Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-10-11
ESKIMOS WERE WARNED
NOT TO LOOK FOR COOK
AND PEARWs ACTION NEARLY
CAUSED DEATH OF FORMER.
So Or. cook says in Letter Written
to Explorer sernler Of
Canada.

OTTAWA, Ont, oct. 7.-captain
Bernier, OF the Canadian steamer
Arctic" made public a letter writ
ten TO him by DR.. Frederick A. Cook
on May %, and delivered to Captain
Bernier on September at Upernavik,
Greenland.
Peary Accused Of Stealing Supplies.
The letter opens:
my Dear Captain: have to
write you the first letter after having
been sealed behind fee barriers for
two years. It was your supplies, so
kindly left In charge of Mr. Whitney,
which aided me greatly in getting to
Upernavik. All my other property
has been taken by Peary under the
guise OF a relief station for DR.. Cook
Murphy, the man In charge Of the
station, however, was instructed not
to engage in any relief efforts. not
to allow Eskimos to cross and search
until March Of the following year,
1909. My large stores Of supplies
and my station we're used for bar
ter with natives to satisfy Pearys
commercial greed.
Fortunately, we were able TO work
out our problem without relief ef-
forts except as you offered. We have
pushed into the Boreal center and
picked up tho polar prize, but the eff
fort was dangerous beyond coneep-
ton.
THE splendid assistance which you
have given and the Iiberality Of the
Canadian government in sending the
ship Is happy contrast to the him
drance and injustice of one Of my
own countrymen
The Journey TO the Pole.
Describing the journey to the pole,
DR.. Cook said.
Starting from Annotook on Febru.
airy. 10, 1908, we crossed Elisnsmere
Land. pushed along It's western coast
TO the polar sea, feeding ten Esklmos
and 1913 dogs en- route on musk oxen
and bears.
From 50 north I started with but
two young Esklmos and twenty-six
dogs. pulling two slelghs aud supplies
for eighty days, The ice was fine az
ter crossing "a degrees. Crooker'a
Land was sighted and passed, and a
new land found TO the north of II ex'
tending to IS degrees. Beyond, no
land was seen. The pole was reached
April %, 1908. The return was forced
slightly westward on the northern
route. but about So degrees we drifted
east and south. Below "a we had
drlfted with an active pack.
I'VE were helplessly carried 10 the
west, unable 70 reach our caches alone
Nansen Sound. We were pushed into
Prince Gustave sea with food and fue
exhausted. stln unable to press east
ward, we went with the ice TO thS
south, food and fuel now exhausted
Polar bears came 10 our rescue al
lfesavers, We then went into Well
ington channel, hoping to be able e
reach whalers In Lancaster Sound
but we were soon stopped by fallinl
food supplies and young small ice
With no game. this short route to Al
early ship was no longer possible, an'
10 satisfy che pangs OF hunger w
worked TO Jones Sound.
Forced Into Winter Camp.
Here. after a long run Of hard ad
venture by boat and sledge, a crue
necessity forced us snt0 winter cam
IN September at Cape sparbo, with
out fuel or food, ammunition or white
clothing. with no dogs. no guaA Gu
situation was almost hopeless, bu
fortune came our way. Bows and Al
rows, harpOons, lances and other In
PIGMENTS were made. The musk Oxe
and bear were taken With lines, tn
lance and knife secured us sma
game Foxes we're trapped. walFuse