The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1890-12-21

event of the day, the Christmas dinner, in honor
of which brave show of lights was made in the
hut. The cooks having been allotted an extra
gill of rum on that occasion did their duty
bravely, Notwithstanding the great trouble
which they encountered from the smoke, there
being very little wind. The menu consisted of
a fine rich stew of all seal meat, with onions,
little blubber, potatoes, and bread crumbs.
This dish was enjoyed, not only because of the
savory ingredients, but because in the diary of
each and all is chronicled the pathetic fact that
the quantity for the once was sufficient to satisfy
hunger.
After the lapse of an hour dessert was served
of another stew, this time of raisins, bubber,
and milk. At o'clock each man was given
cup of hot chocolate over which they fingered
long, exchanging "reminiscences of home, recall
ing luXuries of every description, and entering
into compact to pass the next Christmas to-
gether, should fate allow of them returning to
civilization Then followed singing, the various
songs taken from the French, German, Danish,
and Innuit. So ended Gen. Greely's Christmas
Day at the North Pole, the last spent by him at
Cape Sabine, and to many of his brave men the
last ever spent upon earth. The only mention
made of anything in the nature of gifts that
day is in regard to Kislingbury, who, knowing
that many of the men We're entirely out of their
supply of tobacco, kindly made for each of the
party a cigarette.
THE CHRISTMAS SUN FEAST OF THE EsQUIMAUX.
When asked whether the season was cele-
brated in any sense as religious festival among
the Esqumaux, Gen. Greedy said that while the
race were by no means heather people, yet
their celebration of Christmas so far from being
in accordance with the Christian significance is
distinctly traceable to the ancient celebration of
the sun feast. This is in reality the hyemal or
winter solstiee, which falls about December %,
and is kept as period of rejoicing at the return
of the sun, which to the Esquimaux means not
only an end of the long dreary night, but is the
return of weather propitious for good hunting
and fishing Interesting accounts of this sun
feast chronicled by MoraVian priest early in
100 states that the people having assembled in
large parties from all over the country amuse
themselves with sports of an athletic nature and
treat one another to the best fare their larder
provides. After gorgng themselves the Esqui-
maux rise up to play and dance There was no
danger of intoXication on these early celebra-
tions of the sun feast since water was the only
beverage known. The one musical instrument
of the people is a drum formed of wooden or
whalebone hoop, two fingers in breadth, which
on one side is covered with thin Yellum or the
skin of a whales tongue. This drum, slightly
oval has a long handle by which the Green
lander holds it in his right hand, striking it the
while upon the under side with his left hand.
At every stroke he gives a grotesque little hop,
swaying his head and body to the time, two
strokes falling in every crotehet. The song of
a recitatiVe nature accompanying this music eX-
tolls the noble deed of his ancestors the honor
of seal catching, and expresses joy at the return
of the sun to the hemisphere Every stanza is