Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-15
INTRODUCTION BY PEARY.

DIR. Cook did not go to the north pole
will be understood by those VINO read
the following statements of the two Es-
kimo 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 Anoratok in Febru-
airy, 1908, were at Etah when I arrived
there in August, 1908. They told ms
that DR.. Cook had with him, after they
left, two Eskimo boys or young men,
| two sledges and some 20 dogs. The
boys were I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah.
had known them from their childhood.
One was about Is and the other about Is
years of age,
| On my return from Cape Sheridan and
at the very first settlement I touched
| (Nerke near Cape Chalon), in August,
1903, and nine days before reaching
Etah, the Esklmos told me, in a gen.
eral way, where Dr. Cook had been;
that he had wintered in Jones Sound
and that he had told the white men at
Etah that ne had been a long way
north, but that the boys who were with
him, I-toolx-a-shoo- and Ah-pe-lah, said
that this was not so. The ESkimos
laughed at DR.. Cooks story. On reach
ing Etah, talked with the Eskimos
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. E. PEARY.
SIGNED STATEMENT OF PEARY,
BARTLETT. MMILLAN, BoRUP
AND HENSON. IN REGARD TO TES-
TIMONY OF COOKS TWO ESKIMO
BOYS.
The two Eskimo boys, I-took-a-shoo
A
Cook while he was away from Anoratok
in 1908 and 1909 were questioned sepa-
rately and independ 1ntly, and were cor
roborated by Panipah, the father of one
! of them Q-took 7a-shoo), who was per-
sonally familiar with the first third and
the last third Of 1heir Journey, and who.
said that the route for the remaining
third, as shown by them. was as de-
scribed to him by his son after his re-
turn with DR.. 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 mistaken by cross
examination, was. corroborated by othe-
men In the tribe, and was elected neither
by threats nor promises, the two boys
and their father talking Of their jour-
ney and their experiences in, the same
way that they would talk of any hunt
ing trip.
| To 60 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 ont with his finger on
the map, but not making any marks up
on it. .-i
BOY QUESTIONED.
AS he went out. the other boy came In
and was asked to show where he had
gone with DIR. Cock This he did, also
without making any marks, and indicat-
ed the same route and the same details
AS did the first boy.
When he was through, Panikpah, the
father OF I-took-s-shoo, a very intelli-
gent man, who was in the party of Es-
Simos that came back from DIR. Cook
from the northern end of Nansen's strait,
who is familiar as a hunter with the
Jones Sound region, and who has been
In Commander Peary's various expedi-
ltions for some Is years. came in and in
dicated the same localities and details
as the two boys.
! Then the first boy was brought In
again, and with pencil he traced on
the map their route, members of our par
ty writing upon the chart where. &C
cording 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 together,
the second boy suggesting some changes
as noted hereafter.
| Finally, Panilxpah, the father, was again
called in to verify details Of the por-
! tions Of the 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 claim that they were awed by
him.
! Certain questions on independent lines
from the direct narrative OF the Eskimo
boys were suggested by Commander
Peary to some OF us, and were put by US
| 10 the Eskimo boys.
Still later. Commander Peary asked
the Eskimo boys two or three casual
questions on minor points that had oc-
cured TO him.
COOK KEPT SILENT.
During the taking Of this testimony.
1t developed that DR.. Cook had told
! Billy Pritchard. the cabin boy, that
| they must not tell Commander Peary
/ or any Of us anything about their
| Journey and the boys stated Dr. Cook
I had threatened them If they should tell
anything.
The narrative of these Eskimos is
as follows:
They, with DR.. Cook, Francke and
nine other Eskimos, left Anoratok,
I crossed Smiths sound to Cape Sabine.
/ slept in Commander Peary's old house
/ in Payer narbor, then went through
| Rice strait to Buchanan bay After a
! few marches Francke and three Eski-
mos returned to Anoratok.
DR.. Cook, with the others, then pro-
ceeded up Flagler bay, a branch of
Buchanan bay and crossed Ellesmere
land through the valley pass at the
head of Flagler bay, indicated by Com
mander Peary in 1898, and utilized by
Sverdrup IN 1899, 70 the head of Sver-
jrup's bay Fiord" on the west side
! OF Ellesmere land.
] Their route then lay out through
this ford. thence, north through SYer-