Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-19
THE ESOUIMAUX.

A Summary of Lieutenant Schwatka's OBJ
.ervations Among This Northern People.
Lieutenant Schwatka describes many
interesting customs of the Esquimaux.
observed in his Arctic explorations.
They live in small scattered commune
ties in ice-houses called iqloos, and are
constantly shifting from old to newly
constructed villages. These little com.
munities are entirely ind pendent. and
have little communication with one an.
other. The people have nothing re.
sembling organized government. The
old men of a tribe are its counsellors,
but their authority, though usually re.
spected. is in no sense obligatory. The
staple food is the flesh OF the elk and
the al. which IS eaten oftener frozen
than cooked. The fresh blood of newly
slain game is keenly relished; but the
most delicious luxury is obtained by
opening the bodies of young animals
killed Immediately after have filled
themselves with their mothers milk,
and drinking the hot milk from their
stomachs.
If strangers appDach an EsguimauA
village the inhaEtants disappear in
their iqIoos and seh out their old wom-
en- to meet them. They make no pre-.
tense of Disgusting heir reasons for this
custom, namely, tht, of a | their people.
the old women are,f least account, and,
if ANYBODY is to be killed, they can be
most conveniently pared. If the old
women return withmessages of peace.
the strangers are abnce admitted to the
Inequalities of the but if
the old women are killed OF
driven in, the peop prepare for battle
and fight with deseration. This sell
dom occurs, becaSe animosities be.
tween the tribes rally result in hostili.
ties, and the nativeare never injured
by civilized foreign:s.
There is no puuhment for crime
Offenses of all kis are of infrequent
occurrence, and re generally con.
doned by some trifling COM
pensation to the surfer. If murder is
committed the crimal is required by
| the old men to ~ to the widow,
| or relatives of his vim, penalty con-
sisting of a prescriH quantity of meat
and skins. If he ,fuses to pay this
penalty, he is in ograce and suffers
social ostracism, wth subjects him to
such nconvenienceshat, usually, he is
speedily subjugatedlnd upon compile
ance is restored to Spectability.
! Marriage is sacreg binding upon the
wife, but the husba may, at pleasure,
modify her aritabbligations or di.
vorce her absolute. The Esquimau
hunter takes his life and children
with him wherever, goes. He under.
takes no expeditionr hunting or any
other purpose requng an absence OF
more than one daNnaccompanied bv
his entire family. lutenant Schwatka
relates an amusingcident illustrative
of both this custo and the marital
practices of these,rimitiye people. |
Schwatka was .abogtarting on trip |
requiring an absenct some weeks from |
his camp, which wan one of the ma.
tive villages.
10, his Esquimau ide. was to pilo,
the expedition. Joad wife and |
seven children. Buo refused to 90, |
on any terms, unacnpanied by his |
family Presently itas remembered |
that 10 had a personfriend in the VII. |
lage who had wife I'd no children.
And after some diplacy it was ar
ranged that, for the rpose, and dur
ing the term of this edition, 10 and |
his friend should swalvives; and &C.
cordingly JOS wife amer seven chill.
dren remained with hisiend. and the
friends wife went With Upon their
return they snapped bz. 4s.a-+ tho fa.
mer relations were hsppilyesumed.
The Esquimux as theages pass,
neither increse .sor dimi,h in num-
bers. Thei, cvilizationaeither de-
/ clines nor adafes. The are of no
| value to the WILD but aey do no
harm. Thei: cdntry bein worthless,
/ their possessio1Eill nevere disturbed.
Indianapolis e"tsael.