New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-08
Hg,bale Dance Of the Koryaks.

II the white whale or the beluga. the smallest
Of the whales, had a sense Of humor. he would
probably see the humorous as well as the tragic
side TO the whale feast Of the Koryaks OF North
eastern Siberia This festival OF course, carried
on with all sincerity, reminds one OF the French
mans description OF the American cocktail
First zay put in whskey 10 make it strong
zen gay put in water to make il weak Zen gay
put In lemon 10 make it sour and zen gay put IN
sugar to make it sweet Zen gay Here's 10
you and gay drink it zemselves." The idea Of
capturing a whale. cutting its lie. d of. eatir
the flesh OF the body. entertaining the head as
guest setting before It a supply OF food and
then putting It adrift again with the expecta-
ton that It viii return to its former comrades
and urge them to also visit its hosts and be en-
tertained IN the same royal manner, certainly
has its humorous side. Like the man who says
Here's to YOU" and drinks It himself. the fun
Is all the hosts side.
The observance Of the feast was seen for the
FIRST time by white man. WaIdemar Jochelson.
the Russian scientist and explorer. who has
been conducting explorations in that part OF
Siberia for two years at the head OF the JesuI
Siberian Expedition, and IT is described in
print for the first time.
Santa Claus must have learned the knack OF
entering the house by the chimney from the
Koryaks. for that is the way these people enter
their homes. Their dOmciles. which are strung
along the shores of the Behring and Okhotsk
seas and Of the bays OF Gishiga and Penshna
in scattered villages. are shaped like hour
glasses and are partly underground The SEN
sation Of entering one OF these homes could not
have been altogether pleasant to Santa Claus.
assuming that he visited this isolated part Of
the world IN the Arctic region. The structure
is built OF drift logs gathered on the beach.
Only when the snow is level with the platform
surrounding the funnel leading down to the
neck OF the hourglass is II possible TO enter
without first climbing up greasy split log
In which small holes have been cut for the
accommodation of the toes. These improvised
ladders almost difficult OF navigation
for the relatively large footed white man as is
the ladder Of fame. They were designed for the
small footed Asiatics who use them. without re-
gard TO the possible visitor from another por-
hon of the globe. Crossing the platform.
which the double purpose OF preventing
the snow from drifting tho entrance and
chimney and OF a storage place for household
supplies Of all kinds the genial old saint would
have found himself face to face with another
OF those rail-like ladders descending into the
funnel Smoke rises from the houses crater
ike the vapor from lazy volcano. Dangling
over the roof from pole raised high is the
frozen body of a dead dog to keep away evil
spirits and maladies. Graspng the greasy
sooty pole he would half slide. half lower his
jolly. rotund form and his packages down the
octagonal funnel OF logs into the smoke.
moment Of grimy sliding and he would be
through the two by-three neck OF the hour
glass house, and find himself his gray beard
and locks and ermine trimmed coat sadly soiled
An the midst OF circular apartment fifteen feet
high and thirty feet in diameter, built of logs
and grimy with SCOT and smoke that it
Il almost impossible to the booths lining
the walls In which the thirty forty occupants
Of the place are snoring Here, ten feet below
the ground. about the hearth. on which copper
kettle is simmering. the whale feast will be
celebrated in the fall
AS the diet Of the Koryak is limited TO fish,
hah-cooked seal and whale flesh with Russian
kK1ck tea as an occasional luxury the taking