IN THE ARCTIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 233, 26 June 1919, Page 8

IN THE ARCTIC

LECTURE BY DR. JENNES'S

Dr. D. Jenness, who was a member of the Canadian Antarctic Expedition of 1913-18, under Captain Stefansson, addressed members of the AVellington Philosophical Society in,tho Dominion Museum last night. Mr. R. W. Holmes presided, , and there was a good attendance of members. Dr. Jenness made an interesting survey of the work of the expedition, which was sent out by the Can. ndian Government to examine the northern shores of Canada and to investigate the miueral and other resources of a wide area of country previously unexplored. Dr. Jenness explained that the expedition had gone out to look for Crokei Laud, which had been reported and. named by the American exp.orer, Peary. The Canadian Government had a direct interest in the territories forming the Arctic portion of Canada, of which Croker Land might be a part, and it accepted the whole cost of tho expedition, which waa divided into two parties. Captain Stefans. son, in , tho shin Koiluk, went north to i look for new land, but his ship was lost off the coast of Alaska in February, 1911, eight jnontlis after the start of Ills expedrlion. The southern parly, which had two schooners, was to explore the coast of. Coronation Gulf, in Northern Canada. This parly spent the winter ot 1913-14 on the north coast of Alaska, and in the spring parted with one schooner, which was taken by Stefansson, to bo used in tho exploration of lieauford Sea. Tho southern party went to Coronation Gulf, and did not return to civilisation until 191(>. Btcfansson proved that there was no land in the Bfaiiford Sea, and discovered three new islands to the east of that 6oa. Tho southern parly did 6ome important geographical work and made a Careful study of fauna and flora. Dr. Jonncss himself spent the winter of 1914-15 in an Esquimaux village in Harrison Bay, and in tho spring excavated the site of an old Esquimaux settler nient, whero ho secured valuable collections, affording evidence of native habits and culture two or throe- hundred years ago. In tho summer of 1915 tho party moved to a base east of the mouth of the Mackenzie River, whero tho scientists spent two. uneventful but interesting yours. The country in tho brief spring and summer had innumerable birds and many caribou. The caribou wintered in Northern Canada, and then came north early enough to croas the straits to the northern islands before "the ice broke.

They scattered all over the northern archipelago in summer. During Hie summer the country grew grass, moss, ami flowers, and. produced myriads of fierce niosuitoes. In winter it was snow-cov-ed and desolate in tho extreme. Dr. Jenness described tho work of Iho party in some detail, and mentioned that the geologist of the party made a thorough examination of copper deposits near the mouth of Bathurst Inlet. .This copper deposit first attracted the 'Attention of the whito man in the seventeenth century, when the Hudson Bay Company sent an agent to look for tho source of the copper implements found in possession of tho Indians. This man did not find the mine, but a later traveller found native copper in situ nt BathuKt Inlet. The expedition gathered information regarding the copper deposits and commercial development was now possible. Captain Stefansson ,was urging the. Canadian Government to stock Uio northern lands with reindeer, to, replace the rapidly diminishing caribou, and to attempt the domestication of the musk-ox, which was also disappearing. Reindeer had been introduced successfully in Alaska after the disappearance of the caribou.

His own work, said Dr. Jenness, had been tho study of the Esquimaux. Ho had made phonograph records of tho language and songs, and had gathered information about customs and religion. It was a curious fact that the Esquimaux language was moro complex than ancient Greek. The tenses were multiple and the meaning of verbs and nouns was varied 'by means of indexes. Ho lived with the natives for a'year and saw them practically eat nothing but seal meat, caribou meat, and fish. The excoptions were a small sorrel and a berry rliat seldom' ripened. They Jived in rents on the land in summer and in snow huts on the sea ice in winter. .The mentality of the Esquimaux really was very high. Their outlook and their knowledge i.aturally were small, but their instincts, (heir virtues, and their vices were those of ordinary human beings.

In answer to a question, Dr. Jenness said he was not disposed to attach weight to the report 01 the existence of "blonde" Esquimaux. Captain Stefansson had reported the discovery of such people with lair, reddish hair, and blue eyes, unit the theory had been put forward that these people were the descendants of Scandinavian settlers who vanished from Greenland 500 or 600 years ago. The piesent expedition had iiist confirmed this theory.. Dr. jenncss saw no blonde Esquimaux. He saw somu bluish eyes, but the colour might be due to repealed attacks of snow blimlriess. The Esquimaux language was not like any other known language. The natives liad no system of writing. They were clever carvers of ivory, but their memories were short, and they did not preserve traditions.

Dr. Jenness answered many questions regarding the scientific work'of the expedition, and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks .