Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-01
LIFE AND DEATH AMONG THE EsoUMAUx

death anu as the heaven VI lHc luulau iS
suggested by the boundessness of plain and
forest aud the mighty magn6ccnce of rivers,
and is material, not including nearness to or
participation in the iufnity of God-for indeed
the bcati6c vision is purely Christian and OF
Revelation $50 the lnnuit heaven is also
terial There IS some touching divergence,
however, a,noug its poiuts Of emblance-
From the sky, which reveals to them its terri
Die beauty OF flame and color, and hangs its
everlasting lights out above their mist and
gloom, mocking their darkness with those
twinklng unattainabe points OF brllllauce, the
sole idea Of beauty, the sole suggestion Of
supplied To feast forever on reindeer mear
is Que component Of their vision Of eternal life,
and to Wander from star to star is the other.
The lofty lament OF the ludian tribes for
their dead dwclls much upon the personal
proweSs Of the deceased. y mighty man OF
vaor he, stroug in battle, aud vigil.ut upon
the war trail a warrior dreaded OF man aud
beast, light aud swift Of foot, aud sure of aim,
GOOD at taking seal ps and "peItrey' Such
are the praises lavished by their brethren ON
those who, to our minds, are squaGd creatl.r%s
enough, but elevated somehow by this gloss OF
poetry, uevor wholly absurd, with its accesso.
licS OF plain and forest; But III the lament OF
the luuuit for his dead brother, IAN excellent
retains only the sorlid meaning, pathetic in
It's truth indeed, when we examine it closely,
but repellaut. One is gone who was wise ana
powerful in aiding to feed those who remain,
aud they are destined to be all the hungrier
for his loss Aud the manner of his death
Nothing in the revelations OF the conditions of
existence among the E:qumaux is so terrible
as their treatment Of the dying. When death
is near the sufferer is left alone in the Ice hut
the lamp is supplied for the last tinle-it' there
is any blubbcr to spare just then if not, the
end must be awaited III cold aud darkness the
aperture is closed by ice-blocks, aud the death
chamber becomes the tomb. The unhappy
creatures believe that if they remained with
the dying. the fur clothes worn on the occasion
tani, Of course, their most valuable posesSonl
never could be worn again; alSo, that any they
mi ght then be making, by the aid of tsh-boue
needles. So the sole notion ot the supernatural
they entertain distorts their usually gentle na-
lures, and serves to lessen the interval OF their
removal from the brutes by establishing the
trait Of deSerti0n Of the dying III common be
tween them. No wonder Capt. Hall was
seized with horror when he learned the exis-
fcuce Of this custom; learned it from bis favorite
1ookroolito, too, an ESquimaux woman, who,
had seen men and cities but who had just
abandoned dying woman, and gave her rea
sons for doing so with perfect good faith aud
earuestness. No wonder he rushed to the
igloo and tore away the ice-blocks, and re-
nained with the dying woman, even at the
risk of his life from the fearful cold. He lu-
duced one man, relative of the woman, to
hold light to him while he reverently laid out
the dead body on its snow-bed, with an ice
block under the head, the hands already begin
ming to freeze upon the bosom, and Jumps of
frozen snow upon the eyclids. Then he care
fully sealed mp the aperture, that the dogs
hight not eat the remains, and lett her to rest,
which one thinks must be most welcome TO
these people, OF all toiling, suffering humanity.
CHEAP SUGAR FROM CORN.-The Daven-
port (lowa) Gazette says Il resident OF that city
has made discovery whereby sugar can be
produced from corn and afforded to the pur-
chaser at three and half cents per pound 1t
says:
Some effect Of chemicals upon the potato
led him to believe that sugar might be obtain
ed from this escuent and he commenced ex-
permentng with that end in view. He found
the sugar in it, and also found that its produc-
tion from that source could not be made prof.
table. He went to work with corn, and so de
votedly, that he became very poor, consuming
his means until he had used up everything but
his little homestead.
''Oue of our citizens stepped in, told him to
go on, and held him up. Recently he made
his discovery, and made it known to his friends.
1t is sugar that will be in demand by confcc-
tioners, wine makers, and brewers, but will not
be popular for table use until after further ex.
permenting This discovery will doubtless
work revolution in the use of sweetening in
those occupations. With corn at forty cents a
bushel, this sugar can be delivered to purcha-
sers at the factory for three and half cents
per pound White corn Is better than yellow
in this business because there is no color to be
removed.
FRUIT FARMS.-The great profit of fruit
culture can be fully recognized when We cou-
slider that quart Of good strawberries will sell for
as much in Philadelphia, New York, of Boston
as a bushel of corn will sell Tor in some places
of the West A fruit farm well laid out, cul-
tivated and attended to-, snre to be highly re-
munera,ive Experience proves this fact. 1t
requires no more Industry or system than or
dinary farming, but it does require that much.
Strawberries last spring paid at the rate OF
from $500 to $500 an acre. Last autumn
grapes paid as much. Twice as much will be
done the present season in the fruit line as last
year An increased area Of orchards and vine
yards will come iu bearing. New ones will be
extensively set out, and the culture will receive
more skillful and careful attention than hereto
FORE on account Of the profits realized from it the
past several seasons = Tnelaad Weekly.
DARw1N1sM TopsY TURvY.-Bryant, Al
colt, and other thinkers are taxing their lngeu-
ols fancy to see how good case they can ma ke
out for the descent of IA man from the angels,
and Of the animals from man Some OF US, II
luan was once'a little lower than the angels,
have not done credit to our ancestry, for the
breech is widened And Mr. BRYANT argues
that it requires vigent and ncessant strug-
gle to save what there is left Of the angel aud
insure our immediate progenity against aping
the habits Of what We CALL with superciliouS but
Ill justified haueur, the lower orders.