Gippsland Times (Vic. : 1861 - 1954), Thursday 29 December 1932, page 3


S(First . nstahlme4-O opyright)I It was while working in Death.yalley' at a temperature of 110 above .zero that a trip to the Arctic to make an Eskimo picture was first mooted. I had working for me a half Eskimo cameraman, by name Chee-Ak, who had accompanied Captain 'Klensmidt, the German Arctic explorer, on an expedition, and also Knud.Ramussen, (Danish ,explorer, :.who is now iii Greenland engaged in'filnim ands'cientifie work.Evidently Evidently '-t was the -excessive heat of Death Valley that turned Chee-Ak's thoughts t6 his" homelind (And gttve him courage' to 'broachb the. subject. He was -so :enthusiastic that he sold 'me, the idea,f aid when we, returned to Hollywood I hawked the proposition of sending an expedition to the Arctic around the major .studios with no success. The movie moguls told' me that the time for such a-venture was not ripe, that the world would not be interested in such a picture as "Igloo." 1' approached Edward Small, an independent producer, and he snatched at the opportunity immediately. Now' that we have returned from our privations 'and tribulations among; the Arctic blizzards with some of the most outstanding thrill footage ever filmed contained in "Igloo" everybody knew that the venture would be successful, that the film would be an outstanding success, and that audiences would: like it. Such is Hollywood. !Following on the success of "Igloo," 'other producers.have embarked on a cycle of ice pictures. Edward. Small equipped-two aero.planes' for- us-taking, all necessary precautions against the effects' of cold -and we set out, arriving at Point Barrow, the most northerly point of Alaska, in 'time to go through one of the most severe winters during many years. Besides Chee-Ak, we were accompanied by Roy Klaffi, who proved himself one of the most intrepid cameramen with whom I have been associated. . We spent the winter with the Nuwuk tribe of Eskimos. nomads of the shifting ice packs, who dwell in an Ice-locked world not far removed from the North Pole. We 'found them valiant souls indeed, these simple people, who wrest a reluctant living from that Titan, their Fatherland. The Nuwuk are one of the many groups of the vanishing Eskimo race, -a people who are born and spend their lives in this-ruthless and cruel Northland, - but who are agentle, happy, folk, fond of their gimple arerts, allways - ready to laugh, never konwn to cry-a strange anomealy, where life is so stern and merciless. SI will start the story "of my experiences on the day that the Eskimos thought was the end of the harsh winter. On this particular, day the whole tribe came out of their ice houses, or igloos, in which they had refuged during the winter.: Old and young were aking their -first sun-bath on 'this fine spring day. On this particular morning-it was only 30 degrees belbw "zero. It 'was the first sunlight to ever reach the eyes of the twin Eskimo babies, We-tuk and Ku-uk, born during the dreary darkness of the Arctic winter. The women of all ages were at work at every task. Eskimo women 'gra forever dressing sealskins for clothing-against the bitter cold., With crude tools the hair is scraped away, and the skin is softened by crimping with' the teethteeth which will eventually be worn away. Primitive -drills bite deep into walrus tusks to be used to tip harpoons for the hunt Eskimos subsist on a diet of meat-seal, whale or walrus. 'They are a race of hunters. Constant danger apd privation have bred in all Eskimos a philosophy of living only for to-day. They are happy and carefree; forgetful of yesterday; heedless of to-morrow. The total catch of..food on this day was a half grown seal which one lucky hunter .found frozen on the I ice. Who'cared? It was a little, and to-morrow, if hunger came again, Smaybe the sun would thaw the air Sholes and let many seals come out to ' be captured. The tribe was ruled by Lanuk, the wise one, who was sitting in front of his Igloo with his orphaned son, Tuyuk, hoping that the dog, White Fang, might help Tyatuk, his daughter, to find some of the open breather-holes where seals appear. The girl returned, slowly mushing her way through -the snow, and her 'heart was heavy. The grip of winter was unbroken, and she had not found - any seal, But she didn't let her father know how bad things really looked I for food supply-so she smiled- away her disappointment. But food was nearer ,t'han any. of them thought. A hunter frogm a tribe of neighboring Eskimos came awoo.ing, and he .bore gifts of food for the whole of the tribe of 'Nuwuk. This, particular hunter was known as The Rover, one who ihad dared strange, far-off, hunting fields and won." Any visitor was welcomed . in these lonely parts, but if he'birought food he was a blood brother, Kyatuk, ,belle- qf the tribe, kneo why the strange hunter had come She was pleased, for whoever is the greatest hunter is the most desirable 1 husband in:: the. eyes of the .Esktmn .maiden's.'.Whri t If yesterday was.: fa'

