Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-12-15

Houses Of the Natives. thar Customs Ian
guage and Methods Of Living.

a correspondent Of the AOk0As
Aoa says in letter from Labrador:
All tho lumber used at Main. Labrador.
FOR hebuilding Of houses. boats. etc. IS
hauled from four or nve miles inland
BIZ dog teams, and sawn into boards
BY hand. The building even Of the
smallest boat is therefore an undertake
ing Of considerable Importance. The
wood principally used for saving into
boards is spruce. Some Of the logs
measured were ten inches il diameter
but from six to eight seemed to be the
average. They were filed with knots
from one end to the other. believe It
would be next to impossible to get
board in this neighborhood more than
two feet in length without one or
more knots. Leaving the quarters
occupied BY the missionaries, we next
visited those Of the natives. The
houses have no more than one room,
where they sleep eat, cook and do
everything else. Their bedding con-
sists principally Of the skins of the
reindeer and seals. and they change
them when they wear out. The intes-
tines Of the seal supply the place OF
glass, while the flesh Of this valuable
animal IS dried and used for food.
The hinges Of the doors are Of seal
skin, their boats and boots are of seal
skin. and II they don't always eat 1t
they chew it. It is no unusual thing,
on entering an Esquimau's tent. for
one Of the females to come forward
and request the pleasure of chewing
your mocasins II is considered
breach Of etiquette to refuse this mod
est request, and after half an hours
chewing the mocasins are both warm,
pliable and ready for the snow again.
Once a year che mission ship calls
here with supplies. carries back to
England the skins and oil collected by
the missionaries (for be it remembered
they are traders as well as preachers)
during the year. The missionaries
say that this mission is not self-sup-
porting, and but for kind friends in
England it would have to be given
up. The natives here can all read and
write Esquimau, but they consider 1t
degrading to learn to speak English. It
! Is hard to get even those who do IN
derstand English to speak it, and it
was only when trade commenced that
they tina we'd out to let us see that they
were not as ignorant as we took them
| to be.
| Winter is the great time for travel
ing along the coast and for journeys
j inland. Reindeer are found in vast
herds inland. and are hunted by the
Esquimaux who 60 IN with their dog
sleighs and return laden with the spoiIs
Of the chase. Our pilot. who IS the
happy possessor OF = breech-loading
rife, assured me that he killed twenty
one reindeer in single day. and only
stopped because he had no means Of
| taking them home. Our boys were
considerably surprised at the prices
asked here for furs. One Of the party
paid 81 for sealskin, only TO find ont
! al hour later that he could have
| bought 1t from the storekeeper for 40
cents. Another paid e for pair OF
snow-shoes, while third the lucky
one secured d pair Of sealskin slip
pers for half 4 plug of 'navy" tobacco,
worth about eight cents After some
! hard bargaining, Mr.. Gordon bought
i Eve seaIskin suits from the storekeep-
| ers. for the use Of the observers, at =
reasonable price.
| As sample Of Esquimaux. which
/ the missionaries say Is q very easy Ian
! guage send you the Lords prayer In
that tongue. II is as follows:
| NaIezak guide atatanut KiiIanyme.
l. Attit nertortante.
! 2 Nalegaunit nailaule. Aiiomaiat
/ piniartante humane sorio KilIangme.
,. Uvome piksaptingnik tunitsivi.
! gitIgut
1 = Idluinivut issumagiiungnailxit,
1 ss..~s,~ s&a.4.s~&.& s.aa..sa..18x..s.s4x