Henry G, Bryant. 
5 
the polar area. His plans also included the despatching of a sub- 
sidiary party from Independence Bay down the unknown north- 
east coast of Greenland as far as Cape Bismarck (Lat. 76° 47'), 
from which point a retreat was to be made across the interior to 
the headquarters at “Anniversary Lodge” on Bowdoin Bay. The 
successful execution of these plans would have been a noteworthy 
achievement in Arctic annals, and great interest was manifested 
in the issue of Lieutenant Peary’s undertaking. 
Before leaving for the north on his last journey, Lieutenant 
Peary had arranged for the despatch of the steam whaler “Fal- 
con” with a relief party, whose mission should be to reach “Anni- 
versary Lodge” and afford the explorers the opportunity to re- 
titm in safety to the United States. Lieutenant Peary himself pro- 
vided the greater part of the money required and the direction of 
the undertaking — known as the Peary Auxiliary Expedition of 
1894 — was placed in the hands of the officers of the Geographical 
Club of Philadelphia. In the spring of the year 1894 the organi- 
zation of the party was entrusted to the writer, while a committee 
was designated to assist in an advisory capacity. To the mem- 
bers of this committee, Prof. Angelo Heilprin, Mr. Amos Bon- 
sall, Mr. Talcott Williams and Mr. G. W. Hart, I am indebted 
for much valuable aid in perfecting the preliminary arrangements. 
As subordinate to the main object — ^the relief of Lieutenant 
Peary’s party — ^the plans of the expedition included a search 
for traces of the Swedish naturalists Bjorling and Kallstenius, 
and an examination and survey of the unknown north shore of 
Jones Sound. 
I esteem myself singularly fortunate in the personnel of the 
party. Those who volunteered on the expedition united to sci- 
entific attainments of the first order, varied experience in travel, 
enthusiasm for their work and a philosophical cheerfulness which 
never failed them during the many somewhat trying experiences 
of the journey. 
The following “gentlemen adventurers” — to use an Eliza- 
bethan phrase — met together for the first time in Brooklyn, N. 
Y., on June 20th, 1894, and subsequently sailed on the S. S. “Por- 
tia” for St. Johns, Newfoundland: Prof. William Libbey, Jr., 
