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iiS?^
QUEBEC GARRISON CLUB
LECTURES
GIVEN AT THE
QUEBEC GARRISON CLUB
jSN
1888-g^
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QUEBEC GARRISON CLUB
LECTURES
I ; I
GIVEN AT THE
QUEBEC GARRISON CLUB
4
I <— I
1888-9
^ff
-T^
Quebec, i^^ January, 1889.
QUEBEC GARRISON CLUB
ESTABLISHED 1 I»h SEPTEMBER, 1 8 79
PATRON
His Excellency, Lord Stanley of Preston, Governor
General of Canada.
HONORARY MEMBERS
His Honor the Honble A. R. Angers, Lt-Governor of the
Province of Quebec.
Hon. Sir A. P. Caron, Minister of Militia.
Major General Sir Fred. Middleton, Commanding Mili-
tia of Canada.
Colonel Walker Powell, Adjt. General.
- PRESIDENT
Lieut-Colonel T. J. DucHESNAY, D. A. G., Commanding
7th Military District.
_4--
VICE-PRKSIDENT
Lt-Colonel J. Bell Forsyth, Commandincj " Queen's
Own Can<idian Hussars. "
HONORARY TREASURER
Lt-Colonel J. F. Turnbull, Commanding Royal School
of Cavalry.
HONORARY SECRETARY
Major Crawford Lindsay, Commanding Quebec Field
Battery,
SECRET/\ RY TREASURER
Lt-Colonel ARTHUR Evanturel, 9th Battalion. " Volti-
geurs de Quebec. "
COMMITTEE
Lt-Colonel L. P. VOHL. (Retired List).
Lt-Colonel C. E. Montizambert, Commanding Royal S.
A. & Asst. Insp. of Artillery
Lt-Colonel G. Amyot, Commanding 9th Battalion, " Vol-
tigeurs de Quebec. "
Lt-Colonel Thos. Roy, 9th Battalion, " Voltigeurs de
Quebec."
Lt-Colonel H. J. Miller, Commanding 8th Battalion,
" Royal Rifles. "
Major Chas. J. Short, Commanding •' B " Battery, R. C. A.
Major J. E. Prower, 8th Battalion, " Royal Rifles. "
Capt. J. George Garneau, •• Quebec Field Battery. "
Dr Hy. Russell, Surgeon, Q. O. C. H.
Capt. E. H. J. Heward, Royal School of Cavalry.
AUDITORS
Capt Ed. B. Garneau.
Capt. T. iNGLis Poston, 8th R. R.
1
LECTURE
Delivered at the Quebec Garrison Club, on the 27th No-
vember 1888, by Major Oscar Prevost, Superintendent
of the Governmtnt Cartridge Factory, Quebec.
SUBJECT :— L'ARTILLERIE ET LES EXPLOSIFS DE
NOTRE EPOQUE.
. ^1
Messieurs,
Vous m'avez fait Thonneur, par I'entremise des membres
du comite dece club, de m'inviter a donner une conference
sur un sujet militaire et je viens, en reponse a cette invitation
vous entretenir ce soir de " I'artillerie et des explosifs de
nos jours " ; sujet tres vaste sans doute, mais que je
m'efforcerai dc traiter de la maniere la plus complete
possible sans abuser de votre bienveillante attention.
Depuis bientot trente ans, Messieurs, vous le savez, on
travaille dans I'artillerie des diverses puissances civilis^es,
a resoudre un probleme de perfectionnement dont les
'premieres donnees furent poshes sur les champs de bataille
de Solferino et de Magenta, lorsque les canons ray^s de
Napoleon III, les premieres de ce genre qui aient ^te mis
en usage en campagne, decim^rent a des portees inconnues
jusqu'alors les reserves de I'armee Autrichienne.
Queiques annees plus tard,les sanglantes defaites de 1870
attestaient encore I'importance de Tartillerie perfectionn^e
dans les combats.
Cette fois la France s'^tait laiss^ devancer par une nation
rivale et les pieces de rartillerie fran9aise lourdes et inf^-
rieures en port^e ainsi qu'en justesse de tir aux canon»
Prussiens, se voyaient souvent Torches de se retirer d'une
lutte qu'elles ne pouvaient soutenir.
\
— 6 —
Jc ne snurais m'occuper de remploi de I'artillerte au point
de vue tactique en campagne, dans les guerres de si^ge,
dans la defense des forteresses, ou encore dans la marine.
Cet aspect du sujet tout int^ressant qu'il devrait ^tre,
traits m6me bri^vement, m'est interdit par le temps
disponible.
Je m'attacherai done a consid^rer Tartillerie moderne at^
point de vue passif, c'est-il-dire, de son mat<$riel et plus
particuli^rement des bouchrs k feu.
Deux syst^mes ont divis^ les opinions des experts
dans la cornstruction des pieces d'artillerie depuis qu'on
utilise les pieces ray^es : Le syst^me du chargement par
la bouche et celui du chargement par la culasse.
Les artilieui^ francais se sont port^s, jusqu'en 1870, en
faveur du chargement des pieces par la bouche et* les
allemands, Herr Krupp en tete, ont adopts le chargement
par la culasse.
Les anglais attaches tout d'abord k ce dernier syst^me
qu' Armstrong avait utilise dans les premieres pieces ray^es
qui aient ^te construites en Angleterre, I'abandonnerent
ensuite pour le chargement par la bouche et reviennent
maintenant au syst^me par la culasse que les fran^ais
avaient, k leur tour, presque exclusivement suivi depuis
18 ans.
L'un et I'autre chargement offre certains avantages et
desavantages.
La fermeture dans le syst^me a culasse mobile est un
point faible qu'on est parvenu cependant a perfectionner,
et I'appareil de fermeture du colonel de Bange, adopte en
France d'abord et ensuite en Angleterre, parait etre celui
qui jusqu'ici ait le mieux rempli les conditions requises.
L'obturateur de Bange consiste en une tSie mobile convexe
en acier, selon la description technique " en forme de tete
de champignon," qui s'engage dans un cylindre filet^, k
pans interrompus, se vissant dans la culasse.
L'obturateur est garni d'un coussin annulaire compost
d'amiante enduite de suif, que recouvre une garniture de
feuillard de zinc renforc^ d'anneaux mobiles en cuivre qui
s'appliquent sur les parois de la pi^ce et scellent hermeti-
quement le joint de l'obturateur et de la culasse. au
moment de I'explosion de la charge (voir figure).
iir trwirrm-rT — " -
On con^oit quels avantages peut donner le chargement
par la culassc si Ton veut se rappeler qu'aujourd'hui, dans
la defense des ports fortifies et dans la marine, il faut
pouvoir perforer, souvent h des distances assez conside-
rables, des blindages de fer et d'acier qui atteignent une
^paisseur de 16, 18, 24 et meme 30 pouces. Car on en est
arrive a blinder dans la marine, avec des plaques en acier,
le fer n'offrant plus assez de resistance dans les limites de
poids que peut flotter un navire sans devenir tout a fait
impropre h la manoeuvre.
Les experiences faites k Gavre, en France, en 1883
avec des plaques en acier. fabriqu^s pour la marine fran-
9ai.se, dans les usines des messieurs Schneider, au Ct'eusot.
ont d^montre qu'une pi^ce lan^ant un projectile de fonte
trempee d'un poids de 760 livres environ, avec une
Vitesse de 1450 pieds k la seconde au moment de I'impact,
ne pouvait perforer une plaque en acier de 16 pouces
d'epaisseur. Je dois reniarquer cependant, que si au
projectile en fonte trempee, on eut .substitue un obus en
acier forg^ tel qu'on en fabrique maintenant en France
en Angleterre et ailleurs, il est tr^s probable pour ne pas
dire certain qu'on eut r^ussi k perforer la plaque dont on
s'est servi dans cette experience,
Quoiqu'il en soit I'industrie n'avait pas dit son dernier
mot en cette circonstance, car on fabrique maintenant au
Creusot, des blindages en acier d'une epaisseur bien plus
considerable, ils atteignent 60 centimetres (environs 24
pouces), une largeur de 3 metres, (environ 10 pieds),
et pesent 70 tonnes. «
La lutte a laquelle nous assistons depuis plusieurs ann^es,
entre blindages et canons, n'est done pas encore termin^e
tant s'en faut ; k peine a-t-on construit une pi^ce qui puisse
perforer le blindage le plus resistant, qu'on se hate aussitot
de fabriquer un blindage plus resistant encore et en adop-
tant les plaques en acier ou doublees d'acier, on a simple-
ment prolong^ la lutte.
Mais pour produire des eiTets disruptifs aussi considerable
que ceux qe Ton cherche a obtenir avec les pieces
d'artillerie modernes, il l^ut un d^ploiement de forces
mecaniques en rapport On a done dti augmenter le poids
des charges de poudre et celui des projectiles, ainsi que
; ,
— 8
que le calibre et le poids des pieces, pour < n arriver a
construire des canons de lOO tonnes et au-deli ayant un
calibre de plus de 17 poUces lan^ant un projectile de
2000 livres avec une charge de 478 livres fie poudre,
produisant une force perforante de 33-570 foot-tons.
Les canons de 100 tonnes construits par Sir W.
Armstrong, pour la marine Italienne, ont une longueur de
36 pieds et se chargent par la bouche. Or il est assez
difficile, supposant les condition les plus favorab es, de
charger, meme avec des refouloirs hydrauliques. des
pieces de cette longueur, portant une charge et un projectile
d'un poids aussi considerable.
De graves accidents, attribuables a I'excessive longueur
des pieces se chargeant par la bouche, aux difficultes de
leur chargement et a I'emploi de refouloirs hydrauliques,
les seuls cependant dont on puisse se servir avec les hauts
calibres, de graves accidents, dis-je, se sont produits il n'y
a pas tres longtemps.
Vous vous rappelez sans doute encore, I'explosion de-
sastreuse 'qu'on cut a deplorer il y a quelques annees, a
bord du cuirasse anglais le Thunderer. II a fallu recon-
naitre, apres bien des perquisitions, que I'accident etait
attribuable a I'usage d'un refoulo'r hydraulique dans une
piece HI tourelU. Cette piece ayant rate avec une premiere
charge, en re^ut une seconde, les servants de piece assour-
dis par la decharge d'une piece contigue ne s'etaient pas
aperfu du rate d'etoupille qui s'ctait produit, une seconde
mise du feu determina rexplosion de la double charge et
la rupture de cette piece de 80 tonnes, dont les debris
tuerent une vingtaine d'artilleurs qui faisaient le service
de la tourelle.
Cat accident n'eut evidemment pu se produire avec le
chargement par la culasse, car, en ouvrant la culasse pour
y mettre une nouvelle charge, on se fut de suit aper^u que
la piece etait encore charge.
II est vrai de dire que Ton peut dans d'autres situations
se servir d'un refouloir ordinaire pour operer le charge-
ment, mais ce mode necessite, avec les grosses pieces, I'em-
ploi d'un grand nombre d'hommes pour refouler des pro-
jectiles d'un poids aussi considerable. Les manoeuvres du
chargement se compliquent alors singulierement." D'autre
— 9 —
part pour qu'une charge de poudre aussi ^norme que celle
que Ton emploie puisse se consumer enti^rement et pro-
duire tout son effet utile dans la piece, il faut que celle-ci
ait une certaine longueur, car on doit avec des charges
d'un volume aussi grand, employer une poudre brulant
lentement surtout dans des pieces construites en fer forg^
pour n'avoir pas a augmenter outre mesure I'^paisseur et
le poids des bouches a feu.
