The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-09-17
PEARYS OWN STORY Of FINDING THE NORTH POLE

! program was for him to go back from
! here in command Of the fourth sup
/ porting party, and there were no sup
! plies for an increase in the main party
When he left | felt for a momen,
| pangS Of regret az he disappeared If
| the distance. but it was only momen-
tary. My work was stlll ahead. not in
the rear
Bartlett had done good work and had
been great help to me-. Circumstances
had thrust the brunt Of the pioneering
upon him instead Of dividing il among
several. IS ! had planned.
lie had reason to take pride in the
fact that he had bettered the Italian
record by a degree and a quarter and
had covered distance equal to the
entire distance Of the Italian expedi-
ton from Franz Josefs land to Cagni's
fartheSt north.
had given Bartlett this position and
post OF honor in command Of my
fourth and last supporting party and
for two reasons: first. because Of his
magnificent handling Of the Roosevelt;
second. because tie had cheerfully stood
between me and many trihing annoy
ances on the expeditions.
Then there was a third reason. 1t
seemed to me appropriate in view of
the magnificent British record Of arc
tic work. covering three centuries. that
1t should be British subject who
could boast that next to an American,
he had been nearest the pole.
Last Struggle at Hand.
With the disappearance Of Bartlett /
turned to the problem before me This
was that for which | had worked for 81
years, for which l had lived the simple
life; for which | had conserved all nv
energy on the upward trip; for which
| had trained myself as for a race. crush
ing down every worry about success
In spite OF my years. / felt in trim
fit for the demands of the coming DAYS
and eager TO be on the trail
AS FOR my party. my equipment, and
my supplies, l was in shape beyond my
most sanguine dreams of earliest years.
My party might be regarded as an
ideal, which had now come to realization
as loyal and responsive to my will as
the fingers of my right hand.
Party Ideal for Effort.
-Four OF them possess the technique OF
dogs. sledges. ice and cold as their herr
were my companions to the farthest point
three years before. Two others, Eginwuk
and Sigloo. were in Clarks division.
which had such narrow ESCAPE a, that
time, and now were willing to go any
where with my immediate party. and
willing to risk themselves again in any
supporting party.
The fifth was a young man who had
never served before in any expedition. |
)ut who was, if possible even more !
wiling and eager than the others for
ne prIncefy gifts-a boat, rifle. a shot
gun ammunition, knives, etc, which I
lad promised to each Of them who
cached the pole with me: for he knew
nat these riches would enable him ia
'reSt from a stubborn father the girl
whose image filled his hot young heart,
Had Confidence in Him.
All had blind confidence so long as
was with them, and gave no thought
or 'he morrow, sure that whatever hap
ehed should somehow get them back
lahu' But dealt with the party
qna'ly. recognized that all its i'm
etus centered in me, and that whatever
ace l set 1t would make good. If any
ne played OUT would stop for a short
me-
had no fault TO find with the condi-
ons. My dogs were the best the nicL
l22 with which We left Columbia. Al
lost all were powerful males hard as
ais In good flesh. but without a super
uous ounce. and, what was better vet
icy were all In good spirits.
My sledges, now that the repajrs were
were In good condition, NV
lppltes were ample for 40 DAYS, and
18th the reserve represented by the dogs
lemselves. could be made to last 80.
His Program Planned.
Pacing back and forth in tn ice Of the
'essure ridge where the igloos were
nit, while my men got their loads
aoy Tor the next marches. l settled on
program. l decided l should strain
cry nerve to make Ave marches Of X
lies each, croWding these marches in
ch way as to bring US to the end of
g nun long enough before noon to per-
1t the Immediate taking OF an observa-
IN for latitude.
Weather and leads permitting, be-
we'd l could do this. If NV pronosed
stances were cut down by any chance
mad two means In reserve for making
the deficit: c
tfrst-To make the last march a forced
e, stopping to make tea and rest the !
gs, but not to sleep.
'econd-At the end OF the fifth march r
make forced march with a light '
'oge, a double team of dogs. and one r
TWO or the party. leaving the rest in
mp. e
Sees Danger in Gale. |
Underlying all these calculations was q Il
n no |
od or open leads and impossible water
.he knowledge that a 24-hour gale
uld knock all my plans into a cooked C
{, ana even put us in imminent peril. W
II little after midnight of Aprii I "
er few hours of sound sleep. I hit g.
3 trail. leaving the others to hreak "
camp and follow. t,
Is climbed the pressure ridge back
our igloos l set another hole in nv Il
It. the third since started. Every W
n and dog Of us was lean and fat a.
lied as board and as hard. (,
Conditions All Favorable. n
{ was fine morning The wind q,
last two days had subsidized. and the u
ns was the best and most eouable b'
any l had had yet The foes were 81
ge and old. and clear and were sur IN
'hoea oy pressure ridges. some of "
lch were almost stupendous
ne biggest OF them however. were
NY negotiated. either through some bs
vice or up some huge brink. l set b,
sood pace Tor about ten hours. or
ehty-nVe miles took me well be- 70
I'd the eighty-eighth parallel. u,
nile 1 was building my igleos ca
g lead forward by the east and
I n
es. -
Travail Ma Il,