Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-10-21
INTRODUCTION BY PEARY.

DR.. Cook did not go to the north pole
will be understood by those who read
the following statements of the two
Eskimo boys who went with him, and
who told me and others of my party
where he did go. Several Eskimos
who started with DIR. Cook from An
oratok in February, 1908, were at
Etah when l arrived there in August.
1908. They told me that DR.. Cook had
with him, after they left, two Eskimo
boys. or young men. two sledges and
some twenty dogs. The boys were
Itook-a-shoo 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 DR.. Cook had
been; that he had wintered in Jones
Sound, and that he had told the white
men at Etah that he had been a long
way north. but that the boys who were
with him. I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah,
said that this was not SO. The Eski-
mos laughed at DR.. Cooks story. On
reaching Etah, talked with the Es-
KINDS 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. =. PEARY.
Signed Statement Of Peary, Bartlett,
Mcmillan, Borup and Henson, in Re-
gard 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, were questioned
separately and independently, and
were corroborated by Panikpah, the
father of one Of them N-took-a-shoo)
who was personally familiar with the
1rst third and the last third of their
journey, and who said that the route
tor the remaining third, as shown by
them, was as described to him by his
son after his return with nr. Cook.
To go 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
out with 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 he
had gone with DR.. Cook. This he did.
also without making any marks, and
indicated the same route and the
same details as did the first boy.
When he was through, Panikpah.
the father of I-took-a-shoo, a very in
telligent 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.
er with the Jones Sound region, and
who has been In Commander Peary's
various expeditions for some fifteen
years, came in and indicated the same
localities and details az the two boys.
Then the first boy was brought in
again. and with a pencil he traced on
the map their route. members of our
party writing upon the chart where
according 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
- oh,r ko
gether, the second boy suggesting
some changes as noted hereafter.
During the taking of this testimony,