PEARY'S FARTHEST NORTH OF 1905-6 159 



It is not necessary to describe this vessel here; that has been done 

 in a former chapter, for the "Roosevelt" was the good ship that 

 carried Peary to triumph in 1909, as already told. We have here to 

 narrate the events of its pioneer voyage, that of 1905-06. 



Leaving New York on the i6th of July, 1905, completely 

 equipped in every particular for a long siege in the sea of ice, the 

 "Roosevelt" headed north with the Stars and Stripes floating at her 

 peak and made her way to Sydney, N. B., where every inch of 

 emptiness in her hold was filled with coal. Reaching the Greenland 

 in due time a new work was begun, that of taking on Eskimos and 

 their dogs. Etah reached, the coal that had been used was replen- 

 ished from the "Eric," an auxiliary ship, and on August I7th the 

 "Roosevelt" put out into the icy waters of Smith Sound, having on 

 board half a hundred Eskimos men, women and children and all 

 their earthly goods and over two hundred Eskimo dogs. 



On this occasion there was no intention to seek a wintering 

 place at Payer Harbor, as before, but to push upward to the most 

 northerly point possible to reach. It was proposed to make this 

 harbor a sub-base, and put there a large supply of food-stuffs, but 

 it was so packed with ice that no ship could enter, and the proposed 

 depot of supplies was made farther north. The fight with the ice 

 that took place in their further voyage is too much like that to be 

 found described in Arctic navigation in general to need telling here. 

 It must suffice to say that the sturdy ship fought her way mile by 

 mile northward, now finding open water for a hasty dash, now 

 environed with ice until escape seemed impossible. Through Ken- 

 nedy Channel, Kane Sea and Robeson Channel the gallant contest 

 continued, until the end of the latter channel was nearly reached 

 and the Polar Sea approached. Here a terrible crush tried the 

 strength of the "Roosevelt" to the utmost and seriously injured her 

 rudder and steering apparatus, but she was pushed onward still to 

 the mouth of Robeson Channel and into the waters of Lincoln Sea, 

 farther north than any ship had ever been in that quarter of the 