Cependant, et c'est ce qu'on est a faire, en substituant
au fer forge I'emploi de I'acier dans les pieces de tous ca-
libres, on obtient des canons plus legers en m^me temps
aussi solides et permettant de se servir de poudre plus
vive et d'obtenir par la des resultats mecaniqucs plus
puissants.
II n'y a pas tres longtemps que I'emploi deTacier dans
la fabrication des pieces d'artillcrie esc devenu presque
general.
Cependant Herr Krupp, des 1847, fabriquait des canons
d'acier et en 1855 il soumettait au gouvernement Prussien,
une piece rayee faite entierement de ce metal. En 1867 il
construisit une piece en acier de 14 pouces et du poids de
50 tonnes^ qui fut soumise a des epreuves tr^s serieuses et
donna des resultats remarquables.
Sans entrer dans des details qui nous entraineraient
trop loin, remarquons, en passant, que la construction des
pieces en acier d'un calibre eleve, presente de grandes
difficultes surtout lorsqu'il s'agit de produirc des lingots
d'un metal parfaitement homogene, d'un poids conside-
rable qui s'eleve dans certains cas a 20 tonnes et plus.
Quoique je ne veuille pas faire disgression dans le domaine
de la metallurgie, je ne puis cependant me dispenser de
dire un mot sur un sujet qui se rclie si intimement h I'art
de la construction des pieces d'artillerie de notre epoque,
je veux parler de la production de I'acier.
Par quel myst^rleux efifet, dans la cementation, le fer se
trouve il change en acier lorsqu'il est chauffe, dans
certaines conditions, en contact avec le charbon ? La
chimie moderne n'a pu encore le decouvrir. Elle se
contente de constater le fait et par I'analyse elle determine
que le fer s'est Combing a i pour cent de carbone pour
devenir acier. Le procdd^suivi par Krupp, k Essen, jusqu'^
■■■
-10-
ces derni^rcs ann^es, consistait dans remploi de I'acier ainsi
c^mente en barres, puis rompu par morceaux de certaines
dimension, et a le fondre dans des creusets de 30 livres
environ chauiTes a temp<f nature de fusion dans des fourneaux
speciaux. Ceproced^, dont un des moindres inconvenients
^taitde necessiter remploi de plusieurs centainesd'hommes
pour couler des linofots d'un poids de 16 tonnes, a ete heu-
reusement remplace par le procede Siemens Martin qui per-
met de couler d'un seul jet et dans des conditions bien plus
^conomiques, des linf^ots d'acier d*un grand poids et d'une
qualite parfaitement homogene. Le procede Siemens Mar-
tin consiste essentiellement en un systeme de fournaises,
alimentees par des generateurs de gaz et pourvues de
chambres dites regeneratrices de chaleur, qui peuvent
fondre et transformer sur leurs vastes soles des quantites
considerables de fonte ordinaire auxquelies on ajoute
dans le cours de I'op^ration, les substances requises pour
produire la carburation necessaire k raci^rification de la
masse.
A Sir Joseph Whitworth de Manchester, revient I'hon-
neurd'avoirle premier traite I'acier ainsi produit et encore
k I'etat liquide, par la compression de puissantes presses
hydrauliques, soumettant ainsi I'acier liquide contenu dans
un nioule d'une S3 idite suffisante et des dimensions re-
quises, a une pression s'elevant quelquesfois a 6 tonnes au
pouce Carre. II produit ainsi des lingots d'acier parfai-
tement homogene, dont le poids s'eleve souvent a 45 ton-
nes et plus.
Cette compression chasse du metal toutes bulles de gaz
ou impuretes qui pourraient s'y rencontrer et qui seraient
dans le cas de produire des strics ou des cavites dans le
metal et developper ainsi des points faibles qui le ren-
drait impropre. entre autres usages, a la constructions des
pieces' d'artillerie. ♦
On voit done jusqu'a quel point, les progres de la m^tal-
lurgie, dans ces dernieres annees, ont eu d'influence sur le
perfectionnement de I'art de construire les pieces d'artil-
lerie moderne.
Ainsi, par le procede Whitworth, Tacier liquide soumis
h une pression ^norme, se coagule sous Teflfet de cette pres-
sion, se refroidit et sort du moule qui I'a contenu, une
— 11 —
masse de metal dense, pur, hbmogene capable de soute. tr
au besoin, apr^s qu'il aura ^te forge par la forge hydrau-
lique, une tension, sans se rompre, de 98 tonnes au pouce
carre.
Voici en effet encore un precede tout particulier en
usage dans les ateliers Whitworth, ailleurs on forge sous
le choc de marteaux a vapeur, Whitworth substitue a ce
choc I'effet d'un comprimeur, ou forge hydraulique, si je
puis ainsi I'appeler.
Au choc se substitue la pression continue, perseverante
et irresistible, d'un piston mu par une forte pression d'eau
dans un cylindre tres solide. Sous cette pression, les mole-
cules du metal prea'ablement porte a une haute tempera-
ture, se rapprochent dans toute la masse qui en meme
temps prend la forme requise pour devenir soit un tube
interne, ou une frette, ou toute autre partie constituante
d'une piece d'artillerie. Car on con^oit qu'il ne s'agit plus
de couler ou de forger d'une seulc piece nos canons moder-
nes. Des difficultes sans nombre s\i,rgiraient dans I'exe-
cution d'une fabrication de cette nature et les moyens ac-
tuels de I'industrie ne sauraient en garantir le succes. II faut
construire par sections, ces enormes bouches a feu. Encore
n'y a t'il pas bien des annees, qu'en Angleterre on dut se
resigner a employer un tube interne en deux sections pour
les canons de 100 tonnes construits par Armstrong & Cie.
Aujourd'hui, mieux outilles, on reussit a faire pour les
pieces meme les plus considerables, des tubes internes
coules en un seul lingot d'acier, fores, ensuite rayes et fin s
dans des tours d'une puissiince enorme.
Voici en peu de mots le mode de construction adopte
generalement, a present, en Europe : ayant pour base un
tube interne en acier de dimensions determinees par le
calibre de la piece projetee, on glisse a chaud sur ce tube
un manchon ou frette aussi en acier auquel s'attachent les
tourillons et ce manchon, en se refroidissant, eprouve un
retrait qui le fixe a demeure sur le tube interne qu'il en-
toure. Sur ce manchon ou frette, s'adaptent un nombre
variable d'anneaux, de largeur et d'epaisseur convenable,
qui se fixent aussi h chaud et qui, par leur retrait, produi-
sent finalement une construction parfaitement solide et
— 12 —
/
pr^sentant une resistance tr^s considerable aux chocs dis-
ruptits produits par I'explosion des charges (voir figure).
En se rappelant que ces forces disruptives s'elevent a i8
tonnes au pouce carre et parfois a plus, on ne peut douter
de quel importance, dans la construction de nos pieces
modernes, devient le choix des materiaux aussi bien que
leur disposition et la precision dans leur fabrication et
dans leur emploi.
Aussi voit-on dans ces grands etablissements, a Wool-
wich, chez Armstrong et Whitworth en Angleterre ; k
Ruelle, a Bourges, a St-Chamond, au Creusot en France,
ainsi qu'a Essen chez Krupp, les instruments les plus ex-
acts mis en usage pour determiner les qualites physiques
des metaux destinees a la fabrication des pieces d'artillerie,
en meme temps que, dans le laboratoire, on etudie leur
composition chimique avec des precautions minutieuses.
Le temps me manque pour decrire ces instruments aussi
ingenieux que perfectionnes, qu'il me suffice de dire qu'a-
vec ces instruments on essaie chique lingot d'acier avant
que de le mettre en usage.
La piece ainsi construite, est soumise h des epreuves
pour determiner sa solidite et ses qualites ballistiques. Ces
derni^res epreuves sont indispensables surtout pour I'adop-
tion de nouveaux modeles. Car I'artilleur aura pu deter-
miner mathematiquement certaines conditions qui ont du
guider dans la construction de la piece, mais restent des
donnees a obtenir qui ne peuvent etre acquises que par la
voie experimentale.
Quelle poudre emploira t'on.de quelles dimensions seront
les projectiles, leur forme, leur poids, tels sont les proble-
mes qu'il s'agit de resoudre. A I'aide d'instrumcnts inge-
nieux, cfans lesquels I'electricite enregistre, au millieme de
seconde pres, les unites de temps relativement aux espaces
parcourus, I'artilleur determine les vitesses imprimees aux
projectiles dont il peut ainsi deduire I'energie et lestrajec-
toires sous differents angles de tir. Avec le telephone et le
chror '^tre, il peut verifier I'exactitude des calculs qu'il
aur£ .- .., pour etablir la vitesse de translation du projec-
tile uans son trajet de la piece a un point determine.
Avec le Cruslur gauge, cette invention si simple et ce-
pendant si exacte dans les donnees qu'elle fournit, Tartil-
/
— 13 -
lear mesure les pressions normiles et anormales qui peu-
vent se produire dans Taitie de la pi^ce, a I'instant de I'ex-
plosion de la charge ou a tel et tel point du trajet du
projectile dans le canon,
Ainsi, a chaque pas, la science vient en aide a I'artilleur
dans sa profession, il ne peut pis plus s'en passer que le
marin de sa boussole. Pour conduire ces experiences, de
vastes champ de tir sont absolumcnt necessaires, Celui de
Meppen, annexe de la grande fabrique de Krupp, a lo
milles de longueur et 2 milles et demi de largeur, il est
pourvu de plateformes, cibles, hangars, magasins h poudre,
laboratoire, telephones, lignes telegraphiques, chronogra-
phes, observatoires et de tout, enfin, ce qui est necessaire
pour assurer le service le plus parfait.
On ne s'etonne pas de cette prodigalite de moyens
accumul^s pour ^prouver et ameliorer les pieces d'artillerie
Krupp, lorsque Ton se rend compte de la vaste etendue et
de I'importance de la fabrication qu'il s'agit de controler
et de diriger. ^ «?s ateliers Krupp employaient en 1883,
20,000 ouvri'' t assuraient la subsistance de 65,381 per-
sonnes. II wsC vrai de dire qu'on n'y fabrique pas exclu-
sivement des pieces ou du materiel d'artillerie, cependant
la plus grande parlie de la production des ateliers Krupp
se rattache k ce genre de fabrication.
L'etablissenient des messieur-; Schneider & Cie, en
France, est k peine moins considerable, 1 5,000 hommes y
sont employes et le Creusot forme un centre de population
de 30,000 ames qui siibsiste par I'exploitation des usines
des Schneider.
La philantropie la plus ^clairee, a guide ces industriels
remarquables, dans leurs rapports avec leurs ouvriers. lis
ont construit une cite ouvriere de plus de 2000 habitations
blen baties et dans des conditions hygieniques parfaites,
qui sont louees aux ouvriers qu'ils employent, a raison de
5 0/0 par an sur la valeur et avec privilege d'achat.
Chaque employe et sa famille recoivent les soins gratuits
du mcdecin et en outre une indemmite durant la maladie,
un "hopital parfaitement amenage fait partie de I'eta-
blissement, auquel sont attaches plusieurs medecins et
chirurgiens, aides d'un personnel de religieuses comme
garde malades.
