A SOJOURN AMONG ESKIMO.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 43

A SOJOURN AMONG ESKIMO.

Mr A. ,H. Harrison, an English explorer, •who has just returned home after two and a-half years' continuous work in the Arctic Ocean north of the American continent, in an interview with Reuter's representative gave some interesting details of a prolonged sojourn, among Eskimo. "At the end of July, 1905," said Mr Harrison, " I commenced my journey and proceeded down the Athabasca River, and

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crossed the lake of that name into the Slave River and Great Slave Lake until, on reaching the Arctic Red River some three months later, I was frozen in. " After an ineffectual attempt to reach Herschell Island, I decided to go up into the Richardson Range Mountains on the west side of the Mackenzie River, and for two months lived there alone with the natives. This was one of the coldest winters known on the Arctic, and on one occasion the thermometer registered 684 below zero.

'" At Herschcll Island I had arranged tor a year's supply to be delivered to me, but h n suwnly boat never arrived. I decided, therefore, to spend the winter with the Eskimo. I engaged two Eskimo families to work and hunt, and generally to look after me during the winter, during which period I determined to travel wherever I could find game. "I first went across to Fort Macpherson, where I got some ammunition and a few supplies, and then, with three whale boats,

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went clown the east branch of the Mackenzie River. Borne 61) miles from tne coast I left my boats, and from that point took dogs, sleds, ammunition, and provisions, and travelled east until we came to the north end of Eskimo Lake. Here we found a great many fish, and decided to settle down for the winter. " The Eskimo with whom I lived were known as the Nooma Tama, or Mountain Eskimo. I found them very much more civilised than the ordinary Eskimo. Unlike their brethren in other parts of the

Arctic, they arc very clean, and waste every morning. Each individual carrieshie own washing bowl, and I even knew one man who personally bathed his children every week. They are employed" largely by the whalers as huntsmen and> for steering purposes. " They are very fine seamen. Thev^ are docile, they never quarrel or get excited, and are most humane neople. I havenever seen either an Eskimo man or* woman raise hand or voice either to a dog" or to a child.