The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-21
NORDENSKJOLDS ARCTIC DISCOVER
les.
From the Rochester IN. W Herald. oct. 1871

From the Rochester IN. W Herald, Oct. 49,
However valueless Nordenskj0ld's northeast pas
sage may prove from practical or commercial
standpoint he has furnished the reading world with
fresh and delightful sensation in the accounts he
gives Of his adventures during that unprecedented
voyage and of the of people he met in
those Arctic and Siberian ATTITUDES. long letter in
the New YORK HERALD. dated Toxic, Japan, Septem-
Der 90 tells of the story OF the Nordensk jod
expedition. aud from that we CLEAN the following
information:-
is the description or the simple people Of the
mainland called the Tschuktschi. While the
Vega was frozen in the strange ship from far-away
regions of which they had no knowledge was con-
slant rendezvous for them. They are spoken of by
Nordenskjoid as savages as their civilization is ex
ceedingly imperfect but the Professor is very
thusiastic their social and domestic qualities
They carry on quite an extensive trade between
Siberia and America crossing the Straits on solid
bridge OF ice in the winter and in skin boats
in the summer. They procure furs from the
American continent and barter them away to
the Russians in Siberia .or simple commodi.
ties. They have evidently suffered from q
sort OF famine during the past year. as
they were more ANXIOUS to procure food from the
porers than anything eise II is believed that they
belong to the Kamschatkadaies and Koriaks, they
differ widely from the Esquimaux. About two hun
dred and fifty years ago. according to their tradi-
tions their ancestors successful warriors and
the arms and armor Of that period The cuirasses
fashioned out OF ivory and their spears and bows
were Of whalebone, wood and ivory. About one hun
dred aud fifty years ago Count Pauloski, Russian
commander, sent against them and de-
feated. but in another engagement they con-
quered.
These people have government, laws, and.
as far as known, no religion. They live together
peacefully and tremendously. Women have good
deal OF influence and are treated by the men all
respects as equals and with much politeness and
difference. The young women are described
often very fair, handsome, symmetrical and we'll
proportioned. The men are taller than the average
height OF mans growth. During the Vegas stay
among them no deaths aud only two three births
occurred among the rschuktschi. The nation num-
bers probably ten thousand During all their free
access to the ship not thing was stolen.
During the confinement OF the ship by ice an OBJ
servatory was erected on the shore where baromet-
ric. therno strc and other scientific observations
were made. One of the officers and two of the ships
crew duty at that point constantly. 1t took
an hour to pass between the ship aud the observa-
tory, and as the mercury was sometimes forty de-
grees below zero 1t was pretty severe task.
The year minimum one for such appearances
and Spots but. says the writer, whenever tho
sky clear and there moon, he saw
constantly in the northeast horizon. and almost al
ways in the spot. family luminous arc.
motionless to BIO susceptible of accurate
urement. This phenomenon. Nordenskjold con-
cludes, comes from actual aureole. ring OF
light surrounding the northern portion Of the globe
Its centre should be tho spot where Hall winered,
and its radius about eight degrees. The Swede
opnes that 1t girds the whole of North America with
enduring glory" 1t may, therefore, be called the
radiant of the Anne rcau hemisphere.