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IN THE HEART
OF THE ARCTICS

IN THE HEART OF THE
ARCTICS

PEARY ON THE BRIDGE OF THE "ERIK*

In the Heart

of the Arctics

NICHOLAS SENN, M. D., Ph. D., LL. D., C M.

Professor of Surgery, The University of Chicago;

Professor of Military Surgery, Rush Medical

College; Surgeon-General of Illinois; Chief of

Operating Staff with the Army in the Field

during the Spanish-American War

CHICAGO
W. B. CONKEY COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

BY
W. B. CONKEY COMPANY

kok

CONTENTS

PASS

In the Heart of the Arctics 13

The Polar Region as a Summer Health Resort for Pa-
tients Afflicted with Pulmonary Tuberculosis 19

An Unexpected Opportunity 23

The "Erik" 27

Newfoundland Seal Fishery 31

Off for Greenland 39

A Glimpse of Labrador Life 47

Through Belle Isle Strait 55

From Labrador to Greenland 63

Greenland 75

Along the West Coast of Greenland 89

In North Star Bay 109

The Midnight Sun 7 123

A Great Inland Ice Cap 129

Life at North Star Bay 133

Short Life of Greenland's Flora 137

Maternal Love of Arctic Animals 139

An Unexpected, Unlooked-for Visitor 143

Arrival of the "Roosevelt" 147

Commander Peary 149

From North Star Bay to Etah 151

How Peary Collected His Eskimos 155

The Walrus 165

Etah . . .177

CONTENTS

PAGE

The Smith Sound Eskimos > 179

Ten Days at Etah 231

An Eskimo Wedding on Board the "Erik" 255

The "Roosevelt" 259

Departure of the "Roosevelt" - 265

A Friendly Contest between the Midnight Sun and the

Moon 269

Deception of Distances in the Arctic Region 271

The Flora in the Heart of the Arctics 275

Arctic Woes 279

Approach of Winter 285

Homeward Bound 287

Mental Indigestion 293

Isolation of the Smith Sound Eskimos 299

Omenak Fiord 303

Disco Island 305

Harbor of Godhavn 307

Greenland Ports 317

From Godhavn to St. Johns, Newfoundland 321

From St. Johns to Sydney, Cape Breton 335

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Peary on the Bridge of the "Erik" Frontispiece

Commander Peary on Deck of the "Roosevelt" 259

A Monster Veteran Iceberg 95

Steward of the "Erik" Calling for Dinner 31

The "Erik" at Etah 27

Mates Blanford and Whitten, Engineers Maher and

Knight of the "Erik" 29

Hunting Seal on Land Ice 33

A Breathing Hole in the Ice for the Seal 35

Sealing Crew on Ice Field 37

Musk-Ox of North Greenland 39

My-a, the Adonis of the Tribe 193

Tung-we, the Tallest Man of the Tribe 195

Moonlight Glimpse of Labrador Coast 47

Hopedale — Labrador Whaling Station 49

A Veteran Whaling Crew 53

Bird Cliff, Saunders Island 167

Half of the Bag 175

Ballaena, Labrador 63

The Noble Game of Greenland 75

Heilprin Glacier in Inglefield Gulf 153

Hauling a Dead Polar on Deck 93

One of the Tents of Little Omenak 101

The Face of Petowik Glacier— Nunataks in the Rear. . . 105

Old Igloos, North Star Bay 109

Greenland Inland Fresh Water Lakes . . Ill

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGB

Tupik (Tent) and Eskimo Children 115

Two Interiors of Tupik — Floor and Bed 117

Eskimo with Woman in Kayak 125

"Jumbo," Wife and Children 127

"Jumbo's" Left Foot 129

Tunneled Iceberg 135

A Flower Patch in the Heart of the Arctics 277

The Yellow Poppy 139

Eskimo Dogs at North Star Bay 133

The "Roosevelt" in Foulke Fiord 147

Commander Peary in Arctic Suit 149

Table Mountain at North Star Bay (Noah's Ark) 103

Three Native Girls 163

Eskimo Women on Board the "Erik" 199

Eskimo Woman with Child in Hood 165

Kud and His Chum 161

Two Whales in Process of Cutting Up 57

Taking Walrus on Board 171

Eskimo Women at Work on Deck of the "Erik" 173

Etah 177

Buriate and Wife 181

Female Form 185

Eskimo Women 197

Eskimo Dog Team 201

Melville Bay— Seal Hunting on Land Ice 207

Iceberg at the Head of Inglefield Gulf 157

Interior of Baffin Land 99

A Civilized Baffin Land Eskimo 227

View in Foulke Fiord 233

Natives, Tents and Dogs 119

An Eskimo Belle . . 189

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGB

Landing Dogs at Etah 243

Auk Rookeries in Foulke Fiord 247

Cleaning Up an Ice Pan 43

A Wedding on Board the "Erik" 255

Captain Bartlett of the "Roosevelt" 261

The "Roosevelt" Leaving Etah for the Farthest North . 265

One of the Finest Icebergs Encountered by the Party . . 267

A Twin Iceberg 271

Southern Shore, Inglefield Gulf 155

First Cliff beyond North Star Bay 303

Southern Shore Omenak Fiord 297

Civilized Eskimos of Godhavn 311

A Monster Iceberg in Disco Bay 305

Godhavn 309

Igloo at Little Omenak and Native Women 107

Church at Godhavn 315

Blue Fox at Dusk 151

Eskimo Dogs 113

A View of Baffin Land . 97

IN THE HEART OF THE
ARCTICS

"Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole.''

We who were born and raised in the temperate
zone, and have spent much of our lifetime in lands
of varied seasons, have naturally a strong desire to
know and see how the people live in the two climatic
extremes — in the neighborhood of the equator and
the poles. From our earliest childhood days, we
have the most vivid and pleasant recollections of
the four seasons of the year — spring, summer,
autumn and winter; all of which bring their special
delights and attractions with a never-failing regu-
larity.

"Here stood fresh Spring, bound with flowery
chaplet; Summer was unclothed, and bore a
wheaten garland; Autumn also was there be-
smeared with trodden grapes; and icy Winter,
rough with hoary locks." — Ovidius.

Spring reminds us of the time when Nature
wakes up from her long winter slumber, rejuvenates

i4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

herself in the unfolding buds, expanding leaves and
flowers, and sprouting grass under the caressing
charms of the approaching sun, and the warm breath
of generous warm showers.

"And now every field is clothed'with grass,
every tree with leaves; now the woods put
forth their blossoms; now the year assumes
its gayest attire." — Virgilius.

It is the time

"When Spring unlocks the flowers to paint
the laughing soil." — Heber.

Spring, the symbol of childhood, of beauty,
peace, and happiness, is the season which is looked
forward to with impatience; and there is no one,
young or old, who, after the long winter, would not
join with heart and soul in the pressing invitation:

"Come, gentle Spring! ethereal mildness!
Come. " — Thomson.

Summer brings the golden harvest and fills the
air with the exquisite fragrance of the new-mown
hay.

"Autumn nodding o'er the yellow plain."

— Thomson.

yields its corn and luscious fruits, and Winter puts
Nature to sleep under a bed of immaculate snow and
invites young and old to invigorating outdoor sport
on ice and snow.

The climatic changes in the temperate zones
come and go almost imperceptibly, and accomplish
their task silently and insidiously. But what a

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 15

fascination there is about the going beyond the
limits of these temperate, conservative efforts of
nature! What an inspiration to go where soil and
climate combine to force from the earth nature's
grandest and most imposing productions; or to go
to the opposite extremes, where her icy hands,
stretched from the poles, forbid the approach of
man and beast, and lock the door against the intru-
sion of any kind of vegetation!

For eight consecutive years I have spent much
of my vacation time, during mid-summer and mid-
winter, in tropic and sub-tropic islands and coun-
tries. I have become much enamored of the lofty,
feathery palms, the rampant vegetation of the
tropics, and the child-like, dusky people inhabiting
them. I love the primeval tropic forests and their
closely woven, almost impenetrable jungles, teeming
with animal life, and have learned to appreciate
keenly the delicate fruits of nature's choicest
orchards and the balmy air perfumed by the
fragrance of myriads of flowers which decorate
meadows and foliage.

The visitor from the North revels in the wonder-
ful handiworks of nature, but soon becomes aware
by the heat that distresses him and by the insects
that torture him by night and by day, that he is in
the tropics. It is then that he thinks of a cooler
climate and the lines heading this chapter occur
to him :

"Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole."

1 6 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

I was made to experience the force and meaning
of these lines during the summer of 1904, on my
second voyage around the world, when I traveled
across India in August and September, two of the
hottest months of the year. At Benares, Delhi,
Jaipur, and intervening points, the mercury of my
thermometer, which registered 132° F. when ex-
posed to the burning rays of the sun, nervously shot
up to its maximum limit and had space permitted,
I have no doubt it would have climbed up to 140°
F. It was then I wafted a longing "sigh from
Indus to the pole."

The depressing effects of prolonged, continuous
heat engenders an ardent desire for a land where
the sun casts his rays more obliquely and with less
power on the surface of the earth. Having become
somewhat familiar with the tropics, their people,
their trees and flowers, their animal life, and the effects
of heat on man, beast, and vegetation, an irresist-
ible desire gained possession of me to seek the dis-
tant North, where Nature's moods and methods
are more stern and where the struggle of life is more
exacting and severe. I have had glimpses of the
North from different points: at North Cape,
Norway, where I was fortunate enough to see the
midnight sun in all his glory; in Alaska, the land of
forests, fiords and inland seas, the home of the won-
derful Muir and Taku glaciers, and the wild un-
tutored Alaska Indians; in Newfoundland, that
stern and semi-arctic island, until quite recently
the winter home of many of the arctic animals; in
Siberia, the land of flowering steppes, mountains,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 17

majestic rivers, strange lakes, and endless moss-
grown tundras. But my imagination carried me away
beyond these now much frequented places, away
beyond the Arctic Circle.

The writings of the most noted arctic explorers,
Kane, Nordenskjold, Peary and Nansen, added oil
to the fire, and the longing became irresistible.
Greenland, the land of glaciers and icy mountains,
was my objective point. But how to get there and
return within the limits of my allotted vacation
time, were matters not easily solved. Fate favored
me. When the daily press brought the news that
Dr. Frederick Sohon, of Washington, D. C., intended
to take a party of consumptives on a cruise along
the western coast of Greenland, to give them the
benefits of the uncontaminated pure air of the arctic
region, I decided to make use of this unusual oppor-
tunity to gratify my burning desire to study the
climatic conditions within the Arctic Circle, the
natives, and the scanty vegetation. I reserved at
once a cabin, but unfortunately the plan miscarried,
owing to objections made by the Danish govern-
ment, to the landing of the vessel at any point along
the intended route. It is a great pity that Doctor
Sohon could not carry out his well matured plans, —
to test the curative power of the arctic region in
cases of incipient tuberculosis of the lungs and other
parts of the body.

THE POLAR REGION AS A SUMMER HEALTH
RESORT

FOR PATIENTS AFFLICTED WITH PULMONARY
TUBERCULOSIS

Experience, the best and most reliable guide in
the practice of the healing art, has demonstrated,
most conclusively, that the best results in the treat-
ment of pulmonary tuberculosis are obtained by
giving the patients the benefits of outdoor air and
a maximum amount of sunlight. These two cura-
tive agencies are found in an ideal condition during
the summer months, above the Arctic Circle, where
the air is absolutely sterile as far as the bacillus
of tuberculosis is concerned, and where the short
summer is one long day, illuminated by the dazzling
rays of the midnight sun, which, in themselves,
exercise a curative influence.

The personal experience of Doctor Sohon proves
the curative power of the arctic climate on tubercu-
losis. In speaking of the projected Greenland cruise,
he says: "The plan, which has been a dream of
mine for many years, and which, through the aid
of a number of generous men, will now be put into
operation, is the sequel to my own experience in the
polar regions. I accompanied Commander Peary
in 1897, and was at that time slightly affected by
tuberculosis myself. I improved so rapidly, de-
spite the hardships of the journey, and was so vastly

20 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

benefited that I was struck with wonder at what
the arctic regions could do for persons so affected.
Five years afterward, on accompanying the Peary
relief expedition, I made an exhaustive study of the
subject of the curative properties of the far North
for consumptives."

Tubercle bacilli do not necessarily cause a hopeless
disease, but it is the resulting mixed infection with
pyogenic organisms which occasions danger. The
indications in the treatment are to have an environ-
ment free from harmful bacteria, and to secure such
other favorable conditions as to encourage a resto-
ration of vitality and vigor, by which the disease is
arrested and health restored. These conditions are
found to perfection in some of the Greenland fiords.
The suggestion of their adaptability to this purpose
has nothing strange or experimental for its founda-
tion. It offers something easily obtainable and
better than we have at present — the highest de-
velopment of all that has proved beneficial in the
rational treatment of tuberculosis. "A summer
spent in Omenak Fiord or Inglefield Gulf, where we
propose anchoring and biding awhile, would serve
to establish a cure, or insure its accomplishment
afterward, in nearly all cases not hopelessly advanced.
Three consumptives to my knowledge have gone to
these places, and in each case the cure was immediate
and effectual. Two of them were for three months
in the Peary expedition, and the third, a well-
advanced case, was for nine months aboard a whaler.
Six Eskimos brought to this country soon contracted
virulent tuberculosis, four of them quickly sue-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 21

cumbing, one being still under treatment here, while
the only one who returned to his native snows,
recovered." The climatic conditions in Green-
land, above the Arctic Circle, are ideal for this pur-
pose. "The secret of the open open-air treat-
ment for this terrible disease is abundant sunlight
and a dry, cold, bracing atmosphere. These three
ingredients abound only in the very North during the
three months of sunshine."

"Almost to the extreme northern boundary of
Greenland, and some degrees above the Arctic Circle,
the summer temperature seldom falls below the
freezing point, the mercury being generally above
in July and August, when it ranges from 35° F. to
45° F. There is no increase of heat during the day
and no cooling off during the night, for nights there
are none."

Fascinated by these natural curative resources
of nature in the polar region, Doctor Sohon decided
to make use of them by taking a summer trip along
the west coast of Greenland, expecting to spend
much of the time in several of the large inland fiords.
He had made arrangements to have the steamship
"Havana" converted into a hospital-ship with all the
comforts and equipments of a modern sanatorium,
and intended to make the cruise during the three
summer months of perpetual daylight. Sailing
along the coast and stopping in the sheltered fiords
for several days, would give the patients, besides,
the benefits of a frequent change of scenery. The
purity of the air, the cool breezes, the constant
sunbath and the living on the roof of a floating

22 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

hospital in a region where colds are almost unknown,
certainly held out much encouragement that his
humane undertaking would have proved a great
success had the Danish government not put an
unexpected stop to his plans. Doctor Sohon is so
firmly convinced of the curative power of the arctic
climate in the treatment of tuberculosis that he will
not leave a stone unturned to make such a cruise
next year, if not along the west coast of Greenland,
in a region within the Arctic Circle offering similar
hygienic advantages.

AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY

I had set my mind on seeing Greenland this
year, and was very much disappointed when I
found that Doctor Sohon's plans had miscarried. I
could possibly have succeeded in going to Danish
Greenland by way of Copenhagen, whence a steamer
sails for Greenland three times during the summer
season; but I wanted to see that part of Greenland
north of the Danish settlements, the heart of the
arctics. The only chance left was the Peary
expedition. It was through the influence of Dr.
Sohon that Commander Peary finally gave his con-
sent for Doctor Sohon and myself to become the
only passengers on his supply ship, the "Erik," a
courtesy which we keenly appreciated.

I am very fortunate in having for my traveling
companion, on this somewhat novel trip, a man
like Dr. Sohon, who is quite familiar, by his former
experience, with what I expect to see and study.
The time will pass more pleasantly and profitably
for

"A pleasant companion causes you not to
perceive the length of the journey." — Publius
Syrus.

As we will be the only passengers on the "Erik,"
nothing will detract our attention from studying
the "Land of the Midnight Sun," its strange people,
its scanty vegetation, its wealth of marine animals,

24 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

its gigantic ice-cap with its leaders seaward in the
form of glaciers. We will see icebergs born, icebergs
floating and icebergs stranded, in all stages of dis-
integration, yielding slowly, but surely, to the grad-
ually increasing heat of the sun and warmth of the
water that carries them to destruction. We will be
given an opportunity to visit the places made nota-
ble by a number of intrepid explorers on their way
over the pathless ocean and limitless fields of ice
and snow in search of the pole. We will go where

"We learn daylight." — Shakespeare.
We will spend most of our time where

"Through the plains, of one continual day,

Six shining months pursue their even way;

And six succeeding, urge their dusky flight,

Obscured with vapors and o'erwhelmed in

night." — Prior.

We will see the land and sea, where, during the
summer, night sets no limit to work; where nature
exhibits her strange and mysterious works of art
in the magic light of one long, continuous day, and
then drapes them with the somber mantle cast over
them by the unbroken night of the stern arctic win-
ter of equal duration. For two months I will look
upon a new world, a new race, a new flora, a new
fauna, where nature wears a new face and will be
made to appreciate more than ever the value of
travel as a means of education, as

"Nothing has such power to broaden the mind
as the ability to investigate systematically
and truly all that comes under observation in
life." — Marcus Aurelius.

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 25

There is always a peculiar fascination about the
unknown, the strange, the mysterious, and, as a rule,

"Everything unknown is magnified." — Tacitus.

To see so much of the wonders within the Arctic
Circle as is held out to us by a two-months' cruise
of the "Erik" is no small privilege. The "Erik,"
one of the veterans of the North Pole fleet, has been
in the service of Commander Peary during two of
his former expeditions, and this time, as before, will
penetrate deeply into the frozen zone, the exist-
ence of which the ancient classic authors had some
knowledge of:

"There is an icy zone on the extreme borders
of Scythia, a melancholy waste, barren and
treeless; there dwell sluggish, cold, pallid
looks, trembling ague, and pining want." —
Ovidius.

In visiting such an unfrequented region like the
Arctic Circle in search of knowledge and recreation,
it's doubly important to remember:

"The use of traveling is to regulate the imag-
ination by reality, and, instead of thinking
how things may be, to see them as they are."

— Dr. Johnson.

Inspired with such good intentions, and happy
in anticipation of what this vacation had in store
for me, I left Chicago, July 3rd, for Sydney, Cape
Breton, over the Grand Trunk Railway, making
connection with the Intercolonial Railway at Mon-
treal, and arrived at Sydney, via Tfuro at 10:30
P. M., July 6th, interrupting the journey by stopping

26 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

over eighteen hours at Montreal. Contrary to niy
expectations I found the trip over the Intercolonial
Railway very comfortable, good service, fine sleepers,
and excellent dining cars. The "Erik" was expected
to sail from Sydney on the tenth of July, but did not
come into this port until the thirteenth. Much had
to be done to get her ready for the long voyage to
her destination, Etah, Greenland, or possibly Cape
Sabine, Ellesmere Land. She came with a ballast
of stone, which had to be unloaded, after which
six hundred and fifty tons of coal were taken on
board, which with sixty-five puncheons of whale
meat, constituted her cargo for the present Peary
expedition.

THE "ERIK"

The "Erik" is a sealing vessel. She is a staunch,
seven hundred ton steam schooner, built in Scotland,
forty years ago. She has made many trips in
search of seal and whale, and, on two former occa-
sions, was chartered by Commander Peary. This,
will, therefore, be her third voyage in the service of
this enthusiastic and indefatigable explorer. When
she came into the harbor, the first thing that at-
tracted my attention, and marked her as a vessel
intended for perilous service, were two immense
barrels securely fastened to the fore and aft masts
near the very tip of these immense trunks of hardy
pine, at least seventy feet above the deck. These
are the so-called crows' nests. These lofty lookouts
are reached by a rope ladder, and the sailor enters
through a hole in the bottom of the barrel, which is
closed, after he has entered, by a trap door. Only
the head of the watch projects over the rim of the
barrel, and from this swaying, dizzy height he scans
the vast fields of floating ice for seal and open lanes,
locates icebergs, shallow water, and rocks, and
sometimes, when the fog is dense on deck, the look-
out is above the gray mantle of mist and fog, and
their inmate enjoys the sunlight and unobscured
vision, and is in a position to point out to the offi-
cers on deck a safe course for the ship.

28 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The "Erik" is an old fashioned ship and has
no accommodations for passengers, and few con-
veniences for officers and crew. It is fitted out as
an ice-fighter, with a strong, wooden frame work,
with an outer cover of square oak planks, more
than a foot in thickness. The woodwork is as solid
and sound now as it was forty years ago, notwith-
standing the hard service to which she has been
exposed during that long space of time.

The entire aspect of this veteran vessel does
credit to the name she bears, as "Erik the Red" was
one of the most daring of seafaring men. Strength,
endurance and simplicity are her most conspicuous
qualities. Rude and stern in her appearance, she
imparts confidence in those who, by choice or ne-
cessity, have to depend on her for safety during
the long and perilous voyage, deep into and back
from the "Heart of the Arctics."

Material repairs were made a number of years
ago, but the thirty-seven horse-power engine has
been in use for thirty years and remains in excellent
working condition today. The master of the ship
on this trip is Capt. Job Vine, who, for many years,
has served in a similar capacity on sailing vessels,
plying between St. Johns, Newfoundland, and
Brazilian ports. This voyage proved an unusually
trying one to him, as he had never been in the
arctic regions and was not familiar with the trouble-
some currents and the treacherous coast of Green-
land, The crew, including the officers, is made up
of nineteen men, all of them hardy Newfoundland
sailors and experienced sealers and fishermen.

MATES BLANFORD AND WHITTKN— KNGINKKRS MAHKR
AND KNIGHT OF THK "KRIK"

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 29

The vessel has just returned from the annual
sealing trip off the coasts of Labrador and New-
foundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The
accounts given by the officers of this annual seal-
fishery in the early spring may interest the reader,
as the information I obtained concerning this in-
dustry is from first source, hence reliable.

STEWARD OF THE "ERIK" CALLING FOR
DINNER

NEWFOUNDLAND SEAL FISHERY

Newfoundland seal-fishing is comparatively of
recent origin and has been a source of a large amount
of wealth to the Colony. Cod-fishing has been pur-
sued for nearly four hundred years; seal-fishing
commenced as an industry at the beginning of the
last century. Rev. M. Harvey, of St. Johns, has
made a careful study of this industry, and Levi
G. Chase has published a very instructive report
on the same subject, and from these sources, I have
gleaned much in writing the introduction to this
chapter.

Generally the seal-killers forced their way
through the ice, by which nature had guarded the
helpless baby seals. Few people know that the fur
used in making garments is obtained exclusively
from the young white seal — the skin being dyed to
suit the taste of the customers of this expensive
and fashionable article of winter clothing. The
once happy breeding places of the mother seals be-
came, now, every spring, a slaughter-house, stained
with the blood of their slain infants; and yet they
return year after year to witness a repetition of the
same cruel scene. Seal-killing (we can not speak
of hunting in this connection) commenced by taking
the animals in nets which were placed between the
shore and some island rock at no great distance.
As the animals migrated in fabulous numbers, a

32 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

few would become entangled in the nets. The
same primitive method is still made use of in some
parts of the northern coasts of Newfoundland and
Labrador, especially in capturing bay-seal which is
non-migratory.

The mother seals not infrequently make their
breeding ground on the shore where the young seal
are killed with a club and the old ones are shot. In
1894, 120,000 seals, old and young, were killed on
shore. At first the seal was hunted only for its fur.
Seal-oil was first mentioned as an article of export
from Newfoundland in 1749 — the value of the yield
for that year being estimated at $5,000. With the
depreciations in the value of seal-fur and the de-
crease in the annual yield, the blubber of the seal
plays a more important role as an article of export.

The next progress in seal-killing was made by
fitting out small schooners of from 30 to 50 tons,
manned each by 12 to 18 men. These schooners
would generally leave the different harbors about
the 2ist of March in order to escape the equinoctial
gales, or "St. Patrick's brush," as it was called.
Experience soon demonstrated that the proper time
for leaving port was the first of March, in order to
reach the young or white seal before they had grown
sufficiently strong to take to the water. As many
as a hundred vessels used to leave the harbor
of St. Johns every spring for the icefields. So re-
munerative was this industry that its expansion
was wonderfully rapid up to 1815, when the whole
business of the country sustained a severe shock
by the termination of the wars between England

1 1 "

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 33

and France. Statistics go to show that in that
year only 126,315 seals were caught, while in 1844
the number reached the astonishing figure of 685,530.
In 1857 there were 400 vessels, of from 70 to
200 tons engaged in the seal-fishery, their united
crews numbering 13,000 men. The average annual
value of the seal-fishery at that period was from a
million to a million and a quarter dollars. In 1863
steamers commenced to take the place of sailing
vessels. This change has revolutionized seal-fishery.
In 1882 there were 25 steamers with an average
tonnage of about 500 tons.

The use of steam in place of sails has reduced
the number of hands engaged in this industry more
than one half. The fishermen have lost by this
change. The men now receive only one-third of
the value of the seals taken by each vessel, instead
of one half, which was their share in sailing vessels.
The great difficulty now with them is to get berths
on board the steamers, and hundreds of applicants
are left behind every year. Some years the losses
to men and ship owners are great. In 1894, the
21 steamers engaged captured only 152,821 seals.
It is a mistake, therefore, to suppose that the cap-
italists receive an undue share of the profits. Their
losses, when the animal catch is small, are very
serious and the returns on their heavy outlay are,
on an average, very moderate. Some years, on the
other hand, both crew and ship owners have a rich
harvest. The largest bill ever made in a St.
Johns steamer was that made by the crew of the S.
S. "Nimrod," in 1871, a crew of 140 men made $208.47
s

34 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

each, in two trips — 28,087 seals were taken. In
1900, 19 steamers brought in 353,276 seals,
the number of men employed being 3,760 and the
men's profits averaged from $3.16 to $58.48
each. The risk of property to the ship owners is
great; for example, during thirty years, from 1863
to 1893, no less than 16 steamers were lost by being
crushed between the ice. No lives were lost, as the men
saved themselves by taking refuge on the ice, from
where they were picked up by other steamers or
they reached the shore by walking over the ice-floes.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence and the coasts of Green-
land and Labrador are the favorite sealing grounds
of the Newfoundland fishermen. Parties in St.
Johns control, to a large extent, this industry at
the present 'time, and from this city most of the
yield in fur and oil finds its way into the home and
foreign markets, .

About twenty steam schooners, manned by from
2,000 to 3,000 men, that is 100 to 300 men to
each vessel, constitute the present annual sealing
force. A recent law, intended to protect this valu-
able fur-bearing animal, limits the vessel to one
sealing trip a year. The month of March is the
sealing season, and lasts from twenty-five to thirty
days. The seals come to their breeding grounds in
countless numbers during the last week in March,
the average time being about the twenty-fifth of the
month. They congregate in compact herds on the
smooth ice. All of the young seal are born within
two or three days. Twins are very rare. The
young seal, three weeks old when the coat is white,

'•1

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 35

yields the valuable fur. The skins of the old animals
are tanned and are converted into leather, the fur
being worthless. The mother seals leave the breed-
ing grounds as soon as the young can take care of
themselves. The season, therefore, is a short one.
The steamers leave St. Johns about the same time,
and then a race begins to reach the breeding grounds
and locate the herds. This year the crew of the
"Erik" found three herds, estimated at 15,000,
out of which 7,000 to 8,000 were taken. As soon as
a herd is in sight, the steamer sails slowly along the
margin of the ice. The men, armed with a sealing
hook, jump off and land on the pans of ice, when
they are divided into groups of about ten each,
under the command of a foreman, an experienced
sealer, for each set. After the organization of the
crew has been completed, and the manner of attack
on the animals planned, the herd is surrounded
and the slaughter begins. The work of destruction
does not deserve the term "seal-hunting," as it con-
sists largely in killing the helpless infant seals by
clubbing them to death. The club is a heavy stick
about six feet in length, mounted on one end with a
gaff, consisting of a spearlike projection and a hook.
This rude weapon is not only used in dealing the
death-blow, but, with the hook, animals are jerked
out of the water and drawn upon the ice'. It is also
an exceedingly useful implement to the men in
jumping from pan to pan of the pack ice, and in
case a man makes a misstep, it aids him in escaping
drowning until he can extricate himself. If his efforts
are fruitless, a nearby companion uses his gaff in
landing him on the ice.

36 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The baby seal is easily killed by a blow on the
head, others are kicked to death. The mother seal
remains faithful to the last in defending her offspring,
and if there are not enough baby seals to make the
catch remunerative, the old animals are killed in
their turn by clubbing or shooting. Even the
hardy seamen speak of this slaughter with emotion.
Frightened almost to death by the presence of so
many men, and the work of carnage, these helpless,
innocent little animals lift their tearful eyes and
utter their mournful, baby cry in appeals for mercy;
but no amount of supplication can save them from
certain death; the ruthless slaughter goes on until
every baby seal is counted among the dead. The
extermination of the new-born is always complete.
Many of the old animals escape, only to return the
next year to meet a similar cruel reception. The
slaughter of the innocents completed, the task of
skinning the carcasses begins. The season being
so short and the competition keen, everything
must be done with as little loss of time as possible,
to clear up the field in order to find and exterminate
another herd. These men are experts in removing
the valuable parts of the animals killed — the skin
and the thick layer of fat between it and the under-
lying muscles, both of which are removed together
with a few strokes of the knife. An incision is
made, with one stroke of a sharp knife, from one
end of the animal to the other, on the ventral side,
and, in a minute and a half, skin and fat are severed
from what remains of the carcass, which is left on
the ice to be devoured by flesh-eating animals. One

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 37

flipper is left attached to the skin to facilitate the
handling of it. The steamer hovers in the neigh-
borhood of the bloody field of the dead, and with
hooks and winch, the skins are brought on deck and
later stored away in the hold of the ship, where they
are preserved by the use of salt and ice.

To make this business remunerative, each vessel
ought to take about 30,000 animals. The crew is
entitled to the value of every third seal, and the
captain receives besides, four per cent, of the value
of the cargo. The cargo is sold by weight, the
present value being from $3.50 to $4,00 a hundred-
weight. Sealing is not as profitable now as it was
a few years ago, when the product yielded as high
as $9.00 per hundred- weight. Formerly most of
the raw material was sent to England; at the present
time it finds a ready sale in the United States, and
the demand for it is on the increase. The price of
the fur vacillates from year to year, the fluctuation
depending largely on the estimate in which the fur
is held in fashionable society. Notwithstanding
this wanton, wholesale animal slaughter, old sealers
claim that there has not been a material diminution
in the number of animals which migrate to these
breeding grounds every spring.

The competition between the different crews, for
obvious reasons, is a very keen one. An experi-
enced master and an able-bodied, active, fearless
crew weigh heavily in the balance of success, but
luck plays its pranks here as well as in other voca-
tions. If a herd is sighted by several sealers at
the same time, a rush takes place, but the different

38 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

crews are held together by the foremen and pursue
preconcerted methods established among sealers
and fix their claims on the dead animals by planting
their respective ship flags on the pans of ice on
which the seals are killed. Stealing of dead animals
or their skins subjects the convicted culprits to a
heavy fine.

MUSK-OX OF NORTH GREENLAND

OFF FOR GREENLAND

Waiting is always unpleasant, and sometimes
painful; suspense and uncertainty foster discontent
and test patience to the extreme of endurance.
Commander Peary was anxious that the "Erik," his
supply ship, should leave port as soon as possible,
and sent an order, by wire, from New York, to that
effect. The unloading of ballast and loading of the
coal cargo required much more time than was an-
ticipated. Doctor Sohon and I boarded the vessel
Saturday afternoon, July i$th, confident that we
would get away that same evening, or at least some-
time during the night; but disappointment followed
disappointment. Coaling was suspended promptly
at midnight, as Sabbath day is more strictly observed
in England and her possessions than in any other
country in the world. The English sailor, when
in port, claims Sunday as a day of rest, and abso-
lutely refuses to do any kind of work, unless his ship
should be in danger. A Sunday aboard ship in a
coaling dock is not a pleasant experience. The
captain assured us that he would sail at ten o'clock
A. M., Monday. The coal heavers, however, did not
put in their appearance until Monday morning.
The work then began in earnest. From the elevated
coal docks, car after car discharged its contents
over chutes through the hatchway into the capa-

40 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

cious hold of the ship, amidst clouds of dust which
penetrated every crevice and found its way into the
galley, dining room, and cabins, in spite of all efforts
to exclude it. Officers, crew and we two passengers,
stained black with this impalpable coal-dust, looked
like negroes before the 650 tons of coal were on
board. When the coaling was finished, the whole
deck looked like an entrance to a coal mine. The
hold of the vessel and the bunkers were gorged with
the precious fuel to be consumed in the far North,
in the coming effort to reach the pole. Thirty-
three tons were in bags piled on deck, and then a
mountain of loose coal occupied more than half
of the deck, leaving only a very small free space
around the galley and cabin entrance. When the
vessel was ready to sail, one of the officers was
missing, retarding again the departure. He had
gone on shore and, although Sydney is supposed to
be a temperance town, he found enough firewater
to make him forget the hour of sailing. The steam
whistle screeched and screeched unmercifully to
remind him of his delay. He finally came, and we
left the dock at half-past six o'clock Monday even-
ing, July i yth.

After passing North Sydney and Sydney Mines,
and leaving the entrance of the magnificent harbor,
we were in full view of the great Atlantic Ocean ; and
after the unpleasant experiences of the last two
days, we were in a fit state of mind to comprehend
and appreciate the meaning of:

"The sea! the sea! the open sea!
The blue, the fresh, the ever free!" — Procter.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 41

Commander Peary had made arrangements for
me to occupy the captain's room, the only cabin
deserving such a term in the vessel. As we, the only
two passengers, had our own provisions and cook,
we were independent of the officers' mess, and set
to work at once to establish our own housekeeping
during the long voyage to and back from the arctic
region.

The weather was all that possibly could be de-
sired— a cloudless sky; a gentle breeze from the
southwest; the temperature 56° F.; the atmosphere
bracing and dry. In the long, peaceful, beautiful,
bewitching twilight which lingered until the hour of
ten, the green coast of Cape Breton gradually, almost
imperceptibly, disappeared in the distance — and
our heavily burdened steamer glided over the rip-
pling surface of the ocean as smoothly as a birch
canoe over the sleeping bosom of a tiny, silvery,
inland lake. As the soft twilight gave way to the
darkness of the summer night, we became conscious
that it

"Hath in her sober livery all things clad."

— MiUon.

The somber darkness was of short duration.
The furl-grown smiling moon soon made her appear-
ance and chased away the darkness that had hardly
begun.

"The moon arose, clad o'er in light,
With thousand stars attending on her train;
With her they rise, with her they set again."
i — Cowley.

42 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

This first night on the ocean, with the pure, cool,
bracing air, after eight months of incessant toil and
a week of anxious waiting for the ship that should
bring us the much-needed annual rest and recrea-
tion, was like a calm after a storm — like a sunshine
after many days of clouds, fogs, and mists. The
soft, enchanting moonshine and the myriads of stars
twinkling in the pale blue dome of the sky riveted
our attention for hours, as

"Nobody looks at what is immediately be-
fore them; we are all employed in gazing at the
stars." — Cicero.

The next day after a refreshing sleep, we found
ourselves near the west coast of Newfoundland, with
Cape Race still in sight behind us. The whole day
we sailed along the coast, made interesting by the
rugged range of mountains, undulating and dentated,
intercepted here and there by bays, and clad with
pale green grass and the dark foliage of stunted pine
and fir. This coast range, at some points, attains a
considerable height; Mount St. Gregory, one of the
highest peaks, rising to an altitude of 2826 feet.
Toward noon we saw the first snow in the form of
white flecks, in some of the deep gulches on the
mountain sides. The coast scenery of the Bay of
Islands, as seen from the deck of the steamer, is
one of the finest in America. During the afternoon
we saw the first arctic bird, a tern, closely allied to
the gull family. The average temperature during
the last twenty-four hours was 57° F.; very little
breeze and the sky slightly overcast.

Wednesday, July i8th. There was lightning

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 43

and thunder last evening, raining hard all night,
foggy along the coast, and a drizzling rain during
the forenoon. At noon we met the first icebergs,
six in number, when in sight of Greenely Island
and the mainland of Labrador. These icebergs
retained their aspect of virgin purity, but showed
all stages of disintegration, from the destructive
effects of the aggressive July sun during their slow
passage through Belle Isle Strait. The low coast of
Labrador is treeless and only lightly draped with
a sward of pale green grass.

A little fishermen's village, well sheltered by
surrounding hills, which we passed in Blanc Sablon,
is the place selected by Doctor Grenfell, the Father
Damien of Labrador, for a hospital for the fisher-
men population of that part of Labrador. This is
a most excellent choice for the people who live here
throughout the entire year, and for the transient
fishermen who frequent this part of the Labrador
coast during the fishing season, and who, without
such a humane institution, would find it impossible
to secure medical aid in case of injury or disease.
As we approached the Strait of Belle Isle, a narrow
passage of water, on an average fifteen miles wide
and fifty miles long, between the coasts of Labrador
and Newfoundland, we met several schooners en-
gaged in fishing for cod. The coasts of Labrador
and Newfoundland are famous for their remuner-
ative cod-fisheries. As we entered the strait a
thick fog obscured the coasts, and all officers were
at their posts, straining their eyes for sources of
danger as the steamer crept along at half speed,

44 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

We were ^shown many places made memorable by
shipwrecks. Belle Isle Strait has a bad reputation
among seafaring men on account of the frequency
with which dense fogs settle here. One of the
officers, an experienced whaler, sealer, and fisherman,
related to me some very interesting facts concerning

NEWFOUNDLAND'S COD-FISHERY

Of Newfoundland's population of about 200,000,
nearly 60,000 are engaged in catching and curing
fish. The average annual value of the cod-fishery
is $4,500,000, of the seal-fishery, $600,000, of the
herring and salmon fisheries, $250,000; of the lobster
fishery, $60,000. The total value for 1902 was
$8,956,992. Cod-fishery is the summer industry
of a large part of the fishermen population of New-
foundland. Most of the business is in the hands
of a few St. Johns firms. The work is done by the
use of small schooners, each of which has a crew of
about ten men, and which carries four or five dories.
The fishing is done near shore by the use of nets,
and farther out by trawling. When the captain
of the schooner has selected the fishing ground, the
dories set out, and each man attends to his own
trawl. The trawl used here is a stout line about a
mile in length, to which are attached 1500 cod hooks,
baited with fragments of the squid; the ends of the
line are fastened to an anchored float. The fish
caught, after being properly dressed, are salted, either
on board the schooner, or at the fishing station.
The drying is done on wooden racks with or without
an intervening layer of small branches of the fragrant

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 45

fir. Dried codfish constitutes an important article of
food over a large part of the surface of the earth,
hence it has always a ready sale and commands a
good price. From the liver of the cod, the medicinal
cod-liver oil is obtained. It is strange that, so far, no
attempts have been made to convert the parts of the
fish not used into a fertilizer, as is being done now
with the waste material of the whale.

A GLIMPSE OF LABRADOR LIFE

I have already referred to the dangers the sea-
men face in passing the Strait of Belle Isle. We
were made aware of these soon after passing Point
Amour. The current was unusually strong, a stiff
breeze set in, and a dense fog made further progress
imprudent, so the captain decided to find shelter
for the night in Loup Bay, an excellent little harbor,
fringed by a small fishermen's hamlet, made up of
about twenty small frame houses. After dropping
the anchor, we were safe for the night in the snug
little harbor and felt:

"My vessel is in the harbor, reckless of the
troubled sea. ' ' — Terentius.

The mournful sounds of the fog horn at Point
Amour, and the intermittent screechings of a steamer,
fog bound in the strait, were kept up the balance of
the day and the greater part of the night. A fishing
schooner in full sail emerged, phantom-like, from the
fog about the time we entered the harbor, and
sought the same shelter. It was three o'clock in
the afternoon when we left the steamer in a row
boat, headed for the whaling station about a mile
from the hamlet; and soon after I set, for the first
time, my feet on Labrador soil. We were courte-
ously shown this interesting modern establishment
by the foreman, who explained to us the processes

48 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

which are now employed in converting the giant
of the sea into oil and fertilizer, after the most valu-
able part of the animal, the whalebone, has been
removed.

The day before our visit, three black whales
were brought to the station, and the last one was in
the process of being cut up. The great slabs of
blubber had already been converted into oil and the
immense steam vats were filled with the remaining
oil-yielding tissues, including the brain, bones and
muscles. The enormous jaws had been stripped
of whalebone, which appeared in two separate pieces,
made up, as they were, of two densely packed, flat-
fringed segments of whalebone, somewhat in the
shape of overlapping fans. The rendering estab-
lishment, a group of brick and frame buildings, is
supplied with modern machinery, and every part of
the animal is utilized. The intestines are preserved
by salting, and later are converted elsewhere into
leather.

In a separate building all refuse is made into a
fertilizer, which is shipped in bags. A dozen men
were busy in carving the carcass with large knives,
fastened to wooden handles. These men are familiar
with the anatomy of the whale skeleton and are
marvelously dexterous in the use of these huge
knives which resemble very much a small scythe. In
another large building a gang of men was employed in
curing codfish which were being brought in by the
fishing schooners, owned by the same firm. Tons of
salted cod were stored in the warehouse, and many
more tons were spread over the wooden frameworks

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 49

outside, undergoing a slow process of desiccation.
The smell in such establishments is anything but
agreeable to the uninitiated, although the utmost
cleanliness prevails everywhere. More than an acre
of ground was covered with wooden racks, upon
which the black whalebone was undergoing the
same process. Forty men are employed here,
throughout the entire season, in disposing of the
whales and in curing and drying codfish.

A well-beaten path from the whaling station
leads along the coast to L'anse de Loup, or Loup
Bay, the harbor, about a mile distant. We returned
to the hamlet by this path and on the way I improved
the opportunity to study the flora of this part of
the Labrador coast. The flowers, familiar to me
and in blossom now, make their appearance in the
neighborhood of Chicago during the last two weeks
in April. I found here the iris, dandelion, smilax,
dewberry, gooseberry, ranunculus, buttercup, wild
strawberry, sorrel and watercresses. Beautiful ferns
were just peeping through the shallow, boggy
soil on the side of the terraced mountain and were
just beginning to unfurl their curled up fronds.
Dwarf willows were in the act of producing their
catkins. Tufts of light green grass and stunted fir
and alder made up much of the verdure of the
mountainside. Much snow remained in places
sheltered from the spring sun, and numerous bubbling
rivulets of the purest water intersected the green
swards and the diminutive forest of stunted, storm-
tossed trees. The little hamlet has one public
building, a small frame structure, with many windows,

50 /AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

which is used as a school house, public meeting
place, and church. In the last capacity, it serves
Catholics and Protestants alike. Vicious-looking
dogs guarded the doorsteps of nearly all the huts,
which reminded us of the fact that we had passed
beyond the limits of wagon roads and the horse
as a beast of burden. Most of the huts had little
vegetable gardens in front of or behind them, and
in some of them I saw patches of vigorous rhubarb
and potato plants just emerging from the
loose, sandy soil, and cabbage plants set out only a
few days before. A number of icebergs were stranded
on the shore of the harbor, others remained mo-
tionless in the pacific water, all of which, when the
night set, loomed up like specters in the darkness.

A CAPELIN RUN

"Each bay with fog innumerable swarms, and

shoals

Of fish, that with their fins and shining scales
Glide under the green waves, in sculls that oft
Bank the mid sea." — Milton.

The capelin (Mallotus villosus) is a small salt-
water fish, which, at certain seasons of the year, is
found in fabulous numbers on the coasts of New-
foundland, Iceland, Alaska, and Greenland. We were
treated to a rare and interesting phenomenon, illus-
trating the abundance of marine life, the evening
we spent at Loup Bay — a real capelin run. The
capelin is a small fish about four inches in length,
a kind of smelt that comes to the Labrador coast
regularly every year during spawning time, and

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 51

after a few weeks disappears as suddenly and mys-
teriously as it came. This migration the fishermen
call a "capelin run." The capelin season begins
about June 25th and is over about the middle of
August. The fish seek the shallow water near the
shore, where they congregate in fabulous numbers
and, rubbing with the ventral side against the sandy
bottom, deposit the spawn, a performance the
fishermen call "rolling." Fishermen's stories, as a
rule, are not noted for veracity and some will, un-
doubtedly, regard my account of the capelin run
I saw as an exaggeration of what really occurred.
The fact, however, remains that as we walked along
the sandy shore about sundown, the clear, shallow
water was made black by wriggling masses of these
little creatures, entirely obscuring the sandy bottom.
Many who came too near the edge of the water were
thrown by the waves on the beach, and hun-
dreds of dead fish were thrown backward and' for-
ward by the lapping waves. One of the sailors
secured a cast net, and in three casts landed two
bucketfuls of the fish, all of them nearly uniform
in size. The numerous dogs patrolled the shore and
helped themselves to fresh fish as they were being
thrown on the beach. We could now understand
the contented appearance and good behavior of
these ugly, wolf -like animals. In front of every
fisherman's hut, salted and unsalted capelin were
being dried; the former as food for man, the latter
as a winter supply for the dogs.

Another proof of the abundance of fish in this
part of the Labrador coast was given us when we

52 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

returned on board the "Erik." During our absence
two of the sailors and our cook amused themselves
by fishing for tomcod. No need of bait or special
skill here. The method employed might not satisfy
the sportsman, but it brought the fish on deck. The
tomcod is so plentiful in these waters that the fishing
is done with baitless hooks. A double hook in the
shape of a miniature anchor, with a sinker immedi-
ately above it, is put at the end of the line. After
the hook has reached a certain depth, the line resting
on the gunwale is suddenly jerked up two or three
feet, and this see-saw motion is kept up until one
of the fish, attracted by the glittering, moving ob-
ject, is hooked and hauled on deck. More than a
pailful of small cod were caught in this simple manner
in less than two hours.

