Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-10-14
INTRODUCTION ny PEAKY.

I
Some OF my reasons for saying that
DR.. Cook did not 20 to the North Pole
will be understood by those who read
;he following statements OF the TWO
Eskimo boys who went with him. aud
who told me and others OF my party
where he did 80. Several Eskimos
who started with DR.. Cook from An
oratok In February. 1908. were mt Elah
when arrived there in August. 1905.
They told me that Or. Cook had with
him. after they left. two Eskimo boys
or young men. two sleds5es and some
twenty dogs. The boys We're l-took-a-
Shoe 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 Or Cook had
been; that he had wintered in Jones
Sound and that he had told the white
men M Etah that he had been long
way north. but that the boys who were
with him. l-toOk- shoe and Ah-pe-lah
said that this was not SO. The Eslli-
mos laughed at DR.. Cocks story. On
reaching Etah. talked witt the Eski-
mos there and With the two boys and
asked them to describe DR. Cook S Jour
ney 10 members of my party and my.
self This they did in the manner
stated below.
(Signed, r. f. PFAHY.
SIGNED STATEMENT OF PEAPY.
BARTLETT. MCMILLAN, BORUP
AND HENSON. IN REGARD TO
TESTIMONY OF COOKS TWO
ESKIMO BOYS.
The two Eskimo boys, I-took- shoe
and Ah-pe-lah. who accompanied DR.
Cook while he was away fran Anora-
tok IN 1908 and 1909. were questioned
separately and independently. and
were corroborated by Panikpah, the
father of one OF them Q-took-a -sboo)
who was personally familiar with the
first third and the last third of their
journey, and who said that the route
for the remaining third, rs shown by
them. was as described TO him by his
son after his return with Or. 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 uDshHken by
cross-eXamnation, was cOrroborated
by other men in the tribe. and was
-,
ises. the two boys and their father
talking OF their journey and their ex'
periences in he same way that thew
would talk OF any hunting trip.
To go more into details: One Of the
boys was called in. and. with chart
on the tnble before him, was asked &c
show where he had gone with DR.
Cook. This he did. pointing out will
his finger on the map. but not making
any marks upon It,
AS he went out. the other boy came
IN and was asked to show where be
had gone with Dr. Cook. This he did
also without plFiug any marks. ant
indicated me .aYup route and the san'
details rs DE ,nr first boy.
When I've was through. Panikpab
the father Of | took-a-shoo. a very IL
telligent man. who was In the part!
OF EskimoS that came back from DR.
Cook from the northern end of Nan
sens Strait who IS familiar rs Il hunt
or with the Jones Sound region. ant
who has been In Commander Peary'
various expeditions for some fifteel
years. came In and indicated the SAM
localities and details as the two boys
Then the first boy was brought il
ngain. and with a pencil he traced oil
the map their route. members of on
party writing upon the chart where
according to the boys statement. the