Books with author Vilhjalm Stefansson

Who are the Eskimo peoples?And how do they survive in the freezing conditions of the far north?Vilhjálmur Stefánsson left New York in April 1908 to begin his journey northwards and into the Arctic Circle. For the next two years he made his way northwards to Victoria Island to study an isolated group of Inuit who still used primitive tools and had strong Caucasian features, and whom some believed were descended from Vikings.The journey into these remote areas was incredibly tough and being delayed by blizzards Stefánsson, along with his companions, were forced to eat the tongue of a beached whale that had been dead for at least four years. Stefánsson, who learnt how to communicate with the Inuit, provides fascinating insight into the beliefs and every day life of these people.“the book is full of psychologic and human interest, and of clear-cut observation of many different kinds.” The North American Review“This book contains a wealth of ethnological and biological information … this is a valuable contribution to the scientific study of the Eskimos, by one who knows them thoroughly.” The Literary Digest“It is impossible to analyze with certainty the amalgam of motives underlying the ceaseless movement of northern exploration, but the lure of the difficult and the dangerous can hardly be less active than the desire to enlarge bounds of human knowledge.” The NationThis book is essential reading for anyone interested in this remarkable expedition and for people who want to find out more about life of people in the far north prior to the advent of modern technology.Vilhjálmur Stefánsson was a Canadian Artic explorer and ethnologist. Under the auspices of the American Museum of Natural History, New York, he and Dr. R. M. Anderson undertook the ethnological survey of the Central Arctic coasts of the shores of North America from 1908 to 1912. The results of this expedition were My Life with the Eskimo first published in 1913. Stefánsson passed away in 1962.

The plans of my second expedition took gradual shape during the years 1906-1907, while I was still north of the Arctic circle engaged in the work of my first expedition. It was once intended that I should be the ethnologist of the Leffingwell-Mikkelsen Arctic Expedition, sometimes known as the Anglo-American Polar Expedition, which sailed from Victoria, British Columbia, in the spring of 1906. When the proposal was made to me I found it an attractive one in everything except this: that the expedition's schooner, the Duchess of Bedford, was unprovided with auxiliary motive power, and my book knowledge of Arctic conditions made me fear that she would never reach the proposed site of operations, the west coast of Victoria Island. Mr. Leffingwell and I therefore agreed that I should not join the expedition in Victoria as did its other members, but should go overland and down the Mackenzie River to meet them at Herschel Island, which lies about eighty miles west of the Mackenzie delta. My reason was that if the expedition failed to get so far east I should be able to occupy my time profitably in the study of the scientifically unknown Mackenzie Eskimo. At that point the ice blocked her further advance until the season had become late and she was finally overtaken by winter on the north coast of Alaska at Flaxman Island.

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This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1922. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... seals were numerous, but the region of greatest abundance seemed to be in Dolphin and Union Straits. We saw numbers here in summer, and natives from this section say that they sometimes see ten at a single hole on the ice, basking in the sun in the warm spring days. Farther east in Coronation Gulf the Bearded Seals are less common. The Eskimo east as far as Cape Bathurst consider the skin of the Bearded Seal as almost indispensable for boot-soles and umiakcovers and for cutting into heavy rawhide rope. The skins of six or seven Ugyuk will cover an umiak (skin canoe) thirty feet or more in length. The animal may weigh from five to eight hundred pounds. Order Insecttvora -- Insectivores Sorex personatus I. Geoffroy St. Hilaire. Common Eastern Shrew. Shrews, probably of this species, are reported commonly at many posts along the Mackenzie. Mr. Henry Frazer, a trader at Fort Norman, said that Shrews were very abundant in his storehouse and did considerable damage, gnawing into any animal substances, such as bacon, skins, furs, etc. Although I kept a number of traps set I could not catch any specimens along the river, although later I took specimens in the Mackenzie delta which appear to be personatus. Sorex tundrensis^ Merriam. Tundra Shrew. Ug-ru'nak (Alaskan Eskimo). Ug'yu-nak (Mackenzie Eskimo). This species is apparently generally distributed all along the Arctic coast, but is not common anywhere. Specimens were taken in the Endicott Mountains, Alaska, Mackenzie delta, Cape Bathurst, and Horton River, south of Langton Bay. Order Chiroptera -- The Bats Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte). Little Brown Bat. Among a few small mammal skins, collected at Hay River at west end of Great Slave Lake in spring of 1908, Mr. Harry W. Jones had one Little Brown Bat. We saw no Bats a...

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... seals were numerous, but the region of greatest abundance seemed to be in Dolphin and Union Straits. We saw numbers here in summer, and natives from this section say that they sometimes see ten at a single hole on the ice, basking in the sun in the warm spring days. Farther east in Coronation Gulf the Bearded Seals are less common. The Eskimo east as far as Cape Bathurst consider the skin of the Bearded Seal as almost indispensable for boot-soles and umiakcovers and for cutting into heavy rawhide rope. The skins of six or seven Ugyuk will cover an umiak (skin canoe) thirty feet or more in length. The animal may weigh from five to eight hundred pounds. Order Insecttvora -- Insectivores Sorex personatus I. Geoffroy St. Hilaire. Common Eastern Shrew. Shrews, probably of this species, are reported commonly at many posts along the Mackenzie. Mr. Henry Frazer, a trader at Fort Norman, said that Shrews were very abundant in his storehouse and did considerable damage, gnawing into any animal substances, such as bacon, skins, furs, etc. Although I kept a number of traps set I could not catch any specimens along the river, although later I took specimens in the Mackenzie delta which appear to be personatus. Sorex tundrensis^ Merriam. Tundra Shrew. Ug-ru'nak (Alaskan Eskimo). Ug'yu-nak (Mackenzie Eskimo). This species is apparently generally distributed all along the Arctic coast, but is not common anywhere. Specimens were taken in the Endicott Mountains, Alaska, Mackenzie delta, Cape Bathurst, and Horton River, south of Langton Bay. Order Chiroptera -- The Bats Myotis lucifugus (Le Conte). Little Brown Bat. Among a few small mammal skins, collected at Hay River at west end of Great Slave Lake in spring of 1908, Mr. Harry W. Jones had one Little...

From 1908 to 1912, Vilhjalmur Stedansson, the renowned scientist and explorer, was a member of a fact-finding expedition that studied the Eskimos of northern Canada and Alaska and collected data in the geographic sciences. My Life With the Eskimo, rich in scientific and human detail, is his account of that four-year adventure. Dr. Stedanssan traces the hazardous voyages of the crew by boat and sled from the Colville Delta on the north coast of Alaska to Cap Parry, Coronation Island, and Victoria Island. He shows how the explorers adopted the modes and habits of the natives in order to survive. And he describes the groups dramatic encounter with the previously unknown race of "blond" Eskimos.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.