from going in.
+
+The Commander's stateroom is a _state_ room. He has a piano in there and
+a photograph of President Roosevelt; and right next door he has a
+private bath-room with a bath-tub in it. The bath-tub is chock-full of
+impedimenta of a much solider quality than water, but it is to be
+cleared out pretty soon, and every morning the Commander is going to
+have his cold-plunge, if there is enough hot water.
+
+There is a general rule that every member of the expedition, including
+the sailors, must take a bath at least once a week, and it is wonderful
+how contagious bathing is. Even the Esquimos catch it, and frequently
+Charley has to interrupt the upward development of some ambitious
+native, who has suddenly perceived the need of ablutions, and has
+started to scrub himself in the water that is intended for cooking
+purposes. If the husky has not gone too far, the water is not wasted,
+and our stew is all the more savory.
+
+On board ship there was quite an extensive library, especially on Arctic
+and Antarctic topics, but as it was in the Commander's cabin it was not
+heavily patronized. In my own cabin I had Dickens' "Bleak House,"
+Kipling's "Barrack Room Ballads," and the poems of Thomas Hood; also a
+copy of the Holy Bible, which had been given to me by a dear old lady in
+Brooklyn, N. Y. I also had Peary's books, "Northward Over the Great
+Ice," and his last work "Nearest the Pole." During the long dreary
+midnights of the Arctic winter, I spent many a pleasant hour with my
+books. I also took along with me a calendar for the years 1908 and 1909,
+for in the regions of noonday darkness and midnight daylight, a calendar
+is absolutely necessary.
+
+But mostly I had rougher things than reading to do.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+MAKING PEARY SLEDGES--HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC NIGHT--THE EXCITABLE DOGS
+AND THEIR HABITS
+
+
+I have been busy making sledges, sledges of a different pattern from
+those used heretofore, and it is expected that they will answer better
+than the Esquimo type of open-work sledge, of the earlier expeditions.
+These sledges have been designed by Commander Peary and I have done the
+work.
+
+The runners are longer, and are curved upwards at each end, so that they
+resemble the profile of a canoe, and are expected to rise over the
+inequalities of the ice much better than the old style. Lashed together
+with sealskin thongs, about twelve feet long, by two feet wide and seven
+inches high, the load can be spread along their entire length instead of
+being piled up, and a more even distribution of the weights is made. The
+Esquimos, used to their style of sledge, are of the opinion that the
+new style will prove too much for one man and an ordinary team to
+handle, but we have given both kinds a fair trial and it looks as if the
+new type has the old beaten by a good margin.
+
+The hunting is not going along as successfully as is desired. The sun is
+sinking lower and lower, and the different hunting parties return with
+poor luck, bringing to the ship nothing in some cases, and in others
+only a few hares and some fish.
+
+The Commander has told me that it is imperative that fresh meat be
+secured, and now that I have done all that it is positively necessary
+for me to do here at the ship, I am to take a couple of the Esquimo boys
+and try my luck for musk-oxen or reindeer, so to-morrow, early in the
+morning, it is off on the hunt.
+
+This from my diary: Eight days out and not a shot, not a sight of game,
+nothing. The night is coming quickly, the long months of darkness, of
+quiet and cold, that, in spite of my years of experience, I can never
+get used to; and up here at Sheridan it comes sooner and lasts longer
+than it does down at Etah and Bowdoin Bay. Only a few days' difference,
+but it _is_ longer, and I do not welcome it. Not a sound, except the
+report of a glacier, broken off by its weight, and causing a new iceberg
+to be born. The black darkness of the sky, the stars twinkling above,
+and hour after hour going by with no sunlight. Every now and then a moon
+when storms do not come, and always the cold, getting colder and colder,
+and me out on the hunt for fresh meat. I know it; the same old story, a
+man's work and a dog's life, and what does it amount to? What good is to
+be done? I am tired, sick, sore, and discouraged.
+
+The main thing was game, but I had a much livelier time with some
+members of the Peary Arctic Club's expedition known as "our four-footed
+friends"--the dogs.
+
+The dogs are ever interesting. They never bark, and often bite, but
+there is no danger from their bites. To get together a team that has not
+been tied down the night before is a job. You take a piece of meat,
+frozen as stiff as a piece of sheet-iron, in one hand, and the harness
+in the other, you single out the cur you are after, make proper
+advances, and when he comes sniffling and snuffling and all the time
+keeping at a safe distance, you drop the sheet-iron on the snow, the
+brute makes a dive, and you make a flop, you grab the nearest thing
+grabable--ear, leg, or bunch of hair--and do your best to catch his
+throat, after which, everything is easy. Slip the harness over the head,
+push the fore-paws through, and there you are, one dog hooked up and
+harnessed. After licking the bites and sucking the blood, you tie said
+dog to a rock and start for the next one. It is only a question of time
+before you have your team. When you have them, leave them alone; they
+must now decide who is fit to be the king of the team, and so they
+fight, they fight and fight; and once they have decided, the king is
+king. A growl from him, or only a look, is enough, all obey, except the
+females, and the females have their way, for, true to type, the males
+never harm the females, and it is always the females who start the
+trouble.
+
+The dogs when not hitched to the sledges were kept together in teams and
+tied up, both at the ship and while we were hunting. They were not
+allowed to roam at large, for past experience with these customers had
+taught us that nothing in the way of food was safe from the attack of
+Esquimo dogs. I have seen tin boxes that had been chewed open by dogs in
+order to get at the contents, tin cans of condensed milk being gnawed
+like a bone, and skin clothing being chewed up like so much gravy. Dog
+fights were hourly occurrences, and we lost a great many by the ravages
+of the mysterious Arctic disease, piblokto, which affects all dog life
+and frequently human life. Indeed, it looked for a time as if we should
+lose the whole pack, so rapidly did they die, but constant care and
+attention permitted us to save most of them, and the fittest survived.
+
+Next to the Esquimos, the dogs are the most interesting subjects in the
+Arctic regions, and I could tell lots of tales to prove their
+intelligence and sagacity. These animals, more wolf than dog, have
+associated themselves with the human beings of this country as have
+their kin in more congenial places of the earth. Wide head, sharp nose,
+and pointed ears, thick wiry hair, and, in some of the males, a heavy
+mane; thick bushy tail, curved up over the back; deep chest and fore
+legs wide apart; a typical Esquimo dog is the picture of alert
+attention. They are as intelligent as any dog in civilization, and a
+thousand times more useful. They earn their own livings and disdain any
+of the comforts of life. Indeed it seems that when life is made pleasant
+for them they get sick, lie down and die; and when out on the march,
+with no food for days, thin, gaunt skeletons of their former selves,
+they will drag at the traces of the sledges and by their uncomplaining
+conduct, inspire their human companions to keep on.
+
+Without the Esquimo dog, the story of the North Pole, would remain
+untold; for human ingenuity has not yet devised any other means to
+overcome the obstacles of cold, storm, and ice that nature has placed in
+the way than those that were utilized on this expedition.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+THE PEARY PLAN--A RAIN OF ROCKS--MY FRIENDS THE ESQUIMOS
+
+
+The story of the winter at Cape Sheridan is a story unique in the
+experience of Arctic exploration. Usually it is the rule to hibernate as
+much as possible during the period of darkness, and the party is
+confined closely to headquarters. The Peary plan is different; and
+constant activity and travel were insisted on.
+
+There were very few days when all of the members of the expedition were
+together, after the ship had reached her destination. Hunting parties
+were immediately sent out, for it was on the big game of the country
+that the expedition depended for fresh meat. Professor Marvin commenced
+his scientific work, and his several stations were all remote from
+headquarters; and all winter long, parties were sledging provisions,
+equipment, etc., to Cape Columbia, ninety-three miles northwest, in
+anticipation of the journey to the Pole. Those who remained at
+headquarters did not find life an idle dream. There was something in the
+way of work going on all of the time. I was away from the ship on two
+hunting trips of about ten days each, and while at headquarters, I
+shaped and built over two dozen sledges, besides doing lots of other
+work.
+
+Naturally there were frequent storms and intense cold, and in regard to
+the storms of the Arctic regions of North Greenland and Grant Land, the
+only word I can use to describe them is "terrible," in the fullest
+meaning it conveys. The effect of such storms of wind and snow, or rain,
+is abject physical terror, due to the realization of perfect
+helplessness. I have seen rocks a hundred and a hundred and fifty pounds
+in weight picked up by the storm and blown for distances of ninety or a
+hundred feet to the edge of a precipice, and there of their own momentum
+go hurtling through space to fall in crashing fragments at the base.
+Imagine the effect of such a rainfall of death-dealing bowlders on the
+feelings of a little group of three or four, who have sought the base
+of the cliff for shelter. I have been there and I have seen one of my
+Esquimo companions felled by a blow from a rock eighty-four pounds in
+weight, which struck him fairly between the shoulder-blades, literally
+knocking the life out of him. I have been there, and believe me, I have
+been afraid. A hundred-pound box of supplies, taking an aerial joy ride,
+during the progress of a storm down at Anniversary Lodge in 1894, struck
+Commander Peary a glancing blow which put him out of commission for over
+a week. These mighty winds make it possible for the herbivorous animals
+of this region to exist. They sweep the snow from vast stretches of
+land, exposing the hay and dried dwarf-willows, that the hare,
+musk-oxen, and reindeer feed on.
+
+The Esquimo families who came north to Cape Sheridan with us on the
+_Roosevelt_ found life much more ideal than down in their native land.
+It was a pleasure trip for them, with nothing to worry about, and
+everything provided. Some of the families lived aboard ship all through
+the winter, and some in the box-house on shore. They were perforce much
+cleaner in their personal habits than they were wont to be in their own
+home country, but never for an instant does the odor or appearance of an
+Esquimo's habitation suggest the rose or geranium. The aroma of an East
+Side lunch-room is more like it.
+
+There were thirty-nine Esquimos in the expedition, men, women and
+children; for the Esquimo travels heavy and takes his women and children
+with him as a matter of course. The women were as useful as the men, and
+the small boys did the ship's chores, sledging in fresh water from the
+lake, etc. They were mostly in families; but there were several young,
+unmarried men, and the unattached, much-married and divorced Miss
+"Bill," who domiciled herself aboard the ship and did much good work
+with her needle. She was my seamstress and the thick fur clothes worn on
+the trip to the Pole were sewn by her. The Esquimos lived as happily as
+in their own country and carried on their domestic affairs with almost
+the same care-free irregularity as usual. The best-natured people on
+earth, with no bad habits of their own, but a ready ability to
+assimilate the vices of civilization. Twenty years ago, when I first
+met them, not one used tobacco or craved it. To-day every member of the
+tribe has had experience with tobacco, craves it, and will give most
+everything, except his gun, to get it. Even little toddlers, three and
+four years old, will eat tobacco and, strange to say, it has no bad
+effect. They get tobacco from the Danish missionaries and from the
+sailors on board the whaling, seal, and walrus-ships. Whisky has not yet
+gotten in its demoralizing work.
+
+It is my conviction that the life of this little tribe is doomed, and
+that extinction is nearly due. It will be caused partly by themselves,
+and partly by the misguided endeavors of civilized people. Every year
+their number diminishes; in 1894, Hugh J. Lee took the census of the
+tribe, and it numbered two hundred and fifty-three; in 1906, Professor
+Marvin found them to have dwindled to two hundred and seven. At this
+writing I dare say their number is still further reduced, for the latest
+news I have had from the Whale Sound region informs me that quite a
+number of deaths have occurred, and the birth-rate is not high. It is
+sad to think of the fate of my friends who live in what was once a land
+of plenty, but which is, through the greed of the commercial hunter,
+becoming a land of frigid desolation. The seals are practically gone,
+and the walrus are being quickly exterminated. The reindeer and the
+musk-oxen are going the same way, for the Esquimos themselves now hunt
+inland, when, up to twenty years ago, their hunting was confined to the
+coast and the life-giving sea.
+
+They are very human in their attributes, and in spite of the fact that
+their diet is practically meat only, their tempers are gentle and mild,
+and there is a great deal of affection among them. Except between
+husband and wife, they seldom quarrel; and never hold spite or
+animosity. Children are a valuable asset, are much loved, never scolded
+or punished, and are not spoiled. An Esquimo mother washes her baby the
+same way a cat washes her kittens. There are lots of personal habits the
+description of which might scatter the reading circle, so I will desist
+with the bald statement, that, for them, dirt and filth have no
+terrors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+SLEDGING TO CAPE COLUMBIA--HOT SOLDERING IN COLD WEATHER
+
+
+If you will get out your geography and turn to the map of the Western
+Hemisphere you will be able to follow me. Take the seventieth meridian,
+west. It is the major meridian of the Western Hemisphere, its northern
+land extremity being Cape Columbia, Grant Land; southward it crosses our
+own Cape Cod and the island of Santo Domingo, and runs down through the
+Andes to Cape Horn, the southern extremity of South America.
+
+The seventieth meridian was our pathway to the Pole, based on the west
+longitude of 70 deg.. Both Professor Marvin and Captain Bartlett took their
+observations at their respective farthests, and at the Pole, where all
+meridians meet, Commander Peary took his elevations of the sun, based on
+the local time of the Columbian meridian.
+
+Cape Columbia was discovered over fifty years ago, by the intrepid
+Captain Hall, who gave his life to Arctic exploration, and lies buried
+on the Greenland coast. From the time of the arrival of the _Roosevelt_
+at Cape Sheridan, the previous September, communications with Cape
+Columbia were opened up, the trail was made and kept open all through
+the winter by constant travel between the ship and the cape. Loads of
+supplies, in anticipation of the start for the Pole, were sledged there.
+
+The route to Cape Columbia is through a region of somber magnificence.
+Huge beetling cliffs overlook the pathway; dark savage headlands, around
+which we had to travel, project out into the ice-covered waters of the
+ocean, and vast stretches of wind-swept plains meet the eye in alternate
+changes. From Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia is a distance of
+ninety-three miles. In ordinary weather, it took about three and a half
+marches, although on the return from the Pole it was covered in two
+marches, men and dogs breezing in.
+
+On February 18, 1909, I left the _Roosevelt_ on what might be a
+returnless journey. The time to strike had come. Captain Bartlett and
+Dr. Goodsell had already started. The Commander gave me strict orders to
+the effect that I must get to Porter Bay, pick up the cache of alcohol
+left there late in the previous week, solder up the leaks, and take it
+to Cape Columbia, there to await his arrival. The cause of the
+alcohol-leakage was due to the jolting of the sledges over the rough
+ice, puncturing the thin tin of the alcohol-cases.
+
+I wish you could have seen me soldering those tins, under the conditions
+of darkness, intense cold, and insufficient furnace arrangement I had to
+endure. If there ever was a job for a demon in Hades, that was it. I
+vividly recall it. At the same instant I was in imminent danger of
+freezing to death and being burned alive; and the mental picture of
+those three fur-clad men, huddled around the little oil-stove heating
+the soldering-iron, and the hot solder dripping on the tin, is amusing
+now; but we were anything but amused then. The following is transcribed
+from my diary:
+
+February 18, 1909: Weather clear, temperature 28 deg. at five A. M. We were
+ready to leave the ship at seven-thirty A. M., but a blinding gale
+delayed our start until nine A. M. Two parties have left for Columbia:
+Professor MacMillan, three boys, four sledges, and twenty-four dogs; and
+my party of three boys and the same outfit. Each sledge is loaded with
+about two hundred and fifty pounds of provisions, consisting of
+pemmican, biscuits, tea, and alcohol. The Arctic night still holds sway,
+but to-day at noon, far to the south, a thin band of twilight shows,
+giving promise of the return of the sun, and every day now will increase
+in light. Heavy going to Porter Bay, where we are to spend the night,
+and as soon as rested start to work soldering up the thirty-six leaky
+alcohol tins left there by George Borup last week. Professor MacMillan
+and his party have not shown up yet. They dropped behind at Cape
+Richardson and we are keeping a watch for them. Snow still drifting and
+the wind howling like old times. Have had our evening meal of
+travel-rations; pemmican, biscuits, and tea and condensed milk, which
+was eaten with a relish. Two meals a day now, and big work between
+meals. No sign of Professor MacMillan and his crew, so we are going to
+turn in. The other igloo is waiting for him and the storm keeps up.
+
+February 19, 1909: It was six A. M. when I routed out the boys for
+breakfast. I am writing while the tea is brewing. Had a good sleep last
+night when I did get to sleep. Snoring, talk about snoring! Sleeping
+with Esquimos on either side, who have already fallen asleep, is
+impossible. The only way to get asleep is to wake them up, get them good
+and wide-awake, inquire solicitously as to their comfort, and before
+they can get to sleep fall asleep yourself. After that, their rhythmic
+snores will only tend to soothe and rest you.
+
+Worked all day soldering the tins of alcohol, and a very trying job it
+was. I converted the oil-stove into an alcohol-burner, and used it to
+heat the irons. It took some time for me to gauge properly the height
+above the blue flame of the alcohol at which I would get the best
+results in heating the irons, but at last we found it. A cradle-shaped
+support made from biscuit-can wire was hung over the flame about an inch
+above it, and while the boys heated the irons, I squatted on my knees
+with a case of alcohol across my lap and got to work. I had watched Mr.
+Wardwell aboard the ship solder up the cases and I found that watching a
+man work, and doing the same thing yourself, were two different matters.
+I tried to work with mittens on; I tried to work with them off. As soon
+as my bare fingers would touch the cold metal of the tins, they would
+freeze, and if I attempted to use the mittens they would singe and burn,
+and it was impossible to hold the solder with my bearskin gloves on. But
+keeping everlastingly at it brings success, and with the help of the
+boys the work was slowly but surely done.
+
+Early this evening Professor MacMillan and his caravan arrived. He
+complimented me on the success of my work and informed me that they
+camped at Cape Richardson last night and that the trail had been pretty
+well blown over by the storm, but that the sledge-tracks were still to
+be seen. Dead tired, but not cold or uncomfortable. The stew is ready
+and so am I. Goodnight!
+
+February 20: Wind died down, sky clear, and weather cold as usual. Our
+next point is Sail Harbor and after breakfast we set out. The Professor
+has asked me the most advisable way; whether to keep to the sea-ice or
+go overland, and we have agreed to follow the northern route, overland
+across Fielden Peninsula, using Peary's Path. By this route we estimate
+a saving of eight miles of going, and we will hit the beach at James
+Ross Bay.
+
+Five P. M.: Sail Harbor. Stopped writing to eat breakfast, and then we
+loaded up and started. Reached here about an hour ago and from the fresh
+tracks in the snow, the Captain's or the Doctor's party have just
+recently left. It was evidently Doctor Goodsell and his crew who were
+here last; for Captain Bartlett left the _Roosevelt_ on February 15 and
+the Doctor did not leave until the 16th. The going has been heavy, due
+to loose snow and heavy winds. Also intense cold; the thermometers are
+all out of commission, due to bubbles; but a frozen bottle of brandy
+proves that we had at least 45 deg. of cold. The igloo I built last December
+5 is the one my party are camped in. Professor MacMillan and his party
+kept up with us all day, and it was pleasant to have his society.
