New-York tribune., 1898-10-23
A GREENLAND GHOST STORY.
HOW THE UNCANNY INFLUENCE OF
ESQUIMAU BONES WAS FELT
ON PEARY'S SHIP.


ON PEARY's SHIP.
From The London Graphic.
member Of the Peary expedition writes:
While reading The Daily Graphic" review OF
Lieutenant Peary's recent book il occurred TO
me that a curious experience resulting from sun
dry raids made on Greenland burying grounds
In the scientific pursuit Of Esqumau skulls and
skeletons may be Of present interest. l confess
that my story has a distinctly Rougemont
flavor but its accuracy Is vOuched for by the
scientists Of the party. We know it really hap
pened We leave the explanation TO the Psy
chical Research Society
The Greenland section OF the Peary expedition
was partly subsidized by several scientific So
cieties on the understanding that skulls and
skeletons and botanical and geOlog cal specimens
should be secured for their various museums.
SIX ESquimau skeletons were promised to the
Chicago Worlds Fair authorities in return for a
grant toward the Peary expedition. Esquimau
skeletons are rare. especially OF those types
known as the "Arctc Hghlanders.' ard il
a question of honor that the scientific branch of
the expedition should not return without some
of these coveted specimens. Now the EsQuimaus
are a superstitious people, and hold a tradition
that if a body belonging to one of their race be
taken to country where no walruses seals -
bears exist and where grass s plentiful, the
bones Of such transported Esquimau are
chewed up by snakes and the spirit perishes be-
yond redemption.
Consequently our endeavors to obtain skulls
and skeletons by legitimate purchase failed ut
ton snatching action that We offered large prices
and tempting prizes for their barter.
A SUCCESSFUL QUEST
When the Kite landed at fttiblu the scientists
went ashore on skeleton hunting quest and,
finding no bone market open to bribes sales.
determined TO make raid on the twO-century-
old burying ground, which contained several
hundred graves. The Esquinaus built dome
like erection above their graves, the stones be-
ing so arranged as To cover the corpse without
coming in contact with it. Snow falling between
the creVices Of the stones causes firm kind OF
cement so that the opening Of such a grave is
easy task. We settled on the likeliest looking
grave. and intending to return at midnight,
went hack to the ship. The natives, however,
were excited by our arrival that they resolved
to make a festive night of it, Perpetual twi-
light made it impossible to cover our scientific
decd with the shades Of night. One Of the Kites
officers. however, undertook to keep the natives
otherwise occupied while we pursued our dis
agreeable duty Of skeleton snatching.
He therefore took up his position in a large
tent and busted himself in dspla ying the mighty
wonders Of New York jackknves and the mar
vels Of American made needles. the latter being
highly coveted, and forming perhaps the only
prize which might tempt an Esquimau to dis
honesty. With such wonders to disclose. their
attention was duly engaged for several hours.
while the scientists employed themselves III pro
curing an admirable type of mummited Esqui-
maI-a chief buried some two years previously,
whom we found clad i'm a complete seaskin suit.
Wrapping the body in an ulster, We carried 1t
down to the whaebOat, conveyed II on board the
Kite. and put II IN Canf as GuNDdS, winch w
promptly sealed.
We had arranged that the affair was TO be
concealed from the crew, since, had they known
OF the circumstances one and all would have re-
fused to sall with so ghostly burden aboard.
our plans fell out well that even the captain
OF the Kite was for some time unaware or me
presence on board Of what one ethnologist called
"a grand specimen" At Herbert Island we coll
lected two skulls, each find" being duly sealed
in a canvas bag and at several landing points
we added 20 the skeletons in our bags, winding
up at Godhavn. where thirteen fine skulls and
several bones were secured BY this time one or
our hunks was converted into regular grave
yard. but each specimen was separately bagged,
securely sealed ard the cabin carefully locked.
After the shipping OF thirteen skulls We en-
countered terrible weather. The crew mean
while had their suspicious as 10 ''uncanny IN
fuences aboard, and formed deputation 70 the
captain TO assure him that there would be no
luck about the ship till something was thrown
overheard The men at the wheel declared in
turn that while in the act CT steering some
stronger hand than theirs was constantly turn
ing the ship shorcward. One veteran helrnsman
ran us into a sandbank He said he "couldnt
help it: somebody seized the wheel and ran the
ship aground" The superstitious sailors were
firmly persuaded that ghostly "Huskies az
they call the EsQuimaus-were plotting the ship
landWard TO induce US TO give up their chlef
body for decent burial.
one morning at breakfast officer told n
strange yarn. He said he was on watch during
the night when he noticed kyak padded by an
Esquimau alongside the vessel. 1t was bad
weather and he knew it must be a ghOstly kyak,
for no such craft could have been out fifty
miles from the land on such a night. Added TO
which he stated that the kyaker had no dill
Guilty in keeping up with the ship. The Esqui-
mau hailed the watch and kept waving and
beckonng with mysterious gestures and
threatening tone in his eXclamations. Suddenly
he vanished to reappear alongside few min