New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-03-24
THE TsCHUKTscHL
4 8aes 81 Rsople RaeeantereA ~ Nox-
AsnsklelA In he Arctic 1oas,

ally severe one for both man and beast
in the particular portion of Northern
Siberia where the party wintered. Nor
denskjold says that dogs were plentiful,
but they were mostly weak and ailing
from hunger, their masters often being
unable to supply them with sufficient
food. In this connection it is worth
while to record that SO high an author
ity as the great navigator does not
think the services of dogs in Arctic ex-
plorations very valuable. They are apt
to be sick and feeble, and their nourish-
ment is always a matter of some diff
Guilty. During the warm months the
Tschuktschi made their trips to and
from the American shore in skin boats
which. from the description given OF
them, judge must have striking re-
semblance to the old Celtic corracIe or
curragh. The more genial period and
the water-route are most favored by
these Siberian peddlers for their excur-
sions. When they travel over the ice,
parties of four, five or six traders will
use one sledge, which has twenty or
thirty dogs to drag it. Their commerce
consists Of the flrs which they bring
from America to the other continent,
where they barter them with the Rus
slams for simple commodities. Rein
deer skins are also an article of their
exchange.
have alluded to the probability OF
the year having been an exceptionally
bad one. There certainly appears to
have been a kind of famine last winter
among these generous people Many Of
them passed the ship on their travels,
or simply came to see her out of curios-
ity. In every case they went on board
to eat, as of right. The Swedish COM
mander distributed as much as three
thousand pounds Of bread among these
guests, who evinced heartfelt graft
tude for the bounty. They are de-
scribed as distinctly differing from the
Esquimau tribes; and though it is not
yet decided to what race they belong,
they are thought to be related to tho
Kamschatka-dales and Koriaks.
Some very interesting and valuable
details have been collected BY Nord-
enskjold and his staff as to their eth
biography and history. About two hum
dred and fifty years ago they were dis
tinguished and gallant warriors. The
discoveries have gathered valuable
assortment of the arms and armor Of
that period. Many of these implements
are preserved among families whose
habits are no longer aggressive. Very
noticeable are their cuirasses carefully
wrought out of mammoth ivory, and
fashioned with remarkable resem-
blance to the old Roman panoply.
Their spears and bows are made of
whalebone, wood and ivory, spliced
and bound with the sinews of the rein
deer, and showing an advanced percep-
ton of artistic ornamentation on the
part of the makers. One hundred and
fifty years ago the famous Russian, Col
onel Pauvolski, commanded an expedi-
ton sent against them from Siberian
settlements. In his first engagement
with them he was badly worsted. He
subsequently defeated them, but with
heavy loss to his own troops, and has
recorded much such a tribute to their
valor as Pyrrhus bestowed upon the
Italian legions which he overthrow. A
mild form of disease is averred by the
natives to have been left behind by his
soldiery and to be still in existence.
At present the Tschuktschi are held
to pay to Russia small tribute, which
is collected in the form of trifiing dues
for permission to trade in the marts of
Nischni-ko-lymsk and Anadvr. In
spite of this, however, they admit no
allegiance, and not one of those inter-
rogated appeared to have any krowl-
edge of the existence of Car at st.
Petersburg. Strangely enough they
have no Government, no laws azd al
most no religion, if any. A Russian
starost is their nominal ruler, but has
neither authority nor influence. In
fact, there seems to be no necessity for
the exercise of either the one or the
other, for his subjects are evidently an
exceptionally excellent and well-dis-
posed people. The foreigners were on
terms of intimacy with thousands Of
them, and never saw or heard of 4
single case of quarreling among them.
Perfect harmony prevailed in the vii
lagos and families. Women have great
influence, and are treated by the men
in all respects as their equals, and with
much politeness and Difference. The
language spoken by this tribe is peculiar,
and, as far as has been yet determined,
shows no affinity to others. On this
subject, however, it is yet too early to
speak with certainty. Lieutenant
Nordqvist, Of the Russian Imperial
Guards, one of the specialists Of the
expedition, has formeda very large col
lection of their vocabulary and idioms,
and when his work has been examined
by philologists it is certain much inter-
esting light will be thrown upon this
branch Of the subject, and will help to
determine to what section Of the human
family the people belong. Probably
they will be found to pertain to some !
special Polar Mongolian or Polar-Ca
casian race.
The features are less Mongolian II
type than are those Of the Esquimaux
OF the other indigenous tribes of Siberia.
The hair is generally, but not invaria-
bly,, black, and the complexion is de-
cidedly light. Young women are often
very fair, handsome and of perfect sym
metry and fine proportions. The men
are tall, above the average height Of
mans growth, some of them attaining
to very little short of the splendid
stature of the best ecimens Of humane
" in Northern Europe. One woman Is
mentioned to me as being Of gigantic
size-s0 large, in fact. that she might
well be shown for money. One Of
Nordenskjold's attaches has MOTEL
regret at this moment inaccessible to
me--of her height and bulk, the former
boing over seven feet.
II IA q mat4nr ~ cona;do,.a hlo A;Al
approach 70 accuracy, as their idea 81
numbers is very vague, apparently not
extending beyond eight 81 ten numer-
ais. Thus, # they wish to express i've
they hold up one hand, with the fingers.
spread out; ten they represent by two.
hands, twenty with the hands and feet;
and, i their calculation goes beyond