The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-06-11

upon radically different races Of people
and Of the Impossibility to Judge from thu
!. pecularities in their implements, etc., Il
the perfect similarity existing In the uten
sils used by the Tschukt aud those used by
the Esquimaux. II 10 safe to assert that
these two neighbor people have a greater
number Of like implements in their tents
than they have common terms IN their Ian
guage.
: 1t was my intention to proceed as far as
possible up the Lawrence Bay in order to
give our naturalists opportunity to COM
plete their studies Of the Tschukt PENN
sula, which they had commenced in the au-
tumn Of 1878 and spring OF 1879, but when
We attempted the entrance 1t was found so
filed with Ice that we were compelled to
anchor at the village Of Nunamo near the
entrance. Great masses of thin porous Zoe
swept by the steamer. and it would have
been imprudent to delay any longer than
unavoidable. We left, therefore, July 81,
in the afternoon.
The tentage Of Nunamr is not built on
low ground near the shore, as usual With
the Tschukts, but on an elevated neck OF
land between the ocean and the outlet Of q
river which carries a great mass Of water
when the snow thaws. Directly back of
the first bench lining the coast succeeds
high, steep mountain, whose sides are COW
cred with enormous mounds of powders,
In which great numbers Of marmel deer and
pip hares burrowed. The mountain is sep
arated from the beach by narrow terrace
or bench 80 to 100 feet high, ON which was
pitched about half score of tents The
ground here fairly sparkled with an extra
ordinary brilliancy Of flowers, and in the
course of few hours DR.. Kjellman had
gathered on a small plat one hundred va
rieties of flowers, among them many not
before seen on the Peninsula. Great snow
drifts still remained on the mountain slopes
and from elevated points could be seen
large masses of ice drifting hither and thith
er near the Asiatic side of Behring's Strait
DR.. Stuxberg assembled to the summit of
one Of the mountains in the vicinity and |
found the corpse of native laid out upon
a stone-sepulchre of ordinary Tschukt |
form near the body lay broken percus-
sion gun, lance, arrows, wooden garments,
pipe, snow-shield, ice sieve Gan implement
by which to clear water OF the icy debris
when holes are cut in the ice), and several
other jimcracks that had been considered
necessary for the deceased in a better
world. The corpse had laid there since
last summer at least but the pipe was evi
IDENTIFY one Of the Dutch (Hollandish) clay
pipes which had been distributed among
the natives from the Vega, and must there
fore have been deposited here long after the
actual sepulture. On other occasions, also,
DR.. Stuxberg has, in his rambles along the
shore, been fortunate enough to come upon
native sepultares. He treats of this in
work entitled "On the Tombs Among the
Tschuktschen and Esquimaux." which |
forward with this, and which may probably
b. incorporated in the Transactions OF the
Anthropal-G Geographical Society.
As before remarked, the tents ct Nunamr
near Lawrence Bay, are Of a somewhat diff
ferent structure compared with those of
the Tsch. The frame work of those OBJ
served on the north coast consists of an a.
tistically joined skeleton protected by .
of stone and sand bags.
On the st. Lawrence Bay, on che other ,
hand, the tent frame consists principally Of
whalebone.
For instance, the tent cover below was
stretched upon whale ribs rammed into the ,
ground for stanchions. These stanchions ,
were bound together at the top with small
or bones, whence other, ribs were ranged
upwards to the summit OF the tent In Or ,
der to prevent the tent cover from slipping ,
up from the base by wind or other inady YER ,
tency, the edge was loaded with whalebone.
In the absance Of driftwood and In order ,
10 husband the usual fuel, train oil, they
used the fatty bones of the seal.
For lamps they applied followed pieces
Of whalebone, and at several hearths, out ,
tide the tents, . pot was suspended from .
The middle of strong whale rib rammed !
IN the earth.
Tue entrance to their blubber cellars was j
usually barred by q whales shoulder blade ,
with plates Of the barber" Commercial
whalebone situated in the jaw or palate !
believe this Is the English name for 1t, too) >
and the inferior jaw bone, together with ,
The straighter ribs, they shod their sleigh I
runners, and employed them for spades, ,
sbovels and Ice-picks, and they spun ropes =
from the harder and from tendons, which ,
IN turn served to join together the several
parts Of their implements, etc. A.,
1t seems the catch must have been quite
abundant with them during the past season,
10 judge from the quantity Of seal flesh
md distended entrails that were hung out
10 cure near their tents, and from the
bloody, offensive, disgustingly preserved
pieces Of flesh that everywhere were strew-
I'd about In the tents. Che majority of the ,
veal caught was the common ring seal
,Phoea 5etida). but we saw besides remains !
If the Ph. nautiea I suppose our zoolo-
yists at home will hail with joy the intelli-
renee that the expedition bas obtained the
'hih auu LILO Vi tulh TdT0 variety OF
he seal, noted on account of the exquisite
of its skins. Near the en-
rance ofseach tent were seen great heaps /
II willow twigs, surrounded by women and
children, who devoured with great avidity
he leaves. On other places had been
.athered, as store for winter use, sacks full
# the leaves Of the Rhadiola and many d
ther herbs On the whole, tho variety of 9
'lants and the quantity Of vegetable food
) considerable and is partly consumed raw L
uring summer and partly preserved for !
Vinter use BY the Tsch. 1t ia, therefore, :
bsolutely incorrect to cite the Tech as j
eople who subsist exclusively on animal
ood. We have here, perhaps suggestion =
{ certain phases Of habits during the stone 8
&c that has been hitherto entirely over v
BOXED, and accurate calculation on this u
ubject Is on the whole Of great moment ..
D decide on the habits of people actualiy p