+Writing is difficult, the kettle is boiled, so here ends to-day's
+entry.
+
+February 21: Easy wind, clear sky, but awful cold. Going across Clements
+Markham Inlet was fine, and we were able to steal a ride on the sledges
+most of the way, but we all had our faces frosted, and my short flat
+nose, which does not readily succumb to the cold, suffered as much as
+did MacMillan's. Even these men of iron, the Esquimos, suffered from the
+cold, Ootah freezing the great toe of his right foot. Perforce, he was
+compelled to thaw it out in the usual way; that is, taking off his kamik
+and placing his freezing foot under my bearskin shirt, the heat of my
+body thawing out the frozen member.
+
+Cape Colan was reached about half past nine this morning. There we
+reloaded, and I fear overloaded, the sledges, from the cache which has
+been placed there. Our loads average about 550 pounds per sledge and we
+have left a lot of provisions behind.
+
+We are at Cape Good Point, having been unable to make Cape Columbia, and
+have had to build an igloo. With our overloaded sledges this has been a
+hard day's work. The dogs pulled, and we pushed, and frequently lifted
+the heavily loaded sledges through the deep, soft snow; but we did not
+dump any of our loads. Although the boys wanted to, I would not stand
+for it. The bad example of seeing some piles of provision-cases which
+had been unloaded by the preceding parties was what put the idea in
+their heads.
+
+We will make Cape Columbia to-morrow and will have to do no
+back-tracking. We are moving forward. I have started for a place, and do
+not intend to run back to get a better start.
+
+February 22, 1909: Cape Columbia. We left Cape Good Point at seven A. M.
+and reached Cape Columbia at eight P. M. No wind, but weather thick and
+hazy, and the same old cold. About two miles from Good Point, we passed
+the Doctor's igloo. About a mile beyond this, we passed the "Crystal
+Palace" that had been occupied by the Captain. Six miles farther north,
+we passed a second igloo, which had been built by the Doctor's party.
+How did we know who had built and occupied these igloos? It was easy, as
+an Esquimo knows and recognizes another Esquimo's handwork, the same as
+you recognize the handwriting of your friends. I noted the neat,
+orderly, shipshape condition of the Captain's igloo, and the empty
+cocoa-tins scattered around the Doctor's igloo. The Doctor was the only
+one who had cocoa as an article of supply.
+
+Following the trail four miles farther north, we passed the Captain's
+second igloo. He had unloaded his three sledges here and gone on to Parr
+Bay to hunt musk-oxen. We caught up with the Doctor and his party at the
+end of the ice-foot and pushed on to Cape Columbia. We found but one
+igloo here and I did the "after you my dear Alphonse," and the Doctor
+got the igloo. My boys and I have built a good big one in less than an
+hour, and we are now snug and warm.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+IN CAMP AT COLUMBIA--LITERARY IGLOOS--THE MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION OF THE
+ARCTIC
+
+
+Our heavy furs had been made by the Esquimo women on board the ship and
+had been thoroughly aired and carefully packed on the sledges. We were
+to discard our old clothes before leaving the land and endeavor to be in
+the cleanest condition possible while contending with the ice, for we
+knew that we would get dirty enough without having the discomfort of
+vermin added. It is easy to become vermin-infested, and when all forms
+of life but man and dog seem to have disappeared, the bedbug still
+remains. Each person had taken a good hot bath with plenty of soap and
+water before we left the ship, and we had given each other what we
+called a "prize-fighter's hair-cut." We ran the clippers from forehead
+back, all over the head, and we looked like a precious bunch but we had
+hair enough on our heads by the time we came back from our three months'
+journey, and we needed a few more baths and new clothes.
+
+When I met Dr. Goodsell at Cape Columbia, about a week after he had left
+the ship, he had already raised quite a beard, and, as his hair was
+black and heavy, it made quite a change in his appearance. The effect of
+the long period of darkness had been to give his complexion a
+greenish-yellow tinge. My complexion reminded him of a ginger cake with
+too much saleratus in it.
+
+February 23: Heavy snow-fall but practically no wind this morning at
+seven o'clock, when Dr. Goodsell left his igloo for Cape Colan to pick
+up the load he had left there when he lightened his sledges, also some
+loads of pemmican and biscuits that had been cached. We had supper
+together and also breakfast this morning, and as we ate we laughed and
+talked, and I taught him a few tricks for keeping himself warm.
+
+In spite of the snow, which was still falling, I routed out my boys, and
+in the dark we left camp for the western side of the cape, to get the
+four sledge-loads of rations that had been taken there the previous
+November. Got the loads and pushed south to Cape Aldrich, which is a
+point on the promontory of Cape Columbia. From Cape Aldrich the
+Commander intends to attack the sea-ice.
+
+After unloading the supplies on the point, we came back to camp at Cape
+Columbia. Shortly afterwards Captain Bartlett came into camp from his
+musk-ox-hunt around Parr Bay. He had not shot a thing and was very tired
+and discouraged, but I think he was glad to see me. He was so hungry
+that I gave him all the stew, which he swallowed whole.
+
+MacMillan and his party showed up about an hour after the Captain, and
+very shortly after George Borup came driving in, like "Ann Eliza
+Johnson, a swingin' down the line." I helped Mr. Borup build his igloo,
+for which he was grateful. He is a plucky young fellow and is always
+cheerful. He told us that Professor Marvin, according to the schedule,
+had left the ship on the 20th, and the Commander on the 21st, so they
+must be well on the way.
+
+While waiting in this camp for the Commander and Professor Marvin to
+arrive, we had plenty of work; re-adjusting the sledge-loads and also
+building snow-houses and banking them with blocks of snow, for the wind
+had eroded one end of my igloo and completely razed it to the level of
+the ground, and a more solidly constructed igloo was necessary to
+withstand the fury of the gale.
+
+We kept a fire going in one igloo and dried our mittens and kamiks.
+Though the tumpa, tumpa, plunk of the banjo was not heard, and our
+camp-fires were not scenes of revelry and joy, I frequently did the
+double-shuffle and an Old Virginia break-down, to keep my blood
+circulating.
+
+The hours preceding our advance from Cape Columbia were pleasantly
+spent, though we lost no time in literary debates. There were a few
+books along.
+
+Out on the ice of the Polar ocean, as far as reading matter went, I
+think Dr. Goodsell had a very small set of Shakespeare, and I know that
+I had a Holy Bible. The others who went out on the ice may have had
+reading matter with them, but they did not read it out loud, and so I
+am not in a position to say what their literary tastes were.
+
+Even on shipboard, we had no pigskin library or five-foot shelf of
+sleep-producers, but each member had some favorite books in his cabin,
+and they helped to form a circulating library.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+While we waited here, we had time to appreciate the magnificent
+desolation about us. Even on the march, with loaded sledges and tugging
+dogs to engage attention, unconsciously one finds oneself with wits
+wool-gathering and eyes taking in the scene, and suddenly being brought
+back to the business of the hour by the fiend-like conduct of his team.
+
+There is an irresistible fascination about the regions of northern-most
+Grant Land that is impossible for me to describe. Having no poetry in my
+soul, and being somewhat hardened by years of experience in that
+inhospitable country, words proper to give you an idea of its unique
+beauty do not come to mind. Imagine gorgeous bleakness, beautiful
+blankness. It never seems broad, bright day, even in the middle of June,
+and the sky has the different effects of the varying hours of morning
+and evening twilight from the first to the last peep of day. Early in
+February, at noon, a thin band of light appears far to the southward,
+heralding the approach of the sun, and daily the twilight lengthens,
+until early in March, the sun, a flaming disk of fiery crimson, shows
+his distorted image above the horizon. This distorted shape is due to
+the mirage caused by the cold, just as heat-waves above the rails on a
+railroad-track distort the shape of objects beyond.
+
+The south sides of the lofty peaks have for days reflected the glory of
+the coming sun, and it does not require an artist to enjoy the
+unexampled splendor of the view. The snows covering the peaks show all
+of the colors, variations, and tones of the artist's palette, and more.
+Artists have gone with us into the Arctic and I have heard them rave
+over the wonderful beauties of the scene, and I have seen them at work
+trying to reproduce some of it, with good results but with nothing like
+the effect of the original. As Mr. Stokes said, "it is color run riot."
+
+To the northward, all is dark and the brighter stars of the heavens are
+still visible, but growing fainter daily with the strengthening of the
+sunlight.
+
+When the sun finally gets above the horizon and swings his daily circle,
+the color effects grow less and less, but then the sky and cloud-effects
+improve and the shadows in the mountains and clefts of the ice show
+forth their beauty, cold blues and grays; the bare patches of the land,
+rich browns; and the whiteness of the snow is dazzling. At midday, the
+optical impression given by one's shadow is of about nine o'clock in the
+morning, this due to the altitude of the sun, always giving us long
+shadows. Above us the sky is blue and bright, bluer than the sky of the
+Mediterranean, and the clouds from the silky cirrus mare's-tails to the
+fantastic and heavy cumulus are always objects of beauty. This is the
+description of fine weather.
+
+Almost any spot would have been a fine one to get a round of views from;
+at Cape Sheridan, our headquarters, we were bounded by a series of land
+marks that have become historical; to the north, Cape Hecla, the point
+of departure of the 1906 expedition; to the west, Cape Joseph Henry,
+and beyond, the twin peaks of Cape Columbia rear their giant summits out
+to the ocean.
+
+From Cape Columbia the expedition was now to leave the land and sledge
+over the ice-covered ocean four hundred and thirteen miles north--to the
+Pole!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+READY FOR THE DASH TO THE POLE--THE COMMANDER'S ARRIVAL
+
+
+The Diary--February 23: Heavy snow-fall and furious winds; accordingly
+intense darkness and much discomfort.
+
+There was a heavy gale blowing at seven o'clock in the morning, on
+February 22, and the snow was so thick and drifty that we kept close to
+our igloos and made no attempt to do more than feed the dogs. My igloo
+was completely covered with snow and the one occupied by Dr. Goodsell
+was blown away, so that he had to have another one, which I helped to
+build.
+
+The wind subsided considerably, leaving a thick haze, but after
+breakfast, Professor MacMillan, Mr. Borup, and their parties, left camp
+for Cape Colan, to get the supplies they had dumped there, and carry
+them to Cape Aldrich. I took one Esquimo, Pooadloonah, and one sledge
+from the Captain's party, and with my own three boys, Ooblooyah, Ootah,
+and I-forget-his-name, and a howling mob of dogs, we left for the
+western side of Cape Columbia, and got the rest of the pemmican and
+biscuits. On the way back, we met the Captain, who was out taking
+exercise. He had nothing to say; he did not shake hands, but there was
+something in his manner to show that he was glad to see us. With the
+coming of the daylight a man gets more cheerful, but it was still
+twilight when we left Cape Columbia, and melancholy would sometimes
+grip, as it often did during the darkness of midwinter.
+
+Captain Bartlett helped us to push the loaded sledges to Cape Aldrich
+and nothing was left at Cape Columbia.
+
+When we got back to camp we found Professor Marvin and his party of
+three Esquimos there. They had just reached the camp and were at work
+building an igloo.
+
+Professor Marvin came over to our igloo and changed his clothes; that
+is, in a temperature of at least 45 deg. below zero, by the light of my
+lantern he coolly and calmly stripped to the pelt, and proceeded to
+cloth himself in the new suit of reindeerskin and polar bearskin
+clothing, that had been made for him by the Esquimo woman,
+Ahlikahsingwah, aboard the _Roosevelt_. It had taken him and his party
+five days to make the trip from Sheridan to Columbia.
+
+February 26: This from my log: "Clear, no wind, temperature 57 deg. below
+zero." Listen! I will tell you about it. At seven A. M. we quit trying
+to sleep and started the pot a-boiling. A pint of hot tea gave us a
+different point of view, and Professor Marvin handed me the thermometer,
+which I took outside and got the reading; 57 deg. below; that is cold
+enough. I have seen it lower, but after forty below the difference is
+not appreciable.
+
+I climbed to the highest pinnacle of the cape and in the gathering
+daylight gazed out over the ice-covered ocean to get an idea of its
+condition. At my back lay the land of sadness, just below me the little
+village of snow-houses, the northern-most city on the earth (Commander
+Peary give it the name Crane City), and, stretching wide and far to the
+northward, the irresistible influence that beckoned us on; broken ice, a
+sinister chaos, through which we would have to work our way. Dark and
+heavy clouds along the horizon gave indication of open water, and it was
+easy to see that the rough and heavy shore-ice would make no jokes for
+us to appreciate.
+
+About an hour or so after the midday meal, a loud outcry from the dogs
+made me go outside to see what was up. This was on the afternoon of
+February 26. I quickly saw what the dogs were excited about.
+
+With a "Whoop halloo," three Komaticks were racing and tearing down the
+gradient of the land to our camp, and all of us were out to see the
+finish. Kudlooktoo and Arkeo an even distance apart; and, heads up,
+tails up, a full five sledge-lengths ahead, with snowdust spinning free,
+the dog-team of the ever victorious Peary in the lead. The caravan came
+to a halt with a grandstand finish that it would have done you good to
+witness.
+
+The Commander didn't want to stop. He immediately commenced to shout and
+issue orders, and, by the time he had calmed down, both Captain Bartlett
+and George Borup had loaded up and pushed forward on to the ice of the
+Arctic Ocean, bound for the trophy of over four hundred years of
+effort. The Peary discipline is the iron hand ungloved. From now on we
+must be indifferent to comfort, and like poor little Joe, in "Bleak
+House" we must always be moving on.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+FORWARD! MARCH!
+
+
+Commander Peary was an officer of the United States Navy, but there
+never was the slightest military aspect to any of his expeditions. No
+banners flying, no trumpets blaring, and no sharp, incisive commands.
+Long ago, crossing the ice-cap of North Greenland, he carried a wand of
+bamboo, on one end of which was attached a little silk guidon, with a
+star embroidered on it, but even that had been discarded and the only
+thing military about this expedition was his peremptory "Forward!
+March!" What flags we had were folded and stowed on Commander Peary's
+sledge, and broken-out only at the North Pole.
+
+Captain Bartlett and Mr. George Borup were all alert and at attention,
+the command of preparation and the command of execution were quickly
+given in rapid succession, and they were off.
+
+From the diary.
+
+February 28, 1909: A bright, clear morning. Captain Bartlett and his
+crew, Ooqueah, Pooadloonah, and Harrigan; and George Borup and Karko,
+Seegloo, and Keshungwah, have set sail and are on their way.
+
+Captain Bartlett made the trail and George Borup was the scout, and a
+rare "Old Scout" he was. He kept up the going for three days and then
+came back to the land to start again with new loads of supplies.
+
+The party that stayed at Crane City until March 1, consisted of
+Commander Peary, MacMillan, Goodsell, Marvin, myself, and fourteen
+Esquimos, whom you don't know, and ninety-eight dogs, that you may have
+heard about.
+
+The dogs were double-fed and we put a good meal inside ourselves before
+turning-in on the night of February 28, 1909. The next morning was to be
+our launching, and we went to sleep full of the thought of what was
+before us. From now on it was keep on going, and keep on--and we kept
+on; sometimes in the face of storms of wind and snow that it is
+impossible for you to imagine.
+
+[Illustration: ROBERT E. PEARY IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS]
+
+[Illustration: THE FOUR NORTH POLE ESKIMOS
+
+(From Henson's own Photograph)]
+
+Day does not break in the Arctic regions, it just comes on quietly the
+same as down here, but I must say that at daybreak on March 1, 1909, we
+were all excitement and attention. A furious wind was blowing, which we
+took as a good omen; for, on all of Commander Peary's travelings, a good
+big, heavy, storm of blinding snow has been his stirrup-cup and here he
+had his last. Systematically we had completed our preparations on the
+two days previous, so that, by six A. M. of the 1st of March, we were
+ready and standing at the upstanders of our sledges, awaiting the
+command "Forward! March!"
+
+Already, difficulties had commenced. Ooblooyah and Slocum (Esquimo name,
+Inighito, but, on account of his dilatory habits, known as Slocum) were
+incapacitated; Ooblooyah with a swelled knee, and Slocum with a frozen
+heel. The cold gets you in most any place, up there.
+
+I and my three boys were ordered to take the lead. We did so, at about
+half past six o'clock in the morning. Forward! March! and we were off.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+FIGHTING UP THE POLAR SEA--HELD UP BY THE "BIG LEAD"
+
+
+Following the trail made by Captain Bartlett, we pushed off, every man
+at the upstander of his sledge to urge his team by whip and voice. It
+was only when we had perfect going over sheets of young ice that we were
+able to steal a ride on the sledges.
+
+The trail led us over the glacial fringe for a quarter of a mile, and
+the going was fairly easy, but, after leaving the land ice-foot, the
+trail plunged into ice so rough that we had to use pickaxes to make a
+pathway. It took only about one mile of such going, and my sledge split.
+
+"Number one," said I to myself, and I came to a halt. The gale was still
+blowing, but I started to work on the necessary repairs. I have
+practically built one sledge out of two broken ones, while out on the
+ice and in weather almost as bad as this; and I have almost daily
+during the journey had to repair broken sledges, sometimes under fiercer
+conditions; and so I will describe this one job and hereafter, when
+writing about repairing a sledge, let it go at that.
+
+Cold and windy. Undo the lashings, unload the load, get out the brace
+and bit and bore new holes, taking plenty of time, for, in such cold,
+there is danger of the steel bit breaking. Then, with ungloved hands,
+thread the sealskin thongs through the hole. The fingers freeze. Stop
+work, pull the hand through the sleeve, and take your icy fingers to
+your heart; that is, put your hand under your armpit, and when you feel
+it burning you know it has thawed out. Then start to work again. By this
+time the party has advanced beyond you and, as orders are orders, and
+you have been ordered to take the lead, you have to start, catch up, and
+pass the column before you have reached your station.
+
+Of course, in catching up and overtaking the party, you have the
+advantage of the well-marked trail they have made. Once again in the
+lead; and my boy, Ootah, had to up and break his sledge, and there was
+some more tall talking when the Commander caught up with us and left us
+there mending it. A little farther on, and the amiable Kudlooktoo, who
+was in my party at the time, busted his sledge. You would have thought
+that Kudlooktoo was the last person in Commander Peary's estimation,
+when he got through talking to him and telling him what he thought of
+him. The sledge was so badly broken it had to be abandoned. The load was
+left on the spot where the accident happened, and Kudlooktoo, much
+chastened and crestfallen, drove his team of dogs back to the land for a
+new sledge.
