Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-13
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
The Habits Of the Esquimaux.

bunuant foOu tor refeotlon IN tne IoloWlnR hc
count of Esquimaux life:
"Ihe Esquimaux settlements are some forty
miles apart generally consist of buttwo or three
huts. containing population oi some eighfeen or
twenty. These huts generally built OF mas
sive stones, some Of them several tons weight,
and il is matter of surprise that they could have
possibly got them up. Like the sledgos,the huts
are handed down ms most valuable property.
Some of them have been seen built of whalobone
probably from fish taken by them after be-
ing killed by whalers. In summer they form
tents OF skim and, at II pinch, ot snow. they
are hospitable, and fond of visiting, and so these
settlements keep up an interchange OF eommuni-
cation, and live very happily. Their huts are
heated by means of stone lamps, out by them
selves out Of n sort of soap stone, fed with blnb-
bsr, and with wick of ground moss by this
means they manage to keep up temperature OF
sixty degrees Fahrenheit, while temperature out
of doors is as many degrees below zero they
usually eat raw meats-the fesh OF wnrus and
seal, but when they do cook anything or make
any soup-whioh they make very good-it Is by
means of these lamps.
Their sleeping places aro platforms built OF
stone raised some eighteen inches from the floor
80 as to keep in the warm atmosphere--and
covered with grass taken from islands ut dis
tancc. Their clothing consists OF fox skin jun
pers or coats, with nn inner jumper of bird skin,
the feathers inward. bear skin trowsers bear skin
women is similar to that of tho men, except that
the former wear boots extending half way up the
thigh, while those of the men do not extend to
the knees and that the ladies' also wear sack to
their hoods, which they call nessak, in which
they carry their children. The men are OF me-
dium size and stouty built while the women are
of n smaller stature and slighter They do not
practise the Mormon habits of polygamy, but
are, on the contrary, extremely particular about
their matrimonial relations. This has been the
universal testimony of travellers who have yisi-
ted them. AS with all svago nations the ON us
of the labor devoIves on the women. Tho men
como in from the hunt, throw down the prey they
have secured. walrus seal, and the women have
then to go to work. skin tho animals, pre-
pare the flesh for food extract the bones, and
prepare the sinews for sewing purposes. One
of the ordinary acts OF hospitality or eivlity on
tho part of the ladies' is to take fowl, or pieeo
of meat. chew it up very nicely, aud hand II to
the visitor, who is expected to bo overcome with
gratitude and finish the operation of chewing
Il would give them dire offence If there should
be my failure to do honor to this act OF hospi-
tality. In all other respects they exercise to u
remark able degree the snme virtue. The Esqnl-
maux Of the Northern regions profess to have n
dread of going to Danish settlements, lest they
should be eaten up by their southern brethren,
while these last entertain the same dread, and
with more reason, Of the northern tribes. Those
tribes. however, which 1.-Two Ms high up MS the
expedition penetrated. seeming 10 be becoming
gradually csiinguished, aud we understand that
DR.. Knne has formed tho phan,hropo scheme
of collecting these people together. lie propo-
ses, we are told to gather them from tho most
rorhern regions and bring them down to the
Danish settlements where they can enjoy more
comforts aud bo subject 10 less vicssitudes.
The Esquimaux have priest, whom they call
Aniokok, who performs marriages and burial
services, and is supposed to have some influence
of the heart When u couple is married. their
friends have imposed upon them for n certain
length of time, abstinence from certain kinds OF
meats, and when young man or young lady
dies, NIL the young men and the young women OF
the settlements condemned to the same sort
abstinence. The priest is believed to have pow
er too over the warus and seal, and in time of
pressing scarcity to be able TO call them up to
the surface of the water. Their faith in the An
jekok is the only approach they have to religious
belief. They spend their long winter of four
months, total darkness. in sleeping and enting,
never going out to hunt unless pressed by neces-
sty. They have no sort of amusement except
singing and mn accompanying motion OF tho body,
which can hardly be designated dancing. They
do not use tobncco in any shape, nor do they
smoke any other weed or root for the purpose of
siimnants, nor would they allow any smoking
in their huts. The children always get name
selected from whatever subject happens TO be on
the tapis in the paternal hut when they are born.
In Lievely or Godhaon, island of Disco, the
population of $50 or 300 is composed principally
of Esqumaux, pure and half blood. They man
age TO keep up good deal of social enjoyment by
means Of dancing, singing and music. They
have peculiarly good ear for music, and can
manage to play on the jewsharr voilin any
mir they hear The women are said to be great
rouges, if not in stealing gentlemhn's hearts. at
least in pfering tin pots and plates,and anything
of that kind. We one gentleman connected
with the expedition, who had no less than three
specimens of the hair of young ladies of Lievely.
One of them is dark as the ravens wing, of the
silkiest texture, and came from the locks of
full blooded Esquimaux; another is dark brown.
very fine, and belonged to a half blood; and the
third of golden color, and of equally fine texture
showed Enthusiastically the Danish blood Of the
ladys sire. We pre- sumo these love tokens will
be duly treasured, though not in the National
Museum at Washngton.-This same gentleman
has a quantity of skins and furs which he has
brougt home with him as "reminiscences of Green
land
The Esquimaux never resort to the barbarous
mode of cutting off frost bitten limbs. They ap-
ply TO them piece of rabbit skn and always
with good effect. We sorry to see that one
of the expedition lost his life by the amputation
of frost bitten foot, and that three others have
had to suffer amputation.
1t NAV be worthy of note that DIR. Kane
went TO the arctic regions provided with daguer-
reotype apparents and plates but that from the
peculiar nature of the atmosphere no impression
could be taken. These, and valuable colIec-
ton OF specimens of the natural history, geolo-
gy, and casts of the Esquimaux, with the libra
ries of Captain Kane and officers, had to be left
behind; but the drawings, reports, instruments
and documents of the expedition were preserv-
ed"
THE EFFECT OF FEAR.-The extraordinary