U HOW COQK STARTED 



to Annatok by early June. On his nonappearance at that time Francke started 

 southward, endured terrible privations in his struggles over the ice, was 

 picked up at Etah on August ly by Peary's auxiliary steamer Erik, and was 

 brought to St. John's, Newfoundland, whence the news of the possible loss of 

 Dr. Cook was sent out by telegraph. Francke returned to his home in 

 Hoboken. 



Francke's story throws vivid light on hardships endured by Dr. Cook. 

 .He started south, accompanied by two Eskimo youths with a sledge and 

 canvas boat, and hoped to connect with the whalers at North Star Bay in 

 Greenland, six hundred miles from where he was. On the way he met some 

 Eskimos, to whom he turned over his dog team, as the ice was broken and 

 loose and he had to travel by boat in the open water. Weather was most un- 

 favorable, rain, fog, hail, and gales prevailing, and as the matches they carried 

 became damp he and the Eskimo boys had to eat raw meat and sleep huddled 

 together under the overturned boat at night, as they had no fire. Francke 

 became afflicted with rheumatism and scurvy and could scarcely hobble over 

 the floe. 



After reaching North Star Bay he rested and doctored himself, and then 

 started back for Etah, making the journey in a little over a month. Both 

 ways the party existed on the meat of seals, which the Eskimos killed, and 

 one polar bear which met the same fate. While he was absent from Etah 

 the Eskimos broke into his house and stole all his supplies. On getting back 

 he was so ill that he could walk only with two sticks, and until he joined the 

 Erik, had to exist on walrus meat, which the Eskimos gave to their dogs, 

 as they refused him the better provender which they possessed. 



But Dr. Cook's message to Francke of March 17 stated that he had 

 made good progress in crossing Ellesmereland and was then at Cape Hubbard, 

 on the northwest side of Ellesmereland, sixty miles below Cape Columbia, 

 Peary's point of departure from land on his journey toward the pole in 1906, 

 He allowed three full months for his dash over the Polar sea and return, 

 which is the maximum time usually taken for excursions by sledges. 



Three months ! Even Dr. Cook, experienced explorer that he was, hardly 

 counted on the torturing delays, the terrible weariness, and other drawbacks 

 of getting back to civilization once he had pushed beyond its borders. 



It was a year and four months, and more, before Dr. Cook reached a 

 point where the electric spark of the telegraph placed him in touch with home 

 and country. 



