Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-10-02

The amount Of cold these Northern
nomads- can endure, however, borders
on the phenomenal. l have seen the
little babies, two and three years old,
play perfectly naked, for hours at
time, on the reindeer robes Of the bed
in the igloo, the temperature, as have
said, constantly below freezing; and In
the fall have seen them naked, play.
ing and splashing in pond Of water,
long needles of ice forming on the quiet
places. saw an Esquimau baby boy
taken from its mothers hood, and naked,
made TO stand on the snow until she
found its reindeer clothing from the
sledge, fairly strong wind, sufficient
to drift the loose snow along with II,
blowing at the time, the thermometer
minus 80 degrees, the only protection
Ii had being behind sledge loaded
about three feet high, around and over
which the wind poured. It's exposure
thus was good minute, and to appreci-
ate this, one must take watch In his
hand and see that length OF time drag
by, time that not demonstrations
bur sensational writer might readily jot
down rs five or ten minutes. And
have known naked man, surprised
asleep IN his igloo by polar bear, has
tily grasp gun and pursue his enemy
two hundred yards In the snow, the
thermometer 10 10 20 degrees below
zero, aud slay him. These Esquimaux
rub slushy snow, dipped In water, on
tie bottom Of the runners OF their sledges
with the open palms OF the hands, until
it freezes into solid Ice, the thermomc-
ter being from zero TO 20 degrees below,
when have known IL 10 be done. i
have seen an Esquimau traveller throw
himself on the snow and rest comforta-
bly, for half an hour, the thermometer
II degrees below zero, or l03 degrees
below freezing, aud probably doing
some light work with ungloved hands.
The Kinnepetoc Esquimaux, who sell
dom build even the small fires OF the ma
tive stoEe lamp in their igloos during
the very coolest weather OF winter, are
probably the hardest of all these borcsl
tribes in withstanding low temperatures,
and sit around In their cold, cherries
snow houses with only their undergar-
ments on (the Esquimau has two suits
of reindeer skins, the outer With the
hair turned outward, and the inner with
the hair turned toward aud resting
against the body their arms Withdrawn
from their sleeves and resting on their
bare bodies across the breast, chatting
all the while pleasantly about various
matters, the thermometer often being
below zero; In fact, the only warmth
the snow house has Is that given OF by
their bodies. have known one Of these
Kinnepetoes TO take an uudressed REIN
deer hide that had been soaked in water
to remove the hair, which was frozen stiif
as plate OF boiler iron, put the same to
his naked body, and not only held II
there till IL was thawed out but, until
II was perfectly dry, so as to use II fora
drum head (kee-low-tce) In their pecu-
liar savage rites. In fact, 1 might say
that have been naked myself In tent
perature minus &C degrees, during the
short time 1t took to undress, roll my
reindeer coat In bundle for pillow
and crawl into my sleeping.bag; bat
my movements partook more OF the
character Of small boy going to a base
ball match than one saving wood
Lieutenant iSchaEatka. .....