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diff --git a/37280-h/37280-h.htm b/37280-h/37280-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3e5000d --- /dev/null +++ b/37280-h/37280-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,7196 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" +"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" > +<head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> + <meta content="Little Folks of North America" name="DC.Title"/> + <meta content="Mary Hazelton Wade" name="DC.Creator"/> + <meta content="en" name="DC.Language"/> + <meta content="1909" name="DC.Created"/> + <meta name="generator" content="ppgen (1.17) generated Aug 02, 2011 08:09 AM" /> + <title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Little Folks of North America by Mary Hazelton Wade.</title> + <style type="text/css"> + body {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%;} + p {margin-top:1ex; margin-bottom:0; text-align:justify;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size:x-small; text-align:right; text-indent:0; + position:absolute; right:2%; padding:1px 3px; font-style:normal; + font-variant:normal; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:none; + background-color:inherit; border:1px solid #eee;} + .pncolor {color:silver;} + h1 {text-align:center; font-weight:normal; + font-size:1.4em; margin-top:4em; margin-bottom:2em;} + h2 {text-align:center; font-weight:normal; + font-size:1.2em; margin-top:4em; margin-bottom:2em;} + h3 {text-align:center; font-weight:bold; + font-size:0.9em; margin-top:1.5em; margin-bottom:1em;} + hr.pb {margin:30px 0; width:100%; border:none; border-top:thin dashed silver; clear:both;} + .sc {font-variant: small-caps;} + .center {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; text-align:center;} + .larger {font-size:larger;} + .smaller {font-size:smaller;} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + table.c {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + .caption {font-size: 80%;} + .sc {font-variant:small-caps} + div.center>:first-child {margin: .5em auto 0 auto;text-align:center;} + div.center p {margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;} + hr.tb {border:none; border-bottom: 1px solid black; margin: 20px auto; width:35%} + </style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Little Folks of North America, by Mary Hazelton Wade + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Little Folks of North America + Stories about children living in the different parts of North America + +Author: Mary Hazelton Wade + +Release Date: August 31, 2011 [EBook #37280] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS OF NORTH AMERICA *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Canada Team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i001' id='i001'></a> +<img src='images/illus-cvr.jpg' alt='' title=''/><br /> +</div> +<p> + <br /> + <br /> + <br /> +</p> +<div><a name='ifpc' id='ifpc'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i002' id='i002'></a> +<img src="images/illus-fpc.jpg" alt="A Little Indian Boy." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>A Little Indian Boy.</span> +</div> +<div class='center'> +<p><span style='font-size:1.6em;'>Little Folks of</span></p> +<p><span style='font-size:1.6em;'>North America</span></p> +<p> </p> +<p>STORIES ABOUT CHILDREN LIVING IN</p> +<p>THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF</p> +<p>NORTH AMERICA</p> +<p> </p> +<p><span style='font-size:smaller;'>BY</span></p> +<p>MARY HAZLETON WADE</p> +<p> </p> +<p><span style='font-size:smaller;'>Illustrated by reproductions from Photographs</span></p> +</div> + +<div class='center'> +<p>W. A. WILDE COMPANY</p> +<p>BOSTON CHICAGO</p> +</div> +<p> + <br /> + <br /> + <br /> +</p> +<div class='center'> +<p>Copyright, 1909</p> +<p><span class='sc'>By W. A. Wilde Company</span></p> +<p> </p> +<p><em>All Rights Reserved</em></p> +<hr style='border:none; border-bottom:1px solid black; width:10%' /> +<p><span class='sc'>Little Folks of North America</span></p> +</div> +<p> + <br /> + <br /> + <br /> +</p> +<div class='center'> +<p><span style='font-size:larger;'>CONTENTS</span></p> +</div> +<table class='c' summary='table of contents'> +<tr><td style='font-size:smaller'>CHAPTER</td><td></td><td style='font-size:smaller'>PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>I.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Iceland</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chI'>13</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>II.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Greenland</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chII'>26</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>III.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Alaska</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chIII'>55</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>IV.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Canada</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chIV'>80</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>V.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Labrador</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chV'>116</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>VI.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Newfoundland</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chVI'>120</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>VII.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of the United States</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chVII'>128</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>VIII.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Mexico</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chVIII'>179</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>IX.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of Central America</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chIX'>206</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:right; padding-right:1em;'>X.</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:3em;'><span style='font-variant:small-caps'><span class='sc'>Little Folks of the West Indies</span></span></td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#chX'>214</a></td></tr> +</table> +<p> + <br /> + <br /> + <br /> +</p> +<div class='center'> +<p><span style='font-size:larger;'>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</span></p> +</div> +<table class='c' summary='loi'> +<tr><td></td><td style='font-size:smaller; text-align:right'>PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>A Little Indian Boy</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#ifpc'><em>Frontispiece</em></a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>An Eskimo Mother and Baby</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i030'>30</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>An Eskimo Village in Summer</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i052'>52</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>An Eskimo Village in Alaska</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i060'>60</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>An Alaskan Village Showing Indian Totem Poles</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i074'>74</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>Little Canadian Indian Children</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i096'>96</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i144'>144</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>How They Harvest Wheat on the Prairies</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i152'>152</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>Children Working in the Cotton Factory in a Big City</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i174'>174</a></td></tr> +<tr><td valign='top' style='text-align:left; padding-right:1em;'>A Mexican Village</td><td valign='top' style='text-align:right;'><a href='#i190'>190</a></td></tr> +</table> +<p> + <br /> + <br /> + <br /> +</p> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_9'></a>9</span></div> +<div class='center'> +<p><span style='font-size:1.2em;'>Foreword</span></p> +</div> +<p> +You all know the story of Columbus—how, +more than four hundred years ago, he +sailed from Spain out into the west; and +also how the people, as they watched his ships +fading from sight, believed they would never +look upon the fleet again, for the brave sailors +who manned it were moving into an unknown +world whose dangers no one could measure. +</p> +<p> +You also remember what happened before +Columbus returned from that long voyage—that +a new continent was discovered where strange +people of a race before unheard-of were living +the life of savages, and that the great sailor, believing +he had entered the waters of India, +named these red men, Indians. +</p> +<p> +Instead of reaching India, as he supposed, he +had brought to light a new and great continent—so +vast that it embraced all climates; rich, +moreover, in mines and forests, lakes and rivers, +high mountains, fertile plains and valleys. +And there were none to enjoy all these beautiful +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_10'></a>10</span> +gifts of God save tribes of red men, except in +the far north the Eskimos in scattered villages. +They, too, like the Indians, were savages who +knew nothing of the ways of white men. They +lived in small settlements along the ice-covered +shores of the ocean. +</p> +<p> +After Columbus had crossed the Atlantic and +discovered this New World, other ships soon +followed in the course he had marked, and the +people of Europe settled in one place after another. +At first they made their homes near the +shores of the ocean. This was partly through +fear of the red men who were not pleased at the +thought of these new neighbors, so different from +themselves. As years went by, however, the +newcomers moved farther and farther into the +west, driving the Indians and the wild beasts before +them, until now the homes of the white +men are found throughout the land. People of +unlike faiths and speaking different languages +cross the ocean in shiploads, for they feel that +when America is reached they will find freedom +and happiness. +</p> +<p> +The Indians who are still left in the country +are slowly learning the ways of the white men. +They are taught in schools by white teachers. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_11'></a>11</span> +They live in houses instead of the wigwams +which were their former homes. They dress in +white men’s clothes. They even plant gardens +and care for their farms in the way of civilized +people. +</p> +<p> +There are many Negroes in North America +also, but they are found mostly in the southern +part of the United States. They were first +brought as slaves from Africa, but are now free +and independent. Although they were once +savages like the Indians, they have been quick +to imitate and have easily fallen into the ways of +the white men. Thus the red and the black +races, the white and the yellow, can all be found +at home in North America, abiding together in +peace and comfort as the children of One Great +Father should do. +</p> +<h1>Little Folks of North America</h1> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_13'></a>13</span><a name='chI' id='chI'></a>CHAPTER I<br />Little Folks of Iceland</h2> +<p> +In the far northeast corner of North America +lies the island of Iceland where little Danish +children live far from the rest of the +world. It is very cold in that northern country, +yet the presence of volcanoes there and the lava +that spreads over much of the country tell the +story that ages ago the island was slowly built up +from the lava that flowed from volcanoes rising +up out of the bed of the ocean. +</p> +<p> +However that may be, the boys and girls of +Iceland are happy little people who laugh and +sing, dance and play as merrily as children who +live where the sun shines all the year round and +the seasons chase each other so rapidly that +Mother Nature is constantly preparing new delights +for them. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_14'></a>14</span> +</p> +<p> +Away back in the ninth century a great chief +called Nadodd left Europe in search of adventure. +When he had sailed for a long time he +came in sight of a land covered with snow. It +seemed a cold, bleak place, but he landed, nevertheless, +and gave the country the name of Snowland. +</p> +<p> +After Nadodd came two Norse chiefs who had +quarreled with their king and left Norway to +seek a new home. Although they found Snowland +or rather Iceland, as it is now called, cold +and desolate as Nadodd had done, they decided +to settle there and other people from Norway +followed them and built homes for themselves +and their families along the coast. +</p> +<p> +These things and many more are written down +in a big book treasured by the Icelanders to-day,—how +little children were born to the settlers, +how they were ruled by their chiefs, and how, +after a while, one of their people went back to +Europe and listened to the teachings of the +Christian religion. He gave up his belief in +heathen gods, and when he came back to Iceland +he converted the settlers. From that time they, +too, were Christians and had Christian ministers +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_15'></a>15</span> +among them who taught and helped their little +ones and themselves. +</p> +<p> +As time went by Norway, and with it Iceland, +came under the rule of Denmark. Afterwards +it became separate again, but Iceland did not, +and is to this day looked upon as belonging to +the Danes. Most of the children, however, by +reading in the famous old book of their people, +can trace their families back to the two Norwegian +chiefs and their followers who were the +first settlers in Iceland. +</p> +<p> +The children of Iceland live so far north that +they know only a short summer. The days then +are very long and there is scarcely any night. +In the month of June there is really no night at +all and there is no way of telling, except by the +clock and their own sleepiness, when it is time +to go to bed. The winters are quite the opposite. +They are very long and bitter cold. Scarcely +any of the time does the sun shine, yet the long +nights are beautiful, for the moon and stars shine +brightly and the northern lights, or aurora borealis, +flash over the heavens in a wonderful way +not seen in warmer lands. +</p> +<p> +On the long winter evenings the boys and girls +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_16'></a>16</span> +are never happier than when listening to the +stories that have been handed down from father +to son for hundreds of years. They call these +stories sagas. Some of them are legends, and +others tell about the lives of people who lived in +Iceland from the beginning of its history. +There are many poems, too, which the little Icelanders +learn “by heart,” and which they repeat +in a half-singing tone, after the way of their people. +These were written in the long-ago by warriors +called “skalds.” They tell of battles and +brave deeds and lovely ladies, and the children of +to-day think them so beautiful that many of them +try to write little poems themselves. This +pleases their parents greatly and makes them feel +quite proud that their own little ones are following +in the steps of their ancestors. +</p> +<h3>Geysers and Glaciers.</h3> +<p> +Iceland is never without snow and ice. On +the warmest summer day the children can look +on glaciers, or rivers of ice, that flow so slowly +toward the sea from the inland country that one +does not see them moving at all. +</p> +<p> +These glaciers look like broad fields of broken +ice, piled up in strange, rough shapes. The summer +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_17'></a>17</span> +sun melts the ice ever so little, and those who +venture near the edge find rills of water flowing +down the sides of the great cakes and boulders. +As the glaciers enter the sea masses of ice sometimes +break away, and turning over and over in +the deep water, right themselves at last and sail +out to sea as the icebergs that are often met by +sailors on their way across the ocean. +</p> +<p> +“We have geysers as well as glaciers,” the + children +of Iceland will tell you, and they are glad to +show their knowledge of them to the travelers +who visit that distant land. A geyser is a boiling +spring which bursts up out of the ground like +a fountain, sometimes with such force that the +water rises into the air higher than the tallest +building you have ever seen. +</p> +<p> +There are other kinds of hot springs, too, in +the country, where the water simply bubbles up. +There is one large town in Iceland called Reikjavik, +which is the capital of the island, and +about a mile and a half away there is a hot spring +where the washing is done for the people of the +town. +</p> +<p> +Almost every day women go there from Reikjavik +with hand-carts filled with soiled clothing. +When they reach the spring they roll up +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_18'></a>18</span> +their sleeves, tuck up their skirts, and begin the +scrubbing and rinsing, the boiling and wringing +that end in making the clothes as white as snow. +From time to time they stop to drink coffee and +have a friendly chat, but all the washing is done +in the open air, without need of stove or fire to +help the workers. +</p> +<p> +Sheds have been built near the spring where +the ironing is afterwards done. Then the clothes +are neatly packed in the little carts and taken +back to the town to be returned to the owners. +</p> +<p> +The little Icelanders are very fond of their +waterfalls, some of which are very beautiful. +The country is so rough and rocky that the +streams often plunge over steep lava cliffs and +fall with a loud roar to the depths below. +</p> +<p> +There are so few sounds to be heard, because +there are no railroads or large factories in the +whole country, that the children like to visit +these waterfalls and listen to the water as it +plunges downwards over the cliffs. Then they +return to the quiet farmhouses to play with their +lambs and dogs, and to dream of the children of +other lands far away where life is so different. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_19'></a>19</span> +</p> +<h3>In the Homes.