Adventure Magazine Cover — page 201: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ask Adventure ‘Winter Hunting in Alaska So 2 is game a plenty for the man who is used to roughing it; and game of the sort one can seldom find in any other part of North America. Then there is the joy of the vast, silent places—the inimitable wilderness: Question: —“T should like to get some information regarding the best place in Alaska, or northwest Canada, to spend several months. I mean a place where is plenty of big game, and far enough from civilization that one will not be molested by others. Would I have to employ a guide for such a trip? What is the regulation regarding hunting in Alaska, also in regard to .38 Colt Revolver and .351 Automatic Winchester Rifle? Do you think that one could find enough excitement to spend a whole Winter up there; if so, could two men carry enough equipment for the Winter? As we are accustomed to traveling light we would expect rough conditions. Could the trip be made in a canoe? Any information concerning the route, place and equipment (clothing rations, etc.,) will be thankfully received, What would you estimate the cost of the trip for two fellows?” —W. E. WENTWortTH, U.S. Army. Answer, by Mr. Solomons:—You only have to employ a guide on the Kenai Peninsula, south of the new railroad that is being built. Elsewhere a guide is unnecessary and a nuisance. The country is so big and services of guides so little in demand that - there are no such things that are reliable. Any weapons dependable in the States here are usable and satisfactory in Alaska, except that for bull moose and the Alaska grizzly—a not very frequently met animal—you want a pretty fairly heavy bore gun of high power. Otherwise, as to firearms in general, I advise light ones to meet. the difficulty of getting over the ground, which is not inconsiderable in the north, and which calls for as light equipment as possible. I couldn’t promise you “‘excitement”’ for a Winter in Alaska, as it’s a rather quiet country and you do quite a bit of traveling for what you see and get. But if you’re looking for a change, and solitude and wildness, and a fair amount of game, that’s the place. You could ascend or descend a river to a suitable place, in a canoe, taking enough essentials for a Winter in the country. But I do not advise this unless you’re bridle-wise to the undertaking. It means living mostly on the country. You’d need little equipment. That part would be all right. But the grub end of it might “give you pause.”’ An Alaskan Winter is a long time and you eat a great deal, and your canoe, to be handily handled, will not land you where you want to be with a great deal of grub, after your other impedimenta is de- ducted. But a steamer will land you anywheré on either of the several big rivers, and with enough grub to be comfortable. A very short distance from some such point you could probably obtain the surround- ings and habitat you seek and could get your outfit there quite easily. For a Summer’s trip a canoe trip would be very nice, or one with a poling boat, and you might run into some game—some small game, of course. But 187 as you do not specify your preferences, I could not advise any definite part of Alaska as your objective. As to the cost of the trip—there is not much to pay after you leave the last transportation company with your outfit. The cost of the latter you can estimate for yourself. The cost of getting it into the country will be about equal to the fare of one man (outfit for two) to wherever you go. But if you buy all your heavier stuff in Alaska, as you should, it will probably come to somewhat less. That’s all I can give you without specified inquiries as to “routes, place, equipment, clothing, rations.” Planting the South Sea Islands ERE is some information which Mr. Mills could not give you while the war was on. Do you want a plantation where the climate is glorious; where nearly every conceivable kind of fruit and grain can be raised; where one can choose, tem- perate, semitropical, or torrid lands; where the fishing is unsurpassed and the hunting fine? There’s plenty of elbow-room still in the world where one can make more than a mighty good living: Gan am greatly interested in the South Sea Islands as a money-making proposition; I mean planting and also adventure. I am a motor mechanic by trade, nineteen years old. My ques- tions are: 1. What is the best and cheapest way to get there? 2. What are the best islands to settle in? 3. What are the best things to plant for quick results? 4. How much capital would be required? 5. What is the per cent. profit one could reason- ably expect? 6. What is the white population of most South Sea Islands? 7. Are motor tractors used at all, and how is the planting done?”—LEONARD J. RIcHARDS, Bendigo, Australia. Answer, by Mr. Mills:-—Now that the war is over, you can get much information or the islands that was forbidden during the course of the war. By the way, if you will allow me the interpellation, this is a good tip, too, for the other readers of Adventure who have asked me for details which were forbidden by the War Censor. all and sundry to learn that when I started answer- ing questions for “Ask Adventure” I recommended my correspondents to write to the Union and other shipping companies trading in the South Seas, asking them to send copies of their very interesting pamphlets on tours of the Islands. Some of my replies were opened by the Censor, and then I got an intimation from the Union S. S. Co. that their pamphlets had been withdrawn from circu- lation during the war period. I think that you can apply to the Melbourne office of the Union Steamship Company or the office of the Burns Philp Company, Sydney or Brisbane, for a copy of their pamphlets describing tours of the Islands and on the conditions prevailing there. They It will interest — Eomichooks. co