+
+We did not wait for him, but kept on for about two hours longer, when we
+reached the Captain's first igloo, twelve miles out; a small day's
+traveling, but we were almost dead-beat, from having battled all day
+with the wind, which had blown a full-sized gale. No other but a Peary
+party would have attempted to travel in such weather. Our breath was
+frozen to our hoods of fur and our cheeks and noses frozen. Spreading
+our furs upon the snow, we dropped down and endeavored to sleep, but
+sound sleep was impossible. It was a night of Plutonian Purgatory. All
+through the night I would wake from the cold and beat my arms or feet to
+keep the circulation going, and I would hear one or both of my boys
+doing the same. I did not make any entries in the diary that day, and
+there was many a day like it after that.
+
+It was cold and dark when we left camp number one on the morning of
+March 2, at half past six o'clock. Breakfast had warmed us up a bit, but
+the hard pemmican had torn and cut the roofs and sides of our mouths so
+that we did not eat a full meal, and we decided that at our next camp we
+would boil the pemmican in the tea and have a combination stew. I will
+say now that this experiment was tried, but it made such an unwholesome
+mess that it was never repeated.
+
+The Captain's and Borup's trail was still evident, in spite of the low
+drifts of the snow, but progress was slow. We were still in the heavy
+rubble-ice and had to continuously hew our way with pickaxes to make a
+path for the sledges. While we were at work making a pathway, the dogs
+would curl up and lie down with their noses in their tails, and we
+would have to come back and start them, which was always the signal for
+a fight or two. We worked through the belt of rubble-ice at last, and
+came up with the heavy old floes and rafters of ice-blocks, larger than
+very large flag-stones and fully as thick as they were long and wide;
+the fissures between them full of the drifted snow. Even with our broad
+snow-shoes on, we sank knee-deep, and the dogs were in up to their
+breasts, the sledges up to the floors and frequently turning over, so it
+was a long time before we had covered seven miles, to be stopped by open
+water. I took no chances on this lead, although afterwards I did not
+hesitate at more desperate looking leads than this was. Instead of
+ferrying across on a block of ice, I left one of my boys to attend the
+dogs and sledges, and with Ootah I started to reconnoiter. We found that
+there were two leads, and the safest way to cross the first was to go
+west to a point where the young ice was strong enough to bear the weight
+of the sledges. We got across and had not gone very far before the other
+lead, in spite of a detour to the east, effectually blocked us. Starting
+back to the sledges, Ootah said he was "_damn feel good_," and in
+Esquimo gave me to understand that he was going back to the ship. I
+tried to tell him different, as we walked back; and when we reached camp
+we found the Commander and his party, who had just come in; and the
+Commander gave Ootah to distinctly understand that he was not going back
+just yet. Orders were given to camp, and while the igloos were being
+built, Marvin and MacMillan took soundings. There had been more daylight
+than on the day before, and the gale had subsided considerably, but it
+was dark when we turned in to have our evening meal and sleep.
+
+March 3: Right after breakfast, my party immediately started, taking the
+trail I had found the day previous. Examining the ice, we went to the
+westward, until we came to the almost solid new ice, and we took a
+chance. The ice commenced to rafter under us, but we got across safely
+with our loads, and started east again, for two miles; when we found
+ourselves on an island of ice completely surrounded by the heavy
+raftered ice. Here we halted and mended sledges and in the course of an
+hour the whole party had caught up. The ice had begun to rafter and the
+shattering reports made a noise that was almost ear-splitting, but we
+pushed and pulled and managed to get out of the danger-zone, and kept
+going northwestward, in the hope of picking up the trail of the Captain
+and Borup, which we did after a mile of going. Close examination of the
+trail showed us that Borup and his party had retraced their steps and
+gone quite a distance west in order to cross the lead. It was on this
+march that we were to have met Borup and his party returning, so Marvin
+and his boy Kyutah were sent to look them up. The rest of the party kept
+on in the newly found trail and came to the igloo and cache that had
+been left there by Borup. The Commander went into the igloo, and we made
+the dogs fast and built our own igloos, made our tea and went to sleep.
+
+March 4: Heavy snow fall; but Commander Peary routed out all hands, and
+by seven o'clock we were following the Captain's trail. Very rough
+going, and progress slow up to about nine o'clock, when conditions
+changed. We reached heavy, old floes of waving blue ice, the best
+traveling on sea ice I had ever encountered in eighteen years'
+experience. We went so fast that we more than made up for lost time and
+at two o'clock, myself in the lead, we reached the igloo built by
+Captain Bartlett. It had been arranged that I should stop for one sleep
+at every igloo built by the Captain, and that he should leave a note in
+his igloo for my instructions; but, in spite of these previous
+arrangements, I felt that with such good traveling it would be just as
+wise to keep on going, and so we did, but it was only about half or
+three-quarters of an hour later when we were stopped by a lead, beside
+which the Captain had camped. With Ootah and Tommy to help, we built an
+igloo and crawled inside. Two hours later, the Commander and his party
+arrived, and we crawled out and turned the igloo over to him. Tommy,
+Ootah, and I then built another igloo, crawled inside, and blocked the
+doorway up with a slab of snow, determined not to turn out again until
+we had had a good feed and snooze.
+
+From my diary, the first entry since leaving the land; with a couple of
+comments added afterward:
+
+March 5: A clear bright morning, 20 deg. below zero; quite comfortable.
+Reached here yesterday at two-forty-five P. M., after some of the finest
+going I have ever seen. Commander Peary, Captain Bartlett, and Dr.
+Goodsell here, and fourteen Esquimos. First view of the sun to-day, for
+a few minutes at noon, makes us all cheerful. It was a crimson sphere,
+just balanced on the brink of the world. Had the weather been favorable,
+we could have seen the sun several days earlier. Every day following he
+will get higher and higher, until he finally swings around the sky above
+the horizon for the full twenty-four hours.
+
+Early in the morning of the 5th, Peary sent a detachment of three
+Esquimos, in charge of MacMillan, back to bring in Borup's cache, left
+by him at the point where he turned back to return to the land for more
+loads. This detachment was back in camp by four o'clock in the afternoon
+of the same day. Nothing left to do but to rearrange the loads and wait
+for the lead to close.
+
+The land is still in sight. Professor Marvin has gone back with two boys
+and is expected to keep on to the alcohol cache at Cape Columbia, turn
+back and meet us here, or, if the ice freezes, to follow us until he
+catches up with us. We are husbanding our fuel, and two meals a day is
+our programme. We are still south of the Big Lead of 1906, but to all
+intents and purposes this is it. I am able to recognize many of the
+characteristics of it, and I feel sure it is the same old lead that gave
+us many an anxious hour in our upward and downward journey three years
+ago.
+
+Fine weather, but we are still south of the 84th parallel and this open
+water marks it. 8 deg. below zero and all comfortable. We should be doing
+twenty or twenty-five miles a day good traveling, but we are halted by
+this open water.
+
+March 7: Professor MacMillan came into camp to-day with the cache he had
+picked up. There was quite a hullabaloo among the boys, and a great deal
+of argument as to who owned various articles of provender and equipment
+that had been brought into camp by MacMillan, and even I was on the
+point of jumping into the fracas in order to see fair play, until a wink
+from MacMillan told me that it was simply a put-up job of his to
+disconcert the Esquimos. Confidentially and on the side he has been
+dressing his heel, which in spite of all keeps on freezing, and is in
+very bad shape. His kamiks stick to the loose flesh and the skin will
+not form. All of the frost has been taken out, but I think skin-grafting
+is the only thing that will cure it. He wants to keep on going and asks
+me how far we have gone and wants to know if he shall tell Commander
+Peary about his injury. I have advised him to make a clean breast of it,
+but he feels good for a week or so more, and it is up to him.
+
+We eat, and sleep, and watch the lead, and wonder. Are we to be repulsed
+again? Is the unseen, mysterious guardian of this mist-covered region
+foiling us? The Commander is taking it with a great deal more patience
+than he usually has with obstacles, but in the face of this one he
+probably realizes the necessity of a calm, philosophic mood.
+
+Captain Bartlett has been here longer than any of us, and he is
+commencing to get nervous. Commander Peary and he have done what is
+nautically known as "swinging the ship," for the purpose of correcting
+compass errors, and after that there is nothing for them to do but
+wait. Captain Bartlett describes it as "Hell on Earth"; the Commander
+has nothing to say, and I agree with him. Dr. Goodsell reads from his
+little books, studies Esquimo language, writes in his diary and talks to
+me and the rest of the party, and waits.
+
+Professor MacMillan, with his eye ever to the south, and an occasional
+glance at his frozen heel, cracks a joke and bids us be cheerful. He is
+one _man_, and has surely made good. His first trip to this forsaken
+region, yet he wakes up from his sleep with a smile on his face and a
+question as to how a nice, large, juicy steak would go about now. This
+is no place for jokes, yet his jokes are cheering and make us all feel
+more light-hearted. He is the "life of the funeral" and by his
+cheerfulness has kept our spirits from sinking to a dead level, and when
+the Esquimos commenced to get cranky, by his diplomacy he brought them
+to think of other subjects than going back to the ship.
+
+He has started to kid us along by instituting a series of competitions
+in athletic endeavors, and the Esquimos fall for it like the Innocents
+that they are, and that is the object he is after. They have tried all
+of their native stunts, wrestling, boxing, thumb-pulling, and
+elbow-tests; and each winner has been awarded a prize. Most of the
+prizes are back on the ship and include the anchors, rudders, keel, and
+spars. Everything else has long since been given away, and these people
+have keen memories.
+
+The Big Lead has no attraction for the Esquimos and the waiting for a
+chance to cross it has given them much opportunity to complain of cold
+feet. It is fierce, listening to their whines and howls. Of all
+yellow-livered curs deliver me. We have the best Esquimos in the tribe
+with us, and expect them to remain steadfast and loyal, but after they
+have had time to realize their position, the precariousness of it begins
+to magnify and they start in to whimper, and beg to be allowed to go
+back. They remember the other side of this damnable open water and what
+it meant to get back in 1906. I do not blame them, but I have had the
+Devil's own time in making my boys and some of the others see it the way
+the Commander wants us to look at it.
+
+Indeed, two of the older ones, Panikpah and Pooadloonah, became so
+fractious that the Commander sent them back, with a written order to
+Gushue on the ship, to let them pack up their things and take their
+families and dogs back to Esquimo land, which they did. When the
+_Roosevelt_ reached Etah the following August, on her return, these two
+men were there, fat and healthy, and merrily greeted us. No hard
+feelings whatever.
+
+March 10: We could have crossed to-day, but there was a chance of Marvin
+and Borup catching up with their loads of alcohol, etc. Whether they
+catch up or not, to-morrow, early, we start across, and the indications
+are that the going will be heavy, for the ice is piled in rafters of
+pressure-ridges.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was exasperating; seven precious days of fine weather lost; and fine
+weather is the exception, not the rule, in the Arctic. Here we were
+resting in camp, although we were not extremely tired and nowhere near
+exhausted. We were ready and anxious to travel on the 5th, next morning
+after we reached the "Big Lead," but were perforce compelled to
+inaction. And so did we wait for nearly seven days beside that lead,
+before conditions were favorable for a crossing.
+
+But early in the morning of March 11th the full party started; through
+the heaviest of going imaginable. Neither Borup nor Marvin had caught
+up, but we felt that unless something had happened to them, they would
+surely catch up in a few more days.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+PIONEERING THE WAY--BREAKING SLEDGES
+
+
+March 11, 1909: Clear, 45 deg.. Off we go! Marvin and Borup have not yet
+shown up, but the lead is shut and the orders since yesterday afternoon
+have been to stand by for only twelve hours more; and while the tea is
+brewing I am using the warmth to write. We could have crossed thirty
+hours ago, but Commander Peary would not permit us to take chances; he
+wants to keep the party together as long as possible, and expects to
+have to send at least eight men back after the next march. MacMillan is
+not fit, and there are four or five of the natives who should be sent
+away. Three Esquimos apiece are too many, and I think Commander Peary is
+about ready to split the different crews of men and dogs. He himself is
+in very good shape and, due to his example, Captain Bartlett has again
+taken the field. A heavy storm of wind and snow is in progress, but the
+motion of the ice remains satisfactory.
+
+This is not a regular camp. We are sheltered north of a huge
+paleocrystic floeberg; and the dogs are at rest, with their noses in
+their tails. Dr. Goodsell has set his boys to work building an igloo,
+which will not be needed, for I see Ooqueah and Egingwah piling up the
+loads on their sledges, and Professor MacMillan is very busy with his
+own personal sledge. No halt, only a breathing spell and, as I have
+predicted, we are on our way again. This is an extremely dangerous zone
+to halt or hazard in. The ice is liable to open here at any moment and
+let us either sink in the cold, black water or drift on a block of
+frozen ice, much too thin to enable us to get on to the heavy ice again.
+Three miles wide at least.
+
+The foregoing was written while out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean, just
+after crossing the raftered hummocks of the ice of the Big Lead. While
+we were waiting for the rest of the expedition to gather in, I slumped
+down behind a peak of land or paleocrystic ice, and made the entry in my
+diary. We were not tired out; we had had more than six days' rest at
+the lead; and when it closed we pushed on across the pressure-ridges on
+to the heavy and cumbrous ice of the circumpolar sea. We were sure that
+we had passed the main obstruction, and in spite of the failure of
+Marvin and Borup to come in with the essentials of fuel-alcohol and
+food, Commander Peary insisted on pushing forward.
+
+Prof. Donald B. MacMillan was with the party, but Commander Peary knew,
+without his telling him, that he was really no longer fit to travel, and
+Dr. Goodsell was not as far north of the land as original plans
+intended, so when both MacMillan and Goodsell were told that they must
+start back to the ship, I was not surprised.
+
+It was on March 14 that the first supporting-party finally turned back.
+It was my impression that Professor MacMillan would command it, but
+Commander Peary sent the Doctor back in charge, with the two boys Arco
+and Wesharkoupsi. A few hours before the turning back of Dr. Goodsell,
+an Esquimo courier from Professor Marvin's detachment had overtaken us,
+with the welcome news that both Borup and Marvin, with complete loads,
+were immediately in our rear, safe across the lead that had so long
+delayed us. I was given instructions to govern my conduct for the
+following five marches and I was told to be ready to start right after
+breakfast.
+
+Dr. Goodsell came to me, congratulated me and, with the best wishes for
+success, bade me good-by. He was loath to go back, but he returned to
+the ship with the hearty assurance of every one that he had done good
+and effective work, equal to the best efforts of the more experienced
+members of the party.
+
+My boys, Ootah, Ahwatingwah, and Koolootingwah, under my command started
+north, to pioneer the route for five full marches, and it was with a
+firm resolve that I determined to cover a big mileage. We had been
+having extreme cold weather, as low as 59 deg. below zero, and on the
+morning my party started the thermometers in the camp showed 49 deg. below
+zero.
+
+An hour's travel brought us to a small lead, which was avoided by making
+a detour, and about four miles beyond this lead we came up to heavy old
+floes, on which the snow lay deep and soft. The sledges would sink to
+the depth of the cross-bars. Traveling was slow, and the dogs became
+demons; at one time, sullen and stubborn; then wildly excited and
+savage; and in our handling of them I fear we became fiendlike
+ourselves. Frequently we would have to lift them bodily from the pits of
+snow, and snow-filled fissures they had fallen into, and I am now sorry
+to say that we did not do it gently. The dogs, feeling the additional
+strain, refused to make the slightest effort when spoken to or touched
+with the whip, and to break them of this stubbornness, and to prevent
+further trouble, I took the leader or king dog of one team and, in the
+presence of the rest of the pack, I clubbed him severely. The dogs
+realized what was required of them, and that I would exact it of them in
+spite of what they would do, and they became submissive and pulled
+willingly, myself and the Esquimos doing our share at the upstanders.
+
+We got over the heavy floe-ice, to find ourselves confronted with
+jagged, rough ice, where we had to pickax our way. In one place we came
+to pressure-ridges separated by a deep gulch of very rough and uneven
+ice, in crossing which it took two men to manage each sledge, and
+another man to help pull them up on to the more even ice. We crossed
+several leads, mostly frozen over, and kept on going for over twelve
+hours. The mileage was small and, instead of elation, I felt
+discouragement. Two of the sledges had split their entire length and had
+to be repaired, and the going had been such that we could not cover any
+distance. We had a good long rest at the Big Lead for over six days, but
+at the end of this, my first day's pioneering, I was as tired out as I
+have ever been. It should be understood that while I was pioneering I
+was carrying the full-loaded sledges with about 550 pounds, while the
+other parties that were in the lead never carried but half of the
+regular load, which made our progress much slower.
+
+March 15: Bright, clear, and I am sure as cold as the record-breaking
+cold of the day previous. We made an early start, with hopes high; but
+the first two hours' traveling was simply a repetition of the going of
+the day before. But after that, and to the end of the day's march, the
+surface of the ice over which we traveled was most remarkably smooth.
+The fallen snow had packed solid into the areas of rough ice and on the
+edges of the large floes. The dogs, with tails up and heads out, stamped
+off mile after mile in rapid succession, and when we camped I
+conservatively made the estimate fifteen miles. It has to be good going
+to make such a distance with loaded sledges, but we made it and I was
+satisfied.
+
+March 16: We started going over ice conditions similar to the good part
+of the day before, but our hopes were soon shattered when the ice
+changed completely and, from being stationary, a distinct motion become
+observable. The movement of the ice increased, and the rumbling and
+roaring, as it raftered, was deafening. A dense fog, the sure indication
+of open water, overhung us, and in due time we came to the open lead,
+over which small broken floes were scattered, interspersed with thin
+young ice. These floes were hardly thick enough to hold a dog safely,
+but, there being no other way, we were obliged to cross on them. We set
+out with jaws squared by anxiety. A false step by any one would mean the
+end. With the utmost care, the sledges were placed on the most solid
+floes, and, with Ootah, the most experienced, in the lead, we followed
+in single file. Once started, there was no stopping; but push on with
+the utmost care and even pressure. You know that we got across, but
+there were instants during the crossing when I had my strongest doubts.
+After crossing the lead, the ice condition became horrible. Almost at
+the same time, three of the sledges broke, one sledge being completely
+smashed to pieces. We were forced to camp and start to work making two
+whole sledges from the wreckage of the three broken ones.
+
+We had barely completed this work when the Commander, the Captain,
+Marvin, Borup, and Esquimos came in. I was glad to see them all again,
+especially the smiling face of George Borup, whom I had not seen since
+the day he left Cape Columbia.
+
+We learned that MacMillan had been sent back to the ship on the 15th,
+that the party had been delayed on the second day's march by a new lead,
+which widened so rapidly and to such an extent that it was feared to be
+the twin sister of the Big Lead farther back.
+
+March 17: The whole party, with the exception of Professor Marvin and
+his detachment, remained in camp. Marvin was sent ahead to plot a route
+for the next marches of the column, and the party in camp busied itself
+in the general work of repairing sledges and equipment.