Appreiciant pleinement les efifets salutaires d'une bonne
Education, d'excellentes ecoles et des Eglises spacieuses
ont ete baties dans les differents quartiers du Creusot et
quoique I'instruction ne soitpas, dans un sens, obligatoire,
cependant elle Test de fait, car personne n'est admis a
travailler dans les usines, qui ne sache au moins lire et
^crire. Ce systeme d'education a une part influente dans
le succes et le d^veloppement industriel du Creusot,
La question des salaires n'a jamais fait surgir de
difficultes entre la main d'ceuvre et le Directorat, et comme
les salaires vont en augmentant avec le temps de service
des ouvriers, salaires auxquels s'ajoutent des boni dans
les cas de superiorite marquee dans la quantite et la qualite
du travail des individus, nul part ailleurs trouve-t-on une
classe d'ouvriers plus habile, plus intelligente et plus satis-
faite, aussi chacun travaille-t-il avec ardeur comprenant
qu'il a sa part dans la responsabilite du succes.
Mais, pour en revenir plus immediatement a men sujet,
je dois vous entretenir d'un mode de fabrication des
bouthes a feu qui, par son originalite et le succes qu'il
semble promettre, merite d'attirer notre attention.
Ceux qui ont pu lire les campagnes de Gustave Adolphe
contre le Danemarck, la Suisse et la Pologne, dans des
ouvrages speciaux tel que dans Greweintz ou dans Harte
" Life of Gustavus Adolphus ", se rapi>eleront sans doute
avec quels avantages ce grand militaire se servit de son
artillerie de campagne armee de pieces tres legeres en
cuivre recouvert de plusieurs epaisseurs de cuir et de
corde de chanvre fortement enroulee, pour leur donner
plus de solidite sans les alourdir. On se represente presque,.
n'est ce pas,les canons de bois de nos vaillants de 37 et 38.
Cette idee du Souverain Suedois semble avoir ete re-
prise, a deux siecles d'intervalle, par le capitaine Schultz
de I'armee fran^aise. Celui-ci substitue cependant avec
avantage aux couches de cuir et de corde enroulees autour
d'un tube interne, un materiel plus resistant, consistant en
spirales de fil d'acier enroule avec une tension sufiisante
sur un tube interne d'acier, qui forme noyau et sur ces
couches de fil d'acier ainsi superposees, s'applique une
frette glissde k chaud et qui par son retrait,en refroidissant,
se lie intimement k tout I'appareil qu'elle maintient dans
— 15 —
un etat de solidite remarquable. Cette frette porte en
mome temps les tourillons qui servent k fixer la pi^ce sur
son affui:. Seulement, il se pr^scntait une difficulte dans le
systeme Schultz, qui semblait devoir le faire rejeter tout a
fait. Le canon Schultz resistait parfaitement aux tensions
disruptives lateraies, mais quoiqu'on cut eu recours, pour
resistor aux pressions dans la direction de la culasse, a
I'emploi de fortes tiges en acier boulonn^es k deux frettes
solidement fixees, Tune a hauteur des tourrillons et Tautre
k la culasse, la pieces succomba des la premiere epreuve
qui s'en fit a Gavre en 1883.
Presque en meme temps Sir William Armstrong cons-
truisait, en suivant le meme systeme, une piece d'un cali-
bre de 10 pouces J^, mais aux couches de fil d'acier en-
roulees tran»versalement a la piece, il ajoutait plusieurs
autres couches longitudinales agraffees dans des manchons
ou frettes fixees au tube interne et, pour ces fils, il adoptait
divers modes d'agraffes qu'un regard sur la figure fera
facilement comprendre. Le fil dont Armstrong se sert
n'est pas rond ; il afifecte la forme trapezoide.
La charge de cette piece est de 220 livres de poudre le
projectile pese 404 livres, la vitesse initiale est de 21 60
pieds a la seconde et la pression a Tinterieur est de 17
tonnes au pouce carre.
Cette question pleine d'actualite, savoir : reduirele poids
des pieces au minimum tout en augmentant au maximum
leur resistance au choc d'explosion, s'est transportee en
Amerique. On s'occupe de construire pour le departement
de la marine des Etats-Unis une piece dont voici la
description : elle est d'un calibre de 6 pouces et consiste
en un tube interne de 15 pieds de longueur, d'une frette,
ditejack£f de 7 pieds 3 pouces et d'enveloppes consolidantes
en fil d'acier enroul^es a peu pres dans les memes conditions
que ses prototypes Fran9ais et Anglais.
On a prepare des devis pour construire une piece de 8
pouces d'apres le meme systeme, destinee elle aussi au
Departement de la marine des Etats-Unis. Le poids de
cette piece serait de 26,500 lbs tandis que la meme piece
en acier avec frettes solides aurait pes^ 27,500 lbs, soit
1,000 lbs de plus.
Malheureusement ce mode de construction qui exige
un outillage comparativement peu compliqu^, dont les pro-
- 1 i
■~ .4"
— Iff —
duits semblent offrir dcs garanties de solidite tout h fait
sufHsante, est encore dans la periode experimentale et on.
ne peut prevoir quand il en sortira. Tout depend du
perfectionnement qu'on pourrtf^ffectuer dans les machine.-i
qui servent a enrouler ks fils nietalliques sur la piece. Lk
sc pre.sente une difficulte qui n'apu encore etresurmontee,
Obtenir des eflfets mecaniques considerables avcc des
pieces relativement l^g^res ; tel est le probl^me a resoudre
^ I'heure qu'il est. D'aucuns croient entrevoir la solution
en employant des explosifs violents pour ciiarger les
projectiles de calibre restreint qui produiraient ainsi
les memes resultats que des obus d'un calibre plus
puissant, lances k grande vitesse, par des pieces de
dimension et d'un poids en rapport avec le projectile dont
el les sont pourvus.
L'invention de la dynamite par Nobel, et presque en
meme temps la ddcouverte tlu pyroxile ou fulmi-coton ou
coton-poudre, c'est tout un, avaient ouVert des horison.s
inconnus jusque la dans le domaine des substances explo-
sives. La poudre h canon avait dii seule auparavant, four-
nir ces forces formidable que reclamait Tart mil'taire et
Tindustrie. Aussi la dynamite Nobel etait-elle a peine
connue, qu'on cherchait d^jaf a Tappliquer au chargement
des obus. Dans tous les pays du monde on chercha ainsi
•I adapter les grands explosifs aux besoins de rartillerie.
Les premiers essais en France, furent faits pendant la
guerre de 1870. Les experiences des officiers d'artillerie
au polygone de Vincennes et k Saint-Ouen, demontrerent
que Ton pouvait obtenir des effets considerables en char-
geant les bombes et les obus avec un poids de dynamite
^gal au tiers et meme au quart de la charge de poudre
noire reglementaire. D'une part le fractionnement de
I'obus etait beaucoup plus grand, Teffet de disruption
dans un corps quelconque qu'il p^netrait, beaucoup plus
considerable et enfin etant moins chargd le projectile pou-
vait comporter des dimensions reduites. On entrevoyait
done ainsi la possibilite de faire usage de canons de petit
calibre tout en obtenant de plus grands eflfets.
Des experiences analogues etaient conduite en Su^de,
en 1 87 1, avec beaucoup de soin et de methode ; on fesait
usage de canons Krupp de trois pouces, I'obus contenait
-~ 17 —
^ de livre de dynamite ct la pi«ice recevait d'abord une
charge reduite que Ton porta peu a peu h la charge nor-
male. qui, malheureusement, produisit I'eclatement pr^ma-
tur^ de Tobus et la destruction complete de la pi^ce.
La dynamite n'avait pu, sans eclat, supporter le choc
produit par I'explosion de la charge r^lementaire de la
pi^ce.
On repfit cependanl Ics exp^riences,en reduisant le poids
de la dynamite k yi de livre et cette charge fut renfcrmee
dans un tube en cuivre, introduit dans I'obus qu'ensuite
on emplissait d'eau ; on cherchait ainsi a ^viter reffefc dd
a Techauflcment subit de la piece ainsi que le choc
direct resultant de Tinflammation de la poudre dans
la piece. Enfin, pendant ces dernieres annees, des essais
ont ete faits aux Ktats-Unis par monsieur Snyder et le
general Kelton. II avait etc bien reconnu, des les pre-
mieres experiences, dont nous venons de parler, que pour
pouvoir utiliser la dynamite dans les obus d'artillerie, il
fallait que I'explosion de la charge propulsive de la bouche
k feu, produisit un choc modere, qu'autrement la dyna-
mite de i'obus fesait explosion dans la piece meme,
C'est cet effet peu desirable que Messieurs Snyder
et Kelton voulurent prevenir en interposant des coussins
de disposition speciale, destines a absorber et amortir le
choc entre la charge de la piece et I'obus a dynamite.
Les essais furent asscz satisfaisants.
Pendant les derniers moisde 1884, d'autres experiences
furenl faites, aux environs de Washington, avec des obus
charges de gelatine explosive. Un canon de 1 5 centimetres,,
environ 6 pouces, se chargeant par la culasse, lan^ait de
obus contenant 13 lbs et ^ d'explosifs. Pour amortir les
choc initial on avait adopts le dispositif suivant : I'obus
penetrait a moitie, dans un cylindre ales^ en acier qui
s'ajustait dans I'ame du canon, dans ce cylindre, ^taient
serrees, formant coussin derriere I'obus, quatre bandes en
caoutchouc, celles ci separees les une des autres par de
minces rondelles d'acier qui egalisaient la compression
entre toutes les bandes.
Le premier coup tire, fut dirige siir une cible, que
I'eclatement du projectile reduisit en miettes et on tira
ensuite sur une grand rocher k mille verges, I'obus fit
3
-16-
explosfon en brisant la roche dans in rayon dc pr^s de 30
pieds produisant unc enorme quantit^ de ddblais ; un
second obus atteignant le centre nifiine du rocher y fit une
ouverture de 23 pied* de diam^tre et 6 pieds j^ de
profondeur.
En r^sumd toutes les experiences faites jusqu'k ce jour,
d^montrent, qu'en fesant usage d'obus charges k la
dynamite, ou autres grands explosifs, on peut obtenir avec
des canons de petit calibre, des rdsultats plus considerables
encore que ceux donnes par la poudre et le^ plus puissantes
pieces dont dispose actuellement Tartillerie.
Mais I'etablissement d'un projectile a dynamite est un
probl^me d'une solution difficile et si on a pu reussir h
lancer avec des bouches a feu d'un calibre relativement
restreint, des obus a dynamite dont I'effet a et^
comparativement tres grand on n'a pas encore pu
cependant parvenir h s'assurer I'emploi de gros projectiles
charges de 40 a 50 livres d'explosifs, et c'est pour realiscr
ce type que Zalinski; de I'armee Americaine, a invente son
fameux canon pneumatique, qui a caus^ tant d'^moi il y a
quelques niois.
Je terminerai messieurs en soumettant k votre examen,
quelques uns des grands explosifs dont nous venons d'en-
trevoir quel parti on peut tirer dans les guerres de I'avenir
et aussi en disant quelques mots de leur nature et de leur
emploi.
La nitroglycerine qui sert de base a un grand nombre
d'explosifs plus ou moins puissants, a et^ decouverte par
le chimiste Italien Sobrero, dans le laboratoire du cel^bre
Pelouze h Paris. L'ingenieur suedois Nobel qui vient de
mourir a Cannes, r^ussit h la preparer en grande quantite
par un proc^de rapidc et a la fois peu dangereux, mais k
hi suite d'accidents graves survenus dans le transport et
dans sa mise en usage, Nobel fut amene a I'utiliser sous
forme de dynamite, c'est a dire en la fesant absorber par
une matiere poreuse inerte.
