6148.10 (A. M.) to 6.15 (P. M.). Snow hard. Iceflat. Few hummocks. Less wavy. Snow (shoes).
Sun faces.
71411 to 10. Beautiful clear weather; even thenight sky clear. Midnight sun first seen.
Ice 36 ft. (thick). (Another measurement gave21 feet.)89Observation before starting, 86.36, 94.2. Inspite of what seemed like long marches we madeonly 106 miles in 9 days. Much distance lost incrossings. (From field paper) bar. 29.50,rising; temp. -37; wind mag. N. E., 2; cloudsSt. 3; shadow (6 ft. pole), 32 feet.
9149 A. M. to 5.30 P. M.; snow hard; ice about thesame; wind cutting; frost bites. Clothes humid.
101610 P. M. to 7 A. M. Working hours changed; bigmarches and long hours no longer possible; snowgood; ice steadily improving; bodily fatiguemuch felt; wind 1-28 W.
111510.30 to 8 A. M. Observation end of March,87.20, 95.19; the pack disturbance of B. Ld.
lost; farthest north; little crushed ice;old floes less irregular; anxious about food;wind 3 W. (true); 300 miles in 24 days; workintermittent; too tired to read instruments.
(From other field notes, Temp. -39;bar. 29.90.)122111 P. M. to 7 A. M. Thoughts of return. Foodsupply reduced. Hope to economize in warmerweather. Very heavy ice. Much like land ice.
Wind 2 W. S. W. The awful monotony!
131712 P. M. to 7 A. M. The same heavy glacier-likeice.... The occasional soup. Hummocks 15-20 ft.
Ahwelah in tears at start. W. black. Sun underrushing vapors. Ice changes. Leads.
142311 P. M. to 7.10 A. M. 88.21, 95.52. Wind lightbut penetrating. Off the big field, ice smaller.
Some open leads. Little sign of pressure. Snowsoft, but less precipitation. Dogs get upbetter speed. 100 miles from Pole. (From otherobservation papers: Bar. 29.90, falling;temp., -44; shadow (6 ft. pole) 30 feet.)151410 P. M. to 7 A. M. Ice same. Wind -1, S. W.
Working to the limit of muscle capacity. Sotired and weary of the never ceasing tread!
161510.30 to 8 A. M. Ice pa.s.sed. Several heavy oldfloes. Made 6 crossings. Wind 1-3, W. S. W.
171310.15 to 8 A. M. Ice same. Creva.s.ses new.
7 crossings. Saw several big hummocks. Iceless troublesome. Temp., -40; bar., 30.00.
Sled friction less.
18149 P. M. to 6. Ice, though broken, smooth. Thehorizon line not so irregular as that of moreS. ice. Sky and ice of a dark purple blue.
(Bar. 30.02.)191611 P. M. to 8 A. M. (Position) 89.31. D. R.
94.03. Camp on an old field--the only one onthe horizon with big hummocks. Ice in very largefields; surface less irregular, but in otherrespects not different from farther S. Eskimostold that in two average marches Pole would bereached. Extra rations served. Camp in tent.
(Bar., 29.98; Temp., -46.)20158 P. M. to 4 A. M. An exciting run; ice aglow inpurple and gold; Eskimos chanting. Wind, S. 189; 46.45. (D. R.) 94.52. New enthusiasm; goodmarch. Temp., -36; bar. (not legible on notes);course set for 97th.
21131 A. M. to 9 A. M. Observations noon: 89; 59.45;ped. 14. Camp; sleep in tent short time; afterobservations advance; pitch tent; (also) madecamp--snow--prepared for two rounds ofobservations. Temp., 37.7; bar., 29.83. Nothingwonderful; no Pole; a sea of unknown depth; icemore active; new cracks; open leads; but surfacelike farther south. Overjoyed but find no wordsto express pleasure. So tired and weary! How weneed a rest! 12, night. Sun seems as high as atnoon, but in reality is a little higher, owingto its spiral ascent. The mental elation--thedrying of furs, and (making) photos--Eskimos"
ideas and disappointment of no Pole--thoughtsof home and its cheer. But oh, such monotony ofsky, wind and ice! The dangers of getting back.
