Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-26
AMONG THE ESKIMO.
Their Principal Food Cherries Homes
Great Physical Endurance.

The walrus forms the principal food Of
the Eskimo race wherever il is found. and
II Is so generally distributed over the Arc
tie part of the North American continent
that II undoubtedly makes up the bulk Of
sustenance for the whole race. with the
various seals following closely behind
aud both these kinds of meats amply sup.
plemented by salmon. cod. whale musk
oxen. reindeer and polar bear. with an oc-
casiunal tribe here ami there preponderat-
ing in some OF these latter foods over the
walrus and seal THE walrus will not live
where II is So cold that all the water
channels are frozen over in the winter, as
he cannot cut a breathing hole through
the thick ice like the smaller hair seal.
which is found ia about every part Of the
Arctic that man has penetrated. and at
about all seasons Of the year The great er
amount Of fatty tissue la the animals Of
the sea make thcm moro acceptable as
food to the nOrtherner, whose system
Graves such diet during the rigorous win
ter of that zone
The seal and walrus are fat throughout
the year although VARYING appreciably in
this respect during the different seasons.
while the reindeer-fOr musk oxen are
nowhere numerous enough To enter largely
as food-arc only Ia good condition for u
few months in the fall and early winter,
the coldest months in the year. JANUARY,
February and March. often finding them
livid In their leanness.
Yet. in spite of ali this. my mort hern
travels threw me in contact with a fair
sized tribe Of Eskimo that lived largely
on this kind of meat, catching only enough
seal from an inlet that cut deep into their
country to supply their stone lamps with
a little light during the long dark winter
night. Those living on seal and walrus
had enough oil 10 warm their houses
though made of snow-many degrees
higher than the intense cold outside and
would take oil their out side suit of rein
deer clothes when In the house, while the
reindeer hunters seldom had a tempera-
turc even little above that of the at
mosphere outside. and often remained
double clothcd as If in the open.
Their homes were cold and cheerless in
the extreme. but they had powers of re-
ststing IL that seemed phenomenal and
far beyond human endurance as we have
found it limited in our own zone have
known one of these cold weather cavaliers
To take reindeer hide that had been soak
Ing in the water, and that was frozen az
stiff as plate Of boiler iron. aud put il
against his bare body holding it there.
not only until II was thawrd out. but
until it was perfectly dry The skin was
to be used as drum head FOR singing and
dancing exercises. and had to be dry and
hairless 10 answer that purpose he soak.
ing ridding it Of the hair while there
were apparently no other means of dry
ing il than the heroic method adopted.
From the large number Of reindeer killed
by these Eskimo they are abundantly sup.
piled with skins for bedding and clothing.
aud in the making upof these neccssaries
they have displayed 80 much tact aud
talent with the limited means at hand
that they are the best dressed natives IN
the north h-Frederick u. Schwatka in
American Magazine.