The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30


while the Arctic Sea still is frozen
and there remains enough ice on the
land to permit travel with SIeds and
dogs. the Eskimo of the Stone
Age" leave their snow-viIIages and
move to the American continent,
where they establish summer hunt
ing camps well south though still
3 within the Arctic Circle. After his
t-Sojourn on the winter ice with these
primitive people, Mr.. Stefansson
! similarly journeyed into the CONT
: nent. and spent summer with them,
; hunting caribou and collecting their
: tales. To-dsy's instaIment covers his
, summer and the following winter.
; BY VILHJALMUR STEFANSSoN.
!, A we proceed east along Dol
~ phin and Union Straits from.
Cape Bexley We found traces
of Eskimo parties going in from their
winter hunt on the sea ice to cache
their clothing, household property and
stores OF oil on the beach preparatory
!. to moving inland for their summer
caribou hunt. The caribou in this dis
:. trict are scarce in spring and difficult
: to get by the hunting methods of the
large numbers either, for these people
know nothing Of nets.
Our archaeological investigations
. have shown us that the knowledge of
fishing by nets never extended further
east along the north shore OF the main
land than Cape Parry. and the Copper
Eskimo have no method OF catching
fish except that of hooks and spears.
The hooks are, like most of their
weapons, made Of native copper. There
tsno barb. and unless the fish be pulled
out OF the water as soon as he takes
I the hook he is sure to get Off again.
For this reason they cannot use set
lines.
AS soon as the straits began tor mar
row, east of Cape Bexley, We began
to find more and more frequently the
tracks of the northward migrating
bands OF COW caribou bound for Vic
toria Island. At first we did not see,
on an average, more than ten or fifteen
animals day. but later they increased
In number, and with our excellent rifles
rive found not the slightest difficulty in
supplying ourselves with plenty OF ven
siison and in having enough to feed also
>exx.s people whose villages we visited.
siaribou Takes to the Ice.
~ In going north from the American
mainland caribou take the ice without
hesitation. 1t cannot be tirat they see
land to the north of the straits, for
s. half of the time at least the land is hid
den In haze, even from the human eye,
(which Is far keener than that of carl
s. bou. Neither can 1t be sense of smell
that guides them, for their northward
progress Is not interfered with by
change of wind. They will sometimes
go ten miles out on the ice and lie down
there. then wander around in circles
for several hours or half day and
. finally proceed north again.
~ The bands generally were from five
to twelve, mostly females about to DROP
their fawns. but also yearlings and
atwo-year- of both sexes. All were
skin poor and the marrow in Their
Sbones was as blood. but we had with US
plenty of seal oil. so the two together
made a satisfactory diet.
less, partly because the hair is loose
but also because they are full of holes
ranging in size from that of a pea &c
StfsSt of navy bean, from The 6rub'
Of the bot fly, which infest the back,
OF the animals. When spread out t
dry the skin of the spring killed carl
bou looks like sieve.
In general, We tried to get a maj
from each party we found to accom-
pany us to the next party or villag,
to introduce us properly and guar,
against possible mishap. but when NJ
one was with us We always had I,
10 through the Formally of standin,
outside the house until some on
could get little blubber, cut 1t in piece
and let each OF us swallow one piece
This is the ordinary test to deter
mine whether the visitor is human o
b spirit. for 1t Is a we'll known fac
that spirits will not swallow blubbel
We found the people everywhere
when this formality was over, uni
formly hospitable and glad TO see US
They were especially glad we came a
this time OF year. for the fishing wa
precarious and most OF them were o.
short rations.
Commonly my Eskimo would pitc
camp. while 1 went in search of carl
bou. On hearing the report of m
fife a sledge would, come from tn
village for the meat. Although tn
caribou bands were small, often man
aged 10 save ammunition by alignin
two and getting them in one sho
Cnless 1t struck large animal
vertebre. the soft-pointed bullet G
the six and one-half millimeter Mann
iicher -Schoenauer. despite its mush
rooming, retained killing force afte
passing through the body Of the frs
caribou.