n 4iY YTT eiiiiiai B. F. SUHW EI EK, THE OONSTITUTION-THE UNION AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS. Editor and Proprietor. VOL. XL VI. MIFFLINTOW1N, JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. MAY II. 1892. NO. 21. E3B.IM0S ANCIENT AND MOD ERN. BARON A. K. NORDENHKIOV. Trantlatedrom tht Frene 'i by Mary tYoude The Eskimos occupy an enormous area, extending from the west cost of Greenland to Behring Strait, and covering tbe whole of polar America. The name Eskimo, said tt be derived froni"Ekiniantsik, "which in the Indian "Abenaqniqnes," means ''eaters of raw meat," was given them by Europeans. They call hemselves lnnnits, or Karalit. It is n curious faot that over tbe wbole of this vast tract, all Eskimos speak the same language, with no variations of idiom, and that the vocabulary publish?, t by Erobisher in 1576 strongly resembles that of to-day. Their manners and customs are as uniform as their language except in regions where there is much inter, course with Europeans. Tbe Icelandio annals tell how in 1379 they attacked tbe Scandinavian olonihts.killing eigh teen in battle and takirg their children for slaves. Frobisbtr too speaks of their courage and contempt of death. But, though once a brave and war-like ri ce, tt eir ardor has cooled down under the mild rule of tbe Danish Guild of Commerce, and they are eminently j eaeeahle nowadays. Still, even in the fourteenth century they were capable of much gratitude anii affection, as is shown by the story of JBjorn Einaron and the two native women whose lives he saved. Bjorn was a traveller wrecked upon tbe Greenland coast, on whom the Scandinavians had conferred the sovereignty of Eriksfjord. One day he rescued two native women who hal been overtaken by the rising tide. .Net only did these sisters awear the most entire devotion to him, but from that moment the natives, who were skilful hunters, supplied him with all the game he needed. One of them thought it a high honor to take care of Bjorn's little cbi'd, and at last, when they failed to get leave to follow him to Iceland, both sisters flung themselves into the sea from tbe top of a rock. Soon after the discovery of America by Columbus, expeditions were sent from England to find tbe north-west passage to the Indies, ami ships started from Denmark to look for traces of the ancient Scandinavian Colonies in Green land. Many of these teareh parties came across tbe Eskimos, and tbe in tercourse was anything but friendly. Their meetings always ended in the murder or capture of the poor natives, who were carried away to be shown as cnrious animals in Europe. La Peyere's Jteport of GreelanU, written in lf47, describes "these savages" as "sullen and untamable by preseu's or kindness," as "fat, sleek, and yellow skinned." Tbe report describes their dresses of seal-skin sewed with put, their fish-skin shorts, their boats covered with leather, their paddles, spears, bows and arrows; and the large dogs that they use instead of horses. It says that tbe women wear no petti coats but IeggingR, with 1 ig pockets, and that they paint their faces blue and yellow; adding that "they are stinking, dirty, and ugly. Their tongue serves them for napkin and handkerchief. Where other men are ashamed, they have no shame." Tbe story goes on to tell of tbe nine Eskimos who i ad been brought to Denmark by diffi rent Polar expeditions. The natives were lodged and cared for at the King's expense. 1 heir food oout-isted of milk, butter cheese, raw meal and raw fish, "be cause they ctuld cot bring themselves to like bread, nor roasted meat, nor wine either; but preferred long draughts of oil or whule fat." Poor Eskimos! They often looked north wards, and once tried to cscipe in their skiffs; but a fetor m cast ttiem ashore, and some peasi nts caught t em and took them back to Copenhagen. After this attempt they were guarded with more care than ever, but they j ined ami di d. Five lived to be seen by a Spanish Ambassador who visited Copen hagen. The Don was amazed at the skdl the savages displayed in managing their frail canoes. The King of Den mark got np a regatta in bis honor, at which a long boat with sixteen oars proved hardly a match for their kayaks. Tbe ambassador sent eaoh Eskimo a present of money, and each sent it in purchasing a Danish dress. Two or three even put plumes in their hats, went booted and spurred, and sent to tell the King that they wished to be troopers. But this Ight moo I did not continue; and they soon relapsed into their nsual melancholy. Two of them again tried to escape in their kayaks; one was caught, the other who got away was drowned at sea. The remaining throe were kept more closely than ever, and survived their comrades ten or twelve yeara They were kindly treated, but could never learn Danish, nor forget their own land. The last of them died of grie after the failure of his third attempt to return to Greenland in his kayak. Ho was thirty or forty miles ont to sea before he was overtaken. Hans Egede, the Danish missionary, fettled in Greenland early in the eigh teenth century. It is to his "Relution," to the reports of the Guild of Com merce, and to such Arctic travellers as Drlneer. Cranz, and Parry that we are mi-t indebted for onr knowledge of the Kskiim a. Owing to the intercourse bctw en tbe Danish colonists and na tive women the pure-bred Eskimos l a e grown rare in tho Ticinity of the settlements. On the eat coast we can ul.-o trace tbe influence of the ancient Norse population, in the Scandinavian features of the natives. Thus the only iuiie pure Eskimo type is to be found on the west coast. Here we havo a short, thick-set race, well-proportioned but with very email hands and feet, the complexion is olive, the eyes small and rather oblique, the noso flat, end the ,outh wide, with beautiful teeth. 