Mexico Missouri message., 1909-09-16
.laeIer fringe. a ntue west of Cap,


They yelled and called and danced
themselves helpless. AS Ootah sat down
on his sledBe he remarked, in Eskimo:
The devil is asleep or having trouble
with his wife, or we never should have
come back so easily"
A few hours later we arrived at
Crane City. under the bluffs OF Cape
Columbia, and. after putting four
pounds OF pemmican into each of the
faithful dogs to keep them quiet. we
had, at last, our chance to sleep.
Long Sleep Welcome.
Never shall forget that sleep at Cape
Columbia. It was sleep. sleep. then turn
over and sleep again. We slept glorious
ly. with never a thought of the morrow
or having to walk and, too, with no
thought that there was to be never n
night more Of binding headache.
Cold water to a parched throat is moth
Ing compared with sleep to q numbed,
fatlgued brain and body.
Two days we spent here In sleeping and
drying our clothes. Then for the ship.
Our dogs, like ourselves, had not been
hungry when we arrived. but simply life
less with fatigue. They were different
animals now. and the better ones among
them swept on with tightly curled tails
and uplifted heads and their hind legs
treading the snow with pistonlke regu-
larity.
Marvin's Fate Learned.
We reached Hecla in one march and
the Roosevelt in another. When we
got to the Roosevelt was staggered by
the news of the fatal mlshap to Marvin.
He had either been less cautious or less
fortunate than the rest of us. and his
death emphasized the risk to which we
all had been subjected. for there was not
one OF us but had been in the sledge at
some time during the Journey.
The big lead. cheated of its prey three
years before, had at last gained its hui
man victim.
The rest can be told quickly. Mcmillan
and Borup had started for the Green
land coast to deposit caches for me. Be-
fore 1 arrived a flying Eskimo courier
from me overlook them with instructions
that the caches were no longer needed
and they were to concentrate their ener-
giles on the ideal observations, etc, at
Cape Morris K. Jesup and north from
there.
Roosevelt Starts Back.
These instructions were carried out and
after their return in the latter part of
May Mcmillan made some further tidal
observations at other points. The sup
plies remaining at the various caches
were brought in and on July IS the
Roosevelt left its winter quarters and
was driven out into the channel back Of
Cape Mon.
1t fought its way south in the center
of the channel and passed Cape Sabine
on August g. or 80 days earlier than in
1903. and 80 days earlier than the British
expedition in 1876
We picked UP Whitney and his partt
and stores at Etah. We killed seventy
odd walrus for my Eskimos, whom I
landed at their homes. We met the
Jeanne off Saunders island and took over
it's coal and cleared from Cape York on
August 26, one month earlier than in
1906.
Announces His Triumph.
On September we arrived at Indian
Harbor, whence the message, Stars and
stripes nailed to north pole" was sent
vibrating southwark through the crisp
Labrador air.
The elimination of long experience, a
thorough knowledge of the conditions of
the problem gained in the last expedition
these, together with a new type of
sledge which reduced the work of both
dogs and driver, and a new type of camp
cooler which added to the comfort and
increased the hours of sleep of the
members of the party, combined to make
the present expedition an agreeable i'm
provement upon the last in respect to the
rapIdity and effectiveness of its work and
the lessened discomfort and strain upon
the members of the party.
His Capable Aids.
AS to the personnel have again been
particularly fortunate. Capt. Bartlett ia
Just Bartlett-tireless. sleepless,. enthusi-
astic, whether on the bridge or in the
crows nest or at the head Of a sledge
division in the field.
DIR. Goodsell, the surgeon of the expe-
dition, not only looked after its health
and his own specially of microscopes but
took his full share of the field work oil
the expedition as we'll. and was always
ready for any work,
cured a mass of scientific data, having
made all the tidal and most of the field
work, and their services were invaluable
In every way.
Borup and Others Praised.
Borup not only made the record as q
the distance Travelled during the jour
ney but to his assistance and his expert
knowledge of photography is due what
1 believe to be the unequaled series oil
photographs taken by the expedition.
Henson in the field and Percy as
steward were the same as ever, inval'
liable in their respective lines.
Chief Engineer Wardwell, also Of
the last expedition, aided by his as
sistant, Scott. kept the machinery VI
to high state of efficiency ana ma:
given the Roosevelt the force and pow
er which enabled II to pegotiate appar'
emily impracticable ice.
Mr.. Gushue, the mate, who was Fl
| charge of the Roosevelt during the alb
sence of Capt. Bartlett and myself, anC
Boatswain Murphy, who was put IL
| charge of the station at Etah for thu
| relief OF Cook, were both trustworthy
| and reliable men. and I count myself
! fortunate in having had them in m!
service.
Had a Willing Crew.
The members of the crew and thu
| fremen were a distinct improvement
over those OF our last expedition. Ever!
| one of them was willing and anxious
| to be of service in every possible way.
Connors. who was promoted to b.
bos'n in the absence of Murphy prove'
| to be practically effective.
! Barnes. seaman, and Wiseman ant
| joyce, firemen, not only assisted Mar
| win and Mcmillan in their tidal ant
! meteorological observations on tn
Roosevelt but Wiseman and Barne
went into the field with them on tibet
trips to Cape Columbia, and Condos
and Cody covered 1000 miIes hunting
and sledging supplies
Presents for Esklnos.
Az for my faithful Eskimos, I hav
| Iaft them with ample supplies of dark