The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-04
DAILY WORK
OF A POLAR
EXPLORER
MANY DrscoMFoRTs AND &C.
CAs1oNAL JOYS OF LIFE IN
THE WHITE WORLD.
By DR.. Frederick A. Cook-Leader Of
the Most Successful Of Antarctic
Expeditions, and Prominent in the
Search for Both Poles.

tThc accompanying story from the pen
of DR.. Frederick A. Cook, the well-known
Arctic and Antarctic explorer, Is to ap-
pear in the forthcoming volume. "The
White World" and Is reproduced by spe-
cal arrangement with the publishers,
Lewis, Scribner & Co.. of New York.
"1he White World" gives the personal
experiences of twenty-five prominent ex-
plorers. and is the first connected account
Of polar exploration from the time OF the
Kane expedition to the PRESENT.
Directly upon the announcement or
every polar expedition. applications py
the hundred pour In from young men,
and some women not so young, VINO are
eager to Join in the search for the Sc
crets of the frozen Businesses, which
have thus far defied mans most heroic
efforts. 1t is curious that SO many
should volunteer their services for so
arduous a task. Why so many appn-
cants? Why Is this pole-seeking SO
popular? Surely these aspirants are
not familiar with the real phases OF the
life of an explorer.
From beginning to END the work of
an exploring party is hard; to endure
hardships and to suffer are the nor
NAL conditions. On such expeditions
there are few servants and few men
to do the drudgery of daily work. Off
GERS, as we'll as sailors, must mend their
hose, wash their garments, COOK, and
fill the places of carpenters. shoemak-
ers and what not. The work is like
womans work in that it is never fin
ished. People often ask: What do you
do to pass the time?" One Is never
more busy, or more Thoroughly occupied,
than when performing the duties of
well-organized expedition.
Let us follow briefly the life of
sledge traveller. He starts out for
determined poleward dash, taking with
him no money to buy necessities and
comforts en- route, no trunk with little
luxuries, but his bed and his house.
with fuel and provisions for three
months or more. All this Is in such
shape that he must be prepared at any
moment to carry his baggage on his
back for miles. There are no halfway
inns, no houses, no shelter, and no ba-
zaars by the wayside. If he has for
gotten or lost anything it cannot be
obtained. He is far away from the IA
miliar world, far from the accustomed
comforts of life, and as completely iso-
lated as if he was on the surface of the
moon. Day after day he plods along
over desolate fields of rough ice. push
ing and pulling sledges, urging and
whipping the wolfish dogs. He is al
ways too tired to talk, frequently too
weary to eat. and often also too un-
comfortable to sleep. Still, he has re-
solved to make the effort of his life,
and he continues to press onward.
THE DAILY MENU.
One day he advances five miles, the
next day twenty miles, and again but
mile. and then comes a storm which
causes a halt Of five days. AS time
goes on the stock of provisions de-
creases. the load becomes lighter. but
he finds his distance all too small.
Half rations are now served. Here
tofore the full ration would seem a
starvation diet, but now it is only half.
and the character of this is such as to
make ones marrow shrink. Here is
the days gastronomic comfort: For
breakfast, two cups of tea, a few ships
biscuit, hard and tough. a bit of penn
mican twenty years old which is made
of equal quantities Of dried meat and
beef tallow. No luncheon, except a
soap-like cake of bacon-fat mixed
with pulverized peas. For dinner the
breakfast Is repeated, with an extra
treat in the form of a large drink of
water, If the fuel supply will permit
such luxury. Experience has proved
that this is the most practicable bill Of
fare, and it does not permit of much
elaboration. Except the tea everything
is taken cold. and today, when think
Of my chattering teeth and quivering
muscles while trying to devour the
straw-like pemmican am doubly glad
of the comforts of home.
1t is really remarkable to see how
this scant polar diet keeps UP the physi-
cal powers, and it is even more remark
able to see how a fat piece of frozen
pemmican will change a hungry mans
mind. Hunger is as normal to the ex-
plorer as the shivers, and both COM
plants are treated by the same remedy
-food-for when the stomach is full the
body is warm. When the days journey
is ended, the tongue burns, the throat
is parched. and there Is an uncomfort-
able pinching at the pit Of the stomach.
One feels like eating mountain and
drinking river; but the effect Of penn
mican upon this condition is marvel
Gus. 1t is too hard to eat rapidly so
one nibbles away, shivers and dreams
of better times. The dry, uncooked bits
of meat go down with a snatch and
some effort and one is very conscious
of its position in the stomach by a
heavy, full feeling. which Is always a
JOY to hungry mortals. Long before the
half-pound lump which Is the usual al
lowance, disappears, the pangs of hun
ger are forgotten, and then desire for
a hot cup of tea, to take away the
scratchy feeling Is all that Is necessary
to make life again worth living.
THE ALL-IMPORTANT SLEEPING
BAG.
The diet of sledge traveller Is not
so bad when you have nothing else
within reach, but the gods could not
force man to eat 1t II he had the |
chance of something else instead. One |
takes to it about as kindly as a convict |
does to prison diet.
1t is not so bad with the bed. Among
the incidents of bed-going are to be |
found the happiest moments of an ex-
plorer's life. 1t is pity that the North |
Pole cannot be reached In a sleeping
bag. for therein lies the foundation Of |
most of the comforts Of polar adven-
lures. This is as it should be, for when |
a man forces his powers OF endurance |
to their utmost he must have proper
rest but this rest Is generally of short |
duration and Is always carefully guard |
I'd. Much depends upon the mood OF |
the elements. the location Of camp. the |
cut OF your sleeping-bag and also upon