'Ihe tinir is black and stiff. In the 1 nnisli 1 alt-breeds, the mixture of na tive nod Scandinavian blood sometimes pro'inces a southorn type which is really handsome. Eskimos prefer to lanrry these half European women, who they think better looking than Ihe pure bred natives. The children of mixed parentage retain the foreign features, but unless forced to learn a European language and adopt our i:sagesthey will lapse ina generation or tv?o into Eskimo manners and cus toms. Before European manufactures found their way to Greenland, the Es kimos wore nothing but furs, and even now shirts aro a luxury enjoyed only by tho rich. Seal and dog-skins are hilly used on the east coast, bear and reindeer on tho west. "Slot and women .dike wear fur truuaers, "1th tt hair turned irinide, and long boots. The ui-n's i:u,kets also of fur are close fit ling like jerstya, but the women snake 't.eirs Uro enough for them t carry a baby on tteir backs. In niu farts they y '.he oMfcB pot their rhiidren u' j ti.o k"a of thtit boot, in the fine season the girls take great pains with their toilet The hair is tied with colored ribbons in a tight topknot. The gaiters and embroidered boots set off their pretty legs and feet to perfec tion, and their necks are adorned with coPar ser with pearls. 'Ihe Eskimos live entirely by hunting and fiphing, depending, tor both food and clot hing.on what they catch. In their eyes all wild animals are eatable -but they think tbe fruits of agricnlture un clean, because they grow in manured ground. Ihey also loathe pork, be cause pigs are feed on refuse, and yet they r hsh entrails, and reindeer's stomaoh cooked with oil and berries. Here is the menu of a gala dinner in the good old times. Dried Herrings (the indispensable entree). Roast Plovers. Whale's Tail Dried Sal mon. Dried Reindeer. Dried Seal. Boiled Seal. Decayed Seal. Berries sep son ed ith oil. and flavored with Reiudeer's stomach. In a modern feast ottee would be a necessary element. Coffee, sugar, and bread have become indispeLsable to Greenlanders who are within reach of trade with Europe. Dan ish ships bring cargoes of such luxuries as figs, raisins, and tobacco which are eagerly purchased by the natives who have a pasdou for snuff, and mix pow dered croyohte with it to increase the strength. Happily the Guild of Commerce oro- j hibits liquor traffic, but Europeans are permitted to give spirits in some J cases long canoe voyages, for instance and the Greenlanders have come to den and this occasional indulgence as a right. Still brandy exercises no evil I influence on the population, and its j abu e is practically unknown. In 1 17.'4 a Greenlander called Pok I went to Copenhagen, and astonished j his compatriots on his return j with the account of the marvels I he had seen. He described the King's Ealace, the almshouses, hospital, mad on se, the splendor of the rich, the misery of the poor and most strange ! of all the reason why people were poor, I and naked, some because they were I idle, others because "there are houses where they sell nothing but brandy, j and where these people go and drii k it. When they come ont they fight." "But," said one cf his listeners, "yon ; told me there was only one mad ! house." ' .Lamps, hunting and fishing taokle, and a few cooking utensils form the i whole of an Eskimo's possessions; their I lamps are mostly shallow earthenware disi es hollowed out on one side with dried moss for a wick, and fed with oil. 1 The la'i p serves the double purpose of lighting atd warming, for the Eskimos burn no wood fires, xcept out of doors in snmmer. Their few pots and pans used formerly to be all earthenware, , but nowadays they are supplied with iron and copper vessels by the Euro peans. The native weapons and boats admit f no improvement. They are the result of generations of labor, and ' have attained to absolute perfection. . The Kayak is a beautiful little canoe, ' consisting of a framework of wood cov ered with hide. It is pointed bow and stern and decked, except for the man hole in the middle. It is very light, and if well managed very safe, capable t of going lone distances in a heavy sea, ' with little exertion to the rower. The Onmiak is a larger boat, also made of hide, calculated to carry a number , of p- rsons and a heavy freight The construction of these boats and of the harpoons, bows, spears, 4c, is extreme- , ly ingenious. Several styles of building exist among the Eskimos. The snow huts are merely circular erections, easily built aad containing no interior fit tings but a snow bench, covered with hides. Such a hut is easily completed , in two or three hours, and one needle covers tbe cost of erection. The com- ! mocest form of Eskimo house however is about six feet high and twelve wide, '. the walls are of large stones and turf. the roof thatched with brushwood, filled in with clods of earth. The length varies from twenty to eighty feet, according to the number of the fami lies that inhabit it The roof is sup ported on pillars, which divide tbe - bouse into compartments. A bed six feet wide, and two high runs the whole ' leDgth of the wall. Hides stretching across it from each pillar mark each : family's portion. Here the inhabitants f l- p all together by night, and sit by day; the husband on the edge with his lo;s dangling, and the wife orouohing behind. By each pillar la a separate familv hearth, built of flat stones, over which are hung two lamps with a wooden dish to catch the dripping oil. One large pot to each hearth suf fices for cooking purposes. In winter time, when all the lamps are alight, and the hut crowded, the heat m almost intolerable, especially as there is no outlet for the vitiated vapor, except the long low tunnel, which serves as a door. The windows being covered by fish skins admit light, but no air. Men and women have to strip off their clothes, in this atmosphere, and wear only short breeches, tlie women's being very prettily trimmed with feathers. Europeans are driven out of tbese buts by the smell of half tanned leather, and half cooked putrid meat, but Eskimos find it d licions, and object to what we call sweet scents. One old woman being made to smell lavender water sneezed violently, and called it "Mam a.tpok" (very unpleasant). The Eskimos have no domestic ani mals except the dogs who draw their sledges. They are like the Lapland dogs, having sharp noses, thick coats, and bushy tails: like their Samoyede relatives they cannot bark, une wno was brought to Europe as a puppy, tried hard to bark like the dogs he associated with, but failed to do more than howl dismally. They are trained exclusively for sledge work. The team consists of six or eight harues ed abreast; the driver uses a short-handled whip with a long lash, which can deal terrible blows, when skilfully used. The leading dog keeps the others np to their work, and will punish a lazy one severely. In summer the poor