Milford chronicle., 1909-10-15

/
that their sledges still had all the
could carry, so that they could nc
take more
after being informed OF the boys
narrative thus far, Commander Pear
suggested a series Of questions to b
put to the boys in regard to this tril
from the land out and back to it.
Questioned Eskimos.
"These questions and answers wer'
as follows:
Did they cross many open leads ol
much open water during this time
Ans None.
Did they make any caches out OF
the ice? Ans. No.
did they kill any bear or seal while
out on the ice north of Cape Thomas
Hubbard? Ans. No
Did they kill or lose any Of their
dogs while out on the ice? Ans. No
with how many sledges did they
start? Ans. Two.
How many dogs did they have?
Ans. Did not remember exactly, but
something over twenty
How many sledges did they have
when they got back to land? Ans.
Two.
Did they have any provisions left
on their sledges when they came back
to land? Ans Yes; the sledges still
had about all they could carry so
41,,r. ,,r,ro ,y1o 20 toll, I,tt n Fov,
things from the cache
From here they then went south.
west along the northwest coast Of
Heiberg Land to a point indicated on
the map (Syerdrups Cape NorthwesO.
"From here they went west across
the ice, which was level and covered
with snow, offering good going. to
low island which they had seen from
the shore of Heiberg Land at Cape
Northwest. On this island they camp
ed for one sleep.
"The size and position of this isl
and. as drawn by the first boy, was
criticised by the second boy as being
too large and too far to the west. the
second boy calling the attention of
the first to the fact that the position
of the island was more nearly in line
with the point where they had left
Heiberg Land (Cape Northwest and
the channel between Amund Ringnes
Land and Ellef Ringnes Land
This criticism and correction was
accepted by the first boy. who started I
to change the position of the island /
but was stopped. as Commander Peary |
had given instructions that no changes
or erasures were to be made in the
route as drawn by the Eskimos on the
chart
From this island they could see
two lands beyond (Sverdrup's Elef
Ringnes anu Amund Ringnes Lands.
From the island they iourneyed to-
ward the left hand one of these two
ands (Amund Riugnes Land. passing
small island which they did not visit
Arriving at the shore of Amund
}ingnes Land, the Eskimos killed
.eer. as indicated on the chart.
Covers Cooks Entire Time.
THE above portion of the statement
# the Eskimo boys covers the period
time in which Dir. Cook claims to
ave gone to the pole and back, and
he entire time during which he could
ossibly have made any attempts to
o to it.
"The answers Of the Eskimo boys
o Commando Pearys series of indie
endent questions, showing that they
illed no game. made no caches. lost
o dogs, and returned to the land with
)aded sledges, makes their attainment
f the pole on the trip north of Cape
homas Hubbard a physical and math
matical impossibility, as it would de
land the subsistence of three men
nd over twenty dogs during a jour
ey OF ten hundred and forty geo
raphical miles on less than two
ledge loads of supplies
IF it is suggested that perhaps Dr.
ook got mixed and that he reached
le pole, or thought he did, between
le time~of leaving the northwest
)ast of Heiberg Land at Cape North
est, and his arrival at Ringnes Land,
here they killed the deer, we must
zen add to the date of Dr. Cooks let
,r of March II, at or near Cape
homas Hubbard, the subsequent four
r five sleeps at that point, and the
lnber Of days required to march
ON Cape Thomas Hubbard to Cape
orthwest Ga distance of some sixty
lutical miles,, which would advance
is date of departure from the land to
least the 25th of March. and be pre-
lred to accept the claim that Dr.
Ook went from Cape Northwest
bout latitude eighty and a half de-
'ees north to the pole, a distance Of
ye hundred and seventy geographical
lies, in twenty-seven days"