The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-08-12
Gazette Supplements August II, 1885.
Eslrimau Baby Life.


When baby Eskimaus mother makes
the hood for her reindeer suit she stretches
it into long sack or bag that hangs down
behind and is supported by her shoulders,
and this bag of reindeer skin IS his cradle
and home. where he lives until he is able
to walk, when he gets his own first suit OF
clothing.
This, however is while the baby Eski-
mau is out Of doors or his mother IS max
ing a social visit. When at his own home,
in order not TO trouble his mother while
she is sewing, or cooking, or doing such
other work. the little baby is allowed TO
roll around almost without clothing among
the reindeer skins that make the bed,
where it amuses itself with anything it
can lay its hands on, from Ratchet to a
Snow stick
You doubtless think little Boreas should
have a nice time rolling around to his
hearts content ON the soft, warm reindeer
skins, but when tell you more about his
little home you may not then think so.
"But won't the snow melt and the house
tumble in2n you Will ask. Of course 1t
will. if you get it warmer than Just the
GOODNESS at which water freezes; but dur
ing the greater part of the year it is so
!
cold that the snow will not melt, even
when the Esquimaux burn fires in their
stone lamps inside these snow houses; so
by closely regulating the amount of the
fire. they can just keep the snow from
| melting In short, it must always be cold
! enough in their home to freeze.
SO you can see that the little Esqulmaux
cannot have such very nice time, and
YOU can't see how in the world he can be
almost naked all day long when 1t Is so
cold But such is the fact.
Yet. in spite of all this, the little fellow
really enjoys himself He gets used to the
cold. and has great fun frolicling around
on the reindeer skins and playing with his
| TOYS; and when ] have told You some
other stories about the cold these little fel-
| lows can endure, you can understand how
they can enjoy themselves IN the snow
| huts. or igloos, rs they call them when it
is only a little colder than freezing.
At times the fire will get too warm in
the snow house, and then the ceiling Will
commence melting, for you will perhaps
have learned at school that when room
becomes warmed it is warmer at the cell
ing and cooler near the floor. SO with the
hut of snow; it commences melting at the
top because it is warmer there, and when
two or three drops of cold water have fal.
len on the baby's shoulders, his father or
mother finds that it is getting too warm,
and cuts down the fire.
When the water commences dropping,
the mother Will often take SNOWFALL from
the floor where it is colder than freezing,
and stick it against the point where the
water is dripping. There 1t freezes fast
and soalls up the water just like sponge
until It becomes full; and then she re-
moves it and puts on another, as soon as
it commences to drop again. Sometimes
she Will forget to remove it, and when it
gets soaked and heavy with water and
warm enough to loose its freezing hold,
down it comes! perhaps right on the baby's
bare back. where it fattens out like a
slushy pan cake or into his face, as 1t
once served me.-St Nicholas.