WHALE-HUNTING

Whale hunting, as practised in the Greenland
and Labrador waters, has undergone remarkable
changes during the last few years. The old whalers,
in open whale-boats, and experts in the use of the
hand harpoon, would find it necessary to-day to learn
new lessons in the successful practice of their voca-
tion. The tactics of whale-hunting have been
revolutionized by the substitution of the steam
launch for the rowboat and by the use of the cannon,
instead of arm and hand force, in throwing the
deadly harpoon. Whales of all sorts have become
scarce in these waters and the sperm-whale, the
most valuable, has become almost extinct. The
sport part of whaling has given place to means of

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 53

destruction calculated to secure the game with the
greatest degree of certainty, and in the shortest
possible space of time. The hand harpoon was not
a fatal weapon. It served the purpose of tiring out
the animal, after a long and dangerous chase, when
the exhausted beast could be approached with greater
safety with killing weapons. In the struggle for
life the animal had some show of escape and even
of victory. T^-day victory is altogether on the side
of the pursuers, with no risk to life on their part.
To make the waning business of whaling a paying
industry, the scarcity of the game makes it necessary
to secure as many as possible of the animals that
are discovered.

The black whale (baleen), the species usually
hunted here, has a swimming speed of ten to
eleven knots an hour. He can not live under
water for more than an hour and twenty minutes
at a time without coming to the surface for air;
hence, when once discovered, he can be followed
and kept in sight by a crew in a steam launch until
he is sufficiently tired out to come within range of
the cannon harpoon. The harpoon now in use is a
vicious and most deadly weapon. It consists of a bar
of iron about four feet long, and about the size of the
forearm above the wrist. The penetrating end of
the harpoon has a sharp point and four enormous
ugly looking barbs which lie close to the stem of the
weapon when it ente" •• the body of the whale, and
are spread by the ex -sion of a cartridge fired
by a cap when the harpoon strikes a solid resist-
ance. This giant harpoon is fired from a cannon,

54 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

three feet in length, mounted and operated on the
bow of the steam launch. This harpoon not only
grapples the huge animal, but often the explosion
in the interior of the body kills almost instantaneously.
If this is not the case, the firing is repeated as often
as the animal comes to the surface and is within
range. The first and all subsequent shots are fired
at close range, never more than forty-eight feet.
A black whale, of average size, yields about $1,000
clear profit to the firm. The value of a sperm-
whale sometimes reaches the enormous figure of
$20,000.

THROUGH BELLE ISLE STRAIT

Friday, July 2ist, we left Loup Bay harbor at
3:30 A. M., the fog having thinned out into a mist.
We were soon out of sight of land and surrounded
by icebergs of all dimensions, from the size of a large
dwelling house to remnants not larger than the
ice-blocks in a refrigerator.

"And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold,
And ice most high came floating by,
As green as emerald." — Coleridge.

As we proceeded and again came in view of Lab-
rador, the amount of snow on the mountains in-
creased and the icebergs were larger. Owing to
a cloudy sky, a drizzling rain, and a misty condition
of the atmosphere, the Newfoundland coast never
came in sight. The eastern inlet of the strait, near
Battle Harbor, presented a beautiful panoramic
view. Hundreds of icebergs had congregated here,
many of them stranded in the shallow water, after
their voyage from the far North. Although the
atmosphere was misty, I could count fifty icebergs
from the deck of the steamer, surrounding us on all
sides. Their marble whiteness and size were inten-
sified and magnified in the prevailing mist. Many
of these monster masses of solid ice were at least
300 feet in width, and rose 120 feet above the level
of the sea. As the submerged part of an iceberg

56 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

is approximately seven times greater than that
above the water, one can realize the enormity of
the size of these giant offsprings of the Greenland
glaciers.

Dr. Kane, in estimating the size of an iceberg in
Melville Bay, and it was not the largest one he saw,
reached the conclusion that it represented sixty-one
millions of tons in weight. All of the largest icebergs
had become arrested in their slow, southern course,
where the depth of the strait is given at sixty
fathoms; another indication of their gigantic size.
A few of these bergs had brought their moraine with
them; others had lost their marble whiteness, on
summit or side, by turning over and rubbing against
the sandy bottom of the sea. Many of them were
cracked and fissured, and all of them exhibited indi-
cations of a slow process of disintegration from the
effects of rain, warm sunshine, and the swift current.
These elements had sculptured summit, sides and
base into strange, fantastic designs, some of them
of exquisite, artistic beauty. Marble white, delicate
blue, and emerald green were their prevailing colors,
while above the surface of the water, blue shown in
the fissures and fresh surfaces, and a delicate green
of the submerged base. Nature's chisel had done
some beautiful carving in the form of grooves, ridges,
cup-shaped depressions, pillars, steps, verandas,
porticos, gables, towers, steeples, doors, windows,
outlines of human and animal faces. Some of them
showed the outlines of churches, houses, ships, and
fortresses, etc. This part of Belle Isle Strait is an
immense cemetery for these travelers from the arctic

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 57

regions. No one knows how long they have been
on their journey. They would never have met such
a cruel fate if they had remained where they were
born; but their cradle was too deep into which they
fell when they separated involuntarily from their
glacier mother and crashed into the cold bosom of
the ocean, with the noise of thunder, bounding and
rebounding, rocking and swaying, in the tumultuous
water, infuriated by their fall, and on the return of
calm, they drifted helplessly with the current in
the direction of a climate deadly to their existence.
Here they are, aji army dying of a fatal disease. It is
only a question of a short time when they will return
to the element out of which they were moulded by
the icy hand of the pola.r cold. Their sweet water
will only serve to dilute the brine of the greedy
ocean.

Here, among these silent sentinels, guarding the
inlet of the strait, we found a large fleet of schooners
engaged in fishing for cod. The Labrador coast is
a favorite place for this industry, and the nearby
Battle Harbor is a gathering point for the fishermen
and serves as a safe refuge in times of danger on the
sea. The village of Battle Harbor is comprised of
about twenty fishermen's huts, and is noted for being
the headquarters of Dr. Grenfell, the well known
missionary physician of the Labrador coast. For
the last twelve years, this devoted, tireless worker
in the cause of humanity, has given all his ener-
gy to the spiritual and physical well-being of the
fishermen, who earn a scanty livelihood by plying
their dangerous business along the misty, foggy,

58 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

chilly Labrador coast. One of the several little
hospitals, established by the untiring efforts of
Doctor Grenfell, is located at Battle Harbor. The
Canadian government has presented him with a
small coast steamer, which serves him a good purpose
in visiting the different villages along the coast
during the summer, and in the winter, he makes
his trips over ice and snow in a dog sledge. Of such
a devoted, self-sacrificing man we can say in truth:

"Men approach nearer to the gods in no way
than by giving safety to men." — Cicero,

The hardships these fisherfolk have to endure in
these northern waters, during the sealing season, is
best shown by a few extracts from the last year's
log-book of the master of the "Erik." The start
was made from St. Johns, Newfoundland, March
1 2th. The following day at noon, this record was
made: "Ten ships in sight, all working north,
through sheet ice. Gray Islands in sight, bearing
northwest twenty miles. 4 P. M. Thirteen ships in
sight, all making way through sheet ice. The
afternoon of the same day, and all next day, severe
snow storms were encountered and the ships, under
full steam, had to break through the ice. March
1 5th a herd of 1,000 seal was discovered and 530
animals were taken."

"March i6th, 12 M. Wind east, with snow. All
hands out, working on ice. Ship picking up pans,
(dead seal on floating ice). 6 P. M. All hands
on board with ninety-four flags out (flag planted
on an ice-floe secures ownership of the dead) . Reports

77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 59

1,000 seals panned. 8 P. M. Wind east, strong,
with snow; ship picking up pans. 9 P. M. Burnt
down (ship stopped, fire low). March iyth 12 M.
Wind northeast, strong, ship picking up seals. 4
P. M. Ship making good way through sheet ice, pick-
ing up seal. 8 P. M. All hands on board. Reports
8,000 seals panned. Ship burnt down in heavy ice."
The next day the log says: "7 P. M. All hands on
board with 7,000 seals panned, ship burned down in
heavy ice." "Ship jammed in heavy ice." "Heavy
gale". "Snowstorms." "Ship under full steam,
butting heavy ice." "Burnt down." "Making five
inches of water per hour." These are expressions
found on almost every page of the log book and
give some idea of the hardships a sealer must en-
counter on these annual trips for seal. The last
entry was made on April 226.. "12 M. Wind east,
raining. Laying in seal on the ice. 2 P. M. Tried
seals, but found them wild. 2:10 P. M. Full speed
ahead, homeward bound. 4 P. M. Wind south-
west with thick fog and rain. 12 P. M. Fog lifting."
It is evident that such cruises for seal are not only
attended by many hardships, but, also, by no incon-
siderable risk to life. Jumping from one pan of ice
to another, although closely packed, in the excite-
ment of the chase, must necessarily not only result
occasionally in a cold bath, but in danger by drown-
ing, in spite of the skilful use of the gaff, and the
aid of near-by companions. There are other and more
serious dangers the sealer has to face. A few years ago,
a sealing vessel, carrying two hundred and one men,
lost forty- three in a gale and severe snow-storm.

60 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

It was the only vessel which permitted the crew to
go on the ice that day. When some distance from
the ship, a sudden, violent gale, accompanied by
a raging snowstorm, set in, which made the return
to the ship a matter of extreme difficulty, and forty-
three perished from the effects of exposure and the
intense cold. The cod-fishery, during the summer
months, can by no means be looked upon as a pas-
time. The frequent drizzling rains, the mists and
fogs, the chilly weather, and frequent squalls make
the life on board the schooners and in the open boats
anything but pleasant. And yet there is, and there
always has been, a certain degree of fascination
about the periphery of danger zones best illustrated
by military and marine life. The seaman is not
happy unless he is on the sea, and the real soldier
is out of his element unless there is some prospect
for him to show his fighting strength and skill. The
sealing vessels have no difficulty in enlisting the
services of a full crew year after year. The fact is,
there are more applications than berths, and the cap-
tains of the sealers have a large material from which
to select their crew. As each man receives his share
of the profits of the trip, the best possible efforts of
the men thus employed are secured. If the trip is
a profitable one, each man is benefited in proportion
to the total gain; if it proves a failure, the loss affects
them all collectively and individually.

It is among these fishermen and sealers on the
bleak coast of Labrador that Dr. Grenfell has cast
his lot and carries on his humanitarian work, and
they know how to appreciate it. Along the whole

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 61

coast of Labrador, his name has become a household
word, and wherever his benevolent work carries
him, he is looked upon as the benefactor of the men
who live and toil on the sea.

FROM LABRADOR TO GREENLAND

After leaving the Strait of Belle Isle and passing
Battle Harbor, we sailed along the coast of Labrador
as far as Round Hills Island, which was reached at
midnight. Few icebergs were seen on this part of
the route, and most of them were small. The foggy
condition of the coast excluded the sight of land.
Saturday morning, July 22d, promised a more
agreeable day, the fog had vanished and an occasional
peep of the sun through the broken clouds cheered
the deck, and the heaving bosom of the ocean was
the playground of many arctic birds, guillemots,
and gulls.

After leaving the dreary, fog-clad coast of Lab-
rador, the captain set his compass for Holstenborg,
Greenland, 800 miles almost due north. The track
of the ship will be over a part of the ocean noted for
its depth, which, on an average, exceeds a mile.
The nights are becoming shorter, day after day, as
we steam northward, being now crowded in between
late twilight and early dawn; the former in this
latitude, at this time of the year, does not vanish
until 10 P. M., and dawn creeps in at half -past two
in the morning. Toward evening, the first day
out, the long swells of the sea were lashed by a stiff
gale, which soon broke the long swells into short,
choppy, foam-crested waves. It was then we were
reminded of the beautiful lines:

64 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

"The twilight is sad and cloudy;
The wind blows wild and free,
And like the wings of sea-birds
Flash the white caps of the sea."

— Longfellow.

The little steamer, groaning under the heavy
cargo of coal, responded gracefully to the wild
movements of the sea, and assumed the gait so
pleasing to the lover of the sea — a compromise be-
tween pitching and rolling. Once out of the Labra-
dor current, we looked in vain for icebergs and,
from the appearance and action of the sea, and the
temperature, we could imagine ourselves on the
much-frequented highway from New York to Eng-
land this time of the year.

That July 23d was Sunday, we could not mistake,
as the crew observed this day of rest as far as could
be done, even when the vessel was under full sail.
Up to now, the furnaces were fed with coal from
the deck. Two men kept the bunkers brimful all
the time by shoveling coal from the deck into their
gaping apertures. This day the shovels on deck
were at rest, and the men who handled them during
week days, smoked their pipes on deck and in the
forecastle. The two firemen below remained at
their posts. Another unmistakable Sunday indica-
tion was a dish served for breakfast, called "bruise"
in the sailor language, a mixture of salt codfish,
steamed biscuits, and slices of bacon, a wholesome
and savory dish. At the place where we are now,
half-way between Labrador and Greenland, the
ocean has a depth of 1,500 fathoms, as indicated on

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 65

the mariner's map. The same authority makes
the statement that the floor of the ocean, as ascer-
tained by soundings, shows sand and coral. Coral
formation, at such great depth, could only have
taken place when this part of the earth was under
the influence of a tropic or sub-tropic climate, and
when the ocean here was a shallow body of water,
as the coral polyps cannot live below the depth of
eighteen fathoms of water, and are inhabitants of
the tropics. This ancient coral-bed, formed ages
and ages ago, is a silent witness of the insidious
changes wrought by nature, silently, but progress-
ively, on the surface of the earth and the floor of
the mighty ocean.

We are now on the boundless, trackless ocean,
far away from the pathways of ships engaged in
business, commerce, or war. Our route is a lonely,
deserted one, and there is no use in looking for puffs
of smoke or sails until we expect to be met by the
"Roosevelt." The leaden dome of clouds veils the
sun, which, only for a few moments, could be seen
through a narrow, moving window cut in the gray
clouds by an increasing breeze from the land of ice
and snow.

Animal life has forsaken us, with the exception
of a few sea gulls who follow in the wake of the ship
with an unfailing hope that sooner or later the gen-
erous steward will reward their perseverance and
confidence by throwing overboard table and kitchen
waste, on which they expect to feast. What con-
stant and persistent sea companions these birds
are! They are found wherever human beings have

66 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

found their way by sea or ice, and, if they could
speak, it would be useless for Commander Peary to
make another attempt to find the pole, as these
homeless, wandering, fearless, strong-winged birds
have, undoubtedly, ere this, looked down upon the
desolate pole, in search of a paradise, peopled
with fish, harmless, easy of catch, and palatable
to their tastes. All credit to these tireless sailors
and intrepid explorers!

THE SEA GULL

"Bold bird of every clime!
Swift traveler from pole to pole,
Citiz'n of the deep ocean,
Sky, ice and eternal snow,
Tell the secrets of the pole."

Monday, July 24th. We have spent the last
night on board ship. It was a very short one, as
the dim twilight did not yield to somber night until
well nigh eleven o'clock, and dawn chased away
the dying darkness at half-past one in the morning.
Night is dying a victim of the approaching, con-
quering midnight sun. The master of day is receding,
but we are in hot pursuit of him, and to-night will
witness the last struggle between night and day.
At midnight, it will be light. Henceforth, for the
next four weeks, lanterns and lights of any kind
will be useless. At midnight we will not see the
sun, but we will see his victory over darkness.

"Yon light is not daylight, I know it well;
It is some meteor that the sun exhales,
To be to thee this night a torch -bearer."

-Shakespeare.

/AT THE HEART OP THE ARCTICS 67

For us, the star-light nights, for the next four
weeks, are over. The sun will assert his majesty
and power by day and by night, and the smaller
lights of heaven, the moon and the stars, will be
lost in his overpowering splendor. Continuous
daylight for at least a month! What an incentive
for work, and what little inducements to court sleep!
I have seen the midnight sun, in all his splendor, at
North Cape, Norway, and remember the short nights
in Russia, Siberia, and Alaska; and have learned
from experience what nightless days mean in the
way of chasing away sleep. During the short summer,
the Eskimos have no fixed time for sleep, and I
presume the same uncertainty in dividing the twen-
ty-four hours properly into time for work and rest
awaits us. It has been my experience that con-
tinuous daylight for more than a week or two is
fatiguing, as custom has taught us to work at least
as long as the sun shines and reserve at least half
of the night for rest and sleep ; and habit is a stubborn
thing, and, only too often, an unconquerable master.
We had a clear, although cloudy day with a strong
breeze until noon, when a dense fog set in, the sea
became smooth, and an icy wind met us — all indi-
cations that we were nearing an ice-field. This
suspicion was soon confirmed by the looming up, in
the dense fog, of a number of immense icebergs.
Caution now became necessary. The sails, which
had been made use of since morning to increase the
speed and steady the vessel, were hauled in, and,
at half speed, the little ship crawled along slowly
between the bergs. In a few hours we emerged

68 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

from the fog into the clear, bracing atmosphere,
when only a few icebergs were sighted in the dis-
tance; evidently the fog was hovering over the
congregation of numerous large bergs. In passing
through the fog, the whistle remained silent, because,
in this desert ocean, there was no need of announc-
ing our presence as there was nothing here but the
icebergs, and these are not known to get out of the
way of any one. Late in the evening, we obtained
a glimpse of the pale sun through a break in the
leaden clouds, and, about the same time, encoun-
tered a school of whales gamboling near the vessel
and throwing jets of water high into the air through
the spiracles or blow-holes. One of them, in his
curiosity, came almost to the side of the ship, where
he appeared, an enormous black mass rising high
above the surface of the water. Having satisfied
himself as to what the ship really was, he plunged
head foremost, into the green element and disap-
peared as suddenly as he came into sight. We had
nothing to fear from these monsters of the sea.
Formerly sailors in small crafts did.

"Seamen have a custom when they meet a
whale, to fling him out an empty tub by way of
amusement, to divert him from laying violent
hands upon the ship." — Swift.

We were secure, and as we had no evil design
on these giants of the sea, the meeting passed off
without accident or bloodshed. Sixty feet is about
the maximum length of the mysticetus, or Greenland
whale. Mr. Scoresby found that of 322 animals,
in the capture of which he was concerned, none

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 69

occurred exceeding fifty-eight feet in length; and
he, therefore, places no reliance on the report of
any specimen exceeding seventy feet. The jets of
spray and water, thrown into the air when they
spouted, reached a height of at least forty to
fifty feet. The tail of the whale does not rise ver-
tically like that of most fishes, but is flat and hori-
zontal, only four or five feet long, but more than
twenty feet broad. Its power is tremendous. A
single stroke throws a large boat, with all its inmates,
into the air. Sometimes the whale places himself
in a perpendicular position, with the head downwards,
and rearing his tail on high, beats the water with
frightful violence. On these occasions, the sea
foams and the spray darkens the air; the lashing is
heard several miles off, like the roar of a distant
storm. The tail is the motor of the whale and the
fins merely direct and steady the movements. The
razor-back whale (Balaena physalis) is a much
larger animal. One of these animals, found dead
in Davis Strait, measured 105 feet in length. An-
other whale found in the arctic waters is the sperm-
whale (Physeter microps), the most valuable of all
whales. During the first half of the nineteenth
century, different species of whale were very numer-
ous along the west coast of Greenland, which, for
fifty years, was the favorite hunting ground of the
British and American whalers. The wholesale slaugh-
ter carried on, year after year, by large whaling
fleets, has decimated their number to a deploring
extent, and has driven most of the survivors farther
north to regions less accessible to the whalers.

70 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Tuesday, July 25th. The average temperature
for the day was 44° F. At midnight, twilight and
dawn met and banished the darkness of night. The
sun, still in hiding, cast his beams of light east and
west without showing any partiality to either di-
rection. They blended their luminous sparks, in
this desolate part of the world, in the form of a dim
midnight twilight and beginning dawn. From now
on, until the end of the short, arctic summer, moon
and stars will be powerless in the presence of the
midnight sun, and we can no longer say with Job:

"The morning stars sing together, and all the
sons of God shouted for joy." — XXXVIII, 7.

This may be unfortunate for us as star gazers
when we reach our destination, as

"Her clearer stars glow round the frozen
pole." — Pope.

Since we left Sydney, the frequent fogs and cloudy
sky have made it impossible for the captain to take
an observation. We have sailed by the compass
and are, as yet, far from land, and in water from
a mile to a mile and a half in depth; hence, there is
no danger of shipwreck on rocks. The captain, a
very cautious man, is anxious to know exactly where
we are, and has been asking himself, again and
again,

"Where are we? Ye immortal gods, where in
the world are we?" — Cicero.

This burning question he answered to his satis-
faction, when, at 9:15 A. M., the curtain of clouds
was lifted from the sun and a sudden flash of intense

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 71

light poured down on the cold, somber surface of
the ocean. The noon observation showed that we
were in Davis Strait, in latitude 63.1° N., longitude
53° W. The sudden bursting forth of the sun
changed the appearance of the ocean, the clouds,
and the fog, from which we had just emerged. The
face of the ocean, heretofore unfriendly, sullen, of
a dull green color, now reflected, mirror-like,
the delicate blue of the northern sky, the clouds
changed their dull, leaden hue for a white, fleecy
dress and the fog behind us became a delicate grayish
white veil, suspended from an invisible support and
touching the calm, rippling, blue surface of the
ocean. The innumerable water-fowl, seagulls and
guillemots in the air and on the water basked in
the sunshine, and the mercury in the thermometer,
in a few minutes, took a sudden leap from 44° F.
to 49° F. The warmth and genial influence of the
sun brought cheer on the deck, that had been so
long in the shadow of gloomy clouds and chilled by
weeping fogs.

It was not long before we sighted another field
of icebergs, resplendent in the sunshine, sailing in
a group in the direction of the current. I counted
eleven at one time. They had evidently been on
the way for a long time, judging from the extent to
which their size and form had been affected by the
sun and waves. Some retained their balance,
others were leaning toward the weather side, and
some of them were turned clear over with the orig-
inal base high in the air. During the afternoon,
fleeting fogs in the bright sunshine, created pano-

72 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

ramie views, great in their variety and exquisite in
their beauty. The fogs were low, not exceeding
the masts of the vessel in height, and traveled fast,
coming and disappearing every few minutes, leaving
spaces between them where the sun painted silvery
pathways among the chasing fogs. When the fogs
veiled the sun, they paled his face like that of the
moon, and brushed away the warm breath of his
rays. All objects in the fog, birds and icebergs,
were greatly magnified in their size at the expense
of a loss of their sharp outlines. Veiling and unveil-
ing of these things were only a matter of a few min-
utes, and during the intervals the sunshine was
bright and cheering. Repeatedly the action of the
rays of the sun on the disappearing, fugitive clouds
painted the faint outlines of a rainbow, a fog rain-
bow, which, however, always lacked vivid color-
ation. The most conspicuous colors were pale
drab and a light gray. This kind of a rainbow, in
the sailor's language, is called a "fog-eater," and is
looked upon with favor, for it means to the sailor
that the fogs are low, thin, and fleeting.

At eight o'clock in the evening, the fog became
more dense and motionless. We saw Greenland
sooner than we expected. Sailing at full speed
through the dense fog, all at once the ship came to a
sudden standstill, the propeller was reversed. The
watch had espied land ahead of us. When I came on
deck, we were within half a mile of two small, low
islands. The vessel was turned seaward and proceeded
at half speed. On consulting the chart, the captain
ascertained that we were at the entrance of God-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 73

haab Fiord, and very near the coast. The fog was
so dense that the islands were out of sight in a few
minutes. We were very fortunate in safely escap-
ing the first source of danger in coming so unex-
pectedly, in such close proximity, to the treacherous
coast of Greenland.

The captain had orders to sail for Holstenborg,
but we got the first glimpse of Greenland, or rather
the islands guarding the Fiord of Godhaab, ninety
miles south from Holstenborg. The strong current
had carried the "Erik" out of the set course, the
fog hid the coast, and before we had expected it,
we had found what we were in search of — the land
of snow and ice.

GREENLAND

"The keen, clear air — the splendid sight—-
We waken to a world of ice;
Where all things are enshrined in light
As by some Genii's quaint device."

— Norton.

As I am writing this I am in full view of the
bleak, stern, rugged coast of Greenland, half-way
between Godhaab and Holstenborg. We are, in-
deed, in a new world, but an old one by discovery.
From the time we left Sydney, every day revealed
to us new and convincing proofs that we were coming
nearer and nearer to the limits of animal and vege-
table life. My long and ardent desire to see the
heart of the arctics is about to be realized. We are
fast approaching that part of the arctic world where
explorers of the most enlightened nations have made
their headquarters for a final dash for the object of
their search — the pole. Greenland is nearer to
the north pole than any other known land, and
hence, for more than fifty years, it has been made
the starting point for the race to the pole. This
strange country of ice and snow was well known to
the civilized nations long before America was dis-
covered. History relates that this island-continent,
or ice-covered archipelago, was first seen by the
Norman rover, Gnunbjorn, and later by Erik the
Red, who was banished in 982 A. D. for three years,
from Iceland, for murder. After an aimless sea

76 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

voyage, he found the east coast of Greenland and
landing, probably in midsummer, found the moun-
tainsides and valleys covered with grass, called it
"Greenland" to distinguish it from the sterile hills
and mountains of the island he was forced to leave.
As the period of expatriation of this criminal was only
three years, we have reason to believe that he gave
this seductive name to the island he re-discovered
for the purpose of inducing his countrymen to
follow him to Greenland on his return to Iceland.
It is natural to suppose that, for selfish reasons, he
would encourage immigration to the land that had
given him safety and shelter while he was under
sentence for a capital crime. On his return to Ice-
land, he succeeded in interesting his countrymen in
his scheme to settle Greenland, and retraced his
steps with twenty-five vessels, of which only fourteen
reached their destination.

The final fate of the second discoverer of Green-
land is wrapped in obscurity. In 999 A. D., Leif,
his son, visited the court of Norway, where, under
the influence of the then reigning king, he was Chris-
tianized and returned to Greenland with monks
and established a number of colonies near Cape
Farewell. These colonies prospered for a long time,
but were extinguished by the hostile natives and
"black death," an epidemic which raged in Europe
from 1402 to 1404, and at last reached Greenland.
The colonies became extinct about the beginning of
the sixteenth century. Except the scanty ruins of
a church, the only vestiges of these early settlements
now remaining consist of low, naked walls, which

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 77

must have served as pens for sheltering cattle, and
an inscription, in the Runic language, on a stone
slab, found in 1824, planted erect in the ground,
on the island of Kingitorsoak, latitude 73° north,
bearing the date April 25, 1135. The inscription
has never been completely deciphered. Dr. T.
Stewart Traill, of Liverpool, has interpreted this
much of it: "Oelligr Sigwathson, and Baaos Tor-
tarson and Oenrithi Osson, on the Saturday before
Gagndag erected Thorward's monument, and wrote
this." (And then what remained is unintelligible.)
[Gagndag was a holiday of the Catholic church
in Iceland.]

More than 600 years after the settlement of
Greenland by Icelanders, Baffin visited the island
and found it bare and bleak, so called it "Land of
Desolation." A century after Erik landed, a con-
siderable population from Iceland had settled on the
west coast. For several centuries, these people
kept in touch with Europe, and it is said they also
discovered America, which is very likely, as their
pursuit of food-yielding sea-animals would, no
doubt, extend their chase at least as far as the coast
of Labrador. Later, owing to stirring events in
Europe, this communication was intercepted and
the colonies were practically forgotten, and all
knowledge of them was lost after their ex-
tinction by hostile natives and the fatal epidemic.
The colonists, and the natives associated with them,
had become nominally Christians, and maintained
a republican form of government, but shortly before
the catastrophes that blotted them out, they recog-

7$ IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

nized the king of Norway as their sovereign. Then
follows a blank in the history of Greenland, covering
a space of 200 years, until Davis, Hudson and Baffin,
the bold English navigators (1585-1616), visited the
west coast and began their history-making explora-
tions of the far North. Several expeditions sent by
the king of Denmark (1585-1670) to find the colonies
were fruitless. In 1576, Frobisher claims to have
re-discovered a part of the long-forgotten Greenland.
In 1587, Davis sailed along the west coast as far as
latitude 73° north; in 1610, Hudson advanced
to latitude 76° north; and in 1616, Baffin reached
latitude 77^° north, without discovering any signs
of a European settlement. In 1727, under Fred-
erick IV, of Denmark, after the missionary, Hans
Egede, had founded Godhaab in 1721, firm new
foothold of Europeans was gained on the west coast.
Hans Egede, an enthusiast in the interest of Green-
land, succeeded in securing the sum of $10,000 by
voluntary subscriptions, and landed, with his family
and forty settlers, at Baal river, in latitude 64° north,
July 3, 1721. He was afterward appointed mission-
ary, by the home government, (Danish), with a small
salary. The Danish government occasionally granted
some aid to the colony. He labored with great zeal
in civilizing and Christianizing the natives until
1736. In 1757, the year before his death, he pub-
lished his book, "Description of Greenland," in the
Danish language.

In 1733, Herrnhuter missionaries were sent to
the west coast, and a number of settlements were
established. Whalers from Europe and America

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 79

aided the colonists. Since Greenland has been under
Danish rule, the southern part has been divided
into thirteen colonies, the most northern settle-
ment being Upernavik. The colonies and settle-
ments are presided over by two superintendents,
one for the northern and one for the southern dis-
trict. Each colony and each settlement has a gov-
ernor and mechanics, who regulate the affairs of the
natives and give them instruction. In 1805, Green-
land had a population of 6,046; in 1874, 9,843; and
in 1885, 9,892. The present number of inhabitants
does not exceed 10,000, including the 230 to 250
Danish officials and settlers. New Herrnhut, founded
in 1733, is the largest and most prosperous colony.
It is the intellectual center of Greenland. It has a
seminary and a small printing plant for the dissem-
ination of spiritual and educational literature, in
the native language. Besides this, there are a number
of small trading stations, which are visited about
three times every summer by vessels, carrying the
mail and bringing supplies in exchange for furs,
eiderdown, and ivory, which the natives bring to
these places from great distances.

Greenland is the largest island in the world. It
is an island-continent familiar only to explorers,
whalers, and the few white people living there in
the service of the Danish government.

The many books written by explorers, who at-
tempted to reach the pole by making Greenland
the base of their expedition to the farthest north,
have been read by millions of people; but no one
can obtain a correct idea of this strange and mys-

8o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

terious icebound and ice-covered land, from the
best written and most accurate accounts. To know
this, the most northern of all known lands, it must
be seen. The complicated topography of the coun-
try, the interesting native population, the mighty
ice-cap, the countless glaciers, the floating moun-
tains of ice, the resistless, moving fields of floe-ice,
the gigantic sea-animals, the scanty but beautiful
flora, the long summer day, and the equally long
winter night, are things which must be seen to be
understood and appreciated. The average layman
is impressed with the idea that Greenland is an unin-
habitable wilderness of ice and snow, and it is hard
to make him believe that the arctic summer, with
its midnight sun, even as far north as Etah, the
very heart of the arctics, is delightful.

It has a temperature usually ranging from 31°
to 55° F., with sea and air teeming with animal
life, the valleys and hillsides clothed with verdure,
wherever there is enough soil for seeds to germinate,
and where beautiful tiny flowers meet the visitor's
eye and impart a warmth to the arctic scenery,
which must be seen to be felt. Greenland was
formerly supposed to be a peninsula of the Ameri-
can continent, or an archipelago, connected by a
mass of ice. Its insularity was discovered by Com-
mander Peary in 1892, who ascertained that a strait,
believed to be Nordenskiold's Inlet, stretches from
Lincoln Sea on the west to the Arctic Ocean on the
northeast coast. From south to north, Greenland
is about 1,400 miles in length, and its greatest width,
from Cape Hatherton on the west coast to Cape

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 81

Bismarck on the east coast, is 690 miles. The
interior of the island is covered by eternal ice, which
occupies about four-fifths of its entire surface. This
monster ice-cap stretches out arms toward the
sea, on both coasts, in the form of innumerable
glaciers.

This ice-cap ascending in a gradual slope from
both coasts until it reaches an elevation of at least
8,000 feet, has been explored more thoroughly by
Peary than by any one else. Twice he traveled
from coast to coast, encountering terrific winds
and blinding snow-storms, which more than once
threatened the lives of the entire party. In 1902,
he explored the northeastern part of Greenland,
and described the coast that no human being had
ever seen. Contrary to what had been claimed,
he found in this remote part of the island, musk-
oxen, polar hares, polar bear and signs of ptarmigan.

This giant island lies between the Atlantic Ocean
on the east, and Davis Strait, Baffin Bay, Smith
Sound, and Kennedy Canal on the west, and extends
from its most southern point, Cape Farewell, from
latitude 59° 48' to a little above 82° north, and
comprises 500,000 square miles, of which 400,000 are
occupied by the ice-cap, or, as the Danes call it,
"ice-blink." The interior, from north to south,
and nearer the east than the west coast, is a mesa of
ice surrounded by mountains spreading over the
whole island, except along a narrow coast fringe.
The interior ice-cap is the last of those glacial con-
ditions which for ages submerged northern Europe
and northern America in its deluge of ice. Peary

82 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

estimates that the ice-cap is 1,650 feet in thickness,
so that the high plateau is in reality an immense
glacier, which is moving westward. The more than
100 large coast glaciers are merely prolongations of
this interior ice, which reach the seashore between
clefts in the coast range of mountains. The traveler
who sails along the west coast of Greenland is seldom
out of sight of the ice-cap glittering in the sunshine,
and, in dark and cloudy weather, lighting up the
clouds (ice-blink). Peary calls the interior ice an
arctic desert, vastly greater than the African Sahara,
and entirely devoid of animal and vegetable life.
From the highest point of this ice-cap, fierce winds
rake its surface in all directions, and in this way
progressive increase in the height of the cap is
prevented. The natives know the ice-cap under the
name of Sermik soak, and will not venture upon
it if they can avoid it. They could never under-
stand why Commander Peary was so persistent in
exploring it, and, at last, surmised that he was in
search of another race in the farthest North.

On the east coast, the island is cut by the Franz-
Josef and Fligely's Fiords. The land, free of ice, is
a narrow strip along the coast, five to twenty-five
miles in width, made up of mountains and valleys
and deep-branching fiords. Numerous deep fiords,
some of them the beds of great glaciers, fed by the
ice masses of the interior and a labyrinth of penin-
sulas, bays and capes, characterize most of the
coast. Cliffs and mountains from 1,500 to 7,000
feet in height skirt the coast almost everywhere.
The water from the melting ice and snow is drained

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 83

into the ocean by brooks and rivulets, and some of
these watercourses are large enough to merit the
name of river. The large glaciers moving down the
fiords, of which about 100 reach the sea, break off
as ice-bergs at the edge of the sea. Numerous
islands, the favorite breeding places of the arctic birds
that migrate north during the summer, lie along the
west coast, but are less numerous on the east coast.
"The two distinctive features are the rugged and
mountainous coast belt, extending from two to
twenty miles inland, and the ice-cap, which covers
all the rest of the island. Mt. Petermann, at the
head of Franz- Josef Fiord, is the highest peak,
reaching an altitude of 10,725 feet. The altitude of
the west coast mountains, south of the Arctic Circle
is about i, 600 to 2,000 feet, with a few black jagged
summits, that rise 5,000 feet above the sea." (Peary.)
Gneiss, granite, and other crystalline formations
form the bulk of the base rocks, accessible for study.
Sandstone, slate and basalt are also found on the
west coast, the latter more especially on Disco
Island, where waves, have sculptured it into fantastic
and picturesque forms. The mineral resources of
Greenland are meagre. Cryolite constitutes the
principal article of export, yielding an income, in
1874, of over $186,000. The revenue from these
mines, located in the southern part of the island,
near Ivigtut, the only ones in the world, has been
gradually on the increase since. Traces of copper
have been found at different points on the west
coast. The mineral, endialyte, found near the
south end of the island, is also a no inconsiderable

84 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

revenue. At Godhaab, the smoke topaz, and gar-
nets of an inferior quality, are also found. Coal of
good quality is found on Disco Island, near God-
havn, and, it is said, also along the coast of Lady
Franklin Bay. In 1886, Peary found at Atane
Kerdluk, near Disco, the famous fossil-beds and
petrified wood. Between the layers of sandstone
were the distinct outlines of leaves and ferns. The
presence of coal, and the fossil flora and fauna,
show types of vegetation and animal life akin to
some now found within the tropics. The early
explorers found volcanic craters, one of which
emitted steam and smoke when it was discovered.
The early history of this strange island is
wrapped in mystery. How long a time has elapsed
since its mountains were green and tree-clad, and
inhabited by animals which, now, are only found
in the temperate zones and tropic and sub -tropic
climates, is only a matter of mere conjecture. The
stern fact remains that, since then, it has become
the coldest region in the world.

CLIMATE

No foreigner has had a longer and greater ex-
perience in. studying the climate of Greenland than
Commander Peary, and I will let him speak on this
subject.

The climate and seasons within the arctic circle
exhibit most peculiar and striking features, which
modify, in a singular manner, the whole aspect of
nature. The climate is very variable, and is greatly
influenced by a branch of the Gulf Stream, the fierce

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 85

winds from the ice-cap, and the amount of floating
ice along the coasts, in the form of ice-floes and ice-
bergs. Temperatures of — 60° F. to — 70° F., during
the winter, have been recorded in northwest Green-
land. The mean winter temperature at settlements
in south Greenland has been observed as varying
between — 70° F.and 20° F. At Upernavik the mean
temperature for three summer months is 38° F., and
farther south, at Julianshaab, it is 48° F. More
snow falls in the south than in the north. The
branch of the Gulf Stream flowing north along the
west coast is conducive to the habitability of that
region. The climate is more severe on the east than
the west coast. The mean temperature for eight
months, at McCormick Bay ascertained by Mr. Ver-
hoeff, the unfortunate member of the Peary expedi-
tion, 1891-1892, was as follows:

August 37.84°
September 23.28°
October 8.57°
November— 0.16°
December— 14.09°
January— 20.53°
February— 15.77°
March— 22.12°

This table appears to agree with observations of
the governor of Godhavn, who informed me that
in that part of Greenland, and throughout the south-
ern part of the island, March is the coldest and most
disagreeable month. June, July, and August are
the summer months and it is during this time that
vegetable life thrives with an energy unknown in the

86 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

temperate zones. A very few weeks, under the
magic influence of the midnight sun, suffice for the
grass to sprout and grow to a height of four to ten
inches, and for the flowers to bud, blossom, and
ripen their seed. The pack ice in Melville Bay,
Smith Sound, and Kennedy Channel, during the
summer months, is one of the most puzzling things
to all seafaring men who enter those waters. Kane
and other explorers have reported open water north
of Smith Sound, and believed that they had dis-
covered the open Polar Sea; while others have been
imprisoned in ice all summer in Baffin Bay. The
only drift-ice we encountered was off Cape Athol, on
our upward trip; otherwise, the water was remark-
ably free of ice on the entire voyage, with the excep-
tion, of course, of the icebergs, which were almost
our constant companions.

The natives calculate time by their winters, the
season of fast ice, which they call "Opipok." The
snow blizzards, during the winter, are far more
dangerous to natives and foreigners than the intense
cold, as the native dress is ample protection against
the latter, while the cyclonic and impalpable snow
blizzards render outdoor life almost impossible
without an effective mechanical protection. It is
very strange, and yet it appears nevertheless
true, that putrefaction of animal products takes
place more rapidly during the Greenland winter
than in the summer. Dr. Kane relates that a
reindeer shot on the 226. of February, brought on
board the "Advance" the next day, was almost
uneatable the second day, the temperature being

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 87

at that time —35° F. The Eskimos say that the
extreme cold is rather a promoter than otherwise,
of the putrefactive process. To prevent this they
withdraw the viscera from the animals immedi-
ately after they are killed and fill the cavity with
stones. (Kane.)

ALONG THE WEST COAST OF GREENLAND

"Should I be placed alone in the barren wastes
where no trees burst into bloom, and where
no flowers cheer my eyes in the brief summer;
icebound, mistclad and overcast with leaden
clouds! Should I be banished to where the
earth forbids man's abode, in lands too near
the fiery car of the day-king, I still would find
enough to study and admire the wonderful
works of creation and to praise the goodness
and mercy of the Almighty."

We are now sailing along the west coast of this
mysterious island of the north, in full sight of its
island sentinels and rugged mountains checkered
with ice and snow.

I look in vain, for trees and shrubs, and at this
distance the sprouting grass is obscured by the
black and gray of the bald mountain sides. No
wonder Baffin called this island "Land of Desola-
tion." Seen from a distance, it always leaves this
impression.

I have been in the hottest countries in the
world during the hottest months of the year, and
have experienced, in a full measure, the vicis-
situdes and lassitudes incident to such a climate;
and yet, I have never returned from these travels
without a keen sense of delight and gratitude for
what I had seen and learned. I learned what wise
provision kind Nature has made for the abode of
man and beast in such trying climates, and what

9o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

she was capable of doing in the way of inducing the
fertile soil, under the powerful influence of the tropic
sun, to bring forth the most luxuriant vegetation,
the most beautiful and fragrant flowers, and a rich
harvest of the most luscious fruits, with little or
no labor on the part of man. Man lives there at
ease, depending largely on Nature's infinite resources
in supplying him with the necessities of life, food,
clothing, and shelter from the elements. I am
now anxious to see and learn what nature has done
for the people who live under reverse extremes of
climatic conditions. I am satisfied that, even here,
in the coldest of all inhabited parts of the world,
Nature has provided wisely and well for the abode
of man. To what extent my expectations were
realized will appear by the results of my personal
observations during my short but extremely instruc-
tive sojourn along and on the west coast of this
empire of ice.

Wednesday, July 26th. After leaving the en-
trance to Godhaab Fiord, so suddenly and uncere-
moniously reached last evening, in the blinding fog,
we sailed seaward sixteen miles, and then turned
north and followed the coast at this distance, at half
speed, owing to the persistence of the fog, until
toward morning. At half -past seven o'clock this
specter of the sea vanished sufficiently to warrant
full speed; the coast was clear, and we looked for the
first time upon the range of mountains which wall
in the land of ice except where the leaders of the
ice-cap have battered it down by floods of ice and
mad torrents of water from the ice-cap and glaciers.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 91

The first view of these mountains suggests the
severity of the climate of the island. Stern and
forbidding is their appearance, treeless, naked, gray,
and black, their crevices, hollows, and ravines filled
with snow, they rise, wall-like, from the very edge
of the ocean, guarding the barren land they inclose
against the fury of the sea and the grinding action
of icebergs and pack-ice. They have performed
this duty well. There they stand, in an attitude
of defiance, but little scarred by the aggressive
ocean, a strong reminder of

"The everlasting hills are not changed like
the faces of men." — Tacitus.

There is nothing attractive or inviting about
them on first sight, their very appearance stamps
them as hostile and inhospitable. Cold and un-
feeling, they stare you in the face without a single
redeeming feature expressive of sympathy or a de-
sire to have you come nearer. Looking in an oppo-
site direction, over the placid surface of the ocean,
a more inviting picture unrolled itself. The water
was literally covered with arctic birds, among which
the guillemots, gulls and kitti wakes were most
numerous; all of them busy in securing their share
of sea food. The air was alive with birds, single
in pairs, and in flocks, of all sizes, coming
from and returning to their breeding places on the
countless little islands which fringe the coast. These
birds flew, fearlessly, over and on all sides of the
passing steamer, unconscious of any sense of danger.
Most of them had, probably, never seen such a

92 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

thing, and all seemed to know that the guns on
board remained in their cases. About eleven o'clock
the feeding time was over, and very few remained
on the water, and nearly every one, seen flying, made
a straight line for the rookeries on the shore.

Many whales were seen during the day, and one
of them, a monster, came along the side of the ship,
within easy reach of a harpoon. Only a very few
icebergs came in view during the entire day, and
all of them were slowly conveyed by the current
near the coast. Not a glimpse of the sun did we get,
and, for a considerable part of the day, the coast was
hidden behind a bank of dense, immobile fog. Dur-
ing the afternoon we crossed the Arctic Circle at
66i° north latitude, and at that time the
thermometer registered 42° F. We were reminded
that we were now within the Arctic Circle which
crosses Greenland a little south of Holstenborg.
About seven o'clock, the fog disappeared and un-
veiled a panorama of beautiful alpine scenery, in-
cluding the first of the numerous Greenland glaciers
to our fog-tired and yet expectant eyes. The mag-
nificent scenery, so suddenly unveiled by the rising
of the fog curtain, resembled, very much, the wilder-
ness of Alpine peaks as seen from Rigi Kulm or the
summit of the Pilatus. The countless, white-robed
mountain spires, some of the highest ones draped in
clouds, and all resplendent in the dazzling rays of
the evening sun, made a panorama of exquisite
beauty. These mountains vary in height from
2,000 to 5,000 feet, the highest one being Sukker-
toppen, a familiar landmark for the seamen who visit

HAULING A DEAD POLAR BEAR ON DECK

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 93

this coast. It was at the base of the Sukkertoppen
that the famous arctic explorer, Doctor Kane, made
his first collection of Greenland plants. Nature
has her best artists in the arctic regions, as well as
in the tropics, and I suppose that what we have seen
so far of nature's arctic art only foreshadows her
many chef d'ceuvre* which await us on our way
farther north.

Thursday, July ayth. Made good time during
the night as we are in the coast current, and a good
southern breeze aided the propeller in increasing
the speed of the "Erik." At 7 A. M., we had bright
sunshine which, however, did not last more than an
hour, when heavy clouds again obscured the sky
for the balance of the day. We were thirty miles
out from the coast, and the low range of mountains,
bare and free from snow, appeared in the distance,
overcast by a blue haze. The gentle southeasterly
breeze barely sufficed to ripple the smooth surface
of the sea. Very few birds, no whales, and but a
few seal were seen swimming about in the water,
exhibiting their round heads and inquisitive eyes,
only long enough, above the surface of the water,
to satisfy their curiosity and to take in a fresh supply
of air, when they disappeared, not to be seen again.
Numerous small icebergs were encountered during
the forenoon. These, however, were but the
advance guard of a large group of immense bergs
we met about noon in Disco Bay. I counted, from
the deck of the steamer, sixty-seven at one time,
not including the small ones. Our course led through
the center of this group of floating mountains of

94 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

ice. All of these icebergs had but recently left
their birthplace at the head of the bay, and were
moving slowly seaward. The elements had dealt
gently with these youthful offsprings of some of the
largest of Greenland's glaciers. Some of the largest
must have been nearly a mile in length and from
fifty to one hundred feet in height, as estimated by
the captain.

