THE FAR NORTH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 792, 24 September 1954, Page 13

THE FAR NORTH

NUNAMIUT, by Helge Ingstad; English price 21/-. A WOMAN IN THE POLAR NIGHT, by (Christiane Ritter; English price 12/6; THE DANGEROUS RIVER, by R. M. Patterson; English price 15/-. All published by George Allen and Unwin Ltd, A NORWEGIAN among the inland Eskimos of Alaska, a German woman on the coast of Spitzbergen, an Englishman in the North-West Territories of Canada, have proved themselves travel writers of some distinction. Their adventures have been satisfying ones from which they have emerged with modesty and a sense of perspective. They have all counted the loss of material comforts of civilisation as of minor importance. Their gain has been exciting new experiences in which they have found themselves. Helge Ingstad is an admirable man, objective in his judgments. His long visit to the Nunamiut tribe of Eskimos is described with sympathy and keen insight. He is always human but never sentimental. The full social life of the (continued on next page)

BOOKS (continued from previous page) tribe, pattern of birth, marriage and death, skills of camping and hunting, and migrations are well handled, as are his other subjects. This book is sociology without fuss or jargon. Christiane Ritter and R. M. Patterson are subjective in their approaches and their narratives can be read as simple stories of adventure clearly told. Mrs. Ritter, as a sensitive Central European plunged timorously into an Arctic winter with her husband and a companion, had a lot to learn and much time to brood. For long periods her men were away hunting, and her nearest neighbour was 60 miles away. She won her fight against loneliness and blizzards. Her writing is acute and honest. R. M. Patterson and another young man went after gold which they never found. They lived on game and trapped for skins. The background of their trials was always the river, whether the Liard or the South Nahanni, and their achievements in tracking canoes through narrow turbulent canyon rapids are stirring to read about. These travellers faced violent death by cold, storm or mischance. They survived by their courage and commonsense. Their tales are fascinating. All three books are well produced, with good photographs, line drawings and

sketch maps.

John

Pascoe