St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-04-12
AMONG THE EsQUiMAUx.


EXPLORER Glider Tells How He Bans
Frossn-Water Resldeace.
Colonel w. H. Glider, the Arctic cx
olorer, tells how he built an ice-houss
when he was at Camp DAILY with Lieu
tenant Schwatka among the Esquimaux.
He says:
We set to work to build for ourselves
. large, central house, which was to be
used as . living room, and connecting
with which, through low door ways,
there should bo constructed several
sfnsllef houses.
One Of these small houses WAS 1cr
Lieutenant Schwatka, another my own
bedroom. and third occupied by Henry
and Frank, our two assistants Later
on one was added for . store-room and
still another was the winter-house OF
Esquimaux Joe and TooloOah with their
wives and families.
was much interested In the mode OF
building these houses and their beauty
when finished.
A site was selected on the shore Of .
lake and close to the water's edge.
With An ice-chisel, which was made by
fastening an ordinary chisel to the end
Of long pole, one of the men chopped
slabs from the ice covering the pond.
which that day was about six inches
thick. Each slab was about six feet
long and three feet broad. As soon rs
one was cut loose from the solid ice .
hole was chopped through the center OF
it, through which walrus line was
passed SO that the slab could bo hauled
out upon the shore.
thought my friends were wasting
their energy when l saw them still cut
ting slabs, though they already had out
more than they could handle. But !
saw next day why they had done 50
when l observed that the ice was then
foot thick instead of six inches as ON the
first day. Some additional slabs had to
be cut, though, and then noticed that
not only took longer to get them out
but considerably longer time to chop
them down 50 as not to exceed about six
inches thickness, the same as the 9TH
ers. II they were thicker they would
not be 50 translucent, nor could they be
handled 50 easily.
When the slabs were all cut, the work
of building commenced. A mark was
made upon the thin snow, roughly out
lining the floor of the hut A slab was
then stood on end upon this mark,
slightly inclining inward. where it was
braced and held in place by one Of tho
builders, while the others erected an
other adjoining, and 50 arranged that
each rested upon and helped to sustain
the other. This process was continued
until the entire circle WAS enclosed
with translucent wall six feet high.
Then the interstices were filed In
with wet snow, and the whole was thus
rendered impervious to the wind. Now
our tent was taken down, and together
with the stormsail converted into . roof
that would answer very we'll until there
was sufficient snow to construct roof
that would bid defiance to the storms.
All the natives who remained in camp
had built themselves temporary houses
of ice in which to live until snOw-h0uses
could be built to replace them. In all
there were seven Of these winter huts
clustered under the shelter of the hills
ON the north side Of this fresh-water
pond, and one could scarcely imagine .
moro brilliant sight than this little VII
lage of ice palaces at night
In each hut there was tho usual stone
lamp filled with seal-Oil burning bright
" by means of the long wick Of dried
moss, SO that the group looked like .
collection of huge lanterns Of cut glass.
IN. Y. Journal.