296 THENORTHPOLE 



student at Bowdoin College, the "World's Ensign of 

 Liberty and Peace," with its red, white, and blue 

 in a field of white, the Navy League flag, and the 

 Red Cross flag. 



After I had planted the American flag in the ice, 

 I told Henson to time the Eskimos for three rousing 

 cheers, which they gave with the greatest enthusiasm. 

 Thereupon, I shook hands with each member of the 

 party — surely a sufficiently unceremonious affair to 

 meet with the approval of the most democratic. The 

 Eskimos were childishly delighted with our success. 

 While, of course, they did not realize its importance 

 fully, or its world-wide significance, they did understand 

 that it meant the final achievement of a task upon 

 which they had seen me engaged for many years. 



Then, in a space between the ice blocks of a pres- 

 sure ridge, I deposited a glass bottle containing a 

 diagonal strip of my flag and records of which the 

 following is a copy: 



90 N. Lat., North Pole, 

 April 6, 1909. 



Arrived here to-day, 27 marches from C. Columbia. 



I have with me 5 men, Matthew Henson, colored, 

 Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ookeah, Eskimos; 

 5 sledges and 38 dogs. My ship, the S. S. Roosevelt, 

 is in winter quarters at C. Sheridan, 90 miles east of 

 Columbia. 



The expedition under my command which has 

 succeeded in reaching the Pole is under the auspices 

 of the Peary Arctic Club of New York City, and has 

 been fitted out and sent north by the members and 



