The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-09-29
Our Special Contributors-=-I804.
LIFE IN THE ARCTIC REGIONS.
Arctic Misunderstanding Excursions--Bag Making.



them conspicuously to the front in
their particular vocation. Life in the
Arctic regions forms no exception to
this general rule. The intense cold
of that lone land does not freeze
everything to one dead level of ordi-
nary mediocrity, as some might
think. There is no vocation in the
far North that stands so high as hunt
ing. By the chase alone the natives
secure almost everything that makes
life bearable, or even possible, in that
desolate region--food, clothing, dog
harness, bedding, and before guns
were brought among them, the very
hunting implements with which they
piled this to them important art. In
fact everything comes to them
through the chase except the snow
house over their heads. Even its
blocks were formerly cut with knife
made from reindeer's bone. The
wood for their sledges, which drifts
to their shores, is lashed together
with the sinew of the reindeer. Their
very dogs could not exist without the
food procured in the chase by these
Northern, Nimrods. 1t is no wonder
therefore that if some one should
tower above the rest of these hunters
he would be duly considered as the
mightiest of the mighty among
them.
A Might, Eskimo Hunter.
When I first landed among the Es-
kimo of North Hudson's Bay, l heard
of a young hunter who was rapidly
making his way to the front. As he
was also good sledgeman, or dog
driver and very energetic generally,
l was quite anxious to secure him for
my proposed long sledge journey
to the Arctic Sea in and around King
Williams Land. His name was Tos-
losah, meaning in Eskimo, 'The
Rover" When / first met this
boreal bird of the genus CorUus, l
found he added to the many virtues
thatsshad been reputed to him the
common Eskimo one of excessive
modesty.r He was extremely 10th to
speak of his ability in doing anything.
His answers as to being a good this,
that, or the other, were mostly "Armi,
Armi," which means Il hardly know"
SO that we had to take the strong rec
concentrations his friends gave him.
And IsmigSt say we never regretted
so doing.
One of the first things I did was
to put him on war footing, giving
him a Winchester magazine rifle
holding a 45.70 cartridge. | had long
since come to the conclusion that it
was easier by far to familiarize the
native hunters with the white mems
arms than it was to teach the white
men the art and knowledge necessary
to secure the Arctic game. l knew
of several white parties who had tried
to master the strategy necessary to
battle successfully with Polar game,
and like the horse fed on sawdust,
when they were used to it they died.
On the other hand knew of no case
where native, or number of natives,
had Jared worse by having better
arms and equipment. AS they had
managed to live quite comfortably
by their own rude weapons. l felt
safer in acknowledging my own ina
bility where [ had never had proper
experience, than to force forward my
ideas where such experience was lack
ing.
Toslosah and His Winchester.
Toslosah was splendid specimen
of the Eskimo race, about five feet
four inches high, and weighing about
one hundred and thirty five, every
ounce of it bone, brain, and muscle.
His bright honest face was his best
recommendation, and his actions
never belied the promises it seemed
to make. He was of unusual strength.
But all these people were, in proper
ton to their size, much stronger than
the average Caucasian. 1t was in the
Fall of the year that my party land
ell among the Eskimo, and it was not
until the following April that we
started on our long sledge trip. Dur
ing this winter the Eskimo hunters
of the village that clustered around
my little camp secured about five
hundred reindeer from the fields to
the north and west of us. OF this
number Toslosah got nearly one hun
dred with his Winchester, there being
fourteen or fifteen hunters altogether
but not all so well armed as he. About
the same ratio was maintained by
him in regard to seal, walrus, Polar