In July, Peary crossed Ellesmere Land to the west coast. Soon after his return from this trip, the Windward was able to make its way to Etah, where Peary communicated with a relief expedition in charge of Bridgman. At the end of August both the Windward and the relief ship were sent home, and Peary and his party were left at Etah, where the winter was passed.
On the 19th February 1900, Peary sent off a division of seven sledges to Fort Conger; on the 26th February six other sledges left; and on the 4th March he followed with nine sledges. He reached Fort Conger on 28th March, and learned that the advance parties had killed twenty-one musk-oxen close to Conger.
At Fort Conger, Peary decided to make a sledge-journey along the north coast of Greenland. He left on the 11th April with seven sledges, and followed very much the same route taken by Lockwood, but did not go overland. The northern part of Cape Britannia Island was reached on the 4th May. From here he sent back the last of the supporting party, and pushed on north with Henson and one Eskimo. Lockwood Island was reached on the 8th May, and from the cairn erected by Lockwood, Peary took the record, which had been perfectly preserved. From here one march carried the party to Cape Washington, the farthest point seen by Lockwood. On rounding this cape, Peary saw another headland still farther north. Near this cape were very large glaciers which Peary believes are the birthplaces of the “floebergs.” Still farther north another cape was found, to which Peary gave the name “Cape Morris Jesup.” This was the most northern point of the Greenland Archipelago. From this point Peary started over the ice-pack towards the north, but found the ice impracticable. He reached 83° 50′, and returned. He then travelled eastward along the coast, which soon began to trend to the south-east. In the same latitude as Cape Washington was found a magnificent cape, which Peary named “Cape Bridgman.” Two marches beyond this cape brought Peary to a point from which he recognised a mountain he had seen from the ice-cap south of Independence Bay. The weather was now very foggy, and Peary was compelled to stop at what he believed was an island in the mouth of a large fiord. To this island he gave the name “Clarence Wyckoff Island.” He had now reached the 83rd degree on the east coast. After waiting two nights and a day for the fog to lift, he found it necessary to start on the return journey. He left records at this camp, and also at Cape Morris Jesup and Cape Washington. Quite a large number of musk-oxen were seen along this most northern land.
The return journey was begun on the 22nd May, and Cape Morris Jesup was passed on the 26th. They reached Fort Conger on 10th June.
The most northern point of the land to the north of Greenland had now been determined, and Peary arrived at the conclusion that it was not a favourable one from which to reach the Pole. The ice was very much broken, and there was a comparatively rapid motion towards the East Greenland current.
Peary now decided to winter at Fort Conger and make another attempt on the Pole, starting from Cape Hecla, on the north coast of Grant Land. During the autumn no fewer than 101 musk-oxen were killed.
On the 5th April 1901, Peary left Fort Conger with Henson, one Eskimo, two sledges, and twelve dogs for his northern trip. A few days after starting, he found that the condition of the party and of the dogs was such that he could not hope for success, and he therefore returned to Fort Conger.
On 17th April he started for the south with his entire party, and found the Windward at Payer Harbour on 6th May. He soon commenced to form new caches along the coast towards Conger; and in July no fewer than 128 walruses were killed for dog-food.
The winter of 1901−2 was passed at Payer Harbour, where six of the Eskimo died. On the 3rd March 1902, Henson was sent north in charge of six sledges, and on 6th March, Peary followed with seventeen sledges. The temperature was from 43° to 49° F. below zero. The distance of 300 miles to Fort Conger was covered in twelve marches.
On the 24th March 1902, Peary started north from Fort Conger with nine sledges for Cape Hecla. Finding deep snow near Cape Joseph Henry, Peary preferred to take the ice-foot route round it rather than cross Feilden Peninsula. At the very extremity of the cape the sledges had to be passed along a shelf of ice 3 feet in width and 75 feet above the sea.