The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1909-10-14
INTRODUCTION BY PEARY.

Sofnet0f my reasons Tor saying tnat
DR.. Cook did not go 10 the North Pole
will be understood by those who read
the foiloTing statements Of the two
Eskimo boys who went with him. and
who told sse and others Of my party
where ne did 20. Several Eskimos
who stattec with Or. Cook FROM An
oratnk IN +, yruary. 1908. were at Etah
when arrived fhere in August. 1908
They told 5ne ihaf Dr. Cook had with
him. after tney left. two Eskimo boys
or young Iuen. two sledges and some
twenty dogs che boys were l-took-a-
shoe and Ah-peJah. had known
them frou their childhood. One was
about eighteen and the sother about
nineteen years OF age.
On INF TeturD from Cape Sheridan
and at the very first settlement
touched tNerloe. near Cape Chaion) IN
August. 1909. and nine days before
reaching Etah. the Eskimos told me,
In a general way. where DR.. Cook had
been; that he had wintered In Jones
Sound and THAT be had told the white
men at Etah that he had been long
way north. but that the boys who were
with him. I-tock-aShoo and Ah-pe-lah-
said that this was not so. The Esh-
mos laughed at Dr. Cooks astory. On
reaching Etah. talked with the Eski-
mos there and with the two boys and
asked them to describe DR.. Cooks jour
ney to members OF my partyAand my
self. This they did in the manner
stated below.
CSiguedItR. Z. PE.ARY.
SIGNED STATEMENT OF PEARl,
BARTLETT. MCMILLAN, BORUP
AND HENSON, IN REGARD TO
TESTIMONY OF COOKS TWO
ESKIMO BOYS.
The two Eskimo boys. I-took-a-shoo
and Ah-pe-lah. who accompanied Dr.
Cook while he was away from Anora-
tok in 1908 and 1909. trere questioned
separately and independently. ana
were corroborated by Panikpah, the
father of Que of them N-took-a-shool'
who was personally Eliar with the
frst third and the last ttlird Of their
Journey, and who saidsttat the route
for the Remaining third Gs shown BY
1hem, was as described to him by his
son after his return with DE. Cook.
Notes OF their statements were taken
by several OF us. and notoDe of us has
any donbt that they told }the truth.
Their testimony was Hnshaken by
cross1exaulinsion. ms Ncorroborated
by other Nell ia tie tribe, and was
eIicired neither by threats NOR prom
ises. the two boys and their father
talking Of their journey andl their ex'
per,epces In The same way that they
would talk Of any hunting TIP.
To go more into details: One OF the
boys was called in. and. witha CHAR
on the table before him. was asKeu u
show where he had gone with Dr'
Cook. This he did. pointing'out VIII
bis fin.er on the map. but not making
any marks upon II.
A he went ,out. the other boy came
in and was asked 10 show where nc
had gone WITH DR.. Cook. This ne Ola,
also without making any marks ana
indicated the same route and the same
details as did the first boy
VIXEN he was through. Panikpan'
the father OF I-took-a-shoo, a very ID
seliieent man. who was in the party
of Eskimos that came back from Dr.
Cook from the northern end OF Nan
sens Strait. who is familiar as a hunt,
or With the Jones Sound region ano
who has been in Commander Pearys
various expeditions for some fifteen
years, came in and indicated the same
localities and details as the two boys
Then the FIRST boy was brought 10
again. and with pencil he traced Oh
the may their route. members OF our
party writing upon the chart where
accoriinxt to the boys statement. they