St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-09-05

ACdQldiiS anu udil-DIGGuS, dlC Oil oNi-
herents of the Roman Catholic faith.
At but few points are there resi-
dent priests. The fathers visit the
different stations and settlements, by
boat, twice, the renOteSt once, each
year, devot1ng themselves unt1rlngly
to ministratiOns from one to two
weeks at each place. From Forteau
bay past the straits of Belle Isle and
around the Atlantic coast to Hamil
ton inlet, the church of England may
be said to control Labrador terri
tory. This population is almost an
English-speaking one, comprising
perhaps 1000 souls, which include
several hundred Eskimos and Eski-
mo ha1f-breeds There are also in
this territory three Wesleyan Metho-
dist missionaries with rowing charges.
The church of England missions were
established 40 years ago; and they
now possess perhaps half dozen
mission-houses and tiny churches all
told, which are annually visited with
great anguish and trepidation by the
bishop of Quebec.
Beyond this to the north there are
no other than Moravian missions.
These are four in number, all located
on the Atlantic coast, at Hopedale,
Main, Okak and Hebron, the latter
the northernmOst mission of the con-
tinent The Brethren whom | met
informed me that their first mission
arv and five sailors were murdered
by the Eskimos in 1852. But in ITO
under permission from the British
crown, they gained a foothold and
founded the mission at Main. Okak
was founded in 1916; Hopedale in
1882, and Hebron in 1880. The to-
tai number of Eskimos along the 500
miles of the Atlantic coast is now
about 1000. Of these nearly 1900
have been "civilized' and belong to
the four missions; and 81 missiona-
ries are engaged in this work upon
the tire coast. These Brethren are
absolute rulers of the Eskimos, and
in all matters pertaining either to the
Indians or to other trappers and res
idents on lands granted them by the
English government. They control
the entire fur trade of the ESkimOs,
paying such prices as they may
choose; and no article of food or use
finds its way into the hands of these
simple folk save through the Mora
Wan trading-houses at such price of
barter as the missionaries may de-
mand Vessels come to Main with
stores and provisions from Europe,
and to take away the proceeds of the
one-sided trading. The Brethren
state that all profits are turned over
to the general funds of the society. l
do not wish to belittle their spiritual
efforts or disparage their methods
unjustly; but as nearly as | am able
to Judge, a form of slavery exists here
which is not creditable to ostensibly
Outstanding effort. 1t is certain
that the dusky flock who are thus
f1eeced, Notwithstanding their sick
ening servility to the brethren, have
statement of the whole situation
which they sullenly grunt among
each other, and occasionally permit
a sharp-eared stranger to overhear.
This is: missionary heap good i'll
church heap bad in storep'
The manner of subsistence of all the
Indians and half-breed population of
Labrador is practically the same.
The MOntaignais and Nasquapees
live in lodges the year round, wheth
er in the interior or upon the coast.
The Eskimos generally live in igloes,
sort of turf-covered wigwam, when
in the interior, and when at the mis-
sion in rude huts modelled after the
igloe; while thefew remaining inland
hunting Indians seldom appear upon
the coast, unless driven in by famine,
or when they come to the villages to
barter, when they bring all their be-
longings down the river and inlets in
open boats, camping at night under
seaslkin tents. The coast Labrado-
rians, and there are not 600 others,
are occupied in sealing in the early
spring they fish in the summer, hunt
and trap in the winter; and these oc-
equations are common to all, includ
ing half-breeds and whites. There is
nothing else to be done, whatever the
ability or inclination. In the eX-
IRENE north the clothing is exclusive
ly sealskin; and on the south shore
the attire is q combination of seal
skin and fustian, the latter being es-
pecially priced for withstanding the
cruel winds and storms of the region.
The number of stockings worn by
these folk is often astounding. Four,
five, and sometimes a half-dOzen, are
used inside their sealskin boots.
There is nothing striking about the
dress of the few white women who
are here, save that they remind one
in the mountain of clothing they bun
die upon themselves of the tremen-
douS skirts of the women of Irish
Connemara. But the Indian women
of the south and the Eskimo women
of the north are wonderfully apparel
ed. Anything they can get their
hands upon possessing gorgeous col
or is used for decoration. They all
most equal American women in this
respect. Perhaps this is more notice
able among the women of the st.
Lawrence coast than with the north
ern Eskimos.
The dress of the latter usually con-
sists of large sealskin boots, petit
coats, a sealskin garment covering
the whole person from the neck to
the knees, trimmed with white fur,
cap enveloping the entire head, and
a sort OF baggy cape or hood hang
ing down the back, in which their fat
little babies are carried. The cradle
is unknown among the Eskimos but
the universal tendency of all mothers
to bounce, sway and heave about
the helpless infant, has illustration
here in the juggling" of the Eskimo
child in its 9rial cradle. Walking or
sitting the Eskimo mother has an
endless movement, like that of an
old tar under heavy sea. 1t is a
writing, weaving, swaying motion,
which cannot be adequately describ-
ed But it suffices, and the fat mo-
Their gets good deal of exercise out