CHAPTER XXV. 

 COOK IN THE ANTARCTIC. 



For what he had of the lore of travel on ice-bound oceans, Dr. Cook owed 

 much to his journey to the antarctic region in 1897. 



On that expedition he figured, as the medical man of a party of Belgian 

 scientists, who sought to traverse and chart some of the dim, unknown lands on 

 the "bottom of the world." As every reader knows, a venture into the far 

 south is as perilous as a journey in the arctic. Indeed, the dangers are in some 

 respect greater. The paths v/here a few men have trod are not so well known 

 down there, and the cold is equally severe. Then, too, the south polar seas 

 are much farther from any of the great centers of civilization. Countries of 

 South America, themselves homes of comparative savagery, lie nearest to the 

 "frozen south," instead of great seaports, with endless quantities of supplies. 

 Woe betide the explorer who, tempest-tossed and with his soul amost frozen 

 within him, seeks shelter on the bleak coast of extreme South America. 



Into this vast and terrifying region, however, Dr. Cook was chosen to go. 

 With a large party of scientists and adventurers he left Antwerp in August, 

 1897. By January 23 of the following year the vessel had reached the Palmer 

 archipelago, nearly at the limit of where men had penetrated. The party was 

 seeking knowledge rather than attempting a pole-finding feat, and they gave 

 much time to the exploration of five hundred miles of new land in the South 

 Pacific. In the meantime winter came upon them, and though during many 

 of the coldest months they succeeded in keeping clear of the drift, by March 

 4, 1898, they were fast in the ice in latitude 71 degrees, 22 minutes, and long- 

 itude 84 degrees, 55 minutes. This meant that they were to the southwest 

 of South America, and about midway between that continent and the pole. 



Dr. Cook has thrillingly described their succeeding experiences. They 

 drifted two thousand miles in a year. Says Dr. Cook : 



"Our acquaintance with the south polar pack ice dates from February 13, 

 1896, and ends with our escape on March 14, 1899. We first encountered 

 it off the eastern border of Graham Land, before crossing the polar circle. Here 



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