Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-12-06
ESKIMO Issll. AND HIS LAMP.
HIS LIFE DEPENDS UPON 1T DURING
THE LONG WINTER.

The Lamp Ia Very Primitive, but Win
IT the Eskimo Mclts Ice, Thnws and
Cooks His Food and Warns and
| Lights His Hut-"An Inhabited OyeE."
An Eskimo's best possession is his
lamp. On it his very life depends
| during the long dim winter, when the
borealis fiickers aud the Great Bear
shiyers above the snow, hut With it
he melts ice, thaws and cooks his
food, dries the soaked skins and warns
and lights the low room of his igloo.
Thus, to the lamps single use in
southern countries, the dweller OF the
far north adds that OF the fireplace
and of the cooking stove. 1t must
be wonderful lamp that is SO use.
full. lut it can hardly be called
strange under the light OF invention,
for the Eskimo lamp is the most
primitive known. In the case of the
Aleutian islanders it is simply saucer
shaped stone. This fact may astonish
those accustomed to see the chimney,
burner and safety top of our kerosene
yesyeI, but there are many more sur
prising things to be told about this
lamp of the Eskimo.
The Plan of the Eskimo lamp seems
simple enough, but it shows how
necessity forces people to make needed
inventions. Imagine o shallow lake
OF seal oil, one end of which is much
longer than the othor; along this shore
n thin trail of moss. made inHammnble
with fat, laid so that the oil barely
washes the line of dry plant. A spark
is applied to one end OF this wick ind
runs along, springing into o clear,
bright flame, which gives little smoke.
Change this image to q similar one
of big dish-like stone in an igloo,
and you see an Eskimo lamp.
With respect to use the Eskimos
have three kinds of lamps; they are
called the house lamp, travellers and
mortuary lamp. AS with ell races at
some time, the funeral lamp is placed
in or be-ide the grave religious
rite. The travellers, or summer lamp,
is quite serviceable, but to no such
degree as the big house lamp. When
caught in u great snow storm the
Eskimo lights this and places it next
to the body, beneath his blouse. 1t
enables him to 60 in quest of food,
through great snowfalls when the food
and oil are almost gone. 1t has its
most typical uses.
Proceeding on the plan that a slab
of stone, roll of moss and chunk OF
blubber are oil sufficient for his pur-
pose, the Eskimo. manufactures
lamp that serves his wants COM
pletely. Soapstone is the best ma.
terial for lamps, and since it is very
scarce extraordinary journeys, lasting
several years, are made in search it.
The stone is Clipped and scraped till
it. resembles clam shell in shape,
this being the type most useful be-
cause it gives the longest wick edge.
Especially among the northernmost
Eskimo lamps have wick edge three
feet long. When several of these are
burning in an igloo, to their blaze
the icy walls send reflections and the
dark at least is kept at bay. The
cold is prohibited sufficiently, for the
Eskimo does not desire to high
temperature in his home-say 80 de-
grees within q foot or two of the fire.
in art this lamp is prime neces-
si!y. Most important is the bending
of wood for snow shoes, bows and
sledge runners, whichis accomplished
by dipping the wood into water and
steaming over the lamp. Ivory and
bone are also curved by its heat, and
skins are dried over it in tanning.
But the Eskimos do not stop with
these uses. They have their lamps to
thank for the stone like harde dening of
a cement of blood, clay and hair. This
cementjhoIds broken pots and lamps
together securely, rs specimens attest.
Lampfre is not alone known to the
Eskimoan. In places where fuel can
be obtained blaze is made in the
centre cs the tent in summer, but
even where peat and some wood are
found the lamp is kept. The Eski-
mos cling 10 the stone oil burner,
which hos place in every household.
One writer likens an Eskimo igloo to
| an inhabited oven-tGe lamp on its
supports, above it the cooking pot
and still higher the drying rack sus-
| pended from the ceiling, on which wet
clothing is placed. The heated mir
rises and in turn envelopes each
article.
It seems strange that the hut is not
filed with smoke and SCOT, but, &C
cording 10 explorers, such is not the
cdse. The bright, steady flame, they
explain, is produced by using none
but finely rolled moss and having it
arranged carefully along the wick
edge. Even then the moss would
char and cause the fame to grow dull,
but this is remedied. The wick is
trimmed away regularly. Lamp trim
ming is best done by the old women
OF the tribe, who alone reach perfec-
tion in that art. They can so skill
fully cut away the burnt refuse that
the steady flame will continue for sew
eral hours. This time is none too
long, for the lamp is used night and
day.
eAny fat does for burning, but seal
oil is preferred. This is almost wholly
employed because the small quantities
| of fat taken from the reindeer are in
sufficient for the long darkness. The
lamps eat voraciously, and the peo-
pie often have to be very careful lest
their oil runs low when it is inpossi-
BILE to catch seals.
One always thinks of the Sahara
whom thirst is mentioned, though it
would be just ss reasonable to turn
ones thoughts to the far north, where
water for long periods is only got by
the aid of lamps. The Eskimo drinks
| astounding quantities of water, pro-
cured by melting ice or snow. Some