La glycerine pure est un liquide huileux d'un jaune
claire, presque incolore. Elle est sans odeur mais d'une
saveur brulante et possede, meme k petites doses, des
proprietes ven^neuses tres marques aussi les ouvriers
charges de la preparer souffrent-ils, surtout en commen-
— 19 —
^ant leur metier de maux det^te etd'accablement g<?n^ral
ct i'organe visuel devient chez eux d'une^cnsibilitd extra-
ordinaire. ^
La nitroglycerine explose quand on la chaune k i $0 de-
gres ou quand e!le est soumise a Taction d'un choc violent
comme celui d'un marteau ou celui qui r^sulte de la deto-
nation d'une capsule au fulminate de mercure,
Nobel considerait i volume de nitroglycerine comme
equivalant a 13 volumes de poudre. Ce sont des resultats
theoriques qui ne sont qu'approximativement confirn.^s
dans la pratique. L'industrie prepare la nitroglycerine en
traitant de la glycerine par un melange d'acide nitrique
et d'acide sulfurique. La reaction prod u it un fort dega-
gement de chaleur qu'il faut combattre par des moyens
refrigerants, car si la temperature s'eleve audessus d'un
certain degr^, le melange commence h. donncr des vapeurs
rutilantes et le thermometre monte avec une tres grande
rapidite jusqu'a ce que la masse ait atteint la temperature
d'explosion, c'est generalenient ainsi que se produisent les
accidents dans les fabriques de dynamite.
La dynamite est done essentillement un compost de
nitroglycerine. Elle est dite k absorbants chimiquement
inertes ou It absorbants actifs.
La dynamite de la premiere cat^gorie, consiste en une
terre infusoire, tel que la Kieselguhr, que Ton touve en
grande quantite en Saxe, et qui est imbibee de nitrogly-
cerine qu'elle retient par sa capillarity ; en voici un petit
^chantillon.
La dynamite de seconde categoric consiste en une ma-
tiere explosive par elle meme k laquelle se trouve m^lan-
gee de la nitroglycerine, ainsi Nobel, en melangeant du
coton poudre avec de la nitroglycerine dans des propor-
tions de 7 de coton pour 93 de nitroglycerice, obtint une
substance appelee dynamite-gomme ou gelatine explosive.
C'est un compost gelatineux, elastique jaune clair dont
nous venons de constater I'^nergie en rappelant les expe-
riences faites a Washington. II est plus stable que la dy-
namite ordinaire, surtout au point de vue jShysique, car il
ne donne lieu k aucune exudation m^me par la pression.
Quality pr^cieuse consid^rant que dans un cas d'exudation
avec la dynamite ordinaire on se trouve dans une situation
aussi dangereusc que si I'on manipulait de la nitroglyce-
rine pure.
La nitrog^Iatine est encore un autre compost de nitro-
glycerine a base active, dont voici un ^chantillon. Cet
explosif se compose de nitroglycerine gelatinis^e au moyen
d'une nitro cellulose soluble et m^iang^c avec une poudrc
%inaire.
Ces nitro celluloses solubles sont produites en traitant
le coton ou toute autre substance contenant de la cellulose
avec un n^elange d'acidc nitri'quc et d'acide sulfurique en
certaines proportions. On obtient ainsi un produit moins
nitrifi^ que le fulmi-coton et cependant tr<$H explosif, qui
ge mele bien k. la nitroglycerine qu'il gelatinise.
On pr^r^re la nitrogelatinc k la dynamite ordinaire non
seulement pour sa plus grande cnergie k poids ^gaux mais
surtout parcequ'elle laisse difficilementsuinter la nitrogly-
cerine ce qui lui assure une immunitc presque absolue.
Comme je le disais il y a un instant, ces grands explosifs
k moins d'etre port^s soudainement k une haute tempera-
ture, ou d'etre soumis k un choc violent, n'exploseront pas.
II faut done dans la pratique employer quclque explosif
violent, facile k mettre en action et qui determinera par le
choc qu'il produira au milieu de la masse de la charge
explosive proprement dite, {'explosion qu'on veut obtenir.
On se sert k cet effet, de detonateurs de formes diverses
mais dont le principe est le meme savoir : une certaine
quantity de fulminate de mercure, contenue dans un
cylindre de m^tal ou tout autre receptacle et auquel on
met le feu par une amorce, ou par une etincelle dlectrique
produite par une pile ou une machine ^lectrique d'un dis-
positif approprie.
Voici un ^chantillon de fulminate de mercure pr^par^
k la Cartoucherie, nous avons du entreprendre de
fabriquer le fulminate que nous employons pour remplir
les capsules-amorces des munition produites k Quebec, les
Compagnies de transports oceaniques ne voulant pas se
charger d'un passager aussi incommode.
J'ajouterai quelque mots sur I'utilisation, dans Tartilierie,
pour le chargement des obus, d'une substance qui ne
produit pas il est vrai des effets aussi destructeurs que la
dynamite mais qui n'exige pas noh plus» une manipulation
21 —
Uerie,
lui ne
[ue la
latioo
aussi delicate et surtout des apparells sp^ciaux pour en
rendre I'usage moins dangereux, je veux parler du picrate
de potasse.
On obtient avec dcs obus charges de cet explosif des effcts
disruptifd bien plus consid^rab'es qu'avec la poudre
ordinaire et la manceuvre ainsi que le char^^enient des
pieces exige aucun chungement dans la pratique actuelle.
Je soumet h votre examen une petite quantity de ce
picrate que j'ai prepare au laboratoire de la Cartoucherie.
Cette preparation est tr^s simple ofifre peu ou point de
dangers, peu n'est pasdispendieuse, n'exige pas d'appareils
compliques, n'est pas insalubre et emploie des ingredients
peu couteux ; cette substance, h bien des points de vue,
est digne d'attirer I'attention de nos autorit^s niilitaires et
de nos officiers d'artillerie.
Avec des armemcnts de faible calibre comme les notres»
rien ne devrait etre negligd de ce qui augmenterait I'effica-
cite de notre artillerie. Nos pieces de campagne lan9ant Jes
projectiles de Qchargesde picrate deviendraientalorsaussi
redoutables que des pieces de i6 et nos canons de 64 avec
des obus ainsi charges, ^quivaudraient k des pieces d'un
calibre bien plus puissant. Car pour battre en breche, pour
detruire les epaulements, aussi bien que contre le mate-
riel et le personnel dans les sieges et en campagne, I'effi-
cacit^ de I'obus est en raison directe de la violence de son
explosion. Je ne fais pas allusion, bien entendu aux
Shrapnels ni aux obus speciaux employes k perforer les
blindages de fer ou d'acier, quoique m^me dans ce dernier
cas, la charge explosive de poudre pourrait avantageuse-
ment etre remplacee par le picrate.
Mais batons nous d'ajouter que ce ne sont \k que des
palliatifs a I'etat morbide dans lequel languit notre artille-
rie, armee de pieces de la plus haute antiquite. On n'impro-
vise pas Tartillerie et les armements. II est trop tard, au
moment du danger, de se pourvoir de pieces de types
modernes auxquels le personnel d'artillerie est reste par-
faitement etranger j usque-la.
Ceux qui s'occupent de leur metier, savent k quelles
graves deceptions peut conduire ce conservatisme outre, et
puisqu'on r^^onnait, assez g^neralement, qu'il est n^ces-
saire de mairitenir sur pied des corps d'artillerie, au moins
devrait-on les armer convenablement.
■iiil
Mm
— 22 —
II me reste messieurs h vous remercier de votre bien-
veillante attention, k m'excuser de m'^tre laisser entrainer
dans des details techniques qui n'ont peut-6tre pas in-
teress^ tout I'auditoire, cependant, les differentes armessont
maintenant tellement liees dans le service, que le cavalier
et le fantassin ne savent pas si les circonstances,dans une
certaine mesure, ne les obligeront pas, a un moment donn^,
d'empi^ter sur les fonctions de I'artilleur et vice versa
Rien de ce qui int^resse les uns, devrait done, h mon dire,
^tre indifferent aux autres.
Oscar Provost,
Major,
1
I ;
II
LECTURE
Delivered before the members of the Quebec Garrison
Club, on the 27th December 1888 by Wm. A. Ashe,
-Esq., F. R. A. S.
SUBJECT :— "THE Eskimos of hudson straits."
Gentlemen,
On being requested to read a paper before you, I w^s
naturally well pleased at the privilege that was about to
be allowed me ; but, when coupled with this, came the
further one, that I should take for my subject, " some-
thing about the Eskmos ", I was temporarily apalled at
seemingly insatiable appetite of a Quebec audience for
the subject ; because, I am very much afraid, that I have
said pretty nearly every thing that I have to say on the
subject. I received some consolation in the recollection,
that on this occasion I am supposed to be addressing an
entirely new audience ; so that if there are any among
you, who will be reminded that you have heard something
very like this before, and unfortunately from the same
speaker, you are requested to remember that I have not
been to Hudson's Straits since last I had this subject
under treatment, and that I am equally conscious with
yourselves of the striking similarity between myself and
the thrifty house-wife, who, on a small weekly allowance,
produces a "joint " for Sunday, has it cold on Monday
and Tuesday, hashed on Wednesday, and somewhat dis-
guised by being " curried " on Thursday ; wondering, at
this time, what on earth she will do with it for the rest of
! 1
-24 —
the week, oi even what she will say, if her lord and mas-
ter returning from the office, after an unsatisfactory da)('s
business, should make her, if possible more fully conscious
of the limited variations of which, " mutton " we will say,
is capable, by some such unfeeling remark, as, '* what I
mutton again ? "
My Eskimo, as I now begin to feel them, inhabit the
northern portion of this continent, from south of Behring's
Straits, through the northern mainland of thid continent,
the shores of Hudson's Hay and the lands forming the
shores of Hudson's Straits ; then there are the Greenland
Eskimos, with whom we have nothing to do at present,
for, whilst they probably represent a common origin,
the relatively iarge water space consisting of Davis*
Strait, prevents that freedom of intercourse between the
several tribes, which is necessary to the maintenance of
uniformity in the customs aud habits of a distributed na-
tion. Of course there will be many points of similarity
between them : originating from a common stock and
occupying such isolated positions, customs and habits
carried with them in their exile, can have undergone little
alteration because of outside influences ; whilst the indivi-
dual, surrounded by practically like conditions of living
and climate, will have developed or maintained similar
characteristics.
Hudson's Straits, the locality of the particular Eskimos
that I wish to describe, is situated about lOOO miles to the.
North of Quebec : it is therefore to the North of the limit
where trees will grow ; this point, although generally giveh
as being situated at Cape Chidley, the South-eastern ex-
tremity of the Straits, is in reality much further to the
South, as far as the timber growth within a reasonable
distance of the shores is concerned. The shores of the
Straits themselves then, have the most dismal appearance
being entirely composed of the barren rocks, with, in the
sheltered nooks, a very sickly growth of moss. Of soil,
such as we know it, there is absolutely none, so that the
foundations of the world, as we may so call them, are as
evident today, and the different levels at which the waters
of the world have stood, as evidenced by the sandy and
pebbly beaches that are seen, as though the waters had
U
-^in
ebbed but yesterday and would flow again to-morrow ; or,
as though it were but the merest interval of time since
those masses of granite, or more properly speaking
" gneiss ", had undergone the contortions that are so
distinctly evident.
