20 THENORTHPOLE 



First and most valuable of all was Bartlett, master 

 of the Roosevelt, whose ability had been proved on the 

 expedition of 1905-6. Robert A. Bartlett, "Captain 

 Bob," as we affectionately call him, comes from a 

 family of hardy Newfoundland navigators, long asso- 

 ciated with arctic work. He was thirty-three when 

 we last sailed north. Blue-eyed, brown-haired, stocky, 

 and steel-muscled Bartlett, whether at the wheel of 

 the Roosevelt hammering a passage through the floes, 

 or tramping and stumbling over the ice pack, with 

 the sledges, or smoothing away the troubles of the 

 crew, was always the same — tireless, faithful, enthusi- 

 astic, true as the compass. 



Matthew A. Henson, my negro assistant, has been 

 with me in one capacity or another since my second 

 trip to Nicaragua, in 1887. I have taken him with me 

 on each and all of my northern expeditions, except 

 the first, in 18$6, and almost without exception on 

 each of my "farthest" sledge trips. This position I 

 have given him, primarily because of his adaptability 

 and fitness for the work; secondly on account of his 

 loyalty. He has shared all the physical hardships of 

 my arctic work. He is now about forty years old, 

 and can handle a sledge better, and is probably a better 

 dog-driver, than any other man living, except some of 

 the best of the Eskimo hunters themselves. 



Ross G. Marvin, my secretary and assistant, who 

 lost his life on the expedition; George A. Wardwell, 

 chief engineer; Percy, the steward; and Murphy, the 

 boatswain, had all been with me before. Dr. Wolf, 

 who was the surgeon of the expedition of 1905-6, had 

 made professional arrangements which prevented him 



