The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-15

be bear there. We built a snow
house.
We arranged baits-a number of
baits-on the ice by placing our dark
colored furs on the ice to initiate
seals. The seal is food of the bear.
Then we withdrew to our snow
houses, in which there was rear
port arranged. After a sound sleep
approach of a bear. took out q
cartridge and handed it to Ahwelah.
The other one took the lance. The
two went out to meet the bear. They
hid behind the ice hummock. The
bear advanced so near they could al
most cut it with knife. The old gun
cracked. The bear was ours. Again
we were rich.
Again we had an abundance of food,
but this was the critical stage of the
campaign. We knew that if we did
not secure the bear that we would
never return to Greenland. We knew
that with the bear our return was as
sured This therefore, was the hap
piest time of all our experience in the
north. We were very glad, of course,
to get to the Pole, glad 20 come back
and tell you about it, but we were
very much happier on this day, be-
saved our own lives, and when man
saves his own skin he does the biggest
thing in life. Again We fed up in the
usual way. We cooked several bowls
little but eating or cooking for two
days. 1t was the most economical way
to carry food.
We again moved northward, taking
with us as much meat as we could
possibly carry. Again the ice was diff
ficu1t and the snow was deep and pro-
gress was slow. We were a long time
in reaching Cape Sabine. When we
did get there and see the Greenland
shores there was open water be-
tween us and the east. We were
forced to march very far northward
before we could get over to Green
land.
Their Food Again Gone.
1t took us thirty days. Again our
food was gone, but Greenland was in
sight, and the last two days we kept UP
a march of twenty miles a day. and
upon the last day. rising on an iceberg.
we looked over and saw our old camp of
Annootok, a distance of five miles. Soon
We saw things move. The Eskimos had
seen us on the iceberg and hitched up
the dogs. They came out to meet us
with & rush, and they hailed us in the
spirit of a resurrection, because they
believed that we were dead, and among
these Eskimos was a young white man,
Mr. Harry Whitney, from New Haven.
Mr.. Whitney was the first to greet us
the first human being that we had
seen for fourteen months. We told him
of our adventures. We told him of our
success in reaching the pole, and then
we went to camp to feed up again.
Staying here but a few days, de-
cided to go south by sled as quickly
as possible. Mr.. whitney told me that
a vessel would be there to take him
home! that he would go directly to the
American shores, and there 1 entrusted
to him my instruments because in the
next journey which 1 was to take
a journey which is only excused per-
haps on the ground that 1 was anxious
to get home to my family-for in go
ing this way I expected to gain two
or three months over the other way
(the alternative of remaining with Mr..
This journey southwark
from Annootok to Upernavik is a dis
lance which is nearly equal to that
from Annootok to the pole in an air
line. In two places it is necessarv to
cross high lands and tumble over
glaciers. Much of the way was likely
to be open water-broken ice. The risk
to the instruments and other things
would have been very great on this
journey.
Praise For His Aides.
With plenty of Eskimos however ans
a ken u witb t fair Journey could be under
month therefore, in the course OF
,a1riy days l moved southwark to Uper-
rom Upernavik 1 moved southward to
mas Engade and from Anas Engade in
md the rest you have heard by wire GU
cannot close without calling your at
ilipOTldnI nelD oh
aimed from the little tribe of neonIe
urthest .north-the mediterranean Es5xi-
nos, II Is their diligence, their energy.
gnlcn makes Polar ceJno-fesf -r,oeeiI5fe'
Without their help should regard IT az
'e ,I thLnposslnle to reach the North Pole.
lhd tnese two young men-F,fl,clrehooI,
ND Ahwelah-I want you to keen fher5
e r., m ,atfe They are the key to the whole
lshey followsa me from beginning IN
NO. tnrough all our n1isfortunes throIieh
~ OUT pitter experiences, never Iosi1e.
ourase; not for money but for the Dnre
oHe OF the game, for they were nronifseS
my Knl1e and a gun as the reward for
nelr help. They, of course got verv
nucn more and today they have an ~
~ possessions In Northern Greenland.