The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-04-12
A DesOlation-Thc Inu.

w
United States authorities to establish a
signal station at Point Barrow, thus de-
| scribes the people among whom. and
the country in which, for two years, his
lot was cast:
The village consists of few scatter.
ing dwellings built in an uncouth and
prim tive manner, and contains about
100 people. They belonged to a tribe
OF Esquimaux, or, as they call Them
selves, Inu. The' word ''Esquimaux''
was practically unknown to the natives,
it having been applied to them by the
French, when early expeditions were
sent to discover the North Pole. The
natives do not show vestige of having
made any attempts at civilization, all
though they are a quiet and inoffensive
lot of people. In fact, during his entire
stay of two years among them, Lieuten-
ant Ray says henever knew one of them
to quarrel with another, nor even saw a
child punished. In this respect a les
son might be learned by the more pre-
7 tentious people of civilized countries.
They are not the fat, greasy-looking
race pictured by some historians, al
though robust and healthy. The aver
age weight of the men is about 1853 and
ofthe women about 1870 pounds. They
have a lighter complexion than the
North American Indian, and dark-brown
eyes. AS rule they are of low stature,
not exceeding five feet and four inches
in height Men, women and children
dress alike, their garb being construct
ed of deerskins sewed together with a
thong of hide. The greatest objection
to them is their uncleanly habits, none
of them ever venturing to take a bath.
The filth of their infancy is buried with
them
The stories told of them about eating
blubber and fish fat are untrue, nor do
they drink oil, or eat any more fat than
the average inhabitant OF Missouri.
They often suffer terribly from hunger,
and are reduced to eating raw walrus
hide, but they willingly share their last
mouthful with total stranger. They
are continually struggling for an exist
ence, and live with no other purpose in
life than to keep from starving to death.
And yet they are seemingly happy, put
ting but little faith in what is told them
OF a better land and happier life. They
are born and reared in q life of extreme
hardship, suffer untold fortunes from
cold and starvation, and pass away in
happiness. They have little or no re-
ligion, no government, no commerce
nothing, in fact, but miserable exist
ence.
They have learned to use whisky and
tobacco, and are very fond of both, they
having been initiated into the practice Of
thee habits of civilization by the
whalers Men, women and children
chew tobacco. Lieutenant Ray saws he |
has seen a two-months-old baby awake
fromits slumber, but Immediately relapse
upon quid Of navy-plug being placed
in its mouth. An old luaw viii strut |
about with quid in the side OF either |
cheek, one sight of which would bring |
a blush of shame to any iack-tar. After |
she has thoroughly extracted all the |
juice she sticks pieces of the weed behind |
her ears and dries them out for her lord |
and master TO smoke. As q race. |
though, they are rapidly fading away, |
and in comparatively short time will |
probably become extinct. In distance |
of7O0miles along The northern coastthore |
are less than 400 natives. None of these |
live in the interior, as there is nothing |
on which they can subsist, but are scat. !
tered along the shore, and spend their
time in hunting and fishing. In the
little village of Oogloomie there were
eighteen deaths and only two births in |
two years, the cause of the deaths being
almost entirely from pneumonia. They
have no fires whatever, as there is moth
ing to burn but oil, and in the winter
time they are forced to huddle togs ther
in order to keep warm.
The hints Of tho vii 10 90 o,.o Ill. k..s1A Il |
wood and are the remains of wrecked
vessels which washed ashore. In 1871
thirty three vessels were wrecked along
me coast, comprising almost the entire
New Bedford whaling-heet. Last yea
The steamer North Star. of New Bed
fora, was caught in the ice and sank in
twenty minutes. Fortunately it hap
pened within sight of the station, and
Lieutenant Ray and his men saved the
entire crew, took them ashore, and
Jared for them month, when assist
ance arrived In 1877 twelve whal-
ng-Vessels were sighted in the leo
'y the natives, but they disappeared
md their crews of eighty men were
never seen again. Lieutenant Ray and
lis command ara the only party that
,Ver passed winter with the natives.
n 1894 Captain Mcclure, Of the En-
slish navy, was caught in the ice of
,olnt Barrow while commanding the
olover on an expedition sent to search
or Sir John Franklin, but he remained
IN board the ship.
The Country is an absolute desert.
the slightest yestige of timber
" underground. For distance Of 200
niles from the shore the land is covered
With a peculiar kind of moss, which
haws out in the summertime to the
lepth OF about ten or twelve inches,
here are no other signs of veg, tation.
md in the winter there is no animal
life. 1t is one of the most barren and
lesolate regions on the face of the
'arth. 1t is very healthy and pleasant
climate, despite the extreme cold. FIG
easons are very peculiar. May % The
un rose and did not set again for sew
nty-two days, it being delightful sea-
on OF continuous sunlight. November
., however. it set and for like period
Il seventy-two days there was almost