Incident in the Ziegler Polar Expedition, 1903-5 

 Mr. Anthony Fiala with His Dog Teams Lat. 82 N. 



Far beyond the Aleutian Islands, which stretch a grim barrier between the North 

 Pacific and Bering Sea, almost to the bleak coast of Siberia, there lies that part of 

 Alaska not familiar to the average tourist. The Alaska of primeval forests, of great, 

 almost unknown rivers, of vast areas of snow and ice that reach to the desolate shore 

 of the Arctic the Alaska of the Dogs; and here in the "Land that God forgot," the 

 dog holds a unique place as an indispensable factor in the settlement of the country. 



He discovered the North Pole with Peary; he discovered the South Pole and the 

 Northwest Passage, too, with Amundsen; and he played a pathetic yet heroic part in 

 the brave, if futile, efforts of Captain Scott to reach his goal; just as he has ever 

 played well his role of support to those who have sought to penetrate the trackless 

 wastes at the ends of the earth. 



Late in October, usually under leaden skies, nearly the entire population of Nome 

 stands upon a dreary beach watching the last boat of the open season, the "Victoria," 

 steam slowly out through a sea already heavy with young ice, and disappear in the misty 

 grayness of the horizon. The parting salute of the ship's siren has been answered by 

 all of the town whistles; and then as if to add the fitting climax to the gloom of the 

 occasion, it seems that every dog within hearing raises his voice to join in a mournful 

 farewell chorus a blood-curdling wail that is characteristic of these Northern dogs 

 with their strong wolf strain. 



But the people look with kindly eyes upon them, and even listen with kindly ears 

 for they know that every letter, paper, and magazine from now till the middle of June, 

 will be brought in over fifteen hundred miles of ice and snow and frozen sea, by the 

 United States Government Dog Team Mail; and that, except for the wireless system, 

 all of the news from the great world "outside," from family and friends, depends upon 



A Typical Scene in the Arctic Regions 



1128] 



