The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-07-17
ARCTIC INDIANS.
Some Of the Queer People Visited By Nor
denaHold, the Explorer.

The natives inhabiting the coast Of 81
beria, between Cape SheIagskoi and the
southern part of Behring strait, are called
Tebuktchis. Their number is estimated
to be about three thousand, including
nomadic tribe called the -Tchuktchis.
who subsist by keeping reindeer herds.
These form link between their brethren
on the coast and the inland tribes Of ST.
IBERIA, to the latter Of whom they dispose
Of their goods, consisting Of seal aud wal
rus hides, walrus teeth, etc, which they
receive from the country population in ox-
change for reindeer hides.
The coast population live in villages
numbering from three to twenty tents.
spread along the coast as near the shore
as possible, and at few miles distnnce
from each other.
The Tchuktchis are divided into two
sections, each with its respective chief.
The enstern population have for their chief
Menkn, who resides at Markowa on the
Anadyr river. The western, again, are
under the chief Amra urgin, who resides
in the vicinity of Kolyma river.
The tent of the coast Tchuktchis con-
sists Of peculiar and cleverly construct.
ed frame Of wood, the material for which
Is obtained from drift-logs, with which the
shore is plentifully strewed This is Gov,
cred with number Of seal and walrus
hides carefully sewn together. Inside the
tent, and right before the entrance 4 n
smaller cubitorm tent, made Of reindeer
skins, and used as the sleeping chamber.
During the cold season il is heated hv
blubber lamps. Even during severe cold
the atmosphere within this tent is 50 heat
ed that the natives who occupy il, without
distinction of sex or age, lie almost nude.
The Dimensions Of the tent depend upon
the number Of the family. ln each tent
generally dwells only one family, in which
are included the sisters and brothers of the
married couple before they settle for them
selves.
The Tchuktchis, the children Of nature
in the Arctic regions, fostered among ice,
snow and cold, familiarized with bloody
scenes in the seal, whale and walrus hunt.
without any OF the influences of civiIiza-
ton, are, notwithstanding, good-natured,
! friendly, hospitable and honest people.
! Although the Vega during the long
winter was daily visited BY at least twenty
, natives, it was only on two or three occa-
} sions that they were found guilty Of dis
. honestly appropriating anything, and these
thefts were Of the most triHing descrip-
: ton.
: The Tchuktchis are n people Of small
. stature, although among them may be
G found perfect giants; as, for instance, a
! woman whom we saw six feet three inches
+ tall. Their complexion is sallow, the men 5
). being usually darker than that Of the wo.
J, men. Occasionally, however, one may
5 see, especially among tho women, a com
plexion as fair and clear as that Of the in.
v habitants Of Northern Europe. The eyes
$ are black, and often set oblique like the
!. Chinese. The hair, which is coal black,
c Is worn BY the men cut quite short; while
IS the women allow it to grow quite freely
II part il in the middle Of the brow. and
e wear it in plaits Of twelve to eighteen in
{, ches long, which hang down at each ear
IS They also wear lock combed down ane
It cut across which covers half the forehead
4 The men also use similar lock, and some
l. times long tuft at the crown of the head
z This tuft is worn, so far as / could learn
{ only by chiefs.
z Their clothing is made principally oi
n reindeer skin, and consists Of pesk o,
# blouse reaching to the knees, with an
e opening at the top Just sufficient for the
It head to pass through In addition the
n men have tight fitting trousers of reindeer
II skin, which are tucked down into boots Of
Q the same material, the latter with soles d
It walrus hide. The women also wear trou
S sers, but those are wide, ending immedi
) ately below the knee, where they are sim
S ilarly tucked into the boots.
f In the outer clothing the hairy side Of
Is the skin is always to the exterior, but, on
e the contrary, the hairy side of those arti
!. cles worn next the body during the cold
: season is turned inward. A cIose-fittinp
: hood Of reindeer.skin and mittens Of Tho
D same material completes their dress. In
/ this costume they defy any kind Of weatl.
v er. Often so clad, night after night, even
e 10 the most severe cold, they pursue Their
= seal fishing miles away from the shore
Il without any other protection from the lev
: winds.
9 The weapons Of the Tchuktchis consist
0 Of bow and arrows, spear--which, like
S the arrows, has point Of iron or Of bone
y Ia knife and kind of sling used 20,
e catching birds The iron for the arrow
Q and spear heads is obtained from The
J, Americans and Russians by their barter
: ing transactions. They themselves has.
II no iron at their command nor any knowl
Q edge Of its working 10 their hunting I'm
plcments belong the sealipg-net, made ol
finely cut strips Of sealhide, netted with 4
three-inch mesh. With these the young
seals are caught The net Is extended BE-
: tween two blocks Of ice, and the seals gel
:, entaBgled in its meshes, and 50 become an
q easy prey to the hunters.
! The principal food Of the natives con.
> sists Of sealfsh aud blubber, ID addition
J to which they use fsathored pame. bear
and reindeer flesh, when such can be oh.
Z tanned. The roots Of certain shore plants
} also willow, leaves, ranunculus, and mxi,
ffage, etc, enter pretty largely into sheil
: diet. The leaves are collected ia tho lat
! ter end ofsummer, pressed, and consumed
during the winter and ia these they ars
I provided with a powerful anti-scorbusIc.
During the winter, when getting short Of
other provisions, the bones Of seals and
!, walruses caught duriEg summer are crush.
ed, and prepared in tho form Of broth
: soup, which is consumed BY both men and
; dogs. Of the latter there are q great num-
Der in every village, which are chiefly EN-.
pIoyed in conveying their owners by sIedre
: from one place to another. Although
these dogs are not large, three or four 81
them can with ease carry man long dia.
Z tances. When the Tchnktchis undertake.
long journeys Of three q five hundred
1 miles, he often has as many as eighteen
dogs harnessod to his sledge, with which
! ! be ID able % accomplish seventy TO eighty
miles day.
During the iirst halt Of the winter Va
were daily visited By twenty 70 thirty ~.
,, tives, who got any food the cfew aDiels
have left. Beside this they received /