The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-24

In fact when the Indians bothered US
at Fort Reliance and above there, we
had only to tell them that the Esqui-
maux were coming and they would at
once clear out. The Indians are armed
with shotguns and a few of them have
rifles. They make expeditions to the
Hudson Bay cOmpany'S posts about
once year and trade for guns and
ammunition. The Esquimaux, who live
further north along the Arctic coast
get their arms and ammunition from
the whalers who get around in that re-
gion.
the one Captain Back had wintered in
65 years before, and spent the winter
there. We left there in March when the
thermometer was 40 degrees below Ze-
70, and started for the northeast where
I was certain I would find musk oxen.
We traversed the country back and
forth between the inlet which open into
the Arctic ocean and Chesterfield inlet
which opens into Hudson bay. It was
in this country that we first encounter
ed Esquimaux. 1t is impossible to tell
how many there are either of them or
of the Indians. for we would find so or
100 in one place, and maybe another
little settlement in another place.
Here too, we became acquainted with
the Arctic wolf, the worst pest of the
entire country. I used to think I would
like to go to Siberia and indulge in one
of the wolf hunts which we hear about
in that country, but I don't know but
to. The Arctic wolves are beauties as
white as snow Their numbers are in
creasing very IA pidly, because they have
no enemies. The Indians and EsQuimaux
never kill one except in self-defense, as
they believe that they will become
wolves in the next world if they do
The wolves feed on the musk OK and
the caribou, and are rapidly killing off
those animals, but they have no enc
mics to kill them off in return
One of the principal objects Buffalo"
Eaa1 in III hi
bring back some live musk oxen to
civilization. These animals are very
rare and will probably soon become ex-
tinct. Mr.. Jones reasoned that with
his experience in catching and tanning
/ buffalo he ought to do something with
musk oxen, if he could find them. He
! blames the wolves and the Esquimaux
for his failure in reaching civilization
! again with his captives.
Il did not bring back any musk
oxen,' he said, and the wolves were
largely responsible for it. We captured
five calves, each about ten months old,
fine specimens. and were well started
on our way back from Chesterfield Inlet
to where we had camped the previous
winter. In catching the oxen we had to
depend on ourselves and the dogs en-
tirely. The Esquimaux would have
nothing to do with US, when they found
that we were after musk oxen. The ami
mails are very scarce-I saw not more
than forty on my entire trip-and the
/ Indians rarely kill one. In fact they
worship the musk OK, and when they
| do kill one they talk to it and tell it to
| stand still as the Great Spirit has de-
/ creed that it shall die and it is better to
/ be shot than to be killed by the wolves
/ They were determined that we should
| not make any captures but we set dogs
| on the oxen, and when they fought we
( shot the old ones and captured the
! calves. When we started back we had
! to fight wolves all night. The brutes
! are extremely fierce. They are so bold
4 that 1 have killed them with an axe
( right at the tent door. They will not
/ only deVour ore of their number alive
/ when he is wounded, but they will ever
| eat themselves. It sounds like a big
/ story, but I shot one of them in the
| foot; he keeled over and I supposed
that he was dead, but when I went tt
| get his hide a while afterwards he
| jumped up and hobbled off. I shot hirr
! again. ard when I got him I found thai
| he had actually eaten off his own leg
/ The warm blood had trickled down his
/ leg from the first wound and in hckins
| it off he had got a taste of the blood
| and started in on himself.
well. we had to fight these wolve!
| every night. so the only sleep we go
was in the daytime. The Esquimau1
| followed US, and one day when We wer,
| worn out and both had fallen asleeI