Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1823-10-30
IN Esquimaugs Habiiation.


TOE following description of win
ter habitation built By an E>quimaux
in their company, is from Tranklii,'s
journal, and is as interesting FOR the
hearty of the fabric as for. its novelty.
/, is not without reason the reviewers
enquire with astonishmcnt--"Wherc
did these poor people, The outcasts OF
society, separated from the civilized
world, and confined 10 eternal regions
of ice and snow, where did these mi
serabie beings learn the principles and
construction, not simply Of the arch,
bot OF the perfect dome, The most diff.
fculs of arcacsf"
1.-THE winter habisations Of the Is
guimaux who visit Chnrchll, are bull
of snow; and Judging from one COP.
stfucted' by Augustus On his natiVe
language called rataneececk) to- day
they are very comfortable dwellings,.
Having selected a spot on Tie river,
where The snow was about two feet
deep, and sufficiently compact, com
menced by tracing ont circle 10 feet
In diameter; the snow 10 lie interior
was next divided with broad knife.
having a long handle, into slabs three
feet long, SIX inches thick, and two
feet deep, being the thickness Of the
! layer Of snow. These slabs were tie.
nacions enough to admit Of being NOV
ed about withor. breaking, or even
losing The sharpness Of their angles,
and they had a slight degree OF curva.
ture, corresponding with that Of the
circle from which they were cut
They were pied upon each other
like courses of hewn stonc, around the
circle which was traced ont, and care
was taken to smooth the beds of the
different layers With the knife, and TO
cut them so as to give the wall a slight
inclination inwards, by which contri.
vance the building acquired the pro
perties of tire dome. The dome was
closed somewhat suddenly and fatty,
by cutting the upper slabs III a wedge
form, instead of the more rectangular
shape of those below. The roof was
| about eight feet high, and the last aper-
turc was shut up by conical piece
The whole was built from within, and
each slab was cot SO that it retained
its position without a requiring support
until another was PLACED beside it: the
llghtness ofthel slab greatly facilitating
the operation.
When the bail ding was covered in,
little loose snow was throw u over it,
to close up every chnk, and low door
was cut through the wall with knife.
A bed place was next formed. and
neatly faced up with slabs of snow.
which was then covered by Thin lay
er of pine branches, TO prevent them
from melting by the heat of the body
AT each end Of the bed a pillar of
snow was erected TO place lamp up
on, and lastly porch was built before
the door, and piece Of clear ice wa
placed in an aperture cut N the wall
for a window
The purity of the material CT which
the house was framed, the elegance of
lis construction, and the translucency
of its walls, which transmitted very
pleasant light, gave it an appearance
far superior TO marble building; and
one might survey it with feelings some
what akin TO those produced by the |
contemplation of a Grecian temple re
paipei,by Phidias; both are temples of
art inmiiable in their kinds"
Remarkable Anagrnga In the
18Th chapter of Johns Gospel, verse
36, Plate saith unto Jesus, Uhat as |
trUths which question in the Latin Ian
guage runs thus: Quid est Peratas2
These letters iransposed, make the
most Just and best answer that could |
possibly be given TO The inquirer, who
did not think proper TO wait for ano
tier, viz: Est Dir qui adest; lie. It IS
the man svho is present.
This anagram will appear still more
remarkable, when ii is considered that
The Lord came into The world particu
lar'y as Divine Truth, and Inc frs
words which he uttered after TIE cues
ton was put to him, were the follow
Ing in the 18Th chapter, verse 6, viz
Behold the raGa.
Note n the English translation.
these words are by mistake put into
the mou:h oil Plate; but 10 the original
they are 'nanilestIy the words Of Je.
us; after the crown Of thorns was p!a,