i 9 2 RECEPTIONS OF COOK AND PEARY 



and her children and Colonel Borup, father of one of Peary's 

 companions, had gone forth as the guests of John Ross on his 

 steam yacht Sheelah. That meeting of husband and wife who 

 had been "married twenty-three years but lived only three" was 

 touching in the highest degree. This was the real welcome 

 toward which the conqueror of the Pole had looked. Then the 

 Roosevelt resumed its way toward the waiting throngs at Syd- 

 ney, preceded by the Sheelah to signal that the Arctic heroes 

 would soon be there. 



When the Roosevelt touched the wharf Mayor Richardson 

 leaped aboard to extend the welcome of the city. Soon after- 

 ward Mrs. Peary and her daughter were helped over the gang- 

 plank, Commander Peary and the Mayor following. A bevy of 

 girls surrounded the explorer and presented a massive emblem, 

 a mound of white flowers surmounted by the American flag, 

 emblematic of the conquered Pole. 



Commander Peary, the Mayor and the United States Consul 

 forced their way through the throng to a richly decorated car- 

 riage which had been held in waiting, running the gauntlet as 

 they did so of a battery of snapping cameras. As the carriage 

 started for the drive to the Sydney Hotel the vehicle and its oc- 

 cupants were pelted with a storm of flowers, while cheer after 

 cheer broke from the surrounding multitude. The carriage made 

 its slow way to a point in front of the hotel veranda, where it 

 came to a halt, and Mayor Richardson delivered to Peary a short 

 address of welcome. 



As the explorer rose to reply another burst of cheers came 

 from the throng and continued for several minutes. But at last 

 the tumult sunk so that the voice of the speaker could be heard. 

 The Commander said that he was no stranger to Sydney; that all 

 of his expeditions to the Pole had started there and ended there. 



"And now, thank God," said the explorer fervently, "I have 

 brought back the Pole." 



