This was probably an extension westwards of the same lead encountered by Peary, and may indicate the dividing line between the central polar pack and the land-ice.
A course was now set to reach the 85th parallel on the 97th meridian. At noon on the 24th March a satisfactory observation gave the position as latitude 83° 31′; longitude, 96° 27′. From here a glimpse was obtained of what was believed to be Crocker Land away to the west.
The bright light of the sun now began to trouble the eyes, but amber-coloured goggles were found to be a very satisfactory protection.
On the 25th March a hurricane was experienced, and during the storm the temperature rose to minus 26° F. The ice cracked with thundering noise, and Dr. Cook sank into a crevasse which formed under the floor of the snow-house where he was lying in his sleeping-bag. He was, however, quickly pulled out by the Eskimo.
During the next three marches it was estimated that 53 geographical miles were travelled. A cold wind was blowing from the west, and added much to the misery of the party by forming icicles on every hair about the face.
On the night of 28th March a violent storm swept away the dome of their snow-house and buried them under a considerable quantity of snow, from which they extricated themselves with difficulty.
Next day the weather improved, and on the 30th March the clear atmosphere enabled them to discover land some distance to the west, extending parallel to the line of their route. The position at this time was found to be 84° 50′, and longitude 95° 36′. This land gave the impression that it probably consisted of two islands, and was named by Dr. Cook “Bradley Land.” It was seen to extend from about 83° 20′ to about 85° 11′ near to the 102nd meridian. It was buried under snow, and resembled the high lands of Heiberg Island.
Dr. Cook has stated that from latitude 83° 31′ a glimpse was obtained of what was believed to be Crocker Land away to the west. He now states that Bradley Land extends as far south as 83° 20′. If this is correct, Bradley Land must include Crocker Land.
The weather again changed on the 31st March, and hid the land from view. Strong winds made progress rather slow for several days. On 7th April the sun was first observed above the horizon at midnight. The journey had now lasted from the time the sun first appeared above the horizon at midday until it did not set during the twenty-four hours.
On 8th April the position was ascertained to be 86° 36′, longitude 94° 2′. In nine days 106 miles had been covered, in a temperature ranging from 36° to 46° F. below zero. Dr. Cook at this time remarked that in dreams Heaven was hot, and the other place was cold.
On 11th April the latitude was 87° 20′, and the longitude 95° 19′. Ice conditions now improved, and good distances were made. For two days the march was over old ice without pressure-lines or hummocks. The winds, however, were still bitterly cold, and on 13th April Ahwelah nearly collapsed. The position on the 14th was 99 miles from the Pole. Some of the dogs had already been killed to feed the others, but a sufficient number remained to enable the party to make a determined effort to cover the remaining distance to the Pole.
On to the 89th parallel the ice was in large fields and comparatively smooth. The noon observation on 19th April gave the latitude as 29 miles from the Pole, and the longitude 94° 3′. The next march was made under great excitement, and when camp was pitched it was within 14 miles of the goal, in longitude 94° 52′. Shortly after midnight of 21st April the party again set out, and when the pedometer had registered 14½ miles camp was made. The observation here gave latitude 89° 59′ 45″. A distance equal to the 15″ was advanced, the tent was pitched, and a snow-house was built so that the party might stay long enough for two rounds of observations to be made. The temperature was 38.7° below zero.
The North Pole had at last been conquered. The struggle which had been carried on more than three centuries was finally over. It had cost many lives and unparalleled hardships before man’s ambition was satisfied. And what a desolate spot to have aroused the competition of nations! No land was in sight, no life had been seen within a long distance of it, and nothing but endless fields of ice and snow stretched away to the horizon. Yet here was the most interesting geographical point on the surface of the earth; here was the axis on which the world turned.
Soon after midnight of 22nd April, Dr. Cook and his two companions began their return journey. They set their course along the 100th meridian, and during the first few days, with fair weather and good ice, they succeeded in making long marches. On 30th April the latitude was found to be 88° 1′, and the longitude 97° 42′. As this showed a drift to the eastward, a more westerly course was set. The temperature still remained between 30° and 40° below zero, and the wind was again troublesome. Dr. Cook, with compass in hand, marched ahead of the sledges. Near the 88th parallel very heavy ice was crossed.
On the 6th May they were stopped by a very severe snowstorm. An attempt was made to build a snow-house, but the wind swept the blocks away. An effort was then made to put up the tent, but this was found impossible. In sheer despair, they crept under the tent without erecting the pole. For several days the wind was too strong to allow them to travel, and the atmospheric conditions made it impossible to take observations. Added to these difficulties was the fact that the food-supply was running short.
On 24th May the weather cleared sufficiently to enable Dr. Cook to make an observation, which placed them on the 84th parallel, near the 97th meridian.
