the reader may understand this journey over the ice of the
polar sea, it is necessary that the theory and practise of both pioneer
and supporting parties should be fully understood. Without this system,
as has been amply demonstrated by the experience of previous
expeditions, it would be a physical impossibility for any man to reach
the North Pole, and return. The use of relay parties in arctic work is,
of course, not new, though the idea was carried further in the last
expedition of the Peary Arctic Club than ever before; but the pioneer
party is original with my expeditions and for that reason it is perhaps
worth while to describe it in detail.

The pioneer party was one unit division, made up of four of the most
active and experienced men of the expedition, with sledges lightly
loaded with five or six days' provisions, drawn by the best dog teams of
the entire pack. When we started from Cape Columbia, this pioneer party,
headed by Bartlett, went out twenty-four hours in advance of the main
party. Later on, when we reached the time of continuous daylight and
sunlight through the twenty-four hours, the pioneer party was but twelve
hours in advance of the main party.

The duty of this pioneer party was to make a march in every twenty-four
hours in spite of every obstacle--excepting, of course, some impassable
lead. Whether there was a snowstorm or violent winds to be faced, or
mountainous pressure ridges were to be climbed over, the march of the
pioneer party must be made; for past experience had proved that whatever
distance was covered by the advance party with its light sledges could
be covered in less time by the main party even with heavily loaded
sledges, because the main party, having the trail to follow, was not
obliged to waste time in reconnoitering. In other words, the pioneer
party, was the pace-maker of the expedition, and whatever distance it
made was the measure of accomplishment for the main party. The leader of
the pioneer party, in the first instance Bartlett, would start out ahead
of his division, usually on snowshoes; then the light sledges of the
party would follow him. Thus the leader of the pioneer division was
pioneering ahead of his own party, and that whole division was
pioneering ahead of the main party.

It is necessary that the arduous work of trail-breaking for the first
two-thirds of the distance over the rougher ice nearer the land should
be done by one division after another, in succe