</h3> +<p> +The fathers of the little Icelanders support +their families by fishing, by raising cattle and +sheep, and by hunting the birds that make their +homes on the island during the summer. +</p> +<p> +Few trees grow in that cold land, so the homes +are generally built of turf and lava, neatly +painted red and thatched with sod. Small gardens +are planted as soon as the long winter is +over, and there the boys help in planting cabbages +and lettuce, radishes and parsley, flax and +turnips. A few potatoes are sometimes raised, +too, but only those vegetables that will grow fast +ripen in that cold northern land. Short, thick +grass grows near the little homes, which are +usually built in the valleys protected from the +cold winds by the hills around them. There +the men tend their flocks of sheep and herds of +cattle which graze on the grass in summer and +in winter eat the hay which their masters have +gathered for them. +</p> +<p> +The children of Iceland are rather small, but +they are quite strong for their size. They have +yellow hair and blue eyes and are brought up +to be gentle and polite. On week-days they +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_20'></a>20</span> +go to school where they are taught very carefully, +and on Sundays they go to church with +their fathers and mothers, where they sing +hymns very slowly and listen to long sermons +by their good pastor. Sometimes the church +is too far away to walk the whole distance. +Then the whole family ride on ponies to the +place of worship, and often, if they have come +a very long ways, they are treated to cake and +coffee at the minister’s house before they start +out again for home. +</p> +<p> +The people are obliged to dress very warmly, +and so the women of each household are busy, +early and late, carding and spinning the wool +from the sheep and weaving it into soft, thick +garments for their families. +</p> +<p> +In every home you will be sure to find the +women’s fingers moving busily at their work, +while the loom and spinning-wheel seems to be +constantly in motion. +</p> +<p> +Almost every home contains many children, +who eat fish and drink milk day after day, with +little change of food throughout the year. Only +the richer families can have bread, for the flour +out of which it is made, as well as the coffee and +chocolate which even the poorest people manage to buy, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_21'></a>21</span> +must come in ships from Europe. +Every one, however, can have cakes made of a +kind of moss, or lichen, which grows on the +island. Some of it is sent to other countries to +use in medicine, and is known as Iceland moss. +The children are often sent to gather it for their +mothers, who dry it and grind it to powder and +then make it into cakes which are boiled and +then eaten with milk. +</p> +<p> +In the summer time the boys and girls hunt +for birds’ eggs of which they are very fond, and +sometimes their fathers kill a sheep or cow, +which furnishes fresh meat for several days. +</p> +<p> +The children love their dogs which are often +very pretty and are petted a good deal. They +help their masters care for the sheep and are +very faithful. Sometimes the cows wander a +long ways in search of grass, but with the approach +of night they come home to be milked +and cared for. The ewes are milked, too, and +their young masters and mistresses have no idea +how strange this must seem to many travelers. +Even the little children learn to ride the stout, +patient ponies, and if they have an errand to do +for their parents they seldom think of walking, +but on to the ponies’ backs they spring, and away +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_22'></a>22</span> +they go across the snowfields and over the roads +till they reach the place for which they are +bound. +</p> +<p> +The little girls are taught to knit and spin and +do fine needle work. They help make the +clothes for the family, which are of the same +fashion, year after year. The mother always +wears a black cloth dress with white under waist +showing in front, a snowy apron, and on her +head is sure to be a black cap with long tassel +and a silver ornament. If it is very cold she +winds a shawl around her head. Her daughters +dress much as she does, except that they wear +no caps till they are thirteen or fourteen years +old. +</p> +<p> +The boys help in the work of the farm and go +hunting and fishing with their fathers. Herds +of reindeer wander over the island and their +flesh makes a pleasant change in the daily fare, +while the skins furnish thick, warm coats for the +Icelanders. There are also foxes, but they and +the reindeer are almost the only wild creatures, +with the exception of the birds, found in the +whole country. +</p> +<p> +There are many kinds of birds,—gulls, ptarmigans, +swans, and wild geese, all come to the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_23'></a>23</span> +island to lay their eggs and raise their young, +but the most precious of all are the eider-ducks +whose bodies are covered with soft thick down. +The mother eider-duck lines her nest with this +down which she plucks out from her own breast, +thus making a soft and comfortable home for +the baby birds. After they are hatched the +hunters go about from nest to nest, collecting +the down which is taken home and spread out +in the sun to dry. Then it is tied up in bags and +sold in the town. Some of it is sent away to +other countries and made into the eider-down +quilts which are sold for a large price. +</p> +<h3>Getting Fish.</h3> +<p> +During the summer every village along the +coast is full of busy people. The men and boys +sail or row out to the places were cod and halibut +are plentiful, and there they fish from morning +till night, when they bring home the “catch” +which they give into the care of their wives and +daughters. At these times the women wear +long waterproof aprons and thick woolen gloves. +They, too, are busy all day long cleaning and +splitting the fish at large tanks near the water’s +edge, then salting and drying them for their +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_24'></a>24</span> +own use during the coming year, or to be +packed and sent to Reikjavik from which they +are shipped to other countries. The fish, together +with butter and ponies, are the principal +things sent out from Iceland, and the ships that +come to receive them bring the sugar, coffee and +chocolate, the dishes and tools necessary to the +simple housekeeping of the Icelanders. +</p> +<h3>The Cave of Surtur.</h3> +<p> +There are many caves in Iceland, some of +which are used by the farmers for storing their +hay and housing their cattle. The most wonderful +of them all is the large cave of Surtur, +whose floor is carpeted with snow and ice. +</p> +<p> +The visitor enters a long hall and the dim +light of his torch makes him think at first that +he is looking at rows of statues. But they are +pillars of ice and snow which reach up from +the floor and have taken upon themselves many +queer forms. Farther on in the hall bars of ice +form a large screen before the eyes of the traveler. +On every side new wonders meet his eyes +as he goes farther and farther underground till +at last he longs for the daylight and turns back, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_25'></a>25</span> +glad indeed when he has reached the mouth of +the cave once more. +</p> +<p> +Many people who have visited Iceland say +that the grandest sights in the whole world are +to be seen in that island. The hills of lava with +the ice-fields stretching between them, the geysers +bursting forth out of the ground with a +sound of thunder, the lofty volcanoes that look +like sleeping giants of snow and ice, the great +caves whose stalactites are coated with ice, all +these things and many more make Iceland a land +of wonder to those who visit that lonely island. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_26'></a>26</span><a name='chII' id='chII'></a>CHAPTER II<br />Little Folks of Greenland</h2> +<h3>The Coming of Eric the Red</h3> +<p> +West of Ireland is the largest island in +the world. It is called Greenland, but +the boys and girls who live there have +little reason to know it by such a name, for it is +a country of snow and ice where fierce winds are +blowing the greater part of the year and where +the frost king rules even in the summer-time. +</p> +<p> +Long ago there were brave sailors in northern +Europe called Norsemen, who ventured out into +the western waters farther than any other known +people at that time. Some of them, as you know, +sailed as far as Iceland where they settled and +made a home for themselves. +</p> +<p> +By and by one of these settlers sailed still farther +into the west. Fierce storms arose and +strong winds blew his ship till he came in sight +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_27'></a>27</span> +of a land whose shores were bound in ice. At +last the storm passed; then he turned his ship +about and sailed for home. +</p> +<p> +When he reached Iceland he told of what he +had seen. Among those who listened to him was +another daring sailor, Eric the Red. +</p> +<p> +Not long afterwards Eric the Red killed another +man in a quarrel, and on account of this +wrong deed he was told that he could not stay in +Iceland, but must leave his home for two years +at least. +</p> +<p> +He now thought of the story he had heard of +a land farther west. He said to himself, “I will +seek that country and perhaps I will find a home +there to my liking.” +</p> +<p> +He set out with a brave heart and sailed on till +at last he saw before him a bare and desolate +land. He steered his ship past great icebergs +and floating masses of ice and entered a harbor. +</p> +<p> +It was not a pleasant country in which to make +a home. There was no person to greet him; not +a single tree to offer its shade. Yet he made +himself as comfortable as possible and built a +house of stone against the side of a steep cliff. +He fished in the icy waters and hunted over the +snow-covered fields; thus he and his few companions +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_28'></a>28</span> +got enough food to keep themselves from +starving. +</p> +<p> +Two winters passed in this new home and +Eric the Red, who had been used to hardship, +enjoyed himself because he was free to do as