The sight was an imposing one, as the sun made
his appearance long enough to bring out the marble
white of the worn part and the delicate blue and
green of the fractured sides and submerged portions
of the bergs. The group, taken as a whole, spread
over many miles of the smooth, dark green water
of the ocean and gave the appearance of a city of
tents. Far away in the sea was the largest one, in
the form of an immense fort, minus the pointing
guns. Near it was another flat colossus that, in
the distance, looked like a large exposition building.
There were also icebergs which, in their architecture,
resembled cathedrals, mosques, houses, huts and
sheds. These, as a whole, might be taken for a
fairy city on the arid plains of a great desert, with
wide boulevards and narrow lanes separating the
different buildings. Doctor Sohon was kept busy
with his kodak to fix these glorious sights indelibly
on the films.

"Emblems of purity and cold

Messengers from the frozen lands,
Cast in wond'rous forms without mold,

Seeking peaceful rest on foreign strands."

Disco Bay is a broad indentation of the west

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 95

coast of Greenland, sixty miles in length at its base.
The largest of the numerous islands in this bay is
Disco, with Godhavn the seat of government of this
district. We passed this well-known island near
enough to obtain a good idea of its size, form and
topography. The larger part of the island is made
up of precipitous mesas, 1,200 to 1,500 feet above
the level of the sea, cut on the seashore by deep
ravines and magnificent fiords. These mesas or
mountain plateaus are overtowered by numerous
peaks, rising to an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet,
and much of the interior of the island is buried
underneath an ice-cap. We passed the island late
in the afternoon and during the evening, and our
eyes feasted on the wild mountain scenery illumi-
nated by the retiring sun. In the east, toward the
mainland, the sky was painted a light salmon color,
which, gradually and almost imperceptibly changed
into the pale blue of the evening sky, bordering on
the margin of the gray clouds which hovered over
the island. In the west, the sun was high up in
the firmament, trying his best to penetrate, with
his arctic rays, the ragged sheet of clouds. An ice-
berg of medium size, far out on the ocean, caught a
glimpse of the sun and turned into a sapphire of
prodigious size, set in the dark blue of the sleeping
ocean.

The usual variety of sea gulls sailed through the
calm evening air, like white and gray kites, and
flocks of eiderducks and guillemots floated lazily
on the smooth surface of the water like gaily painted
decoys. When within easy gunshot range, they

96 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

dived, head foremost into the water with the speed
of lightning, leaving a succession of expanding rings
on the water, indicating the point of their disap-
pearance, to reappear in a few minutes at a safe
distance from the ship, which had disturbed their
search for the evening meal.

The island, from its appearance, seems to have
risen in one sudden, great effort from the bottom of
the ocean, as the perpendicular walls of basalt rock
rise abruptly from the ocean to the snow-clad pla-
teaus above. One of the larger glaciers was seen to
project some distance over the surface of the sea,
and is ready, at any time, to contribute a new iceberg
to the army of bergs congregated along the west
shore of the island. The ice-cap sends down toward
the sea, a number of leaders in the form of
glaciers, but few of them ever reach the abyss of
the briny deep. Far out in the ocean could be
seen a foaming jet of water thrown, perpendicularly
into the air, a distance of at least fifty feet; then
another geyser-like jet, some distance from the
first. These jets, from the two different points,
were repeated every few minutes and the whalers
on board soon ascertained that these fountains
were played by two sperm-whales, the largest of all
the ocean animals, the water mastodons of the present
age. One of these animals rose high enough to give
us an opportunity to judge of the enormity of its
size. The black back looked more like a small island
than a part of this monster of the sea. This even-
ing, at a latitude of little more than 70° north,
which we are crossing, is our last chance to see a

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 97

sunset until on the homeward trip we reach again
this latitude. Unfortunately, the western horizon
is heavily clouded and the setting sun at 11:15 P.
M. is in hiding. In the east, where the sun will
rise about two hours later, the sky is clearer and
the few fleecy clouds are tinted a bright rosy hue,
announcing the last sunrise for this time of the year.
The space ahead of us, separating the last sunset and
sunrise, seems to appear astonishingly small, and
will be wiped out to-morrow by the midnight sun.
The arctic summer has begun ; the temperature, at
noon today, was 55° F., and at midnight, as I am
writing this, it is 49° F., average humidity for the
day, 77i Per cent.

Friday, July 28th. Contrary to our expecta-
tions, and to our great disappointment, the day
opened gloomily with sky overcast and a drizzling
rain. The coast of Omenak Peninsula, fringed
with numerous islands, is barely visible through the
misty air. The weather today reminds one of our
drizzling March days.

"It rains! It rains! It rains all day."

— Shakespeare.

As a matter of safety, the captain sailed farther
seaward, and when out of sight of the coast con-
tinued the journey at half-speed until one o'clock
in the morning of next day. We are now in Baffin
Bay, west of Upernavik, the northern limit of the
Danish settlements, and well on the way to
the heart of the arctics, followed by so many
daring explorers in search of the pole. Davis, in
1587, ascended, in the strait which deservedly bears

98 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

his name to latitude 72° 12' north, where he found
the variations of the compass to be 82° west, or
nearly the same as at the present time. In 1616,
Baffin advanced, in the same waters, as high as
78° north latitude. Hudson, nine years before,
had penetrated in the Greenland seas to latitude
82° north, to the northeast of Spitzbergen. In
view of the advances made in the direction of the
pole at such early periods, and by the use of small
sailing vessels, it is somewhat mortifying to notice
how little progress has been made in geographical
discoveries since those early and intrepid adventurers
explored the arctic regions with their frail barks, which
seldom exceeded the size of fifty tons. Captain
Wilson, about the end of June, 1754, having trav-
ersed floating ice from latitude 74° north to 81°
north, found open water at 83° north, and, not
meeting with many whales, returned.

It was our captain's intention to set the course
of his vessel for Cape York, but as he could not make
out our exact position, we drifted lazily along at
the rate of less than four miles an hour. It was a
monotonous, dreary, and most disagreeable day. Even
the sailors lost their customary cheerfulness and the
captain's mind was visibly disturbed. It is bad
enough to be lost on land, but it is vastly more so on
the trackless ocean in rain and fog, near a dangerous
coast, and among icebergs and possibly floating ice.
The question, "Where are we?" became a burning
one for the third time since we left Sydney. An
overcast, weeping sky, mist and fog, a falling barom-
eter, a chilly atmosphere, and wet deck, coupled

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 99

with the uncertainty of our location, made up a
combination of things not congenial to physical
comfort, and certainly not conducive to a happy
mental state. Forced idleness, under such de-
pressing conditions, is painful, and the loss of a whole
day, discouraging. Que faireJ I did the utmost in
my power to make the best possible use of my time
by reading and writing. I envy the people, who,
under such circumstances, can while away the burden
of time by reading novels or playing cards, some-
thing out of the question with me.

The first appearance of the midnight sun, to which
we had looked forward with so many pleasant antici-
pations, was a veritable lucus a non lucendo. The
sun was there at the appointed time, but was hidden
behind a bank of impenetrable clouds. It was as
light as at noon, but we were sadly disappointed in
not seeing the king of night and day face to face.
It is in this latitude that the mariner's compass
shows pronounced symptoms of nervousness. The
mass of people have an idea that the compass in-
variably points true north. This is the case at the
equator, but north from that imaginary line it de-
viates toward the west, and about where we are
now, on a level with Upernavik, about latitude 75°
north, it points directly west, instead of north, and
the mariner must sail east by the compass if he in-
tends to go north. At this latitude, the compass,
is restless, vacillating, and, when it comes to a stand-
still, points toward the magnetic pole, which Captain
Ross, in 1830, located in the northern part of British
America at latitude 70° 5' north and longitude west

ioo IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

96° 46' 45", being only a minute less than 90°,
the vertical position, which would have precisely
indicated the polar station. The longitudinal
needles, when suspended in the most delicate manner
possible, did not show the slightest tendency to move.
He looked carefully for something that would ac-
count for the magnetic attraction, but found nothing.
The uncertainty of the compass in this latitude and
farther north, and the frequent fogs, render navi-
gation in these regions more difficult and dangerous
than anywhere else.

Saturday, July 29th. Day promises well. Ship
under full sail; frequent glimpses of the sun; sky
clearing; mist dispelled; sea calm; icebergs few;
birds more numerous; land still out of sight; entering
Melville Bay. It is in Melville Bay that the sailors
expect to battle with floating ice during this season
of the year. Delays by pack -ice here are of common
occurrence and are often of days and even weeks
duration. Bright sunshine at short intervals cheered
the afternoon and imparted a more pleasing aspect
to the marine scenery, the choppy sea, flee ting clouds,
and numerous flocks of birds. The indications were
that we would see the midnight sun. In this we
were again disappointed, as toward evening the sky
became overcast and at midnight it was as light as
any time during the day, but the sun remained in
hiding. Toward morning a drizzling rain and a
dense fog made navigation again difficult.

Sunday, at eight o'clock in the morning, we
passed through a field of pack-ice. The strong,
steel-clad prow of the steamer shoved the closely

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 101

packed pans aside and, where this could not be
done, piled them up in heaps on the side of the ship.
The shocks imparted to the vessel by the striking
of the large masses of ice, and the grinding noise,
gave us at least an idea of what it means to sail
through pack-ice. Passing clouds of dense fog
obscured the outlook beyond the distance of a quar-
ter of a mile.

Colossal icebergs surrounded us on all sides.
We counted seventy at one time. Our exact location
was in doubt, but from the character of the fog, and
the direction and arrangement of the field of pack-
ice, there was no question of the proximity of land.
Several of the pans of ice showed signs that they
had recently been occupied by walrus. The serious
question again arose, "Where are we?" At nine
o'clock, fogs and clouds disappeared sufficiently for
a few minutes only to enable the officer on the bridge
to see land ahead. Great caution was necessary
now. At half speed, the "Erik" groped its way in
the direction of the coast, in a thick fog, among ice-
bergs, and through fields of pack-ice. The coast,
when it came into full view, was mountainous and,
through the foggy, hazy atmosphere, we counted
no less than six glaciers, one of them at least two
miles in width, with a wall-like shining face, showing
where an immense iceberg had recently broken off.
Our aim was Cape York, but the land we saw could
not be identified as such. A rough sea, with rain
and fog, made it unsafe to approach and follow the
coast line, as is usually done by expert mariners in
this region. The engine was stopped and the ship

102 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

allowed to drift among the icebergs. Steam was
turned on from time to time to avoid collision with
icebergs and to keep at a safe distance from the
shore. Our situation, unpleasant and discouraging
as it was, was made more so in the evening when a
severe gale lashed the ocean into foam-crested,
angry waves. The little ship groaned, tossed, rolled,
and pitched at a fearful rate. Movable things were
thrown about in confusion, and the noises created
thereby contributed much to the existing confusion
on deck and in my cabin.

The deck was swept by the furious waves, and
it soon became necessary, in order to keep contro'
of the ship, to sail at half speed up and down the
coast, and at a safe distance from it, until the weather
would permit it to come sufficiently near to identify
the most important landmarks. It was a dreadful
night. No, it was not night, as the midnight sun
had turned night into day. Although the sun was
not shining, it was as light at midnight as any time
during the day. This was our greatest consolation,
as, had it been dark, the danger would have been
vastly increased. No one slept much that night.
Sailing up and down a strange coast, in such a bois-
terous sea, amidst numerous icebergs, and occa-
sionally through fields of pack-ice, is a trying ex-
perience. I love an active ocean and a little ship
that responds gracefully to the waves, but when the
rolling and pitching, and the cork-screw gait of the
ship become so severe that walking, and even stand-
ing, without a firm support, are made unsafe or
impossible, the limits of the poetry of sea motions

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 103

have passed. This was the case that night. The
temperature next morning had fallen to 42° F. At
half -past eight, the sun appeared, but only for a
very short time. Gale, clouds, and fog continued
persistently, and we were obliged to keep out at
sea. Sailing at a lame gait north, then south, back-
ward and forward between icebergs, enveloped in
fog, and" under an overcast, leaden sky, we are:

"In thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice;
To be imprison 'd in the viewless winds,
And blown with restless violence round about
The pendent world." — Shakespeare.

We now could appreciate well what the Psalmist
said : —

"The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor
the moon by night." — Psalms CXXI, 6-

As we have had only a few short glimpses of the
sun since we left Sydney, two weeks ago, we miss
very much, the gentle moon and starlight, banished
now by the conquering midnight sun. Fog, mist,
rain, and a cloudy sky have been meted out to us
on this trip far above the average amount. Some
of our sailors who have frequented the west coast
of Greenland for the last twenty years say they
never met such disagreeable weather before during
this season of the year. Occasional fogs are ex-
pected, but almost continual fogs for nearly two
weeks, and so little sunshine, is an almost unheard-of
experience. At noon, the fog and clouds cleared
away and the officers recognized a conspicuous
landmark of the coast, Conical Island, off Cape
Atholl, and later Wolstenholm Island, Dalyrymple

io4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Rock, Eider Duck Island, and lastly Saunders Island;
all of them at the entrance of Wolstenholm Sound.
Instead of being at Cape York, we were agreeably
surprised that we were thirty miles north of that
point, and at the very gateway to our first destina-
tion, North Star Bay. Cape Atholl appeared in all
its arctic majesty, and the nearby Petowik
Glacier, one of the largest on the west coast of Green-
land, was in full view, besides a number of smaller
ones. It was a source of great comfort to us all,
and especially to our captain, to know that we were
on familiar grounds and in face of reliable guides to
North Star Bay. The course of the ship, lying
between the main land and Saunders Island, after
rounding Cape Atholl, was directed toward North Star
Bay. From now on, until we reached North Star
Bay, we were constantly in view of the great inland
ice and numerous glaciers, large and small. These
and the snow-clad mountain peaks announced to
us that we were nearing the very heart of the arctics.
Petowik Glacier is an enormous river of ice, and
a liberal contributor to the iceberg family. The
mountain on one side of the fiord, occupied by this
glacier, is worn away by the friction of this enor-
mous mass of moving ice, and, by this gradual action,
has been changed into a steep, almost perpendicular
wall, while on the opposite side of the fiord there
are no indications of this grinding action. The
face of the glacier, projecting far over the surface of
the water, we estimated at five miles in width,
and it presents all the appearances of recent frac-
tured surfaces at different points, caused by the

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 105

breaking off of icebergs. There was now a sudden
change in the weather. The bright, warm, beautiful
sunshine, the clear atmosphere, the smiling light blue,
friendly arctic sky, and the frequent rainbows, in
the clouds we left behind us, made up a most fas-
cinating scenery as we entered the calm waters of
Wolstenholm Sound. This broad sheet of water
teemed with bird-life. The water was literally
covered with the little auks, eider ducks, and several
species of gulls, and the air was alive with these arctic
birds, hurrying to and from the near-by island rook-
eries.

We reached the entrance to North Star Bay
without any difficulty, and, at eight o'clock in the
evening, the "Erik" was securely at anchor near
where the ill-fated "North Star" had spent her
last winter quarters. As there was formerly a
settlement of natives near Cape Atholl, the captain
tried to attract their attention by a few fierce
blasts of the whistle, but no signs of life could
be seen on shore. On entering North Star Bay, the
same signal was given to inform the natives at North
Omenak, another settlement near the place of our
anchorage, of our presence. At about eleven
o'clock in the evening, a number of natives could be
seen on the summit of a bluff, near their settlement.
The sun was shining brightly and, seen through
glasses, the native figures, about two miles distant,
appeared like so many silhouettes. Men, women,
and children were grouped together, some walking,
some standing, and others sitting on the large boul-
ders scattered over the surface of the ground. A boat

106 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

was lowered and sent ashore. It soon returned with
a full cargo of natives, principally women and chil-
dren, accompanied by five kayaks, which brought
the able-bodied hunters of the settlement.

It was a motley crowd as they climbed up the
ladder and landed on deck. I distributed candy to
old and young, and all seemed to enjoy this dainty
article of civilization which, perhaps, most of them
had never tasted before. With the exception of a
sick man, and one to take care of him, the entire
settlement, about twenty in number, spent the
night on deck, alternately eating and sleeping.
Pork was their favorite dish. This settlement evi-
dently had to contend with a severe winter, or the
game must have been scarce, as the clothing of all
the members of the tribe was old and well worn and,
as a later visit to their tents showed, their fur and
food supplies were scanty. Five of the women had
infants which they carried in their hoods. It was
my first opportunity to see real Eskimos. I improved
this and all subsequent opportunities to study the
character and habits of these interesting inhabitants
of the polar regions, so far but little influenced by
civilization.

THE ARCTIC OASIS

The west coast of Greenland, from Cape York
to Etah, has been called by Peary "The Arctic Oasis."
I was given an excellent opportunity to see and
study this part of the Greenland coast, and can only
agree with the fearless explorer, who is more familiar
with it than any other foreigner, that it merits this

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 107

euphonious term, notwithstanding its high latitude,
extending, as it does, from latitude 76° to 78° 40'
north, covering a distance of about 140 miles by a
straight coast line. It is on the narrow strip of land
in these latitudes, between the sea and the ice-cap,
that the only real Eskimos reside. It is here where
the real heart of the arctics is located; it is here
where, during the short summer, the sea, air, and coast
teem with animal life; and, finally, it is here where
the midnight sun, by its magic influence, awakens
from the scanty soil a vegetation that astonishes
the visitors who come to this part of Greenland with
the expectation of finding nothing but barren moun-
tains, ice, and snow. It is here where, during the
short summer, the climate is delightful and invig-
orating, more especially along the inland coasts of
Wolstenholm Sound and Inglefield Gulf, inland
arms of the sea, where the atmosphere is dry,
fogs rare, and warm sunshine continuous. Truly
this part of Greenland, bounded on one side by the
everlasting ice and on the other by Baffin Bay and
Smith Sound, well deserves the name applied to it
by Peary, "Oasis of the Arctic Region." In this
paradise of the arctic region, it was my good fortune
to spend a month, most of the time in company with
the distinguished explorer.

5 o

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2. ^

£ C

IN NORTH STAR BAY

At twelve o'clock midnight, on the day of our
arrival, the midnight sun shone brightly from its
lofty position in the cloudless, starless sky, reflecting
his warm, friendly rays on the silvery bosom of this
arctic harbor and the unfeeling ocean of the inland
ice. Auks, guillemots, eider-duck, and gulls, which
have here one of their favorite feeding grounds,
paid little attention to our "Erik*' or to the activity
displayed by natives and crew on her deck, a part
of which was still buried under the cargo of coal.
These natives had not seen a vessel for three years;
hence our visit to them was a very welcome one.

The novelty of the surroundings, the quaint,
interesting natives on deck, and the splendor of the
midnight sun were well calculated to chase away
sleep the balance of that memorable day-night.

The next morning inaugurated a charming arctic
summer day. The warm sunshine, gentle breeze,
and blue, cloudless sky reminded me of one of our
clear, cool days in the month of June. The water
in the bay was as smooth as a mirror. The harbor
is hemmed in by an embankment from six to ten
feet in height, the face of a low plateau or wide
valley, the bed of a great glacier ages and ages ago.
The glacier has left numerous footprints, which
centuries have failed to efface, in the form of boulders,
gravel, and moraine; the latter has furnished enough

109

no 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

soil for the arctic vegetation, grass in abundance,
and quite a variety of flowers.

This wide valley is coursed by two streams which
drain the ice-cap and a number of small glaciers.
One of these streams is large enough to entitle it
to the name of river. Owing to the gradual, steady
incline of this river from the coast to the ice-cap,
a distance of about twenty miles, the current is very
swift, and is broken at short intervals by roaring,
foaming rapids. On each side of the valley rise
mountains from 1,000 to 2,000 feet high, surmounted
by a rock-strewn plateau. From these plateaus,
the valley beneath, with its turbulent streams and
numerous little fresh- water lakes, presents a mag-
nificent sight. Much of its surface, especially on
the west side, is covered by tundra with moss, grass,
and an abundance of flowers. The great ice-cap,
with its numerous nunataks along its edge, rising
like black monuments above the surface of the sea
of ice, although twenty miles away, yet appearing
in the deceptive, clear atmosphere as though it could
be reached in an hour's easy walk, can be seen stretch-
ing inland by a gradual incline for eighty to one
hundred miles.

One of the first things I discovered in looking at
the plateau coast from the deck of the steamer, was
a large pile of stones on the high bank near the
mouth of the river. It was evidently either an
abandoned igloo or a sailor's grave. I visited the
place and found it to be the grave of a white man,
probably a sailor of the ill-fated "North Star" which
was crushed by the ice. A high mound of stones

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS in

on the solid granite rock indicates the burial-place.
Neither man nor animals have desecrated this soli-
tary grave. What deprivation and suffering the
poor man under those cold, unfeeling stones would
relate could he but speak! Here he rests, far away
from home and relatives, less than 700 miles from
the pole he, and those with him, sought to reach.
The icy wind in the sunless winter, and the moaning
waves in summer continue to chant the funeral
dirge:

AN ARCTIC SAILOR S GRAVE

His work is done; he rests
Free from hunger, care, and pain,

Near yonder lofty crests,

Without honor, without fame;

On the bleak arctic shore
He sleeps forevermore.

Far from home, on bed of stone,

Safe from reefs, storm, and gale
He dwelleth all alone,

Wrapp'd in his garb of sail ;
On the bleak arctic shore

He sleeps forevermore.

His courage and his deeds,

His many hopes, his fears,
His sufferings and needs

Are forgotten, cause no tears
On the bleak arctic shore

He sleeps forevermore.

All honor to this grave

Of stone on granite floor,
Where lies a hero brave,

Forgotten, without lore;
On the bleak arctic shore

He sleeps to wake no more.

ii2 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The most conspicuous landmark of this harbor
is a high rock jutting out from the main land and
resembling in outline, very much the old pictures
representing Noah's ark. It is behind this rock, and
the narrow, stony ridge connecting it with the main-
land, that the settlement of the natives, North
Omenak, is located. I visited this little hamlet of
tents the day after our arrival. It is made up of
five sealskin tents and inhabited by twenty-five
persons, including the unusually large number of
infants. We were greeted at a distance by the
howling of about thirty Eskimo dogs, vicious-look-
ing brutes, fortunately for us, safely anchored to
large stones with stout walrus-hide ropes. They did
their best to release themselves from their fixed
position and meet us more than half-way. The
Eskimo dog has no liking for foreigners, and makes
no secret of his antipathy to Kablunahs (white men) .
These native dogs are nothing more nor less than
half -tamed arctic wolves. They are about the size
of our timber-wolves and resemble them very closely
in the appearance of their fur, eyes, tail, ears and
nose. About the only difference in the shape of
their skull is a slight increase in the width of the
frontal bone. The predominating color is gray, but
white, black and yellow are frequently seen. Most
of them are spotted. Peary is of the opinion that
the present breed of dogs shows decided evidences
of a mixture of races, brought about by the New-
foundland dogs carried to this part of Greenland by
Doctor Kane more than fifty years ago. They are
miserable-looking brutes, retaining, in a large meas-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 113

ure, the savage nature and habits of their ancestors.
Howling, barking, and fighting are their pastimes.
Fighting among themselves is their specialty. The
short time we remained in the settlement, several
vicious fights were going on, without any provoca-
tion, between the dogs picketed close enough together
to enable them to reach each other. All of the
foreigners who have visited these regions were
impressed with the cruelty with which the natives
treat these animals; but as soon as they became
more familiar with the savage nature of these only
half -domesticated wolves, they could understand
the reason for their apparent brutality.

The long whip, which the Eskimos know how to
use so effectively, is the only peacemaker when a
fight takes place, and is the only thing for which
they show any respect and the only inducement to
make them work. Doctor Kane has this to
say of the Eskimo dog- whip: "The weapon has an
exercise of its own, quite peculiar, and as hard to
learn as single-stick or broadsword. The whip is
six yards long, and the handle but sixteen inches."
Two packs were picketed close to a little fresh-water
pond, and, about half the time, the dogs ran about
in the shallow water. This pond, in which were
also four dog sledges, furnishes the water supply for
the community, one of the many indications that
the Eskimo has no use for cleanliness. Bathing and
washing of face and hands are never practised.
When the white man gives him soap, he may eat it, but
he cannot be made to use it for what it is intended.

The Eskimo is the filthiest of all human beings

ii4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

that I have ever seen. He is vastly more filthy than
the filthiest of our domestic animals. Nearly every
animal pays some attention to cleanliness; many
of them, like the squirrel, birds and insects, are even
dainty; but here is a creature absolutely devoid of
the sense of cleanliness. With their hands they may
rub off the coarse dirt which has accumulated on
face and hands, but they will not wash. The greasy,
dirty neck, frictioned by the hood, is the cleanest
part of their filthy body. In every tent is a small
stick of wood or bone, about two feet in length, to
one end of which a bunch of hair, from the polar
bear, is attached; and with this rudimentary brush,
the vermin which has collected between skin and
clothing is fished out. The reader may experience
an unpleasant sensation in the region of the stomach,
when I tell him that the vermin thus caught is eaten
as a delicacy, uncooked, and squirming, as I have
myself seen done and as related to me by many other
eye witnesses.

The smell about every Eskimo is, to the unin-
itiated, extremely disagreeable and repulsive. When
the natives boarded the steamer the first evening,
this smell nearly sickened me, and, as I have become
habituated to many bad smells during my profes-
sional career, this means a good deal. But to get
a correct idea of the filth and squalor these people
live in, you must go inside one of their tents or
igloos. You can scent an Eskimo at a distance,
if the wind is in the right direction; but when
you enter a tent the nerves of smell are shocked,
even after a preliminary inspection of its surround-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 115

ings. In the immediate neighborhood of the tent
are the repulsive dogs, human and animal excre-
ments, putrified entrails of animals, skins in process
of curing by chewing and drying, bones, represent-
ing the entire anatomy of different arctic animals,
and ropes of fresh walrus hides stretched between
stones to which they are securely fastened, under-
going a slow process of drying, preparatory to their
being made pliable by chewing — a task always
assigned to the female part of the family. Lying
scattered around are walrus tusks, narwhal horns,
dirty dishes made of soapstone, harpoons, spears,
primitive tools — all dirty and plastered with grease.
The smell, even here, is bad enough; but now let us
enter the tent. You have to bow low to enter
through a slit in the small, conical tent of seal-
skin, in itself not an attractive sight, and where no
provisions whatever are made for ventilation. Air
is excluded by fastening the tent all around with
stones which effectually prevent the air from entering
below, and there is no opening for it to escape on
top. As these tents do not exceed eight or ten
feet in diameter, and are usually occupied by at
least five persons, it requires no stretch of imagina-
tion to judge of the character of their inside air.
The stench is simply indescribable. Five minutes
was enough for me. But let us look around and
see. The tent is made of sealskins, deprived of
their hair by scraping. The common family bed
is in the rear of the very limited space, occupying,
as it does, at least one third of its interior. It is
made up of ill-smelling bear, seal, and reindeer skins

n6 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

on the bare ground, and fitted up in a most disor-
derly manner. The first half of the space is the
kitchen, sitting, and dining room. The lamp and
stove, made of soapstone, is half full of dirty seal-
oil. In one corner is a filthy tin vessel containing
well-ripened blubber, a dish from which our dogs
would run away and hold their breath, but which
is relished by the inmates and is eaten raw like we
eat oysters, but without salt or any kind of condi-
ment. In a very dirty tin dish is a piece of black
seal meat fried crisp. Near the door are the putrid
entrails of a seal on the bare ground and pieces of
liver, both of which are regarded as delicacies and
eaten raw. In whatever direction the eye was
turned, there was dirt, dirt, everywhere.

I was very anxious to learn how the natives
light fire when they have no matches. An expert
in this business was summoned. He produced a
piece of brown, dried moss about the size of an ordi-
nary cake of toilet-soap, tore a small rent in it, and
filled it with a small pledget of white, silky down,
the plumes of a species of grass, the poa arctica, and
then took a piece of hard black stone and struck it
repeatedly with the back of a knife, which made
the sparks fly until one of them ignited the white
pledget, from which the moss caught fire and the
object lesson was finished to the great satisfaction
of the visitors and the delight of the group of na-
tives who witnessed the performance with more than
ordinary interest, a proof to us that fire-making,
without matches, is not a very easy matter and
requires the skill of an experienced hand. The

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 117

wick for the oil-lamp is made of moss, and the heat
from this source suffices to heat the winter quarters
sufficiently for the comfort of the inmates.

In one of the tents I found the only sick man I
saw among the Eskimos. He was about thirty
years old and was lying on his back, leaning toward
the left side, on a reindeer skin, perfectly helpless;
his left elbow- joint swollen and exceedingly painful
and tender to the slightest touch, resting on a stone
covered with fur. His lower extremities were con-
tracted, wasted, and all of the joints stiff. He was
emaciated to a skeleton, with a hectic flush in his
face. With a cold pipe in his mouth, his eyes were
fixed and gazing at the top of the tent. His mind
appeared to be wandering. It was evidently a
case of chronic rheumatic arthritis and Commander
Peary informed me later that he had been in this
condition for twelve years. Although helpless and
the father of a family, he is well taken care of by his
little tribe. Near the hamlet of tents I discovered
three Eskimo graves in the form of low mounds of
stone, and in length exceeding that of an adult.
The Eskimo, unlike the North American Indian,
fears death, and the very mention of this word
(Sinipo) he avoids as much as possible. Nearly all
over Greenland, the soil is too shallow for the exca-
vation of a grave, the above-ground burial is, there-
fore the one practised. Doctor Kane describes it
as follows: "They place the body in a position of
repose, the knees drawn close to the body, and en-
close it in a sack of skins. The implements of
the living man are then grouped around him; they

n8 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

are covered with a rude dome of stones, and a cairn
is piled above. The grave is never disturbed."
The graves I saw here and elsewhere were so low
that the bodies must have been placed in a lying
position. The funeral pile was so low that in one
of the graves I found nearly all of the bones exposed,
which gave me an opportunity to secure a real Es-
kimo skull, which I brought with me among other
equally interesting souvenirs to Chicago. The un-
covering of the remains was undoubtedly done by
wild animals, or the nearly wild dogs, by rolling
away the two or three layers of stones. This was
evidently a recent grave, as I found a number of
bones to which the flesh remained attached.

From the deck of the "Erik," the land in sight
appeared bare of all kinds of vegetation and was
made up, as far as we could see, of rock strewn with
boulders. On landing for the first time on the un-
inviting, forbidding soil of Greenland, I was agree-
ably surprised to find quite a rich and varied vege-
tation. Between the stones scattered over the
surface of the granite-rock, a little soil had accumu-
lated, and from it had sprouted little tufts of grass
and quite a variety of flowers. One of the first
flowers that greeted me was the poppy of the arctics
(papaver nudicaulis) , a modest little yellow flower with
bare stalk and palmately incised, basal, velvety
leaves. The stalk is from four to six inches in length,
and the yellow variety, to the casual observer,
appears, on superficial examination, very much like
our butter-cup.

The first day I spent on land, crossing valleys,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 119

climbing mountains, and walking over the tundra,
I found, to my utter astonishment, at least fifteen
different kinds of flowers, yellow, white, red, purple,
labiates and composites, all small and absolutely
devoid of anything like fragrance. The marshy
soil (tundra) in valleys and on mountain plateaus
was green with grass and mosses, — and it was in
these places I found a small species of mushroom
and the sorrel, the latter in the stage of budding.
I searched long and carefully for the dwarfed birch,
which is the only tree which follows the willow to
the northern part of Greenland, but failed to find
it. The willow is here a dwarf, from one to six
inches in height, and was at the time of my visit
in full blossom, bearing, according to its size, from
one to six catkins. When this hardy shrub exceeds
two or three inches in height, it becomes a creeper,
seeking protection against the intense cold of the
arctic winter under a mantle of mosses. This region
is very rich in different species and varieties of
mosses and lichens, a very paradise for these low
forms of vegetable life. The chromogenic lichens
paint rocks, boulders, and pebbles in bright colors.
Some of the stones on their exposed surface appear
as though they had been sprinkled with blood ; others
were checkered with spots of orange yellow; and
some showed blotches as black as the blackest of
printers' ink. The hardy little flowering plants have
here only a very short time in which to blossom
and propagate their species. It is remarkable
what resourceful Nature can accomplish under the
most uncongenial climatic influences in the way of

120 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

preservation of vegetable life. The tiny flowers,
some of them barely above the soil and not larger
than the head of a pin, grouped in bunches red and
white, peep brightly through the wilderness of the
protecting moss; but

'To me the meanest that blows can give
Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears."

— Wordsworth.

Among the more familiar flowers I found the
dandelion, two kinds of watercress, and saxifrages.
Except the moss and grass-covered tundra, with its
large isolated boulders, the valleys and mountain
plateaus are covered with boulders, stones of all
shapes and sizes, flat, irregular, and round, and
tablets of slate. The time-worn, aged faces of the
granite and sandstone rocks fissured in a straight
direction, perpendicularly and horizontally, have
been blasted by winter frosts and summer thaws,
and it is by this slow process that the enormous
boulders are split off from the mother rock and are
carried away from it by their own momentum, or
by the agency of glaciers and the spring torrents,
to their final resting-place.

It was the intention of Commander Peary that
the "Erik" should reach North Star Bay a few days
before the "Roosevelt," to give me an opportunity
to hunt reindeer and ptarmigan, as it was known
that this part of Greenland was a good reindeer
country in the past. Grass and fresh water are
plentiful here, and the whole lay of the country is
an ideal one for these two kinds of game.

It was not known that at this time we should

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 121

find a native settlement here, and in that event
there could be no doubt as to the prospects of
a good hunt. The presence of so many natives and
their numerous dogs threw at once a shadow over
the outlook as far as hunting game on land was con-
cerned. On the first day's inland trip, which covered
at least ten miles across valleys and up and down
mountains at least 1,500 feet in height, we failed to
find any recent signs of reindeer, and the absence
of any kind of bird food explained, satisfactorily,
why the ptarmigan had left this part of the island.
Of land birds, I only saw a few snow-buntings and
two ravens. Two arctic hares were seen at a great
distance by means of glasses, but the absence of
anything like a cover made it impossible to get within
gunshot range.

From one of the mountain plateaus, we obtained
a magnificent view of the great inland ice-cap rising
in a gradual slope in an easterly direction. Coated
every year by new precipitations, which at once
congeal and form a part of this gigantic mass of ice,
replacing the losses inflicted by fierce winds and
thaw, this ice-cap, with its pure, crystal ice and
virgin snow, is the very ideal of purity. Look at
this smooth ocean of ice, dazzling in the bright sun-
shine under the blue, arctic sky, and the pure white
snow in the ravines on the mountainsides and cloth-
ing the highest peaks, and it will become apparent
to us why poets for ages have selected these two
products of cold as emblems of purity and chastity.

"Be then as chaste as ice, as pure as snow;
then thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee
to a nunnery, go." — Shakespeare,

22 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

"White as chaste, and pure
As wind-fanned snow."

— Beaumont and Fletcher.

Even this thick crust of ice is not deep enough
to hide the highest mountain peaks along its border
which project from the glassy surface in the form
of black, conical islands, called by the natives nuna-
taks.

Through glasses, we could detect great crevasses
which extend for a long distance inland from the
border of the ice. It is these crevasses that render
the first part of the journey over the ice tedious and
dangerous. Of insects, I saw a few very small
mosquitoes and two or three greenish flies when we
rested on the sunny and leeward side of a high rock
during the early part of the afternoon.

THE MIDNIGHT SUN

I have seen the midnight sun from North Cape,
Norway, and was deeply impressed with the beauty
and solemnity of the midnight hour; but even the
sun must have worthy objects upon which to shine
in order to paint pictures that will charm the eye
and agitate the soul. To see the midnight sun in
all his glory, we must see him here where the liquid
and solid oceans combine to form a double mirror
worthy to reflect his bewitching rays during the
solemn midnight hour.

I have seen the midnight sun two successive
nights before landing from the deck of the vessel.
The rim of the golden disc touched the summit
of the promontory, "Noah's Ark," which stands
directly in line from the point of observation to the
royal visitor of night. Below the disc of gold were
the dark outlines of the stupendous rock and its
shadow thrown on the smooth surface of the bay
populated with icebergs and alive with eider-ducks,
guillemots, kitti wakes and a variety of gulls. Above
the smiling disc, with a background of delicate blue,
sailed, lazily, fleecy clouds like moving bridal veils
with their borders tinged a rosy hue. In the fore-
ground was spread out the rippling waters of the
harbor, resplendent in the golden hue reflected upon
it by the orb of gold, and in the distance the great
ice-cap in full Alpine glow. A panorama of such
majesty and exquisite beauty no artist can repro-

123

i24 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

duce with anything approximately equal to the
original ; and no author can describe it and do justice
to nature's miraculous works of art. Even the
most unappreciative of nature's inexhaustible ar-
tistic displays must become spellbound when face
to face with the panorama, painted on land and sea,
by the midnight sun in the solitude of the far North.
I revel in the anticipation of seeing, night after
night, for the next, three or four weeks, the glorious
midnight sun from different points in the very heart
of the arctics.

THE MIDNIGHT SUN
"Mighty ruler of day and night!

Conqueror of cold, ice, and snow,
We greet thee in this land of blight,
Upon which you so much bestow.

Glorious orb of night and day,

Shine brightly on the icy shore;
Your choicest gifts do not delay

Where waves and ice forever roar.

Life and soul of whole creation,

Shine long and warm where now you are ;

Warm friend of every nation,

Keep up with ice your bloodless war.

Light of heaven so near the pole,

Breathe warmth and life while you are here,

Cheer many a discouraged soul,

And grant your favors every year."

In this latitude, the midnight sun shines for no
days and offsets the gloom of the midwinter night,
lasting for 118 days.

Wednesday, August 2d. Yesterday was a beau-
tiful summer day, the thermometer in the sun, rising

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 125

to 80° F., the highest temperature recorded during
the entire trip. I was out all day hunting, and
even a light sweater felt uncomfortably warm. This
morning, a sudden gale set in from the north with
chilly breath from the region of everlasting ice and
soon converted the smooth, peaceful waters of the
bay into angry, foam-crested waves. The wind is
so strong that it required two anchors to hold the
little steamer in place. I wished to go on shore,
but the captain insisted that none of his life-boats
could reach it with any degree of safety. The sky
is overcast and the thermometer has fallen to 42° F.
and a very dense fog has shut out familiar, near-by
landmarks. The natives must have foreseen this
storm as all of them, with the exception of an old
man, his wife and babe and two boys, left the ship
last night without giving any explanation for their
sudden departure. These children of nature are
familiar with the indications which announce bad
weather in this latitude and can predict almost, with
certainty, sudden changes without consulting govern-
ment weather reports. Their kayaks are only safe
on smooth water, and no Eskimo can be induced to
go out in stormy weather.

Drowning accidents by tipping over of these
frail crafts are by no means rare and have taught
them to exercise caution. These frail canoes are, on
the average, fourteen feet long and two feet wide in
the center, tapering gradually into a sharp point
fore and aft. They are made of a light wooden
framework, the different pieces lashed together
with cords made of walrus hide, covered and decked

126 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

over with sealskins deprived of their hair, leaving a
central opening only large enough for the one occu-
pant to sit in. When a woman is taken on board,
she lies flat on her face on the rear of the kayak; or
the canoe is rendered more steady by fastening two
inflated sealskins, one on each side, a little behind
the prow, when she can sit on deck. These kayaks
are fine specimens of ship-building, skin-curing
and sewing, and are so light that they can be easily
carried under one arm, their weight not exceeding
thirty-five pounds. The kayak has been in use for
a long time by the Eskimos of South Greenland, but
when Captain Cook visited the Eskimos of Smith
Sound (1851-1854), he found them without any
means whatever to travel on the open sea.

The Eskimos here, evidently, received their first
ideas of ship-building from their countrymen in the
Danish settlements and, at present, turn out kayaks
superior to any of those found along the coast of
Danish Greenland. The scarcity of wood in North
Greenland is best shown by the double paddle with
which the kayak is propelled. These are often
made of many pieces of wood lashed together with
walrus-hide cords.

Toward evening, after the storm had subsided,
a man between sixty -five and seventy years came on
board, where he met his family who came the evening
before. He was a cripple, and could only move
about by crawling on his hands and knees. The
palms of his hands and the bearskin trousers over
the knees showed evidences of hard and long usage.
We learned that a few years ago, while hunting seal,

'JUMBO," WIFE AND CHILDREN
Tlis first day on crutches

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 127

he was injured by the bursting of the barrel of his
old gun. A splinter struck him over the right eye,
knocking him senseless, and he remained in this
condition for some time, until he was rescued by his
companions. The left foot was frozen so severely that
gangrene set in. Then, after months of suffering,
the line of demarcation formed. His toes dangled
loosely, remaining attached to the foot by the more
resisting tendons. He begged his wife to sever the
toes and she did so with one sweep of the knife.
The end of the stump healed, after a long time; but
nearly the entire plantar surface remains in a state
of chronic ulceration. The only dressing for this foul
ulcer was a slipper made of bearskin and worn inside
of the sealskin boot. Several scars over the anchy-
losed ankle-joint were the proofs that it had been
involved in the inflammatory process following the
freezing of the foot. The foot, or rather the stump,
was fixed in a flexed position. A large scar over
the right eye and a deep depression near the root
of the nose on the same side showed the location and
extent of the injury inflicted by the splinter of the
bursting gun. We disinfected the foot and ulcer,
applied an appropriate dressing, instructed his wife,
and gave her enough material to continue the treat-
ment for a long time. The man was a giant of his
race, but the intermittent pulse and the difficult
breathing on making any physical exertions showed
only too plainly that his time for hunting polar bear
and walrus had passed. His wife took no inconsid-
erable pride in having amputated his gangrenous
toes in such primitive fashion, and seemed to be very

128 /AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

attentive to him; while he, in turn, reciprocated the
tender affection in a visible manner and paid much
attention to the infant child sleeping in its mother's
hood. One of the engineers made a pair of crutches
for him and he is delighted to be able to walk erect
with their aid. Poor fellow! he will never be able
to provide again food and clothing for himself and
family, but the members of his tribe will take care
of them. As long as any of them have food and furs
they will not suffer.

"JUMBO'S" LEFT FOOT

Toes amputated. Ulcer on the sole
of the foot

THE GREAT INLAND ICE-CAP

I have seen enough of the inland ice of Green-
land to have become impressed with its vastness
and utter desolation. It is in every sense of the
word, as Peary calls it, the Sahara of Greenland.
From North Star Bay, a splendid view of the ice-
cap can be obtained in two directions — one over the
valley and the other at the head of the bay. In the
latter place, three leaders of the inland ice end at
the water's edge in the form of iceberg-yielding
glaciers. One of these glaciers is at least two miles
in width. To look at the smooth, clean surface of
this gigantic mass of ice, which holds at least four-
fifths of Greenland permanently in its merciless
grasp, reflecting the rays of the all-day sun, as I had
an opportunity of doing here for ten consecutive
days, is a pleasure allotted to but a favored few.
Near the edge, ridges and peaks of buried moun-
tains project above the sea of ice in the form of bare,
black prominences, in strong contrast with the silver
frosted and the varying delicate blue and roseate
colors of the ice. The crevasses at the free margins
of the ice extend far into the solid mass and break the
continuity of the surface in various directions. The
production of these immense fissures is attended by
detonations, varying in intensity from the report
of a rifle to the peals and mutterings of thunder.
Everywhere along the wall of ice little rivulets carry

9 129

130 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

away the water from melting ice and snow. The
purity of the water and the murmuring of these
diminutive watercourses are things the traveler
enjoys but cannot be appreciated by the natives.

"Pure, gurgling rills the lonely desert trace,
And waste their music on the savage race."

This great desert of ice has been explored by
Nordenskiold (1883), Nansen (1888), and, most
thoroughly, by Peary in 1892. These noted explor-
ers of the far North proved that the interior of Green-
land is an unbroken sheet of ice covered with snow
and ascending, by gentle inclines from both east
and west coasts, to the highest summit reached by
Peary, 8,000 feet above the level of the sea.

The projecting lands, called nunataks, are more
numerous in South than North Greenland as the
melting process from the effects of the summer sun is
more pronounced there, gradually reducing the thick-
ness of the ice-shield. The thickness of the ice in
the interior is estimated by Peary at 5,000 to 6,000
feet, and its edge is often 1,000 feet thick and moves
constantly toward the sea. As a rule, the ice move-
ment seaward is only sufficient to make up for the
loss caused by thawing. This inward ice reaches out
its cold hands toward the sea in the form of glaciers.
There are hundreds of them, but few reach the sea or
are of first magnitude. Garde counted 170 along the
southeast coast; but, according to Peary, there are
perhaps less than 100 in all Greenland that reach the
sea and produce icebergs, and only less than fifty
of them are of the first importance. According to
Doctor Kane, the polar glaciers retain a temperature

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 131

of not far from 32° F., which enables them to re-
sume their great function of movement and dis-
charge readily when the cold of winter is at an end
and not improbably to temper to some extent the
natural rigor of the climate.

The production of icebergs from these glaciers
that project over the water takes place by debacle.
The event is announced by a thundering noise, and
the leap of the liberated icebergs creates a local
storm which lasts for some time. The dance of the
iceberg after its detachment lasts for several minutes,
and it is nearly an hour before the smoothness of
the water is restored and the iceberg has found its
balance.

Most of the icebergs that reach the Northern
Atlantic have their origin along the short strip of
the west coast between 68° 30' and 75° north lati-
tude. Glacier movement was first observed and
described by Agassiz in the Alpine glaciers of Switz-
erland. Professor Chamberlain, of the University
of Chicago, spent one summer on the west coast of
Greenland for the special purpose of studying glacier
movement here, and no better field could he have
chosen for such investigation. Here the large
glaciers move, it is said, at the rate of about two
feet an hour. The great glacier near Upernavik
has been observed to move ninety feet a day; but,
according to Peary, the speed of glacier movement
has been generally overestimated.

LIFE AT NORTH STAR BAY

Before sailing from Sydney, the captain of the
"Erik" received instruction from Commander Peary
to make the first stop in North Star Bay and to wait
there for the "Roosevelt," his ship, until August
loth, and then to proceed to the final destination,
Etah, if the "Roosevelt" failed to make her appear-
ance by that date, and unload there the cargo of
coal and whale meat. I made use of my time during
our sojourn at North Star Bay in exploring the
interior as far as could be done by daily inland trips,
hunting and collecting botanical specimens. It was
a continuous, long day with bright sunshine nearly
all the time. The temperature ranged between 44°
F. and 67° F. in the shade. The difference between
night and day temperature did not exceed on an
average, more than 6J° F. The summer climate
of this part of Greenland is noted for the equa-
nimity of the temperature. The air was dry and
bracing, the kind of air that invites one to active
exercise of body and mind.

