Connecticut western news., 1880-10-27
SOME PECULIAR CUSTOMS.
Married Life Among the EsquimauX
 as Noted by a Reporter.

Married Life Among the EsquimauX
 as Noted by a Reporter.
 It might be supposed, says @ corre- spondent with the Schwatka expedition, who saw something of life among the Esquimaux, that in such state of so- ciety as exists among this people there would be no romances, no marrying for love but that would be mistake, for there have been several romantic little episodes that came under my observa-
 tion during my residence in North Hud- sons Bay. There is a poor old man dwelling with tlre Iwilliks, near Depot Island, named Iteguark, who had two very attractive and useful wives, or Nu-
 lee-aug-ar, as is the native term. The old man had been good hunter, but 0 few years ago met with an accident that resulted in his right knee becoming stiff fened, and his hunting days were over.
 He can still hunt seals through the ice,
 but cannot work up to them on top of the ice, nor can he chase the reindeer and musk OK on his native hills. Then it was that Oxeomadiddlee looked with envious eyes upon the youngest and fa1rest of Iteguark's wives and induced her to come and live with him. She knew that her new lover was strong and active and better able to support her than her old love and listened to the voice of the tempter. ...a
 Iteguark was not disposed to submit l meekly to this treachery on tine part of his friend Oxeomadiddlee, so one morn ing while the truant wife and her new husband were sleeping in their igloo Iteguark entered and sought to take the life of the seducer with hunting knife.
 But Oxeomadiddlee was on his guard
 and being man of immense strength he
 caught his adversary by the wrist and
 by the sheer force of his grip compelled him to drop the weapon on the floor l He then released his hold and Iteguark rushed out to his own igloo and got his
 bow and quiver, but his enemy was still watchful and took the bow and arrows away and destroyed them. Here ended hostilities. Oxeomadiddlee paid the old man for his wife and that settledsit for ever. Presently another Inuit named Eyerloo fell desperately in love with poor old Itegurk's remaining wife, and
 with his arts and blandishments won her away from her husband. There was no
 fight this time. The poor old man gave
 up completely, and said the world was
 all wrong and he only waited for his
 summons to leave it and mount the
 golden stairs. .. ,.-..... | A few years ago on Igloolip Inuit
 named Kyack won the affections of one of Ikom ar's wives, and this brought on a
 duel in which Kyack came very nea, leaving Mrs. Kyack widow. Ikomal
 got the head of his enemy in chancery
 and frightened his arm around his neck until Kyack dropped lifeless upon the snow. He gradually recovered, an6
 would have returned the stolen wife, but
 Ikomar refused to take her back, and de-
 manded payment instead. This was
 rendered to him, and being appeased by . the offer further trouble was avoided.
 Punnie, one of Armow's daughters,
 was, in her youth, affianced to Sebeuck.
 telee, but when she reached 0 marriage
 able age became the wife of Conwec hungk, her adopted brother. The pre- text for this new arrangement was that Sebeucktelee's father had not made pay , ment at the time he made the wedding contract, and that Punnie loved Con ! wechungk better anyhow, and would take advantage of the omission of the in , tended father-in-law. It made no diff ference that Conwechungk had another wife-in fact, it was all the better or that account, for he would have one fol himself and another to loan around tC his neighbors. When left Depot Island !, noticed that he had not only loaned his first wife away but had traded hi
 his dearly beloved Punnie for Tockolee geetais's wife for an indefinite periot ) while Sebeucktolee had taken to hi bosom Netchuk, the discarded wife O . Shockpenark. But life is altogether tot short to allow of complete and reliabl, t record being made of the social gossip 0 l an Esquimau village. Intermarriage s are common, and everybody is related t'
 every one else in the most intricate ant a astonishing manner. I once read of s man who married widow, and hi l father, subsequently marrying the daugh @ ter of this same widow, was driven in
 sane by trying to ascertain the exact re
 lationship of their children. Such trifle
 have no effect upon the Inuit brain O
 the'entire nation would long ago hay - become raving maniacs.