Page:The frozen North; an account of Arctic exploration for use in schools (IA frozennorthaccou00hort).pdf/163

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Notwithstanding the difficulty and danger of the work, Peary succeeded in bringing all of these meteorites to New York. Those known as "the woman" and "the dog" reached New York in 1895, and on October 2, 1897, the Hope deposited the one known as "the tent" at the Brooklyn navy yard. This weighs ninety tons and is the largest known meteorite in the world.

Peary's two trips across Greenland are classed among the most brilliant geographical feats of recent years. His efforts extended the exploration of the east coast of Greenland two degrees.

In 1899 Peary again visited the Arctic regions. He reached Fort Conger in March, 1900, and the next month, with his colored servant, Matthew Henson, and five Eskimos, started to explore the northern coast of Greenland. He reached Cape Washington, where he erected a cairn, and then pushing on, he rounded the northern limit of the Greenland archipelago at latitude 83° 39´ north, from which point the coast extended southward.

At this place, the most northerly known land in the world, Peary built a cairn and inclosed records of his trip. He then changed the direction of his course and turned northward, traveling over sea ice toward the pole. He proceeded in this direction until he reached latitude 83° 50´ north, where he found it impossible to continue the journey farther. He therefore returned to the Greenland coast, and made explorations which enabled him to complete a chart of the northern coast of that island. Upon the completion of this work he returned to Fort Conger, arriving there June 10, 1900, without accident or illness. During this trip, the temperature ranged from 20° above to 35° below zero.

The winter of 1900 and 1901 was spent at Fort Conger,