The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-05-05
ARCTIC INDIANS.
Some OF tho Queer People Visited by Nor
denskjold. tho Explorer.

ARCTIC INDIANS.
Some of tho Queer People Visited by Nor
denskjold. tho Explorer.
The natives inhabiting the coast oil
Siberia, between Cape Shelagskoi and
the southern part of Behring strait, are
called Tchuktchis. Their number is
estimated to be about three thousand,
including O nomadic tribe called the
Rein Tchuktchis. who subsist by keep
ing reindeer herds. These form a link
between their brethren on the coast and
the inland tribes o + Siberia, to the latter
of whom they dispose of their goods,
consisting of seal and walrus hides,
walrus teeth, etc., which they receive
from the country population in ex-
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 a few miles distance
from each other.
The Tchuktchis are divided into two
sections, each with its respective chief.
The eastern population have for their
chief Menka, who resides at Markowa
on the Anadyr river. The western,
again, are under the chief Amra Urgin,
who resides in the vicinity Of Kolyma
iver.
The tent of the coast Tchuktchis con-
sists of a peculiar and cleaverly con-
structed frame of wood, the material
for which is obtained from drift-logs,
with which the shore is plentifully
strewed. This is covered with num-
Der of seal and wal1us hides carefully
sewn together. Inside the tent, and
right before the entrance is a smaller
cubiform tent, made of reindeer-skins,
and used as the sleeping chamber. Dur
ing the cold season it is heated by
blubber lamps. Even during severe
cold the atmosphere within this tent is
so heated that the natives who occupy
it, without distinction of sex or age, lie
almost nude. The dimensions of the
tent depend upon the number Of the
family. In each tent generally dwells
only one family, in which are included
the sisters and brothers of the married
couple before thev settle for them
selves.
The Tchuktchis. the children of ma
ture 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 in
huences of civilization, are, notwith-
standing, a good. natured, friendly, hos
pitable and houest people.
Although the Vega during the long
winter was daily visited by at least
twenty natives, it was only on two or
three occasions that they were found
guilty of dishonesty appropriating any
thing, and these thefts were OF the most
trifling description.
The Tchuktchis are people of small
stature, although among meqlmay be
found perfect giants; as, for instance, a
woman whom we saw six feet three
inches tall. Their complexion is sal
low, the mems being usually darker than
that of the women. Occasionally, how
ever, one may see, especially among the
women, a complexion as fair and clear
as that of the inhabitants Of Northern
Europe. The eyes are black, and often
set oblique like the Chinese. The hair,
which is coal black. is worn by the men
cut quite short; while the women allow
it to grow quite freely, part it in the
middle of the brow, and wear it in plaits
oftwelve to eighteen inches long, which
hang down at each ear. They also wear
q lock combed down and cut across
which covers half the forehead. The
men also use similar lock, and some
times a long tuft at the crown of the
head. This tuft is worn, 80 tar as l
could learn, only by chiefs.
Their clothing is made principally OF
reindeer skin, and consists Of a 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 exterior, but,
on the contrary, the hairy side of those
articles worn next the body during the
cold season is turned inward. A close
fitting hood of freindeer-skin and mittens
OF the same material completes their
dress. In this costume they defy any
kind of weather. Often so clad, night
after night, even in the most severe
cold, they pursue their seal fishing
miles away from the shore without any
other protection from the icy winds.
The weapons of the Tchuktchis con-
sist of a bow and arrows, a spear
which, like the arrows, has a point of
iron or of bone-a knife and q kind of
sling used for catching birds. The iron
for the arrow and spear heads is OBJ
tanned from the Americans and Russians
by their bartering transactions. They
themselves have no iron at their COM
mand nor any knowledge of its work
ing. To their hunting implements be-
long the sealing-net, made of finely cut
strips of sealhide, netted with three
inch mesh. With these the young seals
are caught. The net is extended be-
tween two blocks of ice, and the seals
get entangled in its meshes, and so be-
come an easy prey to the hunters.
The principal food of the natives con-
sists of seal-fish and blubber, in addi-
tlOn TO WnlcQ Gley use. ledtutIeu Rdme,
bear and reindeer flesh, when such can
be obtained. The roots of certain shore
plants, also willow, leaves, ranunculus,
and saxifrage, etc., enter pretty largely
into their diet. The leaves are COL
lected in the latter end of summer,
pressed, and consumed during the win.
ter; and in these they are provided
with powerful anti-scorbutic. During
the winter, when getting short OF other
provisions, the bones of seals and wal
ruses caught during summer are
crushed, and prepared in the form of a
broth soup, which is consumed by both
men and dogs. Of the latter there are
a great number in every village, which
are chiefly employed in conveying their
owners by sledge from one place. to an
other. Although these dogs are not
large, three or four of them can with
ease carry man long distances. When
the Tchuktchis undertakes long journeys
of three to five hundred miles, he often
has as many as eighteen dogs harnessed
to his sledge, with which he is able to
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