From three to twenty-five Eskimos were con-
stantly on board our vessel, which gave me an excel-
lent opportunity to study these interesting specimens
of humanity inhabiting the most northern part of
the world. A personal inspection of their near-by
settlement satisfied me that their food supply was
short, and hence we were not astonished that they

i34 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

seemed to enjoy the ordinary ship diet which con-
sisted largely of salted pork and hard tack. They
appeared to be particularly fond of coffee, which
was served out to them in not too concentrated a
form. The women did some washing in a most
primitive way and the men made themselves useful
in rowing the ship's boats to and from the shore.
They also made themselves very useful to me in my
inland hunting expeditions. As money is here no
inducement for labor, I was glad to have brought
with me a liberal supply of knives and scissors with
which I could remunerate them for their services.

As the natives from the adjacent settlement
came to and returned from the ship in their kayaks,
we saw much of this kind of native marine life.
The women, and children from eight to twelve years
of age, showed themselves peers of their husbands
and fathers in managing these treacherous little
canoes. If I had done nothing else but study the
panoramic views all around the ship at anchor, the
time would have been well spent. The bay teemed
with icebergs of all sizes and endless shapes, from a
regular square as though it had been cut in a quarry
with the upper surface as clean and smooth as a
polished floor, to the most grotesque, fantastic,
and artistic designs; and from the size of an entire
block to that of a dog kennel.

NORTH STAR BAY AS A CEMETERY FOR ICEBERGS

When we arrived in North Star Bay, this great
sheet of arctic water was punctuated at short intervals
by icebergs and daily newcomers arrived, seeking

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 135

admission, and joined the multitude that had pre-
ceded them. The new arrivals came fresh and
strong, showing little wear and tear during their
short journey from the near-by places where they
were born. They must have been astonished to
find the grave changes the warm midnight sun of
the oasis of the arctic region had wrought in those
that had preceded them. The warmth of the sun
of the arctic summer sent down upon these strange
visitors of the bay, unceasingly, night and day,
soon converted the bay into a veritable graveyard
for old and young, large and small, of these
messengers from a still farther north. The sur-
face of the water was strewn with glittering rem-
nants of former giants. The immense masses of
floating icebergs, in a state of advanced disintegra-
tion under the effects of the ardent rays of the August
midnight sun, broke up into two or more parts with
a thundering crash, after which the reeling, dancing,
smaller bergs caused a miniature storm in the immedi-
ate vicinity of the accident. Many such accidents
we witnessed during our ten days' sojourn in the
bay. One of the icebergs, in a most dilapidated
condition, came near enough to the ship to be las-
soed by the sailors and hauled to the port side of
the ship. A bridge was soon thrown over the gap
between the deck and the iceberg and the sailors
were at once busily engaged with ax, pick and
baskets harvesting ice and filling the water tanks
with the purest of ice, a very excellent way by which
to replenish the failing water supply. One of the
icebergs in the bay had dwindled down to the size

136 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

and shape of a gigantic champagne glass with a hole
on one side, in which we saw a saddle-seal taking
his afternoon nap. Along the east shore of the bay
the bergs were crowding each other, obstinately
holding their respective places.

Birds perched on some of the smaller icebergs,
resting their fatigued wings and enjoying the warm
sunshine so fatal to their perishable crafts. The
warm weather was in fierce conflict with the icy
elements. Reports like the firing of a cannon an-
nounced the birth of a new iceberg, the breaking up
of an old one, or a new gigantic fissure in the margin
of the near-by ice-cap, and the noise of volley firing,
kept up almost without ceasing, meant accidents
of a similar nature on a smaller scale. The speed
with which these icebergs succumbed to the all-day
arctic rays of the sun was something astonishing.
Nearly every day I crossed the bay in different
directions hunting seal and arctic birds, and very
often icebergs familiar one day would be unrecog-
nizable the next. A giant entering the bay in the
evening would be found dwarfed the next day.
Bergs with proud, lofty towers and steeples, with
arches, doorways and windows on their arrival,
would be a shapeless mass next day. Truly our
good ship was anchored in the very midst of a ceme-
tery for icebergs.

SHORT LIFE OF GREENLAND'S FLORA

We came just in time to see Greenland's floral
exhibit at its very best. In our climate we have
spring, summer, and autumn flowers, with their
distinctive charms and characteristics. Greenland
has no spring, no fall, and the summer is so short
that nature has to make haste in her vegetable
kingdom to propagate her hardy plants. The
flowers bud, bloom, and ripen their seed in the short
space of two months. There is no time to mature
sugar or starch-producing plants, and no time to
waste in growing fragrant flowers. The hardy flow-
ering plants, which, during the short space of time
allotted to them, perpetuate their species, are found
here. All of the flowers are small, without fra-
grance whatever, and in the simplest kind of dress.
Few of them have more than one color and most of
them lack the delicate shading of hues, that
distinguish the flowers in more favored climates
and impart to them their exquisite beauty. These
plain little flowers are fresh and pretty but none of
them are gorgeous. They are simple and modest
and make no attempt at display. Owing to the
shortness of the season, the different kinds of flowers
blossom nearly at the same time. Under the magic
influence of continuous sunlight, the seeds sprout
and the buds expand with an activity unknown in
our climate.

When we arrived in North Star Bay, the season

137

138 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

of flowers was at its height. The yellow poppy was
in its glory and in many places draped the scanty
sward, the mossy tundra, the mountainsides, and
stony mesas in a garb of yellow. A tiny, ruby-col-
ored flower, always in little bunches crowning the
leafy stem not more than two inches in length, met
the eye everywhere and grew in places where it was
difficult to detect enough soil in which to take root
and from which to abstract enough nourishment
during its short summer life. White and yellow
are the prevailing colors of the flowers in the heart
of the arctics. Some of these flowers and the
plants producing them were so small that one had
to look very carefully to detect them in the short
grass and mosses which overtowered them.

At the end of ten days, when we left North Star
Bay, most of the flowers had withered and their
seeds were maturing with the same marvelous rapid-
ity as the previous budding and expansion of the
flowers. The constant sunshine and the warmth
of the summer air act like charms in speeding vege-
tation, and what our soil accomplishes in several
weeks takes place here in a few days. I made patient
search for edible plants, but only found sorrel, two
kinds of cress, dandelions, and cowslips, which might
be utilized as vegetables; but none of these except
the cresses were in sufficient quantity to serve as a
vegetable diet, and the natives could not be induced
to make a trial with any of them. The vegetable
kingdom yields grasses, mosses, and flowers only
for a few weeks during midsummer and the
natives have no appreciation of the beauty of flowers
and no desire for vegetable food.

MATERNAL LOVE OF ARCTIC ANIMALS

Cold and desolate as North Greenland is, it can-
not exterminate maternal love in the animals which
inhabit it. The struggle for life, hard as it is in this
inhospitable region, has had no effect in dimming
the spark of love in the mother's heart for the helpless
young. Maternity implies care and much anxiety.
The maternal love of many animals equals, if it does
not surpass, the love of the human species for its
offspring. The female polar bear will defy death
in defense of its helpless cub. One of the most
dangerous foes is the walrus when its young is in
danger. The seal mother will risk her life at any
time when her infant is in need of her defense. Many
stories have been related of the heroism of these
inhabitants of the far North when the lives of their
little ones were in danger. It seems, if any thing,
that the arctic climate adds fuel to the fire of mater-
nal love. I have seen this virtue exhibited on many
occasions during my hunting trips in different parts
of the world and saw much of it during my brief
stay in Greenland. On one of my inland hunting
excursions I came to a fresh- water pool in a valley,
when I saw an eider-duck flying low toward the
pool and evidently with the intention of alighting
on the pool. The second barrel dropped her. I
then saw another eider-duck on the water within
easy range of the gun. I was astonished to find

139

1 40 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

her remaining after I had fired the two shots. In
looking for the cause of the unusual behavior of the
bird, I discovered nestling near her three tiny yellow
ducklings that evidently had left their shell only a
few days before. They could neither fly nor dive.
I watched this fatherless little family for a long time
and noticed that the little ones made every effort
to come toward where I was standing. ' Their
frightened, anxious mother did everything in her
power to ward them off and make them swim in an
opposite direction by a peculiar cackling noise and
vigorous movements, keeping them together and
pushing them in the direction of greater safety.
In walking along the border of the pool I discovered
why the baby ducks wanted to come my way. I
found a nest close to the edge of the water, a simple
shallow depression in the grass, and near it three
broken egg-shells so recently vacated. I finally
cornered the family in a narrow part of the pool,
within thirty feet from me. I made all kinds of
attempts to chase the mother away, but to no avail.
Heroically she stood her ground in the defense of
her innocent, helpless infants. Being so closely
pressed, she commenced to become defiant, flapping
her wings, raising her body and hissing at me as if
to say, "Kill me if you dare!" No one but a brute
would have harmed this devoted mother. It was
a source of pleasure to me to see the distressed little
family made happy by my leaving that little pond
in quest for more legitimate game.

One day the steamer, after a long and vain search
for walrus, was headed toward Saunders Island,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 141

at the inlet of the bay, for the purpose of giving me
an opportunity to see one of its great bird cliffs,
and do some wholesale shooting among the millions
of birds that make the cliffs their summer home. Our
fresh meat supply had been exhausted for some
time, and my only excuse for doing what I did on
this occasion was to secure for ourselves, officers,
and crew fresh meat. Within half a mile of these
cliffs the ship was anchored and two of us boarded
one of the life-boats and were rowed within gunshot
range of the cliffs. It would be impossible to give
the reader a correct idea of the wealth of bird-life
here.

The cliffs were almost perpendicular to a height
of more than 500 feet. This perpendicular wall is
shelved by the layers of sandstone and every shelf
was densely crowded with birds' nests. Two kinds
of birds make these cliffs their annual breeding
places, the kittiwakes and Brimmch's guillemots.
These two kinds of birds are congenial to each other,
but here as elsewhere, while they are near neighbors
they do not mingle indiscriminately. By common
consent, the kittiwakes occupy the lower shelves
and the guillemots the upper.

As we approached the island, the cliffs became
alive with birds, and the air resembled the surround-
ings of a beehive set in commotion by a sudden
intrusion, literally darkened by the moving shadows
of thousands and thousands of kittiwakes and
guillemots flying in all directions. Most of the young
birds were still in their nests craning their necks,
anxious to learn the cause of this sudden commotion.

i42 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The shooting now commenced and it rained birds,
which fell on the rippling water at the base of the
cliff. The intensity of the maternal love of these
arctic birds was put to a severe test on this occasion,
but it remained steadfast. For a moment after a
shot was fired, the old birds would leave their home
in the immediate vicinity, where a number of victims
fell dead, but, in less time than it takes to write this,
their places would again be occupied by others. It
was their little ones with bills wide open, terror-
stricken, unable to find safety in flight that were
responsible for this manifestation of fearlessness and
heroism. Shooting under such circumstances was
no sport — it was cold-blooded slaughter, but we were
sadly in need of fresh meat and here was our best
chance. In less than half an hour two of us killed
140 birds; none of them were wasted, every one of
them was used in changing the monotony of the
scanty bill of fare on board the "Erik." The skins
were eagerly sought by the Eskimo women, who
chewed and dried them preparatory to making them
into underclothing for the coming winter.

AN UNEXPECTED, UNLOOKED-FOR
VISITOR

Until very recently, the Danish possessions of
Greenland did not extend farther north on the west
coast than Upernavik, where the most northern
Danish settlement is located. This settlement was
the northern limit of the Danish jurisdiction on the
west coast. No other nation made any claim on the
land north of Upernavik. The country north of this
point was supposed to be unclaimed neutral territory.
This was our impression when we were in North Star
Bay.

Monday morning, August yth, a steamer entered
the bay, and as we had no reason to expect any other
ship but the "Roosevelt," we were glad to see her
arrive in good time. The hunting not having turned
out as well as expected, and we being anxious to
proceed farther north, which, by orders given by
Commander Peary, we could not do until the arrival
of the "Roosevelt" or the expiration of the time
fixed, August loth, every eye was fixed on the new-
comer. Even at a great distance the vessel appeared
too small for the "Roosevelt." As the ship came
nearer, we soon ascertained her identity. She
carried the Danish flag. It was "The Fox," a 200-
ton Danish government steamer. The little coast
steamer anchored as near as possible to the coast
where the native settlement is located. During the
day our captain paid a visit to the steamer, and

i44 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

toward evening her commander came on board the
"Erik" and explained to us the object of his visit
to this part of the coast. He brought the natives
substantial presents from Mr. Erickson, a Danish
scientist, who a few years ago spent a winter on
Saunders Island and to whom the Eskimos had been
very kind and rendered him much valuable service.
He sent them lumber, firearms, ammunition, coffee,
knives, scissors, needles, and many other articles
which he knew they would appreciate out of grati-
tude for the many courtesies he had received. The
Commander also informed us that he had been
instructed by his government to find two harbors,
one in this bay and the other near Etah for the estab-
lishment of two additional Danish settlements. It
is expected that next summer the necessary govern-
ment buildings will be constructed, thus extending
the Danish possessions the whole length of the west
coast of Greenland.

This extension of the Danish rule north of Uper-
navik has for its objects to control the entire trade
in fur, ivory, and eiderdown, and to civilize the few
remaining Smith Sound Eskimos. This move on
the part of the Danes to those who are familiar with
the resources of this part of the Greenland coast is
a profitable business enterprise, as iron and copper
ore have been discovered here and the trade in
ivory and fur, and the eiderdown from Dalrymple
Rock and Eiderduck Island, will more than balance
all expenses, to say nothing of the possible income
from the mineral resources. Americans have done
so much in exploring this part of Greenland that

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 145

their claim on it should be valid, but unfortunately
the Danes have outwitted us in this matter and
all Greenland is now practically under Danish rule.
For three years the same steamer has visited nearly
all the Eskimo settlements annually; and the income
from ivory and fur must have been considerable,
as money is unknown here and the natives are given
articles of merchandise in exchange for the products
of chase. The Danish government treats the natives
with the utmost kindness and, with a view to im-
proving their conditions of life, this expansion will
bring every Eskimo within the range of civilization.
"The Fox" left the same day at five o'clock in the
afternoon on her return trip to Egedesminde. Be-
sides the officers and crew, she had on board a
government physician and several scientists.

THE "ROOSEVEI/T" IN FOULKE FIORD

ARRIVAL OF THE "ROOSEVELT"

The "Roosevelt" was sighted at one o'clock
Wednesday morning, August pth. Her arrival
marked an important event for all of us. I was
particularly anxious to push farther north and spend
as much of my time as possible in the neighborhood
where so many explorers had spent their long winter
night. With the stars and stripes flying from the
middle mast, the vessel, bearing the name of our
strenuous president, glided proudly over the smooth
water of the bay at half speed, in the brilliant light
of the midnight sun. On both vessels everybody
was on deck in anxious anticipation of the meeting.
When within almost speaking distance the "Roose-
velt" struck a rock with a heavy thud, and came to
a sudden standstill. The "Erik" at once went to
her relief and, when within reach, a cable was carried
across. The vigorous reverse action of the pro-
peller of the "Roosevelt" aided by the traction of
the "Erik," in half an hour released her from the
hard bed of rock and she was again afloat. On the
deck of the "Roosevelt" stood many fur-clad Eski-
mos, who had been taken on board at Cape York
and adjoining settlements, curiously watching the
movements of the "Erik" and scanning their country-
men and the crew on her deck. The dogs on deck
of the "Roosevelt" barked and howled. In the
center of the group of Eskimos stood Commander

147

i48 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Peary, in his summer suit of fur, towering far above
them like an immense giant. His long hair fluttered
in the morning breeze. He wore a sealskin coat,
polar bear fur trousers, and sealskin boots. He
came on board the "Erik" and dispatched the "Roose-
velt," under command of Captain Bartlett, at
once to Etah. We learned that the delay of the
"Roosevelt" was due to an accident to one of her
boilers when two days out from Sydney, an occur-
rence which reduced her speed from fourteen to
seven and a half knots an hour.

COMMANDER PEARY IN ARCTIC SUIT

COMMANDER PEARY

"The gods look with favour on superior
courage. ' ' — Tacitus.

Commander Peary is a remarkable man. His
persistent efforts to reach the north pole have
earned for him a well-merited international repu-
tation. He has made this feat his life work and
is determined more than ever to accomplish it. After
his repeated trips to the arctic regions, he has spent
two years in making preparation for this expedition.
During this time he planned and supervised the
building of the "Roosevelt." His large experience
in righting pack-ice has given him many new ideas
in ship construction for this special purpose. The
"Roosevelt" is an ice fighter and will not disappoint
the sanguine expectations of the one who gave the
most important ideas to her designer. No expedi-
tion ever sought the north pole so carefully planned
and so thoroughly equipped as this one. Commander
Peary has reached the fiftieth milestone of his daring
career. His presence in any gathering would at
once attract attention. He is above average height,
spare but wiry, has reddish-brown hair and beard
lightly sprinkled with gray, blue penetrating eyes,
firm lips and massive lower jaw, so suggestive of
courage and determination. His slow, accurate
speech and precise, quick movements remind one of
his naval training and give evidence of his superior

149

150 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

executive abilities. Everything about this extraor-
dinary man suggests that he is a leader of men, a
man who makes his plans carefully and then loses
no time in executing them. He is a great worker
and knows how to induce other people to follow his
example.

He is plain in his habits, having placed himself
in training for this arduous work ever since he de-
termined to undertake it. He told me that the
fewer needs a man has in this part of the world, the
less he would miss the luxuries of home life. His
familiarity with the geography of North Greenland,
and his knowledge of the natives, their language,
habits, and customs, and his vast experience in the
far North, which has taught him how to live here,
make him the right man in the right place. His
fearlessness when confronted by danger is well known,
and has been tested by many experiences which
would make ordinary men shrink from repeating
them. He enjoys the confidence of his many Eski-
mo friends who accompanied him on his previous
expeditions, and who know that they can always
rely on what he says and does. He is an eloquent
example of the force and truth of the sentiment :

"Constant exposure to danger will inspire
contempt for it." — Seneca.

FROM NORTH STAR BAY TO ETAH

On this part of our journey we were favored by
the presence of Commander Peary, who seldom left
the bridge, and explained to us the different points
of interest. He gave us interesting accounts of
Eskimo life, the habits of animals who inhabit this
region, and his own experiences during his previous
expeditions.

We left North Star Bay after midnight, August
nth. In a straight line the distance from the bay
to Etah is only 140 miles. This distance was more
than doubled by calling on the four or five native
settlements scattered along the coast of Inglefield
Gulf, a broad body of water which extends eighty
miles inland from the main coast. We arrived at
Whale Sound early in the morning. In passing
the most important landmarks of the coast line,
Cape Parry and Cape Radcliff, we had an excellent
view of Hakluyt and Northumberland Islands, lim-
iting Whale Sound to the north. After rounding
Cape Radcliff, we came in full view of Barden Bay
and the great Tyndall glacier. Beyond this point,
the coast is a succession of rugged mountain peaks
and small glaciers. Among the latter Peary pointed
out a secondary glacier, created by the breaking off
of an enormous mass of ice from a glacier which did
not reach the shore; consequently the ice, falling on
firm land, formed the nucleus of a daughter glacier,

152 /AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

which in the course of time reached out into the
frigid water of the sound.

At the junction of Whale Sound with Murchison
Sound, two great arms of the sea extend inland,
Inglefield Gulf and Olrik's Bay, which include a
large island and are connected by Academy Bay.
The coasts of Olrik's Bay are, at the present time,
the favorite haunts of the reindeer. Commander
Peary assured me that large herds of these animals
can be seen from the deck of a vessel ascending the
bay. It is from this locality he obtained his supply
of venison during the winter he spent in Bowdoin
Bay.

It was the intention of Peary to visit every native
settlement on our inland voyage. At the inlet of
Inglefield Gulf we passed Kanga, but the most vigor-
ous blowing of the whistle brought no indications
of life. The old Eskimo settlement here had, evi-
dently, been abandoned and the natives had sought
better hunting grounds farther up Inglefield Gulf.

INGLEFIELD GULF

Inglefield Gulf is unquestionably the most pic-
turesque spot in Greenland. It is a long, narrow
sheet of water hemmed in by rugged mountains and
glaciers, with the towering ice-cap constantly in
view on both sides. From the entrance of the gulf,
the ice-cap can be plainly seen at its head, seventy-
five miles away, looming up far above anything else,
like a gigantic mass of frosted silver. The steep
walls of gneiss and granite enclosing this inland arm
of the sea, intersected by deep ravines in which the

-3 >

g. 0

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 153

glaciers dwell, moving lazily seaward to contribute
their share of young icebergs, are a sight which must
please the most unappreciative eye.

We found the gulf thickly populated with mag-
nificent icebergs, and between them no inconsider
able amount of pack-ice. Looking ahead of the
ship, icebergs and pack-ice appeared to form an
impassable barrier to further progress and our cap-
tain considered it as such; but Commander Peary,
more familiar with such a sight, had no such fear.
The man in the crow's nest could see far ahead and
pointed out lanes through which the vessel could
pass with safety. The innumerable icebergs in this
gulf, all of them offsprings of the many glaciers
which are contributing to it and the fields of pack-
ice crowding their way between them on their
journey seaward, form panoramic views of ex-
quisite beauty. Inglefield Gulf has a warm spot
in the heart of Commander Peary. He calls it the
most beautiful part of the oasis of the arctic region.
He spent two winters of his eventful life in this
neighborhood ; one in McCormick Bay, an offshoot of
Murchison Sound; the other in Bowdoin Bay, an
arm of Inglefield Gulf. Anniversary Lodge of Bow-
doin Bay is the birthplace of his little daughter. It
is in this locality that he is perfectly at home, and
where he has left the strongest impressions of his
careful investigations and permanent landmarks in
memory of his devoted and courageous wife. The
most conspicuous point of Northumberland Island
he called Josephine Head, and an island at the very
head of the gulf is known as Josephine Island.

154 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

This island is embraced on the northeast side by
two great glaciers, leaders of the great ice-cap,
Melville Glacier and Farquhar Glacier. Nearly the
entire year one can ascend from the island over
these great ice-bridges to the inland ocean of ice.
The iceberg supply never fails in the gulf. Summer
and winter they are present. During the summer,
as the veteran icebergs slowly move seaward, new
ones take their place from the many contributory
glaciers.

Even from the deck of the steamer we discovered
that, in moist places, along the coast patches of green
meadows relieved the prevailing monotony of bare
rock and the marble whiteness of ice. The climate
here during the summer months is delightful. Fog
seldom comes so far inland, and the continuous
sunshine and protection from severe winds make it
an ideal summer resort for invalids.

Arctic vegetation is at its best here and the nu-
merous natives who have selected the gulf coast for
permanent habitations would render a brief sum-
mer visit of invalids most interesting and instructive.

a. SOUTHERN SHORE INGLEFIELD GULF
Showing glacier and pan ice

THREE GLACIERS LEADING DOWN FROM THE
ICE-CAP AT THE HEAD OF THE GULF

HOW PEARY COLLECTED HIS ESKIMOS

The popularity of Commander Peary among the
real Eskimos is best shown by the way in which he
recruited his native contingent for the present ex-
pedition. At the first inhabited settlement we called
upon, we could see from the deck of the steamer a
number of women standing on a high bluff behind
the tents gazing at us. There were numerous dogs
prowling about the grounds. Five tents, near a
glacier and perched on the banks of a roaring moun-
tain stream, made up the habitations of the natives.

Commander Peary went ashore and learned that
the men were away on a hunting expedition and
were not expected to return until late in the even-
ing. The third settlement farther up the gulf con-
sisted of the same number of tents. As Commander
Peary landed, the natives gathered around him and
in less than half an hour we observed that the tents
were being taken down, and, under his personal
supervision, all of the inhabitants, twenty in num-
ber, with all their belongings and about thirty dogs,
were on board in less than two hours. Two of our
row boats and the native kayaks were used in the
house-moving. These people knew nothing of Peary's
coming in the morning, and in the evening they
were all safely housed on the deck of the "Erik."
The confidence of these people in Commander Peary
is absolute. They have served him during his pre-
vious visits and know, from their experience in the

156 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

past, that they can trust him. The natives taken
aboard here showed all the indications of at least
temporary prosperity. They were a happy -looking
lot of people, much cleaner and better dressed than
those we had on board from North Star Bay or those
on the "Roosevelt" from Cape York. They brought
with them a large quantity of valuable fur, skins of
the polar bear, reindeer, seal, arctic fox, and hare.
They live in a place so remote from the coast that
they have had but little communication with the
outside world ; consequently, they have remained true
to their primitive habits and customs.

Another reason which goes far to explain the
prosperity of these people is the fact that the head of
Inglefield Gulf is one of the best hunting grounds.
Walrus, narwhal, reindeer, and seal are quite plenti-
ful here. The narwhal has selected the head of this
gulf as one of its favorite feeding places during the
summer. The walrus, on the other hand, makes
Murchison's Sound, near the entrance of Inglefield
Gulf, its gathering point from earliest spring until
late in the fall. These two giant sea- animals are
deathly enemies and avoid meeting each other as
much as possible; but when they do meet, a bloody
encounter is the usual outcome.

About midnight, we called at a native settle-
ment on Harvard Island, at the very head of the
gulf and within full view of the ice-cap and a number
of glaciers of the first magnitude. The natives living
in the two tents, their dogs, and all their possessions
were on board the "Erik" in less than two
hours. When Peary went after them there was

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 157

no need of making any arguments — their faith in
him was all that was necessary to make this unex-
pected sudden change. House-moving in the
arctics, with Peary at the head, is a very simple and
prompt affair. I doubt if any other man in the
whole world could accomplish the same object so
promptly, or at all. These Eskimos had killed a
narwhal during the day, and brought it on board.
It was a young female about twelve feet in length
and weighing about 800 pounds. We saw, during
the evening, a herd of these animals swimming very
much like the porpoise. The interesting features of
this herd were the males with a horn six to twelve
feet in length, their gigantic eyetooth, projecting
from the left side of the upper jaw. This is their
weapon of defense which, during the bounding gait
of the animals, often appeared high above the sur-
face of the water. The female, as a rule, has no such
means of warfare, relying on her male companion
when she is in danger.

DISSECTION OF A NARWHAL (MONODON MONOCEROS)

When the natives cut up the narwhal I improved
the opportunity to take some notes on the more
important points of the anatomy of this interesting
sea animal. The skin is very thick, leathery, and
of a grayish white color, and is considered a great
delicacy by the Eskimo, who eat it raw. I sampled
this Eskimo dish and it proved quite agreeable.
What chewing of gum is to the American youth,
narwhal skin chewing is to the Eskimo. Fresh, raw
narwhal skin has a well-established reputation in

i58 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

the Danish settlements as a specific for scurvy. The
governor of Godhavn informed me that scurvy is
quite a common winter disease in that part of Green-
land, but that it disappears in the spring as soon as
the natives can get a supply of narwhal skin. The
layer of fat between the skin and the muscles is about
four to five inches in thickness. Uterus bicornis.
One of the ovaries was removed, preserved in form-
alin solution, and on my return was presented to
Dr. Byron Robinson for histological study. The
muscle tissue is very coarse and scanty in amount
considering the great strength of the animal. Along
the posterior surface of the spine is a band of glisten-
ing tendon tissue about five inches in width. This
mass of dense, fibrous tissue is prepared by the
women by chewing and drying, and the fine, long
fibres are used as thread in sewing clothes and boots.
The intestinal canal is very long and the stomach
appears to be simply a dilatation of its upper end while
in a downward direction, gradually diminishing in
size, the rectum being the narrowest part and which
does not exceed in size the duodenum of an adult.
There was no colon, cecum, or appendix. The kid-
neys were oblong, flattened, and markedly lobulated.
The pancreas is situated transversely behind the
stomach part of the intestinal canal. Liver, very
flabby, was of a deep chocolate color. There was
no gall-bladder. One of the interesting anatomical
anomalies of this strange animal is a rudimentary
femur about four inches in length and not much
larger than a goose quill imbedded in the muscle
tissue in the location where it is in quadrupeds, a

IN THE 'HE ART OF THE ARCTICS 159

probable proof that ages ago the narwhal may have
been a four-legged animal.

Friday, August nth. We have now twenty-six
Eskimos on board with their families, among them a
number of infants. The babies take up no room,
as the mothers carry them in their hoods. Among
the newcomers is the most famous hunter who has
had many scraps with polar bears at close range.
Several large scars on different parts of the body
bear witness that more than once the victory was
dearly won. As the result of an injury he lost one
of his eyes; but although more than sixty years of
age, he maintains his well-earned reputation as the
most daring and successful bear hunter.

The increasing number of natives, and the more
than 100 dogs so far collected, render the deck more
and more interesting from a scientific point of view,
but with the increase of the Eskimo population and
the number of dogs, filth and nose-killing smells
accumulated at an alarming rate. Before leaving
Inglefield Gulf we had nearly 100 natives on board.
Kayaks, sledges, tents, harpoons, fur, over-matured
blubber, ribs of seal and walrus, the smell of which
would frighten away any ordinary dog, were stored
away wherever room could be found. Our lifeboats
were brimful with the rubbish household articles
of the Eskimos, and several of them were converted
into family headquarters for the balance of the
journey. The half -tame Eskimo dogs were corralled
on one side of the deck securely picketed to reliable
points of anchorage with walrus hide ropes. These
beasts bark, howl, snarl, and whine most of the

160 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

time, and desperate fights among themselves can be
witnessed most any time, day or night. The fight-
ing spirit of these dogs knows no limit, and all of the
explorers suffered serious losses in the number of
their dogs from this source, and often at a time when
the loss of a single dog weighed heavily in the balance
of failure of the expedition.

The pools of blood from the dead narwhal extend-
ing as they did, over a considerable surface of the
deck, the filth of the improvised kennels, the lively
fights of the dogs for their share of the smoking en-
trails of the slaughtered beast, and the eating of
putrid meat by the Eskimos rendered the deck
anything but attractive at this time. Besides
this, it had become so slippery with a coating of grease,
blood, and coal-dust that it became necessary to
exercise the utmost care to avoid accidents from
falling.

It was after midnight when we took on board the
natives of the last settlement on the north coast of
Inglefield Gulf, after which the course of the ship
was directed toward Murchison Sound, the favorite
summer feeding ground of the walrus.

Murchison is a wide arm of Baffin, Bay, which
separates Northumberland and Herbert Islands from
the main coast between Cape Cleveland and Cape
Ackland. Like Inglefield Gulf, it is seldom free
from pack-ice even during the middle of summer.
It is on the pack or drift-ice that the walrus are
found. Commander Peary has never failed in se-
curing walrus whenever he visited Murchison Sound.
On one occasion his party killed thirty in one day.

KUD, AND HIS CHUM

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 161

It was the intention of the commander to devote
this day to walrus-hunting in Murchison Sound. In
sailing about in Inglefield Gulf, we saw many seal
swimming in the water, one herd of narwhal, but not
a single walrus. The arctic birds were likewise not
nearly as numerous as in North Star Bay. About
ten o'clock in the forenoon, a walrus was discovered,
on entering the sound, asleep on a pan of drift-ice.
When within half a mile the engine was brought
to a standstill, and a boat was lowered and manned
by Eskimos. The animal was drowsy, but once in
a while raised the head. It allowed the boat to come
near enough for three of the natives to throw their
harpoons at the same instant. Two missed the mark
and the third harpoon struck a rib, preventing the
weapon from penetrating deep enough to hold the
animal. This rude disturbance aroused the animal,
and in one desperate plunge it disappeared head fore-
most, and was not seen again. Next, a pair of animals
were discovered on the same pan of floating ice, lying
side by side, but took to the water before the har-
poonists were near enough to use their weapons. At
this time a dense fog came in from the open water and
put an end to the hunting. The ship was allowed to
drift among the many icebergs, which often came
within a very short distance before they could be
seen, and collisions were avoided by a few turns of the
propeller and the skillful handling of the rudder.
Toward midnight the fog was driven landward by a
rising breeze, clearing the atmosphere sufficiently to
enable the captain to find the settlement we called on
first the morning of the day before, and in less than

i62 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

three hours had all of the dogs and the desirable men
with their families on board. These roving people are
not encumbered by unnecessary things. The clothes
they wear, kayak, sledge, skins, and dogs constitute
their entire luggage; and this they carry with them,
over land and sea wherever they go.

The Inglefield Eskimos are the possessors of a
large rowboat presented to them, a number of years
ago, by Commander Peary. This present is much
appreciated by them and it has done excellent ser-
vice during the summer months. The men manage
this boat with skill, and use it during their hunting
trips and in moving their families from place to
place along the coast. To be called on at mid-
night and transferred to a steamer, without previous
notice, in such a short time and for such a long and
dangerous journey is certainly a feat which could not
be duplicated in our country except in the case of
a well-disciplined army. These simple childlike
people had no hesitation in following Commander
Peary. The advisability of breaking up their homes
on such short notice and following their leader to the
extreme North was not discussed for a moment.
They simply went, knowing that their white chieftain
would take good care of them, and bring them back
in safety. They never considered the possible risks
of such a move. Their implicit confidence and firm
faith were the mainsprings of their action.

The women and children form an important part
of the expedition. The women are excellent seam-
stresses. They prepare the furs and make the clothes
and boots. Young boys skin and cut up the dead

2 C/3

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 163

animals, and the many babies complete the family
ties and do not hinder their mothers from doing their
good share of the work. The Eskimo will not leave
his family for any length of time. If he goes hunting
only for a few days, his wife or somebody else's wife
must . accompany him. We have several on board
who exchanged wives before their departure. They
are mated for this expedition, and on their return
may resume their former marital relations.

ESKIMO WOMAN WITH CHILD IN HOOD. MAN WITH
CHILD IN His ARMS

THE WALRUS

The walrus is one of the large, warm-blooded
sea animals that makes the arctic regions its per-
manent home. It will not abide for any length of
time where there is no ice. It rests, sleeps, and
travels on floating ice. The Eskimo excels in walrus-
hunting. The greatest ambition of the Eskimo
youth is to kill his first walrus, an event, when ac-
complished, which elevates him at once to manhood,
elevates him to the dignity of a hunter, and entitles
him to seek for a mate.

This huge beast of the sea furnishes the Eskimos
with the essential articles of diet and fuel, and the
hide is used for cordage, igloo roofs, and soles for the
sealskin boots. It is to the natives what live stock
is to us. The walrus (Trichechus rosmarus), called
awick by the Eskimos, is in reality a giant seal. A
full-grown walrus measures from twelve to twenty
feet in length and weighs from 1,000 to 2,500 pounds.
It is a very unseemly animal, devoid of every trait
of beauty. When seen at a distance on pans of
floating ice, these lazy, sleeping, or half asleep ani-
mals look like shapeless, reddish-brown masses; and
when in large herds, some of them moving, others
motionless, the sight is almost repulsive, reminding
one of a multitude of creeping maggots. This is
the impression made on me, when we saw a large
herd basking in the sunshine on a large pan of ice

165

1 66 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

in Murchison Sound. The walrus is an awkward
traveler on ice and land, but a swift and skilful
swimmer. The long, flabby body is thickest in the
center, like the seal. From the immense gray or
brownish, almost hairless body, the rudimentary
limbs project in the form of flippers. All four feet
have five toes with short, dull claws behind the tip
of each toe. What distinguishes the walrus from all
other sea animals of its size, is the small unshapely,
thick head. The nose is very short, broad, and blunt,
the upper lip large and fleshy, curved laterally, the
lower lip massive. On both sides of the nose are
transverse rows of beard bristles three to four inches
in length, the largest about the size of a crow's quill.
The nasal orifices are semi-lunar in shape; the eyes
small, deeply set, and brilliant, are protected by pro-
jecting lids. The aural orifices, devoid of anything
resembling the lobe of an ear, are far back in the
head. The most remarkable part of the anatomy of
the walrus is the upper canine teeth, which develop
into tusks of prodigious size. These teeth or tusks,
in the adult animal are twelve to twenty-four inches
in length, slightly curved, with the concavity to-
ward the head, and, as a rule, somewhat divergent.
Anomalies in the development of the tusks are
of frequent occurrence. In one of the animals killed
on this trip, a female, the tusks converged, a rather
unusual thing according to the observations of
Peary. Inequality in the length of the tusks is very
common. The tusks of the female walrus are more
slender than in the male. The lower jaw in the
adult has no teeth, as the teeth present in the young

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 167

animal are deciduous. The tusks are hollow in the
young animal but with advancing age, are trans-
formed into a solid mass of ivory.

The skin, brownish, or of a mottled gray, is very
thick, rugose, knotty, and only scantily supplied
with hair. When in mid-air, as the carcass dangles
at the end of the rope which hauls it on deck, the
huge body of this animal appears as a shapeless mass,
flabby, the skin too large for the almost sickening
mass.

These animals migrate from one feeding ground
to another in large herds. It is a lazy animal,
spending days on the bed of ice, without moving.
The walrus is not a gamy animal and killing it by
shooting is poor sport. Shooting does not alarm
these animals, as they have become accustomed to
such noises produced by the cracking of ice. The
male walrus when in danger, sometimes shows fight,
as well as the female when in charge of her defense-
less offspring. On land these animals walk with
difficulty; however, they do not crawl but walk on
their imperfectly developed limbs. The tusks serve
them a good purpose in climbing on the floating ice,
in making breathing holes in the ice, and as a for-
midable weapon of defense. The voice of the walrus
is a barking noise; but in impending danger it turns
into a hideous howling.

The period of gestation is nine months, and the
result is one. seldom two calves. The males abandon
the females during that time, and mate again during
the breeding season. During the summer, Murchison
Sound is inhabited by females as was well shown

168 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

by our hunting, which resulted in seventeen females
and only one male, and he was a very young one.

The walrus feeds on crustaceae, especially on
mussels found in shallow water, and, according to
Mahn, Browns and Green, they also eat sea-plants,
especially the my a truncata and saxicacava rugosa.

The internal anatomy of the walrus is very sim-
ilar to that of the narwhal, described above, and as
shown by numerous dissections made on board the
"Erik."

A WALRUS HUNT

Saturday, August i2th, was devoted to walrus
killing, as Commander Peary was desirous of increas-
ing his stock of food for the natives and dogs, that
were to accompany him on his intended trip to the
north pole. Both the Eskimos and their dogs are
hearty eaters, and to get good work out of them they
must be well fed, hence this wise precaution to
supply them with an abundance of good food. Mur-
chison Sound, the favorite haunt and feeding ground
of these animals, was selected for the hunt. The
weather was all that could be desired, calm sea and
much of the time bright sunshine. The numerous
icebergs and pans of pack-ice made it probable that
the hunt would be a successful one. The Eskimo
knows all that can be learned concerning the habits
of the walrus and the best manner of hunting it. A
long experience has taught him to construct from
the simplest materials the most ingenious of his
primitive weapons — the harpoon.

The mechanism of the whole hunting outfit for

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 169

walrus and seal is simply perfect. The harpoon is
made in three parts. The point is a piece of ivory,
three to four inches in length, tipped with a sharp,
triangular piece of metal and its base is hollowed
out to fit the larger ivory point of the shaft. This
larger ivory point is fastened to the wooden part
of the shaft, which is about six feet long, with two
cords of walrus hide, making a jointed connection,
so that after the harpoon has struck the animal the
shaft at this point bends automatically, thus facili-
tating the detachment of the shaft from the point
which has penetrated the flesh of the animal. A
strong line of walrus hide, about 100 feet long, is
fastened to the center of the harpoon point, and to
the opposite end is tied an inflated sealskin which
looks like a small balloon.

The walrus line is arranged carefully in a loose
coil, so that it unravels readily when the harpoon is
thrown, and with a view of detracting as little as
possible from the force with which the weapon is
thrown. The seal skin balloon, floating on the water
when the animal is near enough its surface, enables
the hunter to pursue his game for hours if necessary ;
and the dragging of the balloon, when under water,
increases the exertions of the animal and brings it
sooner under submission.

The Smith Sound Eskimos have added to the
line another contrivance calculated to tire out the
harpooned walrus in the shortest possible space of
time. It consists of a shallow wooden box, a foot
and a half square, the inside center of which is con-
nected with an additional rawhide cord fastened

i;o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

to the main line nearer the harpoon point than the
balloon. The dragging of this box through the
water is done at the expense of a great deal of
strength on the part of the wounded animal. Before
the use of firearms, the natives pursued the animals
by means of these most ingenious mechanical con-
trivances until they were exhausted to an extent
which made them harmless, or nearly so, during the
last encounter, when the hunter approached near
enough to secure his game by a thrust of his lance.

The walrus is not a gamy animal and, when the
hunter is armed with a large caliber repeating rifle,
the harpooned animal has but little show for his life.
As a rule, at least two Eskimos, in their kayaks,
sneak up to the sleeping or unwary lazy animal
on his bed of floating ice until within throwing dis-
tance, about forty feet, of the deadly harpoon, when it
is thrown with sufficient force to penetrate the thick,
leathery skin. If the point does not strike any of
the superficial bones, it enters deep enough to gain
a firm hold from which the animal never can release
itself, as the weight of the shaft and traction of the
line bring the detached point into a cross position
to the wound in the skin. The sleeping or unsuspi-
cious animal, so suddenly awakened to reality, now
plunges head foremost into the water, disappears from
the surface, but is soon made to experience that
swimming has become more laborious as it drags the
balloon after it in its flight away from the enemy.
The balloon disappears soon after the animal makes
its plunge for safety; but, as it can only remain under
water for about ten minutes, the float soon makes

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 171

its appearance again. A little later, the ugly head
of the infuriated animal is seen a short distance
ahead of it, and after a few seconds disappears again
to seek safety from the pursuing foe in the depth of
the water.

The hunter has no difficulty in following his
game, because the balloon indicates its course. As
many of the Eskimos are now supplied with fire
arms, the old way of hunting seal and walrus has
been abandoned, and is only made use of when the
ammunition gives out. They greatly prefer the
rifle to the lance in killing the harpooned walrus, as
the new way of hunting requires less time, is attended
by less danger, and brings more game. The shoot-
ing is done at short range, and the only fatal spot
is the neck, about six inches behind the rudimentary
external ear. If the bullet strikes this spot the
animal is killed at once by the severing of the spinal
cord.

Now the balloon serves another very important
purpose. The dead walrus sinks almost the moment
life is extinct. The balloon offers sufficient resist-
ance to keep the carcass suspended in the water.
The Eskimo tows the dead animal to the landing-
place by fastening the line to the rear end of his
kayak.

On the day of our walrus-hunt we picked up as
many as four animals at one time, the floats marking
their location. These enormous beasts, which on
an average weigh a ton, were hauled on deck of our
steamer by steam-power. The animal is brought
alongside of the ship, and a sailor in a rowboat

172 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

makes two parallel cuts in the skin on the back part
of the neck, four to six inches apart. This bridge
of skin is then undermined for the insertion of a
strong iron hook at the end of a rope worked by the
crane, which then lifts the carcass high into the air
and swings it on deck. The thick, rough gray
skin appears like a huge bag, too large for its flabby
contents. The killing during our walrus-hunt was
done, exclusively by shooting, and the natives did
most of it. The Eskimo hunter is a good marks-
man and always averse to wasting ammunition.
He knows the fatal spot and only shoots at very
close range to make sure of his work with the rifle.
The white men who took part in the hunt went in
rowboats manned by natives, the expert har-
poonists and hunters used their kayaks. Some
of the animals were harpooned before they were
killed; others were killed on the ice or swimming,
and then were harpooned to keep them from sinking.
The wounded walrus, when closely pursued,
expresses distress and fear by a terrible noise which
can be heard at a considerable distance. It is a
kind of bellowing, a compromise between the mooing
of a cow and the deepest baying of a mastiff. This
bellowing is repeated seven or eight times in rapid
succession. Several of our wounded animals gave
us an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the
strange voice of this great sea animal when in agony
with pain and fear. One of the harpooned animals,
which was pursued for a long time before it was
killed, was a female accompanied by its infant,
which clung to its mother until life was extinct and

ESKIMO WOMEN AT WORK ON DECK OF THE "ERIK"
CLEANING WALRUS HEADS

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 173

the ship arrived to haul the carcass on deck. The
native hunters took a lively interest in this day's
work and several times as many as ten kayaks and
two rowboats were out at the same time.

While walrus-hunting cannot be regarded in the
light of a sport, it affords an interesting spectacle
for the one who witnesses it for the first time. It is
a sea battle in which the Eskimos display their skill
and cunning as hunters of this huge beast of the sea.
The largest herd we came across this day was
collected on a large pan of ice and numbered about
fifty. This herd was left undisturbed until after
supper. It was the intention to surround it and
attack it from all sides. The animals, however,
were more wary than usual, and, when the attack
was made, disappeared before they came within
reach of the harpoon and guns. Desultory firing
took place in different places as the animals ap-
peared here and there on the surface. Several were
wounded but none were secured. When we left
Murchison's Sound, we had on deck seventeen wal-
rus, all females except one, one seal, making a small
mountain of flesh and blubber to serve as food for
natives and their dogs on the "Roosevelt," during
her trip to the farthest North.

A number of Eskimo boys at once commenced
to skin and dismember the carcasses. As every
walrus contains nearly a barrel full of blood, the
scene that followed can be better imagined than
described. As the young butchers proceeded with
their work, the deck became flooded with grease
and steaming blood. The boys in their sealskin

174 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

boots, were ankle deep in this slippery mixture.
The more than a hundred snarling, fighting dogs
dragged the entrails in all directions. Each of them
determined to get his liberal share of this, to them,
their greatest delicacy.

