New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-28
BY THE WHITE SEA.
TRAVELLING on THE ARCTIC PLAINS
OF RUSSIA.

THE GREAT FROZEN LAND Bolshala Zeme-
A "3s the TAndras and sojourn Among the
samOyads by Frederick George Jackson .a rs
OF the Jackson Harmsworth Polar Expedition .
Wh sy Ap,nur ana Feow OF the
biological and Royal Geograpaicai socieues ana
Anhropological institute. PIP. Xviii 2'7 Mac
milan & Co
The regions described In this book are little
better known to civilized people than the interior
Of Africa Mr. Jackson found. on getting within
the borders Of Russian oiliciadom. that the story
Of his wanderings and the description OF the
snowy world which he had explored were listened
+, with profound interest. The difficulty with
the low-lying Arctic plains Of Russia Is not that
they are inaccessible. but that travel upon them
4, difficult and far from profitable. In the short
summer they are vast watery eXparses broken
by ranges Of small hills in winter they are sim
ply a monotono waste Of snow with tempera-
, ture lower than that Of Arctic archipelago. only
an enthusiastic naturalist and sportsman could
find qualification In wading about day after day
in water I'D To his knees or tumbling In snow
drifts nfteen or twenty feet deep. But natural
lists regard these Tundras. so-caed. ms the Land
OF Promise. Who knows the resting place Of the
curlew sandpiper? The bird visits annually the
shores Of civilized countries. Its habits nave
been noted. but its br.eding-placc Is still mys-
terry What experience Mr.. Jackson had on the
Arctic mainland eeemei TO prove that this ques-
ton can only be solved by investigation further
northward perhaps In Franz Josef Land. where
he went after his return from North Russia.
Ornithologists are evidently chcrish!ng great ex-
pcrtati,ns Of this journey to Franz Josef Land.
win ne bring ua" asks Mr Jeanreson. u the
Royal Geographical Society. the knotts and the
pvzn1v clrlcw's eggs and those Of Ross rosy
gull
MIR Jacks,n's Journey was not undertaken at
tho mos, favorable time for collecting specimens.
lie arrived on the Arctic plains just at the begin
ming 4 tn, autumn migrauons Many birds had
doubtless departed 70 winter In countries further
south where the sea remained open. NeveTthe-
less he found every stream and pond on the
/ Great Tundra n resort for thousands OF birds.
while tho pools between the hlllock ranges II
The Tundra. and the Marshes on the sandy
nats bordering the streams were the summer
home ~ rnulituics OF waders which nested
there and only departed 70 md similar feeding
grounds to the southwark. Though the summer
was almost gone. and the sun was about 10 dis
appear below the cquator. yet the plains were
still hinged with huss Of vegetation. and the
traveller had the opportunity u contrasting the
/ Tundra with Itself IN the only changes II ever
. makes In IT'S hfirc MATER was IN" Only Tim"
for him 10 make thu studies which he had
specially I'm Wow Before he went to Franz Josef
Land he wished to learn what clothing and food
and tools am weapons were mos, suitable to
his purpose what draught animals he could md
10 endure the rigors and privations ~ Arctic
travel what means Of shelter he could conrive
tha, would he best for his purpose lie learned
to eat the nesh Il the reindeer raw. and he found
that the most elaborate inventions Of civilization
were often Inferior for PRACTICAL use 10 the rude
devices OF savages
These savagcs the scattered Samoyads.
proved t. he "a increasing as They were dirty.
Water as A means u cleanliness WAS PAST their
comprehcnsioa They never took ~ their clothes
I'll they were worn on md the odors whicn sur
rounded them were pungent They swarmtd
with unnamabc parasites. SO that Mr.. Jackson
| had to keep them at an ar}reciable distance
even in their crowded tents. He had to be con-
tinually on the watch To prevent them from
! licking his dishes fIe had 10 cook his own food:
though Their. was little novelty In this. FOR all
travellers II whatever social grade. dill tho same
Put he found their furcoats more comfortable
! than the sealskin garments which he took from
London They were more skful in driving
reindeer than their racial afiinities, the Lapps.
and their aledccs ana tents were OF better make.
And they were honest as rule though there
was the same difference Of character among them
that is found in every race. There were the en-
crgetic men and the inert: the industrious and
the lille: the intelligent and the village fool; the
hrutaI and the kind I'm Samoyad named
Stefan" adds Mr.. Jackson, Il found united near
~ all the qualities Of n good man. He was sober.
honest industrious well-mannered. kind to his
wife and child. careful Of his reindeer and neat
in his appearance What more could you have"
| But civilization encroaches slowly. even upon
| their lovely domain AS an unmixed race they
are gradually disappearing. Their language,
without the prcscrvat!ve influence OF writing or
Of "A liked literature is losing It's creative power
taking in foreign elements without the power Oh
making them It's own few specimens OF their
! folk lore have been added TO this volume. APP
| parently by Mr. Montefore. They betray. even
| I'm translation. defective expression In the orig
| ira tongue and possibly n lack OF invention.
| Their most salient characteristic Is the repetition
OF the number seven which is here attributed to
| the fact that the native names OF numbers only
| reach seven. The first story Is OF an old
woman who Is "A cannibal. and so the tale has
bearing on the ancient repute Of the Samoyads.
growing out OF legendary definition OF their
| name as moaning eaters OF themselves THIS
| old woman. having devoured the mother OF two
| girls purposes also TO eat them. but they escape
and she is baffied IN ..er pursuit OF them. In
manner usual In a large class OF witch stories.
| BY the elder daughter who first throws down
| grindstone that becomes river with steep GIFTS
| for banks. then a flint which rises to the neignt
| OF A mountain. and finally. a comb which Is
| transformed into an impenetrable forest THESE
magical obstacles instead OF being overcome by
| the old cannibal. allowed to disappear after
IN interval OF seven days In each case. The girls
are directed on their way by seven crows and
seven seagulls. A boat OF copper which figures
| in the tale reminds one Of the use made OF that
| metal in the "kalevala" This boat has a Will or
its own like the ship Of Celtic lore. and TO touch
any OF the weapons in t is as fatal as In classic