The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-10-20
Savage


Globe-Democrat: Mr.. Harry &c Wlndt
has just reached London on his return
from the Siberian shores of Behring
straits.
To a reporter who called upon him on
his arrival, Mr.. de Windt gave the fol,
lowing additional information regard
ing the Tchuktcnis people:
The Inhabitants of the Alaskan or
American shore of Behring straits"
said the explorer, are totally different
In appearance, customs and language
from those on the Asiatic coast. The
former are honest and kindly&the lat
ter the lowest types of humanity | have
ever met. The Tchuktchis of Siberian
natives are physically a ar finer race
than the Alaskan Esquimau. Their
women, too, are better looking. but the
Tchuktchls are wholly. devoid of moral
ity, and will barter a 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
Dante's Inferno. Every breath Of air
was excluded, and two or three smoky
seal oil lamps (for heat revealed scenes
too terrible to describe.
THE Tchuktchi ONE never drink,
puE DIS Inc NdSllSnC STdQuAliy lEll us,
the drunken orgies of the men grew
more frequent. Although Koari (the
chief had received torres valued at $500
TO put US on Dur way to Anadyisk, en-
route for ST. Petersburg, ali our stores
We're seized and buried four days after
our arrival, and we lived like the ma
tives. although they occasionally fed
from our supplies.
20 .1-l 49, : - -
about 5000, and along Rehring straits
are seven settlements of h 500
each. The others are scattered along the
seaboard of the Arctic ocean. stretch
ing away to the settlement of Mini
Kolymsk. The Tchugtchis are nomi-
nally Russian subjects, but thew ac-
| knowledge no government and nav no
taxes. None OF them had ever heard OF
the ear.
"Oumwaidi;k is certainly the most
desolate SPOT in creation. There Is not a
tree or blade of grass for AGO miles in
lund-nothing but swamp and rock.
The natives there die weekly OF starva-
! tion and srurvv and when saw foe r
often did the po1rer wretches davo,r-
ing raw saawaad 7 cna sod f., wonder az
their Indifference TO death
.'The most wiar9 ana ,,,-
Tch1Iktchi ceremony ia +ha Komi+ok ,
This is sin,nlv nntfino 70 aaa+h fu,i+b
thai, free consan+l nf aaad or usa1asa
members Of the community When a
T,chuk+rhi'S noU-ars have dacraaead RI
an annracleb1a ex+art a far,fIv conn
Gil is held and a dav nxed FOR tho viz.
fins danarture for another world Per
hans he most curious faa+,ra of tbe
whole affair &c +ha ,ndiffara,ca ehov.,
bv the doomed one VIII axes q uva,v
| interest in the n~rncaedinee ana nftan
assists in the nrenara+ions For his ou,n
death 'rhe exacutinn ie nrocaaaa NV a
| feas+ u,hara coz, an5 r,alr,,. ,,a,+ ~
eraediIv devo,,rad ana y,;naina,,r lit.
XIV consumed mill oil tho ,,an .ra ~
+Hxicatoa
"The executioner is compelled to keen
sober (under heavy penalties) until after
the inala act of the drama. At sunset a
spontaneous burst OF wailing and n roll
Of walrus hide drums herald the fatal
moment. A ring is formed by the rela-
tives and friends. and the condemned
/ one souats, OF his own accord. in rhe
center. the entire settlement looking on
in tho background The avecr+io,or
then steps quickly forward and slowly
strangles his victim to death with a
walrus thong. This 'Klamitok' is never
applied to women. It's 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 I witnessed was as interested as
anybody in the preparations for his
own death. l 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 2. very bazv ;da.
| of a future state, Nothing will ind,,co
! them to discuss religion T Liz
tied their belief that If a man dies a 1-io
! lent death namely, is killed)' he poas
straight to a better land, where whales
and walrus abound, but If he dies :, NAT.
ural death he lives no more. Hence the
Indifference of the aged to being stran-
gled.