EUROPE GIVES HONOR TO DR. COOK 169 



icans and thousands of Danes took part. As a preliminary to the 

 reception by the people, Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the 

 American Minister, Maurice Egan, the Danish Minister of Com- 

 merce and various committees boarded the "Hans Egede" before 

 docking and welcomed the explorer in the name of the nation and 

 the city. 



A weather-beaten figure, clad in rusty black canvas clothes and 

 shod with moccasins, greeted them, and it was a little difficult for a 

 moment to reconcile the keen-eyed, shaggy-haired man before them 

 with the scientist whose skill and indomitable courage had led him, 

 as they believed, to the top of the world. 



A naval launch brought the explorer ashore, accompanied by 

 Crown Prince Christian, Commander Hovgaard, of the king's 

 yacht, and Captain Johan Hansen, Minister of Commerce. They 

 landed with their guest at the water steps in front of the Meteor- 

 ological Institute. On ascending the steps Dr. Cook was literally 

 mobbed by the enthusiastic crowd, and if it had not been for the 

 sturdy phalanx of Americans who constituted his bodyguard he 

 would have had the clothes torn from his back. Speaking from the 

 balcony of the Meteorological Office, where he was conveyed for 

 safety's sake, Dr. Cook said: 



"I have had a hard time coming here. I cannot say how ^lad 

 I am at the opportunity of landing in Denmark. I thank you." 



He was then taken in a motor car to the American Legation, 

 where he reported himself to Minister Egan. On his way to the 

 Hotel Phoenix, Dr. Cook received a magnificent ovation from an 

 enormous multitude which blocked his progress. He could scarcely 

 reach the hotel and remarked jokingly: "All obstacles encountered 

 on the way to the Pole were scarcely as formidable as these of 

 admirers." 



At the hotel he received cables from his wife in Maine and 

 messages of congratulation from Belgian, French, Scottish and 

 German geographical associations. A few hours made a vast dif- 



