Evening journal., 1910-12-16

Pole never was based solely upon
observations, figures or mathematical
calculations. l did take these, OF
course. Sometimes | took them has
tily, again working them out with
most painstaking accuracy. Some
times my mind was clear as crystal,
again l was dazed with hunger,
thirst and cold. These figures did
not convince me OF my achievement.
They only corroborate my inner con-
! yiction of progress.
WAS my inner conviction that
attained the Pole insane? Perhaps.
Which raises the whole problem OF
the border line of sanity. was,
feel, no more insane than any man
who frantically pursues an ideal-an
ideal which may seem hair-brained to
the practical man-and who finally TO
himself. il to no Other, is satisfied
that he has accomplished his desire.
My conviction may be beyond the
bounds Of reason. Sometimes now
feel that It is. Again ] do not. do
not know. Moreover, and especially
since l have viewed men from pc
culiarly suspicious, though unenviable
angle, of late, | have been impressed
with the instability, the illogicality Of
all human reason"
Effect of Scenes on Mind.
As an illustration of the peculiar
effect the Far North has on one, Or.
Cook says that after leaving Heiberg
Land, the fantastic unrealities OF the
North began to manifest themselves
most. Peaks of snow wero trans
formed into volcanoes, belching
smoke; out of the pearly mist rose
marvellous cities, with fairy castles;
huge creatures, misshapen and grotes
que, writhed along the horizon. These
spectral denizens Of the North accom-
panied us during the entire journey
and when tagged OF brain and snap
ped of bodily strength, felt my mind
swimming in sea of half-monsters
one sees in nightmare"
Cook explains his mental condition
partially by his inability TO sleep,
ANY one who has suffered from in
somnia," he says, may be able In a
small degree TO gauge my condition
when sleep became impossible. To
reach the end OF my journey became
the haunting, ever-present. goadine
thought of my wakeful existence"
II never expected that my accom-.
plishment of the pole. If did It, would
be regarded as a thing of great i'm.
portance to science, which 10 is not
want to be honest in this and righ
here / say that any observations
took were taken first of all for my
own satisfaction, to check out line 81
/ march. They co-roborated my grow
ing consciousness OF success. The con
slant travelling over miles of ice anC
the enduring Of pain engendered u
my mind a conviction which no figures
could have evoked. At the time, how
ever, 7 did not doubt my figures. Thl
thought of inaccuracy never occurre,
10 me. True, | was mentally dispOs
ed to credit a favorable reckoning
We're my observations incorrect. II Il
quite possible Analyzing them ant
the conditions, physical and mental
under which they were taken, IA
not know; / can never tell ulu
lmately."
The thing that convinced DR.. Cool
and his Eskimos that he reached thi
pole was the fact that they attainei
point where their shadows at moor
and midnight were of equal length
AT noon," he says, "the shadow rep
i resented in its length the altitude o
s the sun, about II degrees. AT ST
o'clock It was the same. AT midnigh
4 it was the same. At o'clock In tn
A morning it was the same. Let us. 70
the sake of argument, grant that a
q our instrumental observations ar
\ wrong Herein is a condition Of thine