The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1860-12-07


Extracts of II Letter from q. 4. Hall,
of the Halt Franklin Expedition, to II
Friend in this City.
HoLsTElsBoRo, Greenland,i
July 90, 1860.
1t is now expected tha,
I will Winter with Captain Budding
ton, acquiring all the knowledge OF
the Esquimaux their habits, Ian.
guage and lie-that | can. | am
more confident than ever OF accom-.
plishing tho work | have set out to
DO. have Travelled here in Green
land miles and miles with tho E.
quimaux, and find them good houest
company The land here very well
represents that which | shall see
West OF Davis Straits--so says Cap
tain Buddington. Ihave spent three
Sabbaths here in Ilolsteinborg.--
The customs Of the people here are
in strong contrast with ours. Even
those of the Europeans here are
quite foreign to my ideas Of what
they should be. Nearly every one
goes to Church in the forenoon.--
The preaching is in Esquimaux two
Sabbaths out OF three-iB the Dan
ish once in three. Alter four o'clock
in the afternoon the dance-house is
opened, to which Everybody and
his wife" bend their steps. The
dance is kept up till ten o'clock. -
The crews OF the Ge0rge Henry and
Rescue have participated in these
balls.
The dress Of the Esquimaux la
dies here consists OF white seal skin
boots, that come up to the knees,
seal skin brecchcs that almost reach
the tops Of the boots--the fashion
being to leave space between the
boots and breeches, say OF one inch,
that the knees may be admired by
the opposite sex! Additlo1Al TO the
EsqnimauX ladies dress, is the spen.
cor. made Of deer skin. The head
dress Of the E3quimhux ladies OF
Greenland, is curiosity: the hair is
all carried ID a spot between the top
and lack o! the head--say back OF
the ears. 1t is in tuit, standing
out six inches from the head, bound
by highly colored ribbon, four
inches wide, thus allowing the hair
TO stand two inches above the ribbon.
Frequently little boquet Of flowers
is bound in with the hair. In their
Sunday dress, the females look very
pretty are really handsome.
When dancing they show off to the
best advantage. The articles which
they wear on their feet here in the
Arctic regions, are altogether better
and easier for tho feet than ANYTHING
we have in the states. Tais is
strange statement. when taken into
consideration that civilization il put
III comparison with those outside the
world. shall send pair OF this
toot grtr to each ii nay eli iren, and
then YOU can Judge ion yourself -
Do YOU remember OF my telling yOu
AMI others why | let my ha r and
whishcrs grow 10 such length?--
Well, now can speak Of my wis.
dom in becoming hirsutc hefor-
leaving the states. No sooner had
we got near the harhur of llul trin-
borg, than wc were greeted by mill
ions on millions of muslnitos. |
will never complain Of these ieple.
tcrous insects again in the sthtes.-
Where you have one, wc-havc ten
thousand here; this is the only draw
back t. com Urt here. How strange
it must seem to you. Musquitcs in
the Arctic regions: so it is--my
whole itching body. That has been
penetrated by innumcrablc probos
els of these ll!liputian elephants, will
testify to the wars have been
through. | took a walk Yesterday
in the mountains with Governor
Elberny, and the European ladies OF
his settlement. From the starting
out to the return we were accom-
panied by swarms and swarms OF
musqnitos. Imagine large bee
hive, full OF bees, to be upset; so nu-
merous were the musquitos around
and upon us. II you attempt to kill
these torments, the natives laugh at
you; and well they might, for where
one is made defnnct, many scores
hasten in to fill his place. To see
what could do towards extermina
ting a lew, brought the palm OF my
hand down quickly upon my knee
and twenty-sevon old settlers settled
to rise no more. Estimate the sur.
face a man OF my size presents to the
Greenland mU7qnitos, and allow
twenty seven to each space tho size
OF my hand, and You can then tel
!. something about the size OF the mus
quitos here. During the gale
we had in the harbor a few day
: since, the big anchor was thrown out
in drawing in that anchor, some o
the windlass gear gave way, and w
are detained here longer on accoun
!, ot repairing it. but shall now be sool
under way. There ia no
, much probability that | shall retur'
under three years. and possibilit
: of not returning till the end OF foul
) THE Cincinnati papers report sey
e eral cases where business men {
d that city, making their annual visit
It to New Orleans, to reside durin
e the Winter, and lay in stocks {
70 sugars aud molasses, have bee
't compelled, on account of the btt,
p hostility to the North, and I'll
st prescription Of Northern men, to r,
b turn to their homes, with their bu