Such are the present surroundings of the people we are
discussing — surroundings that they have accustomed
themselves to after fruitless frighting, with their old tinle
enemies the Indian, for a country that extended inland
in the directions already mentioned, and which continued
south-wards along the whole of the Labrador coast, well up
in to the St. Lawrence, and possessed advantages in climate
that seemingly even tradition has ceased to remember ; sd
that it is stated, if an Eskimo were brought to live, iii
what is known as civilization, the change in conditloit
would be so great that existence would be impossible,
as a few attempts at his civilization seem to have
proved. The Eskimo then, seem to be fated to live and
become extinct in their present situation ; art end that;
is inevitable because of the increasing difficulty of
obtaining their food supplies owing to the encroach-
ment upon their hunting grounds, by the whaler and sealer,
which has resulted in the wholesale slaughter of their
principal staple, the seal ; and the increasing diffi-
culty of approach to the remainder on account of being
so constantly disturbed by these hunters; and, above all,
because of the sniallness in number of their families, which
rarely exceed two ; who, having to contend with most of
the ills that childhood is subject to clsewherf, in addition
to imperfect nourishment through youth, and hardship^
at all times, are to small a number to fill the gaps that
death occasions amongst them.
When we first took up our residence in their country,
we were very uncertain as to the sort of people that we
had to do with. The general opinion of those who like
ourselves were going to live amongst them, was, that they
Were a particularly treacherous nation, and that every
precaution should be taken to guard against deserving^
their enmity. With such a possibility in prospect, nearly
every member of the several parties who were going to
stay out there, supplied themselves with an Eskimo dog
♦
1 1
— 26 —
from the first of their settlements that we reached, I have
since not ceased to be thankful that the members-of my
party did not get in their supplies in this direction before
the market was bought out. Oh yes, I was in time to get
one for myself — even if I had not, some of the parties who
had a superabundance, even at that time, would have
taken pity on my helpless condition, and given me one of
theirs, rather than see me left to the mercies of the mid-
night prowlings of the treacherous Eskimo. None of us
bought full-grown dogs, as it was to be supposed that
their sympathies would be with the prowler, and against
ourselves. There is nothing specially characteristic about
the developing Eskimo dog ; all his qualities lie dormant,
I thought, — we all must have thought, — that careful
rearing, away from the demoralizing influences of his
kind, would develop such an animal as would be faithful
to any small trust, such as the care of the house in our
absence. It shortly happened that this trust had to be"
imposed upon him -We all had duties away from the
house, so we left it in his charge. Now, I wish to give
every scrap of credit to the Eskimo dog, that could be
claimed for him by any possible admirer of his here, so I
will admit that the /touse was all right on our return to it —
but everything within his reach — excepting of course the '
coal-stove, which, with all articles of the same difficulty
of substance, were intact — but such trifles as one's boots,
stockings and wearing apparel, had been mutilated. I did
not so much mind his eating the men's boots or clothing;
what I did object to was the depravity that must be
contained in the organism that indulged in such promis-
cuous feeding. If he wanted boots, why not eat a pair ?
Not the tops ofif three or four. After this, when we had to
go abroad, we divided our forces : we kept our surplus
clothing inside the house and the " organism " outside.
When we at last got to know the Eskimo by experience,
we found that he was far more to be trusted than his dog.
Having given you some of the characteristics of his dog,
let me give you some of those of the Eskimo himself, as
we observed them.
In appearence he is not altogether pleasing, being very
short and, almost as broad as he is long, an effect that is
27-
largely produced by the quantity of clothing* that the
severity of the climate obliges him to wear. The average
height for the men is within a small fraction of 5' 3",
whilst the women barely average five feet. The tempera-
ture of their bodies is somewhat higher than that of ours,
owing entirely to the. warmth producing^ nature of the
food that they eat. I should have gone further into this
and similar questions whilst out amongst them, because
of the interest attached to such facts, had it not been for
the extremely limited supply which I had of their
language during the earlier part of my stay ; afterwards
sickness prevented my doing so. You can perhaps imagine
the difficulty of explaining, in a terribly foreign tongue,
that your ap[)roach, with a glittering thermometer in your
hand, which you wish your subject to take into his mouth
and hold under his tongue, will be unattended with any
danger ; but, nothing other than the most lavish expendi-
ture of tobacco, (which he must hold in his hand to
occasionally receive assurance from at moments when you
gaze intently at the column of mercury to see whether it
has reached its highest point, and which he suspects are
crises of a totally different nature,) would induce him to
undergo the ordeal. This you can perhaps imagine, but I
defy you to picture the terrified look, or the intenseness
of the way in which he watches you for the first signs of
a suspicious movement on your part. I am afraid that
they concluded that I was not quite in my right mind,
and that on this account was to be very much respected,
and at all times consulted on matters connected with the
chase — my reputation in this respect suffered some little
damage, as I did not know a great deal about what the
following years food supply was likely to be, or where to
get the necessary information, so that for a long rime I
was content to explain that I did not know anything
about the matter ; but there was no use in any such
assertion, as they beleived that the individual who was
familiar with the uses of the somewhat complicated
looking meteorological instruments which we had, must
be witholding his information for a higher price, so that
finally they undertook to bribe me — then I had to give
way ; and by giving the information that each seemed to
rvss
tmmmi
. ~28 —
expect, have no doubt that even, yet they have not quite
found out whether I was most certain or uncertain in my
jpredictioiis.
If I have left a doubtful reputation behind me as
;a seer, there can be no question as to the lasting nature
of that I obtained as a medical man. I do not wish
you to understand that I have a natural bent in this
direction ; on the contrary, the little information I
had on the subject was obtained by no inconsiderable
effort on my part, from the lectures that each of us
had to undergo, on the passage out, at the hands of
the Surgeon of the expedition ; where, in the cab'n
of the vessel, each day we took distracting notes, which
we carried away with us in the form of ruled pages
which headings such as : "Toothache" "symptoms
"treatment", "dose" , "diet". And I should fur-
ther add, that the column headed "dose" contained
figures which corresponded with similar ones in our
medecine chest ; this column then might have entered
such a fact or series of facts, as, that, "three drops of i6
with half a tablespoon full of twenty-seven ", werer to be
shaken before taken and were guaranteed as a certain
cure for the .above indications. The facts were all right
enough, but there should have been added a "rider", to
the effect that the dose for an Eskimo was half that for
infant. This of course we all found out for our ourselves,
there was no mistaking the fact, but in the meantime the
Eskimos diJ suffer, and our several reputations as power-
ful-medecine men correspondingly increase.
But I am forgetting my description of the Eskimo. Short
in stature, they have the eyes of the chineese, with their
upward turn at the outer corners ; high cheek bones, little
or no bridge to their nose, medium sized mouths and lips,
no hair on their face, and a complection with is, seemingly,
3 fombination of the yellows in the Chinese and the copper
r( the indian. Patient — it is only necessary to watch
some of their hunting operations, as we shall describe
further, to be convinced of this. Intelligent with an intel-
ij^er.c: that in my opinion far exceeds that of their neigh-
bor the indian, being more nearly intelligence than cun-
ning, which I take to be the difference between their
29
Short
their
little
lips,
ngly,
pper
vatch
cribe
intel-
eigh-
cun-
their
respective mental activities. We were only three white-
people in our party, so we taught some of the Eskimo,
•• Eucre ", and so could quite often play four-hand ; and it
was not always the side that had an Eskimo for a partner
which lost. In playing "draughts" or "checkers" they
became rapidly proficient up tea certain point ; but never
seemed capable of seeing the game further than a couple
of movei ahead, and shewed the highest sense of appreci-
ation for any combination that was put in operation
against them which consisted of a greater number.
Of their language, I have very little to say, as my
command of it was so small and precirious that, although
finally sufficiently proficient to carry on ordinary conver-
sation with them, it was done with utter contempt for
grammatical form ; and I have no doubt but that I outraged
every rule they had. You must not suppose that this con-
tempt for their grammar was wilfully acquired — I dropped
into this condition, purely because the difficulties in con-
vincing an uneducated nation that they have a grammar
in the first place, and learning from them what these
unwritten and unknown rules are, was simply beyond my
capacity. You must not suppose that I came to this con-
clusion without an endeavor to master the subject. I tried
several times, and have a very distinct recollection of the
failure that resulted in one particular case ; and am quite
certair that my subject has yet, at times, vague wonderings,
as to what on earth I was driving at on that occasion.
Before giving you this example of my want of success in
this direction, let me give you the result of n similar
investigation, which took place in civilization, and is
copied from The Saturday Review. It is entitled " a horse
case ".
"It was a horse case. Horse cases are difficult to deal
with, and in the course of the trial a horsey looking indi-
vidual was put in the box. Counsel asked him what
happened. Witness — ''I ses, ses I, How about the hoss ?
and he said he'd give me los. to zay nothing about; un".
Counsel — He did not say, He would give los. Witness-
Yes a did, that's exactly what a did zay. Counsel — he
could not have said "he", he must have spoken in the
first person. Witness -r- No : I was the first person that
'
— 80 —
spoke. I ses, ses f, How about the hos ? Counsel — But he
didn't speak in the third person. Witness —^ There was no
third person present, only he an me. The Judge here
interposes, saying — Listen to me, witness. He could not
have said, He would give you los. to say nothing about
it, but " I " will give you lOs. Witness— He said nothing
about your lorship. If he zaid anything- about your Lord-
ship / never heered un. And if there was a third person
present / never seed un ". The witness was allowed to
stand down.
You must understand that I had not seen this extract
before the experience that I am about to tell you of. If I had
I should possibly have come to the conclusion, which is so
common to the onlooker at any similar exhibition, and
seems to have possessed the Judge in question, that
the actual interrogater is making a terrible muddle
of the questioning, but that in the hands of superior
intelligence, the desired information will surely be obtain-
able, and so take the task into their own handsw
It was in the earlier days of my stay amongst the
Eskimos. I had already been nicknamed "Kedjuckju"»
which I am pained to tell you signifies, as nearly as it is
possible to translate a word from one language into
another, " the bald-head " ; and, having acquired the word
for the first person singular, in my search after informa-
tion wanted the equivalent of the second person in that
number. '* 0-wung-ah ", is the first person ; " Ked-juck-
ju ", is my name which we will not again translate, and
'* Se-poon " is the name of my subject, that I ai\i about
to torture. Having him opposite me, I begin : •' Owungah",
pointing to myself, " noonockun " they, pointing to the
onlookers, and with a graceful continuation of the sweep-
ing movement with which I have included them, I allow
my finger to point at or about the position that would
be occupied by the second button of his waistcoat,
were he wearing one. He fully recognizes that I wish his
designation, so promptly answers " Sepoon ". I see that I
have made a failure of it so far, so try him in a different
manner, pointing out that I do not speak of the onlookers
individually, but collectively as " they " ; nor of myself
characteristically as " Kedjuckju ", which we will continue
— 31 —
to leave untranslated, but as " I ", Now, what does he call
himself ? H^ calls himself, " Owungah ", " I ". Then I tell
him to imagine that he stands in my position as questioner,
and ask him what he would cill me, the second person ?
and he tells me that it would be, " Kedjuckju ", as he has
never been able to master the pronunciation ofmy siruame,
which he now thinks I wish from him. I am fairly full of
resources, but I will admit that the further I tried to go
into this subject the more hopelessly did I ^et Mr. Sepoon
mixed, so that I abandoned my search in these directions.
This was a mishap that was as nothing in comparision
with some of those which happened when we were laying
the foundation of our knowledge of their language.
