The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-10-15

suggested a series Of questions 10 be
put TO tho boys in regard to this trip
from The land out and back to t.
These questions and answers We're
rs follows
Did they cross many open leads or
much open water during thia time?
Ans None
Did they make any caches ont on
the ice? Ans No
Did they kin any bear on seal while
out on the lee north Of Cape Thomas
Hubbard? Ans No
Did they ldll or lose any Of their
dogs while out on the fee? Ans. No
with how many sedges did they
start? Ans Two.
How many dogs did they have? Aus
Did not remember exactly, bat some.
thing over twenty
How many sledges did they have
when they got back 70 land? Ans.
Two
Did they have any provisions left
on their sledges when they came back
to lond2 Ans. Yes: the sledges stlll
had about all they could carry so
they were able to take but a few things
from the cache.
From here they then Went south.
west along the northwest coast OF Hel-
berg Land to a point indicated on the
map tsyerdrup's Cape Northwest)
From here they went west across the
ice, which was level and covered with
snow, Offering good going to a low
island which they had seen from the
shore Of Ileberg Land at Cape North.
west On this island they camped for
one sleep
The size and position of this island
as drawn by the first boy was eritcis-
ed by the second boy as being too
large and too far to the west. the sec
ond boy calling the attention of the
FIRST to The fact that the position of
the island was more nearly 10 line with
the point where they bad left Heiberg
Land (Cape Northwest and the chan
mel between Amunt Rugnea Land ANA
Ellef Ringnes Land
This criticism aud correction was
accepted by the first boy who start
ed 10 change the position Of the Isl
land, but was stopped as Comman-
der Peary had given instructions that
no changes OF erasures were to be
made in the route as drawn by the
Eskimos ON the chart
From this island they could see two
lands beyond (Sverdrup's Elf Rmgnes
and Amund Ringnes Landsl From
the island they iourneyed toward the
lefthand one of these two lands
(Amund Ringnes Land), passing
small island which they did not visit.
Arriving at the shore Of Amund
Rngnes Land. the Eskimos killed
deer as indicated on the chart
The above itaicised portion of the
statement OF the Eskimo boys covers
the period of time in which DR. Cook
claims to have gone to the Pole and
back, and the entire time during which
he could possibly have made any at
tempts to go to It.
The answers of the Eskimo boys to
Commander Peary's series of inde-
pendent questions, showing that they
killed no game. made no caches. lost
no dogs and returned TO the land
with loaded sledges. makes their at
tainment of the Pole on the trip North
of Cape Thomas Hubbard a physical
and mathematical lmpossibility as il
would demand the subsistence of three
men and over twenty dogs during "A
journey Of ten hundred and forty geo.
graphical miles on less than two sledge
loads of supplies
If It is suggested that perhaps Dr.
Cook got mixed and that he reached
the Pole, or thought he did, between
the time of leaving the northwest
coast of HeIberg Land at Cape North
west and his arrival at Ringnes Land.
whore they Aimed the deer we must
then ada to the date of Or Cooks let.
ter OF March 18th, at or near Cape
Thomas Hubbard. the subsequent four
or hve sleeps at that point, and the
number OF days required to march
from Cape Thomas Hubbard to Cape
/ Northwest Ga distance of some six
ty nautical milesl which would al.
vance his date Of departure from the
land 20 al least the 25th of March.
and be prepared to accept the claim
that Dr Cook went from Cape North.
west tabout latitude eighty and half
degrees North TO the Pole, d distance
of 1--WE hundred and seventy geographi-
cal miles. in twenty.seven days
After killing the deeer they then
| travelled south along the east side of