Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-02-20

L
Life Among the Inhabitants of the
Frozen NOrth-Thetr Char
actertstics.
At the London Institution, DR.. John
Rae, the well known explorer of the
Arctic coasts of North America, gave, on
Monday evening, an interesting account
OF his experience of many years dealings
with the Esquimaux. His lecture was
illustrated by maps, and by kyaks, do
miaks, clothing, weapons and utensils
collected during his several journeys
Discussing the various theories of the
origin and primal habits of this interest
ing people, he expressed the belief that
they came originally from the Siberian
coast of Asia, that they crossed Behring s
Straits in their canoes, and then migrated
slowly to the eastward, never penetrating
far inland from the coast Cd account of
the determined hostility of the Indians,
with whom eternal war is waged. In the
course of migrations which, after fringing
the 5000 miles of the American coast
line, had taken them to Greenland, the
people retained their language with SO
much purity that an interpreter from
Labrador was perfectly we'll understood
by the EsquimauX on Behring's Straits;
though they had so adopted themselves
to the circumst ,nces of their locality
that, while i'll some parts they were
wholly maritime, Lying on whales, seals,
and walruses, which were captured with
the aid Of their canoes, in other parts
they lived on musk oxen an vents on
while in Greenland where they obtain
seals and walrus on shore, they had no
canoes. Their architecture was wholly
different in different parts according as
they were confined for materials, as in
Asia to large bones and mud; in Ameri-
ca west of the Mackenzie river, where
they tould get plenty of drift timber: or
in those inhospitabe region where they
had evolved a comfortable winter shelter
out of snow with a slab of ice for VIM
dow.
The uses for lighting and cooking of
the Esquimaux lamp were illustrated by
a specimen which was kept burning on
the lecture table. The wicks are of Arc
tic moss. He vindicated the Esquimaux
rom the aspersions of being hostile and
treacherous, which several Arctic navi-
gators have freely made. He admitted
that every expedition of white men had
been attacked about the mouth OF the
Mackenzie, but that was explainable by
the fact that great river was the high
way by which the raids of their Indian
enemies were made, and as their guns
aud ammunition were known to come
from the whites. the Esquimsux not un-
naturally place both in the same cate
CORY As against the hostile feeling at
this one point, DR.. Rae. brought over
whelmiug evidence from the experience of
both himself and others that the Esoul-
maux every where else had been most
friendly and hospitable Much of the
bad impression which had been produced
On navigators was due to the want of
proper interpreters. Having been tortu
nate himself to have had curing his sur
veying and exploring voyages AID during
his search for Sir John Franklin, an ex-
eeptionally good interpreter, he was ena.
Died to correct many erroneous notions of
the people, and to discover merits in them
which might otherwise have long re-
manned unknown. There were proved
TO be most accurate observers and truth
fu! REALTORS of what they had seen.
gs Through his interpreter. he obtained
accoouts of different English expeditions
tat they had seen, in which circum.
stances were related that were verified by
the journals of the expeditions, and 9th
ers that were too trivial for record were
yet remembered to be perfectly accurate
when afterward reported by DR.. Rae to
the officers who had commanded these
expeditions. He. therefore, had always
the greatest faith in the accounts he had
received from them of the fate of the
survivors of the unfortunate Franklin
expedition who were described by the
EsqGimaux as having after their ship
had been crushed by ice, travelled pain
iully with boats along the coast of King
Williams Land to the mouth of the
Great Fish liver where they persisted.
Their domestic character stood very high,
He had known man occasionally to
have two wives, and one woman he knew
as having two husbands; but on the
credit side was to be set off unusual af
lection and good feeling, the men never
beating their wives, and treating them as
equals at board, while the women never
beating their children and were so indus
trious s to shame more civilized danes,
every minute being utilized in some USE
full labor.
Lastly as to physique, he distinctly
trayerseI the notion that they were a di-
minutive people, many measurements
taken showing that the men varied be-
tween feet inch and feet 1917 in
ches, while their weights varied from 12O
pounds to 1875 pounds, Fthe average in
height and weight both being very fair,
while in strength, and especially in en-
durance, they compared very favorably
with white men AS to their reputed
gluttony, the weight of food consumed
was little if anything more than was
found necessary for the employees of the
Hudson's Bay Company, white half-breed
and Indian. which was from seven pounds
to nine pounds per diem. - London
Standard.
CITY HGe'KS Lime.
T. r