The temperature now gradually rose to zero, and caused the formation of a fog which proved a serious obstacle to progress. It was Dr. Cook’s intention to make for his cache in Nansen’s Sound, but when next the sky cleared, after a long struggle, the party found themselves far south, in Crown-Prince Gustav Sea. Open water and broken ice made it impossible for them to reach Heiberg Island.
Dr. Cook was still anxious to return home in 1908, and when he saw that he was cut off from Annootok, he decided to make for Lancaster Sound, where he hoped to find one of the Scottish whalers. This allowed him to take advantage of the southerly drift of the ice. Passing through Hassel Sound, the party were fortunate in securing both bears and seals. Dr. Cook states that from this point they travelled southward over Norwegian Bay into Wellington Channel.3 Here, however, they found the ice so much broken up that sledging was impossible, and early in July they crossed the island of North Devon into Jones Sound. Open water was again met, and the party were forced to take to the folding canvas boat. As there was no food for the dogs, they were left behind to shift for themselves. One of the sledges had also to be left, and the other was taken to pieces and carried in the boat.
Now followed a long struggle, partly by boat and partly by sledge. Birds formed their chief food, and in securing these the last of the ammunition was expended. Baffin’s Bay was reached early in September, but it was found impossible to return to Greenland or to reach a place of safety farther south. The only alternative was to make a winter-hut and endeavour to secure sufficient food to carry them through till the following spring. They returned westwards to search for a suitable place to winter, and found it at Cape Sparbo, in Jones Sound. Here an underground hut was made of stones, bones, and turf; and by means of primitive weapons they succeeded in killing a sufficient number of animals to enable them to live through the winter, and to provide food and equipment for the return journey to Greenland.
On 18th February 1909 the winter quarters were left, and Annootok was reached on 15th April. Anxious to return home as speedily as possible, Dr. Cook set out for the Danish settlement at Upernavik, where he arrived on 21st May. From there he travelled to Copenhagen by Danish steamers.
This journey by Dr. Cook is unparalleled in the history of Arctic exploration. The bare idea of attempting to reach the North Pole, in one season, from the latitude of Annootok, was daring in the extreme. It is probably correct to say that no Arctic authority could expect that he would have the smallest chance of success. Many expeditions with much greater resources than Dr. Cook possessed had in the same region made the attempt from points hundreds of miles nearer the Pole, and had suffered utter defeat. Markham’s starting-point was about 240 geographical miles nearer the Pole, and his farthest north was 400 miles from the Pole. Lockwood’s base was over 200 miles nearer the Pole, and his record was only 4 miles farther than Markham’s. Dr. Cook was well aware that Commander Peary himself, by far the most experienced of Arctic explorers, had repeatedly made attempts from a base much nearer the Pole. Starting from Lockwood’s base in 1900, his farthest point reached was 370 miles from the Pole. A second attempt from the same point in 1902 reached a latitude 343 miles from the Pole. In 1906 his third trial was made from a ship situated more than 240 geographical miles nearer the Pole than Annootok, but the farthest north attained was still 174 miles from the Pole.
This was the position when Dr. Cook decided to make the attempt from Annootok. It is not surprising, therefore, that those acquainted with the history of the subject should find a serious difficulty in at once accepting Dr. Cook’s statement that he had accomplished such an extraordinary achievement.
His idea of avoiding the route through Kennedy Channel and adopting a course sufficiently west to escape the crushed-up land-ice was no doubt a good one, but making every allowance for this advantage, the contrast between his expedition and Commander Peary’s expedition of 1909 is very great. Commander Peary had relief parties to assist him until he was within 132 geographical miles of the Pole. His problem then was to travel these 132 miles and return to land 413 miles distant. Dr. Cook, on the other hand, was about 462 miles from the Pole when his last supporting party left him. To reach the Pole he had therefore to travel 462 miles against Peary’s 132, without being able to obtain any further supply of food. The return journey, again, was very different. Dr. Cook expected to find his cache 525 miles distant, but in reality the first land reached was more than 670 miles from the Pole. The total distance in latitude covered by Peary with the supply he was able to carry on his sledges was therefore 545 miles, whereas Cook states that he covered the extraordinary distance of 1132 miles.
Dr. Cook has still to satisfy experts, but no one will question the fact that Commander Peary has reached the North Pole; so that, no matter what the result of the unfortunate controversy may be, to the American nation belongs the great honour of winning the coveted prize.
During more than three centuries the record was held by the British. It was then captured by America in 1882. In 1895 it passed into the hands of the Norwegians, who held it until won by the Italians in 1900. America regained it in 1906, and now must keep it finally.
The chief records are as follows: —