+
+The morning of the 18th found the main column ready to start, and start
+it did, in spite of the dreary outlook due to the condition of the
+weather and of the ice. Thermometer 40 deg. below zero, and the loose ice to
+our right and in front distinctly in motion, but fortunately moving to
+the northward. A heavy wind of the force of a gale was at our backs, and
+for the first three miles our progress was slow. The hummocks of ice in
+wild disarrangement, and so difficult to cross that repeatedly the
+sledges were overturned; and one sledge was broken so badly that a halt
+had to be made to repair it. While repairing the sledge, our midday
+lunch of crackers was eaten. The dogs were not fed anything, experience
+having taught us that dogs will work better with hope for a reward in
+the future than when it is past.
+
+All that day the air was thick with haze and frost and we felt the cold
+even more than when the temperature was lower with the air clear. The
+wind would find the tiniest opening in our clothing and pierce us with
+the force of driving needles. Our hoods froze to our growing beards and
+when we halted we had to break away the ice that had been formed by the
+congealing of our breaths and from the moisture of perspiration exhaled
+by our bodies. When we finally camped and built our igloos, it was not
+with any degree of comfort that we lay down to rest. Actually it was
+more comfortable to keep on the march, and when we did rest it was
+fatigue that compelled.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII
+
+THE SUPPORTING-PARTIES BEGIN TO TURN BACK
+
+
+March 19: We left camp in a haze of bitter cold; the ice conditions
+about the same as the previous day; high rafters, huge and jagged; and
+we pickaxed the way continuously. By noontime, we found ourselves
+alongside of a lead covered by a film of young ice. We forced the dogs
+and they took it on the run, the ice undulating beneath them, the same
+as it does when little wanton boys play at _tickley benders_, often with
+serious results, on the newly formed ice on ponds and brooks down in
+civilization. Our _tickley benders_ were not done in the spirit of play,
+but on account of urgent necessity, and as it was I nearly suffered a
+serious loss of precious possessions.
+
+One of the sledges, driven by Ahwatingwah, broke through the ice and its
+load, which consisted of my extra equipment, such as kamiks, mittens,
+etc., was thoroughly soaked. Luckily for the boy, he was at the side of
+the sledge and escaped a ducking. Foolishly I rushed over, but, quickly
+realizing my danger, I slowed down, and with the utmost care he fished
+out the sledge, and the dogs, shaking as with palsy, were gently urged
+on. Walking wide, like the polar bear, we crept after, and without
+further incident reached the opposite side of the lead. My team had
+reached there before me and, with human intelligence, the dogs had
+dragged the sledge to a place of safety and were sitting on their
+haunches, with ears cocked forward, watching us in our precarious
+predicament. They seemed to rejoice at our deliverance, and as I went
+among them and untangled their traces I could not forbear giving each
+one an affectionate pat on the head.
+
+For the next five hours our trail lay over heavy pressure ridges, in
+some places sixty feet high. We had to make a trail over the mountains
+of ice and then come back for the sledges. A difficult climb began.
+Pushing from our very toes, straining every muscle, urging the dogs with
+voice and whip, we guided the sledges. On several occasions the dogs
+gave it up, standing still in their tracks, and we had to hold the
+sledges with the strength of our bones and muscles to prevent them from
+sliding backwards. When we had regained our equilibrium the dogs were
+again started, and in this way we gained the tops of the
+pressure-ridges.
+
+Going down on the opposite side was more nerve-racking. On the descent
+of one ridge, in spite of the experienced care of Ootah, the sledge
+bounded away from him, and at a declivity of thirty feet was completely
+wrecked. The frightened dogs dashed wildly in every direction to escape
+the falling sledge, and as quickly as possible we slid down the steep
+incline, at the same time guiding the dogs attached to the two remaining
+sledges. We rushed over, my two boys and I, to the spot where the poor
+dogs stood trembling with fright. We released them from the tangle they
+were in, and, with kind words and pats of the hand on their heads,
+quieted them. For over an hour we struggled with the broken pieces of
+the wreck and finally lashed them together with strips of _oog-sook_
+(seal-hide). We said nothing to the Commander when he caught up with
+us, but his quick eye took in at a glance the experience we had been
+through. The repairs having been completed, we again started. Before us
+stretched a heavy, old floe, giving us good going until we reached the
+lead, when the order was given to camp. We built our igloos, and boiled
+the tea and had what we called supper.
+
+Commander Peary called me over to his igloo and gave me my orders:
+first; that I should at once select the best dogs of the three teams, as
+the ones disqualified by me would on the following morning be sent back
+to the ship, in care of the third supporting party, which was to turn
+back. Secondly; that I should rearrange the loads on the remainder of
+the sledges, there now being ten in number. It was eight P. M. when I
+began work and two the following morning when I had finished.
+
+March 20: During the night, the Commander had a long talk with Borup,
+and in the morning my good friend, in command of the third supporting
+party, bade us all good-by and took his detachment back to land and
+headquarters. There were three Esquimos and seventeen dogs in his
+party. A fine and plucky young man, whose cheerful manner and ready
+willingness had made him a prime favorite; and he had done his work like
+an old campaigner.
+
+At the time of Borup's turning southward, Captain Bartlett, with two
+Esquimos, started out to the north to make trail. He was to act as
+pioneer. At ten-thirty A. M., I, with two Esquimos, followed; leaving at
+the igloos the Commander and Professor Marvin, with four Esquimos. The
+system of our marches from now on was that the first party, or pioneers,
+which consisted of Captain Bartlett, myself, and our Esquimos, should be
+trail-making, while the second party, consisting of Commander Peary and
+Marvin, with their Esquimos, should be sleeping; and while the first
+party was sleeping, the second should be traveling over the trail
+previously made. The sun was above the horizon the whole twenty-four
+hours of the day, and accordingly there was no darkness. Either the
+first or second party was always traveling, and progress was hourly
+made.
+
+March 21: Captain Bartlett got away early, leaving me in camp to await
+the arrival of Commander Peary and Marvin, with their party; and it was
+eight A. M. when they arrived. Commander Peary instructed me to the
+effect that, when I overtook the Captain, I should tell him to make as
+much speed as possible.
+
+The going was, for the first hour, over rough, raftered ice. Great care
+and caution had to be observed, but after that we reached a stretch of
+undulated, level ice, extending easily fifteen miles; and the
+exhilarating effect made our spirits rise. The snow-covering was soft,
+but with the help of our snow-shoes we paced off the miles, and at noon
+we caught up with the Captain and his boys. Together we traveled on, and
+at the end of an hour's going we halted for our noon-meal, consisting of
+a can of tea and three biscuits per man, the dogs doing the hungry
+looking on, as dogs have done and do and will do forever. As we sat and
+ate, we joshed each other, and the Esquimo boys joined in the
+good-natured raillery.
+
+The meal did not detain us long, and soon we were pushing on again as
+quickly as possible over the level ice, fearing that if we delayed the
+condition of the ice would change, for changes come suddenly, and
+frequently without warning. At nine P. M. we camped, the Captain having
+been on the go for fifteen hours, and I for thirteen; and we estimated
+that we had a good fourteen miles to our credit.
+
+March 22 was the finest day we had, and it was a day of unusual
+clearness and calm; practically no wind and a cloudless sky. The fields
+of ice and snow sparkled and glistened and the daylight lasted for the
+full twenty-four hours. It was six A. M. when Egingwah, the Commander's
+Esquimo courier, reached our camp, with the note of command and
+encouragement; and immediately the Captain and I left camp.
+
+Stretching to the northward was a brilliantly illuminated, level, and
+slightly drifted snow-plain, our imperial highway, presenting a
+spectacle grand and sublime; and we were truly grateful and inwardly
+prayed that this condition would last indefinitely. Without incident or
+accident, we marched on for fifteen hours, pacing off mile after mile in
+our steady northing, and at nine P. M. we halted. It was then we
+realized how utterly fatigued and exhausted we were. It took us over an
+hour and a half to build our igloos. We had a hard time finding suitable
+snow conditions for building them, and the weather was frightfully cold.
+The evening meal of pemmican-stew and tea was prepared, the dogs were
+fed, and we turned in.
+
+March 23: Our sleep-banked eyes were opened by the excitement caused by
+the arrival of Marvin and his division. He reported the same good going
+that we had had the day before, and also that he had taken an elevation
+of the sun and computed his latitude as 85 deg. 46' north. We turned the
+igloos over to Marvin and his Esquimos, who were to await the arrival of
+the Commander, and Captain Bartlett and myself got our parties under
+way.
+
+Conditions are never similar, no two days are the same; and our going
+this day was nothing like the paradise of the day before. At a little
+distance from the igloos we encountered high masses of heavily-rubbled,
+old ice. The making of a trail through these masses of ice caused us to
+use our pickaxes continuously. It was backing and filling all of the
+time. First we would reconnoiter, then we would hew our way and make
+the trail, then we would go back and, getting in the traces, help the
+dogs pull the sledges, which were still heavily loaded. This operation
+was repeated practically all the day of March 23, except for the last
+hour of traveling, when we zigzagged to the eastward, where the ice
+appeared less formidable, consisting of small floes with rubble ice
+between and a heavy, old floe beyond. There we camped. The latitude was
+85 deg. 46' north.
+
+The course from the land to the Pole was not direct and due north, for
+we followed the lines of least resistance, and frequently found
+ourselves going due east or west, in order to detour around pressure
+ridges, floebergs, and leads.
+
+March 24: Commander Peary reached camp shortly after six A. M., and
+after a few brief instructions, we started out. The going not as heavy
+as the day previous; but the sky overcast, and a heavy drift on the
+surface made it decidedly unpleasant for the dogs. For the first six
+hours the going was over rough, jagged ice, covered with deep, soft
+snow; for the rest of the day it improved. We encountered comparatively
+level ice, with a few hummocks, and in places covered with deep snow. We
+camped at eight P. M., beside a very heavy pressure-ridge as long as a
+city street and as high as the houses along the street.
+
+March 25: Turned out at four-thirty A. M., to find a steadily falling
+snow storm upon us. We breakfasted, and fifteen minutes later we were
+once more at work making trail. Our burly neighbor, the pressure-ridge,
+in whose lee we had spent the night, did not make an insuperable
+obstacle, and in the course of an hour we had made a trail across it,
+and returned to the igloo for the sledges. We found that the main column
+had reached camp, and after greetings had been given, Commander Peary
+called me aside and gave me my orders; to take the trail at once, to
+speed it up to the best of my ability and cover as much distance as
+possible; for he intended that I should remain at the igloo the
+following day to sort out the best dogs and rearrange the loads, as
+Marvin was to turn back with the fourth supporting-party. My heart
+stopped palpitating, I breathed easier, and my mind was relieved. It was
+not my turn yet, I was to continue onward and there only remained one
+person between me and the Pole--the Captain. We knew Commander Peary's
+general plan: that, at the end of certain periods, certain parties would
+turn south to the land and the ship; but we did not know who would
+comprise or command those parties and, until I had the Commander's word,
+I feared that I would be the next after Borup. At the same time, I did
+not see how Marvin could travel much longer, as his feet were very badly
+frozen.
+
+Obedient to the Commander's orders, the Captain, I, and our Esquimos,
+left camp with loaded sledges and trudged over the newly made trail,
+coming to rough ice which stretched for a distance of five miles, and
+kept us hard at back-straining, shoulder-wrenching work for several
+hours. The rest of the day's march was over level, unbroken, young ice;
+and the distance covered was considerable.
+
+March 26: The Commander and party reached the igloo at ten-forty-five A.
+M. Captain Bartlett had taken to the trail at six A. M., and was now
+miles to the northward, out of sight. I immediately started to work on
+the task assigned me by the Commander, assorting the dogs first, so that
+the different king dogs could fight it out and adjust themselves to new
+conditions while I was rearranging the loads.
+
+At twelve, noon, Professor Marvin took his final sight, and after
+figuring it out told me that he made it 86 deg. 38' north.
+
+The work of readjusting the loads kept me busy until seven P. M. While
+doing this work I came across my Bible that I had neglected so long, and
+that night, before going to sleep, I read the twenty-third Psalm, and
+the fifth chapter of St. Matthew.
+
+March 27: I was to take the trail at six A. M., but before starting I
+went over to Marvin's igloo to bid him good-by. In his quiet, earnest
+manner, he advised me to keep on, and hoped for our success; he
+congratulated me and we gave each other the strong, fraternal grip of
+our honored fraternity and we confidently expected to see each other
+again at the ship. My good, kind friend was never again to see us, or
+talk with us. It is sad to write this. He went back to his death,
+drowned in the cold, black water of the Big Lead. In unmarked, unmarbled
+grave, he sleeps his last, long sleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV
+
+BARTLETT'S FARTHEST NORTH--HIS QUIET GOOD-BY
+
+
+Leaving the Commander and Marvin at the igloos, my party took up the
+Captain's trail northward. It was expected that Peary would follow in an
+hour and that at the same time Marvin would start his return march.
+After a few minutes' going, we came to young ice of this season, broken
+up and frozen solid, not difficult to negotiate, but requiring constant
+pulling; leaving this, we came to an open lead which caused us to make a
+detour to the westward for four miles. We crossed on ice so thin that
+one of the sledge-runners broke through, and a little beyond one of the
+dogs fell in so completely that it was a precarious effort to rescue
+him; but we made it and, doglike, he shook the water out of his fur and
+a little later, when his fur froze, I gave him a thorough beating; not
+for falling in the water, but in order to loosen the ice-particles, so
+that he could shake them off. Poor brute, it was no use, and in a short
+while he commenced to develop symptoms of the dread piblokto, so in
+mercy he was killed. One of the Esquimo boys did the killing.
+
+Dangerous as the crossing was, it was the only place possible, and we
+succeeded far better than we had anticipated. Beyond the lead we came to
+an old floe and, beyond that, young ice of one season's formation,
+similar to that which had been encountered earlier in the day. Before us
+lay a heavy, old floe, covered with soft, deep snow in which we sank
+continually; but it was only five P. M. when we reached the Captain's
+igloo. Anticipating the arrival of the Commander, we built another
+igloo, and about an hour and a half later the Commander and his party
+came in.
+
+March 28: Exactly 40 deg. below zero when we pushed the sledges up to the
+curled-up dogs and started them off over rough ice covered with deep
+soft snow. It was like walking in loose granulated sugar. Indeed I might
+compare the snow of the Arctic to the granules of sugar, without their
+saccharine sweetness, but with freezing cold instead; you can not make
+snowballs of it, for it is too thoroughly congealed, and when it is
+packed by the wind it is almost as solid as ice. It is from the packed
+snow that the blocks used to form the igloo-walls are cut.
+
+At the end of four hours, we came to the igloo where the Captain and his
+boys were sleeping the sleep of utter exhaustion. In order not to
+interrupt the Captain's rest, we built another igloo and unloaded his
+sledge, and distributed the greater part of the load among the sledges
+of the party. The Captain, on awakening, told us that the journey we had
+completed on that day had been made by him under the most trying
+conditions, and that it had taken him fourteen hours to do it. We were
+able to make better time because we had his trail to follow, and,
+therefore, the necessity of finding the easiest way was avoided. That
+was the object of the scout or pioneer party and Captain Bartlett had
+done practically all of it up to the time he turned back at 87 deg. 48'
+north.
+
+March 29: You have undoubtedly taken into consideration the pangs of
+hunger and of cold that you know assailed us, going Poleward; but have
+you ever considered that we were thirsty for water to drink or hungry
+for fat? To eat snow to quench our thirsts would have been the height of
+folly, and as well as being thirsty, we were continuously assailed by
+the pangs of a hunger that called for the fat, good, rich, oily, juicy
+fat that our systems craved and demanded.
+
+Had we succumbed to the temptations of thirst and eaten the snow, we
+would not be able to tell the tale of the conquest of the Pole; for the
+result of eating snow is death. True, the dogs licked up enough moisture
+to quench their thirsts, but we were not made of such stern stuff as
+they. Snow would have reduced our temperatures and we would quickly have
+fallen by the way. We had to wait until camp was made and the fire of
+alcohol started before we had a chance, and it was with hot tea that we
+quenched our thirsts. The hunger for fat was not appeased; a dog or two
+was killed, but his carcass went to the Esquimos and the entrails were
+fed to the rest of the pack. We ate no dogs on this trip, for various
+reasons, mainly, that the eating of dog is only a last resort, and we
+had plenty of food, and raw dog is flavorless and very tough. The
+killing of a dog is such a horrible matter that I will not describe it,
+and it is permitted only when all other exigencies have been exhausted.
+An Esquimo does not permit one drop of blood to escape.
+
+The morning of the 29th of March, 1909, a heavy and dense fog of frost
+spicules overhung the camp. At four A. M., the Captain left camp to make
+as far a northing as possible. I with my Esquimos followed later. On our
+way we passed over very rough ice alternating with small floes, young
+ice of a few months' duration, and one old floe. We were now beside a
+lead of over three hundred feet in width, which we were unable to cross
+at that time because the ice was running steadily, though to the
+Northward. Following the trail of the Captain, which carried us a little
+to the westward of the lead, within one hundred feet of the Captain's
+igloo, the order to camp was given, as going forward was impossible. The
+whole party was together farther north than had ever been made by any
+other human beings, and in perfectly good condition; but the time was
+quickly coming when the little party would have to be made smaller and
+some part of it sent back. We were too fatigued to argue the question.
+
+We turned in for a rest and sleep, but soon turned out again in
+pandemonium incomprehensible; the ice moving in all directions, our
+igloos wrecked, and every instant our very lives in danger. With eyes
+dazed by sleep, we tried to guide the terror-stricken dogs and push the
+sledges to safety, but rapidly we saw the party being separated and the
+black water begin to appear amid the roar of the breaking ice floes.
+
+To the westward of our igloo stood the Captain's igloo, on an island of
+ice, which revolved, while swiftly drifting to the eastward. On one
+occasion the floe happened to strike the main floe. The Captain,
+intently watching his opportunity, quickly crossed with his Esquimos. He
+had scarcely set foot on the opposite floe when the floe on which he had
+been previously isolated swung off, and rapidly disappeared.
+
+Once more the parties were together. Thoroughly exhausted, we turned in
+and fell asleep, myself and the Esquimos too dumb for utterance, and
+Commander Peary and Bartlett too full of the realization of our escape
+to have much to say.
+
+The dogs were in very good condition, taking everything into
+consideration.
