New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-14
AMONG THE ESQUlMAUS.
Inhabitants of arctic Regions Haze
Methods of Their OzCn.

q correct description of the domestic habits Of
this Far Northern race. Animal flesh, whether
fish or reindeer is seldom roasted or cooked by
them in any way the custom being TO eat II as
it is cut from the carcass. There Is apparently
limit to the amount OF flesh that an EsquI-
mau eat the feasts terminating only with
the disappearance of everything that can be
eaten. The outer layer Of fat which is found
on most Arctic animals is separated from the
skin and is cut into long strips. So prepared
it is swallowed by the Esquimau without mas
tication of any kind It is simply lowered down
the throat, as one would lower rope down
well. The case is recorded of Esquimau
woman who was present at great feast when
a whale had been captured. In her ambition
she is said to have overestimated her eating
capacity and filed herself until she became tor
pid. The Esqutnaus, sUpposing her TO be dead,
carried her out and buried her in the snow.
day or so afterward she kicked off the snow
which covered her and rejoined her astOnshed
companions.
Like many of the Indian tribes further south.
the Esquilnaus have two residences, one for the
winter and one for the summer months, the
winter residence being termed q igloo and the
summer house a topiek The topeb is made of
tanned seal or reindeer skins, neatly sewed
together, supported by poles. if poles are to be
had. and, if not by driftwood spliced together,
The topfeI1 of the Esquinau is very similar to
the tepee Of the North American Indian, but as
the Esquimau has no fire the opening in the
TOP is not required. In order to keep the topeik
waterproof the skins are dressed in their natu-
raj oil. with the result that the odor inside is
almost intolerabe 10 one unaccustomed to IL The
fgIoo is built entirely of snow and ice. In the
spring it is abandoned as with the advent OF
mild weather it begins to drip and becomes IN
fnhabitabIe The approach to the igloo in which
the natives spend the winter is through a series
of dor1es built similarly of ice and snow. II Is
circular in form. about twelve feet in diameter
and eight feet high. The floor is OF haroeileu
snow. with furs spread over it to prevent its
thawing Light is admitted through sheet Oh
ice in the roof which gives a soft, luminous
glo7- Above the window a small opening serves
the purpose Of ventilation. This hole has a
tendency 10 enlargen- nj, owing to the passage
of warm air. and has TO be constantly patched
on this account occasionally in the spring the
snow becomes soft and the igloo caves IN be
fore the people have moved out The natives
show much skill in the production of such uten-
sis as are used by them, and even the tnge'
nuiry of the vvorknen Of civilized lands cannot
produce from the material at hand, any
superior for the purpose. The heavy seal lilohs
used in capturing the walrus is declared 10 DC
emit
the fipner of the seal only is used When
seal is captured for this purpose the SKIN Is
drawn off entire and is not severed from the
as,, Will, = knife. as is usually the case. The
hide is then placed in water, where 1t Is al
lowed II remain for several days, and then
rat,A7 ont and the flesh and hair are removed.
The white inner skin of the seal is then cut into
. long line. single skin often producing line
four hundred feet long. This line, which is only
+rreA-eigbths of an inch in diameter, is equal IN
strength TO a manila rope three inches thick
The thread used by the Esquimau is made
from the sinews of the reindeer. The best IS
that obtained from the spine, when Is always
used for this purpose, as it Is by the INDIANS u
the more civilized Northwest The slneW Is HTsl
dried and then rubbed until it becomes soft it
is then frayed into fbres, In which condition II
il rsed as thread An Esquimau woman can
n-oduce from IS TO 100 yards of thread day.
Large quantities of this thread are required IN
making Esquimau canoes or KAYAKS: Ihese
KAYAKS consist of a framework OF drlftWood.
neatly dashed together. and this is covered win
reindeer or seal skins drawn tight ana se"eC
together with the fibre: the seams pelng Indue
with double thickness. are perfectly WaJerughI-
When the skin Of a kayak dries Il becomes
exceedingly hard and tight as d drum. Inc
f74U size KAYAK is about 20 feet long, feet wide
and Is inches deep. The top is covered over
except where the paddler sits so that even IN
the toughest weather II can be used Win per
fact
crude vessel the Esqutmau manages 10 TaVeI
faster than any other native Of North America
in home made canoe. In the dead of winter
a rate Of eight miles an hour Is attained, Whlch
fs r7I7ch faster than attained by any other ca
noeist four miles an hour being considered d
"a MD rate among North American Indians IN
addition 10 the kayak the Esquinlau uses the
oor7faL a large freight boat. II is similar to
The KAYAK. but is wider, deeper and longer and
is built with open top From thirty TO forty
people are often carried in the oomlak
In the long winter months the konitk.
long sled drawn by Esquinlau dogs, IS the only
-oasrs of transportation. It is from twelve 10
-fv-een feet long and consists Of two parallel
runners on which dashed crosspleces OF
wood The runners are usually Slod with nluo'
which is put on soft and allowed 70 freeze, Wheh
# becomes as hard as stone. water Is I!4eH
thrown over the mud, which gives an ice sur
faca on the bottom of the runner and reduces
the friction TO q minimum. To guide the dogs
- ,,7rF there are from five to fifteen, the driver
is nrovided with long whip, which he uses
Ir,i-7 GREAT dexterity. The handle of the whip
f- 7-a, short but the lash is % or 30 feet IonS.
The driver becomes so expert with the whip IhaL
he can strike any dog any portion or It's oody
without getting from the sled An article Whlch
is Indispensable to the traveller VINO Vlsits Tue
T7e-,,ir7a7I IN their native haunts is the sleep
ing bag The shinigbee, as 1t is called, Is maze
of deerskins, the inner portion being Ined win
eor,a soft F1Ir The traveller who Is provided
r,-i+t O. sIaeDing bag makes provision for pro-
4action during the night; he crawls into the
opening and buttons 1t up on the Wlno"arq slqe,
and then sleeps comfortably, even though the
thermometer is 90 or 20 degrees below zero.
The animal on which the Esqulmau depends
chiefly for food Is not the seal as is commonly
supposed but the reindeer. In some portions
of the North the seal is an important factor IN
The food line but il is not the CHIEF one. IN
addition to the difficulty account Of the scar
ritv of firearms in those regions the hunter has
to seek his prey on the open plain. The skill
oF The deer hunter Of the Far North is seen
vnen ne gets close enough 10 d deer 70 STAY II
with bow and arrow. At times an effort IS
made 10 drive d herd toward concealed DOW
r7s, who shoots them down they pass.
when great herds are met with, as occasionally
occurs the hunter is able to select his deer and
I'm as many as he likes with spear. The deer,
when travelling in large numbers. become devoid