ESKIMO LAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 302, 22 December 1933, Page 10

ESKIMO LAND

NORTH POLE POLICE i RELIEF BY STEAMER CARE OF THE NATIVES VANCOUVER, Nov. 8 The North Pole L’olk-e post has been relieved by the Canadian Government’s Arctic steamer Nascopie, which succeeded in penetrating as far north as Robertson Bay, fitty land ‘miles south of Etah and 724 nautical miles from the Pole. This is the farthest north that any ship has penetrated since the post was established at Bache Peninsula in 1930 by the Beothic. In the summer of 1931 and again in 1932 the Boethi'c was unable to penetrate the ice field. Meantime, the police personnel ran short of pro visions. Their wireless tubes ran down, and they were cut off from civilisation. The officer in charge of the post, Corporal H, W. Stall worthy, made the longest patrol in the history of the North-West Mounted Police, in an unsuccessful attempt to trace the missing German geologist Dr. 11. K. E. Krueger and his Danish assistant Mr. A. R. Bjare, whose trail was lost: at Peary’s Cairn, whi'ch they visited in 1930. Corporal Stallworthy and his two subordinates Constable A. Munro land R. W. Hamilton, were ordered by wireless, via Godhaven, Greenland, to retire and re-establish themselves at Craig Harbour, 1500 miles south of Bache. Here supplies had been left for them, and they were relieved and brought out by the Nascopie, after she had called at Robertson Bay to return Eskimos who had been employed by the police in the search for Dr. Krueger. Tour of Officials. The Nascopie carred high officials of the Lands, Mines, Marine, and Interior Departments, as well as relief doctors and personnel for-various posts. The welfare of the natives is the "chief objective of the annual expedition, which investigates their health, sanitation, abundance or scarcity of wild life, with its bearing on supplies of food, clothing and fuel, the state of the white communities at the posts and missions, and the general well-being of the population. The medical officer visited all the sick at every post, and performed a number of operations. He had already diagnosed and treated a number of their ailment by wireless from his head-quarters at Ottawa. In their normal state the Eskimos are nomadic, moving seasonally from sea "coast to inland hunting grounds. The change of abode, combined with the different ways in which white men spell native names, makes identification difficult. To overcome this the police took the finger-prints of those treated by the medical officer, regarding whom later reports were desired. Emergency Supplies: A good deal of hardship resulted from the poor fur catch and the low price of pelts. Fortunately, seal and walrus, on which the Eskimos largely depend for food for themselves and their dogs, and also to some extent for clothing, were fairly abundant. It was noticeable that walpis was naught much further south in Hudson Bay than usual. The caribou season started on September 1, and those

hunters who had returned to Pangnirtung before the expedition left there reported that these animals were fairly plentiful. Lemming and Arcti"c hare were numerous, which indicates an increase in the number of fur-bearing animals in the coming winter and. following season, lhe white whale season was unusually good. To meet any possible food shortage ihe expedition distributed five tons of dried buffalo meat, portion of the annual slaughter of surplus animals in the Buffalo National Park. Alberta. As an experiment, 500 green buffalo hides were distributed among those responsible for Eskimo relief. It was made clear to all that hunters are expected to provide for their families. The majesty of the law in the frozen silence was demonstrated at Wolstenholme, where a magisterial inquiry was conducted by Major McKeand, D. 5.0., J.P., and Inspector SandysWunsch. into the death of a Eskimo at Mansell Island The surrounding tribes were assembled at the open air court. Reports to the police indicated that the man became demented and was attempting to shoot other memibers of the band. As it was impossible [to reach a police post at that season, 'three Eskimos involved testified that I they had killed him in self-defence. nature of their offence was explained to them; they were given a (warning and allowed their liberty, [practically on parole, while their "case ’was considered at Ottawa.