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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



© Harris and Ewing 



THE DISCOVERER OF THE NORTH POLE GREETING THE DISCOVERER OE THE SOUTH 

 POLE AT A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY BANQUET 



It was upon this occasion that Rear-Admiral Peary, on behalf of The Society, presented 

 to Captain Roald Amundsen a special gold medal for his Antarctic achievement resulting in 

 the attainment of the South Pole. Mrs. Peary at extreme left, Ambassador James Bryce at 

 right of Peary, and Ambassador Jusserand at extreme right. 



cated by another equally remarkable, 

 crossing of the ice-cap, three years later, 

 defined the northern extension of Green- 

 land and conclusively proved that it is an 

 island instead of a continent extending 

 to the Pole. In boldness of conception 

 and brilliancy of results, these two cross- 

 ings of Greenland are unsurpassed in 

 Arctic history. The magnitude of Peary's 

 feat is better appreciated when it is re- 

 called that Nansen's historic crossing of 

 the island was below the Arctic Circle, 

 1,000 miles south of Peary's latitude, 

 where Greenland is some 250 miles wide. 



HE TURNS HIS ATTENTION TO THE POLE 



Peary now turned his attention to the 

 Pole, which lay 396 geographical miles 

 farther north than any man had pene- 



trated on the Western Hemisphere. To 

 get there by the American route he must 

 break a virgin trail every mile north from 

 Greely's 83° 24'. No one had pioneered 

 so great a distance northward. Mark- 

 ham and others had attained enduring 

 fame by advancing the flag considerably 

 less than 100 miles, Parry had pioneered 

 150 miles, and Nansen 128 from his ship. 

 His experiences in Greenland had con- 

 vinced Peary, if possible more firmly than 

 before, that the only way of surmounting 

 this last and most formidable barrier was 

 to adopt the manner of life, the food, the 

 snow houses, and the clothing of the 

 Eskimos, who by centuries of experience 

 had learned the most effective method of 

 combating the rigors of Arctic weather ; 

 to utilize the game of the Northland, the 



