Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-24

latter part OF August, and many deaths occur
at the beginning of winter from pneumonia.
All are subject to bleeding at the nose and usu-
ally plug the bleeding nostril with bunch of
deer's hair. This weakness seems to be charac-
teristic Of the Eskimo wherever they are met
with, and it has been supposed to he a process
Of nature for relieving the fullness Of the circu-
latory system caused by an exclusively animal
diet.
As . rule, they are quick-witted and intelli-
gent and show great capacity for appreciAt-
ing and learning useful things, especially
mechanical arts. In disposition they are light
hearted and cheerful They have keen sense
OF humor and are fond Of practical Jokes. In
the main they are truthful. though they prac-
tice considerable trickery in trade. They tried
to sell the carcass OF dog to the expedition
with the skin, head, feet and tail removed for a
young reindeer, and when it was desired to
purchase seal oil for lamps, woman brought a
tin can nearly filled with ice with merely a
layer Of oil on top. Their curiosity is I'M
bounded and they ask questions without num-
Der. Their continual begging is also very
ANNOYING
Files are eagerly sought by the natives. who
use them with great skill and patience. doing
nearly all their metal work with these tools
One ingenious man converted his Winchester
rifle from rim fire to a central fire with moth
ing but file. Another native neatly mended q
musket barrel which had been cracked by fir
ing too heavy q charge. He cut a section from
another old barrel of somewhat longer caliber,
which he heated until it had expanded enough
to slip down over the crack and then allowed 1t
to shrink on.
MOST ARE TArTooED.
These Eskimo are commonly tattooed. Such
ornamentation on man is a mark Of distinc-
ton. Those who have captured whales usually
have marks on their persons to indicate the
fact, sometimes forming a tally. The tattooing
ia done with needle and thread. smeared with
SCOT or gunpowder. 1t is painful operation,
producing considerable Inflammation and SWELL
ing. The practice of tattooing the women is
almost universal among people of this race
wherever they are found. They pierce their
lips and insert p.ugs, which are supposed to be
decorative. For such labrets glass cruet stop
pers and glass shoppers OF Worcestershire sauce
bottles are highly priced.
One Of the games played by the natives at
Point Barrow might be called ''foy and geese. "
There is fox carved in ivory, with a score or
more Of geese and ducks with fiat bellies. done
in the same material They are used somewhat
after the manner Of 'jackstones." The player
losses up a handful OF these images. scoring
points for the number that sit upright when
they fall. Children play with little models Of
the implements and utensils used by their
parents Perhaps the commonest thing Of this
sort is the boys bow AS soon boy is able
to walk his father makes him a little bow and
blunt arrows, and he practices shooting at
marks until he is old enough to kill small birds
and Jennings.
The women are very fond of playing "cats
cradle" whenever they have leisure. and make
n number Of complicated figures with the
strings. many of which represent various ami
mails. One favOrite figure is a very clever rep
resentation of a reindeer. Another amusement
OF the women and children is tossing three bull
let's or small pebbles with the right hand. after
the manner of a juggler. Mr.. Murdoch wit
messed quite an elaborate performance by a
party Of children. On the edge Of the roof of a
house sat three little boys, each beating on an
empty tomato can and singing at the top of his
lungs, while another boy and little girl were
dancing on the snow, at the same time trying
to avoid girl who represented a demon. She
was STOPPING forward. rolling her eyes fiercely,
licking the blade Of an open clasp knife and
drawing it slowly across her lips.
stA. ottorS (sesareuts.)