The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-13


 ice and lead of open water. They did not enter this rough ice, nor crosi the lead, but turned westward or southwsstward . short distance and re- turned to Heiberg Land at . 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- shoo went back to the cache and 90, his gun which he had left there, and . few items of supplies.
 plies were taken from the cache. the boys replied that only small amount of provisions had been used fn>the few days since they left the cache. and 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 questions to be put to the boys in regara to this trip from the land out and back to 1t.
 These questions and answers were as follows:
 Did they cross many open leads or much open water during this time! Ans. None.
 Did they make any oachesI 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 some- thing 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 were able to take but few things from Sthe cache.
 From here they then went southwest along the northwest coast of Heibers Land to a point indicated on the map (Sverdrup's Cape NorthwestD
 From here they went west across the ice. which was level and covered with snow, offering good going. to low is- land which they had seen from the shore of Heiberg 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 criti- cised 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 in line with the point where they had left Heiberg Land (Cape Northwest}- and the channel be- tween Amund Ringnes Land and Ellef Ringnes Land.
 This criticism and correction was ac- cepted by the first boy. who started to change the position of the island. but was stopped as Commander 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 (Sverdrup's Ellef Ringnes and Amund Ringnes Lands) From the hand one of these two lands (Amund Ringnes Land), passing small island which they did not visit.
 Arriving at the shore of Amund Ring nes Land, the Eskimos killed a deer as indicated on the chart,
 The above portion of the statement of the Eskimo boys covers the period of time in which sDr. Cook claims to have gone to the pole and back. and the entire time during which he could possibly have made any attempts to go to it.. '
 The answers of the Eskimo boys to Commander Pearys series of independ- ent questions showing that they killed no game, made no caches. lost no dogs. and returned to the land with loaded sledges, makes their attainment of the pole on the trip north of Cape Thomas Hubbard a physical and mathematical fmpossibility, as 1t would demand the subsistence of three men and over twenty dogs during journey of 1.040 geographical miles on less than two sledge loads of supplies.
 If 1t is suggested that perhaps Dr. Cook get mixed and that he reached the pole, or thought he did. between the time of leaving the north west coast of Heiberg Land at Cape Northwest. and his arrival at Ringnes Land. where they killed the deer. we must then add to the date of Dr. Cnoks letter of March IT. at or near Cape Thomas Hub bard, the subsequent fonr or five sleeps at that point. and the number Of days required to march from Cape Thomas Hub bard to Cape Northwest Ca dis tance of some sixty nautsal miles), which would advance his date of de- parture from the land to at least the 18th of March. and be prepared to ac- cept the claim that Dr. Cook went from Cape Northwest (about latitude so I-2 degrees north) to the pole. distance of S70 geographical miles. in twenty seven days)
 After killing the deer they then trav- eled south along the east side of Ring mes Land to the point indicated on the chart, where they killed another deer.
 They then went east across the south