(From other observation papers: Temp, rangedfrom -36 by mercury thermometer to -39 byspirit thermometer; clouds Alt. St., 1; windmag. S., 1; ice blink E.; water sky, W.; shadow(of 6 ft. pole) 28 feet.)220Moved camp 4 m. magnetic S. Made 4 observationsfor alt.i.tude; S. at noon, W. at 6, N. at 12M, E.
at 6 A. M. Ice same; more open water; wind 2-3;temp., -41; (from field paper) W. S. W., 1 to2. There are only two big hummocks in sight.
(Made a series of observations for the sun"salt.i.tude, 2 on the 21st at the first camp, 4 onthe 22nd at W. M. camp, and another midnight22-23. Before we left deposited tube.)2320Start for home. 12.30 to noon. Fairly clear--icesmooth, but many new creva.s.ses. Temp., -41.
Course for 100 mer.
241611 P. M. to 9 A. M. These records, being made atthe end of the day"s journey, give the doings ofthe day previous--this note for the 24th is inreality written on the morning of the 25th, whencomfortable in camp. Wind 1-2 W. Temp., -36.
Ice smooth--fields larger; 5 crossings; thepleasure of facing home.
25158-8. Temp., -37; Wind 1-2 W. S. W.; ice same.
The worry of ice breaking up for me, signs ofjoy for the Eskimo.
26149 to 7. Still much worried about return;possibility of ice disruption and open waternear land; wind light; ice shows new cracks,but few have opened; seems to be littlepressure; few hummocks; snow hard andtraveling all that could be desired.
27149.30 to 8. Ice same; wind S. E. 1; good going;crossings not troublesome; dogs in good spirits;Eskimos happy; but all very tired. Temp., -40.
28149.15 to 7.45. Ice same; wind 1 W.; snowmoderately hard; few hummocks and no pressurelines.
2913Midnight to 8.45 A. M. Ice more active; freshcracks; some open cracks but no leads. Wind 1 S.
3015Midnight to 8 A. M. Ped. registered 121 m. fromPole; camp by D. R., 87.59-100; observations88.01, 97.42. Course half point more W.
Temp., -34. Start more westerly.
May11812.30 to 9 A. M. Much color to the sunbursts, 1908.but the air humid; the temperature persistentlynear -40, but considerable range with thedirection of the light winds and mists whenthey come over leads. Much very heavy smoothice--undulating, not hummocky like S.
2122 A. M. to 11 A. M. Fog, clouds and wet air.
Temp., -15. Hard to strike a course.
3131 A. M. to 10 A. M. Thick weather; wind E. 2;ice friction less; occasional light snow fall.
4143 to 11 A. M. Air clear but sky obscured; icevery good, but hummocks appearing on thehorizon.
51111 P. M. to 6 A. M. Strong wind; occasionalbreathing spell behind hummocks; squally withdrifts.
60In camp. Stopped by signs of storm; tried tobuild igloo but wind prevented; in a collapsedtent for 24 hours; eat only half ration ofpemmican.
7108 A. M. to 3 P. M. Wind detestable; ice bad;life a torture; sky persistently obscured; noobservations; pedometer out of order, only timeto gauge our distance.
8122 A. M. to 10. Weather bad; windy, S. W.; somedrift; heavy going.
9131 to 8 A. M. (Weather) thick; wind easier; icein big fields; snow a little harder, snowshoessteady.
101311 P. M. of the 9th to 6 A. M. Heavy going butlittle friction on sled; some drift; see morehummocks.
110May 11. In camp. Strong wind; heavy drift;encircle tent with snow blocks.
121112.30 to 8.30 A. M. Wind still strong; cestrugitroublesome, but temperature moderate; sledloads getting light.
131211 P. M. of 12th, to 7.30 A. M. of 13th. Windeasier, S. S. W.; snow harder; ice very thickand very large fields; fog.
1493 A. M. to 9 A. M. No sky; strong wind compelledto camp early.
15131 A. M. to 10. Fog; ice much creva.s.sed; pa.s.sedover several cracks--some opening.
1614May 16. 11 P. M. of the 15th to 6 A. M. Cl. 10;wind again troublesome; light diffused, makingit difficult to find footing.
17112 A. M. to 10. Thick; ice more and more broken;smaller and more cracked--cracks give muchtrouble.
18111 A. M. to 9.30. Wind more southerly and strong;ice separating; some open water in leads.
191211 P. M. to 7.30. Wind veering east; fogthicker; ice very much broken, but snow surfacegood.
206Midnight to 9 A. M. Open water; active pack;almost impossible.
