Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-10-02

lll u4dlltu NSu NC lOdlAN VI LIS hACISoSSuhS
in cairns of stones.
! We will 90 to Mccormick Bay next year
to relieve Peary provided that he has got
back from the north and is there to re-
| Eeve?
The members of the academy party who
got glimpse of the glaciers ana the ice
cap on which the Peary people are to travel
so easily have no such enthusiastic notions
of the feasibility of the excursion as the
lieutenant. Probably the greatest danger
will be inability to determine then posi-
! ton. In six weeks the Kite got only one
or two observations. On the ice cap the
condition of things would not be favorable
| to taking the sun S altitude. Every
ounce of TODD to be consumed on the Ice
cap must be hauled on a sled by the ex-
plorers. Detention and starvation would
be synonymous.
In his calculations of the ice cap journey
Peary has made little allowances for the
vast crevices which nave always been
found on the inland ice, but which he be-
lleves are not numerous so far north as
his position Oh account of the greater
solldlty of the ice by reason of the more
intense cold. A journey of a hundred
days might easily be prolor ged by mis-
fortune into two hundred. This would
mean death to the party.
Another matter which astonished the
| academy and which will lead to great
deal of unfavorable criticism and dis
Cusslon is the presence of Mrs. Peary on
the expedition. 1t can only be said that
the academy would never have had any
thing to do with the project had it been
known that she was going. The verdict
of Arctic explorers everywhere is that
those regioos are not the place for white
women, and on board the Kite there was
an outburst of Indignation when it was
known that Mrs. Peary had actually been
induced to remain In Mccormick Bay.
None of the members of the Peary expe-
dlt'on with the exception of the colored
man Mat, who thought Greenland was
sort of Atlantic city, knew that Mrs. Peary
was to remain. Each member declared
that he would never have enlisted had he
known it.
The addition of woman to the expedi-
ton, therefore, really adds to its perils
and difficulties, for however plucky she
may be sht is not physically capable of en-
during the exhausting labor OF a retreat
over ice, which has so often Frustrated
strong men.
1t is also claimed that the party is not
properly equipped IN other res pects. Peary,
it seems, forgot altogether the question of
a supply of coal and took none with him.
He was able, fortunately, to get seven tons
from Captain Pike, who, hoy ever, did not
very much like parting with 1t as be was
himself short. This is cited by critics as
showing that the expedition was deficient
in management Besides this all supplies,
dogs and natives were refused by the
Danish officials because Peary had to get
permit from the Copenhagen officials to
land in Greenland. At Upernavik, in re-
ply to requests for help OF this kind, the
governor filed this document on the Kite,
printed in English;
The board of directors of the Royal
Greenland Trade make known
Il. 1t is agreed by treaties between the
Royal Danish government and the United
States of America, Great Britain and 9TH
er states that the west coast of Greenland,
between latitude 60 and 70 degrees, be
closed for navigation of foreign ships and
Danish ships except 10y special permission
of the Royal Danish government, by whom
the monopoly of trade with Greenland is
held.
80. pursuant to the laws in force any
ship navigating without permission on
the west coast of Greenland may be seized
wherever met with and the ship and goods
he confcated Similar punishment may
be applied if any person or per ons be
found trading with the Greenanders or
Danish colonist from ship lying in a port
of Greenland or off the coast.
20. Shipmasters compelled by ship
wreck or other causes to seek port in Green
land shalt not remain in port longer than
necessary. Shipmasters shall also be
responsible for their crews not remaining
on shore without necessity nor in any way
trading with the natives, with whom all
intercourse is altogether prohibited.
a. The objects Of prohibiting the navi-
cation Of the west coast of Greenland and
of maintaining the monopoly of trade is
to protect the native population of Green
land This population will be threatened
with ruin if contagious diseases be
brought into the country or if spirituous
liquors or other similar articles be i'm
ported.
The board will, therefore, be obliged
to demand the order prohibiting the navi-
cation Of Greenland IN every way respect
ed in case the crew of any ship should not
strictly abstain from all intercourse with
the native population.
''COPENHAGEN, May :, 1884.
Thus handicapped he was unable to pro-
cure many things that would have been
useful.
Tile region of Whale Sound, Peary un.
derstood was full of reindeer and game
During a FIVE days sojourn there not a
single deer was killed, only small birds
falling before the guns. 1t is not likely,
therefore, that the harder of the expedi-
ton will be much swelIed by this expedi-
tion, though the party were depending
largely for food upon hunting. So short,
indeed, was Peary of supplies that all the
ducks killed from the Kite on the journey
north and the meat of the one polar bear
slain were claimed by him. This did not
avail him much, however as his people
refused 20 follow the advice of the captain
and steward in curing them, but used
some scientific process of their own, with
the result that on arrival jim Mccormick
Bay all the food was TOO rotten to be of
much use. This applies also to some seals
that had been slain.
Altogether, if the survival of the expe-
dition depends ON judgment experience
and supplies, its friends may not be al
toOptbpr WRONG in trpmhlincy for its safety