Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-03-27

walls are covered on the inside with skins,
to keep out the danpness aud cold air A
broad bench runs along the side kettle,
of stone or iron, hangs over rain-oiI lamp,
which supplies the place ola stove or hearth.
The windows are formed of the entrals Of
the whale and seal instead of glass The
entrance is through long, narrow passage,
through which the hot air escapes, aud al
though there is no door, such a he1t is kept
up inside that even 10 winter the Greeulan-
ders 60 almost without clothes A Europe
an cannot exist in such filth and stench."
The boats Of these people are their only
excellence of manufacture
Since the natives subsist principally up
on the supplies which the sea affords them,
they besiuw gres, pains on the construction
Of their boats, which they guide aud prope
with great dexterity. The koyac, or mans
boat, is from twelve TO fourteen feet long,
only eighteen inches broad, and inclye ia
ches deep, having skeleton of wood and
fish-bone, covered on all sides with skins
made perfectly water-tighi, and weighing,
at most, only thirty pounds. Ia the middle
IS a well-secured opening. into which the
Esquimaux creeps. He then fastens his
coat Of seal-skin tight around the entrance,
aud sits perfectly dry in the middle of the
sea. In his light skif he flies as securely
as a sea-gull over the waves, and IN times
OF the severes, cold is kept warm by his
own fat. Even when the kayak is overturn-
ed, the stroke of an oar is sufficient to re-
store its equilibrium, bat whoever loses his
oar, is hopelessly LOST
But what will be said Of the state Of the
ic0meR among he Greenlanders -
1.-The umioks are women's boats, twice
as long aud three or four times as broad as
the kayak, very elastic, but with flat bot
toms, aud therefore adapted for quiet sea
They are propelled by four or five women,
for among the Esqulmaux the seyeresi la
bors are mpused upon the female sex
They make clothes and boots, amiokS aud
kayaks, tan leather build houses, pitch tents,
cook, aud take care Of children, while the
man considers It unworthy Of hun to work
his proper employment is IN catching seals
and shooting birds. Since there are no rich
Greenanders, the bride brings her husband
no other dowry thsn strong arms. 1t is,
however, customary aud proper, that after
the belr lihal-a matter IN which the parents
never interfere-she should shut herself up
for several days, aud weep, or run loose a.
mong the mountains, whence she is brought
back by the bridegroom. Puygamy IS al
lowed, but is only praciised when the first
wife remains barren IN which case she re-
quests her husband To choose second. If
the MN wishes to separate from his wife, he
puts on discontinued face for a time, aud
leaves the house without saying where he is
going. The woman understands this hint,
packs together her property. takes her chill
dren, and returns to her relatives"
The household aud kitchen matters are
equally curious -
The country would be uninhabitable
even for Esquimaux, we're it not for the
seals which are as indispensable TO them as
the reindeer to the Laplanders. Their flesh
is eaten, their skins used for clothing and
to cover boats aud houses, while the lat fur
nshes i Ihi aud fuel The animal Is taken
with a harpoon, to the end of which blad-
der is fastened. Sea-hrds also serve as
food, aud sometimes the boldest oarsmen
make chase after a whale, but only IN COM
piny with the Danes. They then wash
themselves, aud put on their best clothing,
because they think the whale would not sui
fer them to approach if they were unclean.
The labors OF cleaning the cooking utensils
devoves on the wives, who, III turn, call in
the aid of the dogs, and everything is spec
dily licked smooth aud clean. The bill of
fare of a Greenland feast runs as follows !:
dried herrings dried, boiled and half-raw
seals flesh; boiled sea-guIls, piece of
hal(putried whales tail (lhe principal
dIsh); dried salmon dried reindeer, aud
bllIberries cooked with deer's tripe aud train
oil"
The above, by way Of reminding US what
we have TO thank God for, is not unprohta-
BILE reading -Home Journal