Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-23
AN INTERESTING RACE.
Capt. Peter bloomsbury Tells of His
Experience among the Esquimaux.


operation of the International Navi-,
cation Go. IS boats on the Yukon River,
told an interesting story. few days
ago, before his departure for Alaska.
He spent the greater part OF last
summer in Alaska and on his return
brought with him many interesting
specimens, including walrus tusk,
three feet long, a section Of a mastodon's
tusk five inches in diameter, seal skins,
Indian and Esquimau wearing APP
parel, belts, beads and many other
articles. The mastodon's tusk from
which the section was taken was. he
believes, about nine feet long and was
embedded in the ice when found, and
the person who found it was of the
impression that il was from an animal
which persisted in the ice centuries
| ago.
Capt. Bloomsbury had his camera
with him and photographed many
things of interest, including several
Esquimaux and a number of their huts.
He also made study of tho habits
and customs Of the Esquimau and tells
very interesting story as result of
his observations.
"As a race, . he said, the Esquimaux
are a peaceful, honest people, though
extremely ignorant, living quietly
| without ambition and without malice.
They marry young and the families
| intermingle, Mt times living in the
same hut. These huts are for the most
part either dug out in the ground,
| covered with mud and moss. or are
built at the side of hill. Some OF tho
more fortunate owners of these
huts have six-paned glass windows in
one or two sides, but the majority have
windows of more crude material. Within
the hut is but one room and the in
| habitants sleep on beds of twigs. They
roll themselves in their furs and their
rest is both peaceful and sound.
''Dried salmon is the staple article
of diet on St. Michaels, and for that
matter on all of the islands. Inland
they have the hunting. As in all I'm
civilized tribes the women are the
workers among the Esquimaux. 1t is
they who build the huts and it is they
who dry the salmon. 1t is also they
who row the boats.
Some little cooking is also done OF
late in the north. With the advent
OF strangers, the natives have learned
The use of flour, but as yet the only
article of food they prepare therefor
is u peculiar kind of pancake. very
tough and tasteless.
IAN innate honesty is characteristic
of these people and the stranger neeC
use no caution in leaving his belong
ings within their charge. The greatest
respect for the property of others /:
theirs. BY nature they are also hos
pitable, but the i'll treatment which
they have received at the hands of tn,
whites has resulted in lessening thi
trait and has also made them thor
oughly wary and suspicious. The,
know not the value of money. and the.
{ will not accept gold in exchange 70
/ their commodities.
/ Sin stature these people are betweel
the Chinese and japanese, and are jus
4 "a triiio whittier than our Indians The
t are of deeply religious nature an,
> when once professed Christians the
: remain staunch.
: lone of their peculiar customs is tn
s marking of their married women. Whe
n maiden weds she is immediatel
4 tattooed with wide black mark dow
each side of her chin to designate he
from her unmarried sisters.
s NOW for the costuming of thi
L strange people. In this the men an
Il women are very much alike. A gov
>. of heavy calico serves the latter durin
a the summer, but as the winter nc
v vances, like the men she dons fur
a These consist for both of fur trouse
! reaching a little below the knee, f,
II caps OF hoods, and heavy fur 'sac
e garment with sleeves. This reaches
far as the trousers and the feet az
"a lower limbs are protected by peculi;
II moccasin affairs termed by the weare
III mucklucks.
Il 1.-The peculiar characteristic of 8
l. Esquimau mothers attire is the pr
~ vision made in her sack garment
J. the accommodation of her babe. III
al child is strapped to the mothers bat
MS by wide band of fur or some 9th
4 stout material and then the latter
b. outer garment is adjusted. 1t is amp
~ large to accommodate both and d
or neck is always made sufficiently VI
Mt luminous to permit the child to dra
rs its head back and forth. When it /
CO comes cold the little one will draw
81 head within the gown and curl Gle
n. to its parents body, the warmth fro
nd which keeps il comfortable.
1.-THE language of the natives on
,at Michaels is u peculiar babble, contai
IN ing much OF the Russian. The Fl
er dance houses OF the north were by
means erected by the whites; aim
,, every native settlement has one.
consists of hole dug in the earth a
furnished with roof. No light is {
%, mitted to it, and the only illuminate
co is by great fire in the center wher
ny dance is in progress. The dance i
religious ceremony, but not much
~ ~ known OF its significance. The parti
i iLa pants jump about the fire, keeping ii
ny to the noise of peculiar instrume
80 a near approach to our drum, and
i.O they tire enc by one, they rcpose
u sleep on shelves ranged about the roc
NJ, NJ "The Esquimaux have pecul
ny mode of disposing OF their dead.
ls closed in frail boxes of every make Q
1ur material the dead are simply deposi
Nv, aso one after another in heaps and pill
'SS- The boxes are simply secured fir
~ ~ beasts, that is all. With the bodies
vi, deposited many OF the belongings
on the deceased, such as clothes, WOO
~ eating bowls and the like. This
20 20 done to guard against contingent
u 10. in the spirit land. The boxes rem
ee unsecured in order that the spirit Il
seu visit his home occasionally il he i:
'sss minded From the peculiar north
s t atmosphere and the cold, bodies
10, iol compose without the slightest otfens
ny odor and it is in no wise uncommon
pus stumble over skull skeleton {
Ut part of skeleton Since the adv
=, of soldiers and strangers the north
wi natives are compelled to carry IL
anu anu deceased friends slightly farther a,
oiy into the woods to dispose of them. "
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