I am indebted to Commander Peary for the following information regarding the occurrence of Caribou in Ellesmere Land. In a letter dated Philadelphia, October 13, 1902, he says: “In answer to your inquiries I will say that remains and traces of reindeer have been noted by previous explorers at the following points in Ellesmere Land and Grinnell Land: Alexandra Haven, Ellesmere Land; Rawlings Bay, Grinnell Land, and in the Fort Conger region, Grinnell Land; and an antler was picked up by a member of my party in the summer of 1901 at Erik Harbour, some twelve miles south of Cape Sabine. The published reports of Sverdrup’s expedition state that he found reindeer in abundance on the west side of Ellesmere Land. “I have seen many winter coats of the Greenland Caribou and they are pronouncedly darker than the Ellesmere specimens.” CHAPTER XVI THE ARCTIC S. S. “ROOSEVELT” In July, 1904, in one of the charming villas overlooking the city of Bar Harbor a meeting took place, small as to numbers but weighty with importance in the affairs of the Peary Arctic Club, for at that meeting was taken the formal step which meant the building of the _Roosevelt_. Four men were present at the meeting: Morris K. Jesup, Lewis L. Delafield his counsel, Captain Charles B. Dix, and myself. Mr. Jesup had stated some time previous, that if subscriptions to the Peary Arctic Club could be secured to the amount of $50,000, including his own generous check for not less than half that sum, he would assume responsibility for the construction of the ship and guarantee the contract, thus insuring the construction of the ship in time to go North in 1905, and giving nearly a year additional time in which to secure the additional funds necessary. Up to this time the interest had not been particularly widespread. The amount of subscriptions was still short of $50,000, but time was pressing and the material must be ordered at once in order to give even a reasonable chance of completing the ship in time. Personally I felt no doubt but what the total amount of money could be raised, and yet it must be admitted that the prospects were none too favourable and discussion did not seem to appreciably clear the situation. Mr. Jesup was as deeply interested as I, and was not only willing but anxious to do everything in his power to put the matter through, but he hesitated at assuming too much responsibility because, as he frankly told me, he did not feel, much as he wished to, that he could properly assume the entire burden of the expedition.