COOK IN THE ANTARCTIC AND IN ALASKA 97 



ment contributed $50,000. A captive balloon, intended to facilitate 

 observations and surveys, was part of the equipment, and carrier 

 pigeons were taken, one of these bringing back word from the "Bel- 

 gica" in January, 1898. 



In addition to the captain and crew, the "Belgica" bore a scien- 

 tific corps, consisting of George Lecointe, of Belgium, astronomer 

 and magnetician; Emile Danco, of Belgium, magnetician; Emile 

 Racovitza, of Rumania, zoologist and botanist; Henryk Arctowski, 

 of Russia, geologist; Autek Dobrovolski, of Russia, laboratory 

 assistant, and Frederick A. Cook, of the United States, surgeon, 

 anthropologist and photographer. The connection of the latter with 

 the expedition came about in the following manner, as stated by 

 himself: 



"Two days before the 'Belgica' left Europe I received this cable : 

 'Could you join us at Montevideo?' Signed 'Gerlache.' To this I 

 answered 'Yes.' It was followed by : 'Meet us at Rio, end of Sep- 

 tember.' 



"I had only a few days to prepare myself and my outfit, but I 

 was determined to go, and so it came about that in September I 

 found myself on the way to meet my companions on the unfriendly 

 bosom of the Atlantic, seasick and miserable from rough weather 

 and tropic heat." 



It was his record as surgeon on Peary's vessel that gained him 

 this opportunity to join an Antarctic expedition. It had its defects, 

 for the language of the scientific corps was French, of which he 

 spoke not a word, and which he never succeeded in mastering. But 

 time brought him into companionship with them, and especially with 

 Raold Amundsen, mate of the "Belgica," and destined to win fame 

 later by his conquest of the Northwest Passage. 



Dr. Cook joined the expedition at Rio de Janeiro in October, 

 1897, gratified to become a member of the first Antarctic expedition 

 fitted out with modern appliances and with a vessel built expressly 

 for the work before it, and the first of any kind which had been sent 



7 



