St. Landry democrat., 1893-01-14
ARMS AMONG EXPLORERS.
THE PART GOOD WEAPONS PLAY
IN EMERGENCIES.
How a Famous Arctic Explorer For
gave Disobedience of Orders just
for One Time Only.

~ it be in the direction of the
poles or under the Equator,
should be supplied with both shotguns
and rifles. Instances have been numer-
Gus where party carrying but one style
of weapon could have done SO much
better with the other that very natural
desire has arisen for universal or con-
vertiblc arm that could be made to serve
for either shot or bullets, as occasion de-
manded.
Hunters for feathered game in coun-
tries where the larger animals are some
| times found have some of their paper
cartridges for their breach-loading shot
guns loaded with bali. So, too, the In
dians and Esquimaux of North America
very much like muzzIe loading double
barreled shotgun, because they can use
them for either ball or small shot. These
weapons are very accurate, too, at ranges
not greatly exceeding 100 yards; but the
bullet being round, it has neither he
accuracy or penetration OF the elongated
conical ball Of the breech- loading rifle of
o.day.
after landing in the Esquimau country
of North IIudson's Bay, says w. II. Gill
der, went upon hunting trip with
some of the natives, who had come down
to our camp on the seashore to exchange
fresh reindeer meat for ammunition.
They reported game plentiful in the vi
cinity Of their camp, and I was tillet with
desire to add reindeer to my game
score.
was absent from our camp week,
five days of which we were walking and
hunting away from camp, each night
resting in rude sealskin tents, or making
very primitive shelter out of clay
stones. Two days only were required
for the return, as we started early and
walked as long as we could see. -
The last day, along toward nightfall,
my companions saw some reindeer at
distance, and, as usual, one of them took
my rifle to aid him in the chase. A lad
of some twelve or fourteen years, whose
parents had presented him to me shortly
after we came to live with them, and
who was my constant companion, carried
my double barreled shotgun in view of
our meeting feathered game; but after
my rifle was taken took the shotgun to
| relieve him of the load.
We were continuing our journey to-
ward the camp, guided by this boy and
| young woman, while the men hunted
the reindeer. Our route led US along
under cliff which was short distance
to the left of our line of march, when
| the boy at my side suddenly whispered
"Took .too," which is the E:quimau
word for reindeer, and at the same time
pointed toward the top of the cliff just
| ahead. Looking up I saw three big
antlered reindeer gazing intel lily as W,
and apparently too much astonished to
| make up their minds what to do.
They were not much more than fifty
yards away, and their bodies were clear
| ly outlined against the sky. How I
wished for my good breech loading rifle,
| which hal SO toolis1ly parted with but
a short time before! felt that this was
| the opportunity OF lifetime, and l
could not avail myself Of it. All this
time the deer stood perfectly still, and
tantalizingly near, seeming to appreciate
the fact that had no gun fit to kill
them, while the boy most earnestly
whispered: "TooI- too-par. Kokyoke
sellow." (Kill the little deer. Shot arc
in it.) Just to show the little savage
what silly thing it was to attempt to
kill such large animal with small shot,
l threw the gun up to my shoulder and
rSanas-cTa sec the animal give one OUIfri
ment, to and tumble dead at the foot OF
| forward
'ns Gun: afterward that when they
l'rso '' go z.ssee.aV boy had put a
the shot, and they were stilf thesS! -
we surprised the three animals on tbs
hilltop. The reason l had not under
stood the lad when he sai1: "Kokyokc
sellow," was that kokyoke means shot of
any kind, and it was only when 1 subse-
sequently asked him how many shot,
and he replied, "one, big" that knew
he had pun the bullets in the barrels
Here was al excellent illustration of the
advantage of al arm that would unite
the best qualities of the shotgun ana the
rifle. Such a weapon would be the
ideal arm for the explorer where trans
portationis limited.
When belong and his party were
coming up the Lena Delta, and had 50
little food, they saw but few reindeer.
but ptarmigan (the Arctic grouse) were
abundant enough to have enabled them
to exc out their slender allowance OF
other food, had they brought shotguns
with them as we'll as, or even instead Of.
rifles. They saw reindeer but once on
the fatal march up the Lena Delta, and
then most opportunity. The story of
this sad march was told me by the two
only survivors of that little band while
we were travelling together on little
steamer coming up the Lena River in the
spring of 1882. They told ME that thew
frequently saw ptarmigan, but could not
kill them for they only had rifles. the
shotguns had been left behind when the
journey commenced. One day when the |
weary travellers had eaten their last NOR
sci of food, and had nothing left except
the dog, Nindermann, veteran Arctic
traveller and the Esquimau, Alexy, who
were, as usual, in the lead, saw some
reindeer quietly grazing few miles to
the eastward of the line of march. The
two men stopped and gazed longingly
at the deer. They thought the hour OF
delivery from the dread of starvation
had at last arrived. Before this thew
had seen nothing but the ptar,nigau,
which might just as well not have been
here, for without shotguns they were