EDITORIAL. 845 
have been the chief article of food, and the alcohol, which was 
to have served as fuel, Mr. Peary was obliged to face the pros- 
pective loss of both. With this unpleasant outlook, the winter 
was passed. 
Instead of giving up the proposed journey across the ice-cap, 
Mr. Peary made such provision for the trip as was possible, and 
on the first of April, accompanied by Lee and Henson, started 
for Independence Bay. As had been expected, the important 
caches were not found. In spite of this, the crossing of the ice- 
cap was successfully accomplished, the distal edge being reached 
on the 13th of May. The rest of the month was spent on the 
land about the bay. From lack of provisions a longer stay was 
impracticable, and the return journey across the ice was begun 
on the Ist of June and ended on the 25th. 
The enterprise and courage with which Mr. Peary conceived 
and attempted to execute his plans would seem to have entitled 
him to more consideration at the hands of the powers that be. 
On two successive years his well matured plans have been 
thwarted by circumstances over which he had no control, and 
upon which he could in no way count. 
While adverse circumstances have made it impossible for 
him to carry out in full his plans with reference to the north 
coast of Greenland, he has nevertheless accomplished much dur- 
ing his Arctic residence. He has twice (in 1892 and 1895) 
crossed the ice-cap from Inglefield Gulf to Independence Bay, 
and has gathered information concerning the inland ice, and the 
ice-free territory beyond, which possesses unique value. Fur- 
ther, he has mapped a considerable stretch of the coast west of 
Greenland, in the vicinity of his headquarters. The full value of 
this work will first appear when the map is published, but a few 
general statements will indicate something of its scope. It 
covers the coast from Cape Alexander (lat. 78° 10’) on the 
north, to Cape York (lat. 75° 55’) on the south. Within this 
latitude, the range in longitude is nearly 8°. The coast is very 
irregular, as may be inferred from the fact that its actual length, 
including the islands near the mainland, is about 1000 miles. A 
comparison of Mr. Peary’s MS. map with the earlier charts of the 
