6 THE NORTH POLE 



party. It seems unnecessary to enlarge upon the fact 

 that the men whose heritage is life and work in that 

 very region must present the best obtainable material 

 for the personnel of a serious Arctic party. This is 

 my program. The object of the work is the clear- 

 ing up, or at least the fixing in their general propor- 

 tions, of the remaining large problems in the American 

 segment of the polar regions and the securing for the 

 United States of that great world trophy which has 

 been the object of effort and emulation among practi- 

 cally all the civilized nations of the world for the last 

 three centuries." 



The details of this plan have been here set forth 

 so explicitly because the faithfulness with which 

 they were carried out constitutes a record which is 

 perhaps unique in the annals of Arctic exploration. 

 Compare this scheme, if you please, with the manner 

 of its execution. As had been planned, the expedi- 

 tion sailed from New York early in July, 1908, July 6, 

 to be exact. It sailed from Sydney July 17, from Etah 

 August 18, and arrived at Cape Sheridan, the winter 

 quarters of the Roosevelt, on September 5, within a 

 quarter of an hour of the same time it had arrived at 

 the same spot three years before. The winter was 

 occupied in hunting, in various side journeys, in 

 making our sledging equipment, and in moving sup- 

 plies from the Roosevelt along the northern shore of 

 Grant Land to Cape Columbia, which was to be our 

 point of departure from the land on our drive for the 

 Pole itself. 



The sledge divisions left the Roosevelt from February 

 15 to 22, 1909, rendezvoused at Cape Columbia, and 



