Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-09

means year. and the summer 'Onsah."
Days are sleeps The months are
moons and the periods are named in
accord with the movements of various
creatures of the chase.
In early September, at Annootok, the
sun dips considerably under the northern
horizon. There is no night At sunset
and at sunrise storm clouds hit the burst
of color. which are the glory of twilight.
and the electric afterglow Is generally
lost In the dull gray which bespeaks the
torment of the storms of the setting sun.
The gloom of the coming winter night
now thickens. The splendor of the sum-
mer day has gone.
A day of six. months and a night of six
months Is often ascribed to the polar
regions as a whole. But this is only true
of a very small area about the pole.
AS we come south the sun slips under
each twenty-four hours. Preceding and
following the night, as we come from the
pole, there Is a period of day and night
which lengthens with the descent Of latt-
tude.
It Is. this period which enables us to
retain the names of the usual seasons
summer for the double days. fall for the
period Of the setting sun. This season
begins when the sun first dips under the
ice at midnight for a few moments.
The Arctic Night.
These moments increase rapidly. yet
one hardly appreciates that the sun is
departing until day and night are OF
equal length, for the night remains
light, though not cheerful. Then the
day rapidly shortens and darkens, and
the sun sinks until at least there is but
a mere glimmer of the glory of day.
Winter is limited to the long night,
and spring applies to the days Of the
| rising sun, a period Corresponding to
the autumn days Of the setting sun.
AT Annootok the midnight sun Is first
seen over the sea horizon on April 23
1t dips in the sea on August 10. 1t thus
encircles the horizon, giving summer and
continuous day for 11S days. 1t sets at
midday on October "a. and Is absent
period of prolonged night correspond
ing to the day and rises on February
20. Then follow the eye-opeping days
OF spring.
| In the fall, when the harmonizing in
fiuence of the sun is withdrawn, there
begins a battle of the elements, which
continues its smoky agitation until stilled
| by the hopeless frost of early night. At
this time, though field work was pain
| full, the needs of our venture forced us
| to persistent action in the chase of wal
rus, seal, narwhal and white whale. We
| harvested food and fuel.
Before winter ice spread over the hunt
ing grounds ptarmigan hares and reindeer
We're sought to supply the table during
| the long night with deicacies, while bear
and fox pleased the palates of the Eski-
! mos and their pelts clothed all.
| Many long journeys were made to Sc
cure an important supply Of grass to pad
I, boots and mittens, and also to secure
moss, which serves. as wick for the
! Eskimo lamp. The months of Sept ember
and october were indeed important
| periods Of anxious seeking for reserve
| supplies.
: Aid From the Eskimos.
4
/ stimulated along the Greenland coast
(which did not require general supervision.
| The Eskimos knew what was required
without a word from us. and knew better
than we did where to find the things
| worth while.
An outline of the polar campaign was
| sent from village to village with a few
general instructions. Each local group
| of natives was to fill an important role
and bring together the tremendous
amount Of material required for our
house and sled equipment.
! Each Eskimo village has as rule GER
| tain game advantages. In some places
| foxes and hares were abundant. Their
| skins were in great demand for coats and
| stockings, and Eskimos must not only
/ gather the greatest number possible but
| must prepare the skins and make them
into properly fitting garments.
| In other places reindeer were abundant.
| This skin was very much in demand for
| sleeping bags. while the sinew was re-
| quired for thread.
| In still other places seal was the luck
| of the chase. and it's skin was one of our
| most important needs. OF it boots were
| made and an immense amount of line and
| lashings was prepared.
| Thus in one way or another every man
| woman and most of the children of this
| tribe of 80 people were kept busy in the
| service of the expedition. The work was
! we'll done and with much better knowl-
| edge of the fitness of things than could
be done by any possible gathering of
| white men.
Use of the Narwhal.
| The quest of the walrus and the mar
| whal came in our own immediate plan
! OF adventure. The unicorn, or narwhal
| does not often come under the eye Of the
white man, though one of the first ami
| mails to leave our shores.
! 1t gave for brief spell good results in
| sport and useful material. The blubber
| Is the pride of every housekeeper. for it
| gives a long, hot fame to the lamp, with
| no smoke to spot the igloo finery.
| The skin is regarded as quite d deli
| cacy Cut into squares it looks and tastes
| like scallops, with only a slight aroma of
| train oil.
The meat dries easily and is thus priced
as an appetizer or as a lunch to be eaten
| 81, r,uto in sled ar kNak In this shane it