The Detroit times., 1912-09-11
EXPLORER BACK FROM
ARCTIC FINDS LOST TRIBE
Stefanson Believes He Found
Greenland Scandinavians,
Last Heard of in 1412

SEATTLE. Wash. Sept. 10.--vilk-
je ffar 6tefansson after spending
moro than four years in Arctic ex-
ploration, returned 10 Seattle yester.
day by steamer from Nome, Alaska.
and told of his probable discovery o.
tie descendants OF the Scandinavian.
colonists of Greenland. Who were
last heard OF in 1412, and who, when
trade with Greenland was resumed in
the seventeenth century, had disap-
scared.
6;efansson and his companion. Dr.
u NJ. Anderson. OF Forest City, Iowa,
made valuable geological and eth
noloRical collection, which Is now on
the steam whaler, Belvedere, with Dr,
anderson. and will arrive In san
Francisco the first week OF November
OF the way to the American Museum
OF National History in New York.
StefsnEson will leave for New York
tomorrow night
Stefansson reports DIR. Andersen in
perfect health. The Belvedere Is now
whaling OF Wrangel Island. Siberia.
During more than four years Stefans-
son and Anderson were together only
nine months as they could cover
more ground by separating
Stefansson and Anderson went to
the Arctic in 1908 by way OF Vinnt
peg. Edmonton and down the Mac
kerzie river to its mouth. They were
bound for Coronation Gulf, region
marked on Canadian maps as unin-
habited and which they had beer
warned to avoid. Stefansson spent
the first winter at the mouth OF Col
willie river, Alaska, the second at Cape
Parry: the third on Coronation Coll
and Victoria Land; the fourth at
Care Parry.
On leaving the Arctic he made q
.eisnroly journey alone with a dog
team from Cape Parry TO Point Bar
row, 1000 miles, visiting all the Eski-
mo settlements along the coast. He
left Parry March % and reached
Point Barrow June 13. The eZpedt
ton made its headquarters for col
lecting at Bailey Island, a resort OF
whaling vessels, east from the Mack
enzie river, and here the material
gathered was placed on the Belve-
deere. II will not be unpacked unit.
# arrives at the New York museum.
The feature OF the collection from
a popular standpoint are the skins,
skulls and leg bones OF nineteen bar
rem ground grizzly bears ready for
mounting. Only one barren ground
grizzly is in any museum. II Is sup
posed that bears Of two species are
in the collection.
The barren ground grizzly attaina
a weight or 700 pounds. II lives or
the thick roots OF an herb. At the
approach OF winter. the bear, which
has taken on four-inch layer OF fat
burrows q hole In a river bank and
permits itself to be covered by snow.
Apparently the bear hibernates with
out loss OF energy. for In April, when
II leaves It's hole, the fat Is still In
tact. However, In April and May
there Is no food and the bear grows
thin before the herbs are obtainable
IA June.
Or. Anderson found pottery farther
east than ever before known, and
also grass baskets.
or the so-called white Eskimos o.
Coronation Gulf. Stefansson, said:
= They were taller than the Green
land Eskimos, but not so tall as the |
Alaska Eskimos. They spoke Eskimo, |
though / thought ! detected some |
Ncrse words, and they lived in the
typical Eskimo way. visited thir-
teen groups OF these people, who
number probably 1000 and saw 1000
cf them. Ten OF these groups OF
tribes had never come into contact |
with whites"