Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-17
IN WINTER QUARTERS.

Readers will remember how Peary and his little
party, which included the brave wife of the ex-
plorer. were left at Mccormick bay. Peary
himself suffering with a broken leg. On May
10 Of this year the sledge journey over the ice
cap was begun at an elevation of 1000 feet.
The Humboldt glacier was reached in the
northern trip in nine DAYS and bv the end Of
the month ting party looked down on Peter
mann ford, where Capt Hall left his horses
From near Victoria inlet the east
ard south TO the northeast coast. The return
back 20 Mccormick bay was made without
difficulty, and when the head OF the BAY was
reached the Kite was seen At anchor, ready for
the journey homeward The whole distance
covered was 800 miles. From the time he
struck the ice cap ON his return journey until
he reached Mccormick bay he averaged twenty
three miles day, which is an unparalleled
sledging record
VALUABLE AID OF THE sLEDaEs.
The sledSes which Peary used we're great help
toward the success of the expedition. The tim
Der for these sledges he took with him. His
sledges were much lighter than those formerly
used by explorers, although built to carry just
"a heavy loads. Two hundred pounds the
expected pack for each sledge. Another ee
ment OF success was the fine grade of dogs
which he used. He took with him over the ice
cap twenty of these animals. bred by the ma
tives OF Whale sound. At the Humboldt gla-
cier the return party,went back and Pesry and
Astrup continued the journey with thirteen
dogs and three sletlges. Peary and his COM
panion Travelled in the lightest possible march
ing order. dispensing with even a tent. A large
supply of food left the party when ready
to sail for home.
PRACTICAL RESULTS OF THE TRIP.
The practical results of The tripare not solely
of geographical character, as valuable infor-
nation has been obtained az to the fora and
fauna OF this big island and valuable studies
made of its people Much of the country
around the winter quarters at Mccormick bay
was visit ed and studied, while the presence at
the camp OF a number of natives afforded a rare
opportunity for chronological studies. Peary-s
enumeration of the arctic highanders gives a
total of less than $50 souls.
Peary went on the theory in picking out the
members of his party that men of intelligence
and education were better fitted to undergo the
hard-hips than others of less mental training
and seif--estrafnt. He picked the party with
this idea and the result has justified the opinion
The only sad result of the trip was the death of
Ny. John Y. Verhoef. who lost his life through
falling into a crevasse while exploring alone.
Verhoeff was intrusted with the meteorological
and tidal work. and was a promising and able
scientist.
Such expeditions Peary's reduce to mini
mum the danger of arctic explorations and are
valuable in results. He has shown clearly the
falacy OF the idea of reaching the pole or. in
fact. any extent farther north by the route fol-
lowed by Lockwood on the west coast. and will
probably cause north pole expeditions TO revert
to the old expedient of the Jeanette Of trusting
to the northwest current.