The first Eskimo that we interviewed, in answer to one
of our sign enquiries, answered '* Peter-ang-a-too " ; it was
a hi^h sounding word, and we immediately set about
discovering its particular application. As it had been used
it seemed to be equivalent to our word " dead " ; so we
stored it away with that value attached to it. The first set
speech that I delivered myself of, and I was very proud
of my ability, was the following : '* Ibbe micke tiddle-mun
pic)caninnie peterangatoo ", and I supposed I had got in
all the facts that were necessary to the expressing of the
statement, that, •' five of the puppies that belonged to the
family of one of his dogs, were " dead ". I was imme-
diaty fully aware that I had not completely conveyed the
information I had wished, by the look of mingled expres-
sions that came over his face ; the predominant one being
astonishment, which occupied a shifting position with one
thciC very closely resembled annoyance. I had occa-
sion to discover later, that what I had really said was
more nearly: "You are a dog, you have not got five
children. " " Peterangatoo " meaning, ** have got none ".
I have spoken of the Eskimos as having a high order
of intelligence, and I would couple with it, great mecha-
ijiical tastes. I think that the best illustration of the latter
that I can furnish, is contained in their manufacture of the
** Kyack " or boat. A vessel that is made out of the imper-
fect scraps of drift wood, that are thrown up on the shores
on their drift through the Straits from the place of their
growth in Hudson's Bay, fashioned by a knife which the
ll.
— 32 —
most tender heard mother of civilization would have no
fear about entrusting to the care and investigation of
her first born, at that age when manipulation of articles
of interest is carried on with themouthand eyes as objec-
tive points ; fashioned out of as many as two hundred,
pieces of wood, I am told, the longer lengths made by
the splicing of suitable shorter portions together, and the
whole modelled so that it represents so perfect a model of
a boat, that civilization has adopted it in all essentials,
and adapted it to the racing "shell", the swiftest model
of its kind. The double bladed paddle, the spears and
harpoons, all arc evidence of the activity of the intellect
which developed the kyack. Let me try and give yoii elrt
illustration of the shape of their harpoon-heads : they are
fashioned out of a piece of walrus-tusk ivory, with a piece
of hoojviron inserted to form a more effective cutting
edge, when they can obtain it : the head is entirely sepa-
rate from the shaft or handle, to which is it attached,
temporarily by means of a line of raw-hide, so that once
it has been inserted into the body of their game, the
withdrawal of the handle leaves it within the flesh. It is
shaped, as with most nations, as an arrow-head is, but It
has one very important difference, in that the shaft or
shank into which the handle fits, is continued upward and
outwards slightly, on one side, so that a strain coming ott
the line to which it is attached by A point near the middle
of its length, throws it transversely across the hole by
which it has entered the flesh ; ahd, becauseof the greatly
increased surface that is brought to bear the strains of
the struggling animal, makes its withdrawal almost a mat-
ter of impossibility.
An Eskimo's tool-box, when fully Equipped, contains a
series of articles that are As limited, at they seem to be
ineffective for the purposes that they were originally
intended. It contains, a file, a knife and a saw, and occa-
sionally a few rusty nails. It would not be possible to do
much, hurriedly, with any of these tools ; but the Eskimos
have lost, or never had any expectation of these tool^
being more effective than they are at present ; so
that they will undertake operations with these implements
that would discourage any but one of their race. Fancy
— 83 —
drilling a hole in a piece of iron, or steel that they have
taken the temper out of in the place about to be operated
on, with a rusty nail I It is merely a question ot time, as it
would be if the implement was not as wear resisting as
the nail, but then it is discouraging, or would be to one
with livelier experiences.
The houses in which they live in summer time differ
but slightly from the similar structures of the indian, and
indeed the word they use for the building, "Toe-pick ",
has so strong a resemblance to the indian word " Te'epee ",
that one is lead to believe in a common origin for the
two words. It is formed of drift-wood poles arranged with
the points together at the top, and the bases distributed
about a circle ; the whole covered with dried seal-skins
sewn together. You will understand from what has already
been said of the appetite of the eskimo dog, that this
dried seal-skin, is in their eyes a very toothsome article of
diet. Often have I seen the friendly group, gathered within
my house, dispersed as powder on the application of a
match, by tlie arrival of one of the children who had not
been completely attentive to his trust, announcing the
fact that '• Tiddle-me-me's " dogs or some one else's, were
in the immediate act of absorbing the porch 6t walls or
their dwelling.
Their winter dwellings, or " Igloos ", are built entirely
of snow, as evi ry one knows. Snow, in a Northern climate
such as tbii^, is different in some respects from snow as we
know it here. Very shortly after it falls, the extremely
low temperatures it experiences, in connection with high
winds, alter its consistency so that it is sufficiently hard
to walk upon without the aid of snow-shoes, which are
never used by the Eskimos, and so hard that the Reindeer
with his relatively small feet, f^alks or runs upon it without
fear of breaking through. This hardness continues for a
great distance beneath the surface, so that in the Eskimo's
housebuilding operations, he is enabled to cut out as large
blocks of it as he could possibly require, and about which
he proceeds in the following manner : — Havmg chosen a
situation that is sheltered by some rocky cliff from the
North and North-west winds, which are the coldest in
this latitude, he marks out a circle in the snow, of about
5
m
^34 —
C'
twelve to twenty feet in diameter, in accordance with the
extent of accomodation required, to represent the inner
side of his house's walls : then, with his i<nife and saw he
cuts out from within this circle, blocks of snow of about a
foot in thickness by a foot high, by about two feet in
length ; these he arranges about the circle he has drawn,
to form part of the wall of his house, the excavating that
is in this way going on leaving the solid snow for that
portion of it which in beneath this surface, for a distance
of about four feet to the level of the snow floor. The built-
up portion of the walls commences with a very low block,
and each adjoining block is of a sightly increasin;^ height
till the first circle is completed, where the last block is of
its full height ; continuing the next round over these taper-
ing ones already laid, carries the wall as a spiral of snow
blocks, which, as they are all placed with their tops slightly
inclined towards the centre, eventually come nearly
together at the top, which is formed of a large single
block which holds them as one mass. In descriptions which
I have seen of this operation of house-building, mention
is not made of this spiral system, it being generally stated
that the blocks of snow or ice are laid in successive layers.
It is not a matCtr of a great deal of importance which
system is followed, except, in so far as it illustrates my
belief that the Eskimos shew a degree of intelligence,
which has permitted of their bringing each of the arts
that they employ, to the very highest degree of perfection
that is attainable, with the means at their disposal ; so
much so that I do not think it possible that their usages
could be improved. Let us see the reason for this spiral for-
mation. Were each tier of blocks separate, there would have
to be a fitting made between the first and last block of
each tier, instead of each block being laid closely alongside
the preceding and the whole capped by a sort of key-
stone : then, every tier would bean independent structure
from the one above and below, instead of being a conti-
nuation of it, as in the spiral formation.
The interior of the Igloo is divided in two, by a bank of
snow opposite the entrance, which is about two and a half
feet above the floor level, filling up that half, and serves as
the bed place of the family. It is situated as far as possible
- 85 —
as
ble
away from the door to avoid as much as possible of the
draughts that might be expected ; and is at as high a level
as possible, because heat rising, it is warmer there than
lower. The temptirature within the house, I found to be,
when the temperature without was 4 ^ below zero, 27 ®
at the roof within, and 25 ® at the level of the beds. The
beds themselves arc formed, first by a layer of a fibrous
kind of moss over the snow, then a layer of bear, or, more
commonly, reindeer-skins ; then the sleeping-bags, made
as a large pillow case in duplicate, the first with the fur
outside, the inner with the fur next to the sleeper ; into this
the seeker after sleep goes, feet foremost, having first
divested himself of his clothing, which Is gathered together
out of the way of the omnivorus Eskimo dog. Thi< operation
of retiring is not one attended with any large degree of
comfort, with the temperature as low as mentioned, but it
is a necessary ordeal because it permits of the clothing,
which has become damp with the vapors given out by the
body during the day, becoming dry again.
On either side of the doorway, immediately on entering,
are situated the fireplaces, in accordance with the practice
of civilisation which advises the placing of our heating
apparatus as near the source of cold as convenient. In
speaking of fireplaces some of you may have pictured to
yourselves a goodly pile of logs giving forth a genial heat
or at least glow, instead of, as the case is, a dismal apparatus
burning a vile-smelling compound. The" stove" or more
properly" lamp" , is composed of a shallow dish hollowed
out of the stone called" soap-stone" or " steatite" ,this is
kept partially filled with oil in the manner we shall describe
further on, and is fed to the flame through a fringe of dried
moss that stretches along its front and reaches from the
bottom of the dish to just above its edge, which serves to
prevent the flame passing below. The oil-supply is kept up
from a mass of seal fat or " blubber *' which is suspended
immediately behind the flame, the heat from which frees
a constant supply of oil which drops into the dish beneath.
This fat or blubber is not in a condition to give forth its oil
until it has first undergone the process of freezing, which
so solidifies the oil-sacs of which it is composed, that they
are readily broken by the mass being hammered whilst in
-■•^ ,
— Se-
this condition. The principal occupation of the fire appears
to be the giving out of as little fiame with as much smoke
as possible, an endeavor that it fully succeeds in ; and then,
as though in ridicule of it powers as a heat supply, a seal-
skin is suspended over it to prevent the melting of the
snow in the roof, a feat that it is probably able to per-
from when the temperatures that are to be expected on
the approach of summer, prevail. Immediately without the
door, is an anteroom, separated from the outer world by a
dopr made out of a block of snow, or driftwood; in this
uite-room, all articles that are, to the Eskimo dogs taste
ratable, are placed ; beyond this room is the po'rch proper,
without a door, into which the' said dogs come when the
weather without is too severe for their powers of endurance.
These doors might be likened in size to the aperture that
would be considered large enough for the kennel of a good
sized mastiff. They suit the purpose of the small-sized
Eskimo, but they always had a hurtful efifect on my sense
of dignity, whenever I felt called upon to pay them a visit
and had to make my approach through this doorway on
my hands and knees; it was bad enough approaching to
an audience in this way, but the exit used to be a moment
of painful dread to me, because, amongst other things, of
the step down from the level of the floor within to that of
the ante-room.
I have hinted to you that the Eskimo has brought the
apparatus which he has devised himself for his own pur-
poses, to a high dej^ree of perfection — I have also drawn
your attention to the fact, that in certain of the articles
he has acquired from the outer world, — the file, the saw
&c., he has not been treated with that equity which is
the deserving of his talents, or that which we are supposed
to exercise between man and man : and I would add to
the list, his gun, I do not think that I can describe the
condition of the offensive weapon better than by the assu-
rance that I always felt there was a good deal more
danger to myself and the Eskimo, than to the game he
might be intent on the slaughter of. They are not a gun
that has been specially manufactured for this market ;
you could not manufacture such an article ; nature and
time with the gradual though thorough changes that they
;i-.
— 37 —
bring about, have brought the implement, which had a
youth some six generations ago, into the disrepute I
mention.