Men, women, and children waded through the
pools of blood and scattered it all over the deck.
The dogs were smeared with blood, grease, and filth,
and this, together with the thirty tons of coal still
on deck, will give some idea of the discomforts of
deck-life during this part of our trip. I have en-
countered all kinds 6f bad smells and thought that
I could bear everything in that line without disturb-
ing my stomach, but now the stench had grown in
intensity to such a degree that I had to apply a hand-
kerchief to the nose when I went on the bridge to
breathe fresh air. Even the bridge, the cleanest
spot on deck, had become slippery with blood and
grease, carried there by the shoes and boots of those
who sought refuge here. The little skylight in the
ceiling of my cabin looked like a big ruby. As the
galley was in the filthiest part of the deck, the steward
and cook had to wade through blood, grease, and
filth every time they went to and from the kitchen.

Such was life on the "Erik" until we got rid of
the undesirable part of the cargo on our arrival at
Etah. Etah is about sixty miles north of Point
Iglunaksuak, the northern coast limit of Murchison's
Sound. We left the sound at two o'clock in the
morning, and, in sailing along the coast, were con-
stantly in sight of the great ice-cap and passed
glacier after glacier, intercepted by rugged towering

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 175

capes. The scenery along this part of the west
coast of Greenland is inspiring in its grandeur and
severity.

At nine o'clock, Sunday morning, August i3th,
with the sun high above the lofty mountains, we
rounded Cape Kenrick and soon entered Foulke
Fiord, where we found the "Roosevelt" at anchor
near the shore, within a very short distance of
the ancient Eskimo settlement, Etah. It was a
pleasing sight to see the staunch little steamer
destined to find the north pole, flying the stars and
stripes from the topmast, peacefully moored in the
quiet waters of Foulke Fiord, where so many arctic
explorers had found rest and shelter in the past.

It was here where the last preparations were to
to be made for the final hazardous journey to the
farthest North. The first news we received from
the "Roosevelt" was to the effect that soon after
her arrival a fire broke out on board. It was in
Captain Bartlett's cabin. In some unexplainable
way the bag containing most of his clothing caught
fire. The smoke issuing from the cabin, was soon
discovered, and no further damage was done than
the loss of the contents of the bag. The dogs
were at once taken on shore, which cleared the ship
of the most disagreeable part of her cargo. The
deck was flushed, the walrus meat transferred to
the "Roosevelt," and the hides salted and packed
away in the hold of the "Erik."

Now came the difficult task of uncoaling the
"Erik." Two life-boats were lashed together and
covered with an improvised platform, upon which

i76 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

the coal, in bags and barrels, was ferried to the
rocky coast and unloaded on a stony eminence
above high-water mark. It was anticipated that
in three or four days this work could be finished,
but in this we were sorely disappointed. Several
days were lost by the sea being too rough for the
to and fro passage of the frail, extemporized barge,
so our stay in Foulke Fiord was prolonged for ten
days, when threatening weather announced the
approach of winter and forced the captain to return
with only a part of the cargo of coal on shore.

ETAH

Etah, called Etah nami by the Eskimos, is an
important and historic point on the west coast of
North Greenland. It is the very center of the
arctic region and has been the winter quarters of
a number of arctic explorers. Doctor Kane, whose
winter quarters were only about forty miles distant
from here, visited the settlement repeatedly during
the winter and received much valuable aid from the
natives. Peary and Hayes spent each one winter here.
Etah is located in latitude 78° 20' north, less than
700 miles from the pole. It is a very ancient Es-
kimo settlement, the most northern habitation of
man in the world. The five igloos are located on
the north shore of Foulke Fiord, a short distance
from its entrance, near a turbulent rivulet which
drains a small glacier and, with much noise and im-
patience, rushes over the stony bed to be lost in the
waters of the fiord. The profuse growth of grass
in the neighborhood of the settlement, growing
from a very scanty soil, is the best proof what fer-
tilizers, in the form of offal and excreta, can accom-
plish even in the coldest place on earth inhabited
by man.

At the head of the fiord is a similar luxuriant
meadow marking the place, where, perhaps for cen-
turies, the natives have lived in tents during the
summer. Foulke Fiord is a small arm of Smith
12 177

178 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Sound, hemmed in by steep mountains from 1,000
to 3,000 feet high, the mountain wall affording pro-
tection against north, south, and east winds. In
the case of gales from the west, the harbor is an
exposed one. The water is very deep, almost up
to the very shore, and the navigator has only to
look out for several small islands in entering the
harbor. When we entered the fiord, snow-clad
Cape Isabella, on the opposite side of Smith Sound
twenty-three miles away, in the pure, rare arctic air,
appeared to be only a few miles distant, and Cape
Sabine, Greely's winter quarters to the northwest,
was plainly in sight. The whole coast of kllesmere
Land, of which the two capes are the most con-
spicuous landmarks, was buried under ice and snow.
It is in Smith Sound, which separates Greenland
from Ellesmere Land, that the polar current along
the coast of the latter is very rapid, about eight
miles an hour, and seldom free from icebergs and
pack-ice. It is in this body of water that the navi-
gators are prepared to battle with ice. We found
no natives at Etah. They had evidently located
somewhere else for the summer hunting. A number
of tents were soon erected on shore and were occu-
pied by a few families who were to remain here during
the winter, forming the base of Commander Peary's
present expedition.

THE SMITH SOUND ESKIMOS

The Smith Sound Eskimos, including all the
settlements from Cape York to Etah, have come in
closer touch with the explorers than those of any
other part of Greenland; for this body of water is
the principal and most favored gateway to the
farthest North. Captain Ross called them the
"Highlanders of Greenland." They live in almost
complete isolation, having had little communication
with the natives farther south, or with those on the
American Continent, and with the outside world
only through expeditions for the north pole or an
occasional visit from a whaler. The latter source
of intercourse has almost ceased, as the whales have
migrated to more inaccessible waters. Before ex-
plorers visited this part of the world, the natives
lived in a most primitive way. Their weapons and
sledges were made of ivory and bone. Wood and
iron were unknown to them until the white man
visited them. These two articles are appreciated
by them, now, more than any other. From time
to time, they have also been supplied with the most
necessary implements — knives, needles and scissors.
Of the. luxuries, they have learned to appreciate
coffee and tobacco. Their diet, clothing, and man-
ner of living remain unchanged. The number of Eski -
mos on this part of the Greenland coast vacillates.
Doctor Kane estimated their number at 143. Peary,

179

i8o 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

in 1892, visited all of the settlements and counted
253. On this trip, we visited all of the settlements
and their present number does not, certainly, ex-
ceed 175. m ^

THEIR ORIGIN

These strange people have no idea where they
came from. They have not even, like most primi-
tive races, a legend as to their origin. When ques-
tioned on this point, they invariably point north
without having the faintest perception of what this
means. It is more than probable that they are the
remnants of a once powerful race, the oldest inhab-
itants of the western hemisphere.

It is claimed by some that the Eskimo is akin
to the American Indian, and, consequently, of the
same origin. Food and climate might have contrib-
uted much in changing the physical organization
and mental state of these people during the course
of many centuries ; but a careful study has convinced
me that they possess many striking physical and
mental characteristics foreign to our Indians. On
first sight, they resemble in stature and facial outlines
more closely the Chinese than any other race. When
I traveled through Alaska a number of years ago,
I made the same observation and noticed that the
Alaska Indians take more kindly to the Chinamen
than the Japanese or any other of the yellow races.
I have seen no closer resemblance between any two
people than the Buriates, in Siberia, and the Smith
Sound Eskimos; and I feel confident that they have
a common racial origin.

Captain McClintock describes these people as

BURIATE AND WIFE
Siberian tribe resembling the Esquinio

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 181

he saw them, in 1852. "My first interview with
these northern Eskimos was in 1852, when com-
manding H. M. S. 'Intrepid;' then, as now, the men
came off on the land ice to us; they appeared to me
to be very little people, with large, flat faces and a
sprinkling of beard and mustache, apparently in
sound health and perfectly happy. A party of us
walked to the land to visit their abodes and the fe-
male population; one vociferous old hag met us at
the beach, and seemed to be introducing us to all
the rest, and gave us a detailed account of their
relationships and accomplishments. There were
three tents only; words can scarcely describe the
filth and wretchedness of such abodes. The seal-
skins composing the tents, and the skins of various
sorts which served for beds and blankets, were
scarcely half dressed, and emitted an intolerable
effluvium, whilst the ground in every direction was
strewed with bones and decaying animal matter.
The dresses of the women were covered with blubber
and soot, their faces and necks black and greasy,
and eyes bleared from constantly superintending the
slow process of cooking in a stone vessel over a
smoky blubber lamp. It is, indeed, hard to realize
their state of existence. They have no vegetable
food whatever; neither wood, nor metal; no canoes;
not even a bow; and yet they exist in a mean annual
temperature of 34° below the freezing point, further
north than any other known people, and where the
sun is absent for one third of the year!"

This is a fairly good pen picture of the Smith
Sound Eskimos as they appear and live today. Sir

i82 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Clement Markham believes these people are rem-
nants of an ancient Siberian tribe, the Onkilon,
having been driven out by the Tartar invasion in
the middle ages, via New Siberian Islands. I can
not escape the conviction that the Smith Sound
Eskimos are direct descendants of the strong Siber-
ian tribe known as Buriates, and that they found
their way to this remote part of the world in con-
sequence of persecution many centuries ago, long
before Greenland was inundated with ice. The sim-
ilarity of these two people in stature and facial ex-
pression is too strong to escape conviction for one
who has made a study of them in their own countries.
It has also been known that the ancient stone dwell-
ings discovered in some parts of Siberia bear a
close resemblance to the igloos of the Eskimos.
The affinity of the Eskimo for the Chinese was also
well demonstrated by the actions of the little Eskimo
girl that Mrs. Peary took home with her in 1894.
The first thing that attracted her serious attention
was a Chinaman she saw in the street, while the
many new things she saw in the great city of New
York, that usually interest children, made little
impression on her.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Mongolian type of the Eskimo is pronounced.
Obliquely set eyes are common, but not constant,
and the obliquity is never as marked as in the Chin-
ese and Japanese. The Eskimos are below aver-
age size, with thick set, short legs, large head and
chest, small, even, delicate feet and hands. The

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 183

face is square, and flat, the molar bones prominent,
and the lower jaw well developed. The nose is well
shaped, often aquiline, not unusually wide, and
nasal orifices are large. The eyes are invariably
brown and small, meek and friendly in their ex-
pression. The eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard, and
mustache are scanty. The cheeks are prominent
in many of them, more especially the children and
young women.

The color of the skin is slightly dusky, but less
so than in the orientals, and that of the face has a
slight coppery tint. The hair is jet black and straight,
flowing loosely over the shoulders in men; tied in a
knot behind in women. A tendency to corpulency
is observed, even in children and young boys and
girls. In all of them the subcutaneous fat is
abundant and the circulation of the skin very active.
Obesity is the Eskimo's ideal of beauty. eary
refers to a woman four and a half feet in height who
weighed 300 pounds and who, by general consent,
was acknowledged by the men as the beauty of the
tribe. The women are much smaller than the men;
the average height of the former does not exceed
five feet, and of the latter five and a half feet.

To the foreigner, the most enviable parts of the
anatomy of the Eskimo are his hair and teeth. The
growth of the hair of the scalp is luxuriant, and
even time deals gently with it, as it does, not turn
gray until advanced age, and then the change from
black to white is a very slow one. I failed to find
even indications of baldness in any of the Smith
Sound Eskimos. Captain McClintock met with

i84 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

one bald Eskimo by the name of Kallek, whom he
considered as a remarkable case among the natives
with whom he came in contact. He lived in isola-
tion with three families, near Lancaster Sound,
and had come to Greenland over the ice with dog
sledges.

The teeth of the Eskimos are simply perfect — as
perfect as in the only domestic animal they know
and own — the dog. They are regular and, in the
young, of a pearly whiteness. Caries and toothache
are unknown. I examined the mouths of a number
of Eskimos over sixty years of age without finding
a single tooth missing; every tooth was present and
firm. The only perceptible change the teeth had
undergone was a gradual wearing away, from pro-
longed usage, until the crown projected but slightly
above the firm, healthy gums.

Female beauty must not be looked for here,
although Peary, in his book, reproduces the photo-
graph of one who is perhaps entitled to this claim.
Regular features among women are the rare excep-
tions. Beauty, however, is a relative term, as what
one considers a beautiful face another calls homely;
and it is well it should be so in the very nature of
things. A distinguished poet says:

"Beauty is nothing else but a just accord and
mutual harmony of the members, animated
by a healthful constitution." — Dryden.

All of the Eskimo women are certainly splendid
specimens of a healthful constitution, and their soft
brown eyes, pearly teeth, and luxuriant black hair
contribute much to their charms. The average

FORM

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 185

unprejudiced observer, however, would say of the
majority of them:

"When the candles are out all women are fair.".
— Plutarch.

In favor of these women, it must be said that
they do not sail under false colors; they appear as
they are, natural, even in the presence of strangers.

"We found her dressed without gold or trinkets
as ladies who are dressed only for themselves,
set off with no female paints and pastes.".
— Terentius.

The women dress the skins, dry and raw, by
chewing to render them pliable and soft, a neither
pleasant nor easy task, but one which they perform
with patience and perseverance. The teeth are, for
the Eskimo, a veritable third hand, as the women
use them in removing from the skins all muscle and
adipose tissue; and the men always employ them in
tying knots, relying upon them more than on the
hands in determining the force necessary to tie the
knots securely. The men are strong, but not noted
for prolonged physical endurance. Most of their
work is done in kayaks and on sledges, limiting the
exercise largely to the upper extremities, which
may explain the shortness of the legs as compared
with the upper extremities. The chest is unusually
well developed; a fact which admits of the same
explanation.

The breathing power of these people is remark-
able, approaching almost that of their dogs. I
have seen, repeatedly, during my hunting expedi-
tions men ascend the steepest mountain to a height

186 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

of one to three thousand feet in a continuous run
without showing the least embarrassment of breath-
ing. As the Eskimos have always lived largely on
raw flesh and make frequent use of their teeth in
their daily vocations, the lower jaw of men and
women is large and strong, adding its large share
to the characteristic physiognomy — flatness and
angularity of the face. They do not use oil either
for the hair or surface of the body. Combs are un-
known, and the hair is kept from matting by separ-
ating and smoothing it with the hands. The ab-
sence of baldness is undoubtedly due to the free
exposure of the hairy scalp during the summer and
the wearing of a loose hood during winter.

In contrasting the Eskimo with the American
Indian, the difference is to be found less in their
physical and physiognomic features than the disparity
of their mental status and peculiarities.

MENTAL STATUS

The Eskimo is a child throughout life, contented,
happy, free of care, and delights in childish sports.
His habits and conditions are hardly above those
of animals. His only concern is the food he eats
and the clothes he must wear to protect himself
against the rigor of the climate he lives in. He is
intelligent, ingenious and thoroughly humane. Jeal-
ousy and selfishness affect him less than the ma-
jority of human kind. He is hospitable to a fault,
and, as a rule, honest in his dealings with his own
kind and the strangers with whom he comes in con-
tact.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 187

The physical aspects and physiognomy of all
Indians are very much the same from Alaska to
Patagonia, influenced of course by climate, diet,
occupation, and habits. The face of the Indian is
stoic and expressive of a surly, unsympathetic
earnestness, sorrow, and even melancholy. Under
ordinary circumstances, the facial expression re-
mains fixed. The lower in the social scale, the more
indifferent and inexpressive becomes the facial mirror
as a reflector of the soul. Not long after the dis-
covery of the new world, owing to reports made by
the early explorers, the question arose whether or
not the Indians belonged to the human race. This
doubt was settled in the affirmative, by a papal
decree, in 1537. The Indian is not, nor will he ever
be, an equal of the Caucasian race in mental qual-
ities, and his general intelligence is inferior to that
of the Eskimo. His special senses, like those of
the Eskimo, are extremely acute — animal-like; but
his reasoning power is slower and more limited than
that of the Eskimo.

In courage, the Indian is far above the Eskimo.
He is revengeful and proud, while the Eskimo is
innocent, peaceful, meek and friendly. The Indian
has no fear of death; the Eskimo loves his land, his
home, and his people too dearly to take unnecessary
chances on his life, and the life after death has no
charms for him. The Eskimo dreads the word
"sinipo" (death), and avoids this word whenever
he can, and speaks of the departed as having gone
far away, and not as having died; while the Indian
believes them to be in the enjoyment of a better

1 88 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

and happier life in a land teeming with the choicest
game. This aversion to death and to the very use
of the word is not of recent origin, but was well
known to the early explorers.

Captain McClintock, in meeting some Eskimos
in Boothia, relates the following: "I inquired after
the man who was furnished with a wooden leg by
the carpenter of the 'Victory;' no direct answer was
given, but his daughter was pointed out to me.
Petersen explained to me that they did not like
alluding in any way to the dead; and that, as my
question was not answered, it was certain the man
was no longer among the living." Members of our
party had the same experience when they inquired
about men whom they knew and who were not found
among the living. All the information that could
be obtained was a wave of the hand, indicating that
they had gone far away.

Another mental peculiarity of the Eskimo is,
that he does not like to be cross-examined on any
particular point. Making one statement he con-
siders sufficient, and, when not understood, he soon
becomes out of patience and will refuse being ques-
tioned any further. The childlike nature of the
Eskimo is best shown by his thoughtlessness and
disregard for the future. He trusts to luck or
chance in all things. The Indian, lazy as he may
be, has some concern for the future, and makes pro-
vision for the same. He cures meat by drying, and
stores it away during the hunting season to last him
in the time of want. The Eskimo is not as far-
sighted, and has no idea of economy in times of

AN ESKIMO

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 189

plenty. The Indian is moderate in eating; the
Eskimo is a veritable glutton as long as he can find
something to eat. The amount of food an Eskimo
can dispose of exceeds belief. We saw many in-
stances of this kind on board the "Erik," where
the Eskimos were supplied with food from the galley.
Their favorite dish was pork, and the amount they
consumed was fabulous. I observed a little girl
gorging herself with salted pork and then she went
to the water tank and drank at least two quarts of
water without any ill results following. She at once
laid down on the deck and slept for hours without
waking, and the next day showed no decrease in
her appetite.

I will let Capt. Parry speak on this subject: "To
the capacity of an Eskimo's stomach there seems
scarcely any limit. Some experiments on the subject
made in the 'Fury,' and carefully noted, produced the
most surprising results. A youth named Toolooak
stands recorded as having, in twenty-one hours,
received into his stomach ten pounds four ounces
of solid food, a gallon and a pint of water, with more
than a pint of soup. Captain Lyon pitched against
him Kangara, who, in nineteen hours, finished nine
pounds fifteen ounces of solid, and a gallon and a
half of fluid." Most of the meat is eaten raw. They
cut it in long strips, introduce one end in the mouth,
swallow it as far as the powers of deglutition allow,
and then cut off the protruding portion close to the
lips and repeat the same act until they can eat no
more. The Eskimo has no regular hours for meals.
He, like animals, eats when he is hungry and his

1 90 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

stomach appeased, he lies down and sleeps. Courage,
defiance of death, the most conspicuous traits of the
character of the Indian, are at low ebb with the
Eskimo. Under no circumstances will he make use
of his kayak in rough weather. He values his life
too dearly to battle with a rough sea. We cannot
say of him:

"A braver choice of dauntless spirits
Did never float upon the swelling tide."
— Shakespeare.

He could not be made to believe that
"To die is landing on some silent shore,
Where billows never break, nor tempests roar;
Ere we feel the friendly stroke, 'tis o'er. "

— Garth.

His occupations are few — to procure food and
clothing. He is satisfied with little and has abso-
lutely no inclination to acquire either wealth or
influence. His temper is never ruffled, even in the
face of want. He leads a tranquil life, free of all
care and worry, the very ideal of a happy life.

"Let thine occupations be few, saith the sage,
if thou would'st lead a tranquil life." — Marcus
Aurelius.

and

"Remember this, — that very little is needed
to make a happy life." — Idem.

When he has plenty he never thinks of the future,
but eats and eats until he can eat no more, and by
doing so confirms the truth of the old saying:

"The appetite of the belly and the throat are
so far from diminishing in men by time that
they go on increasing." — Cicero.

FEMALE FORM

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 191

The Eskimo is

"Born for the gratification of his appetite,
and no.t for the acquisition of glory and honor.'!
— Cicero.

When want and starvation stare him in the face,
he is patient and uncomplaining. The improvident
nature of the Eskimo is responsible for much suffer-
ing and many deaths from starvation. Doctor
Kane relates that, in 1830, the boat-crews from a
whaler, which had escaped the many disasters of
that year, landed at the Cape York Eskimo settle-
ment. They were surprised as they approached
the tents, to find no beaten snow-tracks about the
entrance nor any indications of the presence of
human beings. The riddle was explained when they
lifted up the skin curtain that served the double
purpose of door and window. Grouped around an
oilless lamp, in the attitudes of life, were four or five
human corpses, with darkened lips and sunken eye-
balls, but all else preserved in perennial ice. The
frozen dog lay beside his frozen master, and the
infant, stark and stiff, in the reindeer hood which
enveloped the frozen mother. Some three or four
neighboring huts presented the same ghastly sights
in their icy interior. Starvation, during an unusu-
ally severe winter, was undoubtedly the cause of the
complete annihilation of the entire population of the
settlement. This is only one of the many catas-
trophes which have decimated the Smith Sound
Eskimos, and brought on, in most instances, by the
improvidence of the natives.

The Eskimo is kind and affectionate. Toward

192 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

his family, relatives, friends, and strangers, he is
liberal. As long as a piece of blubber is in the camp,
no one suffers. Widows, orphans, the sick, the
aged, and the crippled are well taken care of and are
given their full share of food and clothing.

The Eskimo has a good memory for faces, local-
ities, and incidents. He is ingenious and, like the
Chinese, a good imitator. Many of them can make
a good sketch of their coast line and can draw rude
representations of the animals which frequent their
coast. Their sense of beauty is blunted. They
have no appreciation, whatever, of the beauties of
nature. I have never seen one of them pick a flower
or pay any attention to the beautiful flora of their
otherwise dreary country.

SOCIAL LIFE

The social life of the Smith Sound Eskimos is
the simplest of all the peoples I have seen in many
parts of the world and under the most varying
climatic conditions. These people, reduced in num-
ber to less than 200 at the present time, living in
small settlements along the coast from Cape York
to Etah, have no government of any kind. They
constitute a family rather than a tribe, having every-
thing in common. The inhabitants of the settle-
ments, seldom exceeding twenty-five persons, living
in from two to five igloos or as many tents, lead an
ideal social life, with no laws to restrain their con-
duct toward others — depending entirely on the
dictates of their conscience.

Here is one of the best places to study human

MY-A, THE ADONIS OF THE TRIBE

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 193

nature uninfluenced by civilization ; to study the con-
duct of man, who recognizes no government and has
never experienced the force of law. Here is a
people that has neither a national nor tribal govern-
ment; a people whose will is supreme and governs
all of their affairs. Real estate an'd personal prop-
erty are unknown. They lead a nomadic life and
erect their igloos and pitch their tents wherever the
prospects for successful hunting are most promising.

Their only needs .are food and clothing. This
is a part of the world free from politics, and a place
where the value of money is unknown. These
Eskimos have no written language, and their thoughts
are expressed in not more than 300 words. The
tranquillity of these communities is not disturbed
by the voice of steam, the ticking of the telegraph,
the ringing of the telephone, or the reading of the
daily news. The excitement of elections, grafts,
insurance scandals, and bank failures have never
disturbed the calmness of the Eskimo mind.

The lazy ones enjoy the benefits of the labor of
the more active and no complaints are made. As
there is no property ownership, stealing is out of
the question. They borrow, but they cannot steal.
Some of the early explorers accused these Eskimos
of stealing, a charge which was undoubtedly well
founded at that time; but, on the whole, they are
honest. On our entire trip not a single act of dis-
honesty was discovered. Many times I dealt out
little presents, and in almost every instance the
recipient, by motions, wanted to know if I intended
him to keep it — a very good indication of honesty.

i94 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The low grade of thinking power is best shown
by the lack of foresight in making adequate pro-
vision for the future, and the limited vocabulary
of the language. The natives of the South Sea
Islands have no need of storehouses, as nature favors
that climate to such an extent that the fruit and
fish supply never fails in furnishing them with an
abundance of food every day throughout the year.
This is not the case in Greenland. The best hunt-
ing season here is in early spring when the ice breaks,
and seal and walrus come to the coast in great herds
during the breeding season, after which most of
them leave and migrate farther north. At the time
we were at North Star Bay, the best hunting season
was long past, and in visiting the settlement, con-
sisting of about twenty-five persons, we found only
a very small amount of meat left, and there were
thirty dogs picketed there, howling for something
to eat. The reindeer had left that part of the coast,
at least for a time; hares were few; ptarmigan none;
seal few; the walrus gone; the powder supply for
old muzzle-loading guns had given out — and it is
hard to tell what those poor people would have done,
without outside help, to keep them from starving
during the coming winter, so near at hand. Had
these people realized the uncertainty of their food
supply, they would have preserved meat when it
was plentiful; but they missed that opportunity and
were then facing want. The squirrel buries nuts
in the fall to last during the winter, but these chil-
dren of the North live without any forethought,
without realizing the uncertainties of the future.

TUNG-WE, TALLEST MAN IN TRIBE

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 195

Centuries of hardships have not succeeded in im-
pressing upon them the truth of

"The more we deny ourselves the gods supply
our wants." — Horatius.

Childlike, they

"Shun to seek what is hid in the womb of
the morrow, and set down as gain in life's ledg-
er whatever time fate shall have granted thee.'l
— Idem.

The lack of anything like a good mental capacity
is also shown by the poverty of the vocabulary of
their language. The language, called Karalit, is a
synthetic one, made up of few words. The pro-
nunciation of some of the words is exceedingly diffi-
cult, and it is almost impossible to represent them
correctly in our letters. This is why the different
explorers who remained long enough with the natives
to acquire their language, do not spell the words
alike, as they had to be guided entirely by sound
in repi ^ducing them in our letters. For things new
to the Eskimo, such as are brought to them by
foreigners, they are incorporating English words
in their language. The guttural sounds, of which
there are many, require special training of the phar-
ynx and tongue. The same word differently pro-
nounced may mean many different things. In 1851,
Egede Kleinschmidt put the language in gram-
matical form, a task which required much labor and
an intimate knowledge of the language.

It is very fortunate that, so far, the natives have
had but few opportunities to tempt them to indulge
in alcoholic liquors. In the Danish settlements,

196 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

the sale of intoxicating drinks is strictly prohibited
by law. From what I have seen of the Eskimos
of this part of Greenland, I am confident, that, if
given a chance, they would equal the Indians in
their love for liquor, and that the results of such
indulgence would be equally disastrous.

The marriage ties are very elastic. Virtue, as
we interpret this word, does not exist among the
Eskimos. As the husband has to supply the family
with food and fur, for clothing and bedding, he finds
it difficult to support more than one wife and a
limited number of children; hence polygamy, al-
though not considered wrong, is seldom practised.
I saw only two men, both of them on the shady side
of life, who took pride in the fact that each of them
had two wives. The only requirement exacted of
a young man who wants to take a wife is to be a
good hunter, a practical proof that he can take care
of himself and family and not become a burden on
the community in which he lives. If he has killed
big game, a polar bear or a walrus, his way to the
wedded state is an easy one. Long courtships are
superfluous. Kissing, even among lovers, is un-
known. Touching with the tip of noses is here in
vogue instead of kissing, and is the expression of
the most tender feeling the Eskimo knows of. When
a young man makes up his mind to find a mate, he
selects his bride from the available material and, if
she consents, he takes her to his igloo or tent without
any previous ceremony whatever. After this kind
of mating, he supplies her with the necessities of
life, and she, in return, makes and mends his clothes,

ESKIMO WOMEN
Akatingua, Otero, Avarme

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 197

dresses the fur, and attends to the oil-lamp and
whatever little cooking there is to be done. No
promises are made, consequently none can be broken.
Occasionally the event is celebrated by chanting
the monotonous native song and an extra ration of
blubber. If two suitors have their eyes on the same
girl, the matter is settled in her presence by a con-
test of strength. They lock elbows, and the one
who straightens out the forearm of the other is the
winner and claims the bride. What counts much
in the estimation of the girl is skill and success in
hunting, and, as the best hunter is usually the strong-
est, the result of the test is acceptable to her. Such
contests are simply a repetition of the old, old story :

"Why, the weakest always goes to the wall."
— Plautus.

The test is a fair one and the choice of a mate
is decided without bloodshed or even an ill-feeling.
If the sea of married life becomes boisterous, the
husband brings back his wife to where she came
from; but, in this event, he is expected to do some-
thing toward her future support, usually by pre-
senting to her family a kayak or an equivalent in
fur, until she is mated again. The marriage, or as
it should be termed here, mating, is not necessarily
meant for life. The husband regards his wife as
his property to be disposed of as he deems for his
best interest. The woman is not the equal of her
husband. She is always subordinate to his will.
Captain Ross, in 1830, found matrimonial affairs
about the same as they exist today. "Their mat-
rimonial arrangements are more singular, and in

1 98 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

some points more exceptionable, than could
naturally have been expected. Convenience and
interest seem the ruling motives. More culpable
accommodations are sometimes procured by polyg-
amy, even in the form of two men having one wife
and by an exchange of wives, either permanent or
temporary." It is not at all uncommon for men
to exchange wives for a year at the annual gather-
ing in the spring at Petrowik, near Murchison's
Sound. It is generally understood that this ar-
rangement should only last a year, but sometimes
this change proves so satisfactory to one of the
male parties that he refuses to take back his former
spouse. This was the case with My a, one of the
best looking and most intelligent men we met at
North Star Bay. A few years ago he made such a
trade; but when the time expired, at the end of the
year, he refused to give up his friend's wife for his
own, well satisfied that the other fellow got the worst
of the bargain. As he was the stronger of the two,
there was nothing left for the other man to do but
to be content with the new arrangement forced upon
him by his superior. The woman in question came
on board with two little children and an infant in
her hood. She was anything but a beauty, but
must have possessed qualities which commended
her to her new alliance which the first one lacked.
*- Things that agitate our divorce courts were settled
here in the simplest possible way and without any
sensationalism. Both husband and wife appeared
to be happy and were about the best dressed per-
sons in the tribe. Even this delicate and somewhat

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 199

unusual affair in the tribe did not ferment any
trouble. The weaker submitted to the stronger and
harbored no ill feeling, much less revenge. The
Eskimo loves family life. If he is absent only for
a few days on a hunting expedition and his wife,
for any reason, cannot accompany him, he takes
the wife of one of his neighbors with him and brings
her back at the end of the trip, and such acts do not
disrupt friendship or good feeling.

"How many things, both just and unjust, are
sanctioned by custom." — Terrence.

The peaceful disposition is one of the most prom-
inent virtues of the Eskimo. Quarrels and fights
are almost unknown. I never heard an angry word
or saw an angry mien during the whole time I had
an opportunity to observe this interesting people.
Troubles of some sort or another will arise in any
community. As there is no such thing as exclusive
ownership of property, as marital relations are dealt
with so leniently, and rum plays no figure in the
community, questions of serious dispute seldom
arise. If they do, the oldest man of the tribe acts as
judge, lawyer and jury, and his decision is always
respected and final, This peaceful disposition and
submission to custom are in direct contrast with
the inner life of most of the primitive races.

Murder and robbery are extremely uncommon.
A few well authenticated instances of murder, how-
ever, have occurred. When Captain McClintock
arrived at Cape York, he came face to face with a
real Eskimo murderer. "Petersen pointed out to
me a stout fellow, with tolerable sprinkling of

200 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

beard and mustache. This worthy perpetrated the
only murder which has taken place for several years
in the tribe. He disliked his victim and stood in
need of his dogs; therefore, he killed the owner and
appropriated his property! Such motives and pas-
sions usually govern the unsophisticated children
of nature; yet, as savages, the Eskimos may be con-
sidered exceedingly harmless." Peary relates a
case of murder on Saunder's Island. One of the
men wanted the wrife of another and he obtained
her possession by pushing the man off a cliff into the
sea when they were engaged in gathering birds' eggs.
The couple are both alive and apparently happy at
the present time.

Infanticide is, on the contrary, not uncom-
mon. Doctor Kane knew of a young couple, at Etah,
who buried their first child alive in the winter of
1855. Even now, it is customary, when a mother
dies with an infant in her hood, to strangle the latter
after her death and bury it under the same pile of
stones with the mother. The popular impression
still prevails that the infant must accompany its
mother into the other world. The war spirit has
never dominated this race. Years ago, when their
country was invaded by Eskimos from Baffin's Land,
they made but little resistance, seeking safety in
flight.

In speaking of the Eskimos living in the Danish
settlements, Doctor Kane makes the statement that,
before the missionaries came, murder, incest, burial
of the living, and infanticide were not numbered
among crimes.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 201

SPORTS AND AMUSEMENTS

Every race has its own sports and amusements
influenced by temperament, climate, and social con-
ditions. Athletic exercises and mental diversion are
well calculated to keep body and mind in a health-
ful, active condition,

"Encourage such innocent amusements as may
disembitter the minds of men and make them
rejoice in the land agreeable satisfaction."

The South Sea Islanders have their water sports;
the Indians, lacrosse. The Eskimo, who does not
see the sun from October i4th to February i4th,
is especially in need of active exercise and diversion,
as the intense cold and the absence of the chemical
actinic, and physiological effects of the magic rays
of the sun make the arctic night very depressing,
physically and mentally. Wrestling, jumping, track-
ing by the fingers or with locked arms, pushing heel
to heel in sitting posture, dealing and receiving alter-
nate blows on the left shoulder, and carrying heavy
stones are among their trials of strength.

I saw a number of wrestling matches and they
reminded me very much of what I saw of this sport
in Japan. Kayaking is the great national sport.
The art of managing a kayak is acquired during
early childhood and the ambition of every boy is
to master it at an early age, to excel his play-
mates, and soon to become a peer to his father.
These aquatic sports are very exciting, as the kayakers
test speed and all kinds of rapid maneuvers, includ-
ing jumping over the kayak of one of the contest-

202 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

ants. The breaking in of new dogs to sledge duty
and practising with the long dog-whip afford health-
ful bodily exercise. The light-hearted, care-free
Eskimo ought to be fond of play and sport. During
the summer the warm sunshine, the blue sky, the
frolic of myriads of sea-fowl on water, cliffs, and in
the air, after the depression caused by the long
winter night, ought to rouse his soul to cheerfulness
and merriment. Springtime, with its plentitude of
food, when he leaves the dark, icy igloo to enter
upon an out-of-door life in tents, should awaken a
desire for amusement.

Dancing is one of the pastimes of all primitive
people, and the Eskimo is no exception. The dance
of the Smith Sound Eskimos is the same now as it
was centuries ago. It consists of a swaying motion
of the body to the tune of a drum made of seal skin,
beaten with the fingers, and accompanied by a most
monotonous chant, consisting of a constant repeti-
tion, of "Amna ayah," their song. The Eskimos,
men and women, have fine voices, but their low
degree of mentality has not taught them how to use
them properly. In the Danish settlements, they
have adopted a few of the simplest and most common
European dances.

The children amuse themselves with crude play-
things, figures cut out of ivory, bearing a faint re-
semblance to some of the animals which inhabit
that region. I was very much astonished to find a
small boy practising marksmanship with a small
cross gun. The body of the gun was made of wood,
the bow of bone, and the string of walrus hide. It

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 203

was a mystery to me where the idea came from, for
the construction of this weapon. Men and women
are like children and enjoy their simplest plays and
laugh heartily on the occurrence of most trivial
incidents. They would enjoy themselves immensely
with things that amuse and please our little children.
But without song, without dance, without music,
without sport,

"The people, free from cares, serene and gay,
Pass all their mild, untroubled hours away."

— Addison.

The real national feast takes place December
22d, every year, when the natives dance, sing, and
eat to excess. Another national affair is the annual
meeting of the inhabitants of all settlements at
Petravik, near Cape Atholl, where the ice breaks up
first in the spring, and where seal and walrus make
their first appearance. After the hunting season
is over, the people leave their ice igloos and in groups
of from five to twenty-five leave for their summer
camps.

EDUCATION

; -"Not to know what happened before one was

born is always to be a child." — Cicero.

Nearly every primitive people have, at least, a
legend relating to their origin, and some hero or
heroes who are venerated and very often worshiped.
The Eskimos have no history, either real or legendary.
Heroes and hero-worship are unknown here. They
manifest no interest in the past and care nothing
for the future. They live in the present and enjoy

204 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

themselves the best they know how and let the
to-morrow take care of itself. Most of them have
only a definite idea of numbers up to five; after that
everything is amashuali (many). Others can go as
far as twenty, the number of fingers and toes. The
Indian keeps track of time by the moon; but that
clock of the sky is useless in Greenland, as it would
come to a stand still during the four months' reign of
the midnight sun. Their timekeeper is the breaking
up of the ice in the spring, to them the greatest
event of the year, as it opens the season of best hunt-
ing for walrus and seal. The book of nature is their
only text-book, and they study, most diligently,
that part of it which relates to their subsistence.

The Eskimo knows all there, is to be known con-
cerning a practical knowledge of ice, the habits of the
animals which serve him for food and clothing, and
how to secure them by the simplest methods of the
chase. The women are very skilled in the use of
the needle, using the tendon of the narwhal as sewing
material. The symmetry of the clothing for them-
selves, men, and children is admirable. They dress
the hides for clothes, boots, kayaks, and tents,
by chewing them.

Experiments have been made to educate them,
but with very few exceptions, they have proved an
absolute failure. During one of the summer trips
to this region, Mrs. Peary brought a young Eskimo
girl home with her. She lived one year with the
family; but all efforts to educate her were fruitless,
the only thing she would do was sewing, which she
considered her only legitimate occupation. From

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 205

the very beginning, she was homesick, and at the
end of a year she was glad to return to her people.
I saw this woman at North Star Bay, now living with
her second husband, and the mother of three chil-
dren. She was the dirtiest and wildest-looking
woman of the tribe, but happy among her own
people. Although she had some knowledge of the
English language, she obstinately refused to speak
except in the native tongue. This and similar
instances only go to prove that:

"Men's character and habits are not influenced
so much by the peculiarities of family and race
as by the physical features of their native land
and their mode of life — things by which we are
supported and by which we live." — Cicero.

ART

The Eskimo is not artistically inclined, and his
talents in this direction are very limited. There is
much here that should develop a taste for the beau-
tiful; but the Eskimo is not receptive for anything
else than what pertains to an animal life. The sea,
the mountains, the valleys, rocks, and cliffs, the
glaciers, the sailing icebergs, the exquisite little
flowers, green grass, and moss, the rocks painted in
all colors by minute color-producing plants, the
myriads of birds, sailing gracefully through the air,
the midnight sun in summer, the moon and countless
stars during the long winter night, and the firework
display of the aurora borealis are things and exhibits
which should stimulate and nourish the artistic
sense; but to all this the sharp eye of the Eskimo is
blind.

206 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The Japanese delight in their miniature flower
gardens, potted flowers, and dwarfed trees; the
Polynesian women appear tidy and attractive in
their floral decorations; the Indian women make
ornaments worthy of their race; but the Eskimo
women show no appreciation, whatever, of the beau-
tiful little flowers which ornament the tundras,
rocks, and stony plateaus. Carving in ivory, repre-
senting different animals, women, and children, for
children's toys, is about the extent of art as prac-
tised in the high North. Drawing of maps showing
the coast line is an accomplishment of many of
those who travel extensively. The kind of life led
by the Eskimos is averse to art, as:

"The inventions dictated by necessity are of an
earlier date than those of pleasure." — Cicero.

RELIGION

"Nature herself has imprinted on the minds
of all the idea of a God. For what nation or
race of men is there that has not, even with-
out being taught, some idea of God." — Cicero.

The Eskimos north of the Danish settlements
have never been given the benefit of religious in-
struction, and have no fixed ideas concerning creation
and the existence of a living God. "They believe
in a future world, the employments and pleasures
of which, according to the usual creed of savage
races are all sensual. Their idea of heaven is very
much the same as that of the Indians. The soul
descends beneath the earth into various abodes —
the first of which partakes somewhat the nature of

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 207

a purgatory; but the good spirits passing through
it find that the other mansions improve, till at a
greater depth they reach that of perfect bliss, where
the sun never sets, and where by the side of large
lakes, that never freeze, the deer roam in large herds,
and the seal and walrus always abound in the waters."
(Parry and Lyon.) They really have.no religion,
no idols, no worship. Crude as their ideas are on
this subject, they recognize the existence of a good
and evil being. Their highest being, "Silla" (air or
sky), is supposed to rule everything, and rewards
man according to his actions. Other divine beings
are "Mahina" and her brother "Alminga" (sun and
moon), who preside over the seal hunt.

The Eskimos are extremely superstitious and
believe in the existence of ghosts, which manifest
themselves in the air, fire, mountains, war, and
storms. The mightiest of them is the good spirit,
Torngarsuk, whose wife has the sea animals in her
power. They do not worship their deities, and
only observe one feast, the sun-feast, the 22nd of
December, when they dance, sing, and eat to excess.

Their superstition is engendered and nourished
by sorcerers and fortune-tellers, called angakoks.
Commander Peary, who has seen more of real Eskimo
life than any one else, living or dead, informed me
that it was one of the most difficult things to gain
information from the Eskimos concerning their
spiritual life. It is probably exceedingly difficult
to make them understand when questioned on this
subject and they are decidedly averse to talking
about it. He thought it would be necessary for one

208 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

to live among them for at least six years before he
could speak authoritatively on this subject. If any-
thing contrary to the wish or expectations of the
Eskimo happens, he attributes it to an evil spirit
which, I was told, they imagine in the form of a
hideous being. He sharpens his knives and goes
out to find and kill the monster. Superstition is as
strong among these people as in all other primitive
races, and from which many nations, which for
centuries have lived in the light of civilization,
cannot be excluded as:

"Custom is almost a second nature." — Plutarch.

Among the savages, it is only natural that want
and afflictions of all kinds should be attributed to
some unseen mysterious evil being, whatever that
may be called; and on the other hand, the spark of
religion, instilled in every soul, causes man to believe
in a supreme being who has the power to ward off
misfortunes of all kinds and bring success, peace,
and happiness. It is in days of darkness, misfor-
tune, and disappointment that the soul takes flight
to a supreme being and prays for his favor. This
is not only true of the pagan, but also of the pro-
fessed Christian for:

"When we are in misery, there springs up a
reverence of the gods; the prosperous seldom
approach the altar."

For want of a knowledge of a living, merciful
Almighty God, the Eskimo, when in distress, turns
to the spirit of his father. This is done in the form
of a wailing, a monotonous, improvised chant, led

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 209

by the angakok, and in which all join the chorus.
They have no priests, no temples, no altars, no one
to lead a regular worship. The prayer is the*spon-
taneous outburst of the afflicted, distressed souls.
The dark, icy igloo or the tent, devoid of everything
that would remind one of a sacred service, is the
meeting-place and the non-meaning words that are
repeated over and over again are used to express the
anguish of a soul that seeks superhuman help when
man's efforts have proved inadequate or have utterly
failed.

BURIAL OF THE DEAD

The Greenland coast of Smith Sound is made up
of solid rock, with here and there a thin layer of
soil, barely enough to nourish the scanty vegeta-
tion, and nowhere deep enough to dig a grave.
Above-ground burial is, therefore, not a matter of
choice, but of necessity. The Eskimo graves are
made up of a pile of stones, under which rest the*
remains, and, under it and around it, the belongings
of the deceased. Peary gives a good description of
the method of burial. "The body, fully dressed,
is laid on its back on a skin, and some extra articles
of clothing placed upon it. It is then covered in
with a low stone structure, to protect the body
against the wild animals. A lamp, with some blub-
ber, is placed close to the grave. If deceased has
any personal property, such as weapons, kayaks,
etc., they are also placed close by, and his favorite
dogs, harnessed and attached to the sledge, are
strangled to accompany him into a new land of hunt-

210 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

ing. If it is a woman, her cooking utensils and
frame on which she has dried the family boots and
mittens are placed beside the grave. If she had a
dog it is strangled to accompany her; and if she had
a baby in the hood it, too, must die with her."

"If the death occurred in a tent, the poles are re-
moved, allowing it to settle down over the site, and
it is never used again. If death occurred in an igloo,
it is vacated and not used again for a long time."
No ceremonies take place during the burial. The
Eskimos appear to have little reverence for the
places of the dead. I saw a number of graves, and
in several of them found the bones exposed, the
cover of stones being entirely inadequate.

It is related that if a man dies, his wife isolates
herself in her tent or igloo for a number of days,
sitting statue-like, her eyes fixed on the wall oppo-
site her.

Doctor Kane speaks of weeping for the dead.
"They weep according to an established custom,
when one begins, all are expected to join, and it is
the office of courtesy for the most distinguished of
the company to wipe the eyes of the chief mourner.
Failure of a hunt may bring about such a weeping

match." _ T

ESKIMO LIFE

Living in a stern climate with almost half of the
year surrounded by darkness, the Eskimo has pre-
served his inborn cheerfulness and enjoys life better
than most people who inhabit more favored coun-
tries. Although he has lived in this land of per-
petual ice and snow for unknown centuries, in almost

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 211

complete isolation, he retains many of the physical
characteristics of his ancient Asiatic origin. The
intense cold, absence of sunshine six months
out of the year, the ever-present ice and snow have
somewhat bleached the skin, but have not succeeded
as in some of the arctic animals, in changing the
color of the hair from black to white. The luxuriant
jet-black hair is the same as when these people left
their homes in Asia and sought safety and freedom
in their flight eastward. The color of the iris, in-
variably a soft brown, has undoubtedly been acquired
here in the course of centuries.

For an unknown period of time, undoubtedly
including the gradual transition of a sub-tropic into
an arctic climate, these people have lived in a severe
climate, where:

"Instead of golden fruits
By genial show'rs and solar heat supplied,
Unsufferable winter hath defaced
Earth's blooming charms and made a barren
waste." — Blackmore.

Ever since the ocean of ice destroyed the natural
fruit gardens of the once sub-tropic country, its in-
habitants have lived exclusively on animal food, —
and nature has supplied them with the kind of food
best adapted for their climate. The blubber of the
whale, walrus, seal, and narwhal is their staple arti-
cle of food, furnishing the system with fuel, which
enables it to battle successfully with the intense
cold during the long sunless winter.