+
+[Illustration: CAMP MORRIS K. JESUP AT THE NORTH POLE
+
+(From Henson's own Photograph)]
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SLEDGE JOURNEY TO
+THE POLE AND BACK
+
+(Showing the effect of the excessive strain. Compare with frontispiece
+and with portrait facing page 139)]
+
+When we woke up it was the morning of another day, March 30, and we
+found open water all about us. We could not go on until either the lead
+had frozen or until it had raftered shut. Temperature 35 deg. below zero,
+and the weather clear and calm with no visible motion of the ice. We
+spent the day industriously in camp, mending foot-gear, harness,
+clothing, and looking after the dogs and their traces. This was work
+enough, especially untangling the traces of the bewildered dogs. The
+traces, snarled and entangled, besides being frozen to the consistency
+of wire, gave us the hardest work; and, owing to the activity of the
+dogs in leaping and bounding over each other, we had the most _unideal_
+conditions possible to contend with, and we were handicapped by having
+to use mitted instead of ungloved fingers to untangle the snarls of
+knots. Unlike Alexander the Great, we dared not cut the "Gordian
+Knots," but we did get them untangled.
+
+About five o'clock in the afternoon, the temperature had fallen to 43 deg.
+below zero, and at the same time the ice began to move again. Owing to
+the attraction of the moon, the mighty flanks of the earth were being
+drawn by her invisible force, and were commencing again to crack and be
+rent asunder.
+
+We loaded up hurriedly and all three parties left the camp and crossed
+over the place where recently had been the open lead, and beyond for
+more than five miles, until we reached the heavier and solid ice of the
+large floes. Northward our way led, and we kept on in that direction
+accordingly, at times crossing young ice so thin that the motion of the
+sledges would cause the ice to undulate. Over old floes of the blue,
+hummocky kind, on which the snow had fallen and become packed solid, the
+rest of this day's journey was completed. We staggered into camp like
+drunken men, and built our igloos by force of habit rather than with the
+intelligence of human beings.
+
+It was continuously daylight, but such a light as never was on land or
+sea.
+
+The next day was April 1, and the Farthest North of Bartlett. I knew at
+this time that he was to go back, and that I was to continue, so I had
+no misgivings and neither had he. He was ready and anxious to take the
+back-trail. His five marches were up and he was glad of it, and he was
+told that in the morning he must turn back and knit the trail together,
+so that the main column could return over a beaten path.
+
+Before going to sleep, Peary and he (Captain Bartlett) had figured out
+the reckoning of the distance, and, to insure the Captain's making at
+least 88 deg. north, Peary let him have another go for a short distance
+northward, and at noon on the day of his return, the observations showed
+that Captain Bartlett had made 87 deg. 47' North Latitude, or practically
+88 deg. north. "Why, Peary," he said, "it is just like every day," and so it
+was, with this exception, like every day in the Arctic, but with all of
+every day's chances and hazards. The lion-like month of March had
+passed. Captain Bartlett bade us all farewell. He turned back from the
+Farthest North that had ever been reached by any one, to insure the safe
+return of him who was to go to a still Farther North, the very top of
+the world, the Pole itself.
+
+While waiting for Bartlett to return from his forced march, the main
+party had been at work, assorting dogs (by this time without much
+trouble, as only one was found utterly unfit to make progress), and
+rearranging loads, for the Captain had almost three hundred miles of
+sea-ice to negotiate before he would reach _terra firma_, and he had to
+have his food-supply arranged so that it would carry him to the land and
+back to the ship, and dogs in good enough condition to pull the loads,
+as well as enough sledges to bear his equipment. When he did come back
+to our camp, before the parting, he was perfectly satisfied, and with
+the same old confidence he swept his little party together and at three
+P. M., with a cheery "Good-by! Good Luck!" he was off. His Esquimo boys,
+attempting in English, too, gave us their "Good-bys." The least
+emotional of all of our partings; and this brave man, who had borne the
+brunt of all of the hardships, like the true-blue, dead-game,
+unconquerable hero that he was, set out to do the work that was left for
+him to do; to knit the broken strands of our upward trail together, so
+that we who were at his rear could follow in safety.
+
+I have never heard the story of the return of Captain Bartlett in
+detail; his Esquimo boys were incapable of telling it, and Captain
+Bartlett is altogether too modest.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV
+
+THE POLE!
+
+
+Captain Bartlett and his two boys had commenced their return journey,
+and the main column, depleted to its final strength, started northward.
+We were six: Peary, the commander, the Esquimos, Ootah, Egingwah,
+Seegloo and Ooqueah, and myself.
+
+Day and night were the same. My thoughts were on the going and getting
+forward, and on nothing else. The wind was from the southeast, and
+seemed to push us on, and the sun was at our backs, a ball of livid
+fire, rolling his way above the horizon in never-ending day.
+
+The Captain had gone, Commander Peary and I were alone (save for the
+four Esquimos), the same as we had been so often in the past years, and
+as we looked at each other we realized our position and we knew without
+speaking that the time had come for us to demonstrate that we were the
+men who, it had been ordained, should unlock the door which held the
+mystery of the Arctic. Without an instant's hesitation, the order to
+push on was given, and we started off in the trail made by the Captain
+to cover the Farthest North he had made and to push on over one hundred
+and thirty miles to our final destination.
+
+The Captain had had rough going, but, owing to the fact that his trail
+was our track for a short time, and that we came to good going shortly
+after leaving his turning point, we made excellent distance without any
+trouble, and only stopped when we came to a lead barely frozen over, a
+full twenty-five miles beyond. We camped and waited for the strong
+southeast wind to force the sides of the lead together. The Esquimos had
+eaten a meal of stewed dog, cooked over a fire of wood from a discarded
+sledge, and, owing to their wonderful powers of recuperation, were in
+good condition; Commander Peary and myself, rested and invigorated by
+our thirty hours in the last camp, waiting for the return and departure
+of Captain Bartlett, were also in fine fettle, and accordingly the
+accomplishment of twenty-five miles of northward progress was not
+exceptional. With my proven ability in gauging distances, Commander
+Peary was ready to take the reckoning as I made it and he did not resort
+to solar observations until we were within a hand's grasp of the Pole.
+
+The memory of those last five marches, from the Farthest North of
+Captain Bartlett to the arrival of our party at the Pole, is a memory of
+toil, fatigue, and exhaustion, but we were urged on and encouraged by
+our relentless commander, who was himself being scourged by the final
+lashings of the dominating influence that had controlled his life. From
+the land to 87 deg. 48' north, Commander Peary had had the best of the
+going, for he had brought up the rear and had utilized the trail made by
+the preceding parties, and thus he had kept himself in the best of
+condition for the time when he made the spurt that brought him to the
+end of the race. From 87 deg. 48' north, he kept in the lead and did his
+work in such a way as to convince me that he was still as good a man as
+he had ever been. We marched and marched, falling down in our tracks
+repeatedly, until it was impossible to go on. We were forced to camp, in
+spite of the impatience of the Commander, who found himself unable to
+rest, and who only waited long enough for us to relax into sound sleep,
+when he would wake us up and start us off again. I do not believe that
+he slept for one hour from April 2 until after he had loaded us up and
+ordered us to go back over our old trail, and I often think that from
+the instant when the order to return was given until the land was again
+sighted, he was in a continual daze.
+
+Onward we forced our weary way. Commander Peary took his sights from the
+time our chronometer-watches gave, and I, knowing that we had kept on
+going in practically a straight line, was sure that we had more than
+covered the necessary distance to insure our arrival at the top of the
+earth.
+
+It was during the march of the 3d of April that I endured an instant of
+hideous horror. We were crossing a lane of moving ice. Commander Peary
+was in the lead setting the pace, and a half hour later the four boys
+and myself followed in single file. They had all gone before, and I was
+standing and pushing at the upstanders of my sledge, when the block of
+ice I was using as a support slipped from underneath my feet, and before
+I knew it the sledge was out of my grasp, and I was floundering in the
+water of the lead. I did the best I could. I tore my hood from off my
+head and struggled frantically. My hands were gloved and I could not
+take hold of the ice, but before I could give the "Grand Hailing Sigh of
+Distress," faithful old Ootah had grabbed me by the nape of the neck,
+the same as he would have grabbed a dog, and with one hand he pulled me
+out of the water, and with the other hurried the team across.
+
+He had saved my life, but I did not tell him so, for such occurrences
+are taken as part of the day's work, and the sledge he safeguarded was
+of much more importance, for it held, as part of its load, the
+Commander's sextant, the mercury, and the coils of piano-wire that were
+the essential portion of the scientific part of the expedition. My
+kamiks (boots of sealskin) were stripped off, and the congealed water
+was beaten out of my bearskin trousers, and with a dry pair of kamiks,
+we hurried on to overtake the column. When we caught up, we found the
+boys gathered around the Commander, doing their best to relieve him of
+his discomfort, for he had fallen into the water also, and while he was
+not complaining, I was sure that his bath had not been any more
+voluntary than mine had been.
+
+When we halted on April 6, 1909, and started to build the igloos, the
+dogs and sledges having been secured, I noticed Commander Peary at work
+unloading his sledge and unpacking several bundles of equipment. He
+pulled out from under his _kooletah_ (thick, fur outer-garment) a small
+folded package and unfolded it. I recognized his old silk flag, and
+realized that this was to be a camp of importance. Our different camps
+had been known as Camp Number One, Number Two, etc., but after the
+turning back of Captain Bartlett, the camps had been given names such as
+Camp Nansen, Camp Cagni, etc., and I asked what the name of this camp
+was to be--"Camp Peary"? "This, my boy, is to be Camp Morris K. Jesup,
+the last and most northerly camp on the earth." He fastened the flag to
+a staff and planted it firmly on the top of his igloo. For a few
+minutes it hung limp and lifeless in the dead calm of the haze, and then
+a slight breeze, increasing in strength, caused the folds to straighten
+out, and soon it was rippling out in sparkling color. The stars and
+stripes were "nailed to the Pole."
+
+A thrill of patriotism ran through me and I raised my voice to cheer the
+starry emblem of my native land. The Esquimos gathered around and,
+taking the time from Commander Peary, three hearty cheers rang out on
+the still, frosty air, our dumb dogs looking on in puzzled surprise. As
+prospects for getting a sight of the sun were not good, we turned in and
+slept, leaving the flag proudly floating above us.
+
+This was a thin silk flag that Commander Peary had carried on all of his
+Arctic journeys, and he had always flown it at his last camps. It was as
+glorious and as inspiring a banner as any battle-scarred, blood-stained
+standard of the world--and this badge of honor and courage was also
+blood-stained and battle-scarred, for at several places there were blank
+squares marking the spots where pieces had been cut out at each of the
+"Farthests" of its brave bearer, and left with the records in the
+cairns, as mute but eloquent witnesses of his achievements. At the North
+Pole a diagonal strip running from the upper left to the lower right
+corner was cut and this precious strip, together with a brief record,
+was placed in an empty tin, sealed up and buried in the ice, as a record
+for all time.
+
+Commander Peary also had another American flag, sewn on a white ground,
+and it was the emblem of the "Daughters of the Revolution Peace
+Society"; he also had and flew the emblem of the Navy League, and the
+emblems of a couple of college fraternities of which he was a member.
+
+It was about ten or ten-thirty A. M., on the 7th of April, 1909, that
+the Commander gave the order to build a snow-shield to protect him from
+the flying drift of the surface-snow. I knew that he was about to take
+an observation, and while we worked I was nervously apprehensive, for I
+felt that the end of our journey had come. When we handed him the pan of
+mercury the hour was within a very few minutes of noon. Laying flat on
+his stomach, he took the elevation and made the notes on a piece of
+tissue-paper at his head. With sun-blinded eyes, he snapped shut the
+_vernier_ (a graduated scale that subdivides the smallest divisions on
+the sector of the circular scale of the sextant) and with the resolute
+squaring of his jaws, I was sure that he was satisfied, and I was
+confident that the journey had ended. Feeling that the time had come, I
+ungloved my right hand and went forward to congratulate him on the
+success of our eighteen years of effort, but a gust of wind blew
+something into his eye, or else the burning pain caused by his prolonged
+look at the reflection of the limb of the sun forced him to turn aside;
+and with both hands covering his eyes, he gave us orders to not let him
+sleep for more than four hours, for six hours later he purposed to take
+another sight about four miles beyond, and that he wanted at least two
+hours to make the trip and get everything in readiness.
+
+I unloaded a sledge, and reloaded it with a couple of skins, the
+instruments, and a cooker with enough alcohol and food for one meal for
+three, and then I turned in to the igloo where my boys were already
+sound asleep. The thermometer registered 29 deg. below zero. I fell into a
+dreamless sleep and slept for about a minute, so I thought, when I was
+awakened by the clatter and noise made by the return of Peary and his
+boys.
+
+The Commander gave the word, "We will plant the stars and stripes--_at
+the North Pole!_" and it was done; on the peak of a huge paleocrystic
+floeberg the glorious banner was unfurled to the breeze, and as it
+snapped and crackled with the wind, I felt a savage joy and exultation.
+Another world's accomplishment was done and finished, and as in the
+past, from the beginning of history, wherever the world's work was done
+by a white man, he had been accompanied by a colored man. From the
+building of the pyramids and the journey to the Cross, to the discovery
+of the new world and the discovery of the North Pole, the Negro had been
+the faithful and constant companion of the Caucasian, and I felt all
+that it was possible for me to feel, that it was I, a lowly member of my
+race, who had been chosen by fate to represent it, at this, almost the
+last of the world's great _work_.
+
+The four Esquimos who stood with Commander Peary at the North Pole, were
+the brothers, Ootah and Egingwah, the old campaigner, Seegloo, and the
+sturdy, boyish Ooqueah. Four devoted companions, blindly confident in
+the leader, they worked only that he might succeed and for the promise
+of reward that had been made before they had left the ship, which
+promise they were sure would be kept. Together with the faithful dogs,
+these men had insured the success of the master. They had all of the
+characteristics of the dogs, including the dogs' fidelity. Within their
+breasts lingered the same infatuations that Commander Peary seemed to
+inspire in all who were with him, and though frequently complaining and
+constantly requiring to be urged to do their utmost, they worked
+faithfully and willingly. Ootah, of my party, was the oldest, a married
+man, of about thirty-four years, and regarded as the best all around
+member of the tribe, a great hunter, a kind father, and a good provider.
+Owing to his strong character and the fact that he was more easily
+managed by me than by any of the others, he had been a member of my
+party from the time we left the ship. Without exaggeration, I can say
+that we had both saved each other's lives more than once, but it had all
+gone in as part of the day's work, and neither of us dwelt on our
+obligations to the other.
+
+My other boy, Ooqueah, was a young man of about nineteen or twenty, very
+sturdy and stocky of build, and with an open, honest countenance, a
+smile that was "child-like and bland," and a character that _was_
+child-like and bland. It was alleged that the efforts of young Ooqueah
+were spurred on by the shafts of love, and that it was in the hopes of
+winning the hand of the demure Miss Anadore, the charming daughter of
+Ikwah, the first Esquimo of Commander Peary's acquaintance, that he
+worked so valiantly. His efforts were of an ardent character, but it was
+not due to the ardor of love, as far as I could see, but to his desire
+to please and his anxiety to win the promised rewards that would raise
+him to the grade of a millionaire, according to Esquimo standards.
+
+[Illustration: THE ROOSEVELT IN WINTER QUARTERS AT CAPE SHERIDAN]
+
+[Illustration: MATTHEW A. HENSON IN HIS NORTH POLE FURS, TAKEN AFTER HIS
+RETURN TO CIVILIZATION]
+
+Commander Peary's boy, Egingwah, was the brother of my boy Ootah, also
+married and of good report in his community, and it was he who drove
+the Morris K. Jesup sledge.
+
+If there was any sentiment among the Esquimos in regard to the success
+of the venture, Ootah and Seegloo by their unswerving loyalty and
+fidelity expressed it. They had been members of the "Farthest North
+party" in 1906, the party that was almost lost beyond and in the "Big
+Lead," and only reached the land again in a state of almost complete
+collapse. They were the ones who, on bidding Commander Peary farewell in
+1906, when he was returning, a saddened and discouraged man, told him to
+be of good cheer and that when he came back again Ootah and Seegloo
+would go along, and stay until Commander Peary had succeeded, and they
+did. The cowardice of their fellow Esquimos at the "Big Lead" on this
+journey did not in the least demoralize them, and when they were
+absolutely alone on the trail, with every chance to turn back and return
+to comfort, wife, and family, they remained steadfast and true, and ever
+northward guided their sledges.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI
+
+THE FAST TREK BACK TO LAND
+
+
+The long trail was finished, the work was done, and there was only left
+for us to return and tell the tale of the doing. Reaction had set in,
+and it was with quavering voice that Commander Peary gave the order to
+break camp. Already the strain of the hard upward-journey was beginning
+to tell, and after the first two marches back, he was practically a dead
+weight, but do not think that we could have gotten back without him, for
+it was due to the fact that he was with us, and that we could depend
+upon him to direct and order us, that we were able to keep up the
+break-neck pace that enabled us to cover three of our upward marches on
+one of our return marches, and we never forgot that he was still the
+heart and head of the party.
+
+It was broad daylight and getting brighter, and accordingly I knew
+little fear, though I did think of the ghosts of other parties,
+flitting in spectral form over the ice-clad wastes, especially of that
+small detachment of the Italian expedition of the Duke D'Abruzzi, of
+which to this day neither track, trace, nor remembrance has ever been
+found. We crossed lead after lead, sometimes like a bare-back rider in
+the circus, balancing on cake after cake of ice, but good fortune was
+with us all of the way, and it was not until the land of recognizable
+character had been lifted that we lost the trail, and with the land in
+sight as an incentive, it was no trouble for us to gain the talus of the
+shore ice and find the trail again.
+
+When we "hit the beach for fair" it was early in the morning of April
+23, 1909, nearly seventeen days since we had left the Pole, but such a
+seventeen days of haste, toil, and misery as cannot be comprehended by
+the mind. We who experienced it, Commander Peary, the Esquimos, and
+myself, look back to it as to a horrid nightmare, and to describe it is
+impossible for me.
+
+Commander Peary had taken the North Pole by conquest, in the face of
+almost insuperable natural difficulties, by the tremendous
+fighting-power of himself. The winning of the North Pole was a fight
+with nature; the way to the Pole that had been covered and retraced by
+Commander Peary lay across the ever moving and drifting ice of the
+Arctic Ocean. For more than a hundred miles from Cape Columbia it was
+piled in heavy pressure ridges, ridge after ridge, some more than a
+hundred feet in height. In addition, open lanes of water held the
+parties back until the leads froze up again, and continually the steady
+drift of the ice carried us back on the course we had come, but due to
+his deathless ambition to know and to do, he had conquered. He had added
+to the sum of Earth's knowledge, and proven that the mind of man is
+boundless in its desire.
+
+The long quest for the North Pole is over and the awful space that
+separated man from the _Ultima Thule_ has been bridged. There is no more
+beyond; from Cape Columbia to Cape Chelyuskin, the route northward to
+the Pole, and southward again to the plains of Asia, is an open book and
+the geographical mind is at rest.
