The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-10-23


about thirty inches long BY half a
wide. Tho most common errors re-
garding the Esquimau snowshouse are.
that these big blocks are laid fat, when
they are really ON their longer edge.
and that they form one course above
another. like we build BRICK building.
when, in fact there is but one course,
spirally twisting around from bottom
10 top. While the blocks are but six
to eight inches thick. the igioo is often
made four to five or even eight to ten
times as thick during very cold wealth
er. BY banking of loose snow thrown
oyer it.
OF course the temperature can not
get above freezing in these homes OF
hard snow. or the structure will COM
mence melting and eventually tumble
in; but it must be remembered that a
person can soon get used to q temper
allure just a few degrees below freez-
ing. and even be quite comfortable. /
must say that after o person has
gotten thoroughly acclimated to the
outdoor winter life of the Arctic. .
temperature of 20 deg. to 50 deg.
Fahrenheit is every bit as comfortable
as one of 20 deg to 80 deg. to q
person coming into the house from q
temperature we'll below freezing. l
distinctly remember one curious eff
feet on the white men of my party
during the cold OF the first incoming
winter. Every one has probably felt
the loss OF managing power in the
fingers when numbed with cold. an
inability to write or button or I'M
b1Dton q coat or other garment. or
anything requiring considerable ma
nipulation and play of the fingers. and
we, Of course, were no exceptions to
the rule at first. Being constantly in
tbs temperature. however. and al
most IS constantly exercising our
fingers under these disadvantageous
circumstance. was greatly surprised
to see how rapidly these functions Of
the fingers were restored. until by
time the winter was over they were
actually as perfect as ever in any
temperature, however cold. and this.
too. despite the fact that there still
remained. As before. the disagreeable
sensation Of cold in them at times. It
seemed as II the motor and sensory
nerves could be made absolute
ly independent of each other; and this
benefit which allowed mo to thread q
needle and sew below freezing. to use
sextant for observations at minus forty
deg. Fahrenheit. or clean and insert
cartridges in magazine gun at even
twenty degrees lower with uugloved
hands. l believe I still. to certa n ex-
tent. retain. although all others accru-
ing from Arctic acclimatization have
disappeared in my i've years away from
that zone.
II . comfortable house made Of ice
or snow seems singular during intense
cold. how absurd an enjoyable bed
made Of the same material must APP
pear; and yet their bedsteads are made
Of snow, the mattresses of many layers
Of musk OK and Polar bear robes and
undressed reindeer skins, while the
sheets are dressed reindeer robes and
the covers Of the same material, their
pillows being their reindeer clothing
rolled in . bundle ct the head Of the
snow bed. Here. stark naked. with
only one reindeer skin over them. they
will sleep - soundly Is farmer in
moro favored chimes after hard days
work. and that with the temperature
out Of doors 80 low that every breath
ing thing IS enveloped in cloud Of its
own making.
The amount Of cold these northern
can endure, however, borders
on the phenomenal have seen the
little babies. two and three years old,
perfectly naked. for. hours 1t time. ON