he +pleased and there were no enemies to disturb +him. In fact, all the time he and his followers +were in Greenland they met no other people, +and so they believed they were the only ones living +in that ice-bound country. In their wanderings, +however, they discovered that there +were many high mountains, deep and narrow +bays, and glaciers. +</p> +<p> +The time came when Eric the Red could go +back to Iceland. On his return he said to himself, +“I will say that I found a pleasant home +in the west. I will give the place the pleasant +name of Greenland. Then some of the people +will wish to go back with me and settle there.” +</p> +<p> +Eric the Red painted such a delightful picture +of his stay in the distant land that a goodly +company started out with him in twenty-five +ships when he returned to Greenland. Some of +these ships were wrecked; others were driven +back by fierce winds. Fourteen, however, managed +to pass the dangerous icebergs and the great +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_29'></a>29</span> +masses of floating ice and entered a narrow +harbor. +</p> +<p> +The people landed on the desolate shore and +were soon busy building houses in which to live. +There was no lumber because there were no +trees, so they had to use stones. +</p> +<p> +Afterwards small gardens were dug and +planted. Sheds were built of stone where the +sheep and oxen the people had brought with +them could be protected from the biting cold +of the long winter and the fearful storms that +raged there. +</p> +<p> +Other settlers followed the first ones and made +new homes for themselves on the western coast +of Greenland, not far from the place chosen by +the first-comers. Here, in rough stone houses, +little children were born and grew up to be men +and women. +</p> +<p> +These children did not know the taste of +bread. They lived mostly on the meat of seals, +walruses, and reindeer, the berries they picked +in summer, and the eggs of the wild birds that +flew in great flocks over the country when the +long, cold winter was over. +</p> +<p> +They had many a good time, though. They +romped in the frosty air; they slid on the ice; +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_30'></a>30</span> +they petted their lambs and played games; and +then, when evening came, they gathered about +their fathers to listen to wonderful tales of adventures +with wild animals and of fights for life +among icebergs and glaciers. Often they must +have held their breath, and their blood must +have been stirred as they thought, “Soon we will +grow up and we, too, will dare what our fathers +have dared.” +</p> +<h3>The Eskimos.</h3> +<p> +More than three hundred years passed by. +Then the children of the settlers suddenly discovered +that they were not the only ones living +in Greenland. Not far to the north there were +other boys and girls with yellow skins, black +eyes, round faces and mouths ever ready to +stretch in smiles. Far different, indeed, they +looked from the Norse children with their fair +hair and blue eyes. +</p> +<p> +These little strangers spoke an odd-sounding +language and when they pointed to themselves +they said, “Innuits,” meaning “people.” No +doubt they and their parents had thought themselves +the only people in the world. The +Norsemen called them Skrællings; but long +afterwards, when other white men came to +Greenland and noticed the manner of living of +the natives, they gave them the name of Eskimos +which means, “Eaters of raw meat.” To this +day we know them as Eskimos. +</p> +<div><a name='i030' id='i030'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i004' id='i004'></a> +<img src="images/illus-030.jpg" alt="An Eskimo Mother and Baby." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>An Eskimo Mother and Baby.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_31'></a>31</span></div> +<p> +Not long after they met with the Eskimos +the white settlers, with their wives and children, +disappeared from Greenland. No one knows +the reason. Perhaps they all died from a terrible +sickness that visited them at that time. +There are some who think they were killed by +the natives. At any rate, there were no more +white people in Greenland for two hundred +years and the little Eskimos lived on as they +always had done. +</p> +<p> +The homes of these children are built to-day +just as they were in that far-away time when +the Norsemen first saw them. They spend the +long cold winter in stone huts. The stones are +packed closely together and the chinks are +stuffed so tightly with turf that the sharpest wind +can not make its way inside. A low passage +into the house is also built of stones, but it is +so low that even the little children must crawl +on their hands and knees when they go in and +out of the house. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_32'></a>32</span> +</p> +<p> +Can you think of the reason for this? It is +because the wind must be kept out of the home +at all costs. +</p> +<p> +When the children have once crept inside, +there is not much room over their heads even +now, since the house-walls themselves are not +more than six or eight feet high. The light +is very dim, for the small windows are made +of the bowels of seals, as the Eskimos do not +have the glass we think so necessary; so they +take the best thing they can procure. +</p> +<p> +A little more light is given by queer, smoky +lamps which are stoves as well. Women are +busy tending these all the time, or they would +smoke so badly that even the Eskimos, who are +used to them, could not breathe the air without +choking. +</p> +<p> +Each one of these stove-lamps is made of a +piece of sandstone hollowed out somewhat in +the shape of a dustpan. Pieces of blubber are +placed in the bottom and strips of dried moss +are set up along one side for wicks. Here the +mothers of the Eskimo children do all their +cooking, and here the boys and girls must gather +when they wish to warm their fingers if Jack +Frost has pinched them. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_33'></a>33</span> +</p> +<p> +Heavy seal or bear skins which have been +cured and made ready for use hang down from +the walls, making them doubly warm. +</p> +<p> +Along the sides of the hut are platforms where +the children sit with their parents and where +they stretch themselves among piles of furs for +the night’s rest. These platforms are usually +made of wood, one of the most precious things +the Eskimos possess. Since no trees grow in +Greenland, the only wood the people had in the +long ago drifted to their shores. Often it came +from the wrecks of vessels that ventured into the +dangerous northern waters after whales. Now-a-days, +however, the Eskimos get lumber from +white traders in exchange for oil and furs. For +about four months of the winter the sun does not +show his face at all. The children must be very +glad that during that period the moon shines +brightly one week out of every four. That is +the time for the best fun,—skating and coasting +by moonlight when the snowfields and the ice-bound +shores glisten like the most wonderful +fairyland you can possibly imagine. +</p> +<p> +Before they venture from their homes their +loving mothers see that they put on their bird-skin +shirts with the soft feathers worn next +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_34'></a>34</span> +to the skin. Then there are stockings of hare or +dog skin, and high boots of sealskin. +</p> +<p> +It would be rather hard at first for you to tell +an Eskimo girl from a boy for all the people +of the snowland wear trousers which are, of +course, much warmer than skirts would be. +These trousers, like the boots, are made of heavy +skins with the fur on the inside. +</p> +<p> +The upper part of the body is covered with a +short fur blouse. A fur hood and mittens complete +the outdoor dress. No suit could be better +for traveling over the snow or playing on the +icy hillsides than the Greenland mothers make +for their little ones. +</p> +<h3>Hunting for Food.</h3> +<p> +Sometimes the little Eskimos and their parents +feast nearly all day long. This is when their +fathers have been successful in the hunt and +there is plenty of seal and walrus meat on hand. +But there are other times when many hours pass +by without food and they do not know how much +longer they must wait before they can satisfy +their hunger. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the men are away from home for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_35'></a>35</span> +days together, searching the shore for the food +their wives and little ones need so much. When +at last they have been successful and returned +with their loads, the children run out with their +mothers to meet the hunters and take care of +the precious prize. The women are armed with +long knives with which they quickly cut away +the skins. The meat is cut up, and with shouts +of laughter the children crawl through the narrow +passage into the hut and gather around their +mothers, as pieces of the meat are placed in stone +dishes and hung over the lamps to cook. +</p> +<p> +It may be, that while the children sit eagerly +watching for some seal-blood soup to be prepared, +the women throw them pieces of blubber +which they eat greedily. +</p> +<p> +All this time the men are stretched about on +the low platforms, joking and telling stories +while they wait for the feast to begin. As they +wait, some of them busy their fingers carving +toys out of walrus-teeth for the children,—tiny +reindeer, seals, sledges, birds or muskoxen. +</p> +<p> +When the dinner is ready a large dish of food +is placed in the middle of the floor, the big folks +and little sit around in a circle and help themselves +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_36'></a>36</span> +with their fingers. After dinner come +songs and dances in which the children take their +part. +</p> +<p> +It is very likely that over on a low shelf a +mother dog is lying with her puppies, and the +children go to her from time to time and play +with their cunning little pets. The Eskimos are +fond of their dogs, and are very careful of the +puppies, which are brought up in the house with +their own children from the time when they +are born till they are big enough to take care +of themselves. +</p> +<h3>Eskimo Dogs.