Arctic Explorer To Share His Experiences, March 20, 1921

Stefansson to Tell of Arctic. . . Survived Five Years of Polar Peril by Living Just as Eskimos Did

Vihjalmur Stefansson, the noted arctic explorer, who is to lecture here on the evening of April 1, at the City Auditorium, upset all the old theories of the arctic during his five years spent in the polar circles ending in 1918. Instead of carrying large supplies of food, he learned to live off the land on native animals and fish. Instead of carrying fuel, he burned seal blubber. Instead of taking a regiment of dogs and a long sledge train, he and his party traveled with six dogs and one sledge and brought the dogs back “fat as pigs,” according to his own description.

Instead of being covered with snow, Mr. Stefansson found the arctic hills full of fertile grass and capable of affording pasturage to enormous herds of reindeer, the meat of the future, according to Mr. Stefansson. In his great lecture, “My Five Years in the Arctic,” which is to be given here, Mr. Stefansson describes life in the northern regions as being most fascinating in its wealth of detail as to travel, food, seal hunting, bear hunting, clothing, difficulty of progress and many other features.

Mr. Stefansson’s first experience in living off the country was occasioned by necessity, owing to the destruction of his ship, Karluk, which carried most of his provisions. He believed, however, that he could live off the land, and this he and his party proceeded to do. He studied the Eskimo and learned to live exactly as the Eskimos lived. He learned to hunt as the Eskimo hunts and he learned to build ice houses as the Eskimo builds them. In this way he was able to undergo the hardships of the north and make life and travel in the arctic circle comparatively simple.

Mr. Stefansson will appear in Charlotte under the auspices f the Parent-Teacher Associations.

From The Charlotte News, Sunday morning, March 20, 1921. His book, My Life With the Eskimo, was first published in 1913.