East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1917-09-22

things we fear; years ago it was the
first
You are acquainted with the main
facts of our work OF 1914, the chief
Of which was that we failed to find
Crocker Land, which does not exist,
certainly not in that longitude and
latitude. Peary IS not to be criticized
in the least It is a common mistake
and one known to all who know
anything of the history of explora-
tion the world over. At the seventy
mile mark from land, 1 could have
taken my oath that there was an i'm
mense land on the horizon; there 1t
was-hills, valleys, cliffs. and snow
capped peaks. Yes, even picked
out the point toward which we would
head and there make our landing!
Its Kaleidoscope changes later in the
day was bit suspicious. but still
we hoped. AT one hundred and twen-
ty miles at the spot on the map
marked "Crocker Land" not a thing.
At the one hundred and fifty mile
camp from the top of a ridge on the
fairest of days with absolutely clear
horizon. search as carefully as we
could with our powerful binoculars,
we could not see the slightest trace
of anything resembling land, not
even a mirage of the ice. You can
ina gine my disappointment There
was only one consolation-we had
followed this will-o' -the-wisp to the
end: we had done our work.
From the summit of Cape Thomas
Hubbard, sixteen hundred feet
above sea level, standing in the very
spot where Peary had stood eight
years before, we saw the same thing.
Had I never left the land at all.
would have reported this new land in
good faith.
The next year 1 sacrificed all my
plans for further exploration to err
able Ekblaw my assistant, to plan
and carry out scientific trip of his
own. On the previous trip. much to
/ my Disappointment, he was sent back
with frosted feet. In consideration
of this and in view of the fact that
the University of Illinois had con-
tributed 10000. / thought that this
would partly recompense him for
| his loss.
This spring G916) found me In
the field again with Finley Land,
| the King Christian Island of Sver-
drup, as my objective point This is
| land which was seen about sixty
| four years ago by the Franklin
| Search Expeditions, but as far as
am able to learn has never veen Wis
! tied by man. owing to breaking up Of
. the ice south Of US the Eskimos who
were to go with me, were delayed
two weeks in arriving at Etah. Con-
sequently, to carry out the plan, and
get back before Smith Soufnd broke
\ out in June, IL was necessary to 60
light, go fast and live largely upon
/ the resources of the country.
The fun began on our second day
! out when a large Polar bear galloped
along in front of our sledges, and it
/ ended two months later in almost
exactly the same spot on our return
in the capture of a fifty pound cub.
which we brought home alive. II was
one bloody scrap from start to finish.
Pears! Let me tell you 1 scooped
one up on the bows OF my kometik
CsledgeJ with the dogs going at fun
speed. And with my head in the
finder Of my graflex camera: When
he came through the center 1 went
around the end for thirty yards be-
fore / stopped. In many Of the old
Arctic books there are Illustrations
Of Eskimos In hand to hand fight
with the polar bear. many Of which
I have thought to be OveTdra wn.
There is only one criticism-not half
enough dogs to help him out. Why
a bear does not stand "A ghost Of a
show with eighty or ninety pairs II
strong jaws clinging to his hide.
From the hOwIg Of pain. one WHIlf