American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-23

forth; IN May the snow bcglnS 10 melt,
the impatient grass and flowers arrive as
it departs. In June the summer has
fairly come Under the incessant rays
of the nevcr-setting sun the snow speed
lily disappears, the ice breaks up, the
glacial earth softens for "A depth of one,
two or three feet; circulation is restored
to vegetation, which, during winter, has
been stopped-if we believe John Rich
ardson, even the largest trees freezing to
the heart. Sea, and plain, and rolling
stcppe lay aside their seamless shroud of
white and brilliant tint of emerald
overspreads the landscape. All nature,
with one resembling cry, leaps up and
claps her hands for joy. Flocks of birds,
lured from their winter homes, fill the
air with their melody; myriads of wild
fowls send forth their shrill cries; the
moose and the reindeer flock down from
the forests; from the resonant sea comes
the noise of spouting whales and bark
ing seals, and this SO lately dismal, cheer
less region blooms with an ex
ubcrance of life equaled only by the
shortness of its duration And in token
of "a Just appreciation of the Creators
goodness, this animated medley-man,
and beasts, and birds, and fishes-rises
up, divides, falls to, and ends in eating
or in being eaten
The physical characteristics of the
Eskimos are: A fair complexion, the skin,
when free from dirt and paint, being al
most white; medium stature, well pro-
portioned, thick-set, muscular, robust,
active, with small and beautifully shaped
hands and feet: Il pyramidal head;
broad, egg shaped face; high, rounded
cheek bones; fiat nose; small, oblique
eyes; large mouth; teeth regular, but
well worn; coarse black hair, closely cut
upon the crown, leaving a monk-like ring
around the edge, and a paucity of beard.
The men frequently leave the hair in a
natural state. The women of Icy Reef
introduce false hair among their own,
wearing the whole in two immense bows
at the back of the head. At Point Bar
row they separate the hair into two
parts or braids, saturating it with train
oil and binding it into stiff punches with
strips of skin. Their lower eXtremities
are short, so that in a sitting posture they
look taller than when standing.
On the northern coast the women
paint the eyebrows and tattoo the chin;
while the men only pierce the lower lip
under one or both corners of the mouth,
and insert in each aperture double
headed sleeve-button or dumb-bell-
shaped labret, of bone, ivory, shell, stone,
glass or wood. The incision when first
made is about the size of a quill, but as
older the size of the Orifice is enlarged
until it reaches width of half or three
quarters of an inch. In tattooing the
color is applied by drawing thread
under the skin, or picking it in
with needle. Different tribes and
different ranks in the same tribe have
each their peculiar form of tattooing.
The plebeian female of certain bands is
permitted to adorn her chin with but one
rnrtic in ha naral-
lei to it on either side, while the more
fortunate noblesse mark two vertical
lines from each corner of the mouth. A
feminine cast of features, as is common
with other branches of the Monaghan
race, prevails in both sexes. Some
travellers discover in the faces of the men
n characteristic expression of feroclous-
ness and in those of the women an ex-
traordinary display of wantonness. A
of train-oil are inseparable from an
Eskimo, and the fashion of labrets adds
in no wise to his comeliness.
For covering to the body the Eski-
mos employ the skin of all the beasts
and birds that come within their reach.
Skins are prepared in the fur, and cut
and sewed with neatness and skill. Even
the intestines of seals and whales are
used in the manufacture of waterproof
consists of long stockings or drawers,
over which are breeches extending from
the shoulders to below the knees; and q
frock or jacket, somewhat shorter than
the breeches, with sleeves and hood.
This garment is made whole, there being
nOopenings except for the head and arms.
The frock of the male is cut at the bot
tom nearly square, while that of the fe-
male reaches little lower, and termi
.atn hnfA hnl, f,,1 Int
scallop. The tail of some animal graces
the hinder part of the male frock; the
woman's has large hood, in which she
carries her infant. Otherwise both sexes
dress alike; and as, when stripped of their
facial decorations, their physiognomies
are alike, they are not unfrequently mis-
taken one for the other. they have
gloves of deer-skin, and intestine water
proofs covering the entire body. Sew
eral kinds of fur frequently enter into
the composition of one garment. Thus
the body of the frock, generally of rein
deer-skin, may be of bird, bear, seal,
mink or squirrel-skin; while the hood
may be of fox-skin, the lining of hare
skin, the fringe of wolverine skin, the
gloves of fawn-skin. Two suits are worn
during the coolest weather; the inner
one with the fur next to the skin, the
outer suit with the fur outward. Thus,
with their stomachs well filled with fat,
and their backs covered with furs, they
bid defiance to the severest Arctic winter.
From II. II. Bancrott's Wild Tribes.
PafhO Io1icaI Liar