The clothing of the Eskimos has undergone a
gradual evolution and a long experience has made

212 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

it perfect. Although not attractive, and emitting
an odor very offensive to one who comes in con-
tact with their wearers for the first time, it meets
all the indications exacted by this climate — warmth
and ventilation. Nature supplies the fur-bearing
animals of this region with a skin and its appendages
best calculated to resist, to a maximum degree, the
effects of intense cold. The fur of the polar bear,
with the hair outside, is an admirable protection
against cold, and, as snow and ice do not cling to
the hair, it is, therefore, chiefly used in making
trousers for men and boys, — shirts, trousers, or
loin pieces for women and girls, — and in making
a fringe for the collar and sleeves of the jackets for
both sexes. Sealskin jackets (kooletah) are generally
worn during the summer; reindeer and fox skins
during winter. The hood is an essential part of
the jacket, and a perfect protection for head, neck
and face. The fur of the blue fox and reindeer skins
are the warmest, and are made into winter jackets.
Cured bird skins are much in use for underclothing.
The double boots (kamik), made of sealskin,
are worn long by women, short by men. The skin
of the outer pair is deprived of hair by scraping, the
inner pair is worn with the hair on the inside, and the
space between the two soles is packed with dried
grass. No other kind of footwear is as warm and
as comfortable as these Eskimo boots, cut and sewed
so admirably by the women, who use the fine dried
tendon of the narwhal, exclusively, for this purpose.
These boots are not only warm and comfortable,
but also absolutely water-tight.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 213

The sleeves of the jacket are wide, so that the
wearer can easily withdraw the arms from them,
and by crossing them over the chest under the gar-
ments they receive the benefit of the body heat.
The fur mittens are always in evidence, even during
the warmest days in summer, a fact which may
account for the smoothness and delicacy of hands
and fingers in both sexes. Sox made of the skins
of the arctic hare are often worn as an additional
protection for the feet. From a hygienic standpoint
the greatest merit of the Eskimo dress consists in
the ample provisions which have been made for free
ventilation. The collar of the jacket is wide; the
jacket only slightly overlaps the trousers, and the
trousers, the boots, thus securing in these places
free, thorough ventilation. In a bending position,
both in men and women, the body is freely exposed
between jacket and trousers, permitting the air to
enter and escape freely. This free ventilation pre-
vents the accumulation of moisture within the
clothing, an exceedingly important matter in the
make-up of clothing in an arctic climate. Peary
and other arctic explorers have found the Eskimo
clothing the only one that meets the exacting re-
quirements of that climate during the winter. With
all their intelligence, ingenuity, study, and experi-
ence, they have been unable to make any improve-
ments on what the Eskimo women have devised
and made as the result of centuries of experience.

In their manner of living, they have instinctively
obeyed the laws of nature in clothing and food, and
unconsciously adapted themselves to their environ-

2i4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

ments. Food and clothing remain the same as they
have been since they have lived here under present
conditions. Without knowing it, they have demon-
strated by their conduct that

"Wisdom consists in not wandering from the
nature of things, and in conforming ourselves
according to her law and example." — Seneca.

The absence of any other fuel but blubber and
oil makes it necessary to eat most of the animal food
raw. Vegetables of any kind have been denied them
and yet scurvy has spared them, as this disease, the
terror of the early arctic explorers is unknown among
them. The raw meat and the abundance of fat in
their diet could only explain their immunity to this
dread disease. The sailors of many former expedi-
tions often lacked fresh meat, and it was then
that they contracted scurvy. Doctor Kane under-
stood, fully, this cause of scurvy and was convinced
that fresh meat was the best prophylactic when he
said: "Our own sickness (scurvy) I attribute to
our civilized diet; had we plenty of frozen walrus,
I would laugh at the scurvy."

How easily white men can become accustomed
tcr relish raw meat is shown by the same authority:
"The liver of a walrus (awick tanuk') eaten with
little slices of his fat, — of a verity, it is a delicious
morsel. Fire would ruin the curt, pithy expression of
vitality which belongs to its uncooked juices.
Charles Lamb's roast pig was nothing to awatuk."

We know how Nansen enjoyed his blood pudding
and Captain Bartlett of the "Roosevelt" could sub-
sist a long time on the fresh blood of the seal, which

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 215

he can drink with a relish. We, who are accus-
tomed to a mixed diet and cooked animal food,
would neither enjoy nor thrive on the ill-smelling
blubber, fresh blood, and raw meat, which only goes
to establish the truth of:

"What is food for one man may be fierce poison
to others. ' ' — Lucretius.

I could eat raw whale meat, but when cooked it was
turned into a hard, black chip, neither palatable
nor nutritious.

The tough skin of the narwhal is considered a
delicacy by the Smith Sound Eskimos, and as a spe-
cific against scurvy by the Eskimos of the Danish
settlements. I found it not at all unpalatable, but
it required vigorous chewing to prepare it properly
for the act of swallowing.

I have not seen among the Eskimos any
indications of rickets, recent or ancient. The
mothers nurse their infants until they are two and
more years old, unless the milk supply is interrupted,
as it is occasionally by another pregnancy. When
the babe is three months old, long before the period
of teething, they are given small pieces of raw blub-
ber which they greedily swallow whole, as we do
oysters. All of the numerous children I saw were
in excellent health, and infantile mortality, accord-
ing to accounts I was able to obtain, is much less
than in civilized countries. The child lives during
the day in the hood of its mother. In the evening,
young and old strip to the skin and then retire to
the common family bed, with the children packed
in between the adults. This custom of undressing

216 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

before retiring is a very important hygienic measure,
as the clothes, which are never cleaned nor washed,
and dampened by perspiration during the day,
are thoroughly ventilated and dried during the
hours of sleep; besides, the different members of the
family receive the benefits of the body heat of all.
The Eskimo women are not prolific. I never saw
more than four or five children in one family, and
the average is less. It is a well-known fact that,
during the first three years after mating, few chil-
dren are born. Young couples frequently change
mates in the first year or two till both are suited,
when the union is practically permanent, except for
temporary periods, during which an exchange may
be effected with another man, or the wife loaned
to a friend.

While the sexual passions are strong, there is
probably less jealousy here than in any other part
of the world. To the credit of these people, it must
be said that, while morals do not exist, they are free
from any depraved appetites or habits. They do not
disfigure their bodies in any way. They are without
medicines, either for external or internal use, their
angakoks or medicine men make no pretension to
cure disease by the employment of medicines of any
kind. They are the sorcerers and resort to incanta-
tions when called upon to visit the sick. The Es-
kimos of this part of Greenland are a remarkably
healthy people. They are plump and well nourished,
with ruddy cheeks and smooth, healthy skin. The
subcutaneous fatty tissue is abundant, constituting
an excellent protection against the severe cold.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 217

The Eskimos are almost exempt from the numer-
ous chronic, degenerative diseases, such as Bright's
disease, tuberculosis, cirrhosis of the liver, apoplexy,
diabetes, etc., which cut so many lives short among
civilized nations. Their most common diseases are
rheumatism and bronchial affections. The causes
of death among men come largely under the terse
western expression, "with their boots on." Every
year claims some deaths among the hunters. Star-
vation has been a fruitful cause of death in the past.
Two epidemics during the last ten years, one of
arctic dysentery and the other of lagrippe, have
claimed a considerable mortality.

The Eskimo has no fixed time for eating or sleep-
ing; he eats and sleeps when he feels like it, imita-
ting to perfection in these respects the life of the lower
animals. Each member of the family eats when
hungry, and if the food supply warrants it, eats and
eats until he can eat no more, and, when hunger is
appeased, lies down and sleeps like the satiated cow
in the green pasture. The Eskimo does not subject
himself to the teaching of the proverb:

"Thou should' st eat to live; not live to eat."
— Cicero.

Their indulgence in gorging themselves with
their plain food, however, does not result as disas-
trously as in the case of over-eating and intemper-
ance in civilized countries. The men who enjoy
the luxuries of their table, and the frequenters
of many banquets, pay dearly for their so-called
pleasures, as indulgences of this kind never fail to
undermine their health and in cutting life short by

>i8 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Bright 's disease, diabetes, apoplexy, and other
degenerative diseases of civilization.

The old time-honored saying remains true:

"The only way for a rich man to be healthy ^
is, by exercise and abstinence, to live as he were
poor." — Temple.

A long experience has taught the Eskimo to build
his winter home in a way to make it most effective
in excluding the intense cold. All of the igloos
(winter huts) are built on the same plan. The
igloo, made of stone or blocks of ice, is from nine to
fourteen feet long and not quite as wide. The en-
trance is a long, narrow tunnel, which opens into
the common room, barely high enough for an adult
to stand erect. In the rear of the room is a raised
platform for the common family bed, and the balance
of the space serves as sitting room, dining room,
kitchen, etc. On each side of the entrance are
storehouses for the meat. A single small window
over the entrance, made of seal intestines, admits a
dim light and answers the purpose of a ventilator.

Where the depth of the soil admits of excavation,
a part of the dwelling is under ground. The span-
ning roof is built on cantilever principle. It is made
of flat stones and is as firm and unyielding as a
masonry arch. The tunnel entrance is never closed;
yet no draught or current disturbs the interior.
Turf and snow are used on the outside as additional
protection against wind and cold. These igloos are
occupied from the latter part of September till April
or May, when their interior becomes very damp and

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 219

they are abandoned for the summer, which is spent
in tents. The window and a part of the roof are re-
moved during the summer to admit sunlight and
wind, a very wise sanitary precaution. There is no
ownership of igloos beyond the period of actual
occupation. Seldom a family lives in one place for
two consecutive years.

The building of an igloo does not take much
time nor require much labor and, after a winter's
occupation, becomes so filthy that it is often easier
to build a new one than to clean out the old. The
tenting place is always selected in a location more
or less distant from the winter quarters. The num-
ber of igloos or tents of a settlement seldom exceeds
five, which usually means a population of about
twenty-five persons, with one or two hunters for
each home. This moving about from place to place
is a sanitary precaution against establishing foci of
disease, and is regarded and practised as such by
the Eskimos, as the}' have found by long experience
that living in the same igloo year after year is at-
tended by danger to health.

The lack of morals among Eskimos is undoubtedly
largely due to the promiscuous living together in
such close quarters. They eat, live, sleep, and mate
like animals. Their greatest fault is their indes-
cribable filthiness. The accumulation of dirt on
the oily skin and in the unwashed, uncleaned cloth-
ing engenders a stench which is everywhere the
same; a stench sui generis', a stench to which a white
man cannot become habituated for a long time. If
the wind is in the right direction, a single person can

220 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

be scented many feet away, and when a crowd of
them have gathered, as was the case on the "Erik,"
the stench becomes almost unbearable. It is very
likely that this absolute neglect of ordinary cleanli-
ness may be a prophylactic measure against disease
in this climate, as

"People who are always taking care of their
health are like misers who are hoarding a
treasure which they have never spirit enough
to enjoy." — Sterne.

The smell which is so obnoxious to us, they do
not perceive, or, perhaps, in the course of time it
has become to them an agreeable perfume.

Lying is one of the prominent failings of the
Eskimos, and is as deeply rooted among them as
among other races having a yellow or a black skin.
On the other hand, they possess many excellent,
inborn qualities. Although brought up in an atmos-
phere of a purely socialistic life, where everything
is in common except clothing, traveling equip-
ments, weapons, implements, and a tent, the Eskimo
is perfectly honest in his dealings with his fellow
men and the few visitors with whom he is brought
in contact. He does not steal. He respects the
property of strangers, and, when he borrows any-
thing, he is sure to return it at the expected time.

Although proud of his origin and associations,
the Eskimo lacks the haughtiness of the Indian.
He is humble and resigned and

"Humility and resignation are our prime
virtues." — Dry den.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 221

He is good-natured and friendly, wearing a pleas-
ing smile on his swarthy, copper- tinted face, and
fond of talking, but not at all demonstrative. Al-
though these people usually meet once a year and
know each other well, being in reality a large family
rather than a tribe, I have never seen anything like
an affectionate meeting or parting. One day a
woman came on board with an infant in her hood, and,
as she scrambled over the gunwale, she stood face
to face with another Eskimo woman about the
same age and similarly encumbered. As they
must have been acquaintances and friends, I watched
them very closely to see how they would receive each
other. Neither of them changed a single line of her
face. They stood like statues and looked at each
other stolidly for some time, when finally one of them
addressed herself to the infant of the other, smiled,
said a few kind words and rubbed the chin of the
little one. This opened the flood-gate of conversa-
tion. They retired to a quiet place on the deck and
spent the balance of the day in chatting over their
experiences since they had last met. Commander
Peary related to me even a more striking example
of the undemonstrative nature of these children of
the North. When the Eskimo girl who had spent
a year with his iamily returned, the Commander
was at Bowdoin Bay. Word was sent that the
steamer, having the girl on board, was near-by,
but, on account of ice, had some difficulty in reach-
ing Peary's headquarters. The father of the girl,
with a number of Peary's men, hastened to meet the
incoming steamer. When they boarded the vessel

222 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

the girl was asleep in the forecastle. She was
awakened and informed that her father had arrived
and was anxious to meet her. She went to sleep
again and had to be awakened a second time. When
she met her father there was not the slightest sign
of emotion on either side, but after they had retired,
the girl's tongue was unloosened and was kept busy
relating all she had seen during her absence. The
only word of greeting in the Eskimo language is
chimo or, as Doctor Kane writes it, timo. It is their
only word for welcome. They have no words which
correspond with our "good morning," "good evening,"
or "good-by." Kunyanaka is their word for "I
thank you," seldom made use of and which I never
heard, although I thought I had given them ample
opportunities to let me hear it.

One of the most beautiful traits of the character
of the Eskimos is their unbounded hospitality.
Their igloos and tents (tupicks) are always open to
their countrymen and strangers; and, while there,
they are treated like members of the family. This
hospitality is genuine and not feigned or for per-
sonal gain, as is only too often the case in civilized
communities and more especially so in our higher
so-called aristocratic circles.

We are too anxious to cultivate only the good-
will and friendship of the prosperous.

"Whilst you are prosperous, you can number
many friends; but when the storm conies, you
are left alone." — Ovid.

Not so with the Eskimos. They practice what
they have not been taught — beneficence, and

/AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 223

"A beneficent person is like a fountain, water-
ing the earth and spreading fertility; it is,
therefore, more delightful and more honorable
to give than receive." — Epicurus.

The Eskimos are very fond of their children.
The children get their good share of the best things
that are to be had and are furnished with playthings
to amuse themselves. At an early age the children
are taught what they are expected to do when they
reach maturity. The boys are trained in hunting,
kayaking, dog driving, and must learn how to build
a kayak and an igloo. The girls are taught sewing,
dressing of skins, and cooking, such as it is among the
Eskimos. In other words they give all their chil-
dren a practical education which enables them, at
an early age, to obtain, by their own efforts, the
necessities of life. They are kind to the aged and
the infirm. Old age is respected and it is the oldest
man in a settlement who is appealed to for advice
and whose counsel is sought when differences of
opinion or questions of right and wrong disturb the
usual peaceful atmosphere of the camp.

These people, the only real Eskimos left in the
world, have never had a ruler of any kind, nor any
fixed laws. They have always ruled themselves, and

"The voice of the people is the voice of God."

They live in a part of the world where equality
and liberty reign supreme and

"What is so much beloved by the people as
liberty, which you see not only to be sought
after by men, but also by beasts, and to be
preferred to all things." — Cicero.

224 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The slight touch with the whites, which the
Smith Sound Eskimos have experienced, has not im-
proved their condition. They have learned from
the whites more of their vices than their virtues. A
few years ago the taste of tobacco was not known
to them; now they crave for the weed. I have seen
children in their mother's hood smoke the pipe as
it was passed from one member of the family to the
other. Sailors have brought them diseases which,
in the course of time, will exterminate this small
remnant of a noble race. I had no difficulty in find-
ing evidences of transmission from parents to off-
spring of loathsome diseases for which the whites
are responsible ; a fact which confirms only too plainly
the prophecy in the scriptures:

"Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children's children, unto
the third and to the fourth generation." —
Exodus XXXIV, 7.

What a pity that these innocent, childlike people
should be made to suffer in consequence of the lust
of civilized men who were benefited by their aid
and hospitality! But such is the fate of all primi-
tive races when brought under the dominating
influence of the whites, and their offspring are made
to experience, sooner or later, that

"Posterity pay for the sin of their fathers." —
Quintus Curtius Rufus.

A few years ago, when one of these Eskimos was
given a drink of liquor, he would spit it out as some-
thing obnoxious to his palate. Today, after a longer
experience with foreigners, he has developed, like

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 225

the Indian , a'strong desire for rum. Should opportunity
offer, drunkenness will soon creep in as another
curse brought to them by the whites. The Eskimo,
when he once has acquired a taste for liquor, will
lose control over his reason and will go beyond
the limits of temperance in obedience to his
cravings, as

"Temperance is the moderating of one's de-
sires in obedience to reason." — Cicero.
and

"Things forbidden alone are loved immoder-
ately, when they may be enjoyed, they do not
excite the desire."— Quintilianus.

The native dress is the only one adapted for the
climate, but the desire of the savage to imitate the
whites in dress is becoming manifest even here.
Caps and undershirts are the articles of civilized
dress most eagerly sought for and which, have been
acquired in barter for ivory and fur. That the
white man is not always honest in such dealings,
our Indians know, only too well, from sad experience.
These simple, confiding, ignorant people have no
idea of the value of what they have to exchange,
and much less of what they receive in exchange;
hence, the bargain will always be in favor of the one
who knows. A sailor said, boastingly, to me that
for a broken, useless oar he received forty pounds of
ivory, which has a ready sale at a dollar per pound.
The shrewd traders do not carry into practice the
rule that

"Everything should be disclosed, that the

buyer may be ignorant of nothing which the

seller knows." — Cicero.
15

226 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The firearms which have been given to the Es-
kimos for service, or in exchange, have done these
people, on the whole, more harm than good. They
have made the killing of game easier and the young
men are losing the art of primitive hunting, and the
old hunters, inclined to laziness as they are, prefer
to secure the game in the easiest possible manner
and in the shortest space of time. The supply of
ammunition is uncertain, and when it gives out, as
is only too often the case, the former kind of hunting
becomes more onerous than in former years. Powder
as an article of exchange is in high estimation, higher
than anything else, and it is with this article of
barter that the best kind of bargains can be made.
Then, too, the natives have not, as yet, learned to
•handle firearms with the necessary care, and acci-
dents from their careless use are by no means rare.
These simple, unsuspecting people have not yet
learned to mistrust the foreigners, and, when they
do, it will be too late to remedy the evils of the past.

They are not demonstrative or sentimental,
even under the most trying ordeals. Smiling
and laughing is their nature; weeping is of rare
occurrence, even when the shadows of death visit
their humble home. Sufferings are soon forgotten
and mourning for the dead is of short duration.
The widow or widower mates again as soon as an
opportunity offers, and sorrows are laid aside and
give place to the routine duties of a life free from
care.

The Smith Sound Eskimos appear to be deeply
conscious of the fact that

A CIVILIZED BAFFIN LAND ESKIMO

77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 227

"To be free minded and cheerfully disposed,
at hours of meat, sleep, and exercise, is one of
the best precepts of long lasting." — Bacon.

Indolence and shiftlessness are conspicuous char-
acteristics of the Eskimos. They have no ambition
either for wealth or fame. They furnish a striking
example of the truth that

"The desire for leisure is much more natural
than of business and care." — Temple.

Avarice and luxury, the two great curses of
civilization, are unknown vices to these children of
nature, and Cicero's advice does not apply to them:

"If you wish to destroy avarice, you must de-
stroy luxury, which is its mother.".

The Eskimo only takes exercise when necessity
compels him, and never as a health measure or as
a source of pleasure. He has no faith in the teach-
ings of Galen, who regards active exercise as essen-
tial to physical and mental well being.

"Employment, which Galen calls 'Nature's
Physician,' is so essential to human happiness
that indolence is justly considered the mother
of misery." — Barton.

In spite of all the hardships and difficulties the
Eskimo has to encounter, he loves the land he lives
in. He has no history of which he can be proud, no
flag to incite patriotism, no heroes to emulate or
admire, and yet it is only in this region of ice and
snow, where darkness and light are most equally
divided, that he is happy and content. Transplanted
to another clime he sickens and dies. Far away

228 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

from his native land, he is homesick, discouraged,
and melancholy. He has

"Affection for the soil itself, which, in length
of time, is acquired from habit." — Livius.

He enjoys and loves life; he fears death.

"The love of life, the last that lingers in the
human heart." — Statins.

The study of these people of the extreme North,
a distinct race with an obscure origin, their habits,
customs, mental and physical characteristics, is a
subject replete with interest bordering on fascina-
tion, and will teach us that

"The characters of men placed in lower sta-
tions of life are more useful, as being imitable
by greater numbers." — Atterbury.

And

"Health and sickness, enjoyment and suffer-
ing, riches and poverty, knowledge and ignor-
ance, power and subjection, liberty and bond-
age, civilization and barbarity have all their
offices and duties; all serve for the formation
of character." — Paley.

The span of life of the Eskimo is probably a little
shorter than that of civilized people, although he
is exempt from nearly all the diseases caused by
intemperance and luxurious living. The Psalmist's
limit of age is not often attained. Men and women
between sixty and seventy are not many among the
present population. Most reluctantly the Eskimo,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 229

in his icy home, is blind to the uncertainty of the
future, and it would be difficult to convince him that

"Death is the liberator of him whom freedom
cannot release, the physician of him whom
medicine cannot cure, and the comforter of him
whom time cannot console." — Cotton.

And

"Nature has given to man nothing of more
value than shortness of life." — Plurius Major.

These people were happy and content before
they tasted of some of the poisonous fruits of civi-
lization. They are blind to some of the highest
virtues of life. Centuries of isolation from the out-
side world have developed in them an animal nature
which it will be difficult, if not impossible, to control,
much less to extinguish by any known influence the
foreigners can bring to bear upon them; while, on the
other hand, they are like all primitive races, only too
receptive for new vices. Civilization will bring to
them new needs and desires which they will attempt
to gratify and which will deviate them from the well-
trodden path of living according to nature's laws.
When too late, they will learn to their sorrow:

"If thou live according to nature, thou wilt
never be poor; if according to the opinions of
the world, thou wilt never be rich." — Seneca.

23o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

THE ESKIMO'S PRAYER TO DEATH (SINIPO)

Our heaven is near the Arctic Pole

Here, where ice and snow forever dwell
And lofty mountains inspire our soul

As we glance o'er hill, cliff, crag, and dell.

O Sinipo!

Our most dreaded foe,
Spare the Eskimo.

Our house of ice is our happy home

Where Kuna sews and our children play,
Over land and sea we love to roam
We all humbly pray do death delay.

O Sinipo!

Our most dreaded foe,
Spare the Eskimo.

O Sinipo! Let us here below

Where bear, seal and walrus yield us food,
Our paradise is here, you well know'

Where we wish to dwell in happy mood.

O Sinipo!

Our most dreaded foe,
Spare the Eskimo.

We love the land of the midnight sun,

The icy mountains, the frozen sea;
The winter's long night we do not shun;
Let us remain here, we pray of thee.

O Sinipo!

Our most dreaded foe,
Spare the Eskimo.

TEN DAYS AT ETAH

Etah is in the very heart of the arctic region. It
is the most northern point inhabited by human
beings in the world. It is a place familiar to all
arctic explorers who have searched for the pole by
the way of Smith Sound, as it is the last native
settlement on the Greenland coast on this highway
to the pole. The name Etah is intimately associated
with some of the most stirring and disastrous events
in the history of arctic exploration. This region
has been known since 1616, when Bylot and Baffin
sailed past the coast for the first time. In 1818
Sir John Ross found the Smith Sound coast in-
habited, and became well acquainted with the
natives, from whom he received much valuable infor-
mation and assistance. It was Sir John who called
the natives in this part of Greenland "Arctic High-
landers."

The arctic scenery about Etah is magnificent.
The day after our arrival, I ascended Cape Ohlsen,
about 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, from
where the great inland ice-cap loomed up high above
the coast range of mountains on one side, and on the
other the icy waters of Smith Sound carry south-
ward fields of pack-ice and countless giant icebergs.
Beyond this is the uninviting, chilly, barren, snow
and ice-covered coast of Ellesmere Land with its

231

232 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

two most conspicuous landmarks, Cape Isabella and
Cape Sabine. For the first time, I was given here an
opportunity to see the effects of ice on the clouds,
on a large scale. When the sun was hidden behind
the clouds, the clouds to the south, over the water,
free from ice, or nearly so, were dark; to the north
and along the coast of Ellesmere Land, where an
immense field of ice was being carried south by
the Arctic Current, the overhanging clouds were
illuminated by the reflection from the ice. The
same effect on the clouds is produced by the inland
ice. To the arctic navigators, this effect of large
bodies of ice on the appearance of the clouds is a
very important sign in determining, at a distance,
the difference between open water and water cov-
ered with ice.

I found here, at the summit of the mountains, in
many places drifts of last winter's snow, and in
one of them, fresh tracks of a polar bear and a cub,
which I followed as far as the snow extended and
then lost them on the bare, stony plateau. The
number and size of the boulders which are scattered
over the mountain mesas are something remarkable.
Where they came from and how they were brought
here by glacier action are things we can only con-
jecture. Near the summit of the mountain, in a
shallow, I found a moss tundra, and, in all places
where a little soil had accumulated, tufts of grass and
several kinds of flowers. Numerous stone fox- traps,
in a neglected condition, were found in different
places, indicating the favorite haunts of this valu-
able fur-bearing animal.

3
o- <

8 o

yf 533
I' °

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 233

FRONT GARDEN OF BROTHER JOHN'S GLACIER

"What more miraculous may be told —
Than ice, which is congeal'd with senseless

cold,
Should kindle fire by wonderful device.1'

— Spenser.

Who would look for a flower garden in the im-
mediate vicinity of a glacier in this latitude? The
arctic region is full of surprises and, to me, not the
least was a charming flower garden and a treeless
park before the very face of Brother John's Glacier.

This glacier was so named by Doctor Kane in
memory of his brother, John, who searched for
Dr. Kane and found him at Etah. This glacier is a
leader of the near-by inland ice-cap, in a deep gorge,
at the head of Foulke Fiord. A large stream of
clear, crystal water issues from underneath the
face of the glacier and speeds over a stony bed to
reach a beautiful little mountain lake, to find tem-
porary repose. It then resumes its journey over a
gradual decline, about a mile in length, and finally
empties, after dividing into numerous small branches
covering a small delta, into the bay.

There are a number of ancient igloos near the
mouth of this stream and a low, grassy plateau,
where the natives for a long time have, evidently,
had their winter home. The flower garden I am
speaking of does not consist of isolated flowers, like
the gentian, edelweiss, and Alpine rose, found near
the edge of glaciers and eternal snow of the Swiss
Alps, but a great variety of flowers, and in numbers
surpassing the most exaggerated ideas of the floral

234 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

wealth of the very heart of the arctic region. I
found here, not only swards of the richest green and
a variety of exquisite little flowers, but also a plant
living on the cold bosom of the glacier itself. With
such evidences of the wonderful resources of nature
before me, it did seem to me that ice does "kindle
fire by wonderful device."

The reflection of the heat rays of the sun by ice
is a remarkable feature, and, as such, is familiar to
all Alpinists. In Foulke Fiord, the almost per-
pendicular mountain walls on each side, their rocks
and cliffs veneered with a coating of the color of
old gold, the work of a chromogenic lichen, also
reflect the heat rays. Both of these sources of heat
and the sheltered position of the valley, under the
influence of the genial midnight sun, transform the
upper part of Foulke Fiord, during the midsummer,
into a little paradise teeming with animal and vege-
table life. I saw here, basking in the sunshine,
mosquitoes, flies, butterflies, and even a bumblebee
of no small proportions. The twittering song of
the snow-bunting lent cheer to the pure calm air.
The arctic hare was much in evidence, and dem-
onstrated to us his speed in ascending the steepest
inclines without much effort on his part. The air was
alive with the little auk, and the lordly burgomaster
dwelling on the highest cliffs came down in large
numbers to the the little mountain lake for sport
and food. Between the glacier and the shore of the
bay is unfolded a panorama of indescribable beauty.
It is one of nature's most beautiful parks, without
trees and shrubs. To me it is doubtful if the pres-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 235

ence of trees and shrubs could enhance the exquisite
beauty of this, one of the most beautiful spots on
earth. The only shrub that I could find was the
dwarfed willow, from two to six inches in length,
wearing its catkins in full blossom; the shrub, not
erect, but modestly reclining on or under moss in
a begging attitude, pleading for protection against
wind, ice, and snow. There are here no gorgeous
fragrant flowers; no birds of plumage or of song.
But nature has given this favored spot in the heart
of the arctics charms which defy description. The
gem-like silver lake, the rippling mountain stream
above and below it, the enormous boulders scattered
over the surface of the valley, the gilded mountain
walls, the great inland ice-cap, with its leader,
Brother John's Glacier, the beautiful display of
flowers, and the myriads of birds make up a scenery
difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate anywhere else
in the world. The time here is too short, even
under the bewitching rays of the midnight sun,
for nature to produce anything bearing the faintest
resemblance to tropic scenery. What is on exhibition
here is intended, exclusively, to please the eye. The
senses of smell, taste, and hearing are almost entirely
ignored. The eye is captivated by the harmony
and simplicity of the display. On surveying the
magnificence of the scenery, one awakens to the
truth of:

"In nature, all is managed for the best, with
perfect frugality and just reserve, profuse to
none, but bountiful to all; never employing
on .one thing more than enough, but with

23 6 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

exact economy, retrenching the superfluous
and adding force to what is principal in every-
thing.' ' — Shaftesbury.

Nowhere could this quotation be applied with
more force than in studying the environments of
Brother John's Glacier. Stand, as I did, on the shore of
the bay, face the glacier, look to right and to the left,
glance over the green carpet of soft, velvety grass
which covers a large part of the floor of the valley,
look upward, and behold the blue dome of the sky
illuminated by the friendly, smiling midnight sun
and you will be in a fit mental mood to realize that

"Nature, the handmaid of God Almighty, doth
nothing but with good advice if we make re-
searches into the true reason of things."
— James HowelL

In the face of nature in a stern mood, so near
the great ice-shield that covers the greater part of
Greenland, so near the car of the King of the North
Pole, surrounded by a short-lived but vigorous vege-
tation, and in the presence of so much animal life,
and valley and mountainsides decorated with a great
variety of pretty flowers, grass, moss, and lichens in
gay colors, we are made to feel our insignificance,
and are only too willing to acknowledge

"To recount almighty works,
What words of tongue or seraph can suffice,
Or heart of man sufficient to comprehend.''

— Milton.

The inclosing mountains, rising almost perpen-
dicularly from the valley, with their rugged faces
hid behind a drapery of rich orange-yellow, alive

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 237

with the little auk, and upon their highest shelves
the homes of the great arctic gull, the little river of
clear, crystal water, meandering over its rocky,
pebbly bed, draining the bewitching little emerald
lake near the face of the glacier, the great ice-
cap overtowering all and sending down in to the rock-
bound valley one of the hundreds of its icy arms,
the majestic, snow-white burgomaster, gliding grace-
fully and noiselessly over the rippling surface of the
miniature lake and darkened with the restless little
auk flying from cliff to cliff out on the open ocean
and back, can all be seen without changing the posi-
tion. But let us look more closely at what nature
has in store for the eye already dazzled by the bound-
less beauties of the panoramic views. Walking in
the direction of the glacier after landing at the head
of the bay, I have to wade through meadows where
the grass is high enough for the scythe. The tiny
stellaria is everywhere rivalling in whiteness the
patches of last year's snow clinging to the shady
places on the mountain sides imparting to the whole
scenery an aspect of virgin purity. Where the soil
is more scanty the beautiful yellow poppy (Papaver
nudicaulis) thrives and fills the spaces between boul-
ders with a carpet of gold. In doing this it is assisted
by the shiny, deep yellow petals of the ranunculus
and dandelion, the latter rising proudly above a
whirl of crenated, succulent basal leaves. Here
and there the predominating white and yellow alter-
nates with flowers of a ruby red, in small bunches
and large beds, made up of the little corollas, rising
an inch or two above the ground. The homely,

238 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

succulent saxifrage (Saxifraga nivalis) competed with
the grass for space in moist places. Then there was
to be found, in the same places, the familiar butter-
cup (Caltha palustris), the pedicularis, and three
varieties of water cress (Draba).

Extending to the very edge of the glacier these
flowers and a number of others were also found, with
the greatest varieties of grasses, mosses, and lichens.
Even small mushrooms, with their somber, plicated,
umbrella-like roofs, nature had not forgotten. It
requires no stretch of the imagination to see that
I was here able to make a valuable addition to my
North Star Bay herbarium.

If we remember that this rich floral display had
to be made in less than two months, and that new
ice has already formed on the mountains leaving
little time for the ripening of the seeds, we must
marvel at the boundless resources of nature in pleas-
ing the eye of the masterpiece of creation — man.

In approaching the glacier, I saw, issuing from
beneath it, numerous rivulets of the clearest, purest
water, and I listened to their gentle murmurings as
they sped over their uneven bed of pebbles and
boulders to unite into a stream of considerable size,
which fed the near-by, placid little lake. Doctor
Kane makes the statement that this lake remains
open during the entire winter. The face and surface
of the glacier were deeply furrowed from the effects
of the summer sun, and here and there miniature
waterfalls and cascades drained the product of the
melting process into the network of rivulets below.

All this was interesting and instructive, but it

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 239

yet remains for me to describe here one of nature's
great secrets — red snow. Before ascending the gla-
cier, I noticed, on the surface near its face, a large
patch which looked as though the snow covering it
had been stained with blood. I knew I had succeeded
in finding an opportunity to study this strange phe-
nomenon so often alluded to by arctic explorers.
It was an inducement for me to make the necessary
effort to climb the face of the glacier and reach this
spot. When I undertook this arduous task, it was
so warm that I was obliged to remove my hunting
coat and perspired freely in shirt sleeves. The ascent
of the face of the glacier was exceedingly difficult,
and when I reached the surface I found that the
heat of the sun had softened the snow and converted
it into a mass resembling crushed sea-salt. I sank
at every step knee deep into the loose, crystallized
snow, crossed deep furrows rilled with water, but the
red snow must be reached. It was hard work, but
I secured a sufficient quantity of the stained snow
for my purpose. Can plants grow on snow? They
do here. This red snow is snow stained blood-red
by a minute plant, an alga, (Spaerella nivalis). It
was the first time I saw red snow, although I looked
for it all along the coast. Commander Peary saw
it on this trip near Cape York.

It seems that red snow was seen oftener by the
early arctic explorers than it is now. Doctor Kane
saw much of it, and, from his observations,
became convinced that it was only found in places
where, on the surface of the snow, foreign matter,
such as fronds of lichen or filaments of moss, have

24o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

accumulated, serving as a nutrient medium for the
protococcus. He says further: "I observed
that the color of the protococcus was most pro-
nounced when they were in great abundance." The
algae produce a red staining material which pene-
trates the snow to the depth of several inches. The
intensity of the stain diminishes from the surface
downward. In the spot where I collected the red
snow, the coloration extended more than four inches
below the surface. No snow was found in the ban-
dana handkerchief when I reached the steamer, but
the residue on the surface of the cloth, subjected to
microscopic examination, revealed the protococcus.
Plant life on snow ! A flower garden in the center
of the arctic region, in the very face of a glacier, and
so near the cold breath of Greenland's interior ocean
of ice!

"Our senses, however armed or assisted, are too
gross to discern the curiosity of the workman-
ship of nature." — Ray.

THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

"They picture it a gloomy place,

With icy mountains rising high,
With angry clouds that sail across

A far-off, somber sea of sky;
Where nought of beauty ever lives

Where peaceful thought could ne'er abide,
But only sentiments of awe,

To fear and trembling close allied!

"But walk with me beside the lake,

A gem of silver 'mid the green,
While rippling streamlets, crystal clear,

Tell cheery tales of all they'd seen:

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 241

Of mountainsides, soft tinted with
The sunshine's gold; of whitest snow

That blushed bright red, when seaweeds touched
And praised its face of pearly glow.

"Stand in the valley, walled by cliffs,

That rise in straightest lines on high;
They're draped in veils of richest hue,

While auk and sea-gull hover nigh.
Come through the meadows thick with grass,

Where tiny star-like flowers smile back
In beds of snow, that hide away

From out the sunshine's golden track!

"The lovely dome of azure blue,

Whence smiles the wondrous Midnight Sun,
Looks not upon a flowery soil,

With tropic beauties overrun.
'Tis close to where stern Frost is king,

But, O, it is a glorious land!
And speaks in loudest tones of God,

And 'works of His Almighty Hand!'

"I've traveled where the scented breeze

In sweetest music sang of rest;
I've gazed on many a favored spot,

Where Nature lies in Beauty's nest!
But Land of glorious Midnight Sun,

To thee, my song of praise I sing!
Thy wonders make men bow the knee,

And hail their God as sovereign King!"
— Mary E. Griffin.

FIRST SUNDAY IN FOULKE FIORD

Sunday was observed by the Newfoundland
sailors as strictly here as in any of the home harbors.
The only two men who did the necessary work were
the cook and the steward. The Eskimos who had
no religious scruples were put to work in unloading the

242 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

more than hundred dogs we had picked up at the
different settlements along the coast. Boat load
after boat load of these miserable brutes, whose
appearance and behavior had not improved during
the voyage, left for the shore, and toward evening
all were landed, to the great relief of all on board.
The "Roosevelt" had brought about the same num-
ber, and, for some distance, the rocky shore was
covered with these beasts, some of them tied securely
to large stones. The snapping, barking, and dismal
howling by this numerous family of dogs were kept
up without interruption night and day. The na-
tives then began to unload the carcasses of the
eighteen walruses which, by the use of row boats,
were brought on board the "Roosevelt." Monday
morning the deck of the "Erik" was clear of the most
obnoxious part of its cargo and a general cleaning up
removed the unpleasant conditions which had taxed
our patience and forbearance so severely for a number
of days.

Sunday afternoon, twelve Eskimo women, half
of them with infants in their hoods, went ashore all
alone in one of the large boats and in a few hours
returned with several bags filled with moss and a
large basket full of young auks. There was great
excitement when the boat, managed by the women,
came aside of the steamer. The sea had become
rough since their departure, so that it was difficult
to steady the boat, and in their attempt to come up
to the ladder several waves dashed over them. The
women who managed the oars remained cool during
the ordeal, but felt much relieved when their hus-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 243

bands came to their relief, when one after the other
scrambled up the unsteady ladder and landed on the
deck. In the evening four of the women came into
our dining room and gave us an exhibition of the
native dance and song. The former consisted of
swaying movements of the body to the tune of an
empty cigar box, beaten with a knife sharpener;
the latter was the monotonous unmusical chant of
the country. I distributed peanuts. They com-
menced to eat them in the shell. They evidently
never had seen a peanut before, and when they were
instructed in the proper way of eating them, they
appeared to enjoy the treat.

The real Etah weather set in soon after lowering
the anchor. The sky became overcast, shutting
out the midnight sun, and a dense fog and drizzling
rain obscured the surrounding beautiful scenery.
The temperature, which, in the morning, was 46° F.,
fell to 40° F. in the evening. Monday, August i4th.
Fog has disappeared; occasional. sunshine.

HUNTING AT ETAH

During our ten days' sojourn at Etah, I spent
most of my time hunting and collecting botanical
specimens. When we entered Foulke Fiord we
met three walruses swimming in the direction of the
open sea, and these were the last seen on the trip.
Only one seal was seen here during the entire time.
He was wounded, but made good his escape. The
Eskimos stated that the reindeer had disappeared
from that part of the country for the season, so we
were obliged to look for small game. During all

244 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

my wanderings in the neighborhood of Etah, I did
not see a sign of ptarmigan.

THE ARCTIC HARE

The arctic hare (Lepus timidus) is as large as
the jack rabbit, and is quite plentiful about Etah.
I killed seven in half a day on the summit of
the mountain back of Cape Ohlsen. This animal
has found its way from Europe to Greenland, and
in the course of time has become completely
bleached with the exception of the tips of the ears,
which are black. It is found as far as the most
northern point of Greenland, where one was killed
by Peary's companion at a time when starvation
stared them in the face. It was agreed between
the two that only a small part of the animal should
be eaten and the balance reserved for the next day;
but their hunger was so intense that the whole car-
cass was eaten before the meal was finished. Then
both lay down and slept for hours, to awake re-
freshed and ready for the musk-ox hunt which
proved successful and supplied them with an abun-
dance of food. There have been many other occa-
sions where this little animal came to the relief of
parties in great distress. The arctic hare, inhabit-
ing as it does, the coldest climate in the world, has
preserved the length of its ears, while nearly all of
the mammalian animals of the same region have lost
the lobe of the ear. In the walrus and narwhal, the
lobe of the ear is entirely absent; in the latter animal,
the external meatus has been reduced to the size of
a pin-hole. The ears of the fox and polar bear are

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 245

very short. The arctic hare is a very timid animal.
Its only defenses are its speed in summer and its
white color in winter which matches the spotless
snow, when it is difficult for its enemies to detect it.
The natives waste no powder in securing this animal,
as it is caught in stone-traps like the fox. The fur
is used in making sox.

THE LITTLE AUK

This part of the coast is the favorite haunt of the
little, swift, hard flying auk, the real arctic bird. It
is the bird that brought the tidings of spring to Mr.
Nansen when he was in winter quarters in lati-
tude 83° north. The little auk (Alle nigricans) is a
species of sea-fowl belonging to the family alcidce.
It is a little smaller than the teal-duck, a thick set,
heavily built bird, with short wings and tail; black,
with white breast and three-toed, webbed feet. It
is only found in the colder parts of the northern
hemisphere, and many breed within the Arctic Circle.
The bill is black, round and short, slightly curved
downward, the upper mandible projecting beyond
the lower. The little auks fly as swiftly as the teal-
duck, but with greater effort, as the wings are short
and narrow. They are also expert swimmers and
divers. If they see the flash of the gun they are in
safety, as they dive before the shots reach their
mark. The great auk (Alca impennis), a wingless
bird as large as a goose, formerly very numerous in
the arctic regions and as far south as the coast of New-
foundland, has been extinct for the last fifty years.
It was eagerly sought after by the Eskimos and

246 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

fishermen for food and because its skin was valuable
material for clothing. It was easily secured, as it
could not fly, and soon became extinct. We
found, on entering Foulke Fiord, the air filled with
enormous flocks of the little auk, flying up near the
clouds and others flying only a few feet above the
surface of the water.

Foulke Fiord is one of the favorite breeding
places of the little auk. There is no place in the
world where so many birds can be seen at any time,
night or day. Although the midnight sun makes
no distinction between day and night, I noticed
that the greatest flights were early in the morning,
when the birds go feeding on the opfen sea, and in the
evening between six and ten o'clock, when they
return to their roosts. They feed on shrimps, clios,
and entomostraca.

It is now near the middle of August, the time
when snow may be expected, and it seemed to me
that the fabulous numbers of this bird indicated
that they were congregating here preparatory to
their migration southward, because,

"Fowls by winter forced forsake the floods,
And wing their hasty flight to happier lands."

— Dryden.

THE WONDERFUL AUK CLIFFS AT ETAH

The provision nature has made for the sustenance
and clothing of man in the cold, stern, unfriendly
climate of the far north is simply marvelous. In the
tropics, fruit and fish abound, the food appropriate
for that climate. In this climate, sea-fowl and fat

AUK ROOKERIES IN FOULKE FIORD

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 247

and fur-yielding mammalians are the animals which
nature has intended for food and clothing of the
scanty population. The Eskimo has no need of,
and no desirefor, vegetables. Watercress and dan-
delions, relished by us either eaten raw, boiled, or
in the form of a salad, and which grow in abundance
in the Foulke Fiord and other places on the coast,
the natives have no use for. I tried to make them
familiar with these excellent articles of a mixed diet,
but they had no more use for them than we would
have for their overripe blubber and raw meat. By
long usage, their gastro-intestinal canal and secre-
tory glands in connection with it have become averse
to vegetable food and partial to the kind of food best
adapted for this rigorous climate — raw fat and
meat. They have become, exclusively, meat eaters;
and, although I have no positive information on the
anatomy of their intestinal canal, I surmise it is
very short and resembles more closely that of their
dogs than that of people who live on a vegetable or
mixed diet. The result of frequent inquiries of per-
sons who have seen much of Eskimo life is that
appendicitis never occurs in these people, and I be-
lieve this is the case with all races that live exclu-
sively on an animal diet.

It is very interesting here to observe how differ-
ent animals select certain places for their short
summer life. The narwhal, seal, and walrus have
their own feeding grounds; the eider-duck selects
its own island; the guillemot and kittiwake are good
friends and associate together; but the former claims
the higher shelves of the cliff. The burgomaster-

248 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

gull preempts the highest, the most inaccessible tiers,
and will not have anything to do with the neighbors
living at a lower altitude. The little auk prefers to
live alone and claims miles and miles along the
northern part of the west coast of Greenland for its
exclusive use as breeding places. Foulke Fiord is
the most densely populated breeding place of this
daring, hardy inhabitant of the polar region.

This typical bird of the far North spends no time
in making a nest. It selects for its rookeries rocky
cliffs and deposits its single egg between stones
where the entrance is too narrow for the arctic fox
to reach it. It hatches its single egg by its own body
warmth on the cold, senseless rock. Before the
little one can fly it is taken to the water below, and
is instructed in the art of swimming and diving by
its devoted mother. Many a feather less, helpless
young auk did we surprise among the loose rocks of
this famous rookery. No one, who has not been an
eye witness, can form the faintest idea of the vast
numbers of the little auk which can be seen at any
time in the rookeries, on the water, and in the air
in Foulke Fiord. Before we entered this fiord, Com-
mander Peary informed me that I would see there a
wealth of bird life that would astonish me, and which
could not be seen anywhere else in the world. His
prediction was more than realized. The rookeries
are in places where the steep mountainsides are
covered with loose stones. From the level of the
water up to a height of about 1,000 feet, the auk
lives during the breeding season. To climb up a
steep cliff about 500 feet and take a place among the

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 249

loose rocks in the very center of a densely crowded
breeding place is the only way in which to obtain
some idea of the density of the population of this
bird. The rocks are literally covered with birds,
buried under black and white, the colors of the liv-
ing, moving bird carpet. On most of the rocks,
standing room is scarce. Frightened by the appear-
ance of the burgomaster-gull swooping down from
the dizzy heights of the cliff, their worst enemy,
they rise with the speed of lightning and fill the air,
like a swarm of bees, and not a bird can be seen in
the immediate neighborhood of the seat of invasion.
The danger over, by the disappearance of the cause
of flight, the whirr of the hard-working wings of the
legitimate inhabitants of the rookery is again heard,
and in a few minutes the rocks are as thickly popu-
lated as before the invasion. These birds have no
fear of man. They perch on stones almost within
reach of the hand all around him. When fright-
ened by the appearance of the burgomaster or the
discharge of a gun, they rush off with the noise and
speed of a tornado, only to come back in a few min-
utes to occupy the same places.

