The Nome nugget., 1920-09-18
CAPT. JOE BERNARD
 BACK FROM FOUR
 YEARS ARCTIC VOYAGE

After | four year stay in the almost untrlckeI Polar regions east of the Mackenzie River during which he ac- quired q remarkab collection of re- lies of earlier explorers and numerous quaint and odd curios obtained among the little known Eskimo people desig mated by Stefansson as the blond Eskimo Capt. Joe Bernard, whose already won him wide fame as q voy- ager into the strange places of the earth, returned to Nome carly vester- day morning on his stout little schoon- CT Teddy Bear. Bernard and his ves- sel pulled into the roadstead shortly after 7 a. m. after q somewhat stormy trip down the Northwest Alaska coast. Beina.r1 was accompanied on his ad- ventuIous cruise by A. Andersu.. who is interested in the venture which hes kept the schooner far beyond the border of civilization for the past four years. and also by male member Of the 50 called "blond Eskimo" tribe whom Bernard brought down with him kind Of people they are. The name
 f this example of MT. Stefansson's much advertised "blonde's' is Apukt- wana. In appearance he is little diff ferent from the Eskimo of this sec tion. His home is in the bleak re- zion along the Southern shores nf Co, onation Gulf. He is stout built with q. light copper colorcd skin, straight black hair and possesses sparhling dark brown eyes. The cut of his clothes is about the only thing by which he may be distinguished from the local Eskisnn. Rern;ird says he is an average example of the males Of the "blonie" tribe. Bernard, like other recent visitors to the Corona tion Gulf region. is in no degree in chned to endorse Stefansson's dc scrtption of the alleged blondes and
 
 says while there are some of them r'1o Fave reddish brown hair and light eyes, they are scarcely light enough 10 no considered blondes, even bv an extf:a ordinary stretch of the imasina- tion. Capt. BernaGd is figuring on taking the qu:nint savae to the outside ,1 int tS. proper light before the world.
 i'1,rinc his stay in the far North RspT1ard has had experiences enough to i'll several books. He and the Teddy Bear spent the greater part of their four years absence in the region be- tween the Adelaide Peninsula and the Southsastoen end of Victoria Land. Two years of the period was spent at Taylor Island. a small island situated i7 Victoria Strait. q short distanc eas: nf Victoria Land. He also visited King Williams Land on the east side Of Victoria Strait and obtained from tha: section q number of relics of car'ier explorers. some of which may have been left by the Ross or Franklin expeditions of 1929 or 1S45 ,'esoective- lN. He also obtained a considerable number Of curios from the littie n,v-r seafSon of the continent shelf known a9 Roo.@.a Felix Land.
 tfsrnae1 left Nome in the Teddy rsa- during the summer of 19l6 ,nd nrritoG 9t Taylor Island in August 7atT, af:er traversing the southern horAer of the Beaufort Sea. Doiplin and ITaion Strait and Coronation Gulf.
 Owing 70 adverse ice conditions he WIS nnab'e to leave that point with his schooner until September 1919 Se rad intended to push further to the eG 1tward during 1918 and possible ' ke his way to the Atlantic Coast 3nt the plan was thwarted through the Teddy Bear being frozen in fo- r1o years at Taylor Island. .Afts. getting away from the island. Ber- siHit dttSTli!'teu to DIutteN ItTI1pT east- but having got late start,s the Tchoorer was unable to proceed far 'inrore heinz again frozen in, this time 't tbe mouth of the KagrolS River on Dc southern shore of Coronation Gulf. | During the winter Capt. Bernard wis., '-etl King William land and adjacent 'cr.fons picking up furs and curios. He remained at Kagrok River un.il l 'aSt July and then, having decided t6sI rctrace his way to Nome, he proceed I
 fNnvtiaunA nn p>~A T@aH