This gun, I should say, was more effective in both its
expected and unexpected directions, than the old-time
bow and arrow. There are very few accidents with them,
even though their bursting-charge might de expected
to be so very slight. This most satisfiictory condition of
the Eskimo, is entirely owing to his extreme carefulness,
not of himself, but of his powder. In the first place he
will not use a gun of a greater calibre than 22, more often
23. Into this he places a charge of powder, not greater
than would be contained by a moderate sized thimble,
then a wad of dried moss, then the ball, which he invaria-
bly recovers from the carcass of his game, if he has hit it,
or from the snow, where he will search all day till he find
it, if he has ftiissed his aim. As they have* generally no
means of re-moulding their bullets, this repeated firing of
the same ball, produce a bullet of a variety of shapes,
which would be very uncertain in its results at any reason-
able distance : — but then the Eskimo, on account of the
smallness of the charge of powder, is obliged to approach
his game within distances that would appear ridiculous to
one who has not seen the operation of approach. You
must not forget that the Eskimo hunts under far greater
difficulties than his congener the indian. The indian has a
country in which want of cover in his hunting operations,
is the exception ; the Eskimo hunts where there is abso-
lutely a want of cover : when he approaches the seal, he
does so over the surface of the ice ; he is the only prominent
object on that spotless surface ; when his approach is over
the land, what might be inequalities in summer time, have
been drifted full of snow in the winter season ; and at all
times there is a complete absence of such cover as is
afforded the indian by trees and shrubs. His methods of
approach, are very similar to those of the indian, the
principal difference being that they have to be executed
with far greater care. In the case of the seal, who very
rarely comes to the surface of the shore-ice, any where
near the shores themselves, (because of the dangers that
may be hidden behind the heaped up masses which border
^
1
— 38 —
It, in the shape of a waiting Eskimo,) they are therefore
generally seen about a quarter of a mile off the land. The
intervening space is as unobstructed as a billiard table;
The seal with his tail to windwards is able thus to watch
the direction from which "sceat" will travel only short
distances, whilst from the opposite direction he would
receive timely nptice of an Eskimo's appi'bach by the
"scent" which will be carried down by the wind. The
Eskimo enters on the field of ice at a point which is inter-
mediate between these two directions ; and laying down
on the surface, propells himself towards the seal by means
of vigorous kicks, when he sees that the seal is not watch-
ing, or has not at first noticed his appearance. At a very
short distance, it is quite impossible to distinguish between
the Eskimo and the seal, their appearance and actions are
so similar, an effect that is produced in the first case by
the Eskimo having habited himself with an outer coat,
which has all the seal's peculiarity of marking. Up to a
certain point the seal has only taken occasional notice of
this object : shortly he is conscious that it has got nearer,
presently this is a matter that admits of no question ; so
the Eskimos occupies something like quarter of an hour,
convincing the seal by a capital imitation of his every
action whilst sunning himself, as he is doing at present,
that he is not the enemy in disguise he really is ; having
been successful in this, careful watching for the moments
when the seal is not directly regarding him, permit of a
further approach. The required distance is eventually
overcome. The Eskimo and the seal being now not sepa-
rated by more than 50 yards, the shot is fired which is
capable of proving fatal at this distance. It sometimes
happens, as might be expected, that the Eskimo misses
his shot. One cannot help being struck with the wonderful
similarity between his manner and the excuses he will give
on this occasion to his friends for the failure, and the same
reasons and excuses that account for the biggest fish in
civilization, being lost in the landing.
In reindeer hunting, although clad in a garflient that
is composed of this skin, there is no hope of convincing a
reindeer that this ball-Uke looking animal, is one of his kind :
the Eskimo then proceeds to " drive " his game in this
T.rr.trf"i-
— 39 —
case. One of them is hidden at the most convenient pass to
the valley in which they may be feeding, whilst the others
surround them at such a distance that although their
presence is noted, they do not take sudden fright ; but,
feeding with the conciousness that there are certain
suspicious looking objects in these directions they gra-
dually move in the direction of the ambuscade that is
prepared for them.
There is a large difference between the seal's timidity
when on the ice in winter time, as just explained by this
hunting description, and the same animal in summertime.
In the first case he is out of his element on the ice, and
knows that an enemy has him there at a disadvantage ;
but in summer time, in the water he has no ordinary fear,
feeling that he is the equal or superior of anything afloat,
besides being possessed of a more than ordinary share of
curiosity. On these grounds the Eskimo can approach him
in his kyack, within spearing distance, whi'^h I should say
would be represented by a distance of thirty yards in the
extreme. Should the seal show any anxiety about the
Eskimo's approach, he is calmed by the waving of a hat
or any article which may keep his curiosity awake tiP he
is within the required distance. The ^pear-head once
inserted into his flesh, he is " played " by the Eskimo till
his struggles cease. I might remark, in passing, that the
playing of a salmon from the insecurity of a kyack, would
be a fe.Ht of no ordinary magnitude for a white man, and
that the " playing " of a seal or walrus from the same
position, is as can be imagined, one requiring the most
delicate sense of balancing. It is said an Eskimo will turn
over in his kyack and come up smiling on the other side,
having made a complete revolution without separating
from his boat. I am quite willing to admit that anyone
would make the most strenuous exertions in this direction,
whilst struggling head-downwards, in water which is so
nearly at its freezing point, but I do not see that this
would be sufficient to perform the feat.
Having told you how the Eskimo kills his game, let
me now explain how he eats it, first digressing somewhat.
The Eskimos are supposed to derive their name from
either oftwoindian words " Eskimatsic" and " Askimeg "
s?
: ii !
i
— 40--
•* they who eat raw flesh ". Now, I do not pretend to say
that the Eskimo would deny this accusation, if it were
made, but it has always been a puzzle to me, why we
should have made use of a word for the name of this
nation which had an origin with certain indians who
inhabited the state of Main. I do not say that this is not
the origin of the term, but I must admit that I should
have received more satisfaction from a word, which had
its origin a little nearer home. The Eskimo call themselves
*' Innuit ", the people ", a designation which perhaps
covers a little more ground than they would be inclined
to claim, if they knew the full facts of the case. The sailor
who constantly visits there waters, sealing and whaling,
calls them " Huskies ", and it is not unlikely that this
word may give us a clue < o the derivation of Eskimo, or
as the sailor would call it if he wished to frencify it, "Hus-
kimo." There is a strong resemblance between this word
" Huskie " of the sailor, and " Hr.s-sick-ke " the Eskimo
word for a '• male-Eskimo ", and it does not seem unlikely
to me, that we may find a derivation for the name, in
this way, a good deal nearer the Eskimos* home than the
state of Main.
The Eskimo generally eats raw flesh ; nature has in-
structed him to know that the more fat he eats, the more
readily can he keep warm ; so he prefers the fat or blub-
ber of the seal. Having a knife, he cuts a strip of the flesh
and blubber ofi", one end of this he puts into his mouth,
holding the strip distended with one hand, the other
with the knife severing the mouthfi?! s as required, close oflT
to his mouth. It is astonishing how fast an Eskimo will
absorb a given quantity of food, which he does generally
without any mastication ; and, like the indian he will
eat till he cannot stand, when laying down, his wife will
complete the operation, by dropping " tit bits ", as he lays,
into his mouth. They sometimes cook the blood, heart
and other portions of the seal and reindeer over their fires
or lamps : it is an operation requiring a good deal of time
They christen this concoction " Ko-fee ", from a fancied
resemblance fn its taste and color to coffee, which they
have, seen and probably occasionally tasted. They did
their utmost to get me to taste this compound, assuring
41 —
y we
* this
who
wiU
will
me it was on record that a shipwrecked mariner had win-
tered with them, once, and had survived this particular
form of diet, which he had seemed to prefer to the raw
one. Whilst perfectly willing to believe all they had to
say on this subject, I positively refused to try it, plead-
ing having but recently breakfasted. After this I always
made my visits to this Igloo, immediately after meal time.
The Eskimos tell one that they never quarrel amongst
themselves. I have never seen an approach to a quarrel,
which I largely attribute to want of opportunity. Their
traditions speak oi" their encounters with the Indians, in
that struggle, or series of struggles which has resulted in
their occupying their present isolated position ; this may
have been merely a struggle for existence, without passion.
On the other hand, I have seen a mother lose her temper
with her offspring, and thump it, — yes thump it — in just
such a civilized and hearty way, as is a familiar sight
where passions are an admitted, though perhaps unneces-
sary part of thd disposition. Of baby-hood, I saw a great
deal ; mothers,^ in that rush which I have spoken of, to
save their very house from the dogs, would thrust their
babies into my hands, gather up their shirts, so to speak,
and leave me the sole charge of their treasures. In these
intervals, with man's awful dread of a crying anything,
worst of all a baby, opportunity was afforded for mutual
investigation, and huge concessions on my part. It often
had my watch, which never satisfied it till it had it open
and had made several attempts at rearranging the works
with a greasy finger. It should have had the lamp, if it had
shown any attempt at crying for it, rather than that the
mother should return, and find it in tears, apparently the
effect of my having pinched it. As elsewhere, nothing
seemed too large for them to attempt to get into their
mouths, nothing that they got in that they did not swallow,
if not prevented. Girlhood, in which they aped being
grown up, and kept house for an imaginary household.
Boyhood, that performed the most extaordinary feats of
stalking imaginary game ; or that went on long voyages
in an imaginary kyack, and performed unheard of feats
on unheard of animals. Manhood with the realities of life
and the struggle for existence, Womanhood, with its
6
-42-.
household duties, and the part of a beasts of burden as
with other uncivilized nations ; yes, and the reioments
of enth-e enjoyment, when, like the rest of her sex else-
where, she took such an interest in the discussion of
matters that would be classed as " gossippy ".
The youth of civilization, when seeking a partner for
life, sets up an ideal character in his mind, with certain
characteristicr ^ '^ich are essential; and then quite often
marries scue-ouc without any of them. The Eskimo,
although not perhaps such an idealogue, insists upon his
materialized ideal possessing certain traits. She should be
fat, for choice ; she is certain to be hard-working ; she must
have good teeth. Teeth, anywhere, are a convenience;
amongst Eskirio M^omt;nthe} are an essential. It would be
like depriving tie s. .unstress of her work-box, for an
Eskimo wo.tian to hava the toothache. She would be as
a drug upon the ntatrimoi .^' market, did she shew any
incipient signs of vveal.iiei>s Li .^i- department : for, every
article of wearing apparel wriicji u- made out of the seal or
walrus-hide, has to be patiently chewed in the mouth, to
bring it to the condition required to receive the stitches ;
as a piece of such a hide, is about as unmanageable, before
undergoing this process, as a piece of sheetiron would be,
— not if either were to be operated upon by a cold-chisel,
but as far as the effects on it of a needle are concerned.
And I assure my audience that they can have but a faint
iidea of the amount of chewing which is required to keep
even the smallest Eskimo family in boots, to say nothing
of the remaining articles of attire. Even when the boot
is made, it gets hardened with use, so that in xvearing they
are constantly subjected to this re-juvenating process. If
you are paying them a visit, and they wish to shew you
the highest form of civility, the father will say, " Ung-ar-
low ", (one of the children) remove this gentleman's boots,
and give them to your mother to chew ", and there,
whilst you are about your business, will this patient being
sit, taking a disjointed part in your conversation, at such
moments as her occupation will permit.
