The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-13

G=fs=z=sz1==z=s3====z1===s personally familiar with the first third and last. third of their journey. and who said that the route fer the rsmain- inx third. as shown by them, was as described to him by his son after hfl return with pr. Cook. ,.
 Notes of their statements were taken by several of us, and no one of us has any doubt that they told the truth. Their testimony was unshaken by crossvexarnination. was corroborated by other men in the tribe. and was elicted neither by threats nor promises, the two boys and their father talking of their Journey and their experiences in the same way that they would talk of any hunting trip.
 To 70 more into details: One of the boys was called In, and, with a chart on the table before him, was asked to 'show where he had gone with Dr. Cook. This he did. pointing out with his finger on the map. but not makin any marks upon 1t.
 As he went out, the other boy came in and was asked to show whore he had gone with Dr. Cook. This he did, also without making any marks. and indi- cated the same route and the same de- tails as-did the first boy.
 When he was through. Panigpah, the father of I-took- a -shoo. a very intelli- gent man, who was In the party of Es- kimos that came back from pr. Cook from the northern end of Nansen's Strait, who is familiar as hunter with the Jones Sound region. and who mas been in Commander Peary's various ex- petitions for some fifteen years, came in and indicated; the same localities and details as the two boys.
 Then the nrst boy was brought in again, and with a pencil he traced on the map their route, members of our party writing upon the chart where, according to the boys statement. they had killed deer, bear. some of their dogs. seal. walrus and musk -oxen.
 AThe second Boy was then called in and the two went over the chart to- geth CT. the second boy suggesting some changes as noted hereafter.
 Finally, Panigpah. the father. was again called in to verify details of the portions of fhe route with which he was personally familiar.
 The bulk of the boys testimony was not taken by Commander Peary. nor in his presence. a fact that obviates any possible Alaim that they were awed by him.
 Certain questions on independent lines ITOHl-lHc OA thc Eskimo boys were suggested by Com mander Peary to some of us. and were put by us to the Eskimo boys.
 Still later. Commander Peary asked the Eskimo, boys two or three casual questions. on minor points that had oc- cured to- aim. "
 During the taking of this testimony. 1t developed that pr. Cook had told these boys, as he told MT. Whitney and Billy Pritchard, the cabin boy. that they must not tell Commander Peary or any of us anything about their jour nsq. and the boys stated Dr. Cook had them it they should tell anything.
 The narrative of these Eskimos is as follows rs
 They, with pr. Cook, Francke and nine other Eskimos. left Anoratok. crossed smiths Sound to Cape Sabine, slept in Commander Pearys old house in Payer Harbor. then went through Rice Strait to Buchanan Bay After a few, marches Franeke and three Es- kimos returned to Anoratok.
 Dr.s Cook. with thea others, then pro- ceeded up Flagler Bay. a brancn of Buchanan Bay. and crossed Ellesmere Land through the valley pass at the head of FIagler Bay, indicated by Com mander Peary in 1Sys, and utilized by SverdEup In 1899, to the head of Sverdrup's Bay Fiord" on the west side Of Ellesmere Land.
 Their route then lay out through this ford. thence north through Sver- drups "Heuerka Sound" and Nansen Strait. On their way they killed musk-oxen and bear, and made caches, arriving at a point on the west side of Nensen Strait (saore of Axel Hei- berg Land of sSverdrup), south of Cape Thomas Hubbard.
 cache was formed here and the four Eskimos did not>go beyond this point. Tdo others, Koolootingwah and went on one more march with Dr. Cook and the two boys helped to build the snow igloo, then returned without sleeping.
 (These two Eskimos brought back a letter from Dr. Cook to Francke. dated the 1Tth of March. The two men re- joined the other four men wno had been left behind, and the six returned to Anoratok, arriving May 7th. This was obtained not from the two Eskimo boys. but from the six men who returned and frNn Francke himself, and was known to us in the summer of 1898. when the Roosevelt first arrived at Etah. The informa- tion is inserted here as supplementary to the narrative of the two boys).
 After sleeping at the camp where the last two Eskimos turned back. Dr. Cook and the two boys went In a northerly or northwesterly direction with two sledges and twenty odd dogs. one more march, when they encountered rough