The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-10-21
Es0UIMAUX HOUSES.
Home OF the Denizens of the
Frozen Regions.
They Arc Not Constructed OF Snow nna
Ice as Is Commonly Supposed
But Are Similar TO In
dian Wlgwams.

1T seems tobe the popular belief that
Ill EsqnimauX live in snow huts or
1gloos during the winter. When wont
TO the Arctic, in 1877, looked forward
TO seeing plenty of these habitations, I
s mad not read mp Mt all in regard to the
i natives OF Arctic Siberia or Alaska, but
Took 1t for granted that they were like
bhe i1squimauX whom Kane and many
other arctic travellers have SO interest,"
1ngly described. So, without giyinr tho
matter u second thought, / took NIL
these prcconceivcd notions for granted.
IN dreamily anticipating the strange
things was to see visions of clusters of
snow huts, hurrying dog sleds and other
typical EsquimauX scenes that we are
all SO familiar with passed before me.
After entering Behring's sea we
sailed northwesterly and reached the
coast of Siberia about five hundred
miles south of Behring's straits. Here,
at Cape Tehapln, was the largest
settlement of Esquiinaux on the coast
OF Siberia, The cape is u. long, narrow
point OF land jutting boldly out into tho
sep for eight or ten miles.
1t is q sand pile thrown up by con-
tiicting currents a few feet higher than
the sea, and at its very cxtremity-on
the bleak point exposed to the full
sweep of the cold arctic winds-was the
settlement OF a cluster of perhaps fifty
huts made upon the general plan of an
Indian wigwam, says the Brooklyn
Times. These found to be permanent
abodcs and inhabited all the year round.
l inquired for the snow huts and
learned that their use was very lit
tie known-1 might say unknown
for the snow shelters these Siberian
Esquimaux use are most temporary,
simple affairs possible, serving only as
shelter for few hours or perhaps a
night or two from an unexpected cold,
piercing gale that is laden with chill,
accumulated from blowing over hun
dreds of miles of Arctic ice and snow.
Here was a disappointment. One of
the most picturesque, characteristic
parts of Esquimau existence, rs popular
~ understood, was wanting. But, after
all, these were only Siberian Esqui-
mauX. Over on the coast of Alaska we
would find the genuine Esquimaux, with
all the necessary accomplishments that
they were expected to have.
1t seemed rs though something was
lacking in these Siberian Esquimaux to
make them the genuine article. And
yet their huts were perhaps moro inter
esting than the snow huts would have
been.
The typical hut of the Siberian Esqui-
'mau is circular and from fifteen to
twenty feet i'll diameter 1t is rude
framework made of pieces of driftwood
gathered along the beach, put together
without the IIsa of ,,,;1 I,,,t Io,l,a.J "a
all necessary points with strips of seal
skin.
The poles forming the roof slant ND
to o common point, and here small
hole is left open at all times for smoke
and foul air to get out, and not unfre-
quently for snow and fresh air to get
in. This whole framework is covered
with walrus hides, carefully sewcd to-
gether, and oftentimcs stretched on
while green. Af
Walrus have become SO scarce that
these hides are usually split in order to
make the supply go round. An Esqui-
mau woman with common sheath
knife will split one of these hides with
the greatest of case.
The doorway of these huts is an open
ing about two and onc-hnlf feet wide
and perhaps five feet high. Such n hut
has considerable interior space, and
perhaps two or three families will oc-
.cupy it.
Separate from the main, but inside is
another hut complete within itself
This is made by using decrsllin hang
ings. And it is in this second hut that
the natives sleep. Fresh air is never
known to find it's way into this inner
abode, and how the native can sleep
there without choking to death with
the foul air is mystery that no white
man can understand. III
Attached to the rear of the hut on the
outside is a lean-to shelter or scaffold-
ing. This is used for storing canoes,
meat and other things up out of reach
of the dogs, and for protecting sledgcs
nndother things from the full blast of
the clements. =
Whenever these huts get lcalsy from
long use or ill-usage patches Of hide are
scwed on over the holes, and the roof of
nearly every hut in the settlement has
patchwork effect Many huts, too,
have pieces OF boards around their
base, relics Of the many whale ships
that have been wrecked in this vicinity.
And as it was at this place, Cape Te-
haplin, or, as it is more Familiarity
called by the whalcmcn, Indian Point,
SO it was all along the coast of Siberia;
snow huts were practically unknown,
and every family lived in permanent
substantial abode, which was occupied
all the year round.
An Ingenious Calculation.
There is theory evolved by q French