PEARY'S SUCCESSFUL VOYAGE 101 



The letter was written by Capt. Bartlett on his arrival at St. John's, N. F., 

 after carrying supplies to the Peary expedition in the steamer Erik. Capt. 

 Bartlett said the weather conditions at Etah were anything but pleasant. It 

 had been an unusually wet and foggy summer and Peary's departure north 

 in the Roosevelt was delayed twenty-four hours because of dense fog and 

 high winds. 



It had been planned to start on August 17, but it was the i8th before the 

 steamer got away. The fog was still dense, but Capt. Bartlett said he was 

 sure the Roosevelt had a good trip up Smith Sound, as the prevaiHng winds 

 were south, which would pack the ice over on the Greenland side. Nothing 

 was seen of the Roosevelt after it left Etah harbor. 



Commander Peary's own story of his preparations for his dash toward 

 the North Pole, dated Etah, Greenland, September 20, 1908, follows : 



"Here we are at Etah, the Roosevelt stripped and sponged for the second 

 round. As when the Roosevelt headed away across the gulf of Maine from 

 Pollock Reef lightship, so now, on heading due north from Sydney harbor, 

 the weather was of the finest. 



"Here the little tug which had accompanied us thus far swung off and 

 turned back, carrying Mrs. Peary and the children, and Borup's father with 

 two or three friends. 



"Throughout the night we steamed steadily northward across Cabot Strait 

 with Polaris shining directly over the fore topmast. This in striking contrast 

 to three years ago, when we crossed the straits in dense fog to the accompani- 

 ment of a long swell which kept the main deck constantly awash. In the 

 forenoon we passed Cape Ray, and in the afternoon the magnificent headland 

 Cape St. George. 



"Early the day following we entered the harbor of Cape St. Charles and 

 dropped anchor in front of the whaling station just as the costal steamer Pros- 

 pero passed out with numbers of tourists on board. 



"Two whales captured the day before offered opportunity for securing 

 some whale meat without delay, and I immediately engaged one, which was at 

 once hauled out on ^he slide, while Bartlett, with Marvin, McMillan, and 

 Borup, took one of the whaleboats and pulled across to Battle harbor, some 

 five miles distant, to learn what was the outlook for whale meat at Hawke's 

 harbor by wireless. 



"About noon Bartlett and the boys returned with news of abundance of 

 whale meat at Hawke's harbor, the supply engaged here amounting to about 



