Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-19
How the Esqulmaux Dress.


sible to cover ones self with sufficient
quantity of wooden clothing to guard
against the coolest weather OF the
North but it would require man of
immense muscular power to sustain the
load. Two suits of reindeer clothing,
weighing in ali about five pounds, are
quite ample for any season and are worn
in the coolest weather AT other times
one suit is all that is necessary. The
inner coat is made of the skin of the
reindeer killed in the early summer
when the hair is short and as soft rs
velvet and is worn with the hairy side
next to the bare skin. 1t is at first diff
cult for one to persuade himself that he
will be warmer without his wooden unI
dershirts than with them, but he is not
long in acquiring the knowledge of this
fact from experience. The trousers are
made of the same material, rs are also
the stockings that complete his inner
attire, or, SO to speak, his suit of un-
derclothing. This inner suit-with the
addition OF a pair OF seal or reindeer
skin slippers with the hair outside and
pair of sealskin boots from which the
hair has been removed, with soles of
walrus or okejook skin and drawing
strings which fasten them just below
the knee comprises his spring, sum
mer and fall costume. The boots have
also an additional string passing through
loops ON the side over the instep and
behind the heel. which makes them fit
comfortably to the ankle.
In winter sealskin is entirely dis
carded by the native EsQuimaux as too
cold, and boots OF reindeer skin, called
mit-co-lee-lee', from the leg of the ami
NAL, are substituted, and snow-shoes Of
the same sort of skin, with the hair in
side, and false sole Of skin from the
face of the buck, with the hair outside,
complete the covering of his feet. This
hairy sole not only deadens the sound
OF his footsteps upon the hard snow, but
makes his feet much warmer, as It has
the same effect as if he were walking
upon a carpet of furs instead of upon
the naked snow. In cold or windy
weather, when out OF doors the native
puts on another coat called a koo'-lce.
tar. which is made of skin with heavier
fur from the animal killed in the fall.
The winter skins with the heaviest
and longest fur are seldom used for
clothing il a sufficient supply of the fall
and summer skins has been secured.
They are principally used for making
what might be called the mattress Of
the bed. Sometimes, however in the
seyerest weather, coat made OF the
heavy skin is worn when the hunter
has to sit by a seals blow hole for hours
at n time, without the least motion,
waiting for the animal to come up and
blow In cold weather, when out Of
doors, he also wears an outside pair Of
trousers, called sce'-ler-par, which are
worn with the hair outside tall trousers
are called kok'-e- lee. the outside see .lcr-
par and the inside ones e'-loo-par). The
inside coat is called an ar-tee'-gce, and
is made like a sack with a tail attached
and hood, which can be pulled up over
the head at pleasure. The kok'-e-lee are
both made with drawing string at the
waist, and only reach short distance
below the knee. They are very wide
there, so that when the wearer sits down
his bare knee is exposed. This is not as
disagreeable to the wearer, even in that
climate, as one would naturally suppose,
but is really more unpleasant for the
spectator, for he not only sees the bare
knee but the film Of dirt that encases
it. The coats are very loose also, and
expose the bare skin of the stomach
when the wearerreaches his hands above
his head.
The coats of women differ from those
of men only in having a short tail in
front and much longer one behind.
They also have a loose bag on each
shoulder and the hood is much longer
than the men wear The women's out
side coats are always made of the short
hair, the same MS are their ar-tee' gee.
Their trousers reach further below the
knee, fit closer to the leg, and are
worn with the hair aida ont Woman
never wear but one pair in any weather.
Their stockings and boots are made
with a sort of wing extension at the
ankle and coming up over the bottom
of the trousers have a long strip, by
which they are fastened to the belt
that also sustains their trousers at the
waist.
To secure the necessary amount of