The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-10-20
A WOMAN In THE ARCTICS
Adventures Of Mrs. Peary Among
the Msquimaux.
A Brief Account Of the Trip Of the Only
White Woman VINO Has Ever
ventured So Far
North.

vonturod 30 Far
North.
Mrs. Robert e. Peary, who accom-
panied the explorer on his daring arctic
journey and has returned safely with
the party to st. Johns, N. F., writes to
the New York Herald as follows con-
cerning her adventurous trip:
We saw the first herd of deer on Sep
tember and got three at the head of
Mccormick bay, where we went to start
the party to place depot on Humboldt
Glacier. His party, consisting of AS
trup, Gibson and Verhoeff, were baff1ed
by storms and returned in four days.
Astrup and Gibson started again on
September % and made about thirty
miles, but were forced back on account
OF deep, soft snow. During one of our
hunting trips we had a narrow escape
from drowning by having our boat
crushed by herd of angry walruses,
many of which were wounded by us,
but we killed seven and escaped with
out a scratch.
The winter, although we had hun
dred days of darkness with temperature
ranging from thirty to fifty degrees
below zero, passed pleasantly Every
day we took long walks on snow shoes,
and often indulged in a sledge ride,
drawn by one Of my Newfoundlands
and one Esquimau dog, and yet cannot
boast of a single frost bite.
We received numerous visits from the
natives, all of whom were bright mer-
ry, willing creatures, anxious to please
They enjoyed our coffee and biscuit,
but cared little for sweets. The women
were especially interesting to me, and
many hours were spent in watching
them at their work.
Mr.. Peary, with Astrup and DR.. Cook,
went on the ice cap on February IA to
following we had the most terrible wind
and rainstorm ever witnessed. For a
time l feared our house, which we
called Red Cliff, would be washed away,
but we were not seriously damaged.
The party on the ice Jared still worse
and were glad to get back to Red Cliff
On April 10, there being constant day
light, Mr.. Peary took me with him on a
tour of Whale sound and Inglefeld
gulf We travelled by night and slept
by day. Our sledges, sixteen and if
teen feet long, were drawn by thirteen
fine Esquimau dogs. Our driver,
native, handled the team as only q
native can. We slept without shelter,
and our bed was the snow after pulling
ourselves into dserskin bag, which was
fastened tightly about the neck
We repeatedly made forty miles in .
single march, and it was fine sight to
see those thirteen beauties, with heads
up and tails waving over their backs,
dashing over the ice. We visited all
the settlements and once l was in
weighed into spending the night in one
of their snow igloos, but declined all
further invitations. We returned to
Red Cliff at the end of a week and the
inland ice party at once began prepare
tions to leave.
Mr.. Peary left ON May 8, no one re-
naming at Red Cliff but Mr.. Verhoeff
and myself Matt returned on May 8,
and on June 8 the supporting party,
DIR. Cook and Gibson, returned. They
parted from Mr.. Peary and Astrup at
Humboldt Glacier; whence the latter
continued on their way north. By this
time many Esquimaux had pitched
their tents around Red Cliff, and the
settlement had the appearance of a
fourishing village. During the summer
various hunting and exploring trips
were made, and on July II pitched my
tent at the side of McCormick's bay, ex-
pecting to remain there until the re-
turn of Mr.. Peary.
Although the angakoks of the tribe
had told me that they had been in
formed during their seance that Peary
would never return, at five o'clock on
the morning of July "a heard pc
culiar noise outside of my tent, and on
calling out in Esquimau: "Who is
there?" was answered that ship had
come, and a black head was thrust into
the tent and . bundle of letters handed
me.
The Kite had come and my mail had
been sent me. The following day l
was visited by Prof. Heilprin, and the
day following I returned to Red Cliff.
On August 4 again went to the head
of the bay, this time on the Kite, and
on August Prof. Heilprin and a party
left to make a reconnaissance of the in
land ice, and ut three o'clock on the
morning of August 6, while lying in my
bunk, heard shouts from the return
ing party, and in few minutes quick,
firm step on the deck, which recog-
nized as my husbands.
The next instant he was before me.
then felt God had, indeed, been good
to me- Good news from home and
Mr.. Peary returned in health and safety,
after an absence of ninety-three days,
during which time he travelled over
thirteen hundred miles over this inland
ice. So far everything had gone as we
had hoped.
While we were packing all our be-
longings on the Kite Mr.. Verhoeff went
on a two days geological trip to a
neighboring settlement. Failing to re-
turn at the end of this time, the party