RECEPTIONS OF COOK AND PEARY 185 



With the waves high and a choppy sea, the problem of landing 

 the scribes was a really dangerous one. Captain Dickson got 

 away first in his gig, rowed by a quartet of husky sailormen. As 

 soon as he was clear of the ship the order was given to lower the 

 port surfboat, and immediately followed a wild scramble by pho- 

 tographers and correspondents for the honor of being in the first 

 boatload. When the boat found the water a dozen men were 

 clinging to the seats and more piled in when it was brought to 

 the companion ladders. With the boatswain, William Goodwin, 

 steering, the four oars struck the water and the tiny craft was 

 headed for the entrance of the harbor. After half an hour's pull, 

 the heavily loaded boat reached the lee of the ledge of rocks which 

 forms a natural breakwater to the tiny harbor of Battle Harbor. 

 During that half hour one photographer's hat went by the board 

 and another, that of a correspondent, would have followed had 

 it not been attached to him with half a fathom of cable. 



All were thoroughly glad and as thoroughly wet when they 

 rounded the entrance and beheld the Roosevelt lying at anchor. 

 Beside her was the tug D. H. Thomas and the Associated Press 

 scribes. There were lusty cheers, and an instant later sixteen 

 able-bodied newspaper workers were scrambling over the Roose- 

 velt's sides and the attack on the vessel was begun. 



If there was any one on the Roosevelt who was not quizzed 

 until he wished himself back safely at the Pole, it was not the 

 fault of the scribes and camera men. The wireless operator, Gor- 

 don Spracklin, was rounded out of his beehive and half a dozen 

 cameras fired in unison. 



Then came the inquisition of the commander. This was in 

 two instalments, and when the smoke cleared away late in the 

 afternoon the party of "visiting press men," as the captain called 

 them, was taken back to the Tyrian in a sea less turbulent than 

 that which had greeted them on their arrival. After lying at 

 anchor all night to avoid the dangers of navigating the unlighted 



