Evening star., 1900-07-07

dependent on oil for fuel. For the same
| reason this house is considerably different
| from that of the Eskimo in the central con-
tinental regions. There the familiar dome
| shaped snow house Is common we'll in
| Greenland. and this house is a triumph of
Eskimo skill. Blocks of snow of oblong
shape are cut out of a convenient bank with
| a steel or an ivory snow knife the ex-
cavation thus begun forming the beginning
| of the room
| The blocks are laid around in a circle. the
| first one being beveled down toward the
starting point, so that when the circle of
snow blocks arrives a. this place they rise
| upon the incline of the first block without
| break and thus spirally approach the CEN
| ter overhead. where a key block is finally
| inserted to hold all firm. and completing the
| dome-the only dome or arch used on this
continent before the coming OF the whites
| When there is light these houses do not
need windows. the snow itself is trans
| lucent. but windows of clear fresh-water ice
| are usually added; while at night and
| through the long winter darkness both light
and heat are obtained from another clever
| invention of these extraordinary people a
| lamp. and they are the only people on this
continent who used an aid of this kind.
Necessity In this case in many others
| was the mother of invention for without
the lamp the Eskimo in the more barren
| portions OF the snow land would have per
| ished. With 1t, however. and with his snow
| iglu, called iglueak. he defies the elements
and offers about the best illustration in ali
| the world of the ability of man to adapt
himself to his envorinment Where the Es-
kimo can avoid it. he does not build the
lgiugeak, but In some regions he has small
choice. and especially when on hunting ex-
petitions Is 1t necessity. Two men will
construct very good iglugeak. which will
shelter them on the coolest night in two or
three hours.
Valuable Dog Teams.
Near all the permanent houses a frame
structure Is usually erected for the storage
ha haa +Eo1o
| of the dogs. Last winter dogs were in such
demand at Dawson for the purpose of
reaching Cape Nome at an early date that
IN some cases they sold for as much as
S4OO apiece. Fine dogs of the collie breed
nave been sent up to Alaska from the
ohl,ea states and have been found to be
admirably adapted to the work One collie
In team of Eskimo dogs is of great value
as he is able to keep them In order.
The Cape Nome and other Alaska Es-
kimos do not as a rule ride on the sledges.
but in the central regions of the continent
the driver usually sits on the load and
urges his team forward from that posi-
ton. Variations OF this kind are due like
the changes and the style of the houses, to
local conditions. An abundance Of wood
and miider climate. for example. would
probably soon completely do away with the
lamp. In form this utensil is somewhat
like the half of large shallow saucer and
Is made generally of soapstone, though It
is sometimes Of burned clay.
Oil for the Lamp.
The wick is simply bunch Of dry moss.
and the oil is that obtained from the blub-
ber Of the seal and walrus. In winter
the freezing breaks the vessicles of OIL so
that the fluid is easily extracted, but in
| summer the blubber is chewed and the
chewer spits the oil from time to time into
a receptacle provided. 1t was this practice.
misunderstood by early travellers. which
gave rise to the reports of enormous con-
sumption of oil by these northern people.
1t is now claimed that they eat little more
fat and oil than other races, though their
diet is chiefly meat the year round. They
are extremely fond of wheat bread ani
hardtack, and present Of these products
of our kitchens is received with the same
relish and eagerness that youngsters
bestow on the daintiest sweet cakes or
bon-bons. 1t must certainly be great
relief after long and steady diet of seal.
When the warmer days Of spring arrive
both the snow and the earth iglu grow