Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-06-09


OF food are common property. and a
whole village win be either hungry or
surieited. az the case may be. Usual |
ly 1t Is the former case as may be
readily imagined The sharing OF game |
is not absolutely impartial. for the |
man who first wounds a seal or wal |
rus has certain choice pnrts Tor his
share. the rest being divided among
those who assisted In It's capture. But
all share With their nelghbors If they
are in need and cases Of death by
starvation occur only in times Of great
general famine and they are rare, for
lhc population is al no Time large
The race is diseased and decadent-
and the walrus and seal are usually
plentiful while the interior OF the
country provides pasture for thous
anls OF domesticatcd reindeer. These
reindeer herds are owned by a special
class OF natives called deer men, who
are usually related 10 some Of the
ueur.by coast natives. and in times OF
famine the decrmen came TO the res
cue of the coast village, ultantimes
feeding a whole village for several
days. without money and without
price.
East Cape village, where we were
campod Is composed of not less than
scyenty-fve iRloos, scattered along a
little shelf about 200 feet above the
narrow sand spit OF beach. and back
ed by The rugged peaks Of East Cape
mountains, fronting directly on Behrs
ing strait
Natiyes from the village crowded
around our tent. clamberIng over the
rocks. singing the weird songs, the
boys throwing rocks at the numerous
sea birds with their slings A group
of youngsters just outside the tent
Hap amused themselves and us by
catching lice from the heads OF one
of their number and-eaying them.
We turned in about 10 O'Clock, with a
soft twilight stnl lighting the heav-
ems. and with natives on all sides.
was awakened in the morning by
the pounding and grinding of the Ice
and the roar OF the surf / looked
from the tent out on an angry bit OF
ocean, covered with floating ice, tossed
mp and down, the pieces rumbling and
crashing as they came together or
strucks on the rocks. driven by the
wind and tide Back OF MS the cliifs
lowered for a thousand feet the lower
shelf bristling with native igloos, from
which many heads were sticking with
eyes that looked down upon us in
curious wonder Hardly had I started
to the little waterfall for water before
number of them came toward us,
and during the rest OF our stay they
were always about us.
Three days we waited there for the
ice to move out and for the natives
who were bringing our camp stuff to
say they were ready. On the morning
of the fourth day they awakened us
early and told us to speed our pack.
ing as the lee was opening, and we
must get away quickly with the high
tide
Not stopping for breakfast, we roll
ed our blankets, struck camp and at
once loaded the boat, as the natives
| had he start of us and were iirst
! ready They followed narrow chan
mel between the blocks of ice, often
stopping TO push the cakes apart at
places where the channel was too
narrow our boat had not 50 wide "A
beam as their skin canoe. and we
readily followed close in their wake,
Once ON the outside OF the ice pack,
which reached but a quarter oil mile.
hey huisted sail and threw MS the end
Of = rope made OF wairus hide for a
low line The rest Of the day We gid
ed along behind them with a fair wind,
under blue sky, using our oars only
TO fend off the few ice cakes which
lay along the way.
From East Cape village to Whalen
is a distance OF about fifteen miles
It is all The way around the East Cape
mountains, and the water off shore Is
Behring Strait proper East Cape ly-
ing at the southern or Behring Sea
side while Whalen at the northern end
marks the boundary OF the Arcdc
ocean The scenery is beautiful in
he eXtreme- PERCEPTIONS cliffs, re
lieyed by small valleys dashng wa
terfalls over shelving rocks, detached
rocks standing out from the shore,
then sheer precipice again unit, the
next corner was passed and We would
| view quarter of mile of narrow
beach The niomede Islands, midway
in the channel between the Siberian
coast and the American side, were in
sight most OF the day but were lost
when Whalen was approached.
No where ON the American coast
have ! seen shore line that so much
resembles the fiords and cliffs Of Nor
way as do these East Cape mountains
ON Behring Strait They suffer from
the comparison. however as Norway
| ellis are more imposing.
About noon We sighted a small
schooner anchored close in shore and
The nauyes' tackpi alongside We
found the owners 10 be nlia0s from
the American side ON q trading eNpe-
,litIou ON their own account for the 81.
hcrian deer skins
How many are abonrle' ! asked.
Five men and three ladies'" was
The answer from the indian ON deck,
who wore standlup collar with red
flannel undershIrt, and spoke fair En-
glish
"NEhuffe 1.ott- gcitnnu.r-fg nsp,o au I