BOBEBT E. PEABY 363 were on board twenty-two Eskimo men, seventeen women, ten children, two hundred and forty-six dogs, and forty-odd wal- ros. Two of the ship's party had been left in charge of a relief station. After struggle with the ice and violent winds in which the ship received some injury, the Roosevelt was forced into shallow water close to the delta point of the Sheridan Biver and near the place Peary had chosen for win- ter quarters on his previous trip. At once the transportation of supplies westward to Cape Columbia was begun. This work, alternated with hunting, occupied the time until No- vember. The winter months were occupied on board ship by making the equipment, clothing, harness, sledges, etc During the moonlight period in each month, some time was spent hunt- ing, taking observations, and carrying supplies to Cape Co- lumbia. On the last day of February, Bartlett got away from Cape Columbia due north over the frozen sea with his pioneer division. On March first the remainder of the party followed the pioneer trail, with Peary leaving an hour later. The party now consisted of seven members of the expedition, seventeen Eskimos, one hundred and thirty-three dogs and nineteen sledges. It was the plan to have Captain Bartlett 's division pioneer the road and keep one day ahead of the main party. This division comprised Bartlett and three Eskimos with one sledge and team of dogs and carried their own gear and five days' supplies for the division. The second division, Borup's, included himself and three Eskimos, four sledges and dog teams. He was to accompany Bartlett for three marches and cache his loads and one sledge where he left Bartlett on the line of march. Then he was to hurry back to Cape Columbia in one march with light sledges, reload and overtake the main party. Without the system of relay parties it would be a physical impossibility for any man to reach the North Pole and return to tell the story : first, because a single division either large or
