THE SUNNY ARCTIC.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 254, 7 August 1937, Page 5

THE SUNNY ARCTIC.

THE RUSSIAN EXPEDITION. There can be no doubt at all that the small group of enterprising Russians who are making their base within a few miles of the North Pole are in for a cold twelve months, in spite of their insulated hut and carefullycalculated provisions, says the “Manchester Guardian.” Nevertheless, it is a mistake to assume as so many people do, that perpetual frost is the lob of all who venture within , the Arctic Circle. Few explorers have spent so many winters and summers in that area as Vilhjalmur Stefansson, and none has been more outspoken on prevalent illusions about the Arctic climate. More than once Dr. Stefansson has reminded the world that 100 in the shade has 'been recorded inside the Arctic Circle, that 80 per cent of Arctic land has no snow in summer (unlike our own more inhospitable country!) an d that there are no fewer than 760 different species of flowering plants in the area. Moreover, Dr. Stefansson pours scorn on the notion of Eskimos di inking oil, which, he says, would make them as sick as any European. This sounds only like common sense, but even common sense people will get a shock at his statement that not more than 50 per cent of Eskimos have ever seen a snow-house, and fewer still could tackle the building of one. Bv the way, the Russian plan to blaze an aeroplane trail over the snow by means of dye bombs, is not the only colour direction scheme in existence. In certain forests of Germany the walker is able to follow a number of different routes by means of