ioo COOK IN THE ANTARCTIC AND IN ALASKA 



the seas of ice. In 1901 he sought the northern waters again as sur- 

 geon of the Peary auxiliary expedition on the "Eric," which took 

 up new supplies and equipment for the indefatigable explorer. 



A second short period of home life followed his return from 

 this expedition, but his restless spirit would not let him remain long 

 in civilized lands. There were new tracks of discovery to follow, 

 new heights to climb, and while his route now did not lie towards 

 the Pole, it tempted him to a field no less icy and little less difficult 

 than that of polar travel, the severe and dangerous work of moun- 

 tain climbing. Mount McKinley, in Alaska, looked upon as the 

 highest peak in America, lured him to its conquest and he set out in 

 1903 to assail its frozen heights. The story of his feat, as told by 

 him, is one full of adventurous interest and forms an important 

 part of the record of Dr. Cook's career. 



If it be asked where Mount McKinley is situated, it can only 

 be answered by some brief consideration of the lofty mountain 

 ranges of Alaska. Mount St. Elias, the summit of which was 

 reached by the Duke of the Abruzzi not many years ago, long held 

 precedence in height among the known mountains of this region. 

 This was due to its nearness to the coast of the Alaskan Gulf and 

 its towering elevation, its summit being visible for many miles at 

 sea. This had given it a reputation as a great mountain landmark 

 from early Russian times. In the range of which it forms part there 

 are five or more peaks of over 16,000 feet in height, one of them 

 surpassing Mount St. Elias. This is Mount Logan, which has an 

 elevation of over 19,000 feet. 



In the country to the west of the St. Elias range lies the Alaska 

 range, extending northeasterly from the neighborhood of Cook In- 

 let on the south to the headwaters of the Tanana River on the north, 

 a length of about two hundred and fifty miles. Far inland in this 

 range rises the gigantic bulk of Mount McKinley, visible from the 

 coast only in weather of unusual clearness. It has long been known 

 under Indian and Russian names signifying "big mountain," the 



