ys ago in Washington that he should not be surprised if
Lieutenant Peary reached 85 deg. north latitude. In any event, an approach
to the North Pole will be an incident in the expedition, and not its
main object.

Several important considerations make it probable that Lieutenant
Peary's present expedition will attain a considerable measure of
success. In the first place, in starting from Bowdoin Bay instead of
from Redcliffe House, there will be a gain of forty miles rough
hauling, which meant in the recent expedition two weeks' valuable
time. From Bowdoin Bay, the party will be able to climb to the inland
ice-cap by the shortest and easiest possible route. The fact that an
abundant supply of provisions will be sent ahead during the present
summer will be a great advantage, and will do away with the necessity
of a supporting party such as was employed on the last expedition. To
save the carrying of a ton or so of provisions for even a hundred
miles is a matter of great importance. Lieutenant Peary expects to
make a further saving in time by choosing a course midway between the
one taken on his last journey to Independence Bay and the one taken on
his return journey. These two courses, it will be remembered, were
unsatisfactory, because in the advance to Independence Bay he went too
far to the west and was caught in immense fissures and depressions
leading to the glaciers, while on the return journey he went so far
to the east that the great elevation above the sea level, often eight
thousand feet or more, made it difficult to find the way or take
observations on account of perpetual fogs. Now he proposes to avoid
the two extremes, and to search for an easier course in a happy
medium. A still greater gain in time will be made by starting the
expedition early in March, 1894, instead of waiting until May, as was
the case before.

A novel feature of the expedition, and one that will be of great
service, it is believed, in hauling the loads, will be the use of pack
horses in addition to the dog teams. Lieutenant Peary, during his
recent western trip, secured a number of hardy burros in Colorado,
which he believes will be able to endure the Arctic winter. At any
rate, they will be very valuable in carrying the advance provisions
this present season, and on a pinch they can be turned into steaks. It
has been found possible to fit snow shoes to the hoofs of these pack
horses, so as to allow them to advance as rapidly as the d