The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-31
ARCTIC RICH IN FOOD,
SAYS STEFANSSON
Explorer Back From Arctic
Says Polar Area Is Easiest
Place to Live.
HARDSHIP TALES DENIED
Men and Dogs Fat After Long
Trip-Finds Five Grass
Covered Islands.

oltlhhbNDll, ulStONtTtT
the Blond Eskimos and Ave new islands
in the Arctic and eraser OF King Chris
tian Island, who has been studying the
barren wastes OF the north for five years
for the Canadian Government arrived
yesterday in New York. Despite the
serious illness Through which he recently
passed he looks as strong as the musk
OF. one Of his favorite foods, and an AMI
NAL which he Is anxious to see domest.
Gated for the benefit OF the people Of the
North.
It will be recalled that when the Rar-
LUX. the largest of his six ships was
lost. in the beginning OF the first year, II
was assumed that the expedition would
become a failure. Everybod though,
that with the loss OF pemmican, sclen-
tito equipment and supplies Of various
kinds the party would have TO come
home.
Many times the rumor came that the
Stefansson party had persisted. Instead
Stefansson has returned to tell Amer.
cans that the Arctic In an easy
place to make living In. and the high
explorer does not have to deal with.
At the Harvard Club. where he met
many visitors yesterday incidentally
he is a Harvard MANI, he remarked:
II do not think that there 10 any easier
place to make a living than In the polar
area II one knows how. The food prob
lem Is very simple. You go out and kill
animals and eat them. On the floating
ice in the lanes OF open water there are
seals and polar bears. On the land are
the musk OK and the reindeer. Every
polar island that have ever seen is free
from ice in summer and carpeted with
grass and vegetation.
Il do not know where the commonly
accepted idea comes from that every
polar island IL covered with ice. We
never kill an animal and then waste II,
although we might kill a polar bear
when We are on the pressure ranges
(moving snow and ice carried TO and fro
by winds) and caffy away on the sledke
only 200 bounds Of meat. There is al.
ways plenty OF food.
Party Had Plenty to Eat,
with other Arctic explorers 1t was
always a question of food. Food was
dealt out In rations. Everybody had hi.
eye on the grub pile wondering II they
would have any food to get back on.
We travelled 1000 miles a year and We
never lost time seeking food or suffered
from hunger. indeed we never lost 4
meal. OF the 100 dogs that we used We
lost only one by accident and none by
starvation. When they came out they
were as fat as pigs. The men on the
journey gained weight"
Stefansson threw into the discard all
the theories and practices Of other Arctic
explorers with the result that he and his
party suffered no hardships. they lived
comfortably, they accomplished their OBJ
5ect. and with the exception Of the men
who were lost in the Karluk all the men
came through In good shape.
Probably one reason why Stefansscn
carried practically no food was that trav-
elllng for hundreds and sometimes thou
sands OF miles nothing could be placed
in a cache, for when you came TO look
for 1t II would have disappeared and Ne
about as hard TO md rs a barge drifting
in midocean," as the explorer put H. AL
Arctic explorers, said Stefansson. carry
light loads, the lighter being the easier
to travel with. The men advance as far
as the food will go and try 10 get back
before II II gone. Stefansson did d.
rectly the opposite.
"Peary. for instance" continued In.
cAplOTeTg NOulu OUT WIN twenty
or thirty sleds. When three or four were
empty they and part OF the party would
so back, with food enough 10 last them
20 reach the base. And 80 II Went
Finally at the end when the destiuatlon
was almost reached only two or three
would be left and they would make
quick dash and then back TO hs base
Under Peary this mothod was carried 70
Its highest perfection.
Now we intended 10 use this method
as far as that went, but In the early
stages of our explorations We lost the
Karluk. most OF our scientific equipment
and most Of our good men. so We had
the task Of doing the work without TIC
equipment We had to do 1t with
Best of Equipment.
Incidentally, the Canadian Goye-n-
ment equipped the expedition without
thought OF expense. The scientists cane
from Canada, the United States. Dem
mark. France. Australia, New Zealand
and Scotland. the men receiving their
education in the universities ~ N0i'r
Toronto, Harvard. Yale, Massachusetts
Institute OF Technology, Iowa, Oxford
Glasgow, Edinburgh and Paris berg
trained In oceanoeraphy, terrestrial mas
netism, marine biology, geology, to11F
raphy and anthropology. one ~ the re-
suits obtained by even one department
that OF the biologists. will require eleven
large volumes
Stefansson tried a new method or NY
exploration trips "On our JOURNEYS We
took plenty Of clothes, scientific inst"H-
ments picked UP from the other Shi1'
and even books" the explorer related
I'VE were not particular about food. as
We expected 10 find IL as We went We
picked out the best meat In the coHa'r
We preferred musk OK and rc.nier
which Is the same as caribou IN i'
summer time the best meat Is wolf. 'n'
the wolf Is very fat in the summer ,"r
The musk OK and reindeeJ are very t'''
then, and you need fats! The VOL
very much like beef; there IS 10 notice
able odor and no unpleasant taslr.
The most powerful gun is ts .:
millimeter Manlicher-S choeuhor r"'.a'.-
bered by tho Gibbs in England. WIN
velocity OF 1851 feet. which, I '1,nN
two or three hundred feet better '.'.
the army rifles now In use We carried
100 rounds. There arc thirty-three
lets to a pound, and we have heen a.
to average 126 pounds OF meat TO en-
cartridge.
~ pound of ammunition gives rs 100
tons OF food That also means thai
can always take enough aununIuo'
carry you three or four years II ''l
were to buy meat for silver dom
1t would take about nftecn times
much silver as II takes in lead. In -
lead Is better than checks or bank note
Actually travelling with ammun.N'
served me better than travelling W.
lead. A bullet 10 a check that Is hot
ored everywhere. There Is no profr'
The explorers lived In snow houses
stead OF tents. -Four men could go