Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-24
E ESQuIM UX.

II - - a ~ N q " a.
Putnam has a graphic account of "Tbe
kane Relief Expedition" The vriter,s g.
| count Of the Northern Esquimaux is well eai-
| culsted 10 refresh ones love of our much
| abused civilization, since the utmost souaIor
and degradation Of city dens do not equal the
slOth and vice Of these favored " children of
| nature " One extract will suffice
These unsopbisticsted children of the FROST
land never wash of dirt-for the simple rea-
son that of dirt, as such, they have no con-
cepnon or idea. IL their faces get so foul as
ages just as they clear away the offal from the
door OF their tents when il impedes their in
| gress aud egress. On our explaininc 10 a
woman mat we wished her to wash her face,
sne al hrst refused; but, being bribed with a
paper OF needles, she caught bird, skinned
II, ana spltnng on Its fresh bleeding skin. pol
Ished her face with il. My friend Mayouk
had dirt on his face one-quarter of an inch
| thick when L first saw him The next time
met him L did not recognize him, and actual
| ly requested Mayouk himself to send Mayouk
to me. Two Of our sailors had caught him.
| and, In spite of his struggles, insisted on
| washing his face. He did not seem 10 appre-
| ciate the Improvement it had 10 ade in his ap-
pearance; on the contrary, be was quite NOR
tilted, for he had become the laughing stock
of his fellows.
1 would like to speak plainly of the per-
sonal habits of these people, if it were only
for the benefit of a class Of philosophers
among as who delight in chanting the vices
of civilization, and dreaming of what man
might be if he could only get back to a state
OF nature. But there are pictures, and life.
like ones, that we cover with a curtain.
lmprovldence Is another trait Of these
fresh children of impulse - We were az
their village as late as the 18th of August
Yet, although the auks were flying around
them in such quantities that one man could
have been able TO catch a thousand an hour,
| they had not enough prepared for winter to
last two days. They were all disgustingly
fat, and always eating-perhaps an average
ration Of eighteen pounds per diem-yet they
had lost seven by starvation during the last
winter, though relieved, as far as we could
make it out, by the Dokto Kayens Doctor
Kanes)
They suffer dreslfully from cold, too, yet
there is abundance of excellent peat which
they might dig during the summer. They
know its value as fuel, aud are simply too
lazy to stack it. The little aux, which forms
their principal food, may be said also 10 he
their principal fuel. Indeed, il quite fills the
place which the seal holds among the more
southern Esquimaux. Their clothes are Iinod
with its skins; they burn the fat, and, set
ting aside the ivers and hearts, TO be dried
and consumed as 6OnbOnS during the winter,
they eat the meat and intestines, cooked and
Der one night child woke up crying with
cold feet. His mother reached out to one side
of the tent; took up a pair Of birds, killed
them, skinned them, turned the skin inside
out, and drew them, while still warm, on to
his feet, to serve as stockings, pulling his lit
tie boots on over them.
They are very hospitable the minute we
arrived all hands began to catch birds, and
prepare them for us Tearing off the skins
with their teeth, they stripped the breasts to
be cooked, and presented us with the Juicy
entrails and remaining portions, to eat raw,
and stay our sppetites. The vIauds did not
look inviting to US who witnessed their prepa-
ration; but they appeared so hurt at our re-
fusing TO eat, that we had TO explain that IL
was not cooked, but raw birds we wanted
This was unsatisfactory. They set out at
once to catch some for us, and in a few mo-
ments three Of them were on the way down TO
the boat, loaded with birds
Their way Of catching them il peculiar
They have small scoop nets, attached TO long
poles, not unlike those used for catching en-
tomological specimens. A man will take ono
Of these, and having stripped of his Jumper.
and tied its sleeves so that he may use it as a
sack, will lay himself down on the hill side
and net the birds, three or four at a time, as
the fly over, cramming them into bis jumper
as fast as caught. When he has got enough,
he proceeds deliberately TO kill them, taking
them one by one, and biting their heads OF,
if he does not wish to take their lives at once.
merely locking their wings. We saw piles Of
auks lying about the village in this eondi-
tion.
They have no regular hours for meals or
sleeping, but each sleeps, wakes, and eats as
best pleases him. L don't know anything
which impresses the one more fOrcibly with
the disgusting earnestness Of man 70 the beast,
than to see a human being thus wake from
sleep, stretch out his hand, seize a bird, and
after devouring il raw, like a WOLF turn over
and go to sleep again. And yet they are not
wanting In courtesy, Of quite an elevated
character. Mrs. Mitek, the wife Of a chief,
apOlogized to me for her seeming want of hos
pitality on one occasion; and explained TO me,
by most expressive signs, and no incOnslder-
able exposure of her person, that she hoped
she was about 10 present the house Of Mltek
with an heir. She was fortunate as she hoped;
for saw them, not quite an hour after, walk
ing about with Zine boy" both parties look
ing as unconcerned as if nothing unusual hai
happened to either. The small animal was
the image of his father, and was dressed in
costume similar in cut and color to that Of
the great chief-boots, breeches, and jumper,
all cOmplete-the only difference being, that
the skin Of the white fox was substituted for
that of bear.
They always take of their clothes on going
to sleep; and men, women, and children al
lie cuddied up together, to keep themselves
warm. If you come on them suddenly In this
plight, they are not the least abashed, but
will politely offer to make room for you to join
the group 1t is well, however, TO accept
these hOspitalities with some reserve Burns
had not slept in an Etah hut, or ne never
would have sung of that solitary beastie"
on the lady's bonnet.