The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-09-17
The True Esquimaux.

"What nation Of people inhabit
the country"
"The true Esquimaux. They do
not extend into the interior any dis
lance, but find their living along and
in the sea They are truly a race Of
people. They have a continual
struggle for existence, and resemble
children in their improvidence. If
one chances to secure an unusual SUD.
ply of food his friends and neighbors
invite themselves to q feast at his
expense, and soon it disappears.
There is perfect community of
property and food interests
among them. Hospitality is to
them an unknown virtue, for
what is ones equally belongs to
them all. There is a village right at
the Point of about 100 souls, and The
entire population of the coast fer 600
miles IS only 700. The only animal
that can exist with them is the dog.
and they are very scarce. Yet
Notwithstanding all these drawbacks
to what we could consider even mere
existence, I think thev. are the hap
piest people Oh earth. They are con-
tended with their lot. They have no
God, no religion, 10 government, no
laws, no money, and not any idea of
what it is, no marriages, and yet they
are not heathen;sh in the least. Thev
are very quick witted. and it was not
long after we landed before thew were
able to understand orr wants bv the |
signs we made. They SPEAK a tongue
the like of which I never heard anv- I
where else, and I believe thew are
indlgeous to the country, a purely
ice people, lido not agree with the
theories OF ethnologists respecting
their origin, that they had been
driven from their original homes bv
a stronger race. They have not vet
grown beyond the stone age, using
stone knives, and other Implements,
They could have iron, which is cast
up Dy the sea from numerous wrecks
which it contains, but the conser-
yative old men refuse to use it.
holding that it is wrong. So thew
do have a sense of moral perception.
This was further shown when it
became necessary for me to change
the law of property. I could not. Of
course, undertake to feed the entire
village from my stores, as thew
ev1nced a unanimous willingness to
have me do, and at first thew threat
ened to carry off everything / had.
But after they understood HAL
Ibis was not to be allowed thew
respected maeuna ct tuun.
Their only weapon ia a smear. of
pIlmil1ve design and workmanship. :
aoou seven feet long. It has an /
worry point, and along its sides three
'rongs are set. They are curved ,
md servated on the lower edge. .
When they throw this into a flock
u ducks, if the point misses its aim 3
he ,prongs catch the bird around the .
leck' and the game is secured. They
'se a and-board to accelerate the y
orce and speed of the weapon. and .
re able to project it 60 or 20 wards !:
WITH great force. At 25 yards thew y
drive it through a man. I
ION a trip to the Meade Mountain $
found evidence of a former popu- y
atlon of whom the present residents y =
ave not even a tradition. There y
ere ruins Of huts centuries old along y
ne north shore, and the discoveries =
t" astound the natives who !;
'ere with me-" d
:How do the Esquimaux compare p
nth our people in height and :.
gure.?" II
Il measured 100 of them, and the "
height was five feet and nine ~
lches, and 100 pounds, rather above r
lat OF average Americans, and 1 y. ~
ever saw a fat Esquimaux?" "
What about their hablts?" =.
"Well. they dom t eat blubber nor =,
rink whale-oil. 1 never heard of IL
'se of the latter, and blubber ia
lly eaten to prevent starvation.
There has been a good deal written
the Arctic regions and the DE-
Ihabitants thereof. The stories IT
'out their food are a portion of the ",
financing INDUCED in. The Esqui- We
u may slice q thin piece of blub- M
r and lay it on his deer meat, the vi
me as we put butter on our bread. Sc
It unless he is starving that is the co
tent of his use of it."-Lieut. RQv. pl
Indianapolis Sun. to