safely to New York, where it now
reposes in the "American Museum of Natural History." As usual I was a
member of the party, and my back still aches when I think of the hard
work I did to help load that monster aboard the _Hope_.

It was during this voyage that Commander Peary announced his
determination to discover the North Pole, and the following years (from
1898 to 1902) were spent in the Arctic.

In 1900, the American record of Farthest North, held by Lockwood and
Brainard, was equaled and exceeded; their cairn visited and their
records removed. On April 21, 1902, a new American record of 84 deg. 17' was
made by Commander Peary, further progress north being frustrated by a
lack of provisions and by a lane of open water, more than a mile wide.
This lead or lane of open water I have since become more familiarly
acquainted with. We have called it many names, but it is popularly known
as the "Big Lead." Going north, meeting it can be depended upon. It is
situated just a few miles north of the 84th parallel, and is believed to
mark the continental shelf of the land masses in the Northern
Hemisphere.

During the four years from 1898 to 1902, which were continuously spent
in the regions about North Greenland, we had every experience, except
death, that had ever fallen to the lot of the explorers who had preceded
us, and more than once we looked death squarely in the face. Besides, we
had many experiences that earlier explorers did not meet. In January,
1899, Commander Peary froze his feet so badly that all but one of his
toes fell off.

After the return home, in 1902, it was three years before Commander
Peary made another attack on the Pole, but during those years he was not
resting.

He was preparing to launch his final and "sincerely to be hoped"
successful expedition, and in July, 1905, in the newly built ship,
_Roosevelt_, we were again "Poleward-bound." The following September,
the _Roosevelt_ reached Cape Sheridan, latitude 82 deg. 27' north, under her
own steam, a record unequaled by any other vessel, sail or steam.

Early the next year, the negotiation of the Arctic Ocean was commenced,
not as oceans usually are negotiated, but as this ocean must be, by men,
sledges, and dogs. The field party consisted of twenty-six men, twenty
sledges, and one hundred and thirty dogs.

That was an open winter and an early spring, very desirable conditions
in some parts of the world, but very undesirable to us on the northe