The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-22
Knud Rasmussen in a Letter to
His Wife
Tells Of Thorough Investigation
of Pole Story
TALKED TO ESKIMOS.
They Pointed Out ON Map the
Route Taken.
Circumstantial Evidence. Is of
the Strongest Character.

Copenhagen. Oct 22.-Mrs. Knud Ras-
mussen has received from her husband,
the explorer. the following report. da-
ted Julianehaib. Greenland, September
25:
"The last post from Denmark tells
that there has been some surprise
among my countrymen that 1, who was
| the only white man who saw Cooks
start and the only man with a real
knowledge of the Eskimo's- language
who has been in contact with the Cape
York Eskimos, have not sent any state
ment to civilization about my impress
sions of Cooks North Pole trip, 1 there
fore now hasten to take this oppor-
tunity, which is afforded me by the
accidental meeting of the steamer Ex-
pedit, to send my opinion to Denmark.
an opinion which, in view of Peary's
attacks, may be of value.
| ct was on a voyage in Umanak bay,
North Greenland. when Cook passed
iUmanak going south by way of Edgese-
minde, where he was going to wait for
the steamer Hans Egede to take him
| to Copenhagen.
"As l. before my journey in the
( {Geodethaab to North Star bay. 20 miles
north of Far Cape York would get an
|
E;skimos, wrote. just before / left from
Hugssnak on July 10. letter 10 Cook
the contents of which was as follows:
| His Letter to Cook.
| my heartiest congratulations on
| your happy North Pole journey. Your
victory is the greatest in the history
of arctic explorations, and will bear it's
reward in itself but great victories al
ways bring envy to the daylight, and
you will, on your return. have to reckon
| vii
doubters.
"T therefore, mean to be a great
help to you if / can. When / during
| the summer am visiting the polar Es-
Thorough interview with your compan-
ions if 1 happen to meet them In or
/ der to help me in getting the interview
as complete as possible ask you to
give a short resume of your journey
I before you leave Greenland, and ask
you to send this to Umanak by the
hans Egede.'
However, during my stay between
Cape York and Kimo, 1 did not meet
Cooks two companions. who at that
time were about 100 miles north at
North Star bay, and the information
could get from the other polar
EskimoS was therefore only second
hand.
Got No Reply.
"On my return to Umanak, where
| met the Hans Egede, there was no
reply to my letter TO Cook. A few days
later I met Cook at Egdesminde. just
before he was leaving, and as / got
the impression that he was going to
take the eventual doubters with a
tone of superiority, which he had a
perfect right to do, thought that
defense from me would be out of
place and 1 preferred to keep quiet.
But now, after the information
which I have from the newspapers,
which go to September g. I think the
moment has come to speak. My re-
port will be supplemented when L ar
rive at Copenhagen at the beginning
of November.
'sIt is. of course. impossible for me
to give absolute proofs that Cook,
single white man, with two Eskimos
has been at the pole. 1t must neces-
sarily more or less, be matter of be-
lief, the authorities can always
maintain that a clever swindIer. even
. if he has not reached the pole, would
be able to construct a series of OBJ
servations which, together with and
in continuation of the real observa-
tions. are impossible to be proven
falsif1cations, except in the same way
as 1t is possible to condemn criminals
on circumstantiaI evidence
There will always be such big,
complicated things in north pole
journey. There will be a number of
ing absolute proof, still. on the whole,
give picture of fact that leaves out
all doubt
EsI<imos Can't Tell.
"The polar Eskimos are of course.
not able to tell if Cook has only been
on the way to the pole or If he has
really reached the Goth degree. but
through them we can get a lot of de-
tails which. together. have value.
AS, for instance:
, 'The start of the expedition and the
route taken over the ice.
How far the expedition has been
, from land
'If there were any special OBJ
stacles which hindered going further
at the point Cook called the pole.
ssThe equipment of Cook and the
two men at the start.
THAT Cook was away from
Anoritok since January or February.
1908, until the spring of 1909 is q
fact The start of the expedition and
the route from Anoritok took place,
[ according to the Eskimos, exactly at
the time given by Cook. The expedi-
ton was sent over Ellesmere land and
D through the sound which separates
4 that land from Heiberg land. away
: from the shore and out on the actual
r polar sea, the ice helping the siedges.
!, "Only Cook and two men, Ahpelah
+ and Itookashoo. continued after they
reached the polar ice, and the little
!, party had gone directly to the north.
Y The two men knew then that the goal
: was the pole The direction was well
f known to them through Peary's many
h expeditions, in which most of the men
h of the tribe at one time or another
s had taken part
while Peary used to start from
5 North Point. Grants Land. Cook
elected the western route because he,
t on the basis of Peary's observations.
d expected to find better ice conditions
d there a supposition which turned out
S | to be correct. so the Eskimos who