Evening star., 1922-11-05

might have a companion and guar
dian in the next world while await
ing the arrival of its parents.
Necessarily all Eskimos formerly
were clothed in skins winter and
summer. as are the Smith sound Es-
kimos today. In their clothing lies
the secret of their apparent hardi-
hood in extreme temperatures of GO
and 20 degrees below zero. Peary
was the first to recognize the true
value of the native costume and TO
adopt 1t without change for his ardu-
Gus work. Porous wooden clothing ia
lieu of impervious skins has been the
cause of the death of many an arctic
: man.
| In Baffin Land and around the
shores of Hudson bay we find the Es-
kimos clothed as follows: A fawn
skin undersuft. worn with hair in;
caribou pants and coat, with hair out:
boots sealskin or made from the fore
legs of caribou: stockings, sealskin
or hare skin. mittens. sealskin and
young caribou.
In the far north bird skins are
used for Undertaking and polar
bear skin for pants. When thus
clothed one may sleep in comfort in
a snow bank at so and even 60 below
zero. 1t Will be remembered that
Peary never used sleeping bag, nor
did he permit any of US to do SO, on
the polar dash in 1909. ] must con-
fess that this was missed bit on the
night that We experienced "a below
zero.
THE arrival al the ship Of our two
| L Eskimo assistants and their fami-
! lies meant a new drain on our larder.
! for we must care for the lot Of them.
Nevertheless, we were glad to see
them. and knew that our goods in
payment would be proftably ex-
changed for warm skin clothing
beautifully sewn by the women and
: absolutely indispensable for winter
travel. And the old couple, father
and mother, bent with age and
wrinkled with the effects of bright
summer suns and driving winter
SHOWS. were doubly welcome. for 7
knew that in them we had store of
treasure-the tales and traditions Of
/ IuclI IdScp SlcEltS VI lilt lpl
! (spirits), of the Tunit tNorsemenl.
and of the terrible Adlet Gndiansl
who came from the interior and
massacred women and children.
! Today the Eskimo of southern
Bafhn Land is a servant TO the Hud
son Bay Company. subject to the
strict orders of the chief factor, and
with no knowledge OF where he shall
be one year hence; consequently he is
but a transient, and spends no time
upon a more substantial home than
tent during the summer and snow
home during the winter.
Once settled in their snow homes.
they began their daily and nightly
visits to the cabins of the Bowdoin.
which were mutually enjoyed.
From them We learned the particu-
lars Of the loss of Capt. Grant. all
his crew and his ship. which has been
more or less a mystery for the last
ten years.
Capt. Grant left his trading station
on tho eastern coast of Baffin Land
with large number of native assist
ants, including their wives and chill
dren. for the purpose of hunting both
whales and walrus in the vicinity OF
Salisbury and Nottingham islands,
| When near Nottingham Island a large
herd of walrus was sighted. Capt.
| Grant himself was in the crows nest
and in charge OF the ship. In his ex-
citement in endeavoring to overtake
the herd he ran the ship hard and
| fast upon a ledge distant a few hun
dred yards from the shore.
| Capt. Grant ordered all Eskimos to
man the boats and land their wives
and children upon Nottingham Island.
| together with half a ton of walrus
meat. This done. they were to re-
turn to the ship with the boats. Be-
cause Of the strong wind and sea
which arose shortly after their land.
ing the Eskimos were unable to re-
gain the ship. At daylight not sign
Of the ship was seen. Some weeks
later two frozen bodies were found.
one at the high water and one among
the rocks but few yards from the
beach, where the poor fellow had evil
denly crawled in vain attempt TO
find shelter. Nothing more is known
of the ship and her crew.
| No expedition ever had better or
| happier Christmas or more of an
| abundance of good things than ours.
Santa Claus lived so close to Bowdoin
harbor that it was but few minutes
| fast travel for his reindeer to de-
| liver a load of gifts right at our
| snow house on deck. And the din
ner! No one man could describe 1t,
for no one man of our party ever
heard of so many good things to eat.
After we had finished. all the Eski-
mos were invited to sit down at
table still piled high with good
things. When their dinner had set
tied bit and they were little more
at ease they were called out upon
the ice to see the fireworks which we
brought from home.
Next Sunday the final chapter of
New Trails in the Ice Wilderness
tells OF explorations to the great
lakes Of Baffin Land. of the release of
the Bowdoin from the ice and of the
| journey home.
| Copyright. 1927