204 THE NORTH POLE 



bia, re-load, and overtake the main party, which would 

 leave the land one day after himself and Bartlett. 



By this arrangement, if there were no delays, the 

 main party would begin its third march at the same time 

 when Borup started back; the evening of the third day 

 would find the main party at Borup's cache, and Borup 

 at Cape Columbia; the next morning, when the main 

 party began its fourth march, Borup would be 

 leaving Cape Columbia three marches behind, which 

 difference, with a well-traveled trail to follow, he could 

 probably eliminate in three marches. 



It chanced that this sending back of Borup for 

 additional loads to overtake the main party, with 

 the later complications which grew out of it, through 

 the opening of leads between him and the main party, 

 was a link in the chain of delays which might have 

 caused serious trouble, as will be hereafter explained. 



In order that the reader may understand this 

 journey over the ice of the polar sea, it is necessary 

 that the theory and practise of both pioneer and sup- 

 porting parties should be fully understood. Without 

 this system, as has been amply demonstrated by the 

 experience of previous expeditions, it would be a physi- 

 cal impossibility for any man to reach the North Pole, 

 and return. The use of relay parties in arctic work is, 

 of course, not new, though the idea was carried further 

 in the last expedition of the Peary Arctic Club than ever 

 before; but the pioneer party is original with my expedi- 

 tions and for that reason it is perhaps worth while to 

 describe it in detail. 



The pioneer party was one unit division, made up of 

 four of the most active and experienced men of the 