+
+We found the abandoned igloos of Crane City and realized that Captain
+Bartlett had reached the land safely. The damage due to the action of
+the storms was not material. We made the necessary repairs, and in a few
+minutes tea was boiled and rations eaten, and we turned in for sleep.
+For practically all of the two days following, that was what we did:
+sleep and eat; men and dogs thoroughly exhausted; and we slept the sleep
+of the just, without apprehensions or misgivings. Our toboggan from the
+Pole was ended.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Different from all other trips, we had not on this one been maddened by
+the pangs of hunger, but instead we felt the effects of lack of sleep,
+and brain- and body-fatigue. After reaching the land again, I gave a
+keen searching look at each member of the party, and I realized the
+strain they had been under. Instead of the plump, round countenances I
+knew so well, I saw lean, gaunt faces, seamed and wrinkled, the faces of
+old men, not those of boys, but in their eyes still shone the spark of
+resolute determination.
+
+Commander Peary's face was lined and seamed, his beard was fully an
+inch in length, and his mustaches, which had been closely cropped before
+he left the ship, had again attained their full flowing length. His
+features expressed fatigue, but the heart-breaking look of sadness, that
+had clung to him since the failure of the 1906 expedition, had vanished.
+From his steel-gray eyes flashed forth the light of glorious victory,
+and though he always carried himself proudly, there had come about him
+an air of erect assurance that was exhilarating.
+
+When I reached the ship again and gazed into my little mirror, it was
+the pinched and wrinkled visage of an old man that peered out at me, but
+the eyes still twinkled and life was still entrancing. This wizening of
+our features was due to the strain of travel and lack of sleep; we had
+enough to eat, and I have only mentioned it to help impress the fact
+that the journey to the Pole and back is not to be regarded as a
+pleasure outing, and our so-called jaunt was by no means a cake-walk.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII
+
+SAFE ON THE ROOSEVELT--POOR MARVIN
+
+
+If you will remember, the journey from Cape Sheridan to Cape Columbia
+was with overloaded sledges in the darkness preceding the dawn of the
+Arctic day, mostly over rough going and up-hill, and now the tables were
+turned. It was broad day and down-hill with lightened sledges, so that
+we practically coasted the last miles from the twin peaks of Columbia to
+the low, slanting fore-shore of Sheridan and the _Roosevelt_. After the
+forty hours' rest at Cape Columbia, Commander Peary had his sledges
+loaded up, and with Egingwah and the best of the remaining dogs, he got
+away.
+
+I was told I could remain at the camp for another twelve hours. A large
+and substantial cache of supplies had been dropped at Cape Columbia by
+various members of the expedition and when the Commander was gone, I
+gave the boys full permission to turn in and eat all they wanted, and I
+also gave the dogs all they could stuff, and it was not until all of us
+had gorged ourselves to repletion that I gave the order to _vamoose_. We
+were loaded to capacity, outward and inward, and we saw a bountiful
+supply still lying there, but we could not pack another ounce. It was
+early in the morning of April 25 when Peary started for the ship; it was
+about four or five hours later, about noon, when I gave the word, and
+Ootah, Seegloo, Ooqueah, and myself left Crane City, Cape Columbia,
+Grant Land, for the last time.
+
+We overtook the Commander at Point Moss, and we traveled with him to
+Cape Colan, where we camped. Peary continued on to Sail Harbor, and we
+stayed in our comfortable camp and rested. We again caught up with the
+Commander at Porter Bay, where we camped for a few hours. The following
+morning I rearranged the sledges and left two of them at Porter Bay. It
+was my intention to reach the ship on this evening. We made a short stop
+at Black Cliff Bay and had lunch, and without further interruption we
+traveled on and at about eight-forty-five P. M. we sighted the
+_Roosevelt_.
+
+The sighting of the ship was our first view of home, and far away as she
+was, our acutely developed senses of smell were regaled with the
+appetizing odor of hot coffee, and the pungent aroma of tobacco-smoke,
+wafted to us through the clear, germ-free air. The Esquimo boys, usually
+excited on the slightest provocation, were surprisingly stolid and
+merely remarked, "_Oomiaksoah_" ("The ship") in quiet voices, until I,
+unable to control myself, burst forth with a loud "hip! hip! hurrah!"
+and with all that was left of my energy hurried my sledge in to the
+ship. We had been sighted almost as quickly as we had sighted the ship,
+and a party of the ship's crew came running out to meet us, and as we
+rushed on we were told about the safe arrival of Commander Peary,
+Bartlett, Borup, MacMillan, and Dr. Goodsell. Transported with elation
+and overjoyed to find myself once more safe among friends, I had rushed
+onward and as I recognized the different faces of the ship's company, I
+did not realize that some were missing.
+
+Chief Wardwell was the first man to greet me, he photographed me as I
+was closing in on the ship, and with his strong right arm pulled me up
+over the side and hugged me to his bosom. "Good boy, Matt," he said;
+"too bad about Marvin," and then I knew that all was wrong and that it
+was not the time for rejoicing. I asked for Peary and I was told that he
+was all right. I saw Captain Bartlett and I knew that he was there; but
+where was Borup, where were MacMillan, Marvin, and where was Dr.
+Goodsell? Dr. Goodsell was right by my side, holding me up, and I
+realized that it was of him I was demanding to know of the others.
+
+Reason had not left me, the bonds of sanity had not snapped, but for the
+time I was hysterical, and I only knew that all were well and safe
+excepting Marvin, who was drowned. A big mug of coffee was given to me,
+I drank a spoonful; a glass of spirits was handed me, I drank it all,
+and I was guided to my cabin, my fur clothes were taken off, and for the
+first time in sixty-eight days, I allowed myself to relax and I fell
+into a sleep.
+
+When I awoke, I had the grandest feast imaginable set before me, and
+after eating, I had the most luxurious bath possible, and then some more
+to eat, and afterwards, some more sleep; then I shaved myself, combed my
+hair, and came out of my cabin and crossed over to the galley, and sat
+on a box and watched Charley at work. Then I thought of the dogs and
+went outside and found that they had been cared for. I wondered when the
+Commander would want to see me. All of the time the sailors and Charley
+and the Esquimo folks were keeping up a running fire of conversation,
+and I was able to gather from what they said that my dear, good friend,
+Professor Marvin, was indeed lost; that Peary had reached the
+_Roosevelt_ about seven hours ahead of me; that Captain Bartlett was
+suffering with swollen legs and feet; that MacMillan and Borup with
+their own and Marvin's boys had gone to Cape Jesup; and that Pooadloonah
+and Panikpah had taken their families and returned to Esquimo land.
+
+For days after I reached the _Roosevelt_, I did nothing but rest and
+eat. The strain was over and I had all but collapsed, but with constant
+eating and sleeping, I was quickly myself again. The pains and
+swellings of my limbs did not come as they had on all of the other
+returnings, and neither was Peary troubled. Captain Bartlett was the
+only one of the expedition that had been out on the sea-ice who felt any
+after effects. Every day, a few minutes after rising, he would notice
+that his ankle-, knee- and hip-joints were swollen; and while the pain
+was not excessive, he was incapacitated for more than ten days, and he
+spent the most of his time in his cabin. When he came out of his cabin
+and did talk to me, it was only to compare notes and agree that our
+experiences proved that there was absolutely no question about our
+having discovered the Pole.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Captain Bartlett, Dr. Goodsell, Chief Wardwell, Percy--they could talk
+as they would; but the one ever-present thought in my mind was of
+Marvin, and of his death. I thought of him, and of his kindness to me;
+and the picture of his widowed mother, patiently waiting the return of
+her son, was before me all of the time. I thought of my own mother, whom
+I scarcely remembered, and I sincerely wished that it had been me who
+had been taken. When MacMillan and Borup returned, I learned all about
+the sad affair, from Kudlooktoo and Harrigan, and I feel that had he
+been with civilized companions the sad story of Marvin's death would not
+have to be told.
+
+On breaking camp he had gone on, leaving the boys to load up and follow
+him. They were going south to the land and the ship, and there was no
+need for him to stay with them, and when they came up to where he had
+disappeared, they saw the ice newly formed about him, his head and feet
+beneath, and nothing showing but the fur clothing of his back and
+shoulders. They made no effort to rescue him, and had they succeeded in
+getting his body out, there is little chance that they could have kept
+him alive, for the temperature was far below zero, and they knew nothing
+about restoring life to the drowned. No blame can be laid to his
+childish companions.
+
+He died alone, and he passed into the great unknown alone, bravely and
+honorably. He is the last of Earth's great martyrs; he is home; his work
+is done; he is where he longed to be; the Sailor is Home in the Sea. It
+is poor satisfaction to those that he left behind that his grave is the
+northern-most grave on the earth; but they realize that the sacrifice
+was not made in vain, for it was due to him that those who followed were
+able to keep the trail and reach the land again. The foolish boys, in
+accordance with Esquimo tradition, had unloaded all of Prof. Marvin's
+personal effects on the ice, so that his spirit should not follow them,
+and they hurried on back to land and to the ship, where they told their
+sad story.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII
+
+AFTER MUSK-OXEN--THE DOCTOR'S SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION
+
+
+From the time of my arrival at the _Roosevelt_, for nearly three weeks,
+my days were spent in complete idleness. I would catch a fleeting
+glimpse of Commander Peary, but not once in all of that time did he
+speak a word to me. Then he spoke to me in the most ordinary
+matter-of-fact way, and ordered me to get to work. Not a word about the
+North Pole or anything connected with it; simply, "There is enough wood
+left, and I would like to have you make a couple of sledges and mend the
+broken ones. I hope you are feeling all right." There was enough wood
+left and I made three sledges, as well as repaired those that were
+broken.
+
+The Commander was still running things and he remained the commander to
+the last minute; nothing escaped him, and when the time came to
+slow-down on provisions, he gave the orders, and we had but two spare
+meals a day to sustain us. The whole expedition lived on travel rations
+from before the time we left Cape Sheridan until we had reached Sidney,
+N. S., and like the keen-fanged hounds, we were always ready and fit.
+
+It was late in May when Prof. MacMillan and Mr. Borup, with their
+Esquimo companions returned from Cape Jesup, where they had been doing
+highly important scientific work, taking soundings out on the sea-ice
+north of the cape as high as 84 deg. 15' north, and also at the cape. They
+had made a trip that was record-breaking; they had visited the different
+cairns made by Lockwood and Brainard and by Commander Peary, and they
+had also captured and brought into the ship a musk-ox calf; and they had
+most satisfactorily demonstrated their fitness as Arctic explorers,
+having followed the Commander's orders implicitly and secured more than
+the required number of tidal-readings and soundings.
+
+Prof. MacMillan, with Jack Barnes, a sailor, and Kudlooktoo, left for
+Fort Conger early in June, and continued the work of tidal-observations.
+They rejoined the _Roosevelt_ just before she left Cape Sheridan. A
+little later in the month, Borup went to Clements Markham Inlet to hunt
+musk-oxen, and from there he went to Cape Columbia, where he erected the
+cairn containing the record of the last and successful expedition of the
+"Peary Arctic Club." The cairn was a substantial pile of rocks,
+surmounted by a strong oaken guide-post, with arms pointing "North 413
+miles to the Pole"; "East, to Cape Morris K. Jesup, 275 miles"; "West to
+Cape Thomas H. Hubbard, 225 miles"; while the southern arm pointed
+south, but to no particular geographical spot; it was labeled "Cape
+Columbia." Underneath the arms of the guide-post, which had been made by
+Mate Gushue, was a small, glass-covered, box-like arrangement, in which
+was encased the record of Peary's successful journey to the Pole, and
+the roster of the expedition, my name included. From the cross-bars,
+guys of galvanized wire were stretched and secured to heavy rocks, to
+help sustain the monument from the fury of the storms. Borup did good
+work, photographed the result, and the picture of the cairn, when
+exhibited, proved very satisfactory to the Commander.
+
+Dr. Goodsell with two teams, and the Esquimo men, Keshungwah and
+Tawchingwah, left the ship on May 27, to hunt in the Lake Hazen and
+Ruggles River regions. They were successful in securing thirteen
+musk-oxen in that neighborhood, and in Bellows Valley they shot a number
+of the "Peary" caribou, the species "_Rangifer Pearyi_," a distinct
+class of reindeer inhabiting that region.
+
+On the return of Dr. Goodsell, he told of his fascinating experiences in
+that wonderland. Leaving the _Roosevelt_, he had turned inland at Black
+Cliff Bay. Past the glaciers he went with his little party, down the
+Bellows Valley to the Ruggles River, an actual stream of clear-running
+water, alive with the finest of salmon trout. Adopting the Esquimo
+methods, he fished for these speckled beauties with joyful success. Here
+he rounded up and shot the herd of musk-oxen, and here he bagged his
+caribou. He was in a hunter's paradise and made no haste to return, but
+crossed overland to Discovery Harbor and the barn-like structure of Fort
+Conger, the headquarters of General Greely's "Lady Franklin Bay
+Expedition" of 1882-1883. Professor MacMillan was on his way to Fort
+Conger and it was with much surprise, on arriving there, that he found
+that Dr. Goodsell had reached it an hour before him. It was an
+unexpected meeting and quite a pleasure to the Professor to find the
+Doctor there, ready to offer him the hospitality of the fort.
+
+Dr. Goodsell returned to the _Roosevelt_ on June 15, with a load of
+geological, zooelogical, and botanical specimens almost as heavy as the
+loads of meat and skins he brought in. He was an ardent scientist, and
+viewed nearly every situation and object from the view-point of the
+scientist. Nothing escaped him; a peculiar form of rock or plant, the
+different features of the animal life, all received his close and eager
+attention, and he had the faculty of imparting his knowledge to others,
+like the born teacher that he was. He evinced an eager interest in the
+Esquimos and got along famously with them.
+
+His physical equipment was the finest; a giant in stature and strength,
+but withal the gentlest of men having an even, mellow disposition that
+never was ruffled. In the field the previous spring he had accompanied
+the expedition beyond the "Big Lead" to 84 deg. 29', and with the strength
+of his broad shoulders he had pickaxed the way.
+
+On account of his calm, quiet manner I had hesitated to form an opinion
+of him at first, but you can rest assured this was a "Tenderfoot" who
+made good.
+
+During this time I left the ship on short hunting trips, but I was never
+away from the ship for more than ten or twelve hours.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+On July 1 quite a lead was opened in the channel south from Cape
+Sheridan to Cape Rawson. The ice was slowly moving southward, and the
+prospects for freeing the _Roosevelt_ and getting her started on her
+homeward way were commencing to brighten. The following day a new lead
+opened much nearer shore, and on July 3 the Esquimos, who had been out
+hunting, returned from Black Cliff Bay, without game, but with the good
+news that as far south as Dumb Bell Bay there stretched a lead of open
+water. July 4, a new lead opened very close to the _Roosevelt_. The
+spring tides, with a strong southerly wind, had set in so very much
+earlier, three years before, that on July 4, 1906, the _Roosevelt_ had
+been entirely free of ice, with clear, open water for quite a distance
+to the south; but this year the ship was still completely packed in the
+ice, and furthermore she was listed at the same angle as during the
+winter.
+
+On July 5, I was detailed to help Gushue repair the more or less damaged
+whale-boats. The heavy and solidly packed snow of the winter had stove
+them in. On July 6, the anniversary of our departure from New York a
+year before, the greater part of the day was spent in pumping water from
+the top of a heavy floeberg into the ship's boilers. This work was not
+completed until the morning of the 7th, when the fires were started. Due
+to the cold, the process of getting up steam was slow work. The ice had
+been breaking up daily, new leads were noticed, and on this day, July 7,
+a new lead opened at a distance of fifty yards from the ship, and open
+water stretched as far south as the eye could see. All hands were put to
+work reloading the supplies that had been placed on shore the fall
+previous, for it was easy to see that the time for departure was at
+hand.
+
+With the boilers in order, an attempt was made to revolve the shaft, but
+the propeller was too securely frozen in the ice to move, and so Captain
+Bartlett got out the dynamite and succeeded in freeing the bronze
+blades.
+
+From the 10th of July to the 13th, a fierce storm raged, clouds of
+freeing spray broke over the ship, incasing her in a coat of icy mail,
+and the tempest forced all of the ice out of the lower end of the
+channel and beyond as far as the eye could see, but the _Roosevelt_
+still remained surrounded by ice.
+
+The morning of the 15th, a smart breeze from the northeast was blowing,
+and proved of valuable assistance to us, for it caused the huge blocks
+of ice that were surrounding the ship to loosen their hold, and for the
+first time since October, 1908, the _Roosevelt_ righted herself to an
+even keel.
+
+By this time all of our supplies had been loaded and stored, and from
+the crow's-nest a stretch of open water could be seen as far as Cape
+Rawson. From there to Cape Union the ice was packed solid.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX
+
+THE ROOSEVELT STARTS FOR HOME--ESQUIMO VILLAGES--NEW DOGS AND NEW DOG
+FIGHTS
+
+
+It was two-thirty P. M., July 17, 1909, that the _Roosevelt_ pointed her
+bow southward and we left our winter quarters and Cape Sheridan. We were
+on our journey home, all hands as happy as when, a year previous, we had
+started on our way north, with the added satisfaction of complete
+success. The ship had steamed but a short distance, when, owing to the
+rapidly drifting ice in the channel, she had to be made fast to a
+floeberg. At ten-thirty P. M., the lines were loosed and a new start
+made. Without further incident, we reached Black Cape.
+
+In rounding the cape the ship encountered a terrific storm, and it was
+with the greatest difficulty that she made any headway. The storm
+increased and the _Roosevelt_ had to remain in the channel, surrounded
+by the tightly wedged floes, at the mercy of the wind. The gale
+continued until the evening of the 20th. The constant surging back and
+forth of the channel-pack, with the spring tides and the several huge
+masses of ice, which repeatedly crashed against the ship's sides, caused
+a delay of twelve days in Robeson Channel opposite Lincoln Bay.
+Throughout the width of the entire channel nothing could be seen but
+small pools of open water; two seals were seen sporting in one of these
+pools, and one of the Esquimos attempted to kill them, but his aim
+proved false.
+
+It was not until the 25th that the ship was able to move of her own free
+will, small leads having opened in close proximity to her. Ootah shot a
+seal in one of the leads, and also harpooned a narwhal, but he did not
+succeed in securing either. His brother Egingwah on the following day
+shot two seals and harpooned a narwhal, and he secured all three of his
+prizes. The Esquimos had a grand feast off the skin of the narwhal,
+which they esteem as a great delicacy.
+
+By the 27th the _Roosevelt_ had drifted as far south as Wrangell Bay,
+and it was here that Slocum (Inighito) shot and secured a hood-seal,
+which weighed over six hundred pounds, and seal-steaks were added to the
+bill-of-fare.
+
+The snow storms of the two days ceased on the 28th, and when the weather
+cleared sufficiently for us to ascertain our whereabouts, we were much
+surprised to find that we had drifted back north, opposite Lincoln Bay.