</h3> +<p> +The boys and girls of the far north would +be very lonely without their trusty dogs. They +play with the puppies during the long winter +days. Then, as soon as their little pets are old +enough, the boys begin to train them. First, +the animal must be taught to obey their young +masters. Then collars are made, and with long +straps of leather, these are fastened to low sledges +made of drift wood and walrus lines. The +sledge is drawn by a number of dogs, each of +which is fastened by a separate strap. +</p> +<p> +When the master of the pack is ready for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_37'></a>37</span> +a ride, he throws himself upon the sledge, cracks +his whip, and the dogs start wildly off with +leaps and bounds. +</p> +<p> +On goes the sledge, now over a smooth sheet +of frozen snow, and again bumping up and down +as the dogs dash over rough hillocks of ice. It +is enough to take one’s breath away. +</p> +<p> +An Eskimo boy is much pleased when his +father tells him he is getting old enough to have +a team of dogs for his very own. He picks out +the brightest and smartest one of his puppies to +be the leader of the new pack and trains him +with the greatest care. The young dog in his +turn seems proud of the honor paid him and +soon begins to rule among his fellows like a +king. +</p> +<p> +Poor Eskimo dogs! They have a hard lot. +All through the long winter they are seldom +fed more than three or four times a week. Only +the mother dogs with their puppies are allowed +in the house. The rest of the pack spend most +of the time outdoors although they are sometimes +allowed in the passageway, or a snow hut +is built for them near the house of their master. +Their hair, however, is long and thick and warm, +and this protects them from the winds and storm. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_38'></a>38</span> +They will stretch out on a bed of snow and +sleep comfortably hour after hour in the coldest +weather. One of their favorite resting places +is the top of their master’s hut; but when the +wind blows hard they prefer to creep into their +snow house and stay there till the weather is +once more calm. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the Eskimo boy is old enough to +hold a tiny bow his parents put one in his chubby +hands. He is so pleased when he is able to set +an arrow and send it speeding against a mark +on the wall of the hut. When he strikes it for +the first time the place rings with his shouts of +delight. When he is a little older he takes lessons +from his father in shaping harpoons and +spearheads. He is now getting ready for the +hunting that is to be his work in life. +</p> +<p> +While he is learning the ways of a hunter, +his sister also has her lessons. Her mother and +grandmother are busy women, tanning the skins +the men bring in, and making them into warm +garments for the family. The girls must therefore +learn to sew with coarse bone needles and +heavy thread made from the sinews of the reindeer. +They must also help in chewing skin with +their strong white teeth. This is to make the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_39'></a>39</span> +skin soft and comfortable for the wearer, but it +is a long, hard task. Many an Eskimo woman +wears her teeth down to stubs by the time she +is an old woman. +</p> +<p> +After Seals. +</p> +<p> +When autumn sets in, the head of the family +watches the ice in the bay. As soon as it is +frozen hard enough, he will begin his hunt for +seals. He clothes himself in fur from head to +foot, takes his lance from the wall, and hangs +over one arm a little stool made of small pieces +of wood bound together with leather straps. He +must not forget his hunting knife, nor a fur +blanket which he throws over his shoulders. +At last he is off. He walks quickly down to the +edge of the bay and looks keenly about over its +surface. Perhaps he decides to follow the coast +for some distance, as farther along the ice seems +firmer. +</p> +<p> +On he moves till he comes to a place where +he can trust himself. With leaps and bounds he +springs from one cake of ice to another till he +reaches a place where the water of the outer bay +is frozen solid. He keeps his eyes fastened on +the ice. Ah! he has discovered a small hole. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_40'></a>40</span> +He thinks, “Now I have found the home of +a family of seals. This is certainly their breathing +place.” +</p> +<p> +He spreads his fur blanket on the ice close +to the hole. In the middle of it he puts his +stool, and then, with lance in hand, he sits down +to watch and wait. +</p> +<p> +It may be that in a short time a seal’s nose +will appear at this hole to get a breath of fresh +air, or perhaps hours will pass before this happens. +</p> +<p> +At last the watching hunter is rewarded. He +thrusts his lance suddenly down through the +hole, and if he has made no mistake it has pierced +the seal below. The lance disappears under the +ice, but the hunter has taken care to fasten +leather lines to the blunt end, and this he holds +tightly in his hands. +</p> +<p> +Now he must be very careful. He takes his +hunting knife from his sheath and carefully cuts +away the ice from around the breathing hole. +He must make a place so large that the seal’s +body can be drawn up through, to the surface. +At last his prey lies before him but the animal +is still alive and must be killed. +</p> +<p> +As soon as this is done, the man hastens back +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_41'></a>41</span> +to the shore near his home where some of his +faithful dogs have been harnessed to the sledge +and are patiently awaiting him. +</p> +<p> +He unties the strap by which they are fastened +to a rock. Then, with delighted howls, the dogs +rush along with their master to the place where +the dead seal is lying. It is placed on the sledge, +and in a short time is in the hands of the hunter’s +wife, who takes off the skin and cuts up the +meat for the hungry family. +</p> +<h3>Nannook, the Bear.</h3> +<p> +During the long evenings the children are +never tired of listening to the stories of the big +white bear. It is Nannook who makes her winter +home against the side of a steep cliff. Here +the snow drifts about her and shuts her in from +the outside world; at the same time the warm +breath from her great body melts the snow next +to her, leaving a small empty space. Here she +sleeps and here her little cubs are born. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the bear is caught by means of a +trap which the Eskimo hunter has built of stone +set up in a square. There is a small opening +inside of which a piece of blubber is placed. +When Nannook snaps at the blubber, down falls +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_42'></a>42</span> +a heavy stone and the animal is made a prisoner. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the hunter comes upon the track of +a bear when he has no companion except his +trusty dogs. But he is not afraid. He urges +them on and the sledge dashes along with the +greatest speed. The master of the team hardly +needs to guide, for the dogs are eager to follow +the scent. And now the prey is in sight. Perhaps +it is a mother bear with two cubs. She +sees her enemy and turns to flee, but her little +ones cannot run fast and she stops again and +again for them. Every moment the dogs are +gaining upon her. At last she sees it is of no +use and takes her stand to meet the attack. +</p> +<p> +The team is upon her now. The hunter leaps +from the sledge and rushes towards the mother +bear with spear in hand. She rises upon her +hind legs and opens her mouth with an angry +growl. One blow of her paw would be enough +to kill the man if he gave her time to strike, +but he makes a sudden thrust into her heart with +his spear before she has a chance to do this. +</p> +<p> +It may be that the spear fails to reach its mark, +or that the bear breaks it with one angry blow. +She is furious now, and it would go hard with +the hunter if the faithful dogs were not already +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_43'></a>43</span> +springing upon the huge animal like a pack of +wolves. With their help she is overcome, and +falls at last dying to the ground. Then it is +an easy matter to kill the poor little cubs, which +all through the fight have been crying piteously. +</p> +<p> +Many a time an Eskimo hunter has met his +death when on a bear hunt. Many a time, too, +he has received fearful wounds that have made +him a cripple for the rest of his life. Yet he +is a brave man and is ever ready to join a hunt +in search of Nannook, the big white bear. +</p> +<h3>After the Walrus.