# The Return Journey explained — A Negro Explorer at the North Pole

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

## What happens

After reaching the North Pole, the party makes a rapid and grueling return journey to land, covering three upward marches in one return march. Despite extreme fatigue and physical deterioration, they reach Cape Columbia on April 23, 1909, where they find Captain Bartlett's igloos intact. The chapter emphasizes the immense physical and mental strain of the expedition and celebrates Peary's conquest of the Pole.

## Themes in this chapter

### Perseverance and Endurance

The chapter highlights the immense physical and mental strain of the return journey, with men and dogs exhausted yet driven by determination.

### Humanity vs. Nature

The Arctic is portrayed as a relentless adversary, with moving ice, open leads, and brutal conditions that test human limits.

### Exploration and Discovery

The successful return marks the completion of the quest for the North Pole, adding to geographical knowledge and closing a chapter of exploration.

## Character check-ins

### Commander Robert E. Peary

Shows signs of extreme fatigue but also a look of victory; his face is lined and seamed, beard long, yet his eyes flash with triumph.

### Matthew Henson

Describes his own gaunt, aged appearance in the mirror, but notes his eyes still twinkle; reflects on the shared ordeal.

### Captain Bob Bartlett

Mentioned as having reached land safely; his igloos at Crane City are found intact.

### Ootah

Included among the Eskimos who, with Peary and Henson, look back on the return as a horrid nightmare.

## Key lines

> Instead of the plump, round countenances I knew so well, I saw lean, gaunt faces, seamed and wrinkled, the faces of old men, not those of boys, but in their eyes still shone the spark of resolute determination.

The men looked haggard and aged from the ordeal, yet their eyes still showed unwavering resolve.

_Henson observes the physical toll of the expedition on the party's appearance._

> Commander Peary had taken the North Pole by conquest, in the face of almost insuperable natural difficulties, by the tremendous fighting-power of himself.

Peary's personal determination and strength enabled him to overcome seemingly impossible natural obstacles to reach the Pole.

_Henson credits Peary's fighting spirit for the expedition's success._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_negro_explorer_at_the_north_pole_se/chapters/xvi
- 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