The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1909-10-22
INTRODUCTION By PEARY.

Some OF my reasons for saying that
Dr Cook did not go to the north pole
Will be understood by those who read
the following statements of the two
Eskimo boys who went with him, and
who told me and others of my party
where he did go. Several Eskimos
who started with DR.. Cook from An
oratok in February. 1908, were at
Etah when | arrived there in August,
1908. They told ME that Dr. Cook had
with him, after they left, two Eskimo
boys, or young men. two sledges and
some twenty dogs. The boys were
I-tooka-shoo and Ah-pe-lah | had
known them from their childhood.
One was about eighteen and the other
about nineteen years of age
On my return from Cape Sheridan
and at the very first settlement
touched (Nerke, near Cape ChalOn) in
August, 1909 and nine days before
reaching Etah, the Eskimos told me.
In general way, where Dr. Cook had
been; that he had wintered in Jones
Sound, and that he had told the white
men at Etah that he had been a long
way north. but that the boys who were
with him. I-took-a-shoo and All -pe-lah,
said that this was not so. The Eski-
mos laughed at DR.. Cooks story. On
reaching Etah, | talked with the Es-
kimOs there and with the two boys
and asked them to describe Dr. Cooks
journey to members of my party and
myself. This they did in the manner
stated below.
((Signed) r. .. PEARY.
Signed Statement OF Peary, Bartlett,
Mcmillan, Borup and Henson, in Re.
gard to Testimony Of Cooks Two
Eskimo lBoys.
The two, Eskimo boys. I-took- -a-shoo
and Ah-pG-lah. who accompanied DR..
Cook while he was away from AnOra-
tok in 1903 and 1909. were questioned
separately and independently, and
were cOrFObOrated by Panikpah, the
father oft one OF them U-took-a -shOo).
who was} personally familiar with the
frst third and the last third of their
Journey and who said that the route
for the remaining third, as shown by
them. Was as described to him by his
son aftetr his return with pr Cook.
To go more into details. One of
the boWs was called in, and, with a
chart ION the table before him, was
asked to show where he had gone
with lDr. Cook. This he did. pointing
out jwith his finger on the map, but
not making any marks upon it.
Aks he went out, the other boy came
in }and was asked to show where he
ha}d gone with DR.. Cook This he did.
al 3so without making any marks, and
ir Adicated the same route and the
SSame details as did the first boy.
J When he was through, Panikpah,
the father of I-took-a-shoo, a very in
telligent man, who was in the party
of Eskimos that came back from DR..
Cook from the northern end OF Nan
sens strait, who is familiar as a hunt
er with the Jones Sound region, and
who has been In Commander Peary's
various expeditions for some fifteen
years, came in and indicated the same
localities and details az the two boys
Then the first boy was brought in
again, and with 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
The second boy was then called in
and the two went over the chart to-
gether, the second boy suggesting
some changes as noted hereafter.
During the taking of this testimony.