</h3> +<p> +The Eskimo boys are not only eager for bear +stories, but they love to hear their fathers tell +of the battles with the big walrus, whose home +is in the sea. It weighs nearly a thousand +pounds. It has a thick, tough skin, and long +tusks of ivory. When a number of walruses are +together they will often turn on the hunters with +fury. Then the men must move quickly and +fight bravely, or they may lose their lives. +</p> +<p> +The best time for a walrus hunt is when the +moon is shining brightly. The children look on +eagerly while the men get knives and lances +ready, for perhaps news has just come that walruses +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_44'></a>44</span> +have been seen on the ice floes miles away +up the coast. The dogs are harnessed to the +sledges and the party start off. +</p> +<p> +One, two, and even three days may pass with +no sign of the returning hunters. At last the +sound of barking dogs is heard in the distance. +The women and children rush out of the huts, +and if the moon has set or the clouds have hidden +her light, they carry torches and hurry to meet +the hunters. +</p> +<p> +The news may be good and the sledges loaded +with ivory and walrus meat. But perhaps the +men have not been successful, and have only to +tell of a long search, with no prize gained. It +may be that one of the men has been wounded +by an enraged walrus, or has been drawn into +the icy water and has narrowly escaped drowning. +At any rate, there is much to tell to the +eager listeners. +</p> +<p> +A walrus is much larger and heavier than a +seal. Besides this, it has two strong tusks with +which to defend itself; and although it is hunted +in much the same way, it is far more dangerous +work to kill a walrus and land it safely on the +ice. One man seldom hunts walruses alone. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_45'></a>45</span> +</p> +<h3>The Narwhal.</h3> +<p> +Eskimos never live far from the shore. It +would not be safe to do so, for most of their food +is obtained from the sea. Besides seals and walruses, +other large creatures are hunted there. +There are different kinds of whales; there are +porpoises and swordfish; more important still is +the narwhal with its long ivory tusk pointing +straight out from its head. It is an ugly-looking +creature, but the Eskimos think only of the +beautiful white ivory and the oil to be obtained, +besides abundance of delicious meat. +</p> +<p> +As soon as November comes, the men begin +to look for narwhals. A party of hunters get +into their boats and paddle out into the deep +waters of the bay. As they paddle along, as soon +as a narwhal appears in sight they hurry toward +it with all the speed possible. Each one is eager +to be the first one to attack, for he is the one to +receive most honor when the fight is over and +the prize gained. Great care must be used as +the hunters draw near the narwhal for that long +tusk could make a hole through a boat in an instant. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_46'></a>46</span> +</p> +<h3>Springtime.</h3> +<p> +The long winter is over at last. The men +have hunted many of the days, but they have +spent much time making lines and traps for +the warmer days to come; also in mending +and sharpening their weapons. The women +have been busy making clothes for the family +and tending the lamps, while the happy, loving +children have helped their parents a little, but +mostly they have been coasting and playing +games on the snowfields. They have paid visits +to friends in other villages; they have had many +a feast; sometimes, alas! they have gone without +food for days at a time. They have sung and +danced, and watched the beautiful northern +lights flash over the sky. They have listened to +legends of their big brother, the moon, and his +sister the sun. Sometimes, too, they have heard +stories about the great ice-sheet that stretches all +over the mountains and plains of the inland +country. They trembled as they were told that +terrible beings have their home on that inland +ice and they are quite sure they would not venture +there for the world. +</p> +<p> +Now that spring has come, they are ready for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_47'></a>47</span> +a season of sunshine. They are glad, too, to +seek a new home and new adventures. Yes, the +spring has come and flocks of birds are flying +overhead to bring the good news. +</p> +<p> +The boys help their fathers take off the roofs +of the winter houses and open them up to the +sunshine and fresh air. All the people in the +village are going to move. +</p> +<p> +Skin tents are packed on the sledges, together +with lamps and the few stone dishes they possess. +For four whole months the Eskimos will +camp out and move from place to place in +search of reindeer and birds on the land, or fish +in the waters of the bay. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes in the early spring or fall the Eskimo +children live in still different homes from +their winter huts of stone or the summer tents. +These are the snow houses, which the men can +build very quickly. +</p> +<p> +If they are off on a long hunt, these snow +houses are useful, for they are warm and comfortable +in the worst storm or the coldest +weather. Big blocks of solid snow are cut and +piled up in the shape of a bee-hive. A small +doorway is left open which can be filled with +another snow-block when the people wish it. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_48'></a>48</span> +When the house is finished loose snow is sifted +over it and every crack filled up so that the +wind cannot make its way inside. The stone +lamp is set up in the middle or at the side of the +hut. A bench is made of snow and covered +with furs, and the family are ready to go to +housekeeping. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the Eskimo children see the birds +flying in the springtime they begin to think of +the fun they will have hunting for eggs. +The boys get their bows and arrows ready at +this time, for they will shoot dozens and dozens +of the birds before the summer is over. +</p> +<p> +There are many kinds of these birds, most of +which like to build their nests on the sides of +steep cliffs along the shore. Best of all are the +eider ducks with their soft and beautiful feathers. +Shirts of eider-duck skin with the feathers +worn next to the body are the best and warmest +of all, both for the babies of the household and +their fathers. +</p> +<p> +An Eskimo hunter will climb up the sides of +the steepest cliff in his search for birds’ eggs. +If he lose his foothold, he may fall a great distance +and be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. +But he does not seem to think of danger. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_49'></a>49</span> +His one idea is to get something good on which +his family and himself may feast. +</p> +<h3>The Skin-boat, or Kayak.</h3> +<p> +The boats of the Eskimos are called kayaks +and are like no others in the world. The boys +take many lessons before they can be trusted to +help in making a kayak. It is long and narrow +and has room for only one person. Its frame +is of bone or wood and it is pointed at both ends. +When it is finished, the boat-maker stretches over +it a seal skin which his wife has tanned. It is +an excellent covering, for the water cannot pass +through it. In the middle of the top the man +leaves an opening as large as his body is round. +He steps inside and sits down, stretching his legs +in front of him. Yes, the opening is of the +right size; the water of the wildest sea cannot +enter and sink the boat when once the Eskimo +has fitted the rim around the bottom of his coat +over the rim he has made about the opening in +the skin covering. With his stout paddle he +will dare to travel for miles over the rough sea. +</p> +<p> +The short summer-time is one long day, for +the sun does not set. The children go to bed +when they are tired and sleepy and get up when +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_50'></a>50</span> +they please. They feast to their hearts’ content +during this time, for there are usually fish and +birds and eggs in plenty. Then, too, these children +of the north go berrying and bring home +many a dish of delicious black crow-berries. +</p> +<p> +The greatest dainty of all is the paunch of a +reindeer’s stomach. It consists of the moss and +shrubs the animal has eaten, and is a little acid. +It is no wonder then that the Eskimos are fond +of it, as they have neither bread nor vegetables, +and no fruit except the berries they are able to +pick during a few weeks out of each year. +</p> +<h3>The Reindeer.</h3> +<p> +As soon as the spring opens the older boys look +forward to the hunt. Perhaps a herd of reindeer +has been seen not far away, and the hunters +start out over the fields still well-covered +with snow to look for traces of them. They +carry bows and arrows, also knives. They must +not forget to take fur soles for their feet, too. +As soon as they are within range of their game +they will bind these soles under their kamiks so +that the reindeer cannot hear them as they draw +near. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_51'></a>51</span> +</p> +<p> +Even now the herd may take fright while the +hunters are still too far off to shoot. Then thud, +thud, sound their feet as they scud away over +the fields. But the hunters will not despair even +then. They will give chase for hours together +if it be necessary. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the keen eyes of the Eskimos will +find only prints on the snow to show that a herd +of reindeer has been lately feeding there. +</p> +<p> +“We will stay here and watch for them to +return,” they say to each other. Then they go +to work to make a little fort of stones, behind +which they sit down to watch and wait. +</p> +<p> +They may have to stay there a long time before +the sound of reindeer hoofs is heard, but +they are patient. They amuse each other with +story-telling and the hours pass quickly. +</p> +<p> +At last a herd draws near. The antlers of +these Arctic reindeer are broad and branching. +They plant their short legs firmly on the ground +as, with heads bent down, they search for moss +beneath the snow. They seem to know just +where to paw away the snow to find the food +they love. +</p> +<p> +The right moment comes and the hunters send +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_52'></a>52</span> +their arrows flying into the midst of the herd. +One of the reindeer falls to the ground while the +others dash wildly away. +</p> +<p> +When a number of animals have been killed +in a hunt and there is too much meat to carry +at once, some of it is buried under a pile of +stones, so that the wolves and foxes cannot get +it. Then the hunters trudge home for the dog +team to help them. +</p> +<h3>New Settlers.</h3> +<p> +You remember that Eric the Red went to live +in Greenland before a white person had stepped +on the mainland of North America. You also +have learned that his followers lived in Greenland +for a long time and then disappeared +shortly after they met with the Eskimos. +</p> +<p> +From that time no more white people went to +Greenland till the year 1585, when an Englishman +named Davis sailed for many miles along +its coast and visited among the Eskimos. Then +he went away. +</p> +<p> +After his visit, there were no settlers from +other lands for nearly a hundred years. Then +a good minister in Denmark left home with his +wife and children and went to a place in +southwestern Greenland which he called God Havn +or, Good Haven. Hans Egede, for this was +the minister’s name, wished to teach the +Eskimos the Christian religion. +</p> +<div><a name='i052' id='i052'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i005' id='i005'></a> +<img src="images/illus-052.jpg" alt="An Eskimo Village in Summer." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>An Eskimo Village in Summer.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_53'></a>53</span></div> +<p> +He had hard work before him. A long time +passed before he could understand the strange +words of the Eskimo language and the only way +he could teach the people was by the pictures he +brought with him. Yet he stayed in Greenland +for many years and his own children grew up +with the little Eskimos for playmates. +</p> +<p> +Then Hans Egede’s wife died and he went +back to Denmark. By this time, however, he +had a grown-up son who loved the work his +father had begun. He said, “I will remain +here and keep on with your teaching.” +</p> +<p> +So he stayed. Other people from Denmark +joined him, and now there are several settlements +of Danes in Greenland. They have brought +lumber with them with which to build their +houses, as well as furniture and dishes from +their old home across the sea. Even the sound +of the piano may be heard now in this frozen +land of the north. Tiny gardens have been dug +where a few vegetables are raised each summer. +Best of all, churches have been built +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_54'></a>54</span> +where Eskimo children sit side by side with their +fair-haired brothers and sisters of Denmark. +</p> +<p> +Once in a while a ship draws near bringing +papers and letters, canned food and clothing +from across the sea. It is a time of great excitement +for the settlers. They have been getting +ready for the coming of the ship for a long time, +filling vessels with oil and fish, and packing the +furs they have got in barter from the Eskimos. +All these things are to be sold in other lands, +besides many tons of cryolite which is very useful +in making aluminum. The white settlers +get it from a large mine and receive a good price +for it, since Greenland and one other country +are the only places in the world where it can be +obtained. +</p> +<p> +Although the Eskimo children of southern +Greenland have white playmates among them, +yet above them in the north there is many a +little village where people from other lands have +never been seen or even heard of. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_55'></a>55</span><a name='chIII' id='chIII'></a>CHAPTER III<br />Little Folks of Alaska</h2> +<h3>The Coming of Behring</h3> +<p> +Close your hand together tightly, leaving +the forefinger pointing straight out. +You now have before you the general +shape of the peninsula of Alaska, which lies in +the northwestern part of North America. +</p> +<p> +The children of Alaska have a much more +comfortable home than the little Greenlanders. +Their shores, except in the far north, are not +bound in ice the year around; the winters are not +so cold and the summers are warmer; trees grow +in thick forests over a great part of the country, +and many flowers bloom there. +</p> +<p> +The reason for this is, that warm winds blow +over the country from the west, and these winds +are due to a broad stream of water flowing +through the Pacific ocean, called the Japanese +current. It makes its way from the south and +keeps its warmth during its long journey through +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_56'></a>56</span> +the colder waters of the main ocean. And so +it is that the children of Alaska who feel the +warm winds blowing eastward from the Japanese +current, do not need the heavy furs worn by the +Greenlanders, neither do they require as much +fat meat to give heat to their bodies, nor as +close and stuffy homes to live in. +</p> +<p> +The boys and girls of Alaska belong to several +different races. There are the yellow-skinned +Eskimos of the far north and west; there are the +copper-colored Indians who are found in the +south, and along the banks of the rivers of the +inland country; there are the Aleuts, who live +on a chain of islands stretching westward towards +Asia, and who are like Indians in some +ways and like the Japanese in others. No one +really knows what these Aleuts are, nor where +they came from. Perhaps in the long-ago they +made their way to these islands from Asia, for +the distance is not great, and small boats could +have crossed over safely in good weather. +Besides these Aleuts and the Indians and +Japanese, there are white children from the +United States whose fathers are busy trading +for furs or digging gold in the mines. +</p> +<p> +Early in the eighteenth century, a brave seaman named +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_57'></a>57</span> +Vitus Behring was sailing under +the orders of Peter the Great of Russia. He +crossed the Pacific ocean from Asia and traveled +far into the north. He passed through a strait +and entered a sea, both of which were named +in his honor, Behring. Then he coasted along +the shores of a land whose mountains often rose +up out of the ocean. He was the first white +man to look on the peninsula of Alaska. +</p> +<p> +A dreadful storm arose during this voyage and +Vitus Behring and his men were wrecked on a +small island to which also the name of the commander +was given. Here he died, and here his +men built a vessel out of what they saved from +the wreck, and sailed away for home to tell of +what had been discovered. +</p> +<p> +Time went by and other Russian ships visited +Alaska and began to trade with the natives for +the furs which they got from the wild animals +roaming through the country. After a while +they built small stations here and there on the +coast, for the purpose of trading, and to these +stations ships came regularly to receive loads of +seal and fox, beaver and martin skins which the +Indians and the Eskimos were glad to trap and +kill, when they found they could get bright-colored +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_58'></a>58</span> +blankets, tobacco, and many other things +in exchange for them. +</p> +<p> +In this way it came about that a few Russian +children with blue eyes and yellow hair found +their way to Alaska, and lived in rough log +houses with wild-looking Indians and Eskimos +for their neighbors. About fifty years ago the +children of the United States began to hear many +stories of Alaska. Their parents told them that +Russian fur-traders had made fortunes there. +Moreover, Russia was willing to sell the country +for a few million dollars. +</p> +<p> +Some people said, “Why should not Americans +buy it? Besides the valuable furs, there +are rich forests in Alaska.” +</p> +<p> +At this time a statesman by the name of +Seward was urging the United States to purchase +that far-away peninsula, for he was quite sure +this country would be well repaid for doing so. +People listened to his reasons, and at last they +decided to follow Mr. Seward’s advice, and +Russian America, as it had been called up to +that time, received its new name of Alaska, and +became a territory of the United States. There +were many, however, who thought it a most foolish +purchase and often spoke of it as “Seward’s +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_59'></a>59</span> +folly.” To-day everyone looks upon it, instead, +as “Seward’s wisdom,” for it has made many an +American child’s father rich, not only through +its furs, but also through the salmon caught in +its waters and the gold found in its mines. +</p> +<h3>The Little Eskimos.