beasts are turned ont to shift for themselves but in winter they are well fed and cared for. When the snow is frozen hard, tho Lski'Jios protect their dogs' feot from the borp ridges by putting them in little bags. Accounts diffar widely as to Eskimo honesty. Pome travellers call them thieves and rogues, while others praise their uprightness. In reality most Eskimos are extremely honest, never stealing the smallest trifle from their own people. The doors of their dwel lings have no locks; and all the prop erty they do not take with them to their summer camps ia left nnguarded in the winter quarter. One Green lander would not dream of robbing another or a foreigner Thorn he knew and rospected. But sach Europeans aa do not speak their language, and how thoio solve' rude, quarrelsome nndl Immoral, aro considered lawful piT, and pillaged without scrapie Ti e Eskimos' code of honor may be portly attributed to the sort of com munism which exists amongst them. Each member of a family has next to no private possessions. The hnsb ind has his kayak, hunting and fisaing tackle; the wife her olothes, kitchen ntensils, needles and threa . A native never lends his olothes or weapons, bnt if he owns more sets than one they are common property. The oumitk, the summer tent, the game, and other spoils of the fine season, belong to the family collectively, which, besides the husband, wife, and children includes several adopted members. Here there is neither master nor servant, the chief of the family exercises a mild su premacy, but domestic authority in our Bense is unknown. Tbe greater part of the winter's fish harvest is shared equally by the whole settlement Even the hero of some hunting exploit gets no larger portion of the prey than others; but he has the advantage of hearing his praises sung at the feast which always follows a successful expedition. Perfect concord reign in a hut occupied by several families. Such are the pacific habits of the Eski mos that their language hardly con tains an abusive epithet order and tranquillity prevail in every village. Such peace and quietness would be found in few so-called civilized com munities. Tet here there are no laws, and no police. Good health and skill in hunting and fishing make an Eskimo prosperous. Tbe list of an Arctic, milionaire's world ly goods proves that muoh is not re quired for wealth. This rich man owned a stone honse, covering fourteen square yards, in whioh he lived with ' his wife, four children, bis brother and j sister-in-law, a sister and a brother's widow with five children, fifteen per ! sons, in alL Moreover he possessed I an oumiak, a tent, an iron stove, two I guns, a copper kettle, two iron aad j twelve earthenware pots, a kayak with ! all its fittinga a tool box (hatchet saw 1 file and plane), a coat, of reindeer skin, ! and a second of birds' skins. His i brother and son had each their kayaks, and every member of the household had plenty of clothes. The Eskimos are a heedless race, and so soon as they have sufficient food and no occasion to hunt, they give them selves up to good cheer and tbe pleas ures of society. They pay each other vis.ts, chatter morning, noon an 1 night, and arrange balls, carouses, ai d thletio sports. At these parties they retail the latest scandals, and discuss tba affairs of tbe nation, but grotesque dances and songs, are the chief diver sion. Eskimos have no musical instru ment but the drum, or rather tam bourine, but they have good voices, and easily pick up European tunes, for which they compose words, usually satires, on current events, or impro visations in praise of their own hunt ing exploits. If one man has a grudge against another he composes a song about his injuries, whioh he performs at one of these festivals. The defend ant must then reply in another song, after which the audience pronounce sentenoe, and the parties are recon ciled. An entertainment of this kind lasts all night. As soon as soon as one native has done dancing and siuging another takes the drum and tries to out do him, and they amuse themselves with such zeal, that they often remain eight or ten days without sleep. Though they have little conscience in the matter, the Eskimos generally be have decently at these festivals, and in their houses, because they say, "The missionaries make such a fass about it" Greenlanders have no special mar riage ceremony, except that the bride must be earned off by craft or pretend ed violence. The match is nsual ly ar ranged by the parents beforehand, often while the pair are still children. Etiquette requires tbe bride to get a few knocks and rents in her garments. She must also appear for some time with dishevelled hair, as if nionrnfnl and weary of life, and make several at tempts to escape. To prevent his fair lady's flight when she tried it too often, or to furnish her with a pretext for resignation, the husband had formerly the right to make notches ia the sobs of her feet; he was then sure that his wife would not run away till tbe wound was healed. A girl brings nothing for her dowry but a few olothes, a knife, and a lamp the bride-groom supplies a bed, a kettle, and a pitcher and the house is set up. Sometimes the couple separate a year or six months after mar riage. In this case tbe husband wa ks off one night without teiiing his wife, who returns quite gaily to her parents next morning. Afterwards, if the ex husband goes near home, she loves to show herself, decked out in her best clothes. Sometimes too, a young wo man will leave her husband, notably if she has taken a dislike to one of her female neighbors. But after the birth of a boy the union ia never dissolved, and usually married oouples live in perfect harmony. The husband al ways consults his wife before coming to any important decision, and they hardly ever quarrel. Most Eskimos have only one wife, but it is considered a mark of superior ity to be able to maintain three or four, and a tribe of children. One native is known to have presided over a harem of twelve wives. Before the arrival of missionaries jealousy was unknown in these establishments, but the first pre cept native women attended to was, that a man might only have one wife. It was a most embarrassing task for the missionaries to organize the family affairs of new converts who possessed harems. Eskimos show great affection for their children, who enjoy