+During the day the wind shifted to the north. Again we drifted
+southward, until, just off Cape Beechey, the narrowest part of Robeson
+Channel, a lead stretching southward for a distance of five miles was
+sighted, and into this open water the ship steamed until the lead
+terminated in Kennedy Channel, opposite Lady Franklin Bay, where the
+_Roosevelt_ was ice-bound until August 4, drifting with the pack until
+we were in a direct line with Cape Tyson and Bellot Isle. Three seals
+were captured, one a hood-seal weighing 624 pounds, being eight feet
+eleven inches in length; the other two were small ring-seals.
+
+By ten A. M. of the 4th, the ice had slackened so considerably that the
+_Roosevelt_, under full steam, set out and rapidly worked her way down
+Kennedy Channel. From Crozier Island to Cape D'Urville she steamed
+through practically open water, but a dense fog compelled us to make
+fast to a large floe when almost opposite Cape Albert. It was not until
+one A. M. of the 7th, despite several attempts, that the ship got clear
+and steamed south again. Several small leads were noticed and numerous
+narwhals were seen, but none were captured.
+
+At three-thirty A. M., when nearing Cape Sabine, we observed that the
+barometer had dropped to 29.73. A storm was coming, and every effort was
+made to reach Payer Harbor, but before half of the distance had been
+covered, the storm broke with terrific violence. The force of the gale
+was such that, while swinging the boats inboard, we were drenched and
+thoroughly chilled by the sheets of icy spray, which saturated us and
+instantly froze. The _Roosevelt_ was blown over to starboard until the
+rails were submerged. To save her, she was steered into Buchanan Bay,
+under the lee of the cliffs, where she remained until the morning of
+August 8.
+
+At an early hour, we steamed down Buchanan Bay, passed Cocked Hat
+Island, and a little later, Cape Sabine. At Cape Sabine was located
+Camp Clay, the starvation camp of the Lady Franklin Bay expedition of
+1881-1883, where the five survivors of the twenty-three members of the
+expedition were rescued.
+
+We entered Smith Sound. Instead of sailing on to Etah, Peary ordered the
+ship into Whale Sound, in order that walrus-hunting could be done, so
+that the Esquimos should have a plentiful supply of meat for the
+following winter. Three walrus were captured, when a storm sprang up
+with all of the suddenness of storms in this neighborhood, and the ship
+crossed over from Cape Alexander to Cape Chalon. Cape Chalon is a
+favorite resort of the Esquimos, and is known as Peter-ar-wick, on
+account of the walrus that are to be found here during the months of
+February and March.
+
+At Nerke, just below Cape Chalon, we found the three Esquimo families of
+Ahsayoo, Tungwingwah, and Teddylingwah, and it was from these people we
+first learned of Dr. Cook's safe return from Ellesmere Land. In spite of
+the fact that the _Roosevelt_ was overloaded with dogs, paraphernalia,
+and Esquimos, these three families were taken aboard.
+
+With them were several teams of dogs. The dogs aboard ship were the
+survivors of the pack that had been with us all through the campaign,
+and a number of litters of puppies that had been whelped since the
+spring season. Our dogs were well acquainted with each other and dog
+fights were infrequent and of little interest, but the arrival of the
+first dog of the new party was the signal for the grandest dog fight I
+have ever witnessed. I feel justified in using the language of the fairy
+Ariel, in Shakespeare's "Tempest": "Now is Hell empty, and all the
+devils are here."
+
+Backward and forward, the foredeck of the ship was a howling, snarling,
+biting, yelping, moving mass of fury, and it was a long round of fully
+ten or fifteen minutes before the two king dogs of the packs got
+together, and then began the battle for supremacy of the pack. It lasted
+for some time. It would have been useless to separate them. They would
+decide sooner or later, and it was better to have it over, even if one
+or both contestants were killed. At length the fight was ended; our old
+king dog, Nalegaksoah, the champion of the pack, and the laziest dog in
+it, was still the king. After vanquishing his opponent and receiving
+humble acknowledgments, King Nalegaksoah went stamping up and down
+before the pack and received the homage due him; the new dogs, whining
+and fawning and cringingly submissive, bowed down before him.
+
+The chief pleasure of the Esquimo dogs is fighting; two dogs, the best
+of friends, will hair-pull and bite each other for no cause whatever,
+and strange dogs fight at sight; team-mates fight each other on the
+slightest of provocations; and it seems as though sometimes the fights
+are held for the purpose of educating the young. When a fight is in
+progress, it is the usual sight to see several mother dogs, with their
+litters, occupying ring-side seats. I have often wondered what chance a
+cat would stand against an Esquimo dog.
+
+The ship kept on, and I had turned in and slept, and on arising had
+found that we had reached a place called Igluduhomidy, where a single
+family was located. Living with this family was a very old Esquimo,
+Merktoshah, the oldest man in the whole tribe, and not a blood-relation
+to any member of it. He had crossed over from the west coast of Smith
+Sound the same year that Hall's expedition had wintered there, and has
+lived there ever since. He had been a champion polar bear and big game
+hunter, and though now a very old man, was still vigorous and valiant,
+in spite of the loss of one eye.
+
+We stopped at Kookan, the most prosperous of the Esquimo settlements, a
+village of five tupiks (skin tents), housing twenty-four people, and
+from there we sailed to the ideal community of Karnah. Karnah is the
+most delightful spot on the Greenland coast. Situated on a gently
+southward sloping knoll are the igloos and tupiks, where I have spent
+many pleasant days with my Esquimo friends and learned much of the
+folk-lore and history. Lofty mountains, sublime in their grandeur,
+overtower and surround this place, and its only exposure is southward
+toward the sun. In winter its climate is not severe, as compared with
+other portions of this country, and in the perpetual daylight of summer,
+life here is ideal. Rivulets of clear, cold water, the beds of which
+are grass- and flower-covered, run down the sides of the mountains and,
+but for the lack of trees, the landscape is as delightful as anywhere on
+earth.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX
+
+TWO NARROW ESCAPES--ARRIVAL AT ETAH--HARRY WHITNEY--DR. COOK'S CLAIMS
+
+
+From Karnah the _Roosevelt_ sailed to Itiblu, where hunting-parties
+secured thirty-one walrus and one seal. By the 11th of August we had
+reached the northern shore of Northumberland Island, where we were
+delayed by storm. It was shortly before noon of this day that we barely
+escaped another fatal calamity.
+
+Chief Wardwell, while cleaning the rifle of Commander Peary, had the
+misfortune to have the piece explode while in his hands. From some
+unknown cause a cartridge was discharged, the projectile pierced two
+thick partitions of inch-and-a-half pine, and penetrated the cabin
+occupied by Professor MacMillan and Mr. Borup. The billet of that bullet
+was the shoulder and forearm of Professor MacMillan, who at the time was
+sound asleep in his berth. He had been lying with his arm doubled and
+his head resting on his hand. A half inch nearer and the bullet would
+have entered his brain.
+
+As is always the case with narrow escapes, I, too, had a narrow escape,
+for that same bullet entered the partition on its death-dealing mission
+at identically the same spot where a few minutes previously _my_ head
+had rested. Dr. Goodsell was quickly aroused, he attended Professor
+MacMillan, and in a short time he diagnosed the case as a "gun-shot
+wound." Finding no bones broken, or veins or arteries open, he soon had
+the Professor bandaged and comfortable.
+
+At the time of the accident to Professor MacMillan the ship was riding
+at anchor, but with insufficient slack-way, so in the afternoon, when
+the excitement had somewhat abated, Captain Bob decided to give the ship
+more chain, for a storm was imminent, and he gave the order accordingly.
+The boatswain, in his haste to execute the order, and overestimating the
+amount of chain in the locker, permitted all of it to run overboard. We
+were in a predicament, with the storm upon us, no anchor to hold the
+boat, and a savage, rocky shore on which we were in danger of being
+wrecked. There was a small five-hundred-pound anchor with a nine-inch
+cable of about one hundred and fifty fathoms remaining, which was
+repeatedly tried, but the ship was too much for this feather-weight
+anchor, and dragged it at will. Commander Peary, with his usual
+foresight, had ordered steam as soon as the approach of the storm was
+noticed, and now that the steam was up, he ordered that the ship be kept
+head-on, and steam up and down the coast until the storm abated. The
+storm lasted until the night of August 13, and the best part of the
+following day was spent by two boat-crews of twelve men, in grappling
+for the lost anchor and chain, and not until they had secured it and
+restored it once more to its locker were they permitted to rest. With
+the anchor secure, walrus-hunting commenced afresh, and on the ice-floes
+between Hakluyt and Northumberland Islands thirty more walrus were
+secured.
+
+On August 16, the _Roosevelt_ steamed back to Karnah, and the Esquimo
+people who intended living there for the following winter were landed.
+A very large supply of meat was landed also; in addition to the meat
+quite a number of useful presents, hatchets, knives, needles, some
+boards for the making and repairing of sledges, and some wood for
+lance-and harpoon-staves, and a box full of soap were landed. This
+inventory of presents may seem cheap and paltry to you, but to these
+natives such presents as we made were more appreciated than the gift of
+many dollars would be by a poverty-stricken family in this country. With
+the materials that Commander Peary furnished would be made the weapons
+of the chase, the tools of the seamstress, and the implements of the
+home-maker. The Esquimos have always known how to utilize every factor
+furnished by nature, and what has been given to them by the Commander
+has been given with the simple idea of helping them to make their life
+easier, and proves again the axiom, "The Lord helps those who help
+themselves."
+
+After disembarking the Karnah contingent, the ship steamed to Etah,
+arriving there on the afternoon of August 17. As the _Roosevelt_ was
+entering the harbor of Etah, all hands were on deck and on the lookout,
+for it was here that we were again to come in touch with the world we
+had left behind a year before. A large number of Esquimos were running
+up and down the shore, but there was no sign of the expected ship.
+Quickly a boat was lowered, and I saw to it that I was a member of the
+crew of that boat, and when we reached the beach the first person to
+greet me was old Panikpah, greasy, smiling, and happy as if I were his
+own son. I quickly recognized my old friend Pooadloonah, who greeted me
+with a merry laugh, and my misgivings as to the fate of this precious
+pair were dispelled. If you will remember, Panikpah and Pooadloonah were
+the two Esquimos who found, when on our Poleward journey, just about the
+time we had struck the "Big Lead," that there were a couple of
+fox-traps, or something like that, that they had forgotten to attend to,
+and that it was extremely necessary for them to go back and square up
+their accounts. Here they were, fat, smiling, and healthy; and I
+apprehend somewhat surprised to see us, but they bluffed it out well.
+
+Murphy and the young man Pritchard were also here. Murphy and Pritchard
+were the members of the crew who had been left here to guard the
+provisions of the expedition, and to trade with the Esquimos. Another
+person also was there to greet us; but who had kept himself alive and
+well by his own pluck and clear grit, and who reported on meeting the
+Commander of having had a most satisfactory and enjoyable experience. I
+refer to Mr. Harry Whitney, the young man from New Haven, Conn., who had
+elected at the last hour, the previous autumn, to remain at Etah, to
+hunt the big game of the region. When the _Roosevelt_ had sailed north
+from Etah, the previous August, he had been left absolutely alone; the
+_Erik_ had sailed for home, and there was no way out of this desolate
+land for him until the relief ship came north the following year, or the
+_Roosevelt_ came south to take him aboard. His outfit and equipment were
+sufficient for him and complete, but he had shared it with the natives
+until it was exhausted, and after that he had reverted to the life of
+the aborigines. When the _Roosevelt_ reached Etah, Mr. Whitney was an
+Esquimo; but within one hour, he had a bath, a shave, and a hair-cut,
+and was the same mild-mannered gentleman that we had left there in the
+fall. He had gratified his ambitions in shooting musk-oxen, but he had
+not killed a single polar bear.
+
+At Etah there were two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, boys about
+sixteen or seventeen years old, who had been with Dr. Cook for a year,
+or ever since he had crossed the channel to Ellesmere Land and returned
+again. These boys are the two he claims accompanied him to the North
+Pole. To us, up there at Etah, such a story was so ridiculous and absurd
+that we simply laughed at it. We knew Dr. Cook and his abilities; he had
+been the surgeon on two of Peary's expeditions and, aside from his
+medical ability, we had no faith in him whatever. He was not even good
+for a day's work, and the idea of his making such an astounding claim as
+having reached the Pole was so ludicrous that, after our laugh, we
+dropped the matter altogether.
+
+On account of the world-wide controversy his story has caused, I will
+quote from my diary the impressions noted in regard to him:
+
+"August 17, 1909, Etah, North Greenland.
+
+"Mr. Harry Whitney came aboard with the boatswain and the cabin-boy, who
+had been left here last fall on our way to Cape Sheridan. Murphy is the
+boatswain and Pritchard the boy, both from Newfoundland, and they look
+none the worse for wear, in spite of the long time they have spent here.
+Mr. Whitney is the gentleman who came up on the _Erik_ last year, and at
+the last moment decided to spend the winter with the natives. He had a
+long talk with the Commander before we left for the north, and has had
+quite a lengthy session with him since. I learn that Dr. Cook came over
+from Ellesmere Land with his two boys, Etookahshoo and Ahpellah, and in
+a confidential conversation with Mr. Whitney made the statement that he
+had reached the North Pole. Professor MacMillan and I have talked to his
+two boys and have learned that there is no foundation in fact for such a
+statement, and the Captain and others of the expedition have questioned
+them, and if they were out on the ice of the Arctic Ocean it was only
+for a very short distance, not more than twenty or twenty-five miles.
+The boys are positive in this statement, and my own boys, Ootah and
+Ooqueah, have talked to them also, and get the same replies. It is a
+fact that they had a very hard time and were reduced to low limits, but
+they have not been any distance north, and the Commander and the rest of
+us are in the humor to regard Mr. Whitney as a person who has been
+hoodwinked. We know Dr. Cook very well and also his reputation, and we
+know that he was never good for a hard day's work; in fact he was not up
+to the average, and he is no hand at all in making the most of his
+resources. He probably has spun this yarn to Mr. Whitney and the
+boatswain to make himself look big to them.
+
+"The Commander will not permit Mr. Whitney to bring any of the Dr. Cook
+effects aboard the _Roosevelt_ and they have been left in a cache on
+shore. Koolootingwah is here again, after his trip to North Star Bay
+with Dr. Cook, and tells an amusing story of his experience."
+
+It is only from a sense of justice to Commander Peary and those who were
+with him that I have mentioned Dr. Cook. The outfitting of the hunting
+expedition of Mr. Bradley was well known to us. Captain Bartlett had
+directed it and had advised and arranged for the purchase of the
+Schooner _John R. Bradley_ to carry the hunting party to the region
+where big game of the character Mr. Bradley wished to hunt could be
+found. We knew that Dr. Cook was accompanying Mr. Bradley, but we had no
+idea that the question of the discovery of the North Pole was to be
+involved.
+
+I have reason to be grateful to Dr. Cook for favors received; I lived
+with his folks while I was suffering with my eyes, due to snow
+blindness, but I feel that all of the debts of gratitude have been
+liquidated by my silence in this controversy, and I will have nothing
+more to say in regard to him or to his claims.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI
+
+ETAH TO NEW YORK--COMING OF MAIL AND REPORTERS--HOME!
+
+
+At Etah we expected to meet the relief ship. Sixty tons of coal and a
+small quantity of provisions had been left there during the previous
+summer, to be used by us on our homeward voyage. This coal was loaded on
+board and the Esquimos who desired to remain at Etah were landed. Just
+at the time we were ready to sail a heavy storm of wind and snow blew
+up, and it was not until six P. M. on the 20th that we left the harbor.
+Farewells had been said to the Esquimos, all that had been promised them
+for faithful services had been given to them, and we commenced the final
+stage of our journey home.
+
+From Etah, August 20, the ship sailed along the coast, landing Esquimos
+at the different settlements, and on the 23rd of August at two A. M., we
+met the Schooner _Jeanie_, of St. John, N. F., commanded by Samuel
+Bartlett. The schooner was supplied with provisions and coal for the
+relief of the _Roosevelt_, and was executing the plan of the Peary
+Arctic Club.
+
+There was mail aboard her and we had our first tidings of home and
+friends in a twelve-month. From newspaper clippings I learned that the
+British Antarctic Expedition, commanded by Sir Ernest H. Shackleton, had
+reached within 111 miles of the South Pole.
+
+The mail contained good news for all but one of us. Mr. Borup, in his
+bunk above the Professor's, read his letters, and in the course of his
+reading was heard to emit a deep sigh, then to utter an agonizing groan.
+Prof. MacMillan, thinking that Borup had received bad news indeed,
+endeavored to console him, and at the same time asked what was the bad
+news, feeling sure it could be nothing less than the death of Colonel
+Borup or some other close relative of his.
+
+"What is the matter, George? Tell me."
+
+"HARVARD BEAT YALE!"
+
+The _Roosevelt_, accompanied by her consort, sailed south to North Star
+Bay and while entering the harbor ran ashore. Late in the afternoon,
+however, the rising tide floated her. While waiting for the tide, a
+party of six, I among the number, went ashore and visited the Danish
+Missionary settlement established there, the Esquimos acting as our
+interpreters, we being unable to speak Danish and the missionaries being
+unable to speak English. It was in North Star Bay that the coal and
+provisions from the _Jeanie_ were transferred to the _Roosevelt_.
+
+Aboard the _Jeanie_, there was a young Esquimo man, Mene, who for the
+past twelve years had lived in New York City, but, overcome by a strong
+desire to live again in his own country, had been sent north by his
+friends in the States. He was almost destitute, having positively
+nothing in the way of an equipment to enable him to withstand the rigors
+of the country, and was no more fitted for the life he was to take up
+than any boy of eighteen or twenty would be, for he was but a little boy
+when he first left North Greenland. However, Commander Peary ordered
+that he be given a plentiful supply of furs to keep him warm, food,
+ammunition and loading outfit, traps and guns, but, I believe, he would
+have gladly returned with us, for it was a wistful farewell he made, and
+an Esquimo's farewell is usually very barren of pathos.
+
+Mr. Whitney transferred his augmented equipment to the _Jeanie_,
+intending to remain with her down the Labrador, for her Captain had
+agreed to use every effort to help Mr. Whitney secure at least one polar
+bear.
+
+Cape York was reached on the morning of August 25, and from the two
+Esquimo families, living at the extreme point of the Cape, we obtained
+the mail which had been left there by Captain Adams of the Dundee
+Whaling Fleet _Morning Star_. Our letters, although they bore no more
+recent a date than that of March 23, 1909, were eagerly read.
