# XIV explained — A Negro Explorer at the North Pole

> Chapter companion for A Negro Explorer at the North Pole by Matthew Henson.

## What happens

Captain Bartlett reaches his farthest north and turns back, while the main party continues northward. The chapter details the extreme cold, treacherous ice crossings, the killing of a dog suffering from piblokto, and the constant danger of open leads. The party camps, waits for leads to freeze, and prepares for the final push to the Pole.

## Themes in this chapter

### Perseverance and Endurance

The chapter highlights the relentless physical and mental endurance required to continue northward despite extreme cold, exhaustion, and dangerous ice conditions.

### Humanity vs. Nature

The constant battle against the Arctic environment is central, with open leads, moving ice, and bitter cold threatening the party's survival at every turn.

### Loyalty and Companionship

Captain Bartlett's selfless decision to turn back and knit the trail for the safety of the main party exemplifies loyalty and teamwork in the face of extreme adversity.

## Character check-ins

### Captain Bob Bartlett

Reaches his farthest north at 87° 48' and turns back with a cheerful goodbye, tasked with knitting the trail together for the return.

### Commander Robert E. Peary

Leads the main party, calculates distances, and allows Bartlett one more short march north before his return.

### Matthew Henson

Leads his party following Bartlett's trail, describes the hardships of the march, and the killing of a dog that fell into a lead.

### Professor Ross G. Marvin

Mentioned as being left with Peary at the igloos while Henson's party takes up the trail.

### Ootah

Not explicitly named in this chapter, but the Eskimo boys are referenced as part of the parties.

## Key lines

> We staggered into camp like drunken men, and built our igloos by force of habit rather than with the intelligence of human beings.

Exhausted, the men built their shelters automatically, without conscious thought.

_Describes the extreme fatigue of the party after a long day's march._

> The least emotional of all of our partings; and this brave man, who had borne the brunt of all of the hardships, like the true-blue, dead-game, unconquerable hero that he was, set out to do the work that was left for him to do.

The farewell to Captain Bartlett was matter-of-fact, but he was a steadfast hero who continued his duty without complaint.

_Henson's admiration for Bartlett's courage and modesty._

> To eat snow to quench our thirsts would have been the height of folly, and as well as being thirsty, we were continuously assailed by the pangs of a hunger that called for the fat, good, rich, oily, juicy fat that our systems craved and demanded.

Eating snow would have been deadly, and the men craved fat to sustain their energy in the cold.

_Explains the critical need for hot drinks and fatty food in Arctic survival._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_negro_explorer_at_the_north_pole_se/chapters/xiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_negro_explorer_at_the_north_pole_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_negro_explorer_at_the_north_pole_se/chapters