Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1906-04-28

~ Oue huOWS now many generations,
crept noiselessly upon small birds, even
bringing them down with stones when
he tired of plying his darts. His Kill
in this direction grew,3 wonderfully
that his little hands soon learned to
| throw unerringly his diminutive har-
poon at birds swimming in the inlan
or into the black bodies Of seals,
| towed 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. Foa>
two years he has spent 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 kaiak.
That afternoon, with the little man
lending a 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
he shows it by passing around hot coz
fee TO all those who have worked on tie
kaiak. While this is being drunk, tie
child struts into their midst a VERT,
able bundle of skins. He has on a
diminutive wholejacket, with a hood
over his head, the sleeves have mittens,
his Ioots 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
haiai lance, harpoon bladder, coiled
| harpoon line kaiai 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
Tor the purpose. He finds, as should
lie the case that the opening is just
! The circumference of his thighs. In
4 jiffy he fastens the bottom of his
wholejacket to the kaiak ring around
the rim OF the hole and raised slightly
above it. He makes a 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 Ike
waves for the better part of five
utes, riding them like duck. ~
he unexpectedly finds himself in the
trough of the sea-and the next III
slant the kaiall is bottom side up and
the boy is hanging head downward in
the water.
But the little man has not played
about his fathers kaiall 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 well for
ward toward the inverted deck, he
makes a strong, circular sweep Of the
paddle-and presto: here he is again
right side up and with not drop OF
water in his kaiak or beneath his skin
clothing. For this dry condition he nas
to thank the chap who long ago con-
ceved the idea of fastening the bottom
of the whOlejacket to q kaiak ring
, and to his mother for luon " makil
his sea-going garments waterproof.
Twice more, before he points his
craft, built somewhat like a scull, not
whit broader, and even more diff
cult to keep afloat i10t r rough water,
toward the watchers ~ the shore, he
; goes under, but rights himself each
: time in a moment. He lands eXpertly,
, unfastens his wholejacket, lifts him.
self proudly ont Of his boat, and, shak-
} ing himself like a puppy, runs gaily
: toward his father and mother.
an a short WHILE" says the father
proudly, Chou wilt be able to right
thyself with nothing except thy tongue
thy hands, thy lance, anything, il
thou shouldest lose thy paddle"
The boys eyes brighten wonderfully
at the words of great praise. Two days
later they are even brighter, as he
paddles away with his father to the
hunting grounds of the seal far out
1. IL.