+
+At Cape York we landed the last of the Esquimos. The decks were now
+cleared. The boats were securely lashed in their davits, and nine A. M.,
+August 26, in a gale of wind, the _Roosevelt_ put out to sea,
+homeward-bound, but not yet out of danger, for the gale increased so
+considerably that the _Roosevelt_ was forced to lay to under reefed
+foresail, in the lee of the middle pack, until the 29th, when the storm
+subsided and the ship got under way again.
+
+On September 4 the Labrador was sighted. Under full steam we passed the
+Farmyard, a group of small islands which lie off the coast.
+
+We arrived at Turnavik at seven-thirty P. M. Once again we saw signs of
+civilization. The men and women appeared in costumes of the Twentieth
+Century instead of the fur garments of the Esquimos. Here we loaded
+nineteen tons of coal. Here we feasted on fresh codfish, fresh
+vegetables, and other appetizing foods to which our palates had long
+been strangers.
+
+You know the rest, for from Turnavik to Indian Harbor was only a few
+hours' sailing.
+
+At Indian Harbor was located the wireless telegraph station from where
+Commander Peary flashed to the civilized world his laconic message,
+"Stars and Stripes nailed to the North Pole."
+
+Within half an hour of our arrival, the British cutter _Fiona_ entered
+the harbor and the officers came aboard the _Roosevelt_. Thereafter for
+every hour there was continuous excitement and reception of visitors.
+
+On September 13th the steamer _Douglas H. Thomas_, of Sydney, C. B.,
+arrived, having on board two representatives of the Associated Press,
+accompanied by Mr. Rood, a representative of _Harper's Magazine_.
+
+The next day the cable-boat _Tyrian_ arrived, with seventeen newspaper
+reporters, five photographers, and one stenographer. The _Tyrian_
+anchored outside the harbor and in five life-boats the party was brought
+aboard the _Roosevelt_. As they rowed they cheered, and when they
+sighted Commander Peary three ringing cheers and a tiger were given. The
+newspaper men requested an interview with the Commander. He granted
+their request, at the same time suggesting that they accompany him
+ashore to a fish-loft at the end of the pier, where there would be more
+room than aboard the ship. Accompanied by the members of the expedition,
+the Commander and the reporters left the ship. Arriving at the loft
+Commander Peary sat on some fishnets at the rear end of the loft, some
+of the reporters sat on barrels and nets, others squatted on the floor.
+They formed a semi-circle around him and eagerly listened to the first
+telling of his stirring story.
+
+Before leaving Battle Harbor, we received a visit from the great
+missionary, Dr. Grenfell, the effect of whose presence was almost like a
+benediction.
+
+On the morning of the 18th we left Battle Harbor accompanied by the tug
+_Douglas H. Thomas_, amidst the salutes of the many vessels and boats in
+the harbor and the cannon on the hill.
+
+Through the Straits of Belle Isle we steamed, with a fair wind and a
+choppy sea. In the meantime I was busily engaged in making a strip to
+sew upon a large American flag. This was a broad white bar which was to
+extend from the upper right to the lower left corner of the flag, with
+the words "North Pole" sewed on it.
+
+About six A. M. on the 21st, a large white, steam-yacht was seen
+approaching, flying an American flag from her foremast and the English
+flag from the mizzenmast. We were close enough to her to distinguish
+Mrs. Peary and the children on board. A boat was quickly lowered from
+the yacht and the Peary family was soon united aboard the _Roosevelt_.
+
+All kinds of sailing craft now met the _Roosevelt_ and by them she was
+escorted into the harbor of Sydney, C. B. Whistles were blown, thousands
+of people lined the shores of the harbor, cheering enthusiastically and
+waving flags, and as the _Roosevelt_ was moored alongside the pier, a
+delegation of school-girls met the Commander, made an address, and
+presented him with a magnificent bouquet. The streets were gorgeously
+decorated and a holiday had been declared. A ripe, royal welcome was
+accorded the _Roosevelt_ and the members of the expedition. Visitors
+boarded the ship and looted successfully for souvenirs.
+
+It was at Sydney that the expedition commenced to disband. Commander
+Peary and his family returned to the United States via railroad-train.
+
+The _Roosevelt_ left Sydney on September 22 for New York City. A stop
+was made at Eagle Island, in Casco Bay, off the coast of Maine, where is
+located the summer home of Commander Peary, and here we landed most of
+his paraphernalia, some sledges and dogs. From Eagle Island we steamed
+direct to Sandy Hook, reaching there at noon on October 2. The next day
+the _Roosevelt_ took her place with the replica of those two historic
+ships, the _Half Moon_ and the _Clermont_, in the lead of the great
+naval parade.
+
+And now my story is ended; it is a tale that is told. "Now is Othello's
+occupation gone."
+
+I long to see them all again! the brave, cheery companions of the trail
+of the North. I long to see again the lithe figure of my Commander! and
+to hear again his clear, ringing voice urging and encouraging me onward,
+with his "Well done, my boy." I want to be with the party when they
+reach the untrod shores of Crocker Land; I yearn to be with those who
+reach the South Pole, the lure of the Arctic is tugging at my heart, to
+me the trail is calling!
+
+          "The Old Trail!
+           The Trail that is always New!"
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX I
+
+NOTES ON THE ESQUIMOS
+
+
+The origin of the Esquimos is not known to a certainty. In color they
+are brown, their hair is heavy, straight, coarse, and black. In
+appearance they are short, fat, and well-developed; and they bear a
+strong resemblance to the Mongolian race.
+
+Among the men of this tribe, quarrels and fights very rarely occur; but
+it is a very noticeable fact that while the men of the tribe do not make
+war on each other, the man of the family will, at the least provocation
+on the part of his better-half, without hesitation apply brute force to
+show his authority.
+
+The tribe of these, the North Greenland Esquimos, numbers two hundred
+and eighteen.
+
+Great interest was shown by the men when working implements, such as we
+used on board ship, were shown them. Eagerly they listened while the
+uses of many of these tools were explained to them. The women also
+showed great interest in any article that was foreign to them. They have
+a special liking for fancy beads of the smaller variety.
+
+The Esquimos show a great capacity for imitation. They have also a
+marked sense of humor.
+
+An Esquimo's sense of imitation is so keen that it is only necessary for
+him to observe a sledge-maker at work but once, when the same type of
+sledge will be reproduced in a very short time. On my last trip north, I
+noticed that the shirts worn by the Esquimos were similar in style and
+cut to our own. In 1906, the style had been entirely different.
+
+The Esquimos show no desire to acquire the English language. With the
+exception of Kudlooktoo and Inighito, none of the tribe could speak
+English intelligently. The Esquimos' vocabulary is a complication of
+prefixes and suffixes, and many words in his language are very hard to
+pronounce.
+
+The _tupiks_ (tents) are made of sealskin, and are used in summer. The
+igloos are built of snow, and are used in winter. A few igloos built of
+bowlders can be seen. The workmanship of this latter type of igloos is
+necessarily crude, for the bowlders are used in the rough state. On
+entering the _tuscoonah_ (entrance), a bed-platform of stones five feet
+long, and six feet wide, confronts one. On each side of this platform
+are seen smaller platforms, each holding a _koodlah_ (fire-pot).
+
+This _koodlah_ is made of a stone so soft that before it comes in
+contact with fire it can easily be cut with a knife. The name given by
+the Esquimos to it is _okeyoah_. Cooking utensils are first formed in
+the desired shape, then heat is applied, as a result of which the stone
+quickly hardens. The method of cooking as employed by the Esquimos is to
+suspend the _kooleesoo_ (cooking-pot) over the _koodlah_ (fire-pot). The
+_koodlah_ is the only means by which light can be secured in an Esquimo
+igloo. As fuel, the blubber of the narwhal is used.
+
+The clothing of the male Esquimo consists of a _kooletah_ (deerskin coat
+with hood attached), _nanookes_ (foxskin trousers) and _kamiks_
+(sealskin boots); that of the female Esquimo, a _kopetah_ (foxskin coat
+with hood attached), _nanookes_ (foxskin trousers) and hip length
+_kamiks_ (sealskin boots). The shirts of the male and female Esquimo are
+made from the skin of the auks, and one hundred and fifty of these
+little birds are used in the manufacture of one shirt.
+
+The largest Esquimo family known among the North Greenland tribe,
+numbers six; as a rule, an Esquimo family rarely outnumbers three. An
+Esquimo family is not stationary. Rarely does a family remain in one
+place longer than one season, which is nine months. The principal reason
+for this constant moving is the scarcity of game; for after a season of
+hunting in one place, game becomes very scarce; and there is no other
+alternative but for the family to move on. Transportation is by means of
+sledges drawn by a team of dogs. Alcoholic drinks are not known among
+this tribe; but, of late, tobacco is extensively used. Previous to 1902,
+before the arrival of the Danes, tobacco was an unknown quantity.
+
+The cleanliness of the Esquimos leaves room for much improvement.
+
+With reference to their morals, strictly speaking they are markedly
+lax. The wife of an Esquimo is held in no higher esteem than are the
+goods and chattels of the household. She may at any time be loaned,
+borrowed, sold, or exchanged. They have no marriage ceremony.
+
+The amusements of the Esquimos are few. Tests of strength and endurance
+occur between the men of the tribe; and visits are paid to the various
+settlements, during the long winter nights; and songs and choruses are
+sung, accompanied by a kind of tambourine which is made from the bladder
+of a walrus or seal, and stretched across the antlers of a reindeer.
+
+The Esquimos are a very superstitious people. In the event of a fatal
+illness, the victim, just before death, is removed to a place outside
+the igloo, for should death enter the igloo that dwelling would
+instantly be destroyed. If the deceased be a man, he is rolled up in a
+sealskin, and strips of rawhide are lashed around the body to keep the
+skin intact. He is then carried to his last resting place. A low stone
+structure is built around the body to protect it from the foxes. His
+sledge, containing all his belongings, is placed close beside this
+structure, and his dogs harnessed to his sledge are strangled, and
+stretched their full length, with their forepaws extended. In the event
+of the deceased being a woman, her cooking utensils are placed beside
+her, and should she be the mother of a very young infant, its life is
+taken. In the case of a widower, the bereaved Esquimo remains in the
+igloo for three days, during which time a new suit of wearing apparel is
+made, and worn by him, and all clothing made by the deceased, is, by
+him, destroyed. His term of mourning now being ended, the Esquimo,
+without more ado, takes unto himself a new wife. Members of the tribe
+who have the same name as the deceased have to change that name until
+the arrival of a new-born babe, to whom the name is given, whereby the
+ban is removed. The Esquimos have no decided form of religion. When
+questioned as to where the soul of the good Esquimo will go, they reply
+by pointing upward; and by pointing downward, the question is answered
+as to the final dwelling-place of the wicked.
+
+The main cause of death amongst the Esquimos is from a disease the
+symptoms of which are a cough, nausea, and fever, which disease quickly
+causes death.
+
+It is true that the Esquimos are of little value to the commercial
+world, due probably to their isolated position; but these same unlearned
+and uncivilized people have rendered valuable assistance in the
+discovery of the North Pole.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX II
+
+LIST OF SMITH SOUND ESQUIMOS
+
+(Males marked by an asterisk)
+
+
+          Ac-com-o-ding'-wah *
+          Ah-ding'-ah-loo
+          Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee'-ah *
+          Ah-dul-ah-ko-tee'-ah *
+          Ah-ga-tah'
+          Ah-go'-tah *
+          Ah-kah-gee'-ah-how
+          A-ka-ting'-wah
+          A-ka-ting'-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing'-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing'-wah
+          Ah-li-kah-sing'-wah
+          Ah'-mah
+          Ah-mame'-ee
+          Ah-mo-ned'-dy
+          Ah-mung'-wah
+          Ah-nad'-doo
+          Ah-nah'-we
+          Ah-nah-wing'-wah
+          Ahng-een'-yah *
+          Ahng-een'-yah
+          Ahng'-ing-nah
+          Ahng-ma-lok'-to *
+          Ahng-nah'-nia
+          Ahng-no-ding'-wah
+          Ahng-o-do-blah'-o *
+          Ahng-o-di-gip'-so
+          Ahng'-od-loo *
+          Ah-ni-ghi'-to
+          Ah-ni-ghi'-to
+          Ah-ning'-wah
+          Ah-ning'-wah
+          Ah-now'-kah *
+          Ah-now'-kah *
+          Ah'-pel-lah *
+          Ah'-pel-lah *
+          Ah-pu-ding'-wah *
+          Ah-say'-oo *
+          Ah'-te-tah
+          Ah'-te-tah
+          Ah-took-sung'-wah
+          Ah-tung'-ee-nah
+          Ah-tung'-ee-nah
+          Ah-wa-ting'-wah *
+          Ah-wa-tok'-suah *
+          Ah-wee'-ah
+          Ah-wee'-ah
+          Ah-wee-ah-good'-loo
+          Ah-wee-aung-o'-nah
+          Ah-wee'-i-ah *
+          Ah-we-ging'-wah *
+          Ah-we-shung'-wah *
+          Ah-wok-tun'-ee-ah
+          Ak-pood-ah-shah'-o *
+          Ak-pood-ah-shah'-o *
+          Ak-pood'-ee-ark *
+          Ak-pood-e-uk'-ee
+          A-le'-tah *
+          Al'-nay-ah
+          Al-nay-du'-ah
+          Ar-ke'-o *
+          Ar-ke'-o *
+          Ar-ke'-o *
+
+          E-gee'-ah *
+          E-ging'-wah *
+          E-ging'-wah *
+          E-lay-ting'-wah
+          E-ling'-wah *
+          E-meen'-yah *
+          E-she-a'-too
+          E-shing'-wah
+          E-tood'-loo *
+          E-took'-ah-shoo *
+          E-took'-ah-shoo *
+          E-too-shok'-swah
+          E'-vah-loo
+          E'-vah-loo
+          E'-we
+
+          I-ah-ping'-wah *
+          I-ah-ping'-wah *
+          Ig-lood-ee-ark'-swee *
+          Ihr'-lee *
+          Ik'-wah *
+          Ik-kile-e-oo'-shah
+          Il-kah-lin'-ah
+          Il-kli-ah' *
+          Il-kli-ah' *
+          In-ad-lee'-ah
+          In-ad-lee'-ah
+          In'-ah-loo
+          In-i-ghi'-to *
+          In-i-ghi'-to *
+          In-i-ghi'-to *
+          In-noo'-i-tah *
+          In-noo-tah'
+          In-noo-tah'
+          In-u-ah-pud'-o *
+          In-u-ah'-o
+          In-yah-lung'-wah
+          I-on'-ah
+          I-o-wit'-ty *
+
+          Jacok-su'-nah *
+
+          Kah'-dah *
+          Kah-ko-tee'-ah
+          Kah-ko-tee'-ah *
+          Kah-shad'-doo
+          Kah-shoo'-be-doo *
+          Kai-o-ang'-wah *
+          Kai-o-ang'-wah *
+          Kai'-oh *
+          Kai-o-look'-to *
+          Kai-o'-tah *
+          Kai-we-ark'-shah *
+          Kai-we-ing'-wah *
+          Kai'-we-kah *
+          Kai-ung'-wah *
+          Kang-nah' *
+          Kes-shoo' *
+          Ke-shung'-wah *
+          Klay'-oo
+          Klay'-oo
+          Klay-ung'-wah
+          Klip-e-sok'-swah *
+          Kood'-ee-puck
+          Kood-loo-tin'-ah *
+          Kood-loo-tin'-ah * (or
+          Koolatoonah)
+          Koo-e-tig'-e-to *
+          Koo'-lee
+          Kool-oo-ting'-wah *
+          Koo-u-pee'
+          Koo-u-pee'
+          Kud'-ah-shah *
+          Kud'-lah *
+          Kud'-lah *
+          Kud-lun'-ah *
+          Kud-look'-too *
+          Ky-u-tah *
+
+          Ma-gip'-soo
+          Mah-so'-nah *
+          Mah-so'-nah *
+          Mah-so'-nah *
+          Mah-so'-nah *
+          Mark-sing'-wah *
+          Mee'-tik *
+          Mee'-tik *
+          Me-gip'-soo
+          Mek'-kah
+          Me'-ne *
+          Merk-to-shah' *
+          Mok'-sah *
+          Mok-sang'-wah
+          Mok-sang'-wah
+          Mon'-nie
+          Mon'-nie
+          Micky'-shoo
+          My'-ah *
+          My-o'-tah *
+
+          Nay-dee-ing'-wah
+          Nel-lee'-kah
+          Nel-lee-ka-tee'-ah
+          Net'-too
+          Net'-too
+          New-e-king'-wah
+          New-e-king'-wah
+          New-e-king'-wah
+          New-hate'-e-lah'-o *
+          New-hate'-e-lah'-o *
+          New-kah-ping'-wah *
+          Nip-sang'-wah *
+          Now-o-yat'-loe
+          Nup'-sah
+
+          Og'-we *
+          Oo-ah-oun' *
+          Oo-bloo'-yah *
+          Oo-bloo'-yah *
+          Oo'-mah *
+          Oo-que'-ah *
+          Oo'-tah*
+          Oo-tun'-iah
+          Oo-we'-ah-oop *
+          Oo-we-she-a'-too
+
+          Pan'-ik-pah *
+          Pee-ah-wah'-to *
+          Poo-ad-loo'-nah*
+          Poo-ad-loo'-nah *
+          Poo-ad-loo'-nah *
+          Poob'-lah *
+          Poob'-lah *
+          Pood-lung'-wah
+          Poo'-too
+
+          Sag'-wah
+          Sat'-too *
+          Seeg'-loo *
+          Seen-o-ung'-wah
+          See-o-dee-kah'-to
+          Shoo-e-king'-wah
+          Sim'-e-ah
+          Sin-ah'-ew
+          Sip'-soo
+          Sow'-nah
+          Suk'-kun *
+          Sul-ming'-wah *
+
+          Tah'-tah-rah *
+          Tah'-wah-nah *
+          Taw-ching'-wah *
+          Taw-ching'-wah *
+          Teddy-ling'-wah *
+          Toi-tee'-ah *
+          Took-e-ming'-wah
+          Too'-koom-ah
+          Tu-bing'-wah
+          Tung-wing'-wah
+          Tung'-we *
+
+          Ung'-ah *
+
+          We'-ark
+          We-shark'-oup-si *
+
+
+Two female babies not named
+
+          Male          122
+          Female         96
+                       ----
+          Total         218
+
+
+THE END
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+The illustrations have been moved out of the middle of paragraphs so as
+to not interrupt the flow of reading.
+
+Obvious punctuation errors have been repaired.
+
+Page xiii, "ESKIMOS" changed to "ESQUIMOS". (NORTH POLE ESQUIMOS)
+
+Page 76, "Equimos" changed to "Esquimos". (fourteen Esquimos)
+
+One instance each of the following was retained:
+
+  fiendlike/fiend-like
+  forepaws/fore-paws
+  readjusting/re-adjusting
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Negro Explorer at the North Pole, by
+Matthew A. Henson
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