comple e lilerty, and are never scolded or whipped; the parents regard our vener able birch as absolutely barbarous. In epite of a system of education so con trary to a 1 rule and precedent, a good conduct medal might be awarded to all Eskimo children over eight or nine, though, it is true, they are scarcely familiar with civilizjd usages, and are apt to mistake their fingers for forks, and knives for spoons. They play, like other children, with bows and ar rows, balls, skipping-ropes ; they scramble on the rocks, steal birds' nests, and kill beasts. Paul Fgede's sons were great favorites with the natives, and leaders of the youth ful games. The little Eskimos would wait impatiently till Paul and Nils (or as they called them, Pa via and Nese) I ad done their lessons, and reproach hem for wasting so muoh tinn singing I salms. Still they were the butts of native wit The Greenland imps could never ceas t mocking at Pavia's nose, which seemed to them immeasurably long. Egede, wishing to learn the deolensi u of Eskimo verba, once asked his sons to make their friends conjugate "neglipok" the equivalent of "amo." The playmates took to it eagerly at first, but they Boon tired of grammar, and teased Panl and Nils long after, repeating the Yer neglipok every tima they saw them, in all its moods and tenses. Of course the children's favorite sport is learning to handle tbe weapo is they will one day get t' eir living by. When thev are quite little, tbe paren s give their bovs harpoons, arrows, and kayaks uited to their size; and their girls small bides to tan and stitch. From babyhood they teach them to make and use hnnting and fish'ng tackle, above all to manage kayak paddles, heavy an I dangerous for u ipraotioed hands. ''he yonn; hunter's progress is watched with the liveliest interest by the whole family. When he brings home his first seal, they give a grand feast in his honor. The seal is eaten as a special delicacy, and the hunter's praises a e sung at the revels. The boy grows up 1 1 n auhood, builds his house, marries, and has ehddren. lie hunts, provides for tbe family one cannot fay in the sweat of his brow, for it is cold he has to face and lives careless of the morrow, carous ing at times, or fasting patiently hen sickness threatens. In after years he stoops and dies, and finally is buried under a cairn of stones by the shore, when his grave is not in the icy waves of tbe sea. The girl, while they are little, have an idle time, learning noth ing bnt how to chatter, sing, and danoe. Put from fourteen or so, they must help their mothers, and share the labors of a Greenland woman, oooking game, and preparing leather. They soon acquire taste and dexterity in tan ning and stitching bides, and turn them to account in making those brilliant costumes they de ight to shine in. A Greenland be inty, with t er browo complexion and full cheeks.looks pretty enongb in gala dress a clinging gar ment of lovely seal-skin, high boots, and pearl neck'aces twisted round her neck and hair. But the best part of her is the pood-humored air, anl a coqnettishness which astonishes one in an Eskimo. All that soou changes, sad to say. Some gallant Si in rod seenres this fair prize Once mother of a family, she neglects her appearance. Her straight figure bends under the weight of the baby on her back, from being plump be grows thin. Iler steps totter, the hair falls off her tem ples, her teeth are worn out with chew ing hides for tanning in short, she takes no care of herself. Girls, very pretty in their first freshness, are ugly, dirty, and repulsive after marrige. No wouder that Frobisher's crew, in their voyage to the Meta Incognita, pulled off an old Eskimo woman's boots to see if she had hoofs and was tbe devil's dam. When a friend or relation dies, the Ekimos, especially, make a great show of grief. For half an hour together they weep and wail, then after a moment's silence begin laughing and chat ing aja'n. The process U re peated eacn time a visitor comes to condole. A spectator meanwhile makes a funeral o ation, extolling the virtues of the deceased, and making great lamentations, after which the whole party sit down to eat and drink. Greenland Eskimos are buried in their best array. Beside the Corp e is laid all he dead person is supposed to need in the next world. A man bns his spear, bow and arrows: a woman, needles and hread, a leather scraper, and a bucket; a child its toys, and a dog's head to guide it beyond the prave. Some tombs contain torches and mode s of kayaks. 1 i one I found several rust, nails probably tbe dead man's greatest treasures; in another several pairs r f wooden spectacles; the deceased bad doubtless we k eyes and was afraid of the da?zl ng --nowfields in tbe regions ol the blest. Tbe grave is usually a simple dit:h, surmounted by a cai n of tttoue-". Several Kuk mo customs, their ncde of burial especially, indicated a vnii -conception of a future life In tbe next world they th nk, the brave hunter will lead a life aualogons to Hi- he 1 ved on earth; only he willhuxel hardships to endure, anl will find seal's flesh and other Greenlaud delican es in abundance. Bnt of religion, properly speaking, the Eskimos have little or nothing. Their legends merely assign various offices to the great spirit Tor nasuk (who is made by the missionaries to do duty as devil), while they people air, and earth, and sea. with spirits I, ss mighty. They evince tho ntmost tolerance, not to say ndifference alnv t religions matters. One Greenlander who believes in Tornasuk will let others ridicule his faith without protesting, and one who does not believe will listen unmoved to the praises of the mighty spirit. Onee when Nils Egede laughed at some natives for telling him they had killed a white bear, "so old that he hud ice on bis back that never melted," they exclaimed: "What we believe what yon tell us! How can yon mock at oui stories?" They thought Egede's inoredulitv was not fair play. Though not on the whole a supersti tions people Eskimos are apt to attrib ute their misfortunes to the "Iliseet sok," as they call witches, and many a poor old crone has suffered in conse quence. They have neither temples, shrines nor idols, bnt the amulets tney began by treating as t. ysand ornaments would probably have become fetishes, and certain of their usages, religious ceremonies, hail it not been for the