mTRODUCTION 



actuated by this single report. Hichardson, McClure, 

 Marcus Baker, Capt. John Keenan, and Dr. R. A. Harris 

 have all given reasons for the existence of such a land. 

 This belief has persisted for nearly ninety years. The 

 accumulated evidence of years substantiated Peary's 



belief. 



My friends realized that this was the last great geo- 

 graphical problem of the North, and they generously 

 offered to contribute the necessary funds for the carry- 

 ing out of my plans in 1911. In the spring of that 

 year I received a letter from George Borup, assistant 

 curator of geology in the American Museum of Natural 

 History, stating that if I would consent to postpone 

 my departure for one year, we, as joint leaders, would 

 receive the help and patronage of that institution. 



Here were two inducements — one the honor of work- 

 ing under the auspices of the American Museum, and 

 the other the help and companionship of George Borup, 

 my roommate on the S. S. Roosevelt 



I consider myself fortunate in having know^n and 

 worked with Borup. Such men are not common. 

 When an assistant to Peary in 1908, he was only twenty- 

 three years old, yet he was one of the strongest and grit- 

 tiest in the party. As an illustration of the latter 

 quality, I may cite an incident in the day's work in the 

 early spring of 1909. 



On that memorable date Borup was sent back to land 

 for oil. Tides, currents, and winds so acted upon the 

 ice as to cut off all communication with the advance 

 party. His Eskimos, fearing for their lives, did not 

 dare to proceed northward with the much-needed fuel. 

 During this interval George wrote me a note which I 

 found weeks later in the crack of an old snow igloo 



