FOREWORD xxxi 



four years, 1898-1902, Peary failed to get nearer than 

 343 miles to the Pole. Each successive year dense 

 packs of ice blocked the passage to the polar ocean, 

 compelling him to make his base approximately 700 

 miles from the Pole, or 200 miles south of the head- 

 quarters of Nares, too great a distance from the Pole 

 to be overcome in one short season. During this 

 trying period, by sledging feats which in distance and 

 physical obstacles overcome exceeded the extraordinary 

 records made in Greenland, he explored and mapped 

 hundreds of miles of coast line of Greenland and of the 

 islands west and north of Greenland. 



On the next attempt, Peary insured reaching the 

 polar ocean by designing and constructing the Roose- 

 velt, whose resistless frame crushed its way to the 

 desired haven on the shores of the polar sea. From 

 here he made that wonderful march of 1906 to 87° 6', 

 a new world's record. Winds of unusual fury, by open- 

 ing big leads, robbed him of the Pole and nearly of 

 his life. 



The story of the last Peary expedition, which 

 resulted in the discovery of the Pole and of the deep 

 ocean surrounding it, is told in the present volume by 

 Commander Peary. The 396 miles from Greely's 

 farthest had been vanquished as follows: 1900, 30 

 miles; 1902, 23 miles; 1906, 169 miles; 1909, 174 miles. 



No better proof of the minute care with which 

 every campaign was prearranged can be given than 

 the fact that, though Peary has taken hundreds of 

 men north with him on his various expeditions, he 

 has brought them all back, and in good health, with 

 the exception of two, who lost their lives in accidents 



