Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-09
ROUTINE OF ARCTIC LIFE.
5ouRxEY WIrH sIEDGEs.
nails,rs az "lslee- asa cssksaa over an
osl-i&sp .-sessesss Of Fresh wassr-sfow
NE pcss Are Driven.

0sl-f.&Wp -sesseiss Of Fresh waser-sfow
she >css Are Driven.
lfrederick sehwatka.l
When the FIRST Innuit tas the Esqai-
mAux call shsmselyes) opens his eyes
in the arctic regions about 4 or 5
o'clock IN the morning, If II be q
spring sledge journey--and most of the
journeys are undertaken In that sea-
tor---he viii find Il breaking day or
possibly the sun ia an hour or two high
IN the eastern horizon and the day
light pouring through the thick walls
Of his house Of snow tigiool almost as
freely as ii would penetrate the walls
Of canvas tent. lie knows about
what time il is even in his little closed
eeeshcll-likc house Of snow, and II he
has any doubts about il, think
ING that an overcast morning
might deceive him, he thrusts
snow-stick % small edged stick about
the size Of policeman's club, used for
beating the snow off reindeer clothing
and bedding) through the top of the
snow dome and takes peep at the sky
overhead 10 satisfy himself as to his
copjecturss. Thinking it time To begin
The days labors he swakens his wife,
and with solacing yawn or two turns
in between the memberships again for
. short nap until breakfast is ready.
Among the most energetic Of the north
ern race ! never saw any Of them do
any work before the morning meal be-
yond the labor necessarily to prepare it.
The lady Of the lone north land hav-
ing disposed OF her preliminary morn
ing yawns, dresses herself so far as
putting on her inner reindeer suit--the
Esquimaux have two suits, an inner
and outer--sits a Ia Ture on the rein
deer blanket at the head Of the bed,
and prepares the lamp. This Esquimau
lamp might well be compared in shape
to the half of clam-shell sup
ported on three upright sticks
about the size OF carpenters PEN
ellis stuck in tho snow. The shallow
dish is filled with seal or walrus oil,
which is kept in sealskin bag, and
when IL is nearly ready to run over the
low fat edge of the clam-shell the
EsQuimau woman takes a little bit Of
moss from q compact variety that grows
on the stones near the water, and rub
biDg it in her hands, like some smoker
preparing a pipe of tobacco from the
WRITINGS Of plug, she strings this
material along the edge OF the lamp
Just where the oil touches it and
then sets fire to it with a match.
This is the wicking Of this strange
lamp. The flame is about as
high as that emitted by kerosene
lamp, and extends along the fiat edge
of the lamp from six inches to two feet.
Over this fame is done the cooking
and the drying Of clothes. Above the
fire is suspended abox-like kettle, with
length equal to that Of the flame, and
holding from a quart to q gallon and
half. This is half filed with water,
and then lot Of reindeer or seal or
walrus meat is placed in it, generally in
chunks about the size Of the double
FIST. About three TO four pounds of
meat is provided for each grown person.
The water SINNERS about an hour,
when the flesh is thoroughly cooked,
although the water never boils in |
the stone kettles. All the slumberers
are awakened, and the preparations for
breakfast consist in their simply sitting
upright and putting on their under
garments of reindeer skins. A ladle
made from the horn Of the musk-ox or
n tin pan is supplied to each guest. 1t
Is capable Of holding four or five Of |
these chunks Of meat, and the break
fast is begun. The eaters each fsstens
his teeth into one Of the steaming /
pieces of meat, holding it with one
hand, while with the other he sewers
the seized portion with a sharp knife,
and after a few mastications bolts it,
and renews the operation, being always |
careful to cut downward to avoid |
slicing off the tip Of his nose.
After the meat has disappeared the
soup LEFT in the kettle, and which be-
comes q very rich meat-tea by the SIM
mering process, is apportioned among
the guests, giving each about quart,
when provisions are plentiful. In win
ter this soup is made as oleaginous as
possible, and l have seen two inches of
pure melted fat swimming on the top of
il devoured with great eagerness. The
morning meal having been disposed Of,
the toilet is completed by the party in
putting on the outer suit Of reindeer
clothes. The head Of the house then
issues from his hut and announces the
state Of the weather. IL it is fair the
party prepares for the days journey.
Attention is first paid to his sledge,
which he turns over on its back, SO to
speak, the runners sticking in the air,
for the bone shoes with which it is shod
must be given a coating Of ice. This
consumes about half an hour. Chunks
OF snow are dipped in water and, while
slushy, are spread along the bone shoe
to the depth Of about an inch. While
applied with the palm Of the hand it
freezes into translucent ice. Then a
spray Of water is spurted over this
from the mouth. Freezing as it
touches, it makes surface Of clear crys-
tai ice no thicker than a coating of var
nish, which makes the bottom of the
sledge-runners extremely slippery. The
sledge thus iced will draw double or
even quadruple the load that would
have been possible had this not been
done. The heavy sealskin lashings are
next tied along the sides OF the sled
under the projecting STATS, being given
turn around the ends, and if the
sledge is very long an additional turn
Is made around the centre one. The
sledge IS now ready for its load. The
large boxes, bags, and other baggage
are put on first, and the other material
added, the last layer being the REIN
deer skins Of the bedding, hair turned
inward. Over this, backward and for
ward, is thrown 4 lashing Of small
sealskin thongs, probably 100 to
200 feet in length and about q foot
apart along the length OF the sledge.
This does not pass around IL projec-
tons Of the sledge-slats, as seen. so