Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-06
COOK WROTE :BERN|ER
Canadian Explorer Has First
Account of Polar Trip.
'1MPERILED By PEARY"
MY Supplies Used for Barter to
Satisfy His Greed
TELLS OF TERRIBLE PLIGHT
Letter Brought Back From Arctic
Written by Cook at
Upernavik.

UpernaV1k.
QUEBEC. Quebec, October 6-Dr
Frederick A. Cook wrote condensed
account of his dash into the boreal
| center and plucking of the polar prlz"
as long ago as May IS. and included Ill
it charges that Commander Peary ap-
propriated his provisions and base Oh
supplies.
! This letter which was sent to capt
| Bernier of the Dominion government
| steamer Arctic, then in the arctic waters
i was given out here by Capt Barnier OH
i his return from his expedition on when
he asserts he definitely established the
practicability of the northwest passage.
i Dr. Cooks letter was written a1ter ne
had made the journey from Etah to uper-
navik. where he took the steamer LOT
Denmark.
i When Dr. Cook arrived at tperna-
i yik he wrote to Capt Bernier, thank
ing him and the Canadian government for
! the courtesy and mentioning the fact mat
he had plucked the polar prize rms ,et-
ter was forwarded by the Scotch whaief,
the Morning, Capt. Adams. and was re-
ceived by Capt. Bernier the latter part Of
August at Ponds Inlet. This was a lew
days before DR.. Cook had arrived at the
Shetland Islands and had announced MS
discovery of the pole.
In this letter to Capt Bernier DR.. Cook
speaks of the action of Mr.. Peary In tax
ing his supplies at Annootok In wa!
which showed he would have been in an
exceedingly perilous position If the Arctic
had not left supplies for him.
Cooks Letter to Bernier.
The letter from DR.. Cook to Capt. Ber-
nier follows:
"Upernavik. May %, 1909.
MY Dear Capt. Bernier:
81 hasten to write you the first letter
am able to send after two years deten-
ton behind icy barriers. The unexpected
arrival of the Arctic at Etah has been
worthy crowning of our arduous UNDER
taking.
"The supplies that you left for me in
care of Mr. Whitney enabled me to come
to Uperpavik. All my other property has
been taken by Mr.. Peary under guise Of
a relief station for DR.. Cook.
i Mr.. Murphy, the man In charge OF
the station, was. however. instructed not
to engage in relief efforts nor to allow
the Eskimos to cross and search till the
month of March, when. Of course all re-
lief efforts would be useless.
"My large stocks of supplies We're there
fore afl used to barter with the natives
in order to satisfy Capt Peary's CONNER
cial greed.
1.-The splendid assistance which you
have given me and the liberalfty of your
government in sending the ship is In hap
py contrast to the hindrance and injustice
of one OF my own countrymen.
Thanks Capt. Bernier.
Il tender you. then, and to the Canadian
people. an expression of my gratitude as
strong, as can be offered by one who has
been succored in his most pressing needs.
Fortunately, we have been able to solve
our problem without any other assistance
than that which you brought us.
I'VE have pushed into the boreal center
and plucked the polar prize. but the effort
has been surrounded by dangers beyond
all conception.
| Leaving Annootok February 10, 1908.
| we crossed to Ellesmere Land and fol-
lowed its west coast to the polar sea,
feeding the ten Eskimos and 103 dogs on
| the way with musk OK and bear meat.
i From S21O we proceeded with only two
/ Eskimo and twentysix dogs. two sleds
and provisions for eighty days. The ice
was good as far as the Saith degree.
Crocker's Land was then seen, as well AS
new land north of 1t, extending to the
s5th degree. Beyond this no other land
was visible.
I'VE reached the pole April 2. 1908. On
the return we were forced further to the
west than the route which we had fol-
lowed in going. but below the S5th degree
we drifted east and south. Below the
e4th degree we were drawn hOpeless!y
line of caches along Nansen's sound. We
1 were pushed into Prince Gustav sea with
out food or fuel. Still unable to pass
eastward we went south with the ice.
II Food and fuel were now exhausted,
but polar bears came along as life savers.
and with them we went into wellington
channel. hoping to be able to reach the
whalers in Lancaster sound. but we were
soon stopped by failing food supplies and
TANNED small ice.
4 His Terrible Plight.
without game this short route to an
| early ship was no longer possible. and to
satisfy the pangs of hunger we sought
Jones sound, where after long run of
hard adventures by boat and sled cruel
necessity forced us into winter quarters
in September in Sparbo, without food,
fuel, ammunition winter clothing.
with no dogs no shelter and no guns
our outlook was nearly hopeless. But
fortune came our way, bows and arrows,
harpoons, lances and other implements
were made. The musk and bear were
taken with lance and knife, small game
was secured with the bow and arrow
and slingshot. Foes were trapped in
stone traps. The wolves and the seal
were attacked and secured in our fold
ing canvas boat. an under ground den
was built and the winter of 1908 and 1909
!, was passed with taste of savage life.
for we had not morsel of civilized
food, not even salt.
"A new equipment was started and as
the sun of 1909 rose over the hills Of
north Devon started for Annootok
! February X. dragging dry musk OK meat
!, as food and nodded tallow for fuel.
Deep snow. bad ice, open water and
continued storms made the return slow
and arduous. We reached Annootok
after {. run of hard luck April 8. Here
we We're met by Mr.. Whitney, only to
find that the Peary men had misused our
station with it's equipment, under the pro-
lection of Mr.. Whitney.
We enjoyed excellent health at all
times. The Whitney and Peary men are
In good health. There are no news of
the steamer Roosevelt or of the civilized
world. except such as the whalers are
able to give you. l hope the winter
and year have afforded you and your
companions the hoped for explorers
luck.
with suitable regards to yourself and
party.
Yours very truly,
/ (Sisned) FREDERICK A. COOK.
ITO Capt Bernier, steamer Arctic
Lancaster sound
Bernier Believes Them Both;
| Makes Northwest PASSAGE
QUEBEC. October Capt. Bernier and
the government steamer Arctic have ar
rived here from a cruise In the arctic