The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-14
PRESENTS PROOF
Continued from page one.)
ESKIMO BOYS QUESTIONED.
Signed Statement of Peary, Bartlett,
Mcmillan, BOrup and Henson, In
Regard to Testimony of Cooks Two
Eskimo Boys.

Regard to Testimony of Cooks Two
Eskimo Boys.
The two Eskimo boys, I-took-a
shoe and Ah-pe-lah, who accom-
panied DR.. Cook while he was away
from Anoratok in 1908 and 1909, were
questioned separately and indepen-
IDENTIFY, and were corroborated by
Panikpah, the father of one of them
Q-took a-shoo), who was personally
familiar with the first third and the
last third of their journey, and who
said that the route for the remaining
third, as shown by them, was as de-
scribed to him by his son after his
return with DR.. Cook.
Notes of their statements We're
taken by several of us, and no one OF
us has any doubt that they told the
truth.
Their testimony was mistaken by
cross-eXaminaion, was corroborated
by other men in the tribe, and was ell
icited neither by threats nor promis
es, the two boys and their father
talking OF their journey and their ex
periences in the same way that they
would talk of any hunting trip.
To go more into details: One of the
boys WIS called in, and, with a
chart on the table before him, was
asked to show where he had gone
with DR.. Cook. This he did, pointing
out with his finger on the map, but
not making any marks upon it.
AS he went out, the other boy came
in and was asked to show where he
had gone with DR.. Cook. This he did,
also without making any marks, and
indicated the same route and the
same details as did the first boy.
Men COrrObOrate Boys.
When he was through, Panikpah,
the father of I-ttok-a-shoo, very in
telligent man, who was in the party
of Eskimos that came back from DR..
Cook from the northern end of Nan
sens Strait, who is familiar as a
hunter with the Jones Sound region,
and who has been in Commander
Peary's various expeditions for some
fifteen years, came in and indicated
the same localities and details as the
two boys.
Then the first boy was brought in
again, and with a pencil he traced on
the map their route, members of our
party writing upon the chart where
according to the boys statement
they had killed deer, bear, some OF
their dogs, seal, walrus and musk
oxen.
The second boy was then called in
and the two went over the chart to-
gether, the second boy suggesting
some changes are noted hereafter.
Finally, Panikpah, the father, was
again called in to verify details OF
the portions of the route with whic
he was personally familiar.
The bulk of the boys testimony
was not taken by Commander Peary
nor in his presence, a fact that OBJ
viates any possible claim that they
were awed by him.
Certain questions on independent
lines from the direct narrative of the
Eskimo boys were suggested by Com.
mander Peary to some of us, AMI
were put by us to the Eskimo boys.
Still later, Commander Peary asked
the Eskimo boys two or three casual
questions on minor points that haC
occurred to him.
During the taking of this testi.
mony it developed that DR.. Cook had
told these boys, as he told Mr.. Whit.
ney and Billy Pritchard, the cabin
boy, that they must not tell Com.
mander Peary or any of us anything
about their journey, and the boy
stated DR.. Cook had threatened then
if they should tell anything.
Did Not Go Far North.
The narrative of these Eskimos is
as follows:
They, with DR.. Cook, Francke ant
nine other Eskimos, left Anoratok
crossed Smiths Sound to Cape Sd.
bine, slept in Commander Peary';
old house in Payer Harbor, then wen
through Rice Strait to Buchanan
Bay. After a few marches Franckt
and three Eskimos returned to An
oratok.
DR.. Cook, with the Others, ther
proceeded up Flagler Bay, a branci
of Buchanan Bay, and crossed Files
mere Land through the valley pass
at the head of Flagler Bay, indicated
by Commander Peary in 1898, anG
utilized by Sverdrups bay Ford
ON the west side of Ellsmere Land.
Their route then lay out through
this ford, thence north through
Sverdrup's "Heureka Sound" ant
hansen Strait
On their way they killed musk
oxen and bear, and made caches
arriving eventually at point on thC
west side of hansen Strait (shore d
Axel Heiberg Land of Sverdrup)