COOK'S RETURN 275 



men who were strong and able to penetrate the farthest north and to bring back 

 to you the story of what they have seen ; all honor to them both. And, my dear 

 friends, I now have the honor to introduce to you the man who first discovered 

 the north pole." 



Dr. Cook in his address said : 



"This is one of the highest honors I ever hope to receive. You represent 

 most of the frigid explorers of Europe and nearly all of the Arctic explorers in 

 America. Your welcome is the explorer's guarantee to the world — coming as 

 it does from fellow workers, from men who know and have gone through the 

 same experience — it is an appreciation and a victory the highest which could 

 fall to the lot of any returning traveler. 



'The key to frigid endeavor is subsistence. There is nothing in the entire 

 realm of the Arctic which is impossible to man. If the animal fires are supplied 

 with adequate fuel there is no cold too severe and no obstacle too great to sur- 

 mount. No important expedition has ever returned because of unscalable 

 barriers or impossible weather. The exhausted food supply resulting from a 

 limited means of transportation has turned every aspirant from his goal. In 

 the ages of the polar quest much has been tried and much has been learned. 

 The most important lesson is that civilized man, if he will succeed, must bend 

 to the savage simplicity necessary. 



"The problem belongs to modern man, but for its execution we must begin 

 with the food and the means of transportation of the wild man. Even this must 

 be reduced and simplified to fit the new environment. With due respect to the 

 complimentary eloquence of the chairman and others, candor compels me to 

 say that the effort of getting to the pole is not one of physical endurance, nor is 

 it fair to call it bravery ; but a proper understanding of the needs of the stomach 

 and a knowledge of the limits of the brute force of the motive power, be that 

 man or beast. 



"Our conquest was only possible with the accumulated lessons of early ages 

 of experience. The failures of our less successful predecessors were stepping 

 stones to ultimate success. The real pathfinders of the pole were the early 

 Danish, the Dutch, the English and the Norse, Italian and American explorers. 

 With these worthy forerunners we must therefore share the good fruits which 

 your chairman has put into my basket. 



"A similar obligation is due to the wild man. The twin families of wild 

 folk, the Eskimo and the Indian, were important factors to us. 



"The use of pemm.ican and the snowshoe, which makes the .penetration of 



