The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-20
SHARED ESEIMOS' HARDSHIpS
rHT SrEFtNSSOS-aS
ENPFDTTION'S WORN.

Members 90 the Arctic Party whe went
10 stud, Rrmote E.kimss and zsoisE-
heal Conditions Nearly Ready to Ne.
wynHaa To Turn keGmelaik. 50
Tts Stsfansson- Anderson Arctic exps-
dition, financed nv the American Muse um
Of Natural History IN cooperation with tho
Geological Survey OF the Canadian Gov
eminent. il planning 10 come out Of the
field in the frozen north soon. Making
q geological survey Of the Arctic country
10 peculiarly diiiioult. due largely to tina
problems Of transportation OF the outfit,
The accumulation of specimens. severe
Gold weather. limited food supplies and
oshsr .:...vations.
With tn. close OF this expedition MIR.
Strfansson will have Ave years know ledge
OF the t.skimos. He has accomplished
much in procuring records Of songs and
short tales. working To ascertain definitely
tn. presence and variations OF folk tales
throughout the various tribes. He has
u complete list of words used by the
Sl,amans in ceremonials. and he also has
q lsrg. series OF head measurements
and numerous photographs. All these
results of the expedition. scientific men
cav. will POSSESS unusual value. represent
ing work accomplished in spite Of great
obstacles set by the Arctic winter and by
the necessity Of turning kogmollik.-
Turning Kogmollik' in Eskimo means
To join forces with the kogmollik Eskimo
Of the Mackenzie delta and eastw ard.
DIRE sing as they do and wandering with
Thorn to get a living from the country.
Any man who goes into the Arctic antici-
pates ths possibility Of facing starvation
unless he takes n ship. II is impossible
% carry with dog team OF small boat
enough To- serve for more than a short
journey And il at the end OF the Jour
ney game proves scarce. or wandering
bands Of Eskimos cannot be found re-
treat from the situation becomes difficult
The Stefansson- Anderson expedition
differs from the ordinary Arctic ventures
in that little was taken in the way OF food
supplies. clothing or house materials.
The primary aim Of the expedition was
chronological. to live among the primitive
people Of the far north: Ia learn their
folklore. language. songs and customs.
Therefore the leaders OF the museum
expedition donned Eskimo clothes. which
are said 10 weigh no more than a
spring suit. and yet allow one tn sit COM
fortably on a block OF ice. and with the
back To the wind Ia fsh through a hole
in the ice the temperature being So
degrees below zero. and feel the cold
only in the face.
The Stsfansson- Anderson expedition
eft New York in May. 1905, proceeded
overland TO Edmonton, the worlds |
greatest f,r market. then 1000 miles
to the coast. The final good-by was !
seni back from Athabasca landing which |
WAS the jumping on place FOR communi- !
cation with the museum.
on. object 81 the expedition was 10 !
make IA scientific study Of little known
Esklmos. especially those tribes east
of The Mackenzie River. and to obtain
a. much material az possible TO illustrate
their customs. A secondary object was
to make a geological survey. procuring
collections Of mammals. birds and fish,
this branch Of the work being entrusted
Ia Dr Anderson.
The great interest OF the expedition
centres. however. in the chronological
kenzie. at Coronation Gulf. with its Cop
pe-mine River and on Victoria Land 10
The north Although IL was the desire
OF the expedition to go dire;tly To these
ea-isrn Eskimo tribes. their plans mis-
ca 'ried. because no whaling vessel visited
the region in the entire season. the first
time such thing had occurred in forty
years.
Therefore the expedition was forced 20 |
winter in the lower Colville region. The
failure Of the whaling vessels meant not
only the inability 20 travel eastward from
tha toiviile bat also that the winter must
be ISassed there without sufficient supplies.
The museum made numerous Efforts To
get supplies north. and on the letter files
may he seen copies Of letters written by
DR.. Bump,ls to steam whaling companies,
owners Of private whalers captains Of
schooners and OF United States revenue
cutters In answer TO these letters only
courteous RESPONSE were received with
ne satiye results There was no vessel
Of any sort going north in tn. summer Of
l&a.
A. last news vas receiv ed that one
steamship company Of san Francisco
would send a freight steamer the Herman,
10 Herschel Island and would carry sup
plisr. The supplies left san Francisco
A pril ~. 1870 but on account of the diff
cul,ie-s Of Arctic navigation they had not
the las, letters We're sent out.
70 The winter on the Colvill~ did not prove
D. difficult a. had been feared and the
summer Of 1919 was spent in going east
ward. Finally Stefansson succeeded in
Cape Parry. near enough 10 the
foppermine for n dash there AZ the open
ing Of the spring Of 1910. Tn. winter in
the Cape Parry district proved hard
lines winter indeed for the members Of
the expedition. At Iangton BAY Stefan.-
son and his Eskimos hunted with little
SUCCESS. This proved unfortunate. a.
all were short Of deer skins. a very nece-.-
Nary artici" Of apparel in the Arctic
region. Letters from the expedition
now report all in fit condition. showing
no serious effects from Arctic hard.hips,
and saying thar Sisfansson was planning
N - ia - a. A. |