missionaries' intervention. One of their superstitions is that they believe the whale hunter will fail unleas ho puts on his best clothes, because whales like to be respected and detest tbe sight of airiy people. An amulet is fixed in the bow of the kayak, and a hare's claw tied to the harpoon. Mean while the women at home wash them selves, put out the lamps and wait iu silence. A" Greenlander does not like to sell a seal on the dav of its capture. He alwa.i s cuts off a scrno of every hide or piece of blubber parts with, and prefers to consult some "Iliseetsok" before striking a bargain, propitiating the oracle with a few pins In reindeer-hunting, the crows who follow the sledge must be appeased with scraps of meat The office of priest does not exist iu Greenland, but the . ogekoks would' most likely have assumed the dignity ' had they not been suppressed by the Danish missionaries. These angjkoks ' or magicians, were far superior to all 1 other Eskimos in morals and intelli gence, and exercised a distinctly good influence though they confessed to having deceived foolish people with their sorceries; however, they were ' themselves to a great extent convinced ' of their magio uowers. The art of ; the angekoks resembled that of the i modern spiritualists. Like them they did their tricks in the dark, conversed with ghosts, and went long voyages through the sky or to the depths of earth and sea. An angekok would have himself bound band and foot, an I sit down on the floor in a dark hut A moment afterward he would have freed himself of the cords, and be play ing the magio drum and uttering piero ing shrieks. He then addr. ssei to Tornasuk any question the audience wished to sk. Tornasuk, personated by an accomplice outside the hut, re plied in weird and muffled tones. An Es imo once brought as a mes sage to Paul Egedo a 'tick on wnicn waa scrat died a sort of V reversed. The sender had prudently given su x planation to the bearer: "if the Cbr:-1-inn angekok does not nnden-t u.d '.Lis symbol, I will tell him that I wut a pair of breeches, but I need in t say this, for he will understand." Anoth r time, an angekok annonnced that bis projected voyage to heaven hud :.ot quite succeeded; bis soul had ri.sen to celestial regions, but bis body could not quit the earth. A lady who ha I two husbands and practioed music with tie m, affirmed t at she and her two accomplices liad no dealings with the dev.l, but t icy could converse with ghosts. She sid she bad receutly pa d a visit to tue mother of earth whum she f und guarded by a troop of white bears, and had dined with her on flounder'. The angekoks often proved mord thau a match for their Christian op ponents in argument, and the mission aries' zeal in suppressing them is com prehensible, though much to bo re gretted. When Chnstianit .' was first introluced, the nati ei made strong objections to several dogmas. The Es kimos asked Taul Egedo why our Lord had not uilotved th m o receive Christ ianity sooner, for then their ancestors might havo gone to heaven too. Auother missionary having to'd a na tive that Christ cast the wicked iuto hell-tire, the latter replied, "If God is so cruel as that. I don't care to go to heaven." Resisting all further attempts to convert him he added "I dou't un ders and a word of all that; and I am going fishing." Th ; Eskimos regarded original sin as an institution peculiar to the Kablunaks (Europeans), saying that they themselves being chiefly good people, will reach Paradise without difficulty. They always wouder how Adam and Eve could have b -en so sdly as to let a serpent beguile them, and ask why God did not warn them ol their danger. The Danish colonists ere by no means so moderate as they should) have been in their dealiugs with the angekoks. When ridicule and persuasion faded they were too npt to, have recourse to blows. In fact, rel g- lous discussions backed up by argu ments ad homiiicm, appear to have been the missionaries favorite sport. As all these anecdotes teud to show, the Eskimos are a simple-minded race, good tempered, somewhat conceited. loving to tie i mused and to laugh at their neighbors. Their beedlessneti often exposes them to severe suffering which they patiently and quiolsly for get. But amiable and pleasant as they are to each other, aiid to foreigners with whom they aro intimate, there is a strange element of cruelty in them. Thoy kill every creature they come across merely for sport, and have ab solutely no pity for o d ae or iufir n ity. The old and sick are lelt I elp less and comfortless, and hardlv given needful foo I and clothing. Several instances are quoted, before the Dunish settlement in Green land, of cripples bein bnrie I alive or murdered by their relatives. True, this was sometimes done at the request of the victims the'iiselves, who ionsed to have done witn the sufferings ol this mortal life. All Eskimos, whether pure or ha'f breed, have an excellent opinion ol themselves. The son of a Swe lish cook and a Greenland squaw, who thought himself a very important person, answered when asked if the Governor were a greater tnau than he, "Well, I am n t sure. The inspector is certainly richer than myself and commands more men th in 1 do. But at Copenhagen he has superiors whom he must ot.ey; while I have no superi or." Every skillful hunter probably shares this view, and it game le plenti ful and the feast after the hunt tray be is satisfied with his fate, and regirds himself as perfectly happy. The Greenlanders are certainly a clever an 1 intelligent peopie, more suscepti ble of civilization than most natives of the New World, as is proved by the ease with which they learn to read and write. Eskimos who have made no long voyages, believe their country to be tbe most beautiful in the world; and t. eir race the most talented, most in telligent, ni st polished, very superior to the savage, cowardly Indians aid also to the avaricious, quarrelsome Kablunaks who crossed tba seas iu huge treasure-laden "oumiaks," none of whom can hunt even passably. Greenlanueis still cliug to this opin ion. But their frequent intercourse with the Danes, and the reports ol their friends bo have been to Eu rope, have given them a notion of tbe superiority of European inventive genius, and the bad impression made by the wbalersand oonvicts transported to Greenland, has been effaced by the devotion of the