The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-05-10
HUosoN's eAY r.vY.e.
Family Life of tho Esis,rao who Dive
Near the Great Inland Oc-.s,

HUDsoN's eAY rtvrLe.
Family Life Of tho Esis,ao who Dwell,
Near the Great Inland oc-aa.
In the summer each family has It's
own home, but in winter two or more
fnmilies live together for the sake of in
creased warmth and economy of fuel
The sumner residence is tent made Of
sealskins with the hair scra,cd off. giving
much the appearance Of yellowish parch-
meut, which is stretched over poles of
driftwood arranged in the ordinary cone
shape. The door always faces toward
the water by whose side they are camped,
and at the opposite side of the tent is the
bed, composed Of moss covered with
sealskm. AS they sleep with head point
ing docrward, they necessarily lie down
hill owing to the natural slope Of the
land toward the shore. This does rot
seem either comfortable or healthy no
sition, but apparently they are none the
worse for it. On either side Of the door-
way is their larder, consisting of exceed
ingly rcpulsivc looking piles of seal meat
and blubbcr, which give forth nn odor
that Samson himself, with lis hair at it's
longest, could hardly wrestlc with sue.
ceSSlully. SO Overwhelming is its strength.
The winter Indications alo made en-
tircly of snow, and are generally built
under the shcltcriug lee OF rock, in the
d:.ft that accumulates there. The build
ers begin 10y marking out on the snow a
circle about fifteen feet in diameter,
which represents tho inner side of the
walls, and with saw or long bladed
i ,,tff, ih.Ns ,,,t Il.,f-. 80
three to six feet long by foot thick and
high. from inside the circle they have
marked; then, placing the blocks around
the circle, they carry the walls up spir
ally (uot in tiers). until they meet in n
keystone above, at distance Of about
nine feet from the cXcavatcd level of the
floor. The result is, except. Of course, as
10 color, the production of a gigantic bee
hive, over the door or in the center of the
roof OF which is set big block of fresh
water ice to serve the purpose Of win
dow in lighting an interior that, although
stainless white at first, is soon blackened
by the ever smoking, evil smelling lamps
the inmates use.
The furniture of these human hives Is
very simple, as may be readily supposed.
II consists of bed place or diyan along
the side of The "igloo," opposite the door,
and two iircplaccs one on either hand as
You enter. These are madc Of firmly
packed snow, and raised about three feet
al owe the floor, the divan having its
outer edge faced with pole to prevent
1t from crumblng away when used as n
ceat in the day time, The beds are made
up in the following manner; First, q
layer of moss spread over the snow; next,
n layer Of sealskins; then a lng-- % bear
or decrskins, and finally T., Sleeping
bags, which resemble exs =" : ui!iow'
elir- .sals. THAR f.-~ -. I.
linn. aiCTT7'e7 7Iuf is double, 50 tnut ,Eore
m'y be hair both inside and outside
!aio these bags, of which each adult haa
o"c, the Eskimo, stripped 10 tho bare
buff, CrecpS for the night, and
sleeps very comfortably. Up to tho
age Of 10 the children share their
parents bag; after that they are pro-
motcd TO having one Of their own.
Their fires are nothing more than
lamps rudcly fashioned out Of soapstone,
and 80 arranged us TO he self-supplying, a
niass Of hlubbCr being hung in such close
proximity to the flame that the fat is
c"Hvcrtcd into oil, which, dripping into
To- bowl lclow, is consumed by means
of u moss wick. As the lamp has no
chimney, and both oil and wick are Of
the poorest the result is the reverse Of
brilliant, neither light nor heat being OBJ
tainel in what we would consider "A
sati.factory quantity. Just above
the lamps Bealskin il stretched To
prevent the heat thawing the roof away
a pr9Cuut ION that seems hardly necessary
seeing that tho ordinary temperature Of
these snow huts is 27 degs. at the roof
and 2i dogs. at the level Of the beds; in
other words, from 5 to . dogs. below
freezing point
Ii order to keep out as much cold as
possible, the doorways are very low and
narrow, n fact which explains the curious
/ phrase with which the hosts speed their
parting guests, namely; "Fabourke aper-
MAX in att''-that is: ''Good-by; don't
bump your head. - Macdonald Oxley
in American Magazine.