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

~, TUioieu rloDons In tight topknot.
Inc CATERS and embroidered boots set
on their pretty legs and feet to perfec-
tlon, and their necks are adorned with
collars So with pearls.
Ihe Eskimos live entirely by hunting
and fishing, depending, for both food
and clothing, on what they catch. In their
eyes all wild animals are eatable = but
they think the fruits of agriculture un-
clean, because they grow in manured
ground. They also loathe pork, be-
cause pigs are feed on refuse, and yet
they r, lish eutrails, and reindeer's
stomach cooked with oil and berries.
Here Is the menu of a gala dinner In
the good old times. Dried Herrings
Gthe Indispensable entree). Roast
Flowers. Whales Tail. Dried Sal
mon. Dried Reindeer. Dried Seal.
Boiled Seal Decayed Seal. Berries
seasoned With oil. and favored with
Eeindeer's stomach. In a modern
feast offee would be necessary element.
Coffee, sugar, and bread have become
lndlspeL sable to Greenlanders who are
within reach of trade with Europe. Dan
lsh ships bring care oes of such lu1uries
as figs, raisins, and tobacco which are
eagerly purchased by the natives-who
have passion for snuff, and mix pow
dered croy ollte with it to increase the
strength.
Happily the Guild of Commerce pro.
hlblts liquor traffic, but Europeans
are permitted to give spirits in some
cases-long canoe voyages, for instance
and the Greenlanders have come to
den and this occasional indulgence as
right. Still brandy exercises no evil
influence on the population, and lis
abu is practically unknown. In
1724 Greenlander called Pok
went to Copenhagen, and astonished
his compatriots on his return
with the account of the marvels
he had seen. He described the Kings
palace, the almshouses, hospital, mad
house, the splendor of the rich, the
misery of the poor-and most strange
OF all the reason why people were poor,
and naked, some because they were
idle, others because "there are houses
where they sell nothing but brandy,
1t. When they come out-they fight"
'But," said one cf his listeners, ''you
told me there was only one mad
house"
Lamps, hunting and fishing tackle,
whole of an Eskimo's possessions; their
lamps are mostly shallow earthenware
dishes followed out on one side with
dried moss for a wick, and fed with OIL
The Ian p serves the double purpose of
lighting and warming, for the Eskimos
burn no wood fires, except out of doors
in summer Their few pots and pans
used formerly to be all earthenware,
but nowadays they are supplied with
IRON and copper vessels by the Euro
peans. The native weapons and boats
admit f no Improvement. They are
the result of generations of labor, and
have attained to absolute perfection.
The Kayak is beautiful little canoe,
consisting of framework of wood COW
cred with hide. 1t is pointed bow and
stern and decked, except for the man
hole in the middle. 1t is very light,
and if well managed very safe, capable
of going long distances in heavy sea,
with little exertion to the rover. The
Oumiak is a larger boat, also made
Of hide, calculated to carry a number
of p rsons and a heavy freight. The
construction of these boats and of the
harpOons, bows, spears, &c, is extreme
ly ingenious.
Several styles of building exist
among the Eskimos. The snow huts
are merely circular erections, easily
built, ald containing no interior fit
tings but a snow bench, covered with
hides. Such hut is easily completed
in two or three hours, and one needle
covers the cost of erection. The COM
mouest form of Eskimo house however
is abont six feet high and twelve wide,
the walls are of large stones and turf,
the roof matched with brushwood, filled
in with clods of earth. The length
varies from twenty to eighty feet,
according to the number of the fami-
lies that inhsbit it. The roof is sup
ported on pillars, which divide the
house into compartments. A bed six
feet wide, and two high runs the whole
length of the wall. Hides stretching
across it from each pillar mark each
family's portion. Here the inhabitants
sleep all together by night, and sit by
day; the husband on the edge with his
le2s dangling, and the wife crouching
behind. By each pillar is a separate
family hearth, built of fiat stones, over
which are hung two lamps-with a
wooden dish to catch the dripping
oil. One large pot to each hearth suf-
fees for cooking purposes. In winter
time, when all the lamps are alight,
and the hut crowded, the heat ls almost
intolersble, especially as there is no
outlet for the vitiated vapor, except
the long low tunnel, which serves as
door. The windows being covered by
fish skins admit light, but no air.
Men and women have to strip off their
clothes, in this atmosphere, and wear
only short b-eeches, the women's being
very prettIly trimmed with feathers.
Europeans are driven out of these huts
by the smell of half tanned leather, and
half cooked putrid meat, but Eskimos
find it d. licious, and object to what we
call sweet scents. One old woman
being made to smell lavender water
sneezed violently, and called it "Mam-
a.tpok" very unpleasant).
The Eskimos have no domestic ami
mails except the dogs who draw their
sledges. They are like the Lapland
dogs, having sharp noses, thick coats,
and bushy tails: like their Samoyede
relatives they cannot bark. One who
was brought to Europe as a puppy,
tried hard to bark like the dogs he
associated with, but failed to do more
than howl dismaIly. They are trained
exclusively for sledge work. The team
consists of six or eight harnes ed
abrea st; the driver uses a ashort-handled
whip with lorg lash, which can deal
terrible blows, whom skilfully used.
The leading dog keeps the others up to
their work, and will punish lazy one
severely. In summer the poor beasts
are turned out 10 shift for themselves
but in winter they are well fed and
cared for. When the snow is frozen
hard, the Eski;nos protect their dogs
feet from the sbarp ridges by putting
them in little bags.
Accounts differ widely as to Eskimo
honesty. Some travellers call them
thieves and rogLcs, while others praise
their uprightness. In reality most |
Eskimos are extremely honest, never
stealing the smallest trif1e from their |
Of fhair drua1- I