The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-13

change the position Of the island, but
was stopped, as Commander Peary had
| given instructions that no changes or
erasures were to be made in the route
as drawn by the Eskimos on the chart
From this island they could see two
lands beyond (Sverdrup's EIlef
Ringnes and Amund Ringnes Lands)
From the island they journeyed toward
the lefthand one of these two lands
(Amund Ringnes Land), passing a
small island which they did not visit.
Arriving at the shore of AmunS
Ringnes Land. the Eskimos killed a
deer
The above portion OF the statement
OF the Eskimo boys covers the period
Of time in which DR.. Cook claims 10
have gone to the pole and back. and
the entire time during which he could
POSSIBLY have made any attempts to
go to 1t.
Killed no Game.
The answers of the Eskimo boys m
Commander Peary's series of indenend-
emit questions, showing that they killed
no game, made no caches. lost no dogs
and returned to the land with Ioada,l
sledges, makes their attainment of the
pole on the trip north of Cape Thomas
Hubbard physical and mathematical
impossibilitys as it would demand the
subsistence df three men and over
twenty dogs during a journey of 400
geographical miles on less than two
sledge loads of supplies.
II it Is suggested that perhaps Dr
Cook got mixed and that he reached
the pole, or thought he did, between
the time Of leaving the northwest.
coast of Hefberg Land at Cape Norto-
west, and his arrival at Ringnes Land
where they killed the deer we must
then add to the date of DIR. Cooks
letter OF March II, at or near Cane
Thomas Hubbard, the subsequent fo1,r
or five sleeps at that point. and che
number Of days required to march
from Cape Thomas Hubbard to Cape
Northwest Ca distance OF some six
" nautical miies), which would ad-
vance his date OF departure from the
land to at least the 26th of March.
and be prepared to accept the claim
that DR.. Cook went from Cape North
west labout latitude eighty and a
half degrees north) TO the pole. a dis
lance Of five hundred and seventy
geographical miles. in twenty
days.
After killing the deer they then
Travelled south along the east side OF
Ringnes Land. where they killed an
other deer.
Killed Their Dogs.
They then went east across the
south part of Crown Prince Gustav
Sea to the south end of Heiberg Land.
then down through Norwegian Bay,
where they secured some b@arm, but
not until after they had killed some
of their dogs. TO the east side OF Gra-
ham Island; then eastward to the
little bay marked 'Bid's Fiord." on
Sverdrup's chart; then southwest TO
HeH's Gate and Simmons Peninsula
Here for the first time during the
entire journey, except as already noted
off Cape Thomas III. Hubbard, they
encountered open water. On this point
the boys were clear, emphatic. and
unsuitable. They spent good deal
Of time In this region, and finally
abandoned their dogs and one siedge.
took 70 their boat crossed HeIl's Gate
to North Kent. up into Norfolk Inlet.
then back along the north coast OF
Colin Archer Peninsula to Cape Vera,
where they obtained fresh elder duck
eggs. Here they cut the remaining
sIedge Off, that is shortened 1T, as 1t
was awkward TO transport with the
boat. and near here they killed wal
rua.
The statement I'm regard to the fresh
elder duck eggs permits the approx
mate determination Of the date ct this
time ~ about flne first Of July. This
statement also serves. Il indeed any
thing more than the inherent straight
forwardness and detail Of their mar
rative were needed. to suhEtantiate the
accuracy and truthfufness Of the boys
statement This locality OF Cape Vera
II mentioned tn Sverdrup's narrative
az the place where during his stay in
that region ne obtained elder ducks
eggsl
From Cape Vera they vent On down