IN ALASKAN WILDS

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 10

IN ALASKAN WILDS

AMONG THE ESKIMOS, INSPECTOB’S LONG EXILE. Bound in black leather, and of slender size, one of tho rarest volumes in the world was exhibited in, London recently by Mr Eben Evans, on his return to England after seventeen years’ service as inspector of schools in Alaska. This is an edition of a year’s issue of the 1 Eskimo,' j a monthly magazine written for and read 1 by those lonely trappers who, of all semicivilised races, have made the greatest educational progress in the last few years. Mr Evans, who, although an American citizen, has gone to Britain to visit his native Wales, edited this magazine. Ho says that the greater number of Eskimos were able to read it and to enjoy it. To look through tho pages of the ‘ Eskimo,’ says the ‘ Daily Chronicle,’ is to got an insight into the lives of a lovable and interesting people. This little magazine has its “ gossip ” pages, and one of these “ social ” paragraphs concerns Mollio Dexter and her 2,000 reindeer. Mollie is the wealthiest Eskimo woman in the North-west, and white travellers have often been welcomed at her road house at Chink. “ In the half-month from November 15 to December 1,” it is stated, “ Mollie captured six red fox, one white fox, four lynx, nine weasel, and two mink.” Mollie “ mushes ” out to her traps ns regularly as the hardiest man hunter, and she knows tho habits of animals as well as any. Her “ parities ” (tunics of reindeer skin decorated with wolf fur) are famous, and her whits vanity bags, made of weasel skin, trimmed with beads, are widely sought for. And sho is an excellent cook. 1 ONLY ONE COMPLETE EDITION. “ Copies of this little magazine are in museums in the United States, in China, Japan, and Honolulu,” Mr Evans stated. “ But this is the only complete original edition in existence, and I have been offered largo sums for it.” During his long period of service in Alaska Mr Evans covered every year 800 miles of coast line, travelling from 3,000 to 4,000 miles by dog teams. l 'l retired because 1 felt I had come to a time of life when my strength and vitality were no longer equal to the work.” Mr Evans said. “My predecessor died from exposure. His predecessor ended his days in a madhouse. Last year my friend the Roman Catholic priest was frozen to death. Only a man of groat powers of physical endurance can hope to leave Alaska alive. I have been shut up in a house because storms made it impossible to leave I have known men to venture only three yards from their tents to bo caught up in a great storm, not to return. ‘‘So severe is the weather that you can eat only what you cook when on the trail, for if you took broad with you it would freeze so rapidly that you would need an axe to cut it. I lived on canned foods, walrus meat, and, when near a town, on reindeer. In tho winter months there is no communication at all with the outside world, except through passing natives. 1 have known whaling ships to he caught up for two or three years, unable to move.” There is no written Eskimo Mr Evans has made a study of {bespoken word and was deeply interested to find that very many words are of purely Welsh origin, with the same application. Scientists have tried to discover the origins of the Eskimo people, and some investigators believe that, judging by the implements used, the Eskimos came, originally from the North of France. Mr Evans’s studies have led , him to share this opinion. , “PAPA” TO 600 ORPHANS. Before the, advent of the white man to Alaska the only disease known was smallpox. Now the Eskimo suffers from every civilised disease, except cancer. “ During one year,” Mr Evans went on, “ there were 1,000 deaths from influenza, and I had tho charge of 600 orphans. They came to regard mo ns a ■ universal ‘ papa,’ and an amusing and embarrassing sequel occurred some time 1 after in tho busy city of Seattle. I was 1 walking along the town one day when I saw an expensively-dressed woman with , two little girls in Eskimo furs, who wore crying because they did not wish to be taken into a street car. A crowd had collected, and the woman in charge of them obviously did not know what to do. Suddenly tho two little girls saw me, and gave one shout. ‘ Papa,’ they both cried, and flung their arms around me. I had to explain to tho crowd that I was not the father of the children, and, finding that they were not happy with the woman who had adopted them, I had them taken away and sent to a Government orphan- . age, where they are doing very well.” Mr Evans held many appointments in | Alaska. Not only was ho inspector of 1 schools, but he had charge of 300,000 reindeer, was a justice of the peace, game warden, fur warden, and special officer for tho suppression of tho liquor traffic, as well as amateur carpenter, blacksmith, and doctor. I

MEMORIES OF AMUNDSEN. Among the most interesting memories arc those of Captain Amundsen, the South Polo discoverer, who proposes next month to fly over the North Pole. “ I do not think it is generally known that Captain Amundsen has always done the cooking when on his expeditions,” said Mr Evans. “So fine a leader is lie that ho subordinates himself to the interests of bis crew, and believing it to be all important that they should bo well fed, he himself does the cooking. Captain Amundsen told me this one day while wc wove breakfasting together in Alaska.” Mr Evans has some photographs of Captain Amundsen’s dogs. Attacked on one occasion by Polar bears, it was the explorer’s Eskimo dogs, savage, faithful, and intelligent, who raved his life by heatincr off the bears. 11 I think my happiest experience in returning to Europe,” Mr Evans concluded, “is to find, after twenty-two years’ absence, that I am able still to speak Welsh fluently.”