The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-10-04

white walls-of our snow hus ~.
winter time the Eseuinlanr t,. = zee
great deal of their lamp, for Il
keep them warm; with it they r,s e
snow to obtain water to drink Ala iael1
net hung over it they dry their clo =
after being out in the rain and 1919. $50
Then, too. they hang over the lnm 80 -
pot in which they cook their meals 4 ''o
shouldn't think they could eo.n
very well over such a lamps said "a.
Sie A'es*
"Well, 2 said mamma, .,tba r..
maux don't care about having t5si.
meals very thoroughly cooked ~.
there is a much prettier kind IF lama
that is used by the people who Hvs;p
the Shetland Islands. Do YOU remsm :
Der where they are?u
!" No, !" said Bessie, diseonshlato,..
That was always the way with mam,ns,.
stories; there was ALWAYS somethinsr; 6
them that made Bessie take her aso !
raphy and hunt out places. But III sss
did not find the place she knew she sl,s
should hear no more about the diaer.
ent candles and lamps; SO she drew bs,
geography out from under the mia !
school-books on the lower shelf ~ ~
bookcase, and, after much hunting ne
Shetland Islands were discovered n Ia
north of Scotland. = y
''Therei Now 90 on, please !, s.,a
Bessie, with sigh of relief as she eloSaJ
the geography, having disposed OF tbe
troublesome islands.
"Yes,'' said mamma, with 4 sn;la
''Well, if we lived there on the shore "a
one OF the long narrow bays thar tha
natives call woes, and if we were fisher.
people who caught herring and cod
from the ocean, most likely we shepN
get our lamps out of the sea. too. II
we wanted one probably Won and I
to Dig
That would be queer place to pet
a lamp" said Bessie.
Yes said mamma, s'brt not very
far down IN the mud and sand we sbopld
find kind of shell about six inches
long, and looking something like ouite
a large snail-shell, and we would do If
up and take it back home with ms
Next we would take out the littla mol.
lusc inside so as to save it for our bait
the next time we went cod-fshing, and
then we would fasten a cord to each
end of the shell and hang it up. Then
we would fill it with oil and Law a wick
through it, and then our Lamp would
be all ready for lighting. OF course we
should not need a lamp in the summer
nights any more than the Esquirnaux do
for then the sun would hardly 20 out Of
sight at all, but in the dark, foggy win.
tiers our shell-lamps would Be very
useful"
What other kinds of lights are
there?" asked Bessie.
"Well," said mamma, sfhere Is the
tallow-tree. The Chinese have that
The seeds of the tallow-tree are quite
oily, and the Chinese split them and
boil them in water. Then the tallow
rises on the top of the water, just as vou
have seen fat when we were boiling
meat, and the Chinese woman skins
the tallow of. When it becomes cold
it is Just as white as snow, and very soft
indeed. Then it is made into candles,
but these are so soft that they viii not
stay in shape long; and so the Chinese
woman dips them into some wax, SO as
to cover the outside of the candles with
harder crust and keep them from
melting in the warm weather. Such
candles turn brown after little while.
some candle wouldn't give q very
bright light, said Bessie.
NO." said mamma. sSometimes
they use those bright colored Chinese
lanterns that you have seen hanging up
in the Chinese shops. Many OF those
lanterns can be shut up fiat like fan.
But one of the queerest kinds of lights
is that that the Indians on the coast Of
British Columbia use"
"What is it?'' asked Bessie.
sit is fish found in the Pacific
Ocean" said mamma, "and il is called
the candle-fish because of its use by
these Indians. 1t is about foot long,
and very fat and oily. The indians
catch these fish and dry them. Then,
when an Indian wants candle, he takes
one of these fishes, lights it at the fai,
and it burns brightly. Sometimes the
Indians make different sort Of candle
of the fish by running wick of woody
threads through it. :"
81 should think it would give a kind
of tishy smell while it was burning,
said Bessie.
Perhaps it does" said mamma,
"but / don't suppose the Indians are
very particular about that. But there's
papa coming, Bessie. I wonder i
Jennie has our supper all ready"
Well, I'm glad don't live with any
of the people that have such queer
lights said Bessie, "I'm sure
shouldn't like it'-and away she ran
to meet papa and tell him all about the
candle-nuts, and the candle-fshcs, ana
the people who dig in the sand for Their
lamps.-Mary E. hartford, IN N D.
ErGnlineT.