21811 P. M. to 9. Conditions the same; our returnseems almost hopeless; no observations--cannoteven guess at the drift.
220In camp. Gale N. E.; temp, high; air wet;ice breaking and grinding; worried about theultimate return; food low.
2353 A. M. to 7 A. M. Still squally, but forced ashort march.
241212 noon to 8 A. M. Short clearing at noon; thefirst clear mid-day sky for a long time; weststill in haze. Water sky W. and S. W.; no landin sight--though the boys saw the land laterwhen I was asleep; ice much broken.
84 02"-97 03".
251410 P. M. to 6 A. M. Ice better; no wind; thickfog; snow hard. Temp., -10.
261211 P. M. to 7.45 A. M. Ice in fields of about1 M. somewhat hummocky; crossings hard; no wind.
271111.30 P. M. to 9.30 A. M. Ice same; thick fog.
281312 m. night to 10 A. M. Ice still same; fog;wind 3, shifting E. S. E. and S. W.
291111.30 P. M. to 9.30 A. M. As we came here thewater sky in the southwest to which we hadaimed, gradually working west, led to a wideopen lead, extending from north to south, andalmost before knowing it, in the general planof the ice arrangement, we found ourselves tothe east of this lead. Temp. rose to zero. Icemuch broken; air thick; light vague; impossibleto see irregularities. Food 3/4 rations; andstraight course for Nansen Sound.
301012 to 11 A. M. Ice in heaps; open water; brashthe worst trouble; little fog.
311111.15 P. M. to 9 A. M. Ice little better; snowhard; sleds go easy; much helping required(over pressure lines).
June11210.45 to 8. Ice in large fields; many hummocks; 1908.few heavy fields.
21210 P. M. to 9 A. M. Ice steadily improving.
31110 P. M. to 8 A. M. Ice begins to show action ofsun. Temperature occasionally above freezing.
4109.30 P. M. to 7.30 A. M. Fog; ice offering muchtrouble, but friction little and load light.
5119.45 P. M. to 7 A. M. Hummocks exposed to sunhave icicles.
60In camp. Strong N. W. gale.
70In camp. Gale continues, with much snow; the iceabout breaks up; anxious about map. (Not knowingeither drift or position, were puzzled as toproper course to set.)8141 A. M. to noon. Ice bad, but snow hard, andafter rest progress good; wind still blowingwest.
91011 P. M. to 9 A. M. With thick ice and this kindof traveling it is hard to guess at distances.
10010.30 P. M. to 8. Bad ice; open leads; still nosun.
111410 P. M. to 8 A. M. Large smooth ice; littlesnow; wind S. W., 1; no fog, but sky still oflead.
121510.30 to 5. Small fields but good going;sky black to the east.
131410 to 8 A. M. Fog cleared first time since lastobservation. Land in sight south and east.
Heiberg and Ringnes Land; water sky; small ice;brash and drift eastward. We have been carriedadrift far to the south and west, andexamination of ice eastward proves that allis small ice and open water. Heiberg Islandis impossible to us. What is our fate? Food andfuel is about exhausted, though we still have10 bony dogs. Upon these and our little pemmicanwe can possibly survive for 20 days. In themeantime we must go somewhere. To the southis our only hope.
NOTE.--_June 14_ and thereafter to _September 1_, all notes were briefly jotted down in another diary, a collection of loose leaves in which the observations of the return were made. This diary was left with the instruments at Etah with Mr. Whitney. The data, however, had been rewritten at Cape Sparbo, so that the notes had served their purpose and were of no further value when no pretentious publication was antic.i.p.ated.
Other notes were made on loose sheets of paper or on leaves of the note books. Many of these were destroyed, others were rubbed out to make room for recording what was regarded as more important data, and a few were retained quite by accident.
QUESTIONS THAT ENTER CALCULATIONS FOR POSITION OF THE NORTH POLE.
By FREDERICK A. COOK.
Much abstruse, semi-scientific and academic material has been forced into the polar discussions about proofs by observation. The problem presented is full of interesting points, and to elucidate these I will ask the reader to go back with me to that elusive imaginary spot, the North Pole. Here we find no pole--and absolutely nothing to mark the spot for hundreds of miles. We are in the center of a great moving sea of ice and for 500 miles in every direction it is the same hopeless desert of floating, shifting crystal. I believed then that we had reached the Pole, and it never occurred to me that there would be a cry for absolute proof. Such a demand had never been presented before. The usual data of the personal narrative of the explorers had always been received with good faith. But let us reopen the question and examine the whole problem.