The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-05-04
IN ICY GREENLAND.
Boyhsod Customs In the Cold North
A Good Hunter at Six Years
Of Age.

B0yh0Oo Customs IN the COSo N0ffn-
A Good Hunter at Six Years
Of Age.
Truly it fares strangely with ths
little man." far beyond the bounda
ries of Uncle Sans own land. So
strangely, indeed, that he is really a
little man years before the American
mothers little man" has developed
into her "big boy"
Just as soon as the first son of a
west coast of Greenland Eskimo had
been weaned, in his fourth year, his
father had placed in his hands toy
bird darts and harpoons.
"Play with them long, little one,"
the provident father cautioned wisely.
Life is hard in the land of the eternal
SHOWS, and 1t will be only short
time before thou wilt be called on to
do thy full share in fighting for the
sustenance Of the family"
For the next five years the child,
with cunning bred in him, through
no one knows how many generations,
crept noiselessly upon small birds, even
bringing them down with stones when
he tired of plying his darts. His skill
in this direction grew so wonderfully
that his little hands soon learned to
throw unerringly his diminutive har-
poon at birds swimming in the inlets
or into the black bodies of seals,
lowed by his father, coming home in
his kaiak from the hunting fields of
the sea.
The Little Eskimo Man.
The boy is now eleven years old. For
two years he has spent a large part of
his time playing kaiak-man in his faith
er's kaiak Now his father, having
proudly watched his son gradually gain
good working knowledge of the boat,
has decided to have a kaiak built for
| the boy.
So the father takes his son to the
shore and they walk along it for a
distance of several miles, gathering
drift wood, the boy meanwhile being in
structed in the art of selecting the
proper kind Of material for the frame
Of a kaiak.
That afternoon, with the little man
lendlng helping hand now and then,
the big man puts together the ribs of
the boat. Bright and early the follow
ing morning the boys mother and her
friends, all chattering gaily, stretch
over the ribs a fine seal skin, made
pliable by much diligent chewing on
the mothers part. As they stretch it
they sew it In place, so that when the
last stitch is taken the skin is taut
everywhere; the kaiak perfect in every
detail.
The father is nightly pleased, and.
ne shows it by passing around hot cof-
fee to all those who have worked on the
kaiak. While this is being drunk, the
child struts into their midst a verit-
able bundle of skins. He has on a
diminutive wholejacl ct, with a hood
over his head, the sleeves have mittens,
his boots reach to his hips over skin
trousers. The only part of his body
exposed is his eyes and roundabout.
By this time the father has placed
in their respective positions on the
kalak lance, harpoon bladder, coiled
harpoon line, kaiak knife, bladder-dart,
bird-dart, MISUNDERSTANDING harpoon.
The boy lays hold of the kaiak, and
with lusty shout hauls it to the
waters edge. He thrusts his legs in
the round hole in the middle, meant
for the purpose. He finds, as should
be the case, that the opening is Just
the circumference Of his thighs. In
a jiffy he fastens the bottom of his
to the kaiak ring around
the rim OF the hole and raised slightly
above it. He makes quick movement
with his two-bladed paddle, and is off
for his initial voyage in his very own
kaiak.
Value of His Training.
Rough is the sea. Still the "little
man" battles successfully with the
waves for the better part of five min
utes, riding them like a duck. Then
he Unexpectedly finds himself in the
trough Of the sea-and the next in
slant the kaiak is bottom side I'D and
the boy is hanging head downward in
the water.
But the little man has not played
about his fathers kaiak in vain. As
ne feels the boat capsizing he seizes
one end of his paddle in his right hand
and with the left he grasps the shaft
as near the middle as his short arms
will let him. AS he holds his breath
for dear life, he places the paddle
along the kaiak's side, with the pad
dies free end pointing toward the bow.
Pushing this end sharply out to the
side and bending his body we'll for
ward toward the inverted deck, he
makes strong, circular sweep Of the
presto: here he is again '
right side up and with not drop of
water in his kaiak or beneath his skin
For this dry condition he has =,
TO thank the chap who long ago con.
,eived the idea Of fastening the bottom
IF the wholejacket to kaiak ring,
and to his mother for lovingly making
his sea-going garments waterproof.