Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1880-06-05
Some or the Queer People Visit.
cd by NOrdemsjOId.


| ed by NOrdensjOId.
The natives inhabiting the coast
. of Siberia, between cape Shelagskoi
/. and the Southern part of Behring
/. strait, are called Tchuktchis. Their
: number is estimated to DO about
three thousand including O m0madic
tribe called tho Rein Tchuktchis,
who subsist by keeping reindeer
herds. These form a link between
their brethren on the coast and the
inland tribes of Siberia, to the lat.
ter Of whom they dispose of their
goods, consisting of seal and walrus
hides, walrus teeth, etc., which
they receive from the country pop
ulation in exchange for reindeer
hides.
The coast population live In vii
lagos numbering from three to TWEEN.
ty tents, spread along the coast as
near the shore as possible, and at a
few miles distant from each other.
The Tchuktchis are divided into
1.-TWO sections, each with its respect
live chief. The Eastern population
have for their chief Menka, who re-
sides at MarkowO on the Anadyr
river. The Western, again, are un.
der the chief Amra Urgin, who re-
sides in the vicinity of Kolyma riv.
1er' \ -
The tent of the coast Tchugtchis
consists of peculiar and cleverly
CONSTRUCTED frame of wood, the ma
terial for which is obtained from
drift-logs, with which the shore is
plentifully strewed. This iscovered
with a number Of seal walrus hides
carefully sowed together. Inside
the tent, and right before the en-
trance is a smaller cubiform tent,
made of reindeer skins, and used as
the sleeping chamber. During the
cold season 1t is heated by blubber
lamps. Even during severe cold
the atmosphere within this tent is
so heated that the natives who &C.
cupy it, without distinction of sex
or age, lie almost nude. The di-
mansions of the tent depend upon
the number of the family. In each
tent generally dwells only one fam
lily, in which are included the Sis
tiers and brothers of the married
couple before they settle for them
selves.
The Tchuktchis, the children of
nature in the Arctic regions, fos-
tered among ice, snow and cold,
familiarized with bloody scenes in
the seal, whale and walrus hunt,
without any of the influence of civil
Iization, are, Notwithstanding, al
good natured, friendly, hospitable
and honest people.
Although the Vega during the
long winters was daily visited by
at least twenty natives, it was only
on two or three occasions that they
were found guilty of dishonesty
appropriating anything, and these
thefts were of the most trifling de-
scription.
The Tchuktchis are people of
small stature, although among them
may be found perfect giants; as,
for instance. a woman whom we saw
six feet three inches tall. Their
complexion is sallow, the mems be-
ing usually darker than that of the
women. Occasionally, however,
one may see, especially among the
women, a complexion as fair and
clear rs that of the inhabitants oil
Northern Europe. The eyes are
black, and often setoblique like the
Chinese. The hair, which is coal
black is worn by the men cut quite
short while the women allow it to
grow freely, part it in the middle
OF the brow, and wear it III plaits Of
twelve to eighteen inches long,
which hang down at each ear. They
also wear a lock combed down and
cut across which cOvOrs half the
forehead. The men also use a sim.
liar lock, and sometimes u long TUT
at the crown of the head. This
tuft is worn, so far as 1 could learn,
only by chiefs.
Their clothing is made principal
" of reindeer.skin, and consists of
pesk or blouse reaching to the
knees, with an opening at the top
just sufficient for the head to pass
through. In addition the men
have tight fitting trousers of rein
deer-skin, which are tucked down
into boots of the same material, the
latter with soles of walrus hide.
The women also wear trousers, but
those are wide, ending Immediately
below the knee. where they are
similarly tucked into the boots.
In the outer clothing the hairy
side of the skin is always to the eX-
terror, but, on the contrary, the
hairy side of those articles worn
next to the body during the cold
season is turned inward. A close ,
fitting hood of reindeer. skin and ,
A. o,.~~o c1.x. |