Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-07

new LIUnI UN NUhNE
MEN Of FAR NORTH
Sydney, n. S.. Sept. 4.-[P)-Old
legends telling Of Morse settlements
made in America by ancient vikings
long before Columbus sailed to the
new world, are given further sup
by the sub-Arctic expedition of the
Field Museum of Chicago.
The expedition. headed by Comdr.
Donald B. Macmillan, Arctic explor-
er, and including three women and
five scientists. returned here today
after two and half months spent
footsteps and in collecting fauna and
fora specimens of Labrador and
Greenland. Many rare specimens
were obtained and important facts
about animal life in the frozen north
were uncovered.
<NlStiS SApiOi III = 90 sdhlHiCi pas
time has the endorsement of three
society women.
Returning from the far north
where they went as members of the
Field expedition, the women, Mrs
Rowe B. Metcalf, of Providence. r.
L., wife of the owner of the Sachem
III, one of the expedition ships, Miss
Maude Fisher of New York and
Mics Marion !, ,f yNtSoasca{
pressed enthusiasm over the voyage
and said they We're eager TO make
a similar trip again.
The women did not take part in
the scientific work of the expedition,
but spent their time fishing, rowing
and visiting the Eskimo people in
the villages.
On one occasion they were given
an exciting moment, when. while out
boating. they ran into two walruses.
Having been warned of the ferociouS
nature of the animals, they made
haste to leave the locality and sue
ceeded in getting away before the
animals could make an attack.
Three youths under 20 We're with
the expedition. They were Kenneth
RaWson, 10, son of Frederick H.
Rawson of Chicago: Joseph n. Field.
IA, son of Stanley Field, head Of the
Field Museum of Chicago, and Rich
ard Salmon, II, son of Thomas Sal
mon, authority on mental diseases.
After replenshing stores and fuel.
the expeditions ships, the Bowdoin
and Sachem HI were to go down the
, coast to Wiscasset. Commander
MacMillan's home port, where they
are due to arrive next Friday.
Commander Macmillan said he
hopes to return next year and make
excavations on the scene of the an
cient ruins.
There is every probability" he
said that the ancient ruins on
Sculpin Island, 20 miles off Main.
Labrador. are the remains of a
Morse settlement,
"On-the side next to the mainland.
we found what happened to be the
rock foundations of 10 to IL houses.
From their shape there was no
mistaking their purpose. but unfor-
tunately there was nothing in the
nature of inscriptions to prove con-
clusively that they had been built by
the vikings.
That they were hundreds Of
years old was apparent from the
condition of the lichens with which
the foundations were partly covered.
From a scientific standpoint. it is
easily proved that the foundations
|. have been there for a very long time,
perhaps 1000 years.
The Eskimo tradition, handed
down from father to son through
many generations. Is that the stone
igloos were built by men who came
~, n
the place Tunitvik, which. in the
the Norsemen.
that there was Viking settlement,
on ScuIpin is the striking resemb-
lance the ruins there bear to those
we explored last year in Greenland.
There was every similarity and only
the inscriptions wanting to give
proof positive.
Because we were bound on a differ
ent mission, I was unable to spend
sufficient time at Main to thoroughly
explore the old place, but next year
hope to excavate and perhaps uncover
an inscription or. better still. find the
grave of one of those early inha hi
tants. in that case it will be easy to
tell by the skull whether the body is
that of an Eskimo or white man, and
if Norseman and viking, there will
be in the grave indisputable evidence
of the fact"
Comdr. Macmillan said there are re-
ppted viking ruins at two other places
along the Labrador coast. One is at
point where he always stops on his
way north. and he photographed last
year what the Eskimos call two
houses. These are caves in the face
of the cliff which have been walled up
with stone in front to make them hab-
liable. Inside are hedplaces, sooty
roofs and other evidences of human
habitation.
They are, however. such structures
as might be made by any shipwrecked
white men. and l am not convinced
that they are viking remains" he said.
There are also reported to be same
near Hopedale, similar to those on
Sculpin Island. The latter are exactly
similar to those near Gothaab. Green
land, which I visited last year and
which are authentic viking ruins"
Among the trophies Brought back
was wafrus weighing 1900 pounds,
and which was shot in Melville Bay.
1t will be reconstructed and sent to
the Field Museum in Chicago, as will
the other specimens.
All members of the expedition were
in excellent health. They said the ex-
pedition was "crammed with interest