Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-04-07

lOu c luuCDlCu W IcCcutly lClui
ed explorers from Eskimo land north
of Kotzebue Sound, Alaska, for infor.
nation in this article.
A whole winter spent near the vii
lagos of these curious people afforded
an intimacy in regard to their regular
bill of fare which in some respects Is
new to us. 1t is hardly consistent
with the truth, however, to mention
table fare" in this connection, since
tables there are none. Each person
eats from his hands, nor are finger
bowls to be mentioned, for use either
before or after meals. There are cir
cumstances incident to meal time In
an Eskimo igloo which, to refined
stranger. are surprising. The process
of mastication is carried on with
faithful observance to gastric de
mands, and in utter oblivion to the
presence of others than the perform.
err. The teeth of the men and children
are good. while those of the women
are notably poor. This last is on &C.
count of the constant chewing of
ohiho anu oihCW 10 hSSSoooiJ
for the proper softness of clothing
The chewing MILL must operate all
day long, and all the long years of an
Eskimo woman's life.
Salmon is the staff of life to the
Eskimo. In the absence of cereals of
any sort, it is corn and wheat. Dur
ing the three or four months of sum-
mer time the fish are caught in nets
and harvested. Long lines of raw
hide are stretched between trees or
poles, upon which the fish are hung
to cure. When dried, this harvest is
placed on high scaffold by the side
of the igloo, or native house, out of
reach of dogs and other animals. This
scaffold, always to be seen with its
accompanying igloo, is the cellar, pan
try, kitchen cupboard and preserve
closet of the family. 1t is also the re-
frigerator. Perfectly cured salmon
is not food to be despised by anyone.
The natives strip off piece, as sailed
Goldfish is stripped by any Yankee,
and hold it over the lamp or fire.
When the skin begins to crack and
wrthe, the fish is done" This heat
ing liberates the oil and improves the
taste. 1t is then bitten off in small
pieces and chewed for long time.
When Food Supply Is Short.
The Eskimo are sometimes neglect
full in harvest, and their supply Of
food runs short. They then resort to
decayed fish, which has died on the
river banks after spawning in the
fall. During the winter they go to
these wholesale slaughter houses and
igloos. This food, eaten often with
rancid seal oil, SO infests with its Of
fensive odors the persons and houses
and vicinities of these people that as
ISOLATION with them at this season is
almost impossible.
Little cooking is ever done, much !
Of the flesh of beast or bird being |
taken raw. When on a journey up or
down the waters edge, it is no great |
trouble to row ashore, draw the kyak |
up on the beach, invert it for a roof. |
and under its cover prepare dinner |
or supper. |
One of the white men whom I know |
spent a night in native igloo and |
was waited upon by the lady of the
house" in true hospitable fashion.
After the dried salmon had been d.
,ided and handed around among a
lalf dozen Eskimo and the one white
nan stranger, this LADY of the house"
lropped down on her knees, crawled
through the low, long entrance to the
gloo, and returned with birch-bark