American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-11-15
nahIl. or ths E,aulmaur.


manners and customs OF the Esquimaux,
visited by DR.. Kane during his "excur-
SION to the North Pole:
"Their sleeping PLACES are platforms,
built of stone. raised soma eighteen inches
from the floor. SO as to keep in the warm
atmosphere. and covered with grass taken
from islands at distance. Their clothing
consists Of fox skin Jumpers or coat, with
an inner jumper Of bird skin. the feathers
inward; bearskin trowssrs. bearskih boots.
and bearskin gloves. The dress Of the
women is similar TO that OF the men, ex-
cep, that the former wear boots extending
half way up the thigh. while those OF the
a men do not extend TO tie knee. Bat that
t the ladies' also wear sack to their hoods,
which they call nessack, in which they
IS carry their children. The men are Of me-
dium size, and sloully built; while the wo-
men are Of smaller stature. and slghter.--
|, They do not practice the Mormon habits Of
poIygamy; but on the contrary, extremely
~ particular about their matrimonial rela-
lions. This has been the universal tesll-
J. mony of travellers who have visited them.
,e AS with all savage nations, the onorous
at portion of the labor devolves upon the wo-
men. The men come in from the hunt,
throw down the prey they have secured,
d, walrus. or seal, and the women have then
ID to go TO work, skin the animals, prepare
We the flesh for food extract the bones, and
prepare the sinews for sewing. One
k Of the ordinary acts Of hospitality or civil
ty on the part of the ladies', is to take a
he fowl or piece of meat, chew it up very nice
e. ly, and hand it to the visitor, who is ex-
vs. pected to be overcome with gratitude, and
in 10 tnish the operation of chewing. II
ed would give them dire offence if there sho'd
lie be any failure to do due honor TO this act
of hospitality, In all other respects they
yer exercise, to a remarkable degree, the same
virtue. The Esquimaux OF the northern
| regions profess to have dread OF going
ID. to tie Danish settlements, lest they should
lb- be eaten up by their southern brethren
he while these last entertain th5 same dread,
m. & with more reason, Of the northern tribes
md Those tribes, however, which live up as
oes high as the expedition penetrated, seem t(
f be becoming gradually extingaished; ans
an We understand that Dr.. kene has formee
in the philanthropic scheme OF collecting thes
our people together. H3 proposes, VIZ ar
told, to gather them from the mos! north
e-n regions, and bring them down to tn
= Danish settlements, where they can EMO.
Oh moro comforts, and be subject to less vi
J"' cissitules. .,.
1e' The E;quimaux have apriost whom
: :'0 10 they call Anjekek, who performs maria
lch ges aud burial services. and is supposed
ou have some influence over the heart. Whe
mo! a couple is married. their friends have in
cry posed on them, for certain length OF time
les' abstinence from certain kinds OF mea.; an
seen when a young man or woman dies, ali til
pm young men and young women OF The Sc
Ioa' tlament are condemned to the sans sort {
va" abstinence. The priest is believed to ha'
IN power over the walrus and seal, and in
ho time Of pressing scarcity to be able to ca
AuSY them up to the surface OF the water The
| flith in the Anjekak is tho only approai
'he they have to religious belief. They sper
'om- their long winter Of four months tot
the darkness, in sleeping and eating, never z
leel- iny out to hunt, unless pressed by neces;
IN ty. They have no sort OF amusement c
m a. cept singing and an accompanying mo'i'
,urst of the BODY, which can hardly be design
hese tad dancing. They do not use tobacco
hec' any shape, nor do they smoke any 9th
you weed or root for thepurpose OF stimlIan
sus- nor would they allow any smoking in th
less huts. The children always got mai
per selected flom whatever subject happens
alS- be on the tdRis in the paternal hut VII
ol III, they are born.
S apt lin LeaveIy or Godhoan, Island OF D
9 the CO, the population Of $50 or 800, is go
n the posed principally of Esquimaux. pure
y. i half blood. They manage TO keep u
!, and GOOD deal of social enjoyment BY mean;
than dancing, singing and music. and can m
lesert age to play on the jewshsrp or violin
Vol air they hear. The women are said to
great rogues, if not in stealing gentleme
walk. hearts, at least in pilfering tin pots
,ture, plates, and anything of that kind.
The saw one young gentleman connected "
f em the expedition, who had no less than IN
was speciments of the hair of young ladies
Leavely. One of them is dark as the
,stitu- ven's wing, of the slkiest texture. WI
drv. came from the locks Of full ll-blooded
sbina ouimaux; another is dark brown, very I
,iness' and belonged to half-blood; and the tn
ona Of of Golden color, au1 of equally fine text
eantv showed Enthusiastically the Danish bloc
rare the ldy's SIRE. We presume these
ciples. tokens will be duly treasured, though
nv ad- in the National Museum at Washing
" and This same gentleman had a quantlt.
ID the skins and furs which he has brought b
or the with him as "reminiscences OF Greenland
.er so But they will have to be fumigated, or
n, the dergo some other process OF purlhca'
o o men Ter for the Esquimaux ladies, who have
Snapv q tanning operation in charge not being
astrain to procure bark, have recourse TO IL
iso tLe which answers as we'll, but is not ent
I'd en- inodorous.
,r YOU "The EsqGfpaux never resort to the
nleas- barous mode Of cutting oil trost-6
order, limbs. They apply to them piece OF
ousick, bit skin and always with good effect.
erallv. are sorry to see that one of the exped
a yery lost his life by the amubtation OF
, is the bitten foot, and that three others have
to suffer amputation.