missionaries and the kindness of the officials of the Guild ol Commerce. TO MAKE CASTINGS OF DELI CATE NATURAL OBJECTS. Abhass recommends, from persona" use, the following process for making metallic castings of flowers, leaves, lusects, etc. It is a modification of nv ancient Hindoo process, in which cIbt was used iub ead of the mixture here suggested. The object, say a dead beetle, for example, is arranged in e natural position, and its feet are con nected with an oval rim of wax. This is fixed in the center of a pasteboard or wooden box by means of bits of fine wire, so that it is perfectly free, an j thicker wires are then run from the wax to the side cf the b 'X. The re moval of these- later will make air channels for the escape of gases. A conical wooden plug, tapering from top to bott m, is next fixed so that its smallest point just touches the back ot he beetle ''"his to produce a run way fot the eastinrr material. The box is then Shed up vith a paste made of 3 parts of plaster of parisaud 1 part brick dust, made up with a solution of alum and sal-anirrioniac. It is ell to touch the object first with some of this paste to present the formation of air-bubbles. After the paste has ret the mould i dried slowly, and finally gradually brought to a red beat, and allowed to cool slowly in order not to distort or crack the mould. Ihe process, of course, burns ont the conical plug and incinerates the beetle, tbe fragments of which are removed partly by shaking, and comidited by pouring metallic mercury into the cavity, repeating the operation several times. The thick wires are now withdrawn, and the mould hea'ed agirn, when it is ready for the casting. When this is finished let cool, and after softetiing ths mould with water, carefully break it away. JVa. Druggist. Tbb purchase of Alaska has already proved to be a pretty good specula tion, goods being exported from that country last year to the valne of over $1,000,009 in excess of the price paid to Russia for the Territory, Tr Nr-.rlh Bom. A reliable authority on matters re- i biting to the aspect and surroundings ! of a hous: cons'ders that no single j tree should stand within some feet ' rt 1 rn n.i i-rl ..n n- i 1 l". t .-.iV.i.-ll Itlivla ui ii, uu aiuvu 1 1 1 i II m ?ii(ii juiua and no woodland, w ith its carpet of decaying leaves, within at least half a mile. This last estimate might well, it is thought, be reduced by one-half, and perhaps twelve to fif teen feet might be taken as the smallest distance which should inter vene between tree and house. With ! this qualit!c;ition the pioxlniityof trees to a dwelling house is distinctly beneficial. To insure a pure and fragrant atmosphere, 'you must," says a writer on the subject, "accept from Dature those tall, green chim neys called trees, which imbibe and carry aloft Into the air those hurtful gases which, if admitted to the lungs and brain might disease the former and obstruct the delicate movements of the latter." At various points in the countrj may be observed houses which, In spite of faulty situation, are yet gen erally healthy, chiefly because they are environed with trees which shel ter them from the cold winds of win ter and spring and In summer pre vent that sudden and rapid evapora tion which after heavy rains may generate disease. A most striking example of the use of trees in pre serving ant promoting health oc curred some years ago. As the story goes, a man, along the extremity of whose garden ran a ditch, received no injury from its proximity, till, in an unfortunate hour, a thick row of eld ers which grew upon the bank was cut down. Almost immediately low fever attacked the family, and not only reduced them to a state of great weakness, but returned at short In tervals, till they removed to another locality. Bon JHn Carry Thflilr Hand. "A sure indication of character is found in the way in which a man carries his hands," said C. G. Clark of Boston. "You notice men on the streets. Sec the young man with swinging arms and palms which are displayed to all who take the trouole to look. He is one of that class whose heart is as open as his bands. He is frank, unsuspicious, a free spender, and a believer in the hon esty of his fellows. Notice the busi ness man more advanced in years. I lis bands are always closed so tightly that he gives you the impression he is ever expecting an attack. This is the attitude of men bent upon a cer tain object. It is the attitude which displays the qualities of determina tion and fight. In debate you will observe some of our law-makers em phasize a statement by hammering the desk before them with their knuckles, while others, apparently equally impassioned, are satisfied with the use of the palm You may rest assured that if sheer determina tion will succeed tbe man who ap plies bis knuckles will win before bis colleague who uses his palm. The way in which the thumb is held is also a true sign of character. The man who turns it in under bis lingers Is always weak. That is the posit ion In which it is always held by a child. The thumbs of great men are large and point out conspicuously froiu their fellow-members. The Duke of Wellington. Napoleon, Grant, Glad stone, Salisbury, Morley, Blaine, not to go any further, have the distinct ive peculiarity mentioned. I am pre pared to lay a wager that if 1 bo given 100 men I will read their na ture and their power by a close exam ination of the maimer in which they hold their hands," St. Louis Giobo Democrat. t'ouomp. There is a fog peculiar to somo parts of Nevada called pogmiip. A gentleman connected with tho Nevada Mining Bureau writes this descrip tion: "In the White Pine Moun tains, the Toyabi, the llyko and the I'arranugat ranges, it is quite com mon to see the trees, houses, and everything oitii in the open gradually become white without any apparent cause. There is no perceptible fog, but the hot air from the valleys grad ually ascends up the mountain side, and, becoming crystallized, the mi nute crystals attach themselves to anything insight. This phenomenon affects human la-ings in just the same manner, and when tiie fg passes by the frozen particles will adhere to the hair and clothing, producing a very grotesque effect. Hot Creek Valley is situated right in the center of the mining district, and is so called because of the warm springs that are always to be found there. These