|
In The News
The Eskimo Bulletin.
The Only Yearly in the World.
Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska
Vol. III
July, 1897
BRYAN ELECTED.
Special Dog-sled Dispatch.
GOLOVING BAY, Mar. 25 - Bryan is President, and U.S. is at war with
Spain. This news comes from the Yukon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHIEF KOKITUK'S DEATH
Shot and Stabbed by Two Brothers.
His Brother is His Avenger.
On the night of Jan. 2, '97, the people were aroused from their slumber
by the startling news that the young chief, Kokituk had been shot and
stabbed to death by Setartuk and his brother, Eraheruk, and that
Setartuk was mortally wounded. It was difficult to get an unprejudiced
account of the sad affair. But one person witnessed the beginning, and
no one, the end of the fight.
On the afternoon of Jan. 2, Kokituk invited Setartuk to his house to
drink with him. They soon became tipsy and S. returned to his home.
After dark, S. refusing to accept a second invitation, K. armed with a
revolver, and crazed with rum, went to the north end of the village,
where he found S. and opened fire upon him. After he had emptied the
chambers of his revolver, he and S. were in the act of using their
knives, when a young man, attracted by the noise, came up and took a
knife away from each of them and started the young Chief towards his
home. But it seems that S. had a knife secreted under his artega and
pursued the unarmed chief. S. was soon joined by his brother, Ereheruk,
who was armed with a rifle. They stabbed and shot K. several times
before they succeeded in killing him.
For several weeks after this, S. kept inside of his house, his relatives
claiming that he was mortally wounded and could live but a short time.
But it soon became known that the revolver had inflicted only harmless
flesh wounds. This practiced deception served not to increase the spirit
of revenge among the Selawhameets (K's people), but caused them to fear
a night attack from S. For weeks, excitement ran high. A watch was kept
day and night. Rude shutters were constructed to bar their sky-windows
and doors. People remained in doors after dark. Night school had to be
abandoned.
Kokituk's only brother, Okbaok, inherited most of his property. It
consisted of a frame house, comeaxs dogs, sleds, thong, ivory, marten,
beaver, fox, wolf, wolverine, land otter, and deer skins. He is a bright
young man, about twenty years old and unlike all his people, temperate.
Although custom appointed him to avenge his brother's death, he seemed
loth to fight and would have gone to the Reindeer Sta. for a few months
but for his father, Chief Elignok, who demanded he should stay here and
do his duty.
In Mar., Okbaok, while seal-hunting on the ice, came upon Ereheruk and
shot him in self-defence, according to the Eskimo code. A few nights
after this, S. and his relatives loaded their dog-sleds, and retreated
to an up-coast settlement. In June, he and his people, twenty-one in
number, shipped on a whaler for Herschell Island.
Previous to the Fall of '95, when he and his sister took to distilling
and drinking, Setartuk was a peaceable young man. Drink made him a
desperate character. During the Winter he had tried repeatedly to kill
his father-in-law, [sic] had shot three times at a man who had protested
when he was maltreating his wife, and had made a drunken threat, that he
would take the life of the Gov. teacher.
He had assaulted Kokituk's house on two different nights, bursting the
door and breaking the lock. When asked to acknowledge his wrong by
paying a small piece of thong, he boldly refused, and later, threatened
the young Chief's life.
Although Eskimo chiefs have no authority, K. often expressed himself as
being more than willing to exercise authority here, if backed by the
U.S. Cutter. No doubt when he deliberately planned to kill Setartuk, he
thought he would receive the approval of the people.
Kokituk was a shrewd, intelligent, and ambitious young man about
twenty-eight years old. He had always been a successful trader and
hunter, having killed one whale, and more white bears than any other
native here. Last Summer, he bartered for lumber for a house and built
it without the assistance of civilized labor. Whisky was his worst enemy
and he knew it.
Ereheruk was a well behaved man and his friends were sorry that he
should have been drawn into a conflict by his worthless brother, which
cost him his life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soap is becoming an article of exchange at the Cape.
Why can we not have an over-land mid-winter mail?
Who knows, but a few years hence, Alaska's gold out-put may reverse the
cry of 16-1.