One day I watched the evening flight of this
bird from the bridge of the steamer. From about
eight to ten o'clock, a continuous stream poured
into the fiord from the open sea, flying close to the
surface of the water. It was an uninterrupted,
quivering, silvery stream, while large flocks, not
far apart, flew in the same direction near the summit
and face of the mountains, and still others high up
in the air. During the early morning hours, the

250 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

flight was in an opposite direction. These birds,
found in such fabulous numbers here and for miles
along the coast, furnish the natives with an impor-
tant article of food and material for under clothing.
The auk is one of the first birds to bring the
Eskimos the tidings of approaching spring and the
forerunner of the prospective walrus hunt. The
natives waste no ammunition in securing these
birds. They are netted without difficulty, a task
belonging exclusively to the women. Armed with
a hand net, the women hide themselves behind a
projecting rock in the line of the most active flight,
and when the birds come within range, which, is
only a question of time, they throw out the net and
catch the game. A large basketful in a few hours
is an ordinary catch. The skinning of these birds is
done very expeditiously and skillfully by the women.
A circular incision is made around the base of the
bill, and though this small cut the body of the bird
is enucleated with their deft fingers in a few minutes
without doing any damage to the skin. Wings and
legs are severed by biting them off at the desirable
places. The flesh is generally eaten raw. I sampled
stewed and broiled auk, but they did not taste any
different to me than our hell-diver prepared in the
same way. The skins are dried, and then chewed
soft and pliable by the women, when they serve as
a most excellent material for under-vests for both
sexes. Very few other birds venture into Foulke
Fiord. Among them are the burgomaster, black
guillemot, eider-duck, and the raven. The raven is
the only bird in the arctic region that does not mi-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 251

grate. It remains loyal to the region during the
entire year. It is a magnificent bird, daring and
courageous. The last bird in Foulke Fiord that I
killed was a raven, and it took both barrels of my
shot gun to secure him as one of my trophies. One
of the members of our party killed seventy auks
with two shots, which will give to the reader an idea
of the fabulous number of this bird in Foulke Fiord
during the breeding season. The best I could do
when looking for meat for the crew of the "Erik"
was to kill twenty-three birds in one shot.

The rookeries in Foulke Fiord ought to be a
source of considerable income to the Danish govern-
ment by deposits of guano, but this deposit is washed
away annually and is only found in parts of the
world where the wild fowl congregate and their de-
posits remain and inspissate, accumulating rich
phosphates and ammonia in the form of the most
valuable fertilizer. In the auk cliffs of Foulke
Fiord and elsewhere on the coast, the animal deposit
is removed by the freshets every year, and emanates
a foul odor which keeps at a distance even the arctic
hare, a scrupulously clean animal.

THE CLIMATE OF ETAH AND ESKIMO LIFE HERE

The time for our departure came long before the
unloading was completed and about 350 tons of coal
was our ballast when we left Etah at 5:45 P. M.,
Wednesday, August 23d. The weather for this lati-
tude and this time of the year was exceptionally
fine. The midnight sun shone most of the time in
all his splendor; the atmosphere was clear, dry, and

252 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

bracing; temperature in the shade ranged between
35° F. and 53° F,, and the highest the thermometer
registered in the sun was 63° F. Several nights
thin ice formed on small pools on the mesas of the
high mountains. Several times sun and moon were
visible in the sky at the same time, obscuring entirely
the more feeble light of the largest stars, which, in
the dark winter, are so numerous and conspicuous
near the pole. Although we were detained here
longer than was expected, there were many things
of interest to occupy my attention. The midnight
sun, always present, and his various relations to
the sky, clouds, mountains, icebergs, ice-cap, gla-
ciers, to the ocean, and on the near-by coast of
Ellesmere Land furnished a study replete with new
surprises and uninterrupted pleasures. The timid
moon contributed her share to the pleasures of the
study of the ever interesting sky. The climbing of
mountains and hunting on sea and land afforded
ample sport and recreation. The collection and
classification of the interesting flora and the daily
study of the natives, their manners, and habits
of living made time pass rapidly and profitably.

Commander Peary in making the final selection
of the native contingent of his expedition, left
twenty Eskimos at Etah — four men, a number of
boys from twelve to sixteen years of age, and the
rest women and children. This remnant of the
expedition lived in four tents, pitched under a cliff
near the anchorage place of the "Erik" and "Roose-
velt." From the time we arrived in North Star
Bay, I have had an opportunity to see and observe

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 253

more than one hundred Eskimos from different
parts of the west coast, more than one-half of the
entire population of the genuine natives, and there
has not been a day when I did not find some new
feature or trait of these interesting people. I have
watched the animal instincts and skill of the
Eskimo hunter and marveled at the dexterity with
which the women dress skins and convert them into
clothing and boots. I never tired of seeing the
toy -like, frail kayak glide over the smooth water
paddled by men, women, and children with admir-
able skill. The home life of these untutored
children of nature is as simple as it is interesting.
Perhaps I cannot give a glimpse of this in a more
tangible way than by relating a brief account of

AN ESKIMO WEDDING ON BOARD
THE "ERIK"

After the departure of the "Roosevelt," the na-
tives left behind lived for several days in the fore-
castle of the "Erik." Among them was a little
woman, not more than four feet six inches in height,
who came on board the "Erik" at North Star Bay
all alone. From whence she came we did not know,
but, judging from the appearance of her boots and
clothing, the scanty outfit she carried, and the
ravenous appetite she displayed, she must have
made a long journey over land. She had no rela-
tives among the people we had already on board or
those who joined us later, but was treated well by
all of them, as is the custom among them when they
travel from one settlement to another. It was
rumored that she was a widow, and her flaccid
breasts, not too carefully hidden, showed only too
plainly that she had been a mother. She was free
to admit that her age corresponded with the number
of fingers on four hands, but her looks indicated that
it would be perfectly safe to add the five fingers of
another hand, if not more. She was not as cheerful
and happy as the rest, and her face was such as to
impress one that she had recently undergone some
sorrowful experiences. She took a lively interest
in everything that was going on and seemed to
brighten up day after day. She was fond of work,

255

256 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

and for a few presents of little value she dressed the
skins of my two walrus heads and many bird skins,
the latter by chewing them. In scraping the walrus
skins she never wasted a fragment of the gel-
atinous substance about the region of the nose,
which she ate as fast as it was cut off. This, eaten
raw, is considered a great delicacy. She exhibited
the same liking for the fat and shreds of meat of the
bird skins.

Another member of the group was a boy not more
than sixteen years old, who was very proud of a
white canvas cap for which some member of the
crew had no further use. This cap gave the boy a
singular appearance, as his long, flowing, black hair
reached to the shoulders and most of the time cov-
ered much of his boyish face. I do not know whether
these young people had met before, but the court-
ship, was, certainly, a very brief one. The small
Eskimo population slept in the forecastle. On the
second or third morning, the boy met me on deck,
his face all sunshine, and with pride and intense satis-
faction he pointed to the smiling widow and then
to his breast, thereby indicating that she now
belonged to him. I knew then what had hap-
pened, as actions often speak plainer than words.
The two, by common consent, without consulting
any one and without any kind of ceremony, had
become one. We can hardly call this a wedding. It
was in reality, as it always is among the Eskimos,
a mating. These two young people had absolutely
nothing except the clothes they were wearing, and
these were by no means new. The Eskimos who

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 257

were living in tents on shore, when informed what
had occurred, received the news with hearty laughs,
as though what had happened meant rather a joke
than a serious step in the lives of the newly mated
couple. Quietly and unexpectedly as the affair was
conducted, it seemed to me that the visitors to this
lonely spot, following a common usage, ought not
to let this unusual opportunity go by without show-
ing these savages, by suggestion at least, what a
wedding should be like. The young couple were
placed side by side, the captain joined their hands,
and pronounced the words "TmArt" (man) and "Kuna"
(woman or wife). They both nodded and smiled,
and said "E" (yes). Whether this post-nuptial for-
mality will tie the matrimonial knot more firmly
and more lasting is very doubtful. We did what
we could to give them a start in life. The wedding
presents comprised, among other things, a knife, a
pair of scissors, needles and thread, comb, tobacco,
a bar of soap (which will probably be eaten), pieces
of iron and wood, and a liberal supply of crackers
and cooked food.

The Eskimo word for "I thank you" is kuyanaka;
but it is seldom heard, nor do they express their
gratitude, as a rule, by any special kind of demon-
stration. But this couple visibly expressed their
feeling of appreciation of what was being done for
them to make the union, for the time being, at least,
a happy one, as

"Contentment is a pearl of great price, and who-
ever procures it, at the expense of ten thousand
desires, makes a wise and happy purchase." —
Balguy.
17

COMMANDER PEARY ON DECK OF THE
"ROOSEVELT"

THE "ROOSEVELT"

The "Roosevelt" was built especially for Com-
mander Peary at an expense of $100,000, defrayed
by the Peary Arctic Club. In designing the plans
for the construction of the ship, the suggestions made
by Peary, the outcome of a long and varied experi-
ence in the arctic regions, were made use of. The
vessel was built by Capt. Charles B. Dix, of Messrs.
McKay & Dix, of New York City, Greenland ship-
masters and owners of long standing. The builder's
model and the rig of the ship, have been worked out
personally by Captain Dix, and are due entirely to
him. The machinery was built and installed by the
Portland Company, of Portland, Maine. The keel
was laid on October 15, 1904, in the shipyard of the
firm, who built the vessel at Bucksport, Maine, and
the ship was launched the 23rd of March, 1905.
The installation of the machinery began two days
later at Portland, and was practically completed in
less than two months.

The official measurements of the ship are as fol-
lows: Length, 184 feet; breadth, 35^ feet; depth
i6i feet; gross registered tonnage, 614 tons; maxi-
mum load displacement, about 1,500 tons. The
back bone of the ship — viz., keel, main keelson,
stern, and stern-posts, as also her frames, plank
sheer, the waterways, and garboard strake — are of
white oak. Beams, sister keelsons, deck clamps,

259

260 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

'tween-deck waterways, bilge strakes, ceiling, and
inner course of planking are yellow pine. Outer
planking is white oak, and decks are Oregon pine.
Both the ceiling and outer course of white-oak plank-
ing are edge-bolted from stem to stern and from
plank sheer to garboard strake. The fastenings are
galvanized iron bolts, going through both courses
of planking and the frames, and riveting up over
washers on the inside of the ceiling.

Special features of the ship are as follows: First,
in model; a pronounced raking stern and wedge-
shaped bow; very sharp dead rise of floor, affording
a form of side which cannot be grasped by the ice; a
full run, to keep the ice away from the propeller;
a pronounced overhang at the stern to still further
protect the propeller, and a raking stern-post.

Second, peculiarities of construction; the unusual
fastenings, as noted above; the unusual and massive
arrangement of the beams, and bracing of the sides
to resist pressure; the introduction of screw tie-rods
to bind the ship together; the development of the
'tween-deck beams and waterways on a water line,
instead of on a sheer, like the upper-deck beams; the
placing of the ceiling continuous from sister keelson
to upper-deck clamps, and the placing of the 'tween-
deck waterways, deck clamps, and the bilge strakes
on top of the ceiling ; the filling in of the bow almost
solid where it meets the impact of the ice; the mas-
sive and unusual reinforcement of the rudder post
to prevent twisting; the adoption of a lifting rudder,
which may be raised out of danger from contact
with the ice ; the armoring of the stern and bows with

CAPT. BARTLETT OF THE "ROOSEVELT"

77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 261

heavy plates of steel; the protection of the outer
planking with a 2\ inch course of greenheart ice
sheathing.

Peculiarities of rig are: Pole masts throughout;
very short bow sprit, which can be run inboard when
navigating in ice of considerable elevation; three-
masted schooner rig with large balloon staysails.
The "Roosevelt" carries fourteen sails, including
storm stay-sails, and has a rail area somewhat less
than that of a three-masted coasting schooner of the
same size.

Peculiarities of the machinery installments are:
A compound engine of massive construction; an
unusually heavy shaft of forged steel 12 inches in
diameter; a massive propeller, ioj feet in diameter,
but with blades of large area, which are detachable
in case of injury; a triple boiler battery; arrange-
ments for admitting live steam to the low-pressure
cylinder, in order to largely increase the power for
a limited time; an elliptical smokestack to reduce
wind resistance.

The above description of the construction of this
vessel, by the aid of which Commander Peary con-
fidently expects to realize the ambition of his life, is
taken from a descriptive pamphlet of the "Roose-
velt" published by the Peary Arctic Club. A ship so
well constructed, equipped, and manned, like the
"Roosevelt," is almost sure to win the race to the
arctic pole. It is a source of regret that the speed
of the vessel was reduced by an accident to one of
the boilers before the battle with ice commenced, but
the seaworthiness of the craft remains. The inside

262 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

arrangements for comfort and health during the long
arctic winter have received due attention and have
been planned and executed to meet all requirements.

DINNER ON THE "ROOSEVELT"

Shortly before Commander Peary left Etah to
reach a point as far north as possible at this season
of the year, for the purpose of shortening the dis-
tance between his winter quarters and the final ob-
ject of his search — the pole — he invited myself and
my companion, Dr. Frederick Sohon, to dine with
him on board of his vessel. This gave me an excel-
lent opportunity to see and study some of the most
important peculiarities of the construction of this
vessel, which were pointed out and described in de-
tail by our distinguished host. The commander
and his officers live in a real house built on the rear
part of the vessel, which contains a kitchen, a dining
room, a bath room, and sleeping apartments. All
of the rooms are well lighted and thoroughly ventil-
ated. The commander's room is large, elegantly
furnished, and contains a well-selected library. Mrs.
Peary and the many friends of the persistent and
enthusiastic explorer, left nothing undone to make
his immediate surroundings, during the long and
trying trip, as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
A pianola, presented by one of his admiring friends,
with a great variety of music, amounting to a cash
value of $300.00, is one of the principal attractions
of this room, and will contribute much to
shorten and render more endurable the long winter
night. The electric lighting of the interior of the

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 263

ship and the sweet music of the pianola will do much
to counteract the depressing effects of the fierce
climate and long arctic night. Like other explorers
of this part of the world have done before, it is the
commander's object to provide for his crew and the
natives active exercise and amusement during the
long winter, to keep up their physical and mental
activities.

The dinner gave me a good idea of what a dinner
during the holiday season in the arctics is like, as it
was a genuine arctic affair. The principal course
was a stuffed and baked walrus heart. It required
a large plate to serve this dish, as the heart of a wal-
rus is larger than the head of an adult. It was evi-
dently not the first time that the excellent cook had
prepared this novel dish, as it proved, at least for
me, a great delicacy, and the charming host made
me eat three liberal portions. A beef heart cannot
compare with a walrus heart in flavor. It is the
intention of the commander, when he returns from
this expedition, to give the members of the Peary
Arctic Club a real arctic dinner which will include
this dish, ptarmigan, seal-flippers, musk-ox meat
and bear-meat roasted, reindeer steak, raw walrus
liver and slices of blubber, breast of the little auk,
roast eider-duck, etc., to show them what the arctic
regions can furnish for the table.

The secret of success of Peary in his explorations
of the arctic regions has been his dependence on
food the country can furnish, and it is due to this
foresight that the members of his expeditions have
never suffered from scurvy or any other serious disease.

264 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The conversation during and after dinner was a
great mental feast for me, as the host, an enthusiast
in his undertaking and his deep knowledge of every-
thing pertaining to the extreme North, spoke freely
of his work in the past and his plans for the future.
He is sanguine that this expedition, so well planned
and thoroughly equipped, will realize the dream and
expectations of his life. His crew consists of well-
selected, hardy, reliable and fearless Newfound-
landers, all of whom have seen much service along
the coasts of Labrador and Greenland — just the kind
of men best adapted for arctic work. He has been
equally cautious in the selection of the Eskimos who
are to accompany him. Many of them, men and
women, have taken part in one or more of his former
expeditions. The trustworthiness and efficiency of
these have been tested and found satisfactory.

DEPARTURE OF THE "ROOSEVELT"

The "Roosevelt" left Etah, Thursday, August
i ;th, at three o'clock in the morning. The midnight
sun was shining brightly, the sea was quiet, and
everything propitious for a good start for the utmost
northern limits of navigable waters. Commander
Peary has been making preparations for this expe-
dition for the last two years. Only one who has
had personal experience in getting ready for such a
voyage can understand and appreciate what this
means. As the inmates of the ship will be en-
tirely isolated from the outside world and placed on
their own resources for at best one, if not two or
even three years, it requires much care and fore-
thought to stock such a ship to meet the require-
ments of so many people and for such a long time,
and to make provision for all kinds of emergencies
on land and on sea. The building of a special
vessel for this purpose, the selection of an efficient,
reliable crew, the purchase of supplies, the recruit-
ing of Eskimos for service, the collection of a suffi-
cient number of dogs, and attention to other innu-
merable minor details are matters which must tax
severely the good judgment, forethought, and execu-
tive abilities of the one who is in command of the
expedition. Commander Peary's long experience in
the arctic regions, his executive abilities, which are
of the highest order, his familiarity with the habits
and customs of the Eskimos, and his knowledge of

265

266 7JV THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

their language are qualifications which fit him admi-
rably for the arduous task before him. He left Etah
confident of success. The final preparations here
made his last days at Etah very onerous. He had to
look backward and forward. His last messages to
his family and friends had to be written, and all final
arrangements for the future made. A few native
families not desirable for the expedition were left
here for the winter. He selected for his service only
men upon whom he can rely, twenty-three in number,
who, with their families, made the whole number of
Eskimos on the "Roosevelt" about sixty. One of
the last things Peary did was to call the roll at mid-
night. As the names of the natives were called,
they stepped forward and formed a group on the
rear end of the deck. Among those who remained
on the "Roosevelt," I counted seven infants in the
hoods of their mothers, one or two young widows,
and several boys from fourteen to eighteen years of
age.

The center of the deck was occupied by 213
Eskimo dogs, which were in anything but a peaceful
disposition. The usual howling, barking, snapping,
and fighting were worse than any time before, owing
to the increased number of dogs and the narrowness
of the space assigned to them. This midnight scene,
with the two vessels lying side by side in waters at
the very northern limit of human habitation, it
would be difficult to describe and impossible to for-
get. The crew of the "Roosevelt" knew what to
expect; the natives were as unconcerned as though
they were merely going to the next hunting ground.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 267

Most of the provisions were stored on deck in
order to be readily accessible in case of an accident
to the ship. The deck was crowded with dogs,
Eskimos, and crew wedged in between boxes, barrels,
sledges, kayaks, and coal in bags. The sky was
cloudless, and the midnight sun smiled on the re-
markable scene. The "Roosevelt" seemed to groan
under the heavy cargo which weighed down her gun-
wales almost to the water's edge; and yet more is to
go on. Shortly after midnight, she crawled up to
the side of the "Erik" and several dozen puncheons
of whale meat, brought from Newfoundland as food
for the army of hungry dogs, were taken on deck.

Commander Peary came on board, issued his last
orders, left his last messages for his family and
friends, and we bade him good-by and wished him
Godspeed and a safe return after accomplishing
the desire of his life. At three o'clock in the morn-
ing, the whistles of both steamers shrieked the last
farewell, the stone walls of the fiord echoed and re-
echoed their shrill voices, the propeller was set in
motion, and the "Roosevelt" glided out of the fiord
under a flood of light from the midnight sun and was
soon lost sight of behind Cape Ohlsen, where her
course was directed toward Cape Sabine, her first
destination.

The amount of pack-ice in Smith Sound was
unusually small at this season of the year, and there
is every reason to entitle us to the hope that the ex-
plorer will reach it in due time, and that he will meet
with no insurmountable obstacles on his way further
north to latitude 83° 45' where he intends to remain

268 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

during the winter, and from where he expects to
make his desperate dash for the pole over the ice by
the use of dogs and sledges. If he succeeds in bring-
ing the "Roosevelt" as far north as he has planned,
he will be only 420 miles from the pole. As he is
well supplied with dogs and sledges, there is every
reason to believe that, if no unexpected obstructions
are met with, he will triumph over the fierce ele-
ments and will be the first human being to see and
describe what so many others have sought in vain —
the north pole. From what I have seen of Com-
mander Peary and his remarkable outfit, I feel
almost confident that our flag will be unfurled to the
icy breezes of the north pole in less than a year; and
I am sure every citizen of the United States will take
pride in the accomplishment of such a feat by an
officer of our navy, who, for fourteen years of the
best part of his life, has exposed himself to so many
dangers, hardships, and privations to win the race
for the pole.

A FRIENDLY CONTEST BETWEEN THE MID-
NIGHT SUN AND THE MOON

Since the midnight sun has converted night into
day, we have seen nothing of the lesser lights of
heaven, the moon and stars, until one o'clock Sunday
morning, August 2oth. In the meantime, the moon
had grown to half-size and, at the time mentioned,
appeared as a very pale hemisphere, however, well
outlined in the horizon above the sunlit plateau of
one of the mountains. The sun, low down in the
horizon, had lost some of his midnight brilliancy
under the effect of the feeble light of the moon.

"The sun to me is dark
And silent as the moon,
When she deserts the night
Hid in her vacant, interlunar cave."
— Milton.

Not a star could be seen. At midnight, the sun
and moon were rivals in the sky. Fleecy clouds,
from time to time, veiled the face now of the sun,
then of the moon. This midnight picture was a
strange, almost supernatural one. Profound silence
reigned. The deck of the "Erik" was deserted.
The Eskimos and crew, with the exception of the
watchman, were sleeping. The high mountain pla-
teau was bathed in golden sunlight, the rays of the Sun
did not reach the more somber fiord. The smooth-
ness of the water was only disturbed by gentle mur-

269

2 70 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

muring ripples, silvered by the dim rays of the rising
moon. On the surface of the silvery sheet of water
was seen a perfect image of the moon. The sun
seemed willing to retire from the midnight contest,
but could not, as he was infixed in his retiring posi-
tion by the force of the immutable law which controls
the movements of the heavenly bodies from the
time they were first set in motion. The moon was
rising, and seemed to know that the king of night
and day would soon have to leave to her the reign
during the approaching long winter night, when
she would summon to her aid, in dimly lighting the
darkness, myriads of the brightest stars. It was a
friendly contest between the receding, enfeebled
midnight sun and the ascending, growing moon
which, in a short time, according to the very nature
of things, can only end in a victory of the moon over
the sun, the weaker over the stronger.

"Incapable of change, nature still
Recurs to her old habits."

— Juvenalis.

DECEPTION OF DISTANCES IN THE ARCTIC
REGION

Any one who has visited the Rocky Mountains
has been made aware of the effect of the purity
and rarity of the air on vision. The eye penetrates
the atmosphere much farther there than in the east-
ern and middle states, where the air is more dense
and contaminated by the smoke from myriads of
chimneys and thousands of manufacturing estab-
lishments and wandering locomotives and steamers.
It is the arctic regions, however, that surprise the
eye of visitors unaccustomed to the absolute purity
of the air in that part of the world, where dust and
smoke never have denied it, when it comes to meas-
ure distances by eyesight.

Doctor Kane, in speaking of the icebergs, says:
"In the estimate of both altitude and horizontal
distance, the iceberg is a complete puzzle. I have
often started for a berg seemingly within rifle shot,
and, after rowing for an hour, found its apparent
position unchanged."

I have been similarly deceived on many occasions.
At North Star Bay, when we rounded the singular
promontory we called Noah's Ark, I saw an almost
continuous chain of icebergs hugging the east shore.
They seemed to me within easy range of my Win-
chester, but it took three hours of hard rowing to
reach them.

271

272 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The atmosphere here is so clear and pure that one
not accustomed to it invariably underestimates dis-
tances. Many a time, in walking toward a selected
point, I was under the impression I could reach
it in fifteen minutes, when it took me more than an
hour. If you think a glacier or a cliff is a mile away,
you will learn to your disappointment before you
reach it that you have walked three or four miles,
if not more. Ellesmere Land, twenty-three miles
away from Etah, across Smith Sound, looks to the
inexperienced observer to be not more than five or
six miles away. This deception of distances is a
great trial to the hunter who follows the chase for
the first time in this arctic air. Birds which he con-
siders within easy reach of his gun are in no danger.
He returns, as I did, from his day's sport disgusted
with his marksmanship until he has learned to accom-
modate his sight to an entirely new atmosphere. It
is advisable for the hunter to do some target shooting
before he goes for game to avoid the inevitable
chagrin and useless waste of ammunition.

THE FALLACIES OP THE COMPASS IN THE
FAR NORTH

The arctic regions have their beautiful realities
and their disappointing deceptions. They are try-
ing places for the navigators and hunters. The
mariner, who relies on his compass in directing him
in his course, must exercise great caution else this
instrument of precision will lead him astray. In
these regions the compass is a fidgety, nervous instru-
ment. At Etah the westward deviation of the

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 273

needle in the direction of the magnetic pole is so
strong that in order to go true north the navigator,
if he relies on the instrument, must sail southeast.
This fact will surprise the people who are laboring
under the mistaken notion, as many do, that the
magnetic pole is located at the north pole and that,
consequently, the needle always points due north.

Although Captain Ross undoubtedly discovered
the magnetic pole in British Columbia in 1831, we
shall know more about it after the report of Captain
Amundson is made public. This intrepid explorer
spent nearly a year in the vicinity of the magnetic
pole and his observations were made with great
accuracy and promise to be of the greatest scientific
value.

THE FLORA IN THE HEART OF THE
ARCTICS

Most of the people think of Greenland as a barren
land where ice and snow forbid any kind of vegeta-
tion. The visitor who sees Greenland for the first
time during the midsummer is surprised to find,
notwithstanding the shortness of the summer and
the scantiness of the soil, a rich vegetation and a
great variety of flowers. The midnight sun does
wonders in the way of awakening and stimulating
vegetation. Vegetable life is dormant under ice
and snow for nearly eight months out of the year;
but, with the appearance of the midnight sun, an
activity begins unparalleled in any other climate,
and in a few weeks seeds sprout, the plant develops
with magic speed, flowers, and ripens its seed for the
next year.

The country is treeless. Vegetation consists of
lichens, mosses, grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Minute
flowerless plants, of the class of algae, are found
growing even on ice and snow, where the detritus
of other plants has accumulated in sufficient quan-
tity to furnish the necessary nourishment. North
Greenland is especially very rich in lichens, of which
the crimson variety (Leprarid) is the most beautiful.
The ordinary mosses serve the natives a useful pur-
pose for packing the spaces between the stones of
their igloos and as a material for lamp wicks. The

275

276 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

most useful of the mosses is the reindeer moss (Clad-
onia rangiferina) , as it is the principal winter food
for the reindeer. It is found along the whole coast
of Greenland. It is of a silvery white color, even in
summer. It contains the nutritious lichenin, a form
of starch. In the fiords in the extreme southwest
of Greenland, birches and alders attain the height of
a man. Few of the shrubs are more than a foot
high and their branches touch the ground. Dwarf
alder and mountain ash grow as far north as 65°;
the juniper, two degrees higher, and willow
and birch, often hidden in moss, as far as 72° north.
I find the willow is the only representative shrub
from latitude 73° to 78° north, and only in a dwarfed
condition, varying in height from one inch to not
more than eight inches. If this shrub attains more
than two inches in height it is always found reclining
on the ground.

The flora of Greenland embraces about 400
flowering plants and several hundred varieties
of lichens and mosses. The flora resembles more
that of Europe than of the American continent. I
can only speak of the flora of the arctic oasis, extend-
ing from North Star Bay to Etah along the west
coast, a distance of about 235 miles, inhabited by
the Smith Sound Eskimos. This stretch of the
coast lies between 73° and 78° 40' north latitude.
I found and collected here the following plants:

Caltha palustris Ranunculus { ^^

fCorymbosa

Nivalis Rumex digynus

Glacialis Silene acaulis

Stettaria longipes Cerastium alpinum

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 277

Potentilla

Pulchella
Frigida

Epilobium augustifolium
Taraxacum palustre
Pyrola chloranta

Papaver nudicaule
Carex rigida
Alchemilla alpina
Diapensia laponica
Cassiope tetragona

Of grasses I found:

Agrostis canina
Trisetum subspicatum

Sedum rhodiola
Vaccinium uliginosum

(Oppositifolia
Nivalis
Rivularis

Andromeda tetragona
<?„,- / Herbacea
Sahx \Arctica
Dryas octopetala
Cochlearia fenestrata
Gnaphalium sylvaticum

Poa

/ Arctica
\ Alpina

The variety is not great, but when we consider
that these plants were found growing very near the
northern limits of vegetation, this small number
must astonish the uninitiated. While the variety is
not great, their number was something extraordi-
nary. In many sheltered places the ground was
literally covered with flowers, making, with the
soft, green grass, a variety of mosses, and the ever-
present colored lichens, a beautiful carpet.

ARCTIC WOES

The heart of the arctics is an ideal place for a
summer visit. It is, at best, a most desolate, dreary
region during the long winter night when deserted
by most animals, and when the ground is covered by
several feet of snow and the fierce, icy winds rake
the surface without mercy. After having enjoyed
the beauties of the far north during the most con-
genial season of the year, thoughts of the sufferings
of many arctic expeditions wintering in this neigh-
borhood occurred to me. The heart of the arctics
has been the battle-field of the explorers with ice,
cold, arctic cyclones, hunger, and disease, and is
the graveyard of many a brave sailor. It is
here where men's patience, courage, and persever-
ance have been most sorely tried.

The "Polaris" was lost in Smith Sound not far
from Etah. It was at Cape Sabine, in sight of Etah,
where the Greely expedition endured the hardships
of a long winter night and fought the pangs of hun-
ger and endured the ravages of disease, and where
many of the crew finally succumbed to starvation.
These battle-fields are not stained with blood, but
have been made memorable by the courage and
endurance of men in search, not for wealth and
power, but engaged in scientific pursuit in an unsel-
fish attempt to reach the remotest part of the world
to solve the mysteries of the north pole. The sad

279

28o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

fate of the "Polaris" expedition and the hardships of
expedition of Greely 's will furnish, among many others,
the most striking illustrations of the subject of this
chapter, familiar to most readers, but of sufficient
importance to deserve a brief repetition here. For
more minute details of the catastrophes the reader
is referred to Munsey's Magazine, 1895.

The "Polaris," in command of Captain Hall, in
1872-73, was caught in the ice in Baffin Bay. Ex-
pecting that any moment the vessel might be crushed,
the crew encamped beside it on the floes, in two
parties. Suddenly, as occasionally happens, the ice
broke awTay, and one party found itself drifting from
the ship and their companions, who were powerless
to give them any aid. In the strong current of the
bay, the ice-raft, with its freight of human beings,
floated away from the Greenland shore. Gradually,
as it traveled to the south, the ice melted and the
waves broke it up into smaller fields, necessitating
its passengers, from time to time, selecting a new
and smaller floe. The people on the ice numbered
more than thirty, among them some Eskimos, in-
cluding two women and several children. A child
was born during the memorable voyage. This child
is now the mother of several children and lives in one
of the settlements of the Smith Sound Eskimos.
Her father, called Hans, a familiar figure to a number
of explorers and known for his ability as a guide
and hunter and for his trustworthiness, has since
died.

This extraordinary voyage began on the i$th of
October and ended on the 29th of April following,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 281

when the passengers were rescued near the coast of
Labrador by a sealer. In a half -starved condition,
the people were brought to St. Johns, Newfoundland.
The ice-floe had carried them nearly 2,000 miles.
The physical suffering and mental agony of these
people can be better imagined than described. When
they were taken on board the sealer, all that was left
for them to eat was a bear skin, which was cut into
strips and chewed for what nutritious material it
contained. The crew of the Greely expedition fared
even worse than this.

It had been planned that the object of this ex-
pedition should be to establish an observation sta-
tion in Greenland, one of a chain to be maintained
as near as possible to the pole by several govern-
ments. The expedition sailed in 1881, and the fol-
lowing summer supplies were to be sent, and in 1883,
after two years' work, the party was to be brought
back. The plans miscarried. The first relief ex-
pedition, under Beebe, failed to reach Greely 's post.
A second was equally unsuccessful. The third relief
party, under Commander Schley, started at the
earliest possible moment in 1884.

It was believed that Greely 's provisions would
have failed him, and that he would have attempted
to escape southward. A careful watch was kept
along the shores of Smith Strait, and in June, at an
old cache, a record was found which contained the
information that in October, eight months before,
Greely made his headquarters at Cape Sabine. The
rescuing party made haste and reached the post
June 23rd. They met with a most appalling sight.

282 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

When winter overtook Greely's party, their pro-
visions were nearly exhausted. The fight for life
was a desperate one. In spite of the most discour-
aging outlook, discipline was maintained, observa-
tions were taken regularly, and the commander
encouraged his men by word and deed. Gradually
one after another died. At the end of winter, the
survivors were too weak to move. They had not
strength left to bury the dead — not even, in
the last days, to remove the dead from the tent,
which had partly collapsed, and none were strong
enough to raise it. Seven were still alive, barely
alive, when help came. Eighteen had perished.
Another two days would have sealed the fate of all.
The brave commander was one of the survivors, and,
when found, said in a faint voice: "Here we are dying
like men. Did what I came to do — beat the best
record."

The terrible fate of the Sir John Franklin expedi-
tion, although it occurred more than half a century
ago, remains fresh in the minds of the people. Not
a member of the different crews survived to tell the
story of the expedition, and it required the expendi-
ture of many fortunes and years of perilous search-
ing before the bleached skeletons of a number of
members of the expedition were found, under cir-
cumstances that proved, only too plainly, that death
had come to them from starvation. Although,
according to the statement of Commander Peary,
the total mortality of all expeditions to the arctic
regions does not exceed two per cent., it would be
difficult to estimate the amount of suffering endured

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 283

by those who were obliged to spend one or more
winters in that land of desolation and darkness,
utterly cut off from any communication, and thrown
on their -own resources.

In consequence of a long experience, recent ex-
peditions have been fitted- out in a way to prevent
many discomforts and much suffering. But such
undertakings cannot be carried out without much
self-denial and an amount of courage that would do
credit to a well-tempered veteran soldier.

APPROACH OF WINTER

Although the weather, during our ten days* so-
journ in Foulke Fiord, was all that possibly could
be desired, I observed, during the last few days,
unmistakable indications of the approach of winter
in the speedy fading of all flowers and in the yellow
discoloration of the grass in the most sheltered
localities. The little pools of water on the high
mountain plateaus became covered with a thin sheet
of ice during the night, and icicles formed on the
edges of crags, over which the water flowed in mini-
ature cataracts.

But an earlier notice of the coming of winter
was given by the best and most reliable weather
prophet, the little auk. For several days millions
of these birds, in endless flocks, sailed over the fiord,
high up in the air near the clouds, in a southerly
direction. I mistrusted that the southward migra-
tion had commenced. I went to the rookeries,
where a few days before, the cliffs were literally cov-
ered with auks, and found them almost entirely
deserted. The young generation had learned to
fly, and joined their parents on their flight to a
warmer climate. This shrewd bird of the far North
had timely knowledge of the approaching snow-storm
and escaped it. by seeking a warmer clime.

285

286 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The common guillemot (Cepphus grylle), the blue
gull (Larus glaucus), and the burgomaster (Lestris
parasitica, Buffonii) remained in large numbers and
the little snow-buntings (Emberiza and Plectrophanes)
twittered about the bare rocks on the mountain
plateaus as gaily as during midsummer, without a
thought of escaping the first snowfall. This little
bird is one of the last to leave the arctic regions, and
one of the first to return. The most patriotic of all
arctic birds, is, however, the raven. This bird,
alone, scorns to change either color or climate. The
Greenland raven is a magnificent specimen of bird
life, and how it survives the long, dark, arctic winter
is a mystery. I was fortunate enough to secure a
fine specimen in Foulke Fiord just before our de-
parture.

HOMEWARD BOUND

We left Etah, Wednesday, August 23d, at 5:45
P. M. The increase of the ice-clouds over the water-
clouds to the north and west above Smith Sound,
the formation of ice in elevated places, and the ap-
pearance of a snow-storm, admonished our captain
of the necessity of leaving this high latitude to avoid
the risk of being caught in pack-ice, in spite of the
fact that about 200 tons of coal, intended for the
Peary expedition, remained in the hold of the ship.
This coal served as ballast for the ship on the return
trip, and saved the time that would have been re-
quired in substituting stone ballast for it.

When the ship left her anchorage under full
steam, the Eskimos were standing on the shore in a
group in front of their tents, surrounded by their
dogs, and remained motionless until we were out of
sight. Only the bride of a day climbed up an adja-
cent cliff, stood for a short time like a statue, and
then scampered down the steep rocky decline and
ran in the direction of the settlement. What will
become of these poor people during the long winter
so near at hand? God only knows! Their clothing
was scanty and well worn, their fur supply entirely
inadequate, and the provisions almost exhausted.
There remained only two or three first-class hunters.
The remainder of the settlement was made up of
old men, women, children, and several infants.

287

288 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The walrus had left this part of the coast, and
only very few seal remained. The supply of ammu-
nition for the two or three old carbines was small,
and it was too late for the netting of birds. Fortu-
nately there are plenty of arctic hare in this vicinity,
and the natives secure them in stone traps and re-
serve the ammunition for larger game. The recon-
struction of the stone igloos had not commenced
when we left, as the natives prefer to live in tents
until the severe cold and snow force them into their
winter quarters.

The first night out a severe snow-storm overtook
us, which made it necessary to leave the Greenland
coast and depend on the unreliable compass as a guide
in directing the course of the vessel. During the
evening, we had a fine near view of the dreary
coast of Ellesmere Land, in full view of Cape
Isabella, and in the distance we could make out
distinctly, with the aid of glasses, Cape Sabine.
Ellesmere Land is buried under ice and snow through-
out the entire year, with the exception of some of
the cliffs along the coast and the black, bare moun-
tain peaks that project high above the level of the
billowy ocean of ice, which the warmth of the mid-
night sun uncovers for a short time during the sum-
mer. Some of the mountains in the interior appear
to be very high, at least from 4,000 to 5,000 feet
above the level of the sea. The numerous bare,
black peaks appeared like so many pyramids on a
foundation of eternal ice. The evening sun peeped
from time to time through the fleecy, golden clouds,
and his soft, slanting rays smiled upon this stern, un-

77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 289

inviting domain of ice, snow, and black rocks, pro-
ducing a strange, almost weird, illumination pleasing
to the eye from a distance, but forbidding on nearer
approach. The very breath from this land of ice
chilled the atmosphere and reminded us of the ter-
rors of the climate of the farthest North. This coast,
so freely exposed to the winds from the polar region,
is much colder than the west coast of Greenland,
the climate of which is moderated by the indirect
Gulf Stream from the south. This is why most of
the explorers make their winter quarters at or near
Etah, and not at Cape Sabine on the opposite side
of Smith's Sound.

The whole aspect of Ellesmere Land reminds
one of

"Fierce Boreas, with his offspring, issues forth

T' invade the frosty wagon of the North.'!

— Dryden.
and

"Liest thou asleep beneath those hills of snow?

Stretch out thy lazy limbs; awake, awake!
And winter from thy furry mantle shake."

— Dryden.

Toward morning, the snow-storm subsided, the
atmosphere cleared up, and, on our way to Godhavn,
we saw much of the coast of Greenland after Elles-
mere Land was out of sight. The Greenland coast,
south of Etah, is a range of table mountains, varying
little in height, intersected by fiords and ravines,
most of them beds of glaciers, large and small, leaders
of the great interior ice-cap, the silvery surface of
which is almost constantly in sight from the deck of
the steamer when a few miles out.

29o IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The first night and day out from Etah, we en-
countered numerous icebergs, all of them showing
the effects of the summer sun, the melting rays of
which, combined with the erosive action of the
waves, had sculptured them into most fantastic
forms. These colossal masses of pure ice have a
rectilinear groove at the water line, hollowed out by
the action of the waves, their tunnel-like roofs often
pendent with icicles. The thawing action of the
sun had worn away the brilliant fractured surfaces,
changing the whole mass into a color of frosted silver.
Doctor Kane says: "An iceberg is one of God's
own buildings, preaching its lesson of humility to
the miniature structures of man." Any one who
has seen the great army of icebergs sailing along
the coast of Greenland will indorse this beautiful
sentiment.

Many of these giants were in a state of far ad-
vanced disintegration, and the surface of the water
was covered with their mangled remains. Many of
the survivors showed cracks and fissures, several
feet in width, ready at any moment to break up into
,a thousand fragments, an occurrence which we had
an opportunity to witness a number of times, by a
thundering noise and much splashing and foaming
at the seat of disaster. With a thundering detona-
tion, the fracture or parting of the main mass takes
place, followed by sharp reports caused by the break-
ing up of these colossal fragments into smaller ones.
A part of the iceberg remains and sways like a ship
in a storm, while the detached masses fall in all di-
rections, sending splashing, foam-crested waves high

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 291

up into the air from the places where they momen-
tarily disappear under the water and where they
rise to the surface again. In a few minutes, this
local commotion in the water is followed by a calm,
and the astonished observer finds the foam-covered
surface strewn with fragments of all sizes and shapes
and what remains of the iceberg, slowly on the way
of finding its new balance, reminding one very much
of the floating wreck of a ship.

Thursday morning, at eight o'clock, we passed
Carey Islands. The weather was chilly, the sky
overcast with swiftly moving gray clouds, and dur-
ing the forenoon, and again in the evening, we had
quite a severe snow-storm, with biting winds, in
consequence of which the thermometer dropped to
35° F. As we entered Melville Bay in the evening,
we left the icebergs behind us and saw no traces of
pack-ice. In crossing the bay we were two days
out of sight of land.

MENTAL INDIGESTION

"I 'gin to be aweary of the sun." — Shakespeare.

All pleasures in this world are of short duration.
Not infrequently, anticipation affords more pleasure
than the reality. The mind, like the stomach, has
its likes and dislikes, its periods of activity and re-
pose, its pleasures and ailments, its hunger and
thirst, and sense of satiation. The stomach soon
tires of the most delicate articles of food if indulged
in day after day. Who is there who can enjoy, for
any length of time, the delicious speckled trout or
the savory quail on toast, if eaten. daily? It requires
a vigorous and patient stomach to enjoy such culi-
nary treats for more than two or three days in succes-
sion. The active mind must be given a variety of
mental food to guard against indigestion. The
mental appetite is as capricious as that of the stom-
ach, and, to keep it in a good, healthy condition, it
must be provided with food it can digest and assim-
ilate. A monotony, an exclusiveness in mental diet,
is as repugnant to the mind as a sameness of food is
to the stomach. Variety of food and congenial
employment is what mind and body crave for, and
on which they thrive.

When I was in Egypt and the Holy Land, the
camel was to me the most interesting of all animals.
It was something new to me. It is a homely beast,
but when a caravan came in sight I could not keep

293

294 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

my eyes off of these patient carriers of burden,
these ships of the desert. At first I saw the sunny
side of this, to me, new animal. As days and weeks
passed by, the camel lost its charms for me. By
that time, I noticed more the anterior surface of its
chafed, and often bleeding knees, the grunting, and
labored getting up and lying down in slow response
to the urging of the unfeeling driver. I have no
desire to see camels again.

In the tropics, I was fascinated by the graceful,
feathery palms, with their clusters of golden, oily,
giant nuts. I was, also, deeply interested in the
natives, their customs, and habits. But in a few
weeks, all these things had lost their attractions and
I was longing for our shady elms and maples, and
for people decently dressed and busy in doing some-
thing good for themselves or for somebody else.

I have seen the glaciers of the Swiss Alps, Alaska,
and Norway, playthings compared with those of
Greenland; hence my interest in these rivers of ice
was reawakened when brought face to face with
these almost constant features of the arctic Alps.
But in the course of a few short weeks, they all
looked alike to me and were passed by without
giving them the attention their picturesque grandeur
and beauty deserved. The same is true of icebergs,
such a novel sight at first; but it does not take long
for this sense of novelty to wear away. When we
see them by the hundreds and thousands, day
after day and week after week, we soon give them
but a passing glance, as though we had lived among
them since our childhood days.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 295

It is a rare privilege to see the midnight sun. I
saw him in all his glory from the summit of North
Cape, Norway, but was delighted, yes, charmed, to
see him again in another part of the world, much
nearer the north pole, in a new frame and shining
upon an arctic foreground. Night after night, I
studied and admired the pictures he painted on land
and sea, clouds, rocks, ice, and snow, exquisite arctic
panoramas which enchant the soul. But the mid-
night sun has his detractions as well as attractions.
He changes the regular order of daily affairs by
transforming night into day. For more than a
month we have been having

"The live-long day," — Shakespeare.

A whole month of continuous daylight and sun-
shine is well calculated to unsettle the customary
habits of a person coming from a part of the world
in which the midnight sun never makes his appear-
ance. The continuous daylight makes it almost
impossible to distinguish between the time set aside
for work and rest — and one finds it difficult to make
out whether he is going to breakfast, dinner, or supper,
and without the use of a printed timekeeper one is
apt to lose track of the days of the week and the
day set aside for rest. The midnight sun is a spur,
a goad which is applied to man and beast to be
about, wide-awake, at work. He chases away sleep;
he hates sleep. He is laboring under the firm con-
viction that while he reigns in the arctic regions it
is the time for work and not for sleep. He is deter-
mined that nature and man should rest and sleep
during his long absence.

296 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The Creator intended day for work; night for
rest and sleep. In the arctic regions, a restful,
natural sleep is out of the question as long as the
midnight sun is the sole master of the firmament.
Try and create an artificial night by excluding light
and it remains daylight as far as sleep is concerned.
Close your eyes and the light of the midnight sun
penetrates the eyelids and will keep you awake.