springs cause a pogonip in that dis trict every night, and fortius reason: The wind in the valley always blows from one direction in the daytime, and after sunset it invariably blows from the opposite point. The ctlcct of the cooler air pas-dug over the hot valley is to force the heated air to rise. When it reaches a temperature of about 25 degiccs the result is a pogonip." Carnal Knrtariiiicc. In a paper of the camel, IlerrLeh mann states that neither heat nor cold, nor extreme daily fir yearly va riations, impede the distribution of the camel each race of i-ami Is being-, 1 however, best adapted to the condi tions of its native climate. The dromedary of the Sahara enjoys its best health in the desert, though a day of tropical heal may be followed by a night several degrees below freezing-point, and daily variations of 60 degrees occur. Iu Semipalatuck, again, where camels are found, tho annual variation sometimes reaches nearly 150 degrees. But the camel is very sensitive to moisture, and desert caravans run much risk in entering regions of tropical rain during tho rainy season. The manufacture o" porcela'n was in trod uo d into tbe I'rovinc? of Hez n, Japan, from Chin t in 1513. and Hezln ware still bears Chinese marks. California has many Qne lakes. The most noted areTahoe, twen'y-Qve miles long, and Cleir L ke, twei ty-six miles long. Both support steamers. Missouri is the first zinc-producing State of the country. The Nation's total production was 234,503 tons last year, and 93,131 tons came from Mis-loan. Itapr-rald Poaial Carda. The Postmaster General states in ols annual report that, upon the proposition of the I uited States, It was agreed by the delegates of the Postal Union at their recent meeting in Vienna that every country should anppiy the pubi c with a reply-paid postal card. Such cards have been in use iD Austria for many years, and would be economical and convenient in domestic as well as in foreign correspondence. They are composed of two unseparated postal cards, folded in the form of a single card, and need no other fasten ng. A correspondent can insure a cor rectly addressed and probably pionipt answer by writing his full address on the reply fold of the card before mailing it; the card, upon its first journey, being folded so as to cover the reply address. The receiver has simply to write his answer on the re ply card, tear it off the inquiry card, and remail it If one does not care to preserve the inquiry or to write a long answer, the cards need not be separated. In that case, a reply perfectly in'.Mligible, un equivocal, and binding for all busi ness purposes, may be written in one. or two words, iu answer to a direct question. i The words "Yes." or "No." ol "Forty," or "41 Temple Place," oi "Boston," or "Smith & Jones," or "i per cent.," or any other short re plies, signed with initials or full name, without any heading of place or date, would, iu connection with the attached inquiry card, convey as full and definite an answer, ai d show as plainly when, where, and by whom it was written, as an answer on an or dinary card or letter that coutains, 1 besides place, date and address, a sum- mary of the inquiry to which it is a reply. The first reply-paid postal card re ceived by the writer of this article traveled a distance or fi. TOO miles. It was mailed by Yosef Lernhaupt, Post-Direktor at Reyroot. Syria, an l was w ritten in Yolapuk, the new uni versal language. It bore this m s- . sage: "Spodakads gesedik sibinoms. iu Lostan ya yelis modik." which means, "Reply postal cards have been in use in Austria for man? vears. " ! Flxwd Mar Do Not t-'x 4K. "The ordinary expression 'fixed tar,' so persistently used by nearly everybody," said L. M. G egory. scientist of Albany, N. Y., at t lie Lindell, "is a misnomer that on lit by this time to be discarded. !i mi tho place of a star has been accurate j determined by measurement in. (ie with the meredian circle, and wb-n niter a lapse of a number of years tbe place of the same star is aain deter mined by observation, it frequent ij happens that the two places disagtv. '1 be explanation is that the star h;. moved in the interval, and it is iniio iiely improbable that any fixed sta exist. The usual method of dele. mining the measurements of stars t by the lelescopi' and the meridian circle. Rut there are some move ments which can not be thus me. is. u red. There arc the cases w hen the star happens to be darting ilirccl'j t-iward the observer or directly from him. In such cases the telcsopinu method is simply inapplicable, '. e. cause the observer would not not.ee any cbriiige in the star's po-dtion. H N ju-t bore that the spertro-e ;n comes iu to ill! tiie vacant place m the armory of the astronomer Form erly this valuable instrument w is used onlv to ascertain the chemical constitution of the stars." SU Loui Globe-Democrat. Ilfiw T.a Wan Iiiti-Ofln d. Tea cane into use almost by ac -i-lent. Some Ruddiii-t priests going on a niissiona y expedition !'..:u Northern India to China, took with t'neui the dried loaves and also some cuttings of an indigenous shrub, which was said to have the power ol correcting any injurious pi-pcrties ir tbe brackish water they might uiei 1 with on the way. Tho decoction tht;i made pleased the missionaries so we 1 that they continued, as a matter ol taste, to drink it after they reached China, and introduced it to thei' converts. They also set about planting the precious sbrub, and although it did not thrive so well iu China as in it; native Assam, liecoming smaller b.o:li in stem and leaf, it was so well lik.