The Monticellonian., 1905-11-09

occasional northern expedition brings to the outside world some scant knowl- edge of this stalwart people people sufficient unto themselves. \ writer in the New York Times says: As their land has apparently neither gold nor coal it will not be worth the while of Russians or other civilized peoples to invade their land and destroy them.
 They are a prolific people, number today about 12,000. The Chukchees are strong and courageous. and they have convinced the Great Bear of this fact. The Russians endeavored to test their courage in the years 1130 and 1f4i. and both times were defeated. At last. in 1764 they abandoned Anadrysk. the furthest northeast fort. Some time later intercourse was renewed between Russians and Chukchees, and since ef- fort has been made by the ezars not to offend the people way up there at the edge of the world.
 The Chnkehees' language is akin 70 the speech of the Mongolians, but they differ from them in form and feature. l color; the hair is waVy sometimes tightly curled, not like that of their Eskimo neighbors. They are inclined to be stocky and have great powers of endurance.
 Aq in l1apland, he people may be classed as coast people and reindeer people. The reindeer people are stur- of to 10 coast and mingle with their kinsfolk. bringing deer and skins to barter for goods obtainable there-fish. seal. meat. tobacco and tea and whatever else the foreigners have brought in.
 The Chukchees are very independ- ent. self-sufficing people who do not take over words or customs from other races. such as the Eskimo. whom they find here and there along Behring straits. or the Kamtchatkans, whom tkey touch on the south or even the Russians who have settled as traders in certain spots. or the Americans whom they meet on the coast They fabricate their own words for foreign CTS and foreign things. The Russians they call Malhi-Tannitan. "firetools foreigners. or else Leluremkin "bearded people. The American whalers they call Lelutvilit. "whisker boat men, from Lelutvet. ''whisker boa as if the long whiskers of our whaling captains had impressed them l foreibly Another term is Pnaukulit or file mongers." from Pnaukum. whet- stone. probably because iron files were traded by the Americans for skins. but their language knew only the stone which the iron article supplanted. 1 Only fourth of the Chukchees dwell i on the coast. and they have a pretty 1 hard fight for subsistence. suffering | from famine diseases brought by sail ors and the dangers attendant on a l fisherman's life. The reindeer Chuk- chees are a healthy race. have been little affected by foreign influence 1 Within Chukchae territory reside a few Russians. Lamuts and Yakuts the Lamuts are people of northern l Kamtcha la. the Yakuts picturesque folk inhabiting a wide territory 1T northeastern Siberia.
 The Chukchees have peculiar GUS toms. games and sports. and these arc described in a book that is now in the publishers hands work by Rus sian. Pan Waldemar Bogorus. Fol seven years Bogorus dwelt among the Chukchees on the River Kolyma whose waters empty into the Arcji, ocean: and spent two years more il Kamchatka, Anadyr. and the Chukche, peninsula. The record of personal ex periences among this little known peo pie will be of greatest interest
 ALFRED WHITEHOUSE