434 The National Geographic Magazine 



In this connection it is well to note 

 also a popular misconception, namely, 

 that the attainment of the South Pole 

 is more difficult than the attainment of 

 the North Pole. This is not so. In 

 spite of the close approximation to the 

 North Pole by recent expeditions, the 

 actual attainment of the North Pole is 

 a very different proposition from the at- 

 tainment of the South Pole and much 

 more difficult. The conditions are al- 

 most diametrically opposite. In the 

 case of the North Pole it is a polar sea 

 which must be traversed and conquered. 

 In the case of the South Pole it is a 

 polar land which must be traversed and 

 conquered. In the light of recent ex- 

 plorations, the region about the South 

 Pole offers facilities for the realization 

 of the favorite popular ideas of attain- 

 ing the Pole, namely, the colonization 

 method, the method of relay stations 

 short distances apart connected by wire, 

 etc., etc. Plans of colonization, of re- 

 lay stations, of telegraph connections, 

 etc. , etc. , fall to the ground in the North 

 Polar region because of the impossibil- 

 ity of effecting anything of this kind 

 upon the moving ice pack of the central 

 polar sea. 



The attainment of the South Pole, 

 granted sufficient funds, is onlj' a mat- 

 ter of time and patience. The work 

 can be carried on in any season of the 

 year, and each mile of advance can be 

 permanently secured. 



The attainment of the North Pole 

 means the, ability to so refine and per- 

 fect one's equipment, supplies, and 

 party as to be able to cover a distance 

 of 500 miles each way without caches 

 and without support from the country, 

 and to cover this distance in a time limit 

 of three or at most three and one-half 

 months. 



FUNDS FOR THE EXPEDITION 



A partially erroneous statement has 

 been generally disseminated which I am 

 glad of the opportunity to correct here. 



It is to the effect that the Peary Arctic 

 Club will furnish the funds necessary to 

 send out the proposed expedition. This 

 is true only to a certain degree. 



The Peary Arctic Club, an unincorpo- 

 rated association of my personal friends, 

 with Morris K. Jesup, of New York 

 city, at its head, furnished the funds for 

 the financing of my last four years of 

 Arctic work. After my return last fall 

 there was a general feeling of disinclina- 

 tion to drop the work uncompleted, 

 when success had been so nearly won. 

 This feeling took form in the proposi- 

 tion of the majority of the club to con- 

 tribute in varying sums toward the out- 

 fitting of another expedition. Unfor- 

 tunately, however, the total amount 

 which these members of the club felt 

 they could contribute, even with the 

 accession of some new members, was not 

 sufficient to properly fit out an expedi- 

 tion. Had it been sufficient I should 

 have gone north last summer, and 

 should now be settled down in winter 

 quarters somewhere on the Grinnell 

 Land coast. 



The same status holds today. The 

 total amount which the continuing mem- 

 bers of the Peary Arctic Club feel that 

 they can contribute to another expedi- 

 tion is insufficient to properly outfit the 

 expedition. Additional members, either 

 individuals or associations, are necessary 

 to complete the total amount. 



And it is to be said in this connec- 

 tion that it is essential that the total 

 amount should be assured without de- 

 lay ; $150,000 to $200,000 between now 

 and the 1st of January will meet all re- 

 quirements and give ample time to 

 properly fit out the expedition. Six 

 months from now it will be impossible 

 to fit the expedition even with a half- 

 million available, because of lack of 

 time. 



Somewhere in this broad country I 

 am satisfied that the money is waiting, 

 ready and anxious to do this work as I, 

 if only the connection can be estab- 