mine tilne? To-day is feast day! Anhd the visitor- had brought- enough- for j a royal .banquet. Chief Lanuk, Who knew well his people's feeling, appealed to" them, "Pile the- cachie - places high with seals. Eat. only part now. Save.something for the need ofI many to-mor- t rows. Winter is not yet gone." : But the. roving : hunter .boasted Ihat his spear would always find plenty, and so the banquet commenced. . The unmarried ..hunters .of the f trie??e lived in one Igldo, and they made the visiting hunter their leader as long as he cared to stay. The dogs lived in the : ice.: houses - with ?the humans. In the Arctic there is a bond of life, and death between` man and his.. dog-the +well-trained dog Will' neveri touch food until his master. gives. it ,. '.... it is al ways a good idea for a lover to- make' friends' ' 'itli his }we?t-ef heart's small brotheir. He gave the boy a living doll-a baby seal, rescued alive, from beside its, dead mo- -ther, killed by grinding ice-floes in I the pressure ridge. . -The boy told his father and sister 'what a fine fellow the visiting.hinter was-and what's more the sister believed him! " Then the. whole tribe t turned out for a dance.in honor of' the. visitor. The Eskimo way of. saying: "Thanks for the seals." " " Thy menu of the banquet was quite I diversified. The first course was seal I meat, for. an entree they had a seal meat, and for dessert they had--seal meat.' Choice tenderloins of sealand why waste time cooking? - The Eskimo method of ,eating is to cut each mniouthfu-l to fit th., contour of the face. If the knife slips it -may be slie-d tongue. Its a grand old Esltimo custom to eat until you're, stupified and then I sleep;it off and. be ready to eat ascne more. The older folk were too gorged with food to move into comfortable positions-but with the. younger' ones a full stomach makes a warm I heart. Is open'and above board, even if below zero. Can you,,imnagine having to sit on a cake of ice to make love? The Eskimos don't kis§,,they rub noses. It seems a pity that- they I have such short noses-for the longer the nose the bigger the thrill: Women, are the same all the world. over, even in the Arctic circle. The heart of an Eskimo maid is not 'o easily won. The strange hunter made love too rapidly for Kyatuk. Everywhere in the' world woman has kept man- pursuing' he'l tI'hits 'rimixive maid rebuffed 4her lover," and imme-diately started out to. impress him still more. She would show hinm that she was the best in the tribe at the game of tossing in the walrus hide blanket. Up into-the air she went, fully- 20 feet, maintaining a' perfect balance, and always landing on her feet. Her lover 'looked on .in admiration: Then she tantalfsed him still more, and' went to tell her father that he was a nice boy and a- great hunter, but he must be taught that a maiden 'is like a walrus, she can't be slain .with the first spear.. Chief Lanuk, who was half crippled-his back was broken by a polari coming' back- again. He was sad that the food,_su-pply Ihad "been wasted in riotous feasting. l He knew that -he could not help 'his people --through another winter. He could only warn them now. He must let some younger, cturdier man lead them. And' who better than this young hunter from another tribe? So he appointed him to the task. And Lanuk proved hinself a good weather prophet,' f.r- within an hour Arctic' winds .bit into every crevice of the. Igloo. In an Arctic blizzard nothing-can be left outside unless tied or weig'hcd down-especia!ly . the : light- ' skin beats, invaluable in the hunt for food. In the hunters' Igloo, Poon-ak, the ever hungry, found the -last of 'the seals that the strange hunter brought. IHe planned 'to 'gorge- himself, again and sleep through the storm in peace. He was caught in -the act by .one of his' tribesnien. "That seal is too tender for you my friend; lYot4 need something to exercise your jaws. Hire! Gnaw on' this dried 'seal- flipper! The dogs can hardly chew itmaybe you can!" It was an ill-omen this.unexpected, sudden icy blast from thenorth. The ihstincts of the Eskimos 'told thein that- it was the fgrerunnier of many weeks of imprisonment in cheerless Igloos without food. ' They were lucky to have enough seal oil for the lamps which temper 'the deadly coldinside their housesa of ice. (To ie' Continud-).