Arizona republican., 1909-10-06
POSSIBLE COOK WITNESS.
Says That Both Peary and the Doctor Will Have to Show Him - His Mate Traversed the Northwest Passage

Quebec, oct. 5.-Captain Bernier and the government steamer Arctic arrived here today from a cruise in the Arctic regions. Captain Bernier said the north west passing had been negotiated by First Mate Green in May this year, who with a party of six selected men drove over the ice westward but be- fore returning to Etah suffered trrible hardships. The dogs all had been kill ed for food and the men arrived at winter headquarters dragging their sledges in the last stages of exhaus- tion.
 Captain Bernier has a letter which he received from Cook, dater Uper- navik. May 23, in which the latter says that Peary sold his supplies, but with the aid of provisions brought by Der nier, he was able to work out his problem" The letter says: We have pushed into the boreal center and pick ed the polar prize. but the effort was dangerous beyond all conception" V Captain Bernier was asked If he thought that either Cook or Peary reached the pole. He answered: T would not admit that. either has been to the pole before I had sufficient proof. Both are-very persistent" Cap tain Bernier did not want to say any more because as he said, he expects to be a witness in Cook Peary contro- versy.
 Cooks Letter.
 Captain Bernier made public the letter written to him by Cook on May 23, as follows:
 'All of my property had been taken by Peary under the guise of relief sation. Murphy, the man in charge of the station. however, was instruct ed not to engage in any relief ef-- forts. and not to allow the Eskimos to cross and search until March of the following year, 1909. My large store of supplies and my station were used for barter with the natives to satisfy Peary's commercial greed.
 "Fortunately. we were able to work out our problem without relief efforts, except as you offered. We have pushed into the boreal center and picked up the polar prize,' but the effort was dangerous beyond concep- tion.
 "The splendid assistance which you have given and the liberality of the Canadian government in sending ship is in happy contrast to the hin- drance- and injustice of one of my own countrymen." "
 Describing the journey to. the pole, Cook says:
 Starting from Annatook on Febru- ary 1s, 1908, we crossed Ellesmere Land, and pushed along it's western coast to the Polar sea, feeding 10 Eskimos and 1O3 dogs en route on muskox and bears. From s2 degrees north we started with two young Eskimos and 26 dogs, pulling two sledges and supplies for eighty days. The ice was fine after crossing the S4th degree.
 "Crocker's Land was sighted and passed and new land was found to the north of it extending to the S5th degree. Beyond no land was seen- The pole was reached on April 21, 1908. My return was forced slightly westward of the northward route, but about the s5th degree we drifted east and south. Below the S4th we had drifted with an active pack.
 We were helplessly carried to the west, unable to reach our caches along Nansen Sound. We were pushed into Prince Gustave Sea, with food and fuel exhausted. Still unable to press eastward. we went with the ice to the south. Polar bears came to our rescue as life savers. We then went into Wellington Channel. hoping to be able to reach the whalers at Lancaster Sound. but we were soon stopped by the failing food supplies and young small ice
 With no game, this short route to the ship was no longer possible, and to satisfy the bangs of hunger, we worked to Jones Sound. Here. after a long run of hard adventures by boat and sledges, cruel necessity forced us to a winter camp in Sep-- tember at Cape Sparbo. without fuel, food, ammunition, winter clothing. with no dogs and no guns.
 :"The situation was almost hopeless. but fortune came our way. Bows and arrows, harpoons. lances and other implements were made. Musk OK were taken with lines. The lance and knife secured small game. Foxes