Doctor Kane, the famous explorer, has this to
say of the prolonged effects of the midnight sun :

"The perpetual light, garish and unfluctuating,
disturbed me. I became gradually aware of an un-
known excitant, a stimulus, acting constantly, like
the diminutive of a cup of strong coffee. My sleep
was curtailed and irregular; my meal hours trod
upon each other's heels — and, but for stringent
regulations of my own imposing, my routine would
have been completely broken up."

I can now say, after having contemplated with
admiration the midnight sun for a month by day and
the greater part of the sunlit nights,

"I 'gin to be aweary of the sun."
and add, with a longing heart and earnest wish:

"Come, civil night,

Thou sober- smiled matron, all in black.".
— Shakespeare.

I loved the midnight sun on my hunting trips
because he set no limit to the time for return; but
after my return, sometimes nearly at midnight,
weary and in need of rest, he kept me awake, or, at
least, would permit only short naps tinged with

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 297

dreams of real or imaginary things. Last night,
August 24th, we could have seen the midnight sun
for the last time had the frosty, snow-laden clouds
not hidden his parting glance.

Tonight, at midnight, there will be twilight for
a brief space of time, while the horizon in the east
and in the west, so near to each other at this time
and in this latitude, will be effulgent with the rays of
the setting and the rising sun. This twilight will soon
grow into a welcome night as we journey southward,
and we are as anxiously looking for the somber night
as we were for the midnight sun on our upward trip.
When it does come, we may expect what we have
missed for a month:

"The timely dew of sleep."— Milton.

At midnight, the sky presented a beautiful sight,
The darkness was sufficient to make it necessary to
supply artificial light for the compass to enable the
man at the steering gear to keep the ship in correct
course. For the first time in weeks, the lamps in
the dining room were lit. During the evening, the
sun was hidden behind a bank of clouds in the north,
stretching from east to west. In the center of this
dark veil, at a point corresponding with the location
of the sun, great transverse streaks, the color of new
gold, decorated the sky; later, as the clouds moved
lazily northward, their free margins became fringed
with a border of gold, while in the east and west a
rosy tint extended far beyond the margins of the
clouds, familiar pictures in the sky, announcing the
setting and rising of the sun. The remaining part

298 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

of the sky was painted a very pale blue, and only
here and there partly obscured by fleecy, fleeting
clouds sailing through the lower strata of the air.

At eleven o'clock, I saw the moon in the north-
east in the form of a crescent of old gold. Two
bright, sparkling stars accompanied the queen of the
new-born night.

"The stars hung bright above,
Silent, as if they watch'd the sleeping earth."

— Carlyle.

The somber, dark, gold-fringed bank of clouds
that veiled the dying midnight sun, with the delicate
pale blue sky in the foreground, the golden sickle of
the moon, and the two stars accompanying her in
the freshness and brilliancy of their youth, only
partly obscured from time to time as the thin, trans-
parent sheets of fugitive clouds raced over them, was
a picture that only nature can paint, and only under
extraordinary circumstances, when the three lights of
heaven co-operate in harmony.

Early in the morning of Saturday, August 26th,
we were again in sight of the stern, rugged coast of
Greenland, after having crossed Melville Bay. The
weather continues ideal for this latitude; a gentle
breeze from the south just sufficient to impart to the
"Erik" a soothing, rocking motion. If it were not
for the chilly wind, overcoats would be superfluous.
The foothills of the coast range of mountains appear
here, in the form of numerous small islands all along
the coast.

ISOLATION OF THE SMITH SOUND
ESKIMOS

We are now opposite Upernavik, until now the
most northern of the Danish settlements, and hope
to reach Godhavn tomorrow (Sunday) morning. As
we come nearer these settlements, I appreciate, more
and more, the isolation of the northern part of the
west coast of Greenland, inhabited by the Smith
Sound Eskimos. These people have only a very
faint idea of the world beyond. The only informa-
tion, out of reach of their vision and beyond their
limited travel, has come to them through the ships
of the explorers and an occasional whaler. I found
only one Eskimo who had made a trip over land and
ice as far as Upernavik, where he traded fur for a
cheap muzzle-loading shot-gun, an undertaking of
which he feels proud.

These Eskimos have lived here, undoubtedly, for
centuries, before they were discovered by the ex-
plorers, completely isolated from the Eskimos of
Southern Greenland and on the American continent.
They know nothing about mail, printing-press,
money, telegraph, or telephone, and their knowledge
of things is confined to what they see and hear in
their narrow sphere of life. And yet they consider
themselves as the people, Innuit, and the whites as
strangers, Kablunah. Attempts to tell them some-
thing of the men and things in the great world

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300 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

beyond their vision have not ^always succeeded in con-
vincing their simple minds of the truth of the state-
ments. One man told them that in some of our
great cities inhabited by millions of people, more
than twenty-one igloos were built one on top of the
other, and all of them occupied, making a great igloo
as high as some of their mountains. Another one
told them about talking over a wire thousands of
miles and the speed of our railways. These stories
were listened to with childish interest, but the men
who told them lost their reputation for veracity for-
ever among the Eskimos. Think of a country where
there is nothing to read, to which there is no access,
and from which there is no escape, except every year
or two by a tramp whaler, or an occasional vessel of
an explorer, and you will have some idea of the
solitude and extent of isolation of the heart of the
arctic region.

In calling at Godhavn on our return trip, we feel
that; we will soon be again in the outskirts of civil-
ization, although we do not expect that a lighthouse
will guide us in finding the harbor, or to hear from
home, for even here the people must be content
with three mails a year. What a sense of relief and
satisfaction the arctic explorer must experience,
when, after an absence of a year or two, he reaches
this outpost of civilization.

Prolonged isolation in a remote part of the world,
excluded from the influences of civilization and one
of its greatest blessings — the press, is productive
of mental starvation of which there is no better
proof than the lives and habits of the Eskimos living

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 301

north of the Danish settlements. A prolonged stay
in that severe climate, aggravated by the long winter
nights, must have a depressing influence on the
minds and bodies of the men who venture to go there
in search of the pole. The mind of more than one
man has been upset under these trying conditions
of arctic life. Even the Eskimos, habituated to the
climate and the conditions it creates, not infrequently
become nervous and hysterical toward the end of
winter, after having suffered in body and mind the
baneful consequences of prolonged confinement,
where

"The' night is long that never finds the day.".

— Shakespeare.

OMENAK FIORD

Omenak Fiord is one of the great fiords of the
west coast of Greenland. It is a wide, almost bay-
like, inland arm of the sea, eighty miles in length,
and the center of a magnificent Alpine scenery.
Near the head of the fiord is Omenak Island, the
seat of an old Danish settlement of considerable
importance. The coast north of Omenak Fiord is
made up of a high, precipitous mountain mesa, with
numerous little islands in the foreground. Some
distance north of the fiord, the shore presents an
entirely different aspect. The mainland, here, breaks
up into high, sharp-peaked, snow and ice-clad moun-
tains. Beyond the innumerable cones, wrapped in
their draperies of silver, rises the great inland ice-
cap. At five o'clock in the evening, when we neared
Omenak Fiord, the sky was overcast, the great
expanse of water to the west appeared dark and
gloomy while the sun lit up the sea of ice and the
countless mountains in the foreground. The re-
flection of the rays of the sun from the ice and snow
made colors in gold, silver, and alabaster; and in
many places the new ice glittered like diamonds.

We were here given a splendid opportunity to
compare, once more, the water-clouds with the ice-
blink. The clouds hovering over the open water
were dark, almost black; those over the great inland
ice almost white, with a slight tinge of brownish gray.

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3o4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

The north coast of Omenak Fiord resembles very
much, in its configuration, the wild chaos of peaks
and crags of the Swiss and Tyrolean Alps, viewed
from a high point of observation. It presents a
real Alpine scenery on a grand scale. In crossing
the fiord, we were again among prodigious icebergs.
Omenak Fiord is the most remarkable locality, in
the production of icebergs, on the face of the globe.
Doctor Kane has seen here floating mountains of
ice 200 feet high; and if we estimate, as he did, that
the submerged part of the berg is seven times greater
than that above the water, we obtain a more defi-
nite idea of the immensity of these wandering frag-
ments of the glaciers which reach this bay.

Next morning, Sunday, August 2yth, we were
sailing along the west coast of Disco Island. A
cloudy sky and drizzling rain made it difficult to
identify the landmarks of the coast, which serve as
guides to the little harbor of Godhavn.

DISCO ISLAND

Disco is a large island in the bay of the same
name. As Peary said of Saunder's Island, I can
say of this one, it looks like "a Titan agate set in
lapis lazuli." Its inland ice-cap, numerous small
glaciers, deep fiords, precipitous, inland, snow-clad
mountains, and the army of icebergs surrounding it,
and reflecting a lazulite blue, make up a picture of
exquisite beauty and majestic grandeur. For miles,
the coast of this island, near Godhavn, appears like
a bastion, rising almost perpendicularly from the sea
to the height of 500 to i ,500 feet. This wall of basalt
rock appears as though it had been constructed by
the hand of man. It is composed of immense, regu-
arly cut stones cemented together with a reddish
mortar. Time and the elements have carved the
face of the rock into most fantastic designs. Frost
and thaw have softened the hard face, and the
dribbling water, passing like tears over it, has
washed away the debris and carried it to the base of
the wall, where it has accumulated for ages and forms,
almost at regular intervals, immense gray mounds,
that look from a distance like ash-heaps from a fur-
nace.

On the surface of the mesa, and especially in the
valleys and on the shore, where a little soil has
formed, a scanty growth of grass appears here and
there in the form of pale green patches, which re-

20 305

306 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

lieve, somewhat, the severity of the otherwise bleak,
dreary aspect of the landscape. Flocks of eider-
ducks, gulls, and kitti wakes enliven the air and sur-
face of the water. During the afternoon, the driz-
zling rain ceased, the gray clouds broke and dispersed,
and, although the thermometer only registered 42^°
F., the icy wind from the inland ice-cap made it
necessary to make use of an overcoat when on deck.

HARBOR OF GODHAVN

The harbor of Godhavn is in an out-of-the-way
place, and not an easy one to find. Following the
coast at half speed, we discovered the first un-
mistakable landmark leading to it, a narrow, rocky,
projecting strip of lowland with an immense erect
boulder, painted red, at its head, and with a white
Roman cross painted on its face on the side of the
entrance into a small bay. As we entered this little
bay, we saw a small schooner disappear to the right,
presumably into the harbor. The steamer's whistle
soon brought out a large row boat manned by half
a dozen natives. The Eskimo pilot came on board,
and, although he could not speak a word of English,
skillfully directed the course of the ship.

At the head of the little bay a very narrow chan-
nel leads into the little harbor. The harbor is land-
locked, separated from the ocean on the opposite
side by a low narrow bar over which the waves leap
into the harbor when the sea is high and the wind
in the direction of the island from that side. The
harbor is deep, but so small that it could not ac-
commodate more than three or four ships of the size
of the "Erik." It was evening when the anchor
dropped near the middle of the harbor. On entering
the harbor, we passed a number of kayaks. Their
inmates, mostly boys and girls, were engaged in

307

3o8 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

fishing for cod, and later brought us the day's catch
in exchange for crackers, pork, and other eatables.

GODHAVN

I was very anxious to see Godhavn, after seeing
and studying the Smith Sound Eskimos, in order to
learn from my own observations the effects of civi-
lization on the Eskimo race. Commander Peary
very kindly granted my urgent request and ordered
the captain of the "Erik" to put in at Godhavn on
the return trip, provided the weather permitted him
doing so without taking additional risks. He gave
me, at the same time, a letter of introduction to the
inspector of North Greenland. As it was late in the
evening, and a drizzling rain again set in, we re-
mained on board. We learned that the little schoon-
er we had seen, before coming to the harbor, was a
government vessel, just returned from a sail to Eged-
esminde, with Governor Mathiesen on board. The
little craft was anchored near the "Erik," the only
two vessels in the harbor.

Godhavn is located on a gneissoid spur, off-
setting from the larger mass of Disco. The low
tongue of land is strewn all over with immense boul-
ders, with little shallow patches of soil in isolated
places among the rocks. In the rear of the harbor,
mountains, which were at this time in a garb of new
snow, rise to the height of at least 2,000 feet. Near
the talus of the highest mountain, and on the edge
of the harbor, is a solid, one-story stone building
which is the rendering establishment of the settle-
ment and not in use at this season of the year. The

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 309

village is located on the opposite side of the harbor.
The houses of the inspector of North Greenland and
the governor of Disco District are comfortable and
substantial one-story frame buildings with high
gable roofs. A miniature garden is attached to each
of them. The huts of the natives are small frame
buildings, and some of them are walled in, in part
at least, with turf. There are no streets, the homes,
some twenty in number, being scattered over a con-
siderable surface. The entire population does not
exceed eighty-five.

The inspector was absent, having returned to
Denmark for the winter, as is his usual custom.
The governor acted as his substitute during the win-
ter, besides attending to his own duties as store-
keeper for the district, which comprises Disco Island
and some of the small inhabited islands in Disco
Bay — three or four settlements in all. The Danish
flag had been transferred from the flagstaff in front
of the inspector's house to the one in front of the
governor's house. The government buildings,, be-
sides the residences of the two officials, consist of
store houses, rendering establishment, and brewery;
the business places being the property of the Royal
Greenland Company. The brewery is conducted by
natives, and the beer brewed does not contain any
alcohol, but is a refreshing, pleasant beverage and
is sold to the Eskimos at eight kroner a keg. The
sale of liquor in all of the settlements is prohib-
ited by stringent laws, consequently the vice of
drunkenness is unknown.

The day after our arrival, I called on the govern-

3io IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

nor, and, in his company, visited the public buildings,
brewery, schoolhouse, the little church, and a number
of huts of the natives. These huts have retained
some of the features of the igloo. The windows are
few and small. The roofs are made of corrugated
iron or slate. The doors are very narrow and low.
The interior is generally divided into two compart-
ments, one is the living and bedroom, the other, the
kitchen and storehouse. The common family bed
is a wooden platform, about two feet high, taking in
the whole width of the room. The bedding consists
of furs, mostly tanned sealskins, as bear and reindeer
in this part of Greenland are very scarce.

Much of the animal food is cooked, which may
account for occasional attacks of scurvy during the
long winter months. This, however, always dis-
appears in the spring when the natives can secure
narwhal and white whale. The skin of these animals
is eaten raw and, like the Eskimos of Smith Sound,
is relished as a great delicacy. The houses are
heated by stoves — turf being used as fuel.

One of the most striking effects of civilization
on these people has been to make them respect and
practise cleanliness. They are clean in person and
in their houses. The men wear sealskin trousers,
short boots of the same material, and jackets with
hoods made either of sealskin, or, during the summer,
of cloth. Underclothing of eider-duck skins or
woven material is most generally worn. The women
and girls are exceptionally well dressed. They wear
hip boots of many bright colors, jupe, collars and
hair bands of beadwork. They part their hair in

CIVILIZED ESKIMOS OF GODHAVN

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 311

the middle and tie it tastily in a knot over the back
of the head.

There has been so much Danish blood infused
into the Eskimo race here and elsewhere in the Dan-
ish settlements that they have lost most of the strik-
ing features of the aborigines. The malar prom-
inences are less marked, diminishing the flatness
of the face, which has become elongated. The skin
has lost much of its swarthiness, and blue eyes and
red hair are by no means uncommon. If most of
these people were seen in Copenhagen, no one would
mistrust their Eskimo origin, One can see here
men with blond beards, fair skin, and blue eyes, who
bear no resemblance whatever to the Eskimos of the
far North, and yet for generations their ancestors
have lived in Greenland. The women have aban-
doned their savage customs. They cannot ride the
kayak, and no longer cure skins by chewing them.
They are excellent seamstresses and use thread in-
stead of the sinews of the narwhal.

In many respects civilization has bettered their
condition. They are all Lutherans and regular
churchgoers. The settlement has a neat, tiny
church in which service is held every Sunday. A
Danish missionary visits the settlement twice a year,
and between his visits the school master, a native
educated in Greenland, conducts the service by re-
citing a prayer, conducting the singing, and by read-
ing a chapter from the Bible.

The little frame schoolhouse contains four small
desks with as many equally rough, unfinished benches
which afford scant space for the twenty-two little

312 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

children who receive their rudimentary education
here. Higher education < for the natives is provided
for at Julianahaab, where missionaries conduct a
seminary and where a small printing establishment
is located. The books published in the Eskimo
language are: Bible, Testament, catechism, song-
book, primary reader, and a pamphlet on first aid.
As there are only a very few educated physicians in
Greenland, this pamphlet is a great help to the
people living far away from medical aid. Mr. Ger-
hard Kleist, the schoolmaster, is one of the swarth-
iest of the Eskimos here. He is not only a good
schoolmaster, but a skilled carpenter. His salary
is 500 kroner ($135.00) a year, which is paid out of
a fund of a missionary society. He is a man of
middle age, the happy father of nine robust chil-
dren, and is living in his little house that he built
himself, near the schoolhouse. His three oldest
daughters are charming girls, the belles of Godhavn.
Accompanied by their father, they came on board
in the evening to return our visit. They were
dressed in their best and entertained us by singing
sweetly one of their favorite church songs. The
father took considerable pride in informing us that
the short beaded capes they wore cost him a pound
apiece. It appears from this that marriageable
daughters make family expenses high, even among
the Greenland Eskimos.

The "Erik" was the first foreign ship to enter
this harbor within the last three years, and the new
governor, Mr. O. J. F. Mathiesen, very recently ap-
pointed, was given the first opportunity to make

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 313

use of his official power in dealing with the outside
world. He was born in Godhavn thirty-five years
ago. His father and mother emigrated from Den-
mark to Greenland in 1870. He attended school
for six years in Copenhagen. It was a source of
great disappointment to me that he could speak
neither German nor French, as his knowledge of
English was so very limited that I experienced great
difficulty in obtaining from him the desired infor-
mation on many subjects, more especially on the
effects, immediate and remote, of civilization on the
Eskimos. The situation was made more painful
by his labored efforts to comply with my request.
He entertained us at his house, showed us through
all government institutions, visited with us a number
of the more prominent Eskimo families in the vil-
lage, and we met everywhere with a most cordial
reception. In the evening, before sailing, we enter-
tained the governor on board, and on this occasion
the murdering of the English language on one side,
and of the Danish on the other, was something
frightful. But the strenuous conversation was kept
up until near midnight. He is a single man, but
intends to go to Copenhagen next summer to claim
his bride, who, he says, is willing to return with him
to this out-of-the-way place.

The Eskimos of the Godhavn settlement are
principally engaged in fishing and seal-hunting.
Rock cod, halibut, and salmon are plentiful.
In early spring, the seal migrate in large numbers to
the shores of Disco Bay. Walrus is getting scarce
in this locality, and last year only one polar bear

3i4 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

was killed. The reindeer have migrated farther
north. Ptarmigan, arctic hare, and sea-fowl furnish
sport for the shot gun. The Danish government
has acted very wisely in supplying the natives with
muzzle-loading guns of the same caliber. The piti-
ful cry for powder is not heard here, and accidents
occur here less frequently than among the Smith
Sound Eskimos, most of whom have breechloaders
of different calibers.

The coast steamer "Fox" of the Royal Green-
land Company, that we met in North Star Bay,
calls here several times during the summer, brings
supplies and takes away the skins and ivory which
the natives exchange at the storehouse for the most
necessary articles with which to supply their house-
holds. Tobacco, tea, biscuits, soap, thread, pow-
der, lead, caps, cotton and woolen cloths are the
articles most in demand.

Greenland has its own paper money, but no silver.
The denominations of the paper money suit the
local market, ranging from one kroner upward.
The silver which circulates here is Danish coins.
In making little purchases, the natives would accept
neither American, Canadian, nor English silver.
The governor came to our aid and gave us Danish
for American money.

Greenland has no postage stamps. The letters
go to Copenhagen, where the Danish stamps are
affixed and canceled. The local mail is carried on
kayaks in the summer and dog sledges in the winter.
The prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors,
by the government, the education of the children in

CHURCH AT GODHAVN

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 315

missionary schools, and the Christianization of the
people by the Lutheran church have borne excellent
fruit, the evidences of which can be so plainly seen
in Godhavn. On the other hand, civilization has
also brought its bad influences. The alterations
in dress and diet, the living in small, heated huts
summer and winter, in the same place year after
year, could not fail in slowly undermining the vigor
and health of the people.

Godhavn is in need of a dentist. Its inhabitants,
in consequence of modernizing their manner of
living and eating, have lost the splendid teeth of the
real Eskimo. The real Eskimo has teeth as perfect
as his dogs, exempt from malformation and disease,
and only subject to a gradual wearing away from
use. The only case of toothache and. swollen cheek
I saw among the Eskimos was at Godhavn. Irregu-
larity of teeth, caries, or loss of teeth, never seen
among the real Eskimos, are seen as frequently in
Godhavn as in any of our communities. The wear-
ing of hats and caps, instead of the loose hood, has
proved here, as elsewhere, a menace to the vigorous
growth of hair which ornaments the scalp of every
Eskimo, as I saw among the limited number of
adults at least three persons, two men and one
woman, bald, and all of these were blonds and had
blue eyes, the most degenerate kinds of Eskimos.
Then, too, the taste of civilization brings ever-
increasing desires and longings for something new;
and attempts to gratify them, a corresponding in-
crease of family expenses and additional cares, to
say nothing of the chagrin and disappointments

3i6 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

if they cannot be satisfied. The fewer the needs,
the greater the contentment; while the craving for
something difficult to acquire, or entirely out of
reach, is the mother of worry and discontent. And
we must not forget:

"Pleasure blinds, so to say, the eyes of the
mind, and has no fellowship with virtue. " — Cicero.

and

"Happiness and misery are the sources of the
two extremes, the utmost bounds whereof we
know not." — Locke.

We can say, in brief, that civilization has had a
salutary effect on the mental status and morals of
the Eskimos on the one hand, while, on the other,
it has resulted in a deplorable physical degeneration
and a vastly increased receptivity to disease. God-
havn is a good place to purchase little souvenirs,
which the natives make, such as toy kayaks, dog
sledges, purses and slippers of seal skin, etc.

GREENLAND PORTS

Denmark guards the ports of entrance of this
possession with scrupulous care for the purpose of
holding the monopoly of trade and as a precaution
against the introduction of contagious and infec-
tious diseases. I here give a few extracts from the
regulations which govern the entrance of foreign
vessels into any of the ports of Greenland, a copy of
which is given to the master of every ship entering
a port:

THE BOARD OP THE ROYAL GREENLAND
COMPANY MAKE KNOWN:

By treaties made between the Royal Danish
Government and the United States of America,
Great Britain, and other states, it is recognized
that the Danish colonies, with all coasts and
islands belonging thereto, on the west coast
of Greenland, which colonies presently ex-
tend from 60° to 74° 30' north latitude,
are closed to navigation to foreign vessels (as
well as to Danish vessels) unless special permis-
sion has been obtained from the Danish Govr
eminent holding the monopoly of trade in
Greenland.

According to Danish law, any vessel sailing
on the west coast of Greenland without leave,
shall be liable to be seized, wherever met with,
and the vessel and cargo to be forfeited.

31?

3i8 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

Similar punishment may be applied when any
person is found trading with Greenlanders or
Danish colonists from any vessel lying in any
port of Greenland, or off the said coast.

Any shipmaster, compelled by shipwreck or
other similar cause to seek refuge in any port
of Greenland, shall only remain in port so long
as is absolutely necessary, and shall obey any
order given him by the local authorities. * * *

Watering without special leave shall only
take place at the colony of Holstenborg, Uper-
navik, and the settlement of Godhavn, and in
all cases a bill of health must be presented to
the local authorities either by the shipmaster
or the ship surgeon. If there be any contagious
disease on board any vessel, the Greenland
authorities shall take all necessary measures to
prevent the disease from spreading among the
native population, and may order the vessel to
proceed to another watering-place. The ship-
master shall at once obey all orders given him by
the said authorities. In order to avoid the
spreading of any disease, it shall be prohibited
to dispose of or sell any used wearing apparel,
used bedclothes, and similar things, to the
native population of Greenland or to the Danish
colonists.

The prohibition against navigating on the
west coast of Greenland and the monopoly of
trade purport to protect the native population of
Greenland, which will be threatened with ruin
in case contagious diseases should spread
among them, or in case it should be permitted
to import alcoholic drinks or other similar goods.

77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 319

The regulations in the present form came into force
March, 1905.

These wise and timely precautions to protect the
natives against outside diseases have been very
effective. As far as I could learn, pulmonary
tuberculosis, so common in Denmark, has not as
yet gained a foothold here. There is no case, at
least at present, in Godhavn, and I saw no indica-
tions of glandular, bone, or joint tuberculosis. Three
years ago all of the natives and colonists living on
the west coast were vaccinated. A year ago
typhoid fever broke out in one of the colonies. It
proved very fatal to the Danes, while all the natives
recovered. Venereal diseases are not as prevalent
here as among the real Eskimos, and appear to pur-
sue a comparatively mild course. I saw no indica-
tions of rickets, either in the adults, children, or
infants. Scurvy makes its appearance occasionally
toward the latter part of winter, but yields promptly
to the spring diet of fresh meat, especially the raw
skin of the white whale and narwhal.

By government regulation permanent residence is
reserved, exclusively, for Danish subjects. The
two races appear to be congenial to each other, and
instead of the natives becoming Danes, the Danes
imitate them in their manner of living, and in a
short time become Eskimos. No efforts are made
to deprive the Eskimos of their language, and it
remains the language of the island. Denmark has
done much toward the civilization of the Eskimos
and in lifting them to a higher plane in life
without resorting to any harsh means, and without

320 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

interfering too much with their local affairs. She
has played rather the part of a loving mother than
of a stern father. The missionaries are entitled to
much praise for their untiring labors in bettering
the spiritual life of these docile, gentle people.

In this latitude, the midnight sun shines from
the middle of May to the middle of August. Four
months out of the year, the sun is out of sight. Ac-
cording to Governor Mathiesen, the coldest weather
prevails during the month of March. It is during
the long winter that the people, in consequence of
the absence of sunshine, the long confinement in the
small huts, and especially the lack of fresh meat,
become anemic and nervous, and sometimes scor-
butic. With the appearance of sunlight, outdoor
exercise, and ample supply of fresh seal, walrus,
and whale meat they recuperate rapidly from the
effects of the winter's hardships. They are in the
best physical condition when the winter overtakes
them again, resembling very much, in this respect
the hibernating animals.

Wherever a little soil has accumulated between
rocks in and about Godhavn, grass grows six to
eight inches high, and flowers bloom. Lettuce,
radishes, cucumbers, and some other short-lived
vegetables could be cultivated successfully, but the
natives have an inborn repugnance against such
garden products. What they ask for most, when a
ship comes into port, is pork, coffee, sugar, tobacco,
and underwear. In their intercourse with strangers
they are friendly, polite, and obliging.

FROM GODHAVN TO ST. JOHNS, NEW-
FOUNDLAND

Sunday evening, after anchoring in the harbor
of Godhavn, a pouring rain set in which continued,
with but few slight intermissions, for twenty-four
hours. The male population made use of kayaks
and two rowboats plying between the ship and the
shore. Females are prohibited by law to come on
board of a vessel in port. The three grown-up
daughters, accompanied by their father, the school-
master, were the only female visitors on board the
"Erik;" and this privilege was, undoubtedly, ac-
corded them by the governor as a mark of special
favor to the most prominent and influential native
of the settlement. I shall always remember my
visit to Godhavn with pleasure, as it was replete with
interest and gave me, at least, a glimpse of the life
of the Eskimos who have lived under Danish rule
for more than two hundred years.

It is the intention of the Danish government to
extend its jurisdiction over the entire west coast,
which will then include the last remnant of the real
Eskimos now living at and north of Cape York.
The government has in contemplation, as previously
stated, the establishment of two additional perma-
nent settlements, one at North Star Bay, and the
other near Etah, which, if carried out, will bring the
entire native population of Greenland under the
protection of the Danish flag.

21 321

322 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

After supplying our tanks with fresh water, we
left Godhavn at noon, Tuesday, August 29th. The
natives were arranged in groups along the shore,
and the governor stood in front of his house; all
eyes following the ship as it passed out of the channel
and disappeared from their sight behind the rocky
shore of the peninsula on which Godhavn is located.
When the Eskimo pilot and his crew left the ship,
we parted for good with these interesting people.

A stiff breeze from the north, during the fore-
noon, swept away the fog and rain clouds and a
bright sunshine cheered the billowy sea. The air
and surface of the water teemed with eider-ducks,
kitti wakes, and ivory gulls. Numerous icebergs
were resplendent in the sunshine. Most of these
monsters are the product of the Jacobshavn Glacier
at the head of Disco Bay. The sun retired at 7 130
P. M., in the form of a great disc of gold. Just before
the rim of this golden disc touched the edge of the
water, a narrow strip of a cloud obscured the upper
margin, and the effect of reflection, from this partial
hiding of the sun, produced on the upper margin of
the cloud an image of the sun, about half the size of
the sun itself, giving the appearance of two suns of
unequal size, almost in touch with each other.

Most of the icebergs we encountered were mere
wrecks; many of them had lost their balance and
were leaning over to one side, others were completely
turned over and were lying on their backs. The
saddest spectacles were presented by those, which,
in their youth, had represented in outline a ship
under full sail, but now were wrecks with stern or

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 323

stem high in the air and the opposite end deeply under
water. The swaying and rocking movements of
these shapeless masses of ice, in the restless sea,
reminded one, vividly, of a wreck at sea. After
leaving Disco Bay, one of the most productive birth-
places of icebergs in the world, these, up to now,
almost constant reminders of the arctic region, dis-
appeared completely from the surface of the ocean,
not leaving even a sign of their former existence in
the form of wreckage.

ECLIPSE OP THE SUN

An eclipse of the sun had been announced for
the 2 yth of August. The coast of Labrador was
to be the place where this event was to be seen to
the best advantage. For more than four weeks the
sun was for us the center of attraction, as he had
been our constant companion. We were anxious to
see him, for once, shut out from sight by a lesser
luminary body. We thought of Milton's reference
to such a rare occurrence:

"As when the sun, new risen,
Looks through the horizontal, misty air,
Shorn of his beams; or from behind the moon,
In dim eclipse, disastrous torchlight sheds
On half the nation."

However, we seemed to be in the wrong place to
see the eclipse. We were constantly on the lookout,
and it certainly did not take place on the day pre-
dicted. The next morning it was cloudy. At 8:30
A. M., the captain said he could see a blurring
of a part of the disc of the sun, then visible behind

324 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

a thin veil of clouds. When I came on the deck, I
thought I could see a shadow in the lower left quad-
rant of the sun; and, if this was an eclipse, it was a
very incomplete one.

On leaving Disco Bay, the course of the vessel
was set for the coast of Labrador, a little north of
Battle Harbor, and we soon lost sight of Greenland.
This part of the voyage was devoid of special interest.
Davis Strait, which had to be crossed, has not a
good reputation among sailors. It is a restless,
quarrelsome body of water, more especially so during
the month of September. On leaving Disco Bay,
we were out of sight of icebergs for the first time,
for any length of time, since we left the Strait of
Belle Isle on our upward trip.

The first two days out, a strong breeze from the
north rendered material assistance in increasing the
speed of the vessel. When we reached about the
middle, of Davis Strait, very high and long swells
from the opposite direction announced the rear
end of a storm. The little "Erik" now demonstra-
ted what she could do in the way of pitching. The
violent heaving of the ocean made her stand on her
heels and then plunge forward into a great abyss,
dipping her sharp nose deep into the next wave,
which, in turn, lifted her into an almost standing
position. As the wind shifted toward the west,
the monotonous rocking movements were modified
into a motion resembling the tortuous windings of
a screw, a combination of pitching and rolling so
trying to sensitive stomachs. Before we reached the
Labrador coast, the wind was again in our favor,

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 325

and contributed much toward hastening our home-
ward journey and in calming the sea.

The little auk, that intrepid, hardy bird of the
arctics, we left behind some fifty miles out from
Greenland, but the faithful escort of several kinds
of gulls followed us from coast to coast. We had
now reached a latitude where the sun sets early
enough to give place to a long, peaceful night, in the
shadows of which body and mind find the necessary
rest. Sunrise and sunset now lent a charm to the
beginning and close of the day. After a long dawn,
announcing the approach of a new day, with eyes
fixed on the eastern horizon, we could say with
Thomson :

"But yonder comes the powerful king of day,
Rejoicing in the east."

and in the evening, looking in the opposite direction :

"The downward sun
Looks out effulgent from amid the flash
Of broken clouds."

And after the fading away of the gentle twilight into
the somber solitude of restful night:

"In her starry shade
Of dim and solitary loneliness,
I learn the language of another world." — Byron.

What a relief it is to get away from the constant
glitter of the midnight sun, and to return to a lati-
tude where night invites sleep and repose! Who
else, but the Almighty Architect of the universe,
could have created the lights of heaven and regulated
their course in such a way as to make an equal divi-

326 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

sion of time into night and day, rest and labor,
where the great mass of people of this world live and
toil?

"It would be labor lost to him, at present, that
this mighty frame of the world could not be
maintained without some governor, and that
this regular course of the stars is not directed
by chance," — Seneca.

The early dawn brings hope and vigor to the
toiling masses, and, with the waning day, the soft
twilight, with its soothing influence, prepares the
way for a restful, peaceful sleep.

THE SUN AS A PAINTER

Sunrise and sunset at sea, when the clouds do
not veil, too deeply, the face of the rising and set-
ting king of day, are hours eagerly looked forward
to, as it is, then, that the sky, broken clouds, and
the surface of the sea are decorated in colors and
hues that have never been and never will be repro-
duced to anything like perfection with the brush
of the most famous artists. The pictures the sun
paints are unlike those we see in our most famous
collections of art. The former are living, moving,
ever changing pictures; the latter are dead, fixed
immovably on canvas by rude paints, lacking all
the delicate hues which impart such characteristic
charms to the former. A sunset or sunrise on canvas
is the same, day after day and night after night.
The pictures in the orient and Occident, painted by
the sun, are never the same. In these pictures, in
the sky or on the sea, the background and the fore-

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 327

ground, the tapestry, are continually changing and
the stiff, cold, crude colors of the canvas are lacking.
It has always seemed strange to me that so many
people, who take an interest in art and who make
claim to a knowledge of art, take more pleasure in
visiting art galleries than in studying and admiring
nature's immaculate and perfect works of art. Who-
ever has made a careful study of sunset and sunrise
at sea will not lose much time in the art galleries,
examining the rude pictures made to imitate such
glorious scenes, no matter how famous the name of
the artist on the canvas may be. Who can repro-
duce on stiff canvas the golden, silvery, rosy tints
of the curtain of clouds, or the delicate shadows
of fleeting clouds on the rippling mirror of the sea?
Nature is the only real art gallery, and she exhibits
her marvelous pictures and panoramas in the open
air, free to all. Keep out of the dingy, dusty halls,
called art galleries, hung with pictures that require
a legend to know what they are intended to repre-
sent, and commune in the open air with nature and
study her inimitable works of art.

AURORA BOREALIS

The midnight sun excluded the possibility for us
to see the aurora borealis in the arctic region. This
strange phenomenon of the sky makes its grandest
display in the arctics during the long winter night.

Nansen describes one of these exhibitions which
he witnessed during midwinter in 83° north latitude:
"Presently the aurora borealis shakes over the
vault of heaven its veil of glittering silver — changing

328 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

now to yellow, now to green, now to red. It spreads,
it contracts again, in restless change; next, it breaks
into many folded waving bands of shining silver,
over which short billows of glittering rays float, and
then the glory vanishes. Presently, it shimmers
in tongues of flame over the very zenith, and then
again it shoots a bright ray right up from the hori-
zon, until, the whole melts away in moonlight; and
it is as though one heard the sigh of a separating
spirit. Here and there are left a few, waving stream-
ers of light, vague as a foreboding — they are the dust
from the aurora's glittering cloak. But now it is
grown again; new lightnings shoot up, and the endless
game begins afresh. And all the time this utter
stillness, impassive as the symphony of infinitude."

All arctic explorers have been charmed by this
magnificent vision which must, at least to a con-
siderable extent, have relieved the monotony of the
long polar night. It is, in this part of the world,
a real fourth light of heaven, synchronous, and in
perfect harmony with the gentle light of moon and
stars. The aurora borealis is intimately associated
with the electro-magnetic system of the earth, both
as to its origin and visibility; although the causes
and conditions of its intermittent actions are not
yet fully understood. Some claim that the display
is occasionally attended by an audible swishing
sound. Captain Frazer, of the S. S. "Bonaventura,"
informed me that he frequently heard such a sound
during the height of the phenomenon in his cruises
along the coast of Newfoundland.

The common optical effect is the long, low arch

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 329

spanning the sky, of gray, green, purple, or red colors;
somewhat brightening into the most magnificent
display of transient tints, suffusing the whole heavens.
Toward the end of the display, long streamers reced-
ing from the observer seem to unite in a glorious
crown, or halo, called the corona. Moistness of the
atmosphere, cold, low barometric pressure, and the
neighborhood of large bodies of water intensify the
luminous manifestations. The arctics present all
of these conditions and are, therefore, the localities
in which the aurora makes the most magnificent
displays. The aurora, which only occasionally is
seen in our latitude, is but the shadow of what is to
be seen in the polar regions.

The dreary coast of Labrador is favored by this
mysterious light, and for the last three nights I have
watched and studied these transitory arches, veils,
sheets, and streamers of shimmering silver. The
first display made its appearance Thursday evening,
August 3ist, at 9:30 P. M., simultaneous with the
new moon and the first starlit night. The finest
displays have been observed between ten o'clock
in the evening and midnight. The sky has been
propitious for these exhibitions. The golden cres-
cent of the new moon

"The queen of night

Shines fair with all her virgin stars." — Otway.
and

"Now had Aurora displayed her mantle over the
blushing skies, and dark night withdrawn her
sable veil." — Cervantes.

Imagine yourself on the deck of a steamer, far

330 77V THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

away from land, the delicate blue of the sky as a
background, the new moon, the heavens rejoicing

"In the galaxy, that milky way
Which nightly, as a circling zone, them see'st
Powdered with stars." — Milton.

and between the fleeting clouds and these myriads
of flickering tapers, the fourth light of heaven, the
aurora, in her favorite silver array and ever varying
multitudinous forms and you will be in a favorable
mood to join in the song of the Psalmist :

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the
firmament showeth his handiwork."

—Psalm XIX, 1.

AURORA BOREALIS

Mysterious light of arctic skies,

Shining from where fierce Boreas sighs;

In glittering beams of silver hue

And trembling flames of gold, red, and blue,

Shine long and bright with all thy might,

O'er land and sea in polar night.

Fourth light of heav'n in arctic zone,
Where biting winds and ice forever moan ;
Congenial friend of moon and stars
With gloomy darkness keep up your wars;
Shine long and bright with all thy might,
O'er land and sea in polar night.

Soft, gentle light, we can not explain
What you are, and what may be your aim
In sending forth your unsteady flame,
Sparkling with gold and silver in the main ;
Shine long and bright with all thy might,
O'er snow and ice in polar night.

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 331

The Labrador coast was sighted toward evening,
Sunday, September 3d, about a hundred miles north
of Battle Harbor. A beautiful, real Labrador sun-
set awaited us. Behind broken clouds, the sun
appeared, from time to time, in all his northern
splendor; and, when temporarily veiled, fringed the
transient clouds with gold; while high above the
horizon, the dark clouds were painted in purple,
gradually, almost imperceptibly, shading into somber
black. As the great ball of fire approached its ocean-
bed, and its lower rim touched the summits of the
bleak coast range of mountains in the distance, the
dazzling rays vanished and left the sun a great disc
of gold, which disappeared, inch by inch, behind the
ill-defined horizon. With the disappearance of the
last speck of gold, the coloration of the sky and
clouds was blotted out so suddenly that, when the
eyes lost sight of the retiring sun, a pale sky and
black, somber clouds formed the background of the
new-born twilight, which slowly yielded to the
darkness of the coming night.

The next evening, again out of sight of land, the
new moon made a wonderful and, to me, a novel
display. About nine o'clock, the crescent of gold
approached, in measured steps, the western horizon,
only recently cleared of clouds for the reception of
the queen of the night, traveling over a trackless,
pale-blue surface. The moon appeared to me
brighter than I had ever seen her before in that
part of the sky. The display of the aurora borealis
in the north then engaged my attention. When I
looked westward again, the crescent had disap-

332 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

peared. In its place I saw, on a level with the hori-
zon, what looked to me like a mound of flameless,
mouldering fire. If we had been in sight of the
coast, I would have regarded it as such. There
were no flames or anything that resembled flames.
This burning mound, almost the color of blood,
became lower and lower, and in a few minutes van-
ished entirely, leaving the horizon black, without
even a tinge of coloration. This strange image in
the sky was the result of a very limited reflection of
the moon, already hidden underneath the horizon
in a hazy atmosphere, a picture rarely developed
under similar conditions.

The voyage along the coasts of Labrador and
Newfoundland was a very pleasant one, as it was
attended by ideal weather, favorable wind, sun-
shine, and, occasionally, the passage overhead of a
drizzling cloud. The temperature gradually climbed
up to 59° F. The much feared fog along the coast of
Newfoundland was, for once, absent. The air was
unusually dry and bracing. Monday night, we
passed a coast steamer and a sailing vessel, the first
ships seen since we left Belle Isle Strait, with the
exception of the "Roosevelt" and the little Danish
steamer, "Fox," and the small sailing vessel in the
harbor of Godhavn. Soon after leaving the Labra-
dor coast, we lost sight of the icebergs which, how-
ever, caused no regrets. For nearly two months
these colossal fragments of the many glaciers in the
far North, water, sky, clouds, and the bleak coast
of Greenland were constantly before our eyes; and
it was a relief when the green, low coast range of

IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS 333

mountains of Newfoundland came in sight. The green
meadows in the valleys and the tree-clad cliffs were
a pleasing sight and a welcome change from the
more stern aspects of the heart of the arctics. The
trees were small and dwarfed by the fierce gales of
many a winter; but they were trees, and reminded
us that we were on the sunny side of the Arctic Circle.
The narrow entrance of the landlocked, beautiful
harbor of St. Johns was passed at six o'clock in the
evening, Tuesday, September 5th, and half an hour
later the "Erik" was at anchor in her own home.
We found in the harbor six English men-of-
war. All merchant vessels were decorated, and
the little capital city was in gala attire. These
demonstrations proved to be in honor of Prince
Louis of Battenburg, the Rear- Admiral, on board
his flag ship, the "Drake," at the head of his squad-
ron in the harbor. St. Johns is a stirring city of
25,000 inhabitants. The wealth of Newfoundland
consists mainly of its cod and seal-fisheries, and the
prosperity of the city depends largely on the han-
dling of these products of the sea. The presence of
the English squadron marked a great event in the
daily affairs of the people of St. Johns. The governor
entertained the prince and the captains of the vessels,
and the next evening the prince returned the
courtesies extended to him and his officers by giving
the governor and the most prominent government
officials a banquet on board of his flag ship. The
great battleship was brilliantly illuminated with
hundreds of electric lights strung in two rows on
the sides of the vessel over all the four funnels, the

334 IN THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

very top of every mast, and along every spar. An-
other vessel, the second in size, was similarly deco-
rated. From the remaining ships of the squadron,
the flashes of light from reflectors were thrown
continuously in all directions. This display was
kept up until midnight, when, with the twinkle of
an eye, by a given signal, the flickering lights and
the flash lights were extinguished, leaving the great
fighting machines of the sea like specters in the
darkness of the night.

FROM ST. JOHNS TO SYDNEY, CAPE
BRETON

I took passage on the "Bonavista" that evening,
and from the deck of the steamer witnessed the
magnificent illumination of the harbor. The
steamer left the harbor at two o'clock, next morning,
Thursday. About thirty first-class passengers
were on board. As soon as the ship left the entrance
of the harbor they were aroused from their sleep by
the violent pitching and rolling of the vessel, which
reminded them that they were on the open sea, made
angry by the dreaded September gales. The un-
steady gait of the ship became more and more so as
we neared Cape Race, a neighborhood which has a
bad reputation among sailors, more especially about
the time of the equinox. The "Bonavista" had a
smooth path coming, a very rough one on the return
trip.

A dense fog and a drizzling rain added to the
disagreeableness of the voyage. Experience in the
past gave me the impression that the English people
suffer less from seasickness than any other nation-
ality. I was anxious to learn to what extent the
Newfoundlanders could make claim to such immunity
from the terrors of the sea, as most of them are of
English extraction. On this occasion, their repu-
tation as sailors fell short of my expectations. I
was the only one at the breakfast table, and the pale
steward who waited on me ought to have been in
bed. The stewardess had done so, and remained
insensible to the calls for help made by the female

335

336 /AT THE HEART OF THE ARCTICS

passengers. The violent ringing of the cabin-bells,
the moaning and groaning and the periodic dis-
tressing sounds which accompany the act of vomiting
proved, only too clearly, that the inmates of all
cabins were in distress. Two or three pale,
haggard faces made their appearance at the table
next meal; but the tempting dishes had no attrac-
tion for them. After taking a few sips of coffee,
they disappeared again. It was only after the ship
entered the quiet waters of the Sydney harbor that
the passengers recuperated from the effects of the
unusually rough voyage.

I love the sea and all its charms ; but after having
lived on board the "Erik" for nearly two months,
I was glad to make a change at Sydney, from steamer
to the well-equipped train of the Intercolonial Rail-
way, and finish my tour by this more speedy means of
travel. After a most pleasant and instructive vaca-
tion of more than two months, most of the time
having been spent in the very heart of the arctics,
I reached Ch'cago, Tuesday, September nth, men-
tally and physically rested, eager to resume my work.
Travel has made me familiar with nearly all climates
in the world; it has afforded me an opportunity to
see and study many primitive races, their habits,
and customs. It has brought me in touch with
Nature's choicest works of art, her wonderful re-
sources, under varying climatic conditions, all of
which has convinced me : that in all inhabitable parts
of the globe nature has wisely provided for man and
beast, and has painted everywhere the most exquis-
ite works of art and more especially in the land of
ice and snow — Greenland.

PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY

Senn, Nicholas

In the heart of the Arctics

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