The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-18

creasing refrigeration of the north polar
regions
The Paris chronological Society did not
carry out the purpose it announced In 1857
of establishing the northern boundary OF
the inhabited world; but this work has
since been accomplished very carefully by
German geographer, DR.. Kurt Hassert,
who has recently published his book upon
"The North Polar Boundary of the In
habited and Inhabitable World" In the
| map which accompanies this interesting
work DIR. Hassert indicates by oiue Ihe
the present northern limit of human haDi
tations and by red line the northern
boundary of the former homes OF MANKIND
so far as it has been revealed through the
ruins and remains discovered by explorers
In studying this map we first observe
that North America IS extended py tne
great archipelago north of it very much
further toward the north pole than the
Euro Asiatic continent, which has IN the
two islands of Novaya Semha its only I'M
portant prolongation toward the pole.
The Lapps, the Samoyeds, the Tchakchees,
and other races of Euro-Asia are To-Day
found along the northern coast me: me
only important traces of man IN the
Eastern hemisphere, north of the present
line of occupancy, are found in the new
Siberian islands, northeast OF the Lena
delta. These are not inhabited, tnough
they certainly have been.
1t is to Greenland, therefore, and to the
archipelago north OF our own co;i Ins
that we must look for conclusive evidences
that climatic or other conditions nave
driven man far south OF the regions ne
once occupied.
The most northern people of the world
today are the handful OF Esklmos, sup,
posed TO be about 100 IN NUMBER, calleu
the Etah natives who live upon the west
coast of Greenland, between % degrees
and 70 degrees north latitude. For many
wears after Kane came home with his VIVID
and absorbing story of these isolated
natives, they were supposed TO nave oullt
their stone huts nearer the pole than any
other human beings. We know now,
however, that Bessels, Mares and Greedy
found numerous traces of human oc-
cupancy as far north as the eighty-second
paraIlei: and so long ago was it that they
built their huts and sledges and hunted
the bear and walrus in the far north Of
Grant Land that the Etah natives of to-
day nave only the dimmest and most I'M
certain traditions that in the time of their
forefathers men lived to the north of them.
But it is in the great islands near our
Arctic coast. and in the smaller Parry is
lands, still nearer the pole, that the most
striking evidences are found that man
formerly lived hundreds of miles north of
the most northern homes he occupies in
that region today. The present limit of
human occupancy skirts our coast line
from Boring sea to point some distance
east of Cape Bathurst, cuts through the
lower part of Prince Albert land and
Boothia, and then. turning northeast,
skirts the northern shore of Baflin land
to Lancaster sound. North of this line,
above which no natives are now known to
exist, are abundant traces of the ancient
habitations of the Eskimo. There, separ-
ated only by narrow channels, are Wolias-
ton land, Prince Albert land, Banks land,
Melville island, Prince of Wales island,
the northern part of Boothia, and other
islands, on all of which has been found
more or less abundant evidence of former
occupancy. These remains consist almost
wholly of stones laid together in circles
and of the ruins of winter huts, and they
are found usually upon the south edges of
the islands. Upon the north and west
edges no traces have been discovered of
ancient habitations. Directly north of our
mainland, over an area embracing forty
five degrees of longitude, traces of former
human occupancy have been discovered at
an average distance of about 800 miles
north of the present northern limit of
human life. There is no doubt, however,
that particularly in northeastern America
the Eskimos of today travel on hunting
expeditions a very considerable distance
north of the present limit of habitation.
Captain Holm discovered the most
northern natives who are now known to
exist. upon the east coast of Greenland at
Sermilik, in 65 deg. north latitude; but
the koldewey German expedition of 1863
20 found human remains, evidently of
great antiquity, seven degrees further
north, and Clavering, in 1923, reported see
ing small party of Eskimos on Pendulum
island, in about rs deg. north latitude
1t is possible, however. that this party
were improving favorable summer to
hunt very considerable distance north of
their homes.
Captain Adams, the whaler who has
made some praiseworthy contributions to
Arctic explorations, suggested several
years ago that in the interests
of humanity the Etah or Smith
sound natives should be removed
to South Greenland. There is no doubt,
he says, that the hardships of their lives
are gradually discriminating them, and
that if left in their far northern homes.
they will utterly perish within the next
two or three generations. They seem to
be approaching the fate which apparently
overlook the earlier representatives of
their race who lived far north of the pres
ent Eskimo habitat. 1t is probable that
the same causes which are operating to-
day to drive back the race from its north
ern vantage ground, are those which in
the past have turned southwark or de-
stroyed the northern vanguard, leaving
only scattered relics TO tell the story Of
their struggle against destiny.