Connecticut western news., 1884-04-30
VOL. XIII.

called one of the 'Ips. Ip.A @ or the tribe to him and, marking the outlines of the Asiatic coast upon the sand, told the Innu (for such they call themselves) that across the great water was larger body of land and many, many more people than the Ooglaamiemeuns had; that these people also wanted seal, and the god of the west wind was providing for them, as they had undoubtedly prayed harder to have their wants supplied. The Innu was satisfied when informed by Ray that he had been there and seen this large body of people. The innu departed to where his people were in such sober manner that it showed he was deeply impressed with the Lieuten- ants words. Soon the tribe were seen to go to higher elevation and there the pow-wow commenced with redoubled fury. The ceremony was kept up until late in the day and that evening an east wind prevailed and broke up the pack. | The next day the old Innu called upon Ray, and with the solemnity of Quaker, | said:-'I told you we could outpray those fellows on the other side P When they go for a whale or during the time | the flesh of that animal is on hand, sea, walrus, reindeer hunting and so on must be entirely abandoned by all the rela- tives of the participants in the first hunt. This same superstition IS also found among the Esquimaux on the other side of the continent. Boys are thought more of than girls, yet both sexes are so scarce that when a couple is blessed with more than one child the children are distributed around to the other families who are childless. A child is considered great blessing among them, and is thought more of than anything else which they possess.
 PECULIARITIEs OF LIVING.
 As a rule these natives do not eat blubber. When provisions become scarce they will eat it, but never by it. self. The same can be said of oil. A food is prepared in large wooden bowl, consisting of little seal oil and deer tallow beaten together to the consist ency of thick cream. Boiled deer meat is then stirred in by woman with her naked hand until it becomes like penn mican. This is thier chief travelling food, and is always used when a journey is to be performed. No part of the ami nal Is allowed to go to waste. Even the bones, after being picked bare, are pounded mp and boiled and the marrow extracted for pemmican food. Ray says it is a common occurrence for them to take little seal oil and thoroughly mix it with reindeer droppings, and eat it with m. apparent relish. They crave vegetables, and would always carefully gather up the potato peelings around the station, boil them and consider they had dined like king. When travelling they eat but one meal O day. When they arise in the morning they start on their journey without breakfast, will travel all day, and when they strike camp at night will gorge themselves and go to bed. They have no sleeping sacks or deerskins. When the igloo is built and the slab of snow cut out upon which they are to rest, tanned walrus hide is thrown over the cold slab and they lie down in the clothes in which they have travelled all day.
 FoNDNEss FOR TOBACCO AND WHISKY.
 They are crazy after tobacco and will do almost anything to obtain it. The bIacker the tobacco and the more adul- 1 terated it is the better the Innus like it. The common natural leaf brands and the fne-cuts are not as eagerly sought after as the "black Jack, with its copperas taste. They get the full value of the tobacco in chewing, and, after the
 'cud" has yielded it's richness it is care. fully tucked behind the ear for some future occasion, the native, no doubt fearing that ''corner" in the article might take place. So unsuitable are their appetites in this respect that they would often come to the station anC crave the privilege of cleaning out the mems pipes of their refuse-scrape tht inside of the bowl and stem of nicotin, aud, mixing the ashes and other debris together, take it into the mouth and ab solutely eat it. Tobacco appears to have no effect upon their systems, unless it ii
 to strengthen them, for after one of thei
 feasts upon the weed the 1nnus appea
 to have more vitality and seem far hap pier. Even children and infants seme
 to take to it naturally. Ray says he ha
 seen 8 babe three months old take1 from its mothers breast, its mouth filled with tobacco, and the infant would suckle away at the weed, with more en
 joyment than if it had its natural food
 until it fell asleep. They are literall,
 tobacco eaters. The same may be sai,
 about whisky. The more fiery it is in it
 taste the harder they will strive to obtail
 it. The finer brands are not sough
 after, but one good drink of old ''tangle
 foot" which contains equal parts c
 aquafortis, nitro-glycerine and as | 6niOot1Nlol VIII IuhhC 1 udi4SO hhDDJ do
 clam at high water. Alcohol. in its pur
 state, is their high toned drink. and tn
 natives idea of pure bliss is bottle c
 alcohol and plug of "black Jack" l
 is impossible to get these people t
 travel with you in the long Arctic night
 They will not leave their huts as long a
 the sun is below the horizon. They ar generally very healthy people and COT sumption is unknown among them
 There are no traces of lingering sicknes
 or hereditary disease, and the people arr mostly affected by bronchial ailments caused by sudden exposure. Theirsno' } huts are not exactly like the Esquimau of the Hudson Bay region, being shape more like tent. Ray says he1has slep