Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-30

rail- or snow occurs in early winter from
which to construct house of snow blocks
IL is large and rOOmy. Its owner is rich
enough to have two or more wives. He is
considered an important individual, whose
favor is to be retained py every means.
However, a period of illness may cause him
to lose all his belongings, and on recovery
he has to start life anew. Several seasons
elapse before a sufficient number of skins
can be procured to make q tent, and this is
1mmovable without a boat to transport it
when there is no snow on the ground. In
former times these people Inhabited perma-
nent winter dwellings like those used
by the Eskimo elsewhere. as is
shown by the ruins OF stone and
sod houses to be seen in various
parts of the country. The natives relate
that their ancestors lived in such huts, but
cannot explain why they were deserted or
why structures of the same kind are not
erected at the present day.
The house of snow blocks Is erected in a
few hours. This sort Of dwelling exclusive
ly is used in winter. In the side of it to-
ward the sun window is sometimes set.
This is simply a piece Of thick, clear ice,
from lake. The interior walls in severe
weather become coated with frost films
from the breath, condensins and crystaliiz-
ing on the inside of the dome, and often
presenting, by the lampii;sht, a brilliant
show of myriads Of refectin.; surfaces scin-
tillating with greater luster than that of
skilfully-set gems. The lamp. which is the
only source of heat and light, Is a shallow
bowl of soapstone filled with OIL which is
burned by means of a wick of moss. When
spring comes, the hut begins to melt, and
in the course Of a few warm days it caves
in.
Gambling by Both Sexes.
Gambling is carried on among both sexes
to such point that even their own lives
are sometimes staked upon the issue of a
game. Often the winner obtains the wife
or his opponent and holds her uptil some
tempting offer is made for ner return. The
women particularly will risk their last gar
ment at play, and it occasionally happens
that one OF them, who has been lost by her
husband, Will sit down and win herself
back again. These pople are yery fond of
games OF all sorts, particularly foot ball.
IN which even the aged females and tod
ding infants indulge with eagerness. The
ball is made by taking a piece of buckskin
or sealskin and cutting it into a circular
form, then gathering the edges and stuffing
the cavity with dry moss or feathers 1t is
very hSht, and is driven either by a blow
or the foot or by whip with a short
wooden handle. A lusty Eskimo will often
send the ball over a hundred yards through
the AIR with such force as 10 knock a per-
son down.
The little girls play with dolls like civil
1zed children. and build little snow huts.
where they have all their playth and
make believe TO keep house. The only mu-
sical instrument observed among these peo-
PIE was violin of their own manufacture
made in imitation of fiddles which they had
seen used by the whites. This violin was
maze OF birch or spruce, and the strings
We're OF coarse sinew. The bow had a strip
OF whalebone in place of horse hair and
was resined with spruce gum The fiddle
was held across the lap when played Art
IS but slightly developed among these Es-
hIao. iheir weapons and implements are
never adorned with carvings of animals and
other natural objects or with conventional
patterns, as Is the case among the Eskimo
of Alaska
Much of their food is eaten raw. but it is
always cooked when 1t can be conveniently
they will strip and devour the fat and flesh
from the body of a deer while they are vet
quivering. The entrails of many species of
pirds are swallowed when fresh like oysters.
eggs with young birds in them are much
rellshed. The statement often made that
they drink seal and whale oil as food is a
mistake. 1t would make them sick At the
same time they dip lean flesh into oil and
consume oil otherwise with their food If
they go without oil they suffer from torpid
liver and constipation. Reindeer fairly
swarm in certain parts of the country, and
furnish large part of the subsistence of
the people, while the skins are of great use
in protecting them from the severity of the
winter.
Dress Made of Skins.
Their dress is made of the skins Of REIN
deer and seals. The latter are worn during
rainy weather and in the kyak The wo-
men wear mittens of hare or fox skin, but
the skins of these timid creatures are re-
served for the females alone. No man
would disgrace himself by appearing clad
with particle of the fur of the hare or Of
the white fox. Either sex may wear the
skins of all other mammals. except at GER
tain times, under restrictions imposed by
superstition. An important duty of the wo-
men is taking care of the family boots. At
intervals they must be turned inside out
and dried then chewed and scraped by
some old bag. who is only too glad to have
yl- 4
she may receive as pay.
The principal diseases from which .hc peo-
ole suffer are lung troubles chiefly arisin g
from their filthy manner of living in crowd
ed huts. All openings of the dwelling must
be kept closed I'm order to economic the
heat within. for when once chilled it is
difficult to restore the house to the proper
degree of warmth. An Eskimo would al
ways prefer to erect a new hut of snow
rather than pass the night in one which
had been deserted for only few hours
with block of snow. Within the walls
reeking with the civilizations of all sorts of
putrid matters. the occupants breathe and
rebreathe an atmosphere filed with poison
Gus gases. Other prevailing diseases are
those of the blood. such as scurvy Sores
break out on the shoulders. elbows knees
and ankles. The ravages Of these COM
plants proceed at an astonishing rate. The
means of relief employed are those which
the local conjurer is acquainted with
These Eskimo are usually peaceful and
mild tempered. Jealousy arouses the worst
passions. When a person behaves so badly
that the community can no longer tolerate
his presence. he is forbidden to enter the
hut share the food or hold any intercourse
with the rest Nevert helesS. so long as he
threatens nobodv's life. little attention is
paid TO him. Should he he guilty of murder
several men watch their opnortunity TO
SUNRISE him and nut him to death usually
hv stoning. The eXe"rtioners max, no con-
cealment of their action and are Supported
by public ooinipn
In that strange and frieid region every
ni"ht IN the wear is made beautiful hv an
anrorn. eXcept in June. when the sky is
100 lf"ht Auroras are believed tn he torch
os hn'' In the hands Of snirits seeking tho
souls of those who have inst died TO lead
them over the abyss terminating the e1pe
OF the world. A narrow pathway les 1s
across II TO the land of brightness and
plenty where disease and main are no more
and where food of all binds is always
abundant. To this place none but the dead
and the raven can 60 When the sn;r;ts
wish tn communicate with the people OF the
earth they make whistling noise and the
earth reoDle answer in a whispering tome
These Eskimo say that they are able 70
call the aurora and COL verse with II send
ing messages to the dead through the spir-
it's. RENE RACES
Hunting on a Bicycle.
From the Salem (Ore) Independent
James Davis is probably the first person
who ever went deer hunting on bicycle
He was visiting Idanha last week and as