The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1911-08-26

TAILS OF story the mere hints OF
which have outdono the dreams Of
writer's OF fiction who love 20 tell OF
imaginary adventures IN the frozen
north. And the men who faced perils
and hardships that would have tried
the courage and strength OF the hard
est; who set out on long and painful
journeys when the mercury froze IN
the thermometer; who were forced 70
camp on mountain ridges and peaks
at the height Of blizzards-they have
sent a plain. impassioned report OF
their journeys without giving a hint
that they encountered aught but what
they expected when they left New
York
Hardships Of tho Trip.
II would require far more space
than the limits Of this article permit
TO give more than a mere skeleton OF
the story OF the two years trip, as II
Is now In the possession OF DR.. II. G.
Bumpus, director OF the Museum OF
Natural History. who authorized the
expedition. When the men themselves
arrive they will al in with detail the
story Of periods Of ten days and more
that often elasped without a morsel OF
sustaining food passing their lips. and
which they dismissed with a single
sentence In their preliminary report.
In many respects the trip OF Mr..
Stefansson and DR.. Anderson sur
passes any other expedition ever made
into the north by white men. The DIFF.
fculties with which they had TO con-
tend. because Of the very nature OF
their journey. exceeded even those
which confronted Commander Peary
on his dash to the north pole. His
was a hurried trip across several hun
dred miles Of ice to the pole and
back Carefully constructed sleds
drawn by the finest Eskimo dogs in
the arctic circle carried provisions
a-plenty.
Not so with Stefansson and Ander-
son. Their mission was the collection
of specimens that would enlighten the
rest of the world as to human. animal
and vegetable life within the arctic
circle. They had nc single objective
point. Their wanderings and search
es took them a part OF the time out
over the Ice of the Arctic ocean and
part OF the time across mountain ran
ges that rise thousands of feet in the
air.
Food Stolen by Wild Beasts.
They also had plenty OF provisions
when they started. AS though. how
ever, the ordinary perils Of the coun-
try were not sufficient, the real own
ers of the country. polar bears and
wolverines, added to their dangers.
Time after time the daring scientists.
wearied by months Of privation. would
seek the stores OF food they had hid
den in caches for just such emergen-
cies, only to find that four-foOted ma
RAIDERS had broken in and stolen hun
dreds Of pounds OF food.
Stefansson, as the actual leader OF
the expedition. has reserved all but
the briefest summary for his personal
report to DR.. Bumpus. A brief ten
pages sufIiced for him to announce the
results OF the two years Journey, as
well as to outline his plan for a last
dash into the country of the hostile
Coppernine people. Eskimos who
viewed with jealous eyes any attempt
on the part of white men to penetrate
their country.
On the map you will find a tiny
point OF land projecting into the Arc
tic ocean and named Cape Parry
Nothing illustrates better. perhaps,
the uncertainty OF the position OF the
explorers than the very first para
graph OF Mr.. Stefansson's letter,
which was written from that place on
March 10 OF this year.
IAN Eskimo (the same Jimmy Me-
na-ran-na who accompanied Captain
Amundsen In 1906 from Herschel