The sun., 1903-12-14

FIRST IMMIGRANTs FROM ASIA.

FIRST IMMIGRANTs FROM ASIA.
Last Link in the Presf ~ to where the
ESQumsux Creased - Grocnland.
The fact h well estab blished that the Esqui-
nnaux ars descendants Of hardy wanderers
from the frozen tundra Of Siberia who
crossed Behring Strait many centuries ago.
They were long on their eastward journey,
and by the time Greenland was reached
they had travelled nearly half around the
world in the northern zone.
Il was not known until this year where
they crossed TO the Greenland coast, but the
last link in the chain Of evidence is now
supplied by the map OF Sverdrup's travels
In lsoo- 1902 and the light he has thrown
on the last stage Of Esquimau wanderings is
more interesting and important than the
three large islands he found in the unknown
sea north Of the Parry Archipelago.
The bridge on which they crossed from
Asia TO Greenland was the ever frozen SEQ
north OF our continent. Their halting places
on the way were the inhospitable shores OF
the many islands strewn over that sea-
Their route Is marked by the ruins OF huts
az they passed from island to island; and IT
was traced fifty years ago as far east as Lam
caster Sound, whose Wide mouth opens on
BafYin Bay. beyond which Greenland lies
These ruins are distinguished from those
Of abandoned Esquimau encampments OF
modern times by their appearance OF great
antiquity.
The camps which Esquimaux or explorers
deserted fifty years ago may appear to-day
as fresh as though they were occupied last
year; but the ancient ruins are covered
with. moss and lichens and are often 80
indistinct that it is difficult to recognize
then az the remains Of huts which sheltered
human beings before Columbus discovered
America; around them are tell-tale heaps
of the bones of bears, seals and birds, some
OF them cut with sharp Implements; and also
ancient graves, stone fox traps or pieces OF
sledges.
The journey to Greenland probably occu-
pied several generations. The impelling
motive that kept the Esquimaux moving on
across the frozen straits and along the un-
known shores was the never ceasing search
for better hunting and fishing grounds.
Compared with the shores and waters OF
Greenland, teeming with many forms OF
life, the great archipelago is an Arctic
desert. The struggle for existence among
the Arctic nomads was never more intense
than on their eastward pilgrimage.
At last they looked out toward Green
land over a sea too wide for them to cross
and beyond which the land OF better promise
was hidden. Here Sverdrup took up the
story of their wanderings as revealed by
the ruins along shores he was the first to
tread.
Turning north across Jones Sound some
Of the wanderers hunted along the east
shore Of Ellesmere Rand, slowly moving
northward till they came to the narrow
channel Of Smith Sound; others made their
way up the west shore and ascended the deep
Bay Fiord whose head is separated only by
q narrow neck Of land from fiords leading
straight to Smith Sound. Moving along
these mighty cations they met their fellows
who had taken the other route. and looking
forty-five miles over the ice they saw the
mountains OF Greenland.
Here at last they found resting place-a
region where millions Of edible birds nest on
the cliffst where reindeer browse on the
summer meadows and where currents and
drifting bergs keep pools and lanes Of water
sort. Along these shores from Smith Sound
to Cape York igloos were built by these i'm
migrants from Asia, the progenitors OF the
Arctic Highlanders Of whom Peary has
written SO fully.
But there was one other stream Of immi-
portant Of all. One band OF travellers, NOV
ing north along the west shore of Ellesmere
Land, did not turn east up Bay Fiord to
Smith Sound. Sverdrup has traced their
footsteps, as they moved northward, along
the coast to Greedy Ford. A little to the
northeast Of this ford are the ruins Of native
camps found by Greely; and the supposi
ton now is that these wanderers crossed
Grant Land to Greenland, skirted its north
ern shore and went down the east side
where game abounds and Esquimau ruins
are found as far north as that coast has
been ascended.
Sverdrup's discoveries incline European
experts to the view that the 500 East Green
land natives and the 10000 of southwest
Greenland are all descended from the wan
derers who travelled around the north end
of the island. This theory seems all the
more probable because no ruins have been
found on the long stretch Of west coast be-
tween the home Of the Arctic Highlanders
and that Of the Danish Greenlanders; and
there is no tradition that they ever met.