The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-06
LETTER TO CAPTAIN BERNIER
SAYS EXPLORER TOOK DOC
TORS SUPPLIES.
M|SS|VE MADE PUBLIC
Document Written by Discovers. 81
the North Pole to Captain of Cana
dian Steamer Gives Important infor-
nation Relative to the All Absorbing
Controversy Over Discovery.

OTTAWA ont. Oct. captain Ber-
nier of the Canadian steamer Arctic
today made public letter written to
him by Dr. Frederick A Cook May
g. and delivered to Captain Bernier on
September /. at Tpernayik. Greenland.
Ii says:
My Dear Captain: | have To write
you the first letter after having been
sealed behind ice barriers for tsy,,
years. 1t was your supplies. so kind
ly left in charge of Mr.. Whitney.
which aided me greatly in getting to
Ipernasik. All my other property
had been taken by Peary under the
gutse of relief station. Murphy, the
man in charge of the station. how
ever, was instructed not to engage in
any relief efforts; not to allow Eskf-
mos To cross and search until March
of the following year. 1909 Ny large
store of supplies and my station was
used for barter with natives to satisfy
Peary's 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 the polar prize. but the ef-
fort was dangerous beyond concep-
tion.
Happy Contrast.
The splendid assistance which YOU
have given and the liheralIty Of the
Canadian government in sending the
ship il IA happy contrast To the him
drancc and injustice of one of my
own countrymen."
Describing the journey to the pole,
DIR. Cook says:
starting from Annatook on Feb
ruary 10. 1908. We crossed ElIesmera-
land, pushed along It's western coast
to the polar sen, feeding 10 EskImos
and 100 dogs en- route on musk OK
and bears.
From So north / started with but
TWO young Eskimos and &c dogs. pull
ing TWO siedges and supplies for 50
days. The Ice was fine after cross
ing "a degrees.
Ncrockersland was sighted and
passed and a new land found To the
north of 1t. extending 81 degrees. be-
yond no land Was seen. The pole was
reached April Il. 1905. The return was
forced slightly westward on the north
ward route. but about S. degrees we
driited east and south. Below 81 we
had drifted with an active pack.
We were heiplessiy carried To The
west unable tn reach our caches along
Nansen sound. We were pushed into
Prince Gustase sea with food and
fuel exhausted. Still unable tn press
eastward We went with the ice 10 the
south. Polar bears came to our rescue
as ilie~saFefs. We then went into
Wellington channel hoping To be able
In reach whalers In Lancaster spuna
but We were soon stopped hy falling
food supplies and young small ice.
With no game this short route t.
AN early ship was no longer possible
and to satisfy the pangs of hunger
We worked To Jones sound. Here after
n long run OF hard adventure by boat
ana sA"dse cruel necessity forced ms
thi" winter camp in September at
Cape sharho. without fuel ar fana.
or winter clothing. with
no dogs. no guns.
our situation was almost hopeless.
but fortune came our way. Bows and
arrows, harpoons. lances and other
implements were made. The musk OK
and bear were taken with lines. The
lance and knife secured us small
game. Foxes We're trapped. walrusses
and seals attacked and secured i'm our
little folding canvas boat An under
ground den was built and the winter
of iaos-oa passed with Il taste af ey-
ersthing save fresh meat. We had nor
a morsel of civilized food. not even
salt
A new equipment Was devised ami
AS soon as the sun of 1909 rose oxes
the hills of north Devon Ne started
for Annatook in Fehruay. 1903, drag
sing dried musk ox meat as fond and
melted tallow as fuel for 3n DAYS on
sledses, Deep SNOW. bad ice, open wa-
ter and continued storms made the
return slow and arduous. We reached
Annatonk after run af hard luck an
April 5. Here We were met by Whit
sey. only IL find that Peary's men
had misuSed our station with its
under the protection af
AIR Whitney. We enjoyed good health
At all times