Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-10-31
THE ARCTIC RACE.
NEW FOUND PEOPLE ON THE
COAST OF GREENLAND.
They Were Discovered Recently by
an Arctic Explorer-Some
of Their Traits and
Customs.

all Eskimo people This fact can be ex-
planned only on the ground that the men
in their hunting pursuits are subject to
greater hardships than the women.
The height of these East Greenland
ers is greater than that OF any other Es-
kimo tribe, though as compared with
the Caucasian race they are not tall. 1t
is to be observed that in West Greenland
there is hardly a pure-blooded native.
All of them have a greater of less admix-
ture OF European blood. These natives
around Cape Dan, however, are pure
Eskimo Some writers have tried TO
draw the inference, because these east
coast natives are on the whole rather
superior in physique to other Greenland
ers, that the mixture of whites and
Eskimo on the west coast has deteriorated
the native race. This inference seems TO
have no good basis, for the Eskimo OF
Smith Sound, who are pure-blooded ma
tives, are physically among the poorer
specimens of the type.
A remarkable fact was noticed 10y
Captain Holm about the physical deyel-
opmeat of these people. Their arms, of
ordinary length, are exceedingly muscu-
lar; their legs, on the other hand, are
short, slender and weak. This fact IS
doubtless accounted for by the habits OF
the people. From childhood the men
use the harpoon and other casting instru-
ment with remarkable assiduity, and
this necessarily develops their arms,
while at the same time they pass day
after day in their kajaks or canoes, which
are so narrow that their legs are confined
in them almost like the foot of Chinese
woman in her shoe Now, on the west
coast the legs of the natives are splen-
didly developed, because they occupy
themselves during the summer in the
reindeer chase. Reindeer are not found
at Angamagsalik, where maritime hurt
ing is almost the only occupation Of the
men.
The natives Holm discovered have
noses that arc prominent and narrow,
and often nearly approach the aquiline,
in which respect they differ from all other
Eskimo. Their eyes are always brown,
though Holm found one young woman
with blue eyes. She was probably an
Albino. On the whole it may be said
that the east coast natives, and particu-
larly those of Angmagsalik, are a tribe
of superior physical development. 1t IS
absolutely impossible to find among them
the least trace of mixture with European
elements.
The explorer found tie climate not SO
rigorous as that of West Greenland un
der the same latitude. The sea is the
source of nearly all their riches. There
they find their food, and the ice, pressing
against the PERCEPTIONS coasts south OF
them that has shut them off from The world
brings to them trunks Of trees, plants and
considerable amount of debris from
.1ipwrecked vessels. Thus, though they
knew nothing whatever OF the world out
side their homes, they have long been
able to use some articles made by civil
lied men. Their harpoons are tipped
with iron, sharpened, from the hoop iron
washed on their shore, and relics ofmany
a ship that went down probably hun
dreds of miles from their coast were
found in their humble huts serving some
useful though unaccustomel purpose.
The only domestic animal is the dog,
which is employed to haul the sledges.
The chief animals of the chase are the
same as those upon the west coast. Wal
ruses are very numerous at the end Of
summer and in the spring.
Here is another popularity of these
people. During the winter they live in
long houses made of stone and turf, one
house accommodating an entire settle
ment. These houses are from twenty
four to fifty feet long, according to the
number Of families who live in them, and
from twelve to sixteen feet wide. They
are generally built on land sloping to the
sea, and the fronts of the houses, where
the openings for light and entrance are,
face the ocean The people regard it as
their first duty to assist those whose COM
mon home they share, and particularly
their kindred. Although they are sub
iect TO no determined law, their social
life is based upon rules to which
they tacitly give legal character, ard
the transgression of which exposes them
to the reprobation of their comrades In
certain respects these rules impose upon
individual liberty as great restraints as
the laws Of civilized society.
In each settlement there is only ore
house, IN which live sometimes as many
as ten families. The oldest man is the
chief or head Of the household, when he
is or has been a good hunter, or II he has
son who is skilful in the chase. As long
as they live together in the same house
each inmate has his proper share OF all
the supplies of food and clothing. So
among the new-found people of Green
lard the sort Of communism he's been