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THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
GEOGRAPHICAL Resul's
Geography naturally holds first place in an estimate of Peary's Arctic
work, and, in this field, statement and appraisal are not difficult. Recall
the maps and conditions of 1891, and the conclusions are convincing and
immediate. Kane, Hayes, Hall, Greely, Nares, Markham in the western,
and De Long in the eastern hemisphere-each had done his best, even to
the supreme sacrifice, and yet had left a continuous record of defeat and
disappointment, with the solution of the mystery as distant as ever. The
charts ran off indefinitely above 83° or 84° N., and the dotted line which
represented the limit of human knowledge had a complete radius of about
500 miles in every direction from the Pole. When Peary left Cape Colum-
bia, February 22, 1906, the entire map of the Polar zone had been recast,
and, whether he was to reach the Pole three years later or not, he had com-
pletely revolutionized our knowledge of the Arctic. Four traverses of the
great Greenland ice cap, 2,500 miles of arduous sledging, had placed the
flag of his country where it was nearest Europe in a cairn which he recog-
nized eight years later; Greenland was rounded in 1900 the name of
Morris K. Jesup was placed on the most northern land (83°29') in the
world; and the Greenland route was definitely eliminated as a route of
Polar advance. In 1906 the coast west from Cape Columbia to Sverdrup's
farthest was definitely charted, Cape Thomas Hubbard was located and
named, and the illusory Crocker Land was given its brief mythical exist-
ence. In view of the disappointing result of the MacMillan Crocker Land
expedition eight years later, and as illustrating the exactness and accuracy
of Peary's methods, it may be worth while to say that he once declared, in
discussing a distant prospect, "I'll never say it's land until I have set my
foot on it"; and those who can read his exact words will find that his
reports of what he believed was land on that June 24 were made with clear
and distinct reservations. It should, too, always be borne in mind that not
only was Peary by nature and training fully equipped for discovery but
that he fully appreciated the value of accuracy. Experience in determin-
ing positions and courses as a navigator on sea and as an engineer and sur-
veyor on land, in measuring distances by comparison and average of esti-
mates and by a mechanical odometer of his own invention, enabled Peary
to construct charts and maps that have completely revised and superseded
the former coast outlines and cape and island positions of Inglefield Gulf,
of both sides of Smith Sound, of Ellesmere Island, and indeed of nearly
the whole of the great Arctic sector between the eastern coast of Greenland
and the 80th meridian west.
ETHNOLOGICAL Results
Next to his work in geography, Peary's contributions to ethnology
doubtless have place. Like Columbus he discovered a race ; unlike Colum-
bus he made his "finds" his friends, followers, and comrades. Penn with
the Indians on the Schuylkill was no more the guide, philosopher, and
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"ocrText": "164\nTHE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW\nGEOGRAPHICAL Resul's\nGeography naturally holds first place in an estimate of Peary's Arctic\nwork, and, in this field, statement and appraisal are not difficult. Recall\nthe maps and conditions of 1891, and the conclusions are convincing and\nimmediate. Kane, Hayes, Hall, Greely, Nares, Markham in the western,\nand De Long in the eastern hemisphere-each had done his best, even to\nthe supreme sacrifice, and yet had left a continuous record of defeat and\ndisappointment, with the solution of the mystery as distant as ever. The\ncharts ran off indefinitely above 83° or 84° N., and the dotted line which\nrepresented the limit of human knowledge had a complete radius of about\n500 miles in every direction from the Pole. When Peary left Cape Colum-\nbia, February 22, 1906, the entire map of the Polar zone had been recast,\nand, whether he was to reach the Pole three years later or not, he had com-\npletely revolutionized our knowledge of the Arctic. Four traverses of the\ngreat Greenland ice cap, 2,500 miles of arduous sledging, had placed the\nflag of his country where it was nearest Europe in a cairn which he recog-\nnized eight years later; Greenland was rounded in 1900 the name of\nMorris K. Jesup was placed on the most northern land (83°29') in the\nworld; and the Greenland route was definitely eliminated as a route of\nPolar advance. In 1906 the coast west from Cape Columbia to Sverdrup's\nfarthest was definitely charted, Cape Thomas Hubbard was located and\nnamed, and the illusory Crocker Land was given its brief mythical exist-\nence. In view of the disappointing result of the MacMillan Crocker Land\nexpedition eight years later, and as illustrating the exactness and accuracy\nof Peary's methods, it may be worth while to say that he once declared, in\ndiscussing a distant prospect, \"I'll never say it's land until I have set my\nfoot on it\"; and those who can read his exact words will find that his\nreports of what he believed was land on that June 24 were made with clear\nand distinct reservations. It should, too, always be borne in mind that not\nonly was Peary by nature and training fully equipped for discovery but\nthat he fully appreciated the value of accuracy. Experience in determin-\ning positions and courses as a navigator on sea and as an engineer and sur-\nveyor on land, in measuring distances by comparison and average of esti-\nmates and by a mechanical odometer of his own invention, enabled Peary\nto construct charts and maps that have completely revised and superseded\nthe former coast outlines and cape and island positions of Inglefield Gulf,\nof both sides of Smith Sound, of Ellesmere Island, and indeed of nearly\nthe whole of the great Arctic sector between the eastern coast of Greenland\nand the 80th meridian west.\nETHNOLOGICAL Results\nNext to his work in geography, Peary's contributions to ethnology\ndoubtless have place. Like Columbus he discovered a race ; unlike Colum-\nbus he made his \"finds\" his friends, followers, and comrades. Penn with\nthe Indians on the Schuylkill was no more the guide, philosopher, and"
}