330 HOW LATITUDE IS RECKONED 



pole as with the aid of Henry M. Stanley, he had just conquered Africa. Mr. 

 Bennett was then under 40. Lieutenant Commander George W. DeLong, 

 whom he chose, and whom the government commissioned, to command the 

 Jeannette, was younger still; Commander DeLong had a sound theory, that 

 of taking advantage of the polar drift, Mr. Bennett had money, both men had 

 the enthusiasm of youth. Mr. Bennett devoted some $60,000 to the enter- 

 prise. Could the Jeannette have survived the terrible ice pressure off the New 

 Siberian islands — it will be remembered that she made her attack from the 

 Pacific side — one sees no reason why it should not have succeeded. 



Previous to this modified co-operation with Mr. Bennett the United States 

 government had shown no urgent interest in Arctic exploration, though, to 

 be sure, it provided Capt. Hall with the Polaris for his third trip. But in 1881 

 the project of establishing international observation stations appealed to "prac- 

 tical" minds at Washington, and the attainment of the highest north- by mem- 

 bers of Commander Greely's party, in the following year, may have emplanted 

 in the official bosom a feeling of willingness that this nation should continue 

 to hold the record. Commander Peary has found no great difficulty in secur- 

 ing leaves of absence. For so much we have to be grateful. Meanwhile, in 

 the last fifteen years, the Norwegian government has assisted with "real 

 money" Nansen, gainer in his turn of the highest north, whose expedition in 

 theFram cost $120,000; the Italian government has speeded to a later highest 

 north the D'Abruzzi expedition, which cost nearly $200,000; Canada, aided 

 by England, has promoted Capt. Bernier's venture ; Sweden sent out Nathorst 

 in 1899; Denmark gave official godspeed to Amdrup in the same year; and 

 Russia authorized Admiral Makaroff to expend on his ice-crushing ship, the 

 Ermack, all the money that he needed. 



William Ziegler of Brooklyn in 1901-2 financed the expedition led by 

 Evelyn Briggs Baldwin and, when it failed, sent out in 1903 another expedi- 

 tion led by Anthony Fiala. Mr. Ziegler was a hearty whole-souled, loud- 

 voiced, sweet-tempered man who had made a fortune in baking powder. Like 

 every other successful business men, he knew that it is needful to spend money 

 in order to "get returns," and he appropriated $1,000,000 to take the pole 

 by storm. To list the supplies that were carried on the three ships of the ex- 

 pedition would remind the reader of a delicatessen store. 



But events move swiftly sometimes, and these expeditions seem already 

 ancient. Let us come to the present. As to Dr. Cook's sponsor, John R. 

 Bradley, a current story pictures "the best outfit ever carried by an expedition," 



