Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-03-28
How Peter Won Juliana.
STORY OF AN ESKIMO MARRIAGE.

STORY OF AN ESKIMO MARRIAGE
The little Eskimo settlement of Ka-
jartallk was in great state of excite
ment. For long time young Peter Ma
nassc had wanted to marry pretty Juli-
ana Marie Andreas, but because of the
opposition of the girls parents and
brothers he had been unable to accom-
plish his desires. To the villagers the
opposition of the relatives had seemed
to be wholly unwarranted, for Peter was
most likely young Eskimo. He had
beautiful kayak, with two harpoons
and a bird spear, two fish lines and two
hooks, beside a net with which to scoop
out the little salmonoids that throng the
| water there 1t certain seasons More
over, he could use them as we'll as anv
one that had ever padded that way
Further still, he was courageous. Once
in early spring, when the field ice had
filled the ford for several days in such a
way that no one could go seal hunting.
Peter, having seen a seal on an iceberg,
ran across the floating ice CAKES till he
could strike it, and so, in spite of the
dangers relieved the pressing need of the
colony.
However, the relatives of the girl re-
! mained obduratc, while she looked on
with apparent indifference, and 50 poor
Peter sighed in vain until at last his
father determined to interfere by giving
a great feast to all his neighbors. 1t
was the anL nLouncement of the date of the
feast that had excited the people, and
not without reason, too, for if during
the course of the festivities young Peter
could manage to pick up and carry away
the pretty Juliana to his fathers house.
the matter would be settled; she would
be constrained by the usages of polite
Eskimo society to accept the bold lover,
while the relatives would not be allowed
to interfere once the young man got his
sweetheart safely at the door of the hut.
1t appeared that the Manasse family
had had the feast in mind for long
time, for, now that it was announced
the people remembered that both father
and son had been very assiduous in look
ing after their traps during the winter,
and had taken many foxes. The pelts
had been carefully prepared and de
posted at the store of the white man
Among other things obtained in exchang,
were three kinds of hard bread, large
supply of coffee and enough tobacco te
last long time. 1t was when the fathe
and son carried home these things tha
the feast was announced and evervbod,
knew that very great feast it woult
, be.
When the afternoon arrived Mrs Manass
placed three fiat stones close together no
very lar from the entrance TO Qor house
and built fire of driftwood and faggot
from the tiny forests hard by. Over thi
was placed big iron pot bought of til
whites, long before. The pot was fillet
with sea water, and into it she placed a
many bic chunks of seal meat and sea
fat rs would serve 20 make the founda
ton OF a most Rourishing and SAVIOR
Eskimo stew. To the seal meat she ha
:, added enough ptarmigans and hares ,
give each member of the community on,
and thereafter she carefully tended th
: fire so that the mess simmered gentl
and continuously, and the broth ws
! kept we'll replenished. Meantime ho.
. of youngsters gathered about the FIR
shifting the odors and dancing with or
!. another and singing a song that relate
the trials of an Eskimo lover who, ha,
ing failed to win the object of his d.
sires, went away and married wi