Seventy-seventh Street and Central Park West, New York City THE MUSEUM IS OPEN FREE TO THE PUBLIC ON EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR. THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY was established in 1869 to promote the Natural Sciences and to diffuse a general knowledge of them among the people, and it is in cordial coöperation with all similar institutions throughout the world. The Museum authorities are dependent upon private subscriptions and the dues from members for procuring needed additions to the collections and for carrying on explorations in America and other parts of the world. The membership fees are. THE MUSEUM LIBRARY contains more than 60.000 volumes with a good working collection of publications issued by scientific institutions and societies in this country and abroad. The library is open to the public for reference daily - Sundays and holidays excepted from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. THE MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS are issued in six series: The American Museum Journal, Annual Report. Anthropological Papers, Bulletins, Guide Leaflets and Memoirs. Information concerning their sale may be obtained at the Museum Library. GUIDES FOR STUDY OF EXHIBITS are provided on request by the Department of Public Education Teachers wishing to bring classes should write or telephone the Department for an appointment. specifying the collection to be studied. Lectures to classes may also be arranged for. In all cases the best results are obtained with small groups of children. WORKROOMS AND STORAGE COLLECTIONS may be visited by persons presenting membership tickets study. THE MITLA RESTAURANT in the east basement is reached by the elevator and is open from 12 to 5 on all days except Sundays. Afternoon Tea is served from 2 to 5. The Mitla Room is of unusual interest as an exhibition hall being an exact reproduction of temple ruins at Mitla, Mexico. The American Museum Journal CONTENTS FOR JANUARY, 1912 News from the Arctic expedition with a detailed account of the discovery of an Eskimo tribe which had never seen a white man and of a Scandinavian-like Methods of obtaining the pearl clams; market value of shells and pearls One of America's foremost naturalists and dean in seniority and accomplishment of the American Museum's scientific staff The American Museum Journal VOL. XII JANUARY, 1912 No. 1 QUOTATIONS FROM AN EXPLORER'S LETTERS AND THE MUSEUM'S ARCTIC EXPEDITION REPORTS SURVEYS OF RIVERS LAKES IN THE FROZEN NORTH AND THE DISCOVERY OF A "NEW PEOPLE," AN ESKIMO TRIBE WHICH HAS NEVER SEEN A WHITE MAN HE main aim of the Museum's Arctic Expedition, which left New York in 1908, was to investigate the Eskimo both west and east of the Mackenzie River, especially those to the east, little-known tribes in the region of the Coppermine River thought to be more or less uninfluenced by white men. The difficulties in the way of the work have been great, sometimes almost insurmountable; but at last success has been realized both in the work in ethnology for the American Museum and in collateral work undertaken for the Geological Survey of the Canadian Government. In the words of Mr. Stefánsson: "We have covered the last mile geographically that we set out to cover, and have found what we set out to find-a 'new people,' less contaminated, more numerous than anyone thought possible. In 1906 authorities thought Victoria Land probably uninhabited. I shall be surprised to find its population less than two thousand. We have taken physical measurements, photographs and notes everywhere and have secured and brought to a place of safety a large ethnological collection." Most of the letters come from the expedition's headquarters in an area of spruce (about ten acres) on the Barren Grounds, Upper Dease River (lat. 67° N., long. 117° 30′ W.). April 27, 1910, I started east from Cape Lyon, the most easterly point at which Eskimo houses were seen by Dr. Richardson on his Franklin Search Expedition and the most easterly point known to have been visited by the Western or Baillie Island Eskimo. I hoped to reach by sled people supposed to occupy the coast and islands of Coronation Gulf north and west of the Coppermine. Our progress was slow on account of numerous bad pressure-ridges on the sea ice and a rocky coast which made land travel impracticable. The ice was usually in motion and open water could be seen less than three miles off shore. Between Cape Lyon and Cape Bexley are traces of former occupation by Eskimo, ruined villages — The history of this expedition is found in the November JOURNAL, 1910. Extracts from the letters of Mr. Anderson, the zoologist of the expedition, will be given in a later issue, as well as further facts regarding the work of Mr. Stefánsson. The photographs were taken in March and April. 1911, on Mr. Stefánsson's second trip to the Coppermine from Langton Bay (this time accompanied by Mr. Anderson). The plates were exposed under extremely variable light conditions and developed in most unfavorable quarters. |