Our "Bryan Elected" dispatch originated from a practical joke played on
a Yukon steamer. It caused no appreciable excitement among our people,
however.
We hope our Eastern exchanges will not consider the "Bulletin" too
sensational. A paper printed so far west of San Francisco, must
necessarily contain some sensational news.
The regulation of the U.S. Treas. Dept., which prohibited the sale of
repeating rifles to Eskimos, has at last been abolished. This should
have been done several years ago when recommended by Capt. Healy and
others.
If owners of whaling vessels could visit the whisky-drenched coast of
Siberia, they would undoubtedly see the wisdom of prohibiting a traffic,
which has already crippled, and will soon destroy the "goose" which has
laid so many "golden eggs" for them.
It is to be hoped that Capt. Tuttle, of the U.S.R.M. Str. Bear, will be
able [to] devise measures which will prevent further distilling here.
The seizure of all the old gun-barrels, kegs, caskets, and oil cans,
might give these natives an object lesson, which in in connection with
some timely remarks, they would not soon forget.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DE WINDT RETURNS TO CIVILIZATION.
Abandons His "To England by Land."
Special to the "Bulletin."
INDIAN PT. Siberia, Oct. 20, 96. -- Harry De Windt, the English
explorer, and servant, whom the Bear brought over from St. Michaels,
Alaska and landed her in Sept., after having been delayed, deceived, and
annoyed for seven weeks by Chief Kohora and his people, have given up
their trip across Siberia and have taken passage to Unalaska on the
steam Whaler, Belvedere.
Mr. DeWindt came over-land to St. Michaels. He is a veteran traveller,
having inspected many of the Siberian prisons, and in '90, journeyed
from Pekin to Calais. This treatment from lawless Siberian Eskimos who
have luxuriated in American rum for two decades, was no doubt an
unanticipated experience.
He had probably been misinformed about the conditions to be met with in
this region. According to the Washington Post, a Vancouver skipper, who
suggested the long journey to Mr. DeWindt, represented that he, himself,
had crossed Bering Strait on the ice seven times.
Eskimos cross the Strait in skin boats every Summer. Since '90, they
have been able to cross but once on the ice. They say, but few natives
now living, and no whites, have ever made this 50 miles' journey on the
ice.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCALS.
The squirrel crop was a failure.
Pikuenna shot a white bear in Jan.
An epidemic threatened our town in the Fall.
Several whales were seen, but none captured.
Mr. Hanna visited the Mission herder's camp in Feb.
In Jan., Apr., and May, our native were on short rations.
An August mail from the States, via St. Michaels, arrived in Dec.
Ne-ak-puk' caught eleven seals in one night, with nets placed under the
ice.
The extremes in temperature were, minus 39 in Mar., and plus 96 in June.
May and June proved good months for walrusing. About 300 were killed.
Nes'-ver'nal's son, while seal hunting in a kiyak last Oct., was lost.
It is supposed the kiyak capsized.
A small building boom struck our town last Summer. Three new buildings
(above ground) were erected. Plenty of town lots are left, however,
which can be purchased for a "song."
Rev. T. L. Brevig and Dr. Kittilsen came up from Port Clarence in a
whale-boat last Oct., and spent a few days in the city visiting friends
and selecting trimmings for their winter garments.
Sokweena, while herding reindeer, found a lynx hiding behind a tuft of
grass. [He killed it.]
Capt. Newth towed a whale ashore for the Diomedes natives.
The Whaling fleet this year is composed of ten steamers and one
schooner.
Capt. Cogan raised two whales while anchored here June 6.
The Narwhal tied up to the ice here on May 24, and gave us the news,
that McKinley was elected and Corbett defeated.
Capt. & Mrs. McGregor, while taking in the sights of the metropolis,
July 15, visited the office of the "Bulletin."
Capt. Williams took advantage of a South wind and went to Pt. Hope
before coaling. He reports that out of thirty-two whales caught there,
only two were big ones.
While Capt. B. F. Tilten's Str., Alexander, was hauling on a big whale
(third this season) near E. Cape, the top-mast broke and fell on one of
the boat steerers, killing him instantly.
