The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-10-21
eayane Eu,h.n.aia.

. straits.
To a reporter who called upon him or
his arrival. MIR. de Windt gave the fol,
lowing additional information regard.
2 ing the Tchuktchis people:
The inhabitants of the Alaskan OF
American shore of Bshring straits, Il
said the explorer. are totally different
IN appearance, customs and language
from those on the Asiatic coast. The
former are honest and kindlyAt the lat
ter the lowest types OF humanity l hav
ever met. The Tchuktchis of Siberian
natives are physically Il far finer race
than the Alaskan Esquinau. Their
women. too. are better looking, but the
Ichuktchis are wholly devoid OF moral
lty, and will barter ii wife for a hand
full of tobacco. Infidelity is no crime.
AT night time the interior Of their huts
was highly suggestive of scenes from
Dantes Inferno. Every breath Of air
was excluded. and two or three smoky
seal OIL lamps Qor heat revealed scenes
too terrible to describe.
"Ihe women never drink.
but as the daylight gradually left us,
the orgies of the men grew
more frequent. Although Koarl uhe
chlef) had received stores valued at $500
TO put us on our way to Anadyisk. en-
route for st. Petersburg, all our stores
We're seized and buried four days after
our arrival, and We lived k the ma
lives. although they occasionally fed
from our supplies.
Inc ichuktchis number altogether
ABOUT o.Wo, and along Behring straits
are seven settlements of perhaps 300
each. The others are scattered along the
seaboard of the Arctic ocean, stretch
j Ing AWAY 10 tho Sat{1a,,nr+ 80 NJ;t.t
holymsk. The Tchugtchis are nom!-
nally Russian subjects, but they ac-
knowledge no government and pay no
taxes. None of them had ever heard OF
the ear.
"ouinwaidjik is certainly the most
deso!ate spot in creation. Their is not a
tree or blade of grass for 400 miles in
i~and-nothing but swamp and rock.
Tne natives there die weekly of starva-
o and scurvy and when saw (as Z
often did the poorer wretches devour-
ing raw seaweed. L ceased to wonder at
their Indifference to death.
The most wierd and Interesting
Tchuktcai ceremony is the 'Kamitok.'
This is simply putting to death with
their free consenD of aged or useless
members of the community. When a
Tchuktchfs powers have decreased to
an appreciable extent. a family coun-
Gil is held and a day fixed for the vic
TINS departure for another world. Per-
haps the most curious feature of the
whole affair Is the Indifference shown
by the doomed one who takes a lively
interest in the proceedings, and often
assists i'm the preparations for his own
death. The execution is preceded by a
feast, where seal and walrus meat are
grecdily devoured and villainous whis-
ky consumed until all the men are in
toxicated.
The eXecutioner is compelled to keep
sober Gunder heavy penalties) until after
the final act of the drama. AT sunset a
spontaneous burst of wailing and a roll
of walrus hid drums herald the fatal
moment. A ring is formed by the reia-
tives and friends. and the condemned
n squats. of his own accord, In the
center, the entire settlement looking on
in the background. The executioner
then steps quickly forward and slowly
strangles his victim to death with a
walrus thong. This 'Klamitok' is never
applied to women. Its ancient origin
is probably due to the barren nature of
the land, where every mouthful of food
Is precious. An old man whose strangu-
lation l witnessed was as Interested as
~.AS o0NJ NAA( - AASli " IlIS
own death. 1 was speaking to him on
the shore about it a few days before the
ceremony. He did not seem detected.
but merely remarked In English, Me
die Monday He even set out the whis-
ky barrels and prepared the walrus
thong for his execution. He was rem
dered ~insensible with drink before be-
ing dispatched. but the operation took
fully ten minutes before he was quite
dead.
These people have a very hazy idea
of a future state. Nothing will induce
them to discuss religion, although 1 clio
Tied their belief that if a mar dies a VIC
len death (namely, is kined)' he goes
straight to a better land. where whales
and walrus abound. but if he dies a nat
ural death he lives no more. Hence the
Indifference of the aged to being stran-
gled.
The Tchuktchis have one mueical IN
stru1nent. 1t is a tambourine. made Of
fish skin, beaten with a seal bone. The
women are fond Of dancing burning
slowly round and round on the same
and singing, which consists of q
series of owls and walls, alternating
with loud shrieks.
"An Interesting island we visited near
odi aAAJA 40 I'm AiAIAC mig > Sldilu, -
which consists of a tiny rock about half
mile in diameter, in the 1ood sweeping
through Behring straits. Here, cling
Ing like swallows nests to the rugged
sides. are the hut of the Kings Island
ers-renowned boatlnen and walrus
hunters. The island produces nothing,
ever a blade Of grass OF morsel Of
moss. and here the violence Of the wind
IS so great that the summit of the island
cannot be used as a place OF residence.
These people are entirely dependent on
walrus for their winters keep, for they
are forty miles from the nearest land,
Ind ice bound eight months Of the year.
Seven years ago a whaler left the popu-
ation of under 100 six barrels Of fiery
In exchange for walrus tusks.
The following summer every human be-
.ng on the island was found dead from
starvation. They a got drunk dis
the walrus hunting and
slowly to death the following
Not a sou survived, but the
is now repopulated by Esqui-
from the mainland Of Alaska"
VI,u G,,onaco " NXyn- ..- In