30 CRUISE OF STEAMER OORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



3 inches long all around, but the women wear their hair in two long plaits and have it cut short 

 over the eyes, after the manner of our ladies in more civilized quarters. All dress in furs, and the 

 women usually uncover the right arm and breast when at work or waiting upon the men. They 

 are apparently not affected in the least by exposure to the cold. Th >y are good natured and very 

 honest. They are persistent beggars, especially for tobacco, which they prize very highly and for 

 which they will trade anything, being perfect slaves to it. All use it, even the children, mothers 

 often taking tobacco from the mouth and giving it to the children just learning to walk. The 

 young children are sewed up in furs, nothing but a small part of the face being visible, which 

 gives them an odd appearance, and it appeared wonderful that they were able to walk at all. 



They have no form of worship, and no Sunday, holiday, or day of rest. They keep no record 

 of time except by moons, and cannot tell their ages. They live principally upon the meat of the 

 seal, and of course the men become very expert in catching these animals. The patience they show 

 in hunting the seal is wonderful. A native sometimes crawls half a mile upon hands and knees 

 through pools of water to approach near enough to strike one with a harpoon, and after all this 

 trouble the seal will often escape. The women skin the animals and prepare the meat for eating. 

 They are very expert with the knife, handling it with a dexterity which would do credit to any 

 market butcher. Many parts of the seal are eaten raw, and none is cooked much. The eyes are 

 considered a great delicacy, and are given to the men, who usually stand by while the dissection 

 is going on, with whips to keep away the dogs. Often one more cunning than the rest evades the 

 watchers and steals a piece of meat, with which he makes off, followed closely by the rest of the 

 pack, and a rough and tumble fight ensues. 



The walrus is also an important article of food, but there are only certain times of the year 

 when it can be caught. The killing of the first walrus of the season is an important event, and is 

 celebrated by a peculiar ceremony, which was witnessed at Tapkan. Walrus being seen in the 

 offing, all the male population of the village went out in their boats, to capture them, and after a long 

 chase they were successful, having caught three. As all the people were concerned in the capture, 

 the animals were divided among them, the owners of the boats being entitled to the head and skin 

 in addition to their share of the meat. After the division the people gathered in the chief's hut, 

 the walrus head was placed in the center, and the chief's youngest son took three pieces of rein- 

 deer meat and the same of fat and seal meat, and placing these in the uiouth of the walrus, he 

 took three other pieces and threw them in different directions. After this the chief made a speech, 

 and took five pieces each of the fat and meat, and going to the place where their winter supply is 

 stored, threw four of the pieces in different directions, while the fifth was thrown in the center of 

 the storehouse. All were then given a piece of fat and meat to eat. 



The milk of the deer is cooked and eaten. They have no bread and no substitute for it, but 

 in the spring the bulbous root of a small plant is cooked and eaten. It is something like the 

 potato. Eggs and birds are also used for food. 



These people are very inquisitive, and travelers must be constantly on the watch to keep them 

 from sticking their fingers, which are never clean, in the food, to sample it. 



They have no written language, and cannot understand the use of letters, expressing much 

 astonishment at seeing members of the party making notes with pencil and papers, which, however, 

 they tried to imitate. The young girls often indulge in a dance, which consists of various contor- 

 tions of the body, and is accompanied by a deep, hard-breathing noise. The young men and boys 

 do not dance. They seem to think it inconsistent with the dignity of a man. 



Each village has a chief or headman, though he appears to have no privilege which is denied 

 to others, except that presents of meat and skin are made to him once a year, sometimes oftener 

 if they are very successful in hunting. Upon the death of the chief his oldest sou inherits the 

 title. In case he has no son, the oldest sou of his oldest brother inherits the title. 



Their marriage ceremony is very simple. The parties go through the usual form of love making, 

 the girl showing her preference for the man by working for him. The man then makes known 

 his wishes to the girl's parents, who decide upon the price he must give for the daughter, which 

 usually consists of a number of deer skins or walrus-hides. When all is arranged satisfactorily 

 the people of the village are notified, and they gather at a certain place where the ceremony is to 



