Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-11-16
The GreenlsnGers.

DR.. Frederick A. Cook, who has
Just returned from an independent
exploration of Northern Greenland,
brings many interesting specimens
and much valuable intelligence con
cerning ancient and modern Green
land. News Of most of his discoveries
with details were printed in the Jour
nal of Friday. bur since that time DR..
Cook has given out the following ad-
ditioual information regarding the
results Of his expedition:
He took complete measurements OF
about 100 natives of North Greenland,
and from these, together with the da-
Ia he secured on the Psary eNpedI-
ton. he had adduced these average
statistics. being only II few principal
ones ont OF many: Average height OF
men. . feet inches; average weight
of men, l3j pounds; average height
of women, / feet ; inches; average
weight OF women. l2O pounds. IL
will be noticed that the average
weight is greater proportionately 10
the height than among Europeans
and Americans. The color OF the Is
llimos i an olive yellow or brown,
with straight, coarse, black hair
Besides the measurements DR.. Cook
took thousands Of photographs OF
of the natives.
1t is only north of Cape York that
the pure Greenlanders are found.
The South Greenland people are
much like the Eskimos.
The Eskimos originally believed IN
one great spirit, acoubiuation of God
and devil. They believed in soul
or rather Il combination Of souls, rep
reseutiug the elements Of character.
They had vague beliefs as To the im-
mortality OF the soul. They believed
the earth to be on pillars and Heaven
a place under the earth. The stars
are on pillars, and above the stars
they located hell
The costume of the Eskimo i
shit Of birdskin. Arctic hair stock
iugs. sealskin boots and bearskin
trousers. In summer they weara seal
skin coat, and in the winter one OF
blue fox. The women dress the same
a. the men, except that they wear
fox instead OF brarskiu trousers
Their habitatiouS are made OF moss
and they use stone dishes. They use
bubbcr for fuel and use oil in stone
lamps. which answer for both iIIumi-
nation and heating. No msn rules
another. and no man hires another
nnd there is no caste among them.
At Godthaab ford br. Cook discov
cred remains Of ancient buildings OF
the Norsemrn. These ruins were en.
tireIy covered with moss, but on be
ing examined showed that they had
been built of stone. They were about
2Gx9 feet. aud had long entrances like
those of the Eskimo huts. TIE stones
used were rough and evidently had
been selected from rocks naturally
broken, although a few were cut
There were three of these buildings
near each other, aud about p miles
nearer the shore was one other. Tue
fsrthest Of them from the coa-t was
60 miles. The explorers were told by
the natives Ihat THESE were not the
ruin, Of Eskimo habitations, and their
story was substautiatcd by the dis
coycry of little patches Of wheat and
rye close TO the ruins growing wild
through all these years. The Eskimos
do not have either rye or wheat aud
know nothing OF them. These are
the only remains Of the Norsemsn
ever known to have been discovered
in Greenland by white men. 1t Is sup
posed that the Norsemen were muir
dered by the natives.