Why have so many whales and walrus been captured in the Strait this
Spring? Has the influence of the new administration reached the Arctic.
Last Oct., the flukes of a dying whale struck Mr. Warren, Mate of the
Belvedere, inflicting internal injuries, which resulted in his death the
following day.
With four bow-heads, yielding 10,000 lbs. of bone and two right-whales,
yielding 1800 lbs., the gold fields have few temptations for Capt.
Whiteside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PORT CLARENCE.
Editor of the "Bulletin."
Our burg has been very quiet this Winter. New Years day, our natives
tried to imitate yours and some were drunk; that is the only case of
distilling that has come to our knowledge here. The young people have
been very quiet, only "My Brother Fat" thawed a little in Mar., and
married Tereakput - mink.
Supt. W. A. Kjellmann, with the Laplanders, Mik-kel Nakkels and Pehr
Rist, started on their trip of exploration, Dec. 15, '96, and returned
April 25, 97, having reached the Moravian Mission on the lower
Kuskokwim.
May 4, Mrs. Beret Eira died after two months sickness, leaving a
husband, and two children, the youngest, a child eighteen months old,
wish is also very sick.
Among the natives, five old persons have died and some infants. Food has
been scarce this Spring.
The average attendance at school has been a trifle less than last year.
But those that have attended have been more regular than ever before.
Mrs. Kemi has been sick the whole year.
"Thrasher" has solved the problem why the Eskimo is poor by declaring --
"Too much eat."
T. L. Brevig,
May 25, 1897.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
W. T. Lopp and Kiy-yearzruk drove two deer sleds down through the
mountains in Jan., visiting the Station and herd.
Chief Oyello and family from Pt. Barrow are the latest apprentices
enrolled at the U.S. Reindeer Sta.
Dr. Kittilsen has traveled more than 1,000 miles on deer sleds this
Winter.
A little "Missionary" (girl) was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gambell at St.
Lawrence Island, April 13.
The success attending this third year of the Mission herd of domestic
reindeer at the Cape, speaks well for the faithfulness and skill of our
Eskimo herders, all of whom are Christians. The herd has increased from
115 to 360. Our herders have an original method of their own for milking
deer, and in the Summer months, bring us many bottles of delicious milk,
richer than that of any Jersey. Driving is no longer an unknown art.
Each of them has driven more than 500 miles during the Winter.
It is an exhilarating pleasure to drive a team of fleet-footed deer.
They trot along at the rate of 4 to 8 miles per hour. Often when
travelling at a great speed, they skim their noses over the surface of
the snow, and scoop up a mouth full, reminding one of a locomotive
taking water when at full speed.
through the kindness of Capt. Tuttle, we received part of the mail and a
big Christmas box from Dr. Storrs' "boys," at the early date of June 25.
Through the liberality of Mrs. W. T. Hatch, one of the substantial
supporters of the Boys' Miss'y Society of Dr. Storrs' church, we are
able to print Vol. III of the Bulletin in regular typographical style.
The press has been used to print original lessons for the School.
The people were surprised that no calamity fell upon the Christian
natives who refused to observe the superstitious customs after netting
white-whales.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE LORD'S PRAYER IN ESKIMO.
At-ta-tah, tat-pom-un-e it-uk. Tane-am-uk ut-ka tela-gwa-ah, o-tuk-le ta-man-e.
Et-e-kah en-uk-sa-re-ak-ta man-e it-oon-e, as-ing-yah puk murn e it too
ut un. I tai tig oot oo bloe m een ya na rix um ik. Pit ko tig oot wug
oot, otla seole wug-oot pitkule uk wug it. Az se zru uk pit poi tig it,
e ga yu ha lu ta. Idl e-vin, ke se ma e lup non pe ge ye tin. Idl e vin
ke se ma, sa yak ta zroo uk, na gooz ru uk, is son ne.
Di men a piz rung a.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A CURIOUS ARMOR.
A very ancient armor, made of bits of iron lashed together with thong,
has been found here. Being fashioned after the old Japanese armor, it
undoubtedly throws some light on the ethnology of this people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN-NE, with hall, kitchen, living room, and elevated cache for sale.
MADL-IK.
|
