Page:The story of geographical discovery.djvu/188

 184 Baldwin, which in 1901 attempted the dash to the Pole from the base of Franz Josef Land, returned in 1902, having accomplished almost nothing. Peary, however, in 1906, reached 87.6° by way of Smith Sound, traced the north coast of Grant Land, and discovered new land in about 100° W.

In July, 1908, Peary left New York in the Roosevelt on his eighth Arctic expedition. After wintering near Cape Sheridan, a party of seven, accompanied by 59 Eskimos, left the Roosevelt in sledges in February, 1909. From 84° most of the Eskimos were sent back, and 16 men, with 12 sledges and 100 dogs, started on the final dash which was to result in the discovery of the Pole. Peary reached the Pole on April 6, 1909. He found surrounding it, as had been surmised for many years, a continuous ice field, and soundings of 9,000 feet failed to reach the sea bottom. The return journey was made without mishap.

Meanwhile interest in Antarctic exploration had been revived. C. E. Borchgrevink, of Norway, explored Victoria Land in 1894-95, and in 1897 made an unsuccessful attempt to reach the Pole, reaching 78.5°. Dr. Otto Nordenskiold, of Sweden, headed an expedition in 1901-4 which reached Cape Seymour, and during the same period a British expedition under Capt. R. F. Scott explored the inland ice of Victoria Land and reached latitude 82° 17'. A British national expedition in 1903-5 explored the region southeast of Cape Horn and drifting along the ice barrier discovered King Edward VII Land.

The quest of the South Pole began in earnest with the sending out of the British national expedition under Lieut. Ernest Shackleton in 1907.