334 THENORTHPOLE 



looked my last upon these strange and faithful people 

 who had meant so much to me. 



We cleared from Cape York on August 26, and on 

 September 5 we steamed into Indian Harbor. Here 

 the first despatch that went over the wires was to 

 Mrs. Peary: "Have made good at last. I have the 

 Pole. Am well. Love/' followed in rapid succession 

 by one from Bartlett to his mother; and, among others, 

 one to H. L. Bridgman, secretary of the Peary Arctic 

 Club: "Sun," a cipher meaning, "Pole reached. 

 Roosevelt safe." 



Three days later the Roosevelt reached Battle Har- 

 bor. On September 13 the ocean-going tug Douglas 

 H. Thomas arrived from Sydney, C. B., a distance of 

 four hundred and seventy-five miles, bringing Regan 

 and Jefferds, representatives of the Associated Press, 

 whom I greeted by saying, "This is a new record in 

 newspaper enterprise, and I appreciate the compli- 

 ment. " Three days later the Canadian Government 

 cable steamer, Tyrian, in command of Captain Dick- 

 son, arrived, bringing twenty -three special correspond- 

 ents who had been hurried north as soon as our 

 first despatches had reached New York, and on the 

 21st of September, as the Roosevelt was approaching 

 the little town of Sydney, Cape Breton,' we saw a 

 beautiful sea-going yacht approaching us. It was 

 the Sheelah, whose owner, Mr. James Ross, was 

 bringing Mrs. Peary and our children up to meet me. 

 Further down the bay we met a whole flotilla of boats, 

 gay with bunting and musical with greetings. As 

 we neared the city, the entire water-front was alive 

 with people. The little town to which I had re- 



