The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-10-13

dogs, one more march, when they
encountered rough ice and lead of
open water. They did not enter this
rough ice and a lead of open water.
They did not enter this rough ice,
nor cross the lead, but turned west
ward or southwesterward short dis
lance and returned to Heiberg Land
at a point west of where they had
] left the cache and where the four
men had turned back.
Here they remained four or five
sleeps, and during that time I-took-a-
shoe went back TO the cache and got
his gun which he had left there, and
a few items of supplies.
When asked why only a few sup
plies were taken from the cache,
the boys replied that only a small
amount of provisions had been used
In the few days since they left the
cache. aud that their sledges still
had all they could carry, so that they
could not take more.
After being informed of the boys
narrative thus far. Commander
Peary suggested a series OF ques-
tions to be put TO the boys in regard
to this trip from the land out and
back to IL.
These questions and answers we're
as follows:
Did they cross many open leads or
much open water during this time?
Ans. None.
Did they make any caches out on
the ice? Ans. No.
Did they kill any bear or seal
while out on the ice north of Cape
Thomas Hubbard? Ans. No.
Did they kill or lose any of their
dogs while out on the ice? Ans. No.
With how many sledges did they
start? Ans. Two.
How many dogs did they have?
Ans. Did not remember exactly. but
something over twenty.
How many sledges did they have
when they got back to land? Ans.
Two.
Did they have any provisions left
on their sledges when they came
back to land? Ans. Yes; the sledges
still had about all they could carry,
so they we're able to take but a few
things from the cache.
From here they then went south
west along the northwest coast of
IIeiberg Land to a point indicated
on the map (Syerdrua's Cape North
vest
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 Heiberg Land at Cape
Northwest. On this island they
camped for one sleep.
The size and position OF this is
land. as drawn by the first boy, was
criticised by the second boy as being
too large and too far to the west.
the second boy calling the attention
of the first to the fact that the po-
sition of the island was more nearly
In line with the point where they had
left Heiberg Land (Cape Northwest
and the channel between Amund
Rmgues Land and Ellie Ringnes
Land.
This criticism and correction was
accepted by the first boy. who start
ed to change the position of the is
land. but was stopped. as Com
mander Peary had given instructions
that no changes or 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 (Syerdrup's Ellef
Ringnes aud Almund Ringnes
Lands). From the island they jour
neyed toward the left hand one of
these two lands (Amund Ringnes
Land. passing a small island which
they did not visit.
Arriving at the shore of Amund
Ringnes Land. the Eskimos killed
deer as indicated on the chart
The above italicised 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 1
any attempt to go to IL.
The answer of the Eskimo boys TO 4
Commander Peary's series of indie [
pendent questions, showing that they /
killed no game, made no caches, lost /
no dogs. and returned to the rand .
with loaded sledges, makes their at /
tainment of the pole on the trip .
north of Cape Thomas Hubbard a
physical and mathematical impossi-
bility. as il would demand the sub
sistence of three men and over /
twenty dogs during a journey of ten
hundred and forty geographical /
miles on less than two sledge loads
of supplies.
If it IL suggested that perhaps Dr. T.
Cook got mixed and that he reached I.
the pole, or thought he did, between
the time of leaving the northwest .
coast of Heberg Land at Cape North
west, aud his arrival at Rhymes Lana
where they killed the deer. We must
then add to the date of DR.. Cooks