The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-11-17

garment is entire, and depends solely upon the
closeness Of its fit for its support, the manner
OF putting it on becomes problem Of no little
interest. You ponder over it long and vainly.
At last you acquaint some fair confidante with
the subject Of your speculations, and without
any atiectation of prudery she tells you +" it is
perfectly easy" and straightway drawing an
imaginary pair over her feet, and above her
knees, she crosses her legs and 10 they slide
easily upwards into their place. They are held
b:y the projection Of the hips, which prevents
them from falling until the same position is
again assumed. Their boots are double, so
that they may by being taken apart be more
easily dried. This is necessary, since the skins
intercept the perspiration from the foot, and
when night comes are always very moist. The
upper portion Of the body is covered, first, with
the usual garment, generally unadorned by
aces Over this is o tightly-ftting seal-skin
jacket, and the outer habiliment Is loose
jcrraA of calico, with loose ruff Of dogs fur
around the throat. Underneath, white neck
tssrns rs sefsa closely mound the throat. This
rlan,. -psmdage form, and suggests influ-
ei1za OF bronchitis so forcibly as to be almost
painful to the sight. However, you soon get
over this feeling, and learn to dwell with de-
light upon their Mongolian features and the
pagoda Of hair which crowns their low fore
heads.
The constant practice of combing the hair
straight back renders the temples bald while
they are yet young-a warning to those who
have adopted the Chinese style Of dressing the
hair.
Music is great fayorite with the Esqui-
maux-the men being most of them performers
upon the violin, and possessing ready ear, q
retentive memory, and considerable natural
taste in the production Of their melodies. You
Will not find them averse to dancing, if you
distribute two or three bottles of whisky.
They are very apt at learning new dances, and
a waltz which was taught them by one Of the
officers of Lieut.. De Havens expedition was
found by him, five years after, to be very COM
mon and remarkably well performed. In the
lower settlements in Greenland you will be in
vited to ball almost every night.
Among the northern tribes some of their
customs are most inhuman. At Cape Alex
ander, in 78 deg. 20 min. North, there are
about thirty Esquimaux living in seven fam
lilies. One Of these consisted Of young man
and woman who had two children, the youngest
OF which was weak and sickly so they made a
grave and laid the child in it and covered her
with Q stone. This is the way in which they
get rid of the aged and feeble. But whatever
may be their failings, from religion or from
custom, except in the most northern portion
Of Greenland " free love" finds no favor with
the Esquimaux women. When married they
are true to their husbands, and unmarried,
| they are true to themselves They cherish the
memory of their friends. One Of the officers Of
Lieut.. De Haven's expedition was greeted on
his return to Leivley in the expedition Of
Hartstein by the gentle Sophie Broberg with
q kiss and rapturous exclamation Of delight.
He brought home a photograph Of her and her
sister Marie who "has the fairest set of teeth
in all Greenland" and has been educated in
Copenhagen. The photograph is faint, for
the sun in Greenland is weak, still it gives O
good idea Of their features and dress. Another
officer has small Daguerreotype of six of the
Leivley bellies. DIR. Kane's Report. y