The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-10-14
PEARY'S STORY
He Issues Statement Denying that Dr..
Cook Reached the Pole
BASED ON ESKIMO'S TALE

He Claims That Boys Who Were
With Cook When Questioned by
Members of ~Peary's Party Said
Cook Did Not Go Near the North
Pole.
The following statement of Com
mander Robert e. Peary, which he
submitted to the Peary Arctic Club
in support of his contention that Dr.
Cook did not reach the North Pole
Is now made public for the first
time:
Some of my reasons for saying that
DR.. Cook did not go to the North
Pole will be understood by those who
read the following statements Of the
two Eskimo boys who went with him,
and who told me and others of my
party where he did go. Several Es-
kimos who started with DR.. Cook
from Anoratok in February, 1908,
were at Etah when I arrived there
in August, 1908.
They told me that DR.. Cook had
with him. after they left, two Eski-
mo boys or young men, two sledges
and some twenty dogs. The boys
we're I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah. l
had known them from their child
hood. One was about eighteen and
the other about nineteen years of
age.
On my return from Cape Sheri-
dan and at the very first settlement
I touched (Nerke, near Cape Chalon)
in August, 1909, and nine days be-
fore reaching Etah, the Eskimos told
me, in a general way, where DR..
Cook had been; that he had WIN
tered in Jones Sound and that he
had told the white men at Atah that
he had been long way north, but
that the boys who were with him,
I-took-a-shoo and Ah-pe-lah, said
that this was not so.
The Eskimos laughed at DR.. Cook s
story. On reaching Etah. I talked
with the Eskimos there and with the
two boys and asked them to describe
DR.. Cooks journey to members of
my party and myself. This they did
in the manner stated below.
(Signed. -- r. E. Peary.
Here is synopsis of the state
ment made by the Eskimo men to
Peary, and others of his party and
vouched for by them:
The two Eskimo boys, I-took-a-
shoe and Ab-pe-lah, who accompanied
Cook while he was away from An
oratok in 1908 and 1909, were ques-
toned separately and independently,
and were corroborated by Fanikpah,
the father of one of them (I-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 describ-
ed to him by his son after his re-
tnrn with DR.. Cook.
Notes of their statements were
taken by several of us. and no one
of us has any doubt that they told
the truth.
Their testimony was unshaken by
cross-examination, was corroborated
by other men In the tribe and was
elected neither by threats nor prom
ises, the two boys and their father
talking Of their journey and their
experiences in the same way that
they would talk Of any hunting
trip.
To go more into details. One Of
the boys was called in. and, with
chart on the table before him. was
asked to show where he had gone
with DR.. Cook. This he did, point
ing out with his finger on the map.
but not making any marks upon 1t.
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.
When he was through, Panikpah,
the father OF I-took-a-shoo, a 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 q
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 state
ment 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-
ge:hcr. the second boy suggesting
some changes as noted hereafter.
Finally, PaniQpah, the father, was
again called in to verify details Of
the portions of the route with which