Evening star., 1909-09-03
. hun ried. and found some good hun
X at that.
Good Ship Under Them.

got into the ice three times. nearly lost
the ship and finally got cut safely. 1t tooh
US seven days IL cross Melville bay
which is 10 mics broad Now. that GER
ta.nly shows that we must have had
some snip.
However stanch vessel the arctic
explorer may have il must be always
kept in mind that once ne is In the ice
lie must do his work outside what i
q vessel frozen in but house, a $ tar as
its use to the explorer is concerned
.'ie does not have to take a department
store into the arctic circle. because when
the final trial comes he cannot use any
more material than can be made available
with dogs and sleds. with which may he
carried provisions and the few instru-
ments necessary to take the obServa-
tionS.
THE important thing is food. The
more food that can be carried within the
smallest space the greater the chances ol
success.
Minimized the Weight.
our expedition had the latest devices
for minimizing weight and at the same
time increasing efficiency For instance,
I knew of an expedition several years
ago which carried five or six brass stoves
Weighing from sixteen to eighteen pounds
each. to be used with kerosene or oil for
making tea.
Our stoves were made OF aluminium,
their weight was three pounds each ana
they did precisely the same work. We
got rid of twelve or ffteeE pounds on
each stove and without impairng our
efficiency got rid of as much unnecessary
weight as dog can pull and had so
much more for food
Il merely give this as. an example Of
how the whole expedition was planned.
Not an ounce of weight was wasted An
enterprise like this has to go on its stom-
ach, and we had plenty of food packed III
tin cases for transportation.
we did not take Capt. Bartlett INTO
our confidence in the matter or our desti-
nation He was curious and interested
at times.
Got enough pemmican here to feed a
tribe of Eskimos, remarked he one DAY:
oh YES, l answered. Might need
il in case we are Shipwrecked.
Plenty of Hickory, Too.
Quite some hickory wood aboard he
remarked later.
quite So l answered. We may need
it 10 build houses with when we get
crushed in the ice
Well, he answered, after a mo-
ments thought, If l didn't know you
were going on a fishing trip | would say
YOU were going to find the pole
We'll. we arrived and everything
seemed to be adapted for the attempt
which DR.. Cook had in mind We went
thirty-fve miles above Etah at first and
DIR. Cook was sent ashore; he returned
to the vessel and reported that he con-
sidered the conditions ideal for his pur-
pose.
Now let me show you how he reason
ed and let us see whether or not this was
the harum-scarum dash OF a man Tor the
pole in straw hat!
First, he made census OF the natives
at the point where he landed and found
that there were 24O of Them as COM
pared with $50. according to the last rec
ord which made a decrease of only ten
in twenty years. The little colony was
In the pink of condition; the young men
were strong and healthy.
THE Eskimas had had a good winter,
for it was August Is. 1907, that we
landed.
They had plenty to eat. Game was
abundant and muskoxen. walrus and other
animals were abundant, and there Were
large numbers of fish.
I'VE found that there was little ice II
Kennedy channel, that the travelling over
the land was good and that weather con-
ditions were perfect.
Saw Chance and Took It.
There could not have been a combina-
ton of circumstances better adapted to
the purpose of DR.. Cook He saw the
chance and he took 1t and he had the
nerve and the will to avail himself of his
opportunities.
'On our way up we had encroached q
good deal on the stock of 5000 gallons OF
gasoline with which we had started. and
We were taking on ballast. As we Were
running a little light. came on deck and
said to Bartlett:
Captain, get all the men ready and
send all the natives aboard ashore. Pre-
pare TO unload as soon possible. for W.
are TO put DIR. Cook and his supplies
ashore for the winter.
: Is this a polar expedition he asked
1t is l answered.
- knew il, / knew it,, he exclaimed
Never was there ship fitted out as this
.ne is which was not intended for the po,e
Expect me to stay all winter
Not If we can help it.. said |.
wouldn't stay here myself. 1t is not nee
sssary TO stay here on account of DR.
-ook We have house on board for
lim
Glad 10 hear ycu say that. was the
CaTtain's answer. I wouldn't stay here
for anybody on earth
Spread Along Five Miles Of Shore.
we lost no time. The supplies We're
oaded into dories. which were towed
ashore by my motor boat. which was in
-eality strong whaleboat twenty-sever
'eet long. with powerful engines. DR.
rook managed the motor beat for he is
ond of running engines.
We landed supplies at rapid rate foi
/ while, and then the ice began 70 drift,
n, and the captain said that ne did not
are much about staying about tha;
leighborhood, stood chance ol
osing the vessel or staying that way al
winter. He asked if il made any differ
.nce if he landed the supplies in not pre-
.isely that place.
Il told him TO do as he liked about that
md he strung the stuff UP and down the
.oast for about FIVE miles and We had
lively time doing 1t.
That will be all right?' said the cap
ain. We are putting II on land ice anc
Or. Cook can have the Eskimos gather
together
Meanwhile he had sent lookout alott
keep an eye on the ice, which was be.
ginning 10 drift in from both directions
1t took thirteen houls to land the sup
,lies, including forty tons of coal, which
hows that we had someth hing Of a polar
expedition TO look after. The coal alone
would have lasted him for ten years fol
10th he and his assistants could hardly
Iave used three tons of il d year.
Three Years Supplies.
Three years supplies were left witt
Or. Cook. That does not convey much O.
IN idea perhaps. but il had the inven
ory OF it at hand it would astonish thos,
,ersons who speak OF this expedition as ;
laphazard affair with nothing but tn,
ierve OF DR.. Cook 20 back il
There were tons OF pemmcan and tha
.ind o. material. sugar. tea coffee, caa
ed goods, dried meats. quantity OF hiC K
.ry for sled building. harTarc. iron. steel
opper. cooking utensils Of all kinds II
e.r o stove pipe. lon1 boxes .
matches, BALES of biscuits. l21pD cans o