The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-06
LOUIE REESE
SPECULATE ON THE ORIGIN OF ESKIMO Many Theories Given on Ancestors of Blonde
 Tribe

From the London Standard.
 Professor Stefansson's discovery ot blonde Eskimo tribes in Victoria Land confirms the expectations of the most re- cent explorers in Arctic Canada. As soon as the Arctic Circle is reached in the northwest territories. Eskimos bearing a distinct resemblance to Europeans. and recognized by other Canadian Eskimo as white men," begin to appear. From the Great Bear lake eastwards past the Cop permine river to the Great Fish river scattered settlements of these fair-skinned Eskimo are found. English investieators, such as MT. Cosmo D. Mclvill, F.R.G.S., and Mr. John Hornby have noted their existence and sought for it's explanation.
 It had been anticipated that still further north Eskimo tribes which were more purely blonde and more true to the traits of the white man would be discovered. Professor stefanssons study of the tribes In Victoria Land seems to prove that this anticipation had been correct The facts establised by the explorers so far show that the white Eskimo remains in pure development in the far north, and that after reaching the mainland he begins to display a hybrid type.
 But though thse facts are fairly well established, ethnologists differ considera- bly as to the origin of these blonde Els kimo. A leading ethnologist, seen by representative yesterday. disputed Pro lessor Stenfansson's idea that they re- scend from the old Morse colony in Green land. "The Viking King Ericksons col ony is supposed to have disappeared in the fifteenth century, he said. 'and the story goes that 1t was exterminated by the Eskimo. It would, however. be a very interesting variation of the story If It were found that these colonists were ab- sorbed by the Eskimo, and had, indeed, created a new Eskimo type. One can quite imagine that the legend of exter- imitation could have originated in thi5 way. suppose that this theory could be be established if Professor Stefansson' details of the dialect spoken by these tribes proves that it is radically a corrup- tion of the ancient Morse language.
 'But it seems to me that if thero are only about two thousand white Eskimo 1 in Victoria Land, and not many more Tn the northwest territories. their origina need not be placed so far back as the date 1 of the Morse colony. Granted that they could have been produced from amaiga- nation with white men and that there | are not very many of them. 1t IS possipie l that they may be deScenuants oI ihuci more recent colonies For instance. In
 is4s some 4O0 European sailors were aban- l doned in the region of Victoria Land and lived there for some time. Victoria Land has been a favorite wintering place ! for the ships of British explorers.
 'sThe question is whether sixty years l that is to say. about two generations. |: 1 too short time for so pure an amalga- l nation as these tribes in Victoria Land l show. The European type certainly be. comes dominant very quickly, as one can i see, for instance, from the Bear Lake ln- dians, who have intermarried with white
 men. If, however. the idea of their ori- l gin from the Morse colony is correct. wc
 ought to be able to find remnants 3f them along the route which they took from Greenland through the other northern islands.
 There is, however, another story which Is advanced to account for them. anf
 which squares with the fact that they seem never to have heard of white man | This. of course. means that they have nc l tradition of afnalgamation. however re
 cent or distant in time. The theory i! that these tribes arc relics of the dayi when Arctic Canada was temperate. The,