I have described their kyacks dr water vehicles ; let rae
describe their "kom-mit-ticks" or winter sleighs. They are
made with "runners", of about lO to 12 feet long, secured by
-43--
cross-pieces securely lashed to them, made out of drift-
wood, or the wreck of some unfortunate vessel ; they are
shod with bone, just in the same way that our sleighs are
with iron : this bone shoeing, when they are travelling, is
covered with a film of ice, by squirting water over it, and
smoothing the surface rapidly with the hands, whilst in
the act of freezing, so as to ensure an even surface. You
would be astonished at the length of time that this ice-cover-
ing will last : once in a days march being generally sufficient
to renew it, which they do from water that they carry
with them in a bag made of seal-skin, which has been
wrapped away amongst a heap of furs to heep it from
freezing. Into this sleigh are harnessed from ten to possi-
bly fourteen dogs, each attached to a separate line of white-
poi poise hide ; the leader on the longest line, and the
rest in pairs, one on either side of the leaders line, and
the pairs one behind the other on lines of the necessary
length. This is the theoretical arrangement, and to some
extent the arrangement on starting ; once started, the dogs
arrange themselves in a fan-shaped way, and cross from
one side to the other either to change the direction of the
hauling strain, or out of sheer perversity. The whole is
controlled by the Eskimo's voice, and, a perhaps more
.effective whip, which has a handle of eighteen inches in
length, and a lash of eighteen or twenty feet. An Eskimo
wields this weapon with unerring precision and effect ; a
white-man with even greater effect but with much less
precision, because his endeavor seems to be put forth in
directions which are as unexpected to his audience as
they certainly are to himself ; and like the lightening
rarely, if ever, strike twice in the same place. As the dogs
proceed on the way, every thing they pass which might
have the appearance of being eatable, is investigated by
a rush of inspection from one of them, who swings out
from the pack on his line, reaches it if it is within the
limits of its length, investigates, and returns if it should
prove a disappointment, without having stopped the
march.
»
If it should prove something eatable, the rest of the
pack are upon him in an instant, and a struggle ensues,
which — yes, beggars description. You can imagine the
'I
' .
I
^y
-44 —
effect of some twelve dogs propably fighting for the
only morsel they are likely to have eaten for the past
two or three days ; then add to this the several twelve
strings, the howling Eskimo and the twenty foot whip,
and I believe you will have a very fair idea of the picture
I would present.
When the dogs are following along a path which they
have already been over, no guide is necessary : but
when the road is an unknown one, each of the party
including the women take turns in running ahead of the dogs
to show the way. The dogs follow the easiest way for
themselves after the human leader, whilst one of the
Eskimos who remains on the front of the kommittick,
guides it, by thrusting the kommittick to one side with
his foot so as to avoid -any lump of ice, or protruding
rock, that would destroy the ice-film of the runners. You will
understand, from the way that the dogs are attached to
the kommittick, that on going down hill, the realization
of the hope you have, that you will get safely to the
bottom, will depend on several conditions which are not
all in your, or the Eskimo's control. First, the dogs must
be able to reach the bottom before the kommittick does ;
should it overtake them, they will be scattered in every
direction, than dragged by their lines in every conceivable
position, till the sleigh is either overturned or brought to
rest, generally the former. Then, it is a much more difficult
thing to steer a twelve foot sleigh such as this, than it
would be to guide the movements of one of less length,
particularly when rushing at the speeds that they attaiYi ;
it therefore quite often happens, thiat the dogs rush down
the hill in the required direction, whilst the kommittick
rushes in a slightly different one, so making their
attempts to escape only temporarily successful, for shortly
the divergence is so great, that, first a strain is put upon
their lines by the increasing distance between them, then
the kommittick passes them, turning them so that they
face up the hill for an instant ; then they are upset and
dragged ; then the kommittick is upset, ^nd its contents,
human and otherwise find a resting place some little dis-
tance further on than the bottom of the hill. The Eskimos
do not seem to mind these experiences, principally
— 45 —
because of the safety afforded them by their innumerable
articles of fur-clothing. I used to pretend not to mind it,
principally because the Eskimo, havincj a high sense of
humor, I was afraid of increasing their desire to witness
the operation of my flight, in more than the unavoidable
occasions.
The Eskimo uses his gun as little as possible, because of
the extravagant cost of its charge. Wherever possible he
use his spear. In winter-time, when the deeper bays are
frozen over, he has an opportunity of doing so : for then
the seal feeding within its waters, has to keep certain holes
open in the surface of the ice, to serve the purpose of
breathing ; and alongside these, the patient Eskimo will
watch all day, without a move, awaiting the seal's necessity
and his own opportunity. If the seals have not made holes
for this purpose the Eskimo will make them for him, and
trust to their being convenient to the seals purpose and his
own. He generally finds that the seals have one or two in
use in each of these large bays spoken of; but it shortly
happens that the seals, missing their companions through
this means of exit from the watery world, become too timid
to use so apparent a. trap, and seek either the outside
waters, or some other bay. The Eskimo then goes in search
of a position where the seals are likely to have to pass quite
frequently, and where, being passengers, the abstraction
of one of their number will not raise alarm amongst the
others, who will be coming later. He therefore chooses some
strait between an island and the main-land, of considerable
length so that the passing seals will find the hole he has
cut in the surface of the ice, sufficient of a convenice, to
permit of his running the risk in any attempt at appearing
out of his element This hole is cut by the Eskimo, by
means of a spike which he has on the end of his spear.
Having made it, he throws a slight covering of snow over
the surface of the water within, to prevent the seal catch-
ing a glimpse of him before he has come within spearing-
distance. Then crouching about armslength away from
the hole, he waits, without a move (which may be made at
the very instant when a seal is approaching and so give a
warning which would lose him his game,) till he hears the
scratching of the seals flippers as he works his way up
p
through the icq to breathe or sun himself; then the swiftly
descending and uncrrin^^ blow. I have never seen this
blow actually given : I haVc kept company with him in
his watching till intense excitement gave place to freezing
indifference, and I had to leave ; I have watched him
from the shore, where this indifference was counteracted
by accasional excursions for warmth, but have always
returned to find apparently the same undiminished patient
expectancy.
The seal, in winter-tirtie, lives in the snows on the
shores just above high-water mark ; into this house, a
hollowed out cavity, he comes at or about the time of
high-water, the tide having by its increase, raised the ice
so that the seal's passage beneath is possible ; he can
therefore enter or go out during the few hours that cover
the period of high-water ; between these conditions of
the water, he must .either stay within or without. An
Eskimo, with a dog suitably trained, will follow along
the shores, at suitable times, till he comes to the locality
of one of these houses, the position of which is indicated
by the dog's instinct ; then the Eskimo spears, knowing
that the seal cannot escape, till he has been successful in
his aim.
I have shewn how economical the Eskimo is in the use
of his powder and ball : so is he with his gun-caps. It is
true that a gun-cap can be used but once as a whole -^
but then the Eskimo uses it in part several times, by
dividing the fulminating powder within it into three or
four pieces : one of which, at a time, he uses by placing
it within the head of an already used cap. So with his
matches, he divides most of chem in two lengthwise, by
very carefully cutting through the composition at the
.iend, with his knife, an operation that would puzzle the
ordinary individual.
Of their ceremonies and religious beliefs, they are very
reticent about speaking to any one, having probably in
recollection the want of sympathy shewn by the rough
sailor for the subject ; and, not caring to risk a repetition,
we could get very little information out of them. They
believe in a future existence, with plenty as the rewardj,
and bury with the deceased his knife, and, once upon
iVsp^-
47--
a time, his gun. Today, they no longer supply hirti
with his gun, as the experience has been, that it is not
reserved for his future use, as the modern skeptic
amongst the Eskimos, probably reasoning that if game is
a.T plentiful as represented, there would be no use for the
article, takes it to himself. They bury nothing with their
womenkind, arguing that some happy hunter will look
after their welfare in the happy hunting ground. They
have the very highest respect for the white-man's medcr
cines, but depend entirely on incantations for their own
treatment in emergencies. When one of my party was
laid up with scurvy, being anxious to see their treatment,
we called in one of the leaders in the art ; who, after
assuring us that the subject was under the influence of
the wicked spells of an opposition doctor, said that, with
proper precautions he would be brought around ; this was
very interesting information to me, as I was the patient.
I will not give you a further description of the modus
operandi^ of this enchantress, (the learned professions, or
profession, being filled by those of the less stern sex),
than by saying that they consisted of a series of grotes-
que movements and incantations, in which a somewhat
oiuinerous chorus took part to the solo of the doctress. At
different stages in the proceedings, one was asked it we
felt better ? In answer to which, the only assurance that
•could with truth be given, was ; that we felt no worse.
Then the suggestion was made that we should double the
chorus and the doctors, a proceeding that we did not agree
to, as, having seen all of the operations which were neces-
sary for our information, we did not see the object of it.
The enmity of this opposition doctress was earned in the
most simple way : her name had been, Ick-tu-ad-de-lo,
■" The prophetess ", and we thought we were shewing our
appreciation of the changes to which the language might
"be put, by altering it to, Ictu-we-awee-ah, "The wooden-
man " ; an attempt at a pun, which seemed to be fully
appreciated by her fellows, and lost on herself. They protect
themselves from infectious disease, and other ills, by sewing
one or more strips of sealskin about their outer garment,
somewhat in the form of a maze ; so that the spirit of the
ill, approaching by way of this outer garment, and
TT
[
-: 48 —
following along these strips, may get lost before he carr
enter the body. Then they eat certain portions of the body
of the seal, walrus and reindeer, as cures for certain lesser
ills, and bind the body into all sorts of positions, with
thongs of raW'hide, for pains and aches.
The Eskimo have a large amount of admiration to bestow
on the white-man and his ways : they are the most satis-
factory audience I ever had to exhibit conjuring tricks
before, showing the moust hearty appreciation for one*
feeblest endeavors. But of all things which pleased them,
wtre writing and telegraphy. Write a meesage to one of your
men, at a distance from your house, give it to an Eskimo
explaining to him what the import of the message is, and
that it will be understood from those few insignificant look-
ing lines, and he is lost in astonishment and admiration for
the art. Tell him that you will by a series of rappings, in
accordance with the system of telegraphy, give any message
he may dictate to youy to your man, at the other end of
the room, which he feels is being delivered in his own tongue
as he has giving it, and you have him in a conditioa
capable of believing the impossible. I do not think that
there was any thing which gave them more constant
pleasure than the flying of a kite, which I made for them.
Had I so wished it, I might have considered the privilege
of being allowed to fly this kite, sufficient reward
for any service, and met with no complaint from them.
They never seemed to tire of watching its graceful
movement ; and when, sometimes, we used to put it a little
out of adjustment, so that in its flight it would occasionally
perform those sudden darts and swoops, which are so
familiar to us all, there seemed no end to their apprec-
iation. Then, their admiration of the feat of sending up
a " messenger " of paper along the string, was very full ; but
nothing equalled the satisfaction they received from being
allowed to fly it themselves.
Of the toys which we made for the children, including
most of the wooden articles which are to be seen in the
shop windows at this season, nothing seemed to give so
much pleasure as a "swing". Mothers, Fathers, spns,
daughters and infants, kept the thing incessantly in
motion, during the hours that we were obliged to
— 49 —
set apart for the purpose, as it was suspended from
the beams of our kitchen ceiling, and there were
times when its use would have been inconvenient. All
were pleased with it, and mothers made use of it to quiet
their infants, when other efforts seemed unavailing to
reduce them to that condition which they are pleased to
believe, and invariably describe to their intimates, as their
normal one — Who ever .knew an infant which was not to
a mother, "just the best natured baby in the world ! "
Then we left them, glad at the opportunity of returning
to our friends and more familiar occupations, but with a
mutual regret at the severing of an association, which had
made an otherwise dreary residence, one of some interest ;
leaving behind us, let me hope, a no less pleasant memory
than we brought away.
-.- y ■ , . .-- - -,. ;.J7f/ -:.'