Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-01-01

tound to be a very distastefal diet. This
unpleasant circumstance. however, gave
Ibem an insight into Esquimsux life.
We make some extracts from the nara.
live: 'f
THE SIBERIAN sRAsoSs.
From the middle Of October to the lat
ter part Of March the days are short and
gloomy, and. at the winter equinox, there
are but two hOurs Of daylight During
these months the mercury is always below
zero. reaching 43e on the coast. and 6Ss
a short distance in the interior. Every.
thing is desolate and dreary. Nothing
is to be seen but vast fields Of snow and
Ice. occasionally relieved by some dark
jutting crag in distant mountain. The
cold ia so intense that ice formed onithe
floor Of our sleeping apartments. and
frost and sparkling crystals hung from
the roof four inches in length, and the
blankets in which we slept became as
stiff as boards, and froxc to the walls.
The summer. although short, is strange
ly in contrast with tho desolate winter.
From the first of May to the latter part
Of August there is no night, the sun bare.
ly hiding his face behind the mountains
for a short time, and appearing again in
the Northeast. About June 2lst we saw
his face for nearly two weeks without set
ting. At this season it is quite warm.
The continued glare and reflection upon
the snow causes snow.b blindness, and fire.
quently blisters the face The snow mclts
rapidly and the streams which have so
long been closed burst forth in rapid tor
rents, rendering travelling out Of the ques.
tion until the bays and h,rbors open in
the latter part of June, when travel can
be done only by water. The grass and
few delicate flowers spring up in the
valleys. as if by magic. frequently grow.
ing within few feet from an immense
sa9w drift. Mosquitoes swarm in myr.
lads and compel person to protect his
face and hands from their bloody at.
tacAs. ....-..
TIE DEPTH OF TUE FROST. af b.
To what depth it is frozen We never
knew; but after digging q hole twenty.
five solid feet. for water and ground
wire, we found it frozen still harder than
near the surface.
THE NATIVES.
The natives are strong. robust looking
people, usually below the medium stature.
but are occasionally found among both
sexes measuring six fert in hight. Their
color and general physioguomy are strik.
ingly similar to those of the Chinese race
and they possess the same almond eye
and high cheek bone peculiar to these
latter people. The males have no boards
and wear only rim of hair around their
heads, tho top being shearcd as closely as
possible. On each side Of the lower lip
a hole is cut. and stone or blue bead
ornament inserted. The females, after
reaching certain age, arc tattoed with
perpendicular lines on the lower lip.
Both sexes dress nearly alike, in deer and
seal skin garments, Of q simple fashion.
..... EsoUIMArx MuTs. .a,r-..
Their tu.pecks (huts) arc constructed of
drift.wood. under ground. and nearly
square with small window in the centre
Of the roof covered with kap aituk .shuk
prepared seal intestines). which is sufi.
GENTLY transparent to admit nearly as
much light as, glass, The entrance to
these huts is like the entrance to goph.
er's nest. You drop down into hole
about two feet square and six feet deep.
and crawling along almost Oh your hands
and knees through low, narrow, dark
and filthy tunnel, to hole about the
hight Of your knees. through which you
are admitted to the interior. the atmos-
phere Of which is peculiarly odoriferous
and disgusting. The floor is made Of
hewed planks Of driftwood, and at the
back side is q shelf of the same material
about four feet wide, upon which the OIL
der children and unmarried Indians sleep,
in curled up position. and cit during
the day. Underneath this shelf sleep
the head Of the family With his wife or
wives and smaller children. "a la
On each side Of the room. aud raised
above the floor about four inches. are
shallow stone or wooden vessels fillcd with
oil with burning moss upon their edges,
over which hangs huge piece Of walrus.
or seal blubber, which, by it's continued
dripping, supplies the lamps With oil.
This combustion furnishes ample heat and
light for the apartment. While sitting
in their huts. nothing is worn but their
brooches, as the temperature is generally