-d that it soon formed the foundation of the favorite beverage of all China Thence it was brought to Furop-, tc be drunk and desired by Englishmen of every degree. And it is only ol late years that Assam tea has come into the European market, tc be looked upon rather suspiciously at the rival of its own degenerated Chinese daughter. Orlg-ln of a Fainoafl H ord. Emmanuel, one of the earliest oi the Dukes of Savoy, is known tc fame as the Turncoat. He obtained this nickname for a curious reason. His territories were inconvenientlf near to the forces of both Spain and F'rance, with which powers he found it necessary to be on friendly ter ns, as they were often In the habit of in vading his dukedom. However, he had to side sometimes with the one, sometimes with the other, according to which was stronger at the mo ment. So he had a coat that wat blue on one side and white on th other. Wheu he took part with Spain he wore the blue side the Spanish color out; when he wanted to stand well with the French he turned the white side out. There was something to be said for tha poor man in such a fix, but history, that has no mercy, only knows him as the Turncoat. A favorite in. stance in England of a man who al ways took care to be on the right aid was the famous Vicar of Bray. Lake Erik has been frozen this year 'rom the American to the Canadian ihore; the first time in six years. If we could give an account of all ,hat we owe to great predecessors and sontemporaries, there would be but a imall balance in onr favor. The Pbce dclajs were acqunltted with the use of extremely ha.dened iron (properly spsakmg stel), as their numerous and betutiful works In or namental metallurgy, and the cutting and engraving of precious stones show. NEWS IN BRIEF. The first air pump was made In 1655. f The reddish houey stored by a "razdlan wasy is abs dutely poison ous. In London a rate of f 100 a year ia charged for ground circuit telephone service. The averare price of sheep In the Unite ' S -uiei is higher than any time since 1876 On an i.verap, three papers are born and as many die In the British j metropolis every we k. Ti e barb y crop of California is twice that of any o her -t ate and one quarter if all i bat is produced. Flax w s fir t planted in Eogland, where It was ii reeled to be sown for fshmg nets 15 2-3. i Patsy Sears ot Howard county, In I (liana, aged lo8 years, has been a church member 100 years. T ie largest s lit masonry dam in Cali'ornla is tha Swet-twater dam, San Diego county, i i iely feet high. Artificial tee h are so much in use nowaJays that it took 40,000,000 of them to s p; i the demand last year. It is a gross tireaoh of etiquette f i a Chinaman to wear eye-glasses or spec tacles In counuijy. Blackening the nose, the cheeks an 1 the loieucad has been found an effectual preventive of snow-i lln i-ueS-s. The deppest mine In the Un te I States is one of verticil depth of 17a ) ( ef at the Idaho Mu,e, Grass Valley, Cil. ltemenvi, tin violinist, has a col lection of 1500 ethno ogical specimens, which be propi.se t) exhibit at the Woi IPs Fair. Piofesscr BitTa-1? Brescino is writ ing an Itabau verslo.i of Bret Harte's p etrj, w ith an essay on Ameiican po ts and noveLsts. Oorge E' iot once wrote that sho knew no such ined cine for tired nerv- s a Matching His movements of a flock of ducks William I)e"ann re, aged 103 years, died recenily at K.tst Liverpool, Olno. He serve ! io the war of 1812 and the war with Mexico "dl has been -irk at the depth of 20 5 feet at ya:t-erown, Peun. Tbe sand iniliciit s a urge quantity of oil of sui e. Io.' quality . Tbe ina-n-iiO'li diamond now beliu cut in Antw-rp. Belgium, is tw au I a half mcl.ej ri 1 -nglh and nearly two laches in diameter. A ru? thirteen feet square and contaltdng 2"t st tcbes to the inch has ' een lol l ia L ;ii Ion, England, for nearly $5(;0 . TIim piessi re of travel on tht Bi'ooMyn Bridge has become so great i hat n-w tracks are to be laid over tbe present roadbed. Tie artistic wink of the spiJer In spiiini' g 'i s web is shown by the fact thai it takes 30,0 10 of tbe flue strands to cover .in in h of space. li gle bee, w th all its Industry, r-neigy and innumerable Journeys It has to i eiTi.i in, wdl not collect more than a t-asio iiful of honey in a single bt-a- joll. Ncai Tampa, Fla., a wealthy Cuban firm is making clars at $-00 pertuous m i. Ti ese cigirs are smoked by Euiopt dn priuce . Th : Chinese or Los Angeles, Cal , have :: i,t a gorgeous new joss-bouse, the carvings an : altar ot which aro valued nl ov r f2 ',0;)0. The German K dser ever Ins'sts uoou a due observance of dress on tin par' of the little princes. The liitle febows must change their clothes at least three times a day. Jeff'T-op, a to vn mar Fort Do 'go, 'o. repors aa inverted rainbow, li made Its n earai ee at sunrise, Just above the horizon. V petrified bu.n in body was tak -u fr-iin a Phitbpsburg. N. Y., oem-ter-. , one d y recently. The body was buried sixtten years ago. An English c uirt has lately im posed a fine of $750 upon a lam' I. .rl for heedless stowln? guests aav in damp teds, there0 causing di ne s. Fifteen Presidents wore smoo'h fact s, four wore beard and mustache two wore s de wh skers, one wore beard and side g'owth, and one wore mus t icbe a'o'je. flitherto the British bushel has been ieckon'd as sixtv-one ponn s of gr i'n, hut a cbani'e having been made !n the slaudaid v eight the bushel in future is to be deCned by six y I oumls. Grass seed is a nuisance In parts of .Ne South Wales. It is injurious to the mouths of horses and cattle, and h ts '.'esiroyed the first crop of lucern. Tiie w orst see J is that of the barley grass. A movement Is on foot to restore and preserve Andrew Jackson's old home in Tennessee, "The Hermit ige." It Is intended to beautify the old man sion and turn It into a National mu seum. At the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia, the admissions from Ma 10 to November 10, J 876, numbered 9,9J0,96C; but the total cash receipts from this source were only $3,813,724- The largest oui put of Iron from a blast furnace in a single month was made at Bradford, Ponn., last Janu ary. The total output was 12.70G gross tons, or a i av.rage of nearly 4.1C tons daily. A Dexter (Me.) man received $5 from a friend rece..tu to whom be bad loaued ttiat amount tenty-five years, ago. Accompanying tliB payment w s a diamond ring of largo value as inter est. A muscular colored man 'n An n del county, Mary'am', killed an infuria ted bull which attat ke 1 him by seiz ne tte animal by the herns and throw ing bun with violence sufficient to break his neck. Bert Faton of Napa, Cab, owns a four-legged chlck-n. The two extra legs grow out of tte bo ly at the place usually occupied by the tail and are of the same shape and size of tbe oiler legs. The chicken Is now two months old and is strong and healthy. Along the Arctic Coast men cut off the hair on top of their heads, so that they look like monks, the object belns to avo'd scaring the canbou by the flutti r of their Ijcks. The Esqui maux ai foi t of eggs not yet hatched, but about to e. t: r L
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers