Nearest the Pole: a narrative of the polar expedition of the Peary Arctic Club in the S.S. Roosevelt, 1905-1906Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin)
History
Nearest the Pole: a narrative of the polar expedition of the Peary Arctic Club in the S.S. Roosevelt, 1905-1906
Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin)
Arctic regions
From the beginning of November to March 6th, the greater portion of the
time was passed by my party in igloos built in the vicinity of the game
killed in various localities, from Discovery Harbour to Ruggles River.
April 5th I left Conger with Henson, one Eskimo, two sledges and twelve
dogs for my northern trip. At the same time the remainder of the party,
with two sledges and seven dogs and pups, started south for Capes
D’Urville and Sabine, to communicate with or obtain tidings of my ship.
On reaching Lincoln Bay it was evident to me that the condition of men
and dogs was such as to negative the possibility of reaching the Pole,
and I reluctantly turned back.
Arriving at Conger, after an absence of eight days, I found the
remainder of my party there. They had returned after an absence of four
days, having proceeded one-third of the distance across Lady Franklin
Bay. Fortunately, the night before I arrived, one of the Eskimos secured
several musk-oxen above St. Patrick’s Bay, which enabled me to feed my
dogs before starting south, which I did with the entire party on April
17th.
April 30th, at Hayes Point, I met a party from the _Windward_ attempting
to reach Conger, and received my mail, learning that the _Windward_ was
at Payer Harbour with Mrs. Peary and our little girl on board. After a
rest at the D’Urville box house, I went on to the _Windward_, arriving
May 6th.
After a few days’ rest the work of establishing new caches along the
coast northward, toward Conger, was commenced and continued until the
middle of June. Then the preparing of Payer Harbour for winter quarters
was carried on till July 3d, when the _Windward_ broke out of the ice
and steamed over to the Greenland side. July was devoted to killing
walrus, and 128 were secured and transported to Payer Harbour.
August 4th, the _Erik_, sent up by the Club, in command of Secretary H.
L. Bridgman, to communicate with me, arrived at Etah. The usual tour of
visits to the Eskimo settlements was then made, and both ships pressed
into the work of hunting walrus, until August 24th, when the _Windward_
proceeded southward, and the _Erik_ steamed away to land me and my party
and the catch of walrus at Payer Harbour.
A large quantity of heavy ice blocking the way to Payer Harbour, I
requested Secretary Bridgman to land me and my party and walrus meat, in
a small bight, some twelve or fifteen miles south of Cape Sabine, from
whence I could proceed to Payer Harbour in my boats or sledges when
opportunity offered. This was done, and on the 29th of August the _Erik_
steamed away.
1901–1902
On the 16th of September I succeeded in reaching Payer Harbour, crossing
Ross Bay, partly by sledge and partly by boat, and going overland across
Bedford Pim Island.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account