EDITORS PREFACE 



Two men have at last set foot at the apex of the world. Dr. 

 Frederick A. Cook and Commander Robert E. Peary, U. S. N., an- 

 nounced on September 1st and September 5th, 1'909, respectively, that 

 they reached the North Pole on April 21st, 1908, and April 6th, 1909, 

 respectively. 



For centuries the bravest explorers and navigators of the greatest 

 European countries have made attempts to capture this prize. It re- 

 mained, however, for two American explorers to make the discovery. 

 Dr. Cook and Commander Peary were at one time fellow explorers 

 belonging to the same expedition. Afterwards they became the keenest 

 of rivals. In commercial parlance it is said that ''competition is the life 

 of trade." It may now well be said that competition is the life of 

 exploration. 



Dr. Cook's announcement thrilled the civilized world as no piece 

 of news has in modern times. Commander Peary's announcement, 

 almost a week later, in which he questioned Dr. Cook's claims, made the 

 startling news extremely sensational. The controversy that arose be- 

 tween the rival explorers filled the columns of every newspaper, weekly 

 print and monthly magazine in every language and country throughout 

 the world. There seems to have been a race, without . parallel in the 

 history of the world, between the two explorers, to satisfy the goal of 

 their ambition. After each had reached the Pole there was another 

 race through unexplored and uninhabited regions for weeks and months 

 to reach the civilized world with the news of the discovery. The chap- 

 ters of this book will relate how Dr. Cook spent the long sunless months 

 of privation and intense suffering travelling over thousands of miles 

 of ice. These pages will relate the same as regards the expedition of 

 Commander Peary. 



The critics of Europe and America were quick to point out that Dr. 

 Cook took no white man from his expedition with him to the Pole, but 



