Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-05-11

no private possessions. The husband
has his kayak, hunting and fishing
tackle; the wife her clothes, kitchen
utensils, needles and threa {. A native
never lends his clothes or weapons, but
if he owns more sets than one they are
common property. The oumia6, the
summer tent, the game, and other
spoils of the fine season, belong to the
family collectively, which, besides the
husband, wife, and children includes
several adopted members. Here there
is neither master nor servant, the
chief of the family exercises a mild su-
premacy, but domestic authority in our
sense is unknown. The greater part
of the winters fish harvest is shared
equally by the whole settlement. Even
the hero of some hunting exploit gets
no larger portion of the prey than
others; but he has the advantage of
hearing his praises sung at the feast
which always follows a successful
expedition. Perfect concord reigns in
a hut occupied by several families.
Such are the pacific habits of the Eskl-
mos that their language hardly con-
tains an abusive epithet, order and
tranquility prevail in every village.
Such peace and quietness would be
found in few So called civilized COM
munities. Yet here there are no laws,
and no police.
Good health and skill in h1nting and
fishing make an Eskimo prosperous.
The list of an Arctic milionaire's world
ly goods proves that much is not re-
quired for wealth. This rich man
owned stone house, covering fourteen
square yards, in which he lived with
his wife, four children, his brother and
sister-in-law, a sister and a brothers s
widow with five children, fifteen per-
sons, in all. Moreover he possessed
an oumiak, tent, an iron stove, two
guns, copper kettle, two iron and
twelve earthenware pots, kayak with
all its fittings ( a tool box (hatchet, saw
file and planel, coat of reindeer skin,
and a second of birds skins. His
brother and son had each their kay yaks,
and every member of the household
had plenty of clothes.
The Eskimos are a needless race, and
SO soon as they have sufficient food and
no occasion to hunt, they give them
selves up to good cheer and the pleas
ures of society. They pay each other
Wis ts chatter morning, noon and night,
and arrange balls, carouses, al d thletic
sports. At these parties they retail
the latest scandals, and discuss the
affairs of the nation, but grotesque
dances and songs, are the chief diver
sion. Eskimos have no musical instru-
ment but the drum, or rather tam
BOURNE, but they have good voices,
and easily pick up European tunes, for
which they compose words, usually
satires, on current events, or impro
visations in praise of their own hunt
ing exploits. If one man has II grudge
against another he composes a song
about his injuries, which he performs
at one of these festivals. The defend
ant must then reply in another song,
after which the audience pronounce
sentence, and the parties are recon-
ciled. An entertainment of this kind
lasts all night. AS soon as soon as one
native has done dancing and singing
another takes the drum and tries to out
do him, and they amuse themselves
with such zeal, that they often remain
eight or ten days without sleep.
Though they have little conscience in
the matter, the Eskimos generally be-
have decently at these festivals, and In
their houses, because they say, "The
make such fuss about
it."
Greenlanders have no special mar
riage ceremony, except that the bride
must be carried off by craft or pretend
ed violence. The match is usually ar
ranged by the parents beforehand.
often while the pair are still children.
requires the bride to get a
few knocks and rents in her garments.
She must also appear for some time
with dishevelled hair, as if mournful
and weary OF life, and make several at
tempts to escape. To prevent his fair
lady's flight when she tried it too often,
or to furnish her with a pretext for
the husband had formerly
the right to make notches in the soils
of her feet; he was then sure that his
wife wonld not run away till the wound
was healed. A girl brings nothing for
her dowry but few clothes, a knife.
and lamp-the bridegroom supplies
a bed, kettle, and q pitcher-and the
house is set up. Sometimes the couple
separate year or six months after mar
riage. In this case the husband wa ks
off one night without telling his wife,
who returns quite gaily to her parents
next morning. Afterwards, if the ex-
husband goes near home, she loves to
show herself, decked out in her best
clothes. Sometimes too, young wo-
man will leave her husband, notably if
she has taken dislike to one of her
female neighbors. But after the birth
of boy the union is never dissolved,
and usually married couples live in
perfect harmony. The husband al
ways consults his wife before coming
to any important decision, and they
hardly ever quarrel.
Most Esklmos have only one wife,
but 1t is considered mark of superior
ity to be able to maintain three or four,
and tribe of children. One native Is
known to have presided over a harem
Of twelve wives. Before the arrival of
jealousy was unknown in
these establishments, but the first pre-
cept native women attended to was, that
a man might only have one wife. 1t
was most embarrassing task for the
to organize the family
affairs of new converts who possessed
larems.
Eskimos show great affection for
their children, who enjoy complies
liberty, and are never scolded or
the parents regard our vener-
,ble birch as absolutely barbarous. In
'pite of a system of education so con-
rary to al rule and precedent, a good
conduct medal might be awarded to all
Eskimo children over eight or nine,
hough, it is true, they are scarcely
smiliar with civil1z I'D usages, and are
.pt to mistake their fingers for forks,
md knives for spoons. They play,
Ike other children, with bows and ar
'ows, balls, skipping-ropes they
cramble on the rocks, steal birds
rests, and kill beasts. Paul
fgede's sons we're great favorites with
he natives, and leaders of the youth
ul games. The little Eskimos would
yait impatiently till Paul and Nils (or
s they called them, Pav1s and Nese)
ad done their lessons, and reproach
lem for wasting SO much tim singing
salms. Still they were the butts of
Hr-a-loI