</h3> +<p> +Along the northern and western shores of +Alaska, in the coldest part of the country, are +scattered villages of the Eskimos. They are +much like their brothers and sisters of Greenland. +They dress in furs, and live chiefly on the +fat meat of the seal and walrus. They seldom +go far from the shore, because most of their +food is obtained from the sea. +</p> +<p> +Their winter homes are small stone huts built +partly underground, and with long tunnel-like +entrances dug out of the earth and leading down +into them. Turf and mud are plastered over +the cone-shaped roofs, while in the middle, at +the top of each, there is a small opening to let +out the smoke. Directly under this opening is +the family fireplace where wood is burnt except +in the most northern homes. There the +Eskimo children help their mothers tend just +such lamps of seal-oil as the Greenlanders use, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_60'></a>60</span> +since it is too cold for trees to grow on the frozen +marshes that stretch along the shores of the +Arctic ocean. Oil is the one thing that they +can obtain, and of this they must make use. In +the short summer the little Eskimos of Alaska +delight in the skin tents which their mothers +stretch over light frames, while from time to +time, during the spring and fall, they camp out +in snow-houses. +</p> +<p> +They have their teams of dogs, which they pet +and train. They have their skin-covered kayaks +made in much the same way as those of the +Greenland Eskimos, although it is very probable +that they have never heard of their relations in +that distant island. Mother Nature has provided +certain things to maintain life in the frozen +lands of the north,—not many to be sure; but +the minds of those who dwell in places far distant +from each other seem to have thought out much +the same way of using them. +</p> +<div><a name='i060' id='i060'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i006' id='i006'></a> +<img src="images/illus-060.jpg" alt="An Eskimo Village in Alaska." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>An Eskimo Village in Alaska.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_61'></a>61</span></div> +<p> +In these far northern regions the little Eskimos +are often treated to a most beautiful sight. +It is the northern lights, which flash over the +heavens during the long cold winter nights, and +are far brighter than are ever seen in Greenland +or Iceland. Think of the most glorious rainbow +you can imagine,—the brilliant green, yellow, +blue, and violet spreading out in great waves +of light over the sky. For a few moments it is +as light as day. Then the colors fade away and +all is darkness once more. It is not strange that +the little Eskimos who stand watching are filled +anew with wonder and think of it as the work +of great and powerful spirits. +</p> +<h3>Among the Indians.</h3> +<p> +Along the southern shores of Alaska and on +the banks of the rivers of the inland country +are many Indian villages. They belong to several +different tribes, but their way of living is +much the same. Their huts are generally built +of logs and bark, and they like best to dress in +the bright-colored blankets, with red and yellow +handkerchiefs on their heads, which they get in +barter from the white traders. The red children +have broad faces, black eyes, and black hair. +Long ago, before the white men lived among +them, these little Indians believed that they +could make themselves more beautiful by tattooing +their bodies. As these poor children +grew up, they suffered many an hour of pain +while the red or blue lines were marked on their +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_62'></a>62</span> +chins by threads drawn along under the skin. +Now, however, as the red men learn more and +more of the ways of the white people, this cruel +fashion is passing away. Many of the little +Indians of Alaska go to school, where they take +delight in learning to read and write. They +are rather slow, but they are very patient, and +proud indeed are they when they have mastered +a hard lesson. +</p> +<p> +Most of them, however, are still in Mother +Nature’s school alone, but their bright eyes are +continually learning new things about the trees +and the flowers, and the wild animals that roam +through the forests and over the snowfields. +These children of the red men delight in the +water. The rivers of Alaska are the roadways, +and here as well as on the coast, the boys paddle +in their canoes for many a mile, hunting, fishing, +and racing. Many an Indian has a morning +bath in the ice-cold river, or in the ocean. “It +will make my child strong,” his mother thinks, +and so, whether it be a bright summer day, or +a dark and freezing winter morning, in he goes +for his daily plunge. +</p> +<p> +In front of many homes of the red children +are tall, straight posts. Horrible-looking faces +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_63'></a>63</span> +are carved upon these posts, as well as the figures +of birds, fishes and wild animals. +</p> +<p> +“It is the totem-pole,” the Indian child will +tell you with pride. The totem is the mark of +his family. It is even more to him than is the +coat-of-arms to many an Englishman. Suppose +a wolf is the principal carving upon the pole. +The child’s parents tell him it is their guardian, +and the child learns to look upon it with reverence. +Perhaps his grandfather or his great-grandfather +dreamed of the wolf while he was +fasting alone in the forest. He thought it was +a vision from heaven, and he chose it henceforth +to be the totem of his tribe or of his family. +</p> +<h3>Candle Fish.</h3> +<p> +Since Alaska lies so far north, the winter must +be long and dark. No lamps are needed to light +the huts, however, if the children and their +parents have provided themselves with enough +candle-fish. These fish are about ten inches +long, but quite thin. Strange to say, they are +full of oil, and after being carefully dried, they +will burn like torches. One of them will give +as much light as two or three candles. At certain +times of the year, schools of candle-fish enter +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_64'></a>64</span> +the mouths of the rivers which empty into the +ocean. The Indian children watch for their +coming, and as soon as they appear, they and +their parents go down to the shore and rake +them out of the water by the bushel. +</p> +<p> +The Indian mothers not only dry the candle-fish +for lighting their winter homes, but they +also boil great numbers of them, for in this way +they get a supply of hardened oil that takes the +place of butter. The older and the more rancid +this oil is, the better they like it. +</p> +<p> +In the short Alaskan summer the fruits and +flowers grow very fast. It seems as though they +must make the best possible use of the sunshine. +In the southern part of the country the children +can pick the most beautiful bouquets of white +clover, maiden-hair ferns, and bright-colored +wild flowers. They go berrying to their hearts’ +content, too. There are fields and fields filled +with tall blueberry bushes; there are the juicy +yellow salmon berries; there are cranberries, +blackberries, red and white currants, and bilberries, +but the best of all are the sweet, wild +strawberries that almost melt in the mouth. +Certainly the children of the greater part of +Alaska can feast on good things in summer. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_65'></a>65</span> +Why, the berries are so plentiful that not only +the boys and girls, but the birds of the country +get fat with the rich living. Many of the wild +geese, indeed, can hardly fly after the summer’s +feast, and are then easily caught by the boys and +their fathers. +</p> +<p> +Even in winter there are berries to add to the +dinner of fish and oil, for during the summer +the children gather many bushels for their mothers +to dry and store away. Berries, fish and oil! +Surely, think the people, a person should be content +if he has plenty of these three dainties. +There are deer and bears, mountain goats, wild +ducks and geese. All these are good for a +change, but they cannot compare with fish, either +fresh or dried, with an abundance of hardened +oil spread over them. +</p> +<p> +Along the coasts there are clams and oysters, +mussels and crabs. The natives like these, too; +they dry and string them on long blades of grass +for the winter season. Thus they have more variety +of food than the people of Greenland. +</p> +<h3>Catching Salmon.</h3> +<p> +The boys of southern Alaska spend much time +along the shores of the waters which teem with +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_66'></a>66</span> +cod and halibut, besides many smaller fish. But +most plentiful of all are the salmon that leave +the ocean as spring opens and enter the mouths +of the rivers. How busy the people are then! +The men and boys have nets all ready, and with +these they paddle out into the water in their +canoes. After the season has well opened, they +load their boats again and again in one day, and +before the season is over there is many a time +when they simply scoop the fish on to the shore +with the blades of their paddles. Salmon are +so sweet and fat, that the Indians are very fond +of them. They can feast on fresh fish during +the summer, while the women split up great +numbers of them and hang them up on racks to +dry for the coming winter. +</p> +<p> +Many years ago the white people learned that +salmon are plentiful in Alaska, so that now the +Indians are busy, not only in getting the fish +for themselves, but for the factories where tin +boxes and casks are made by the hundreds and +packed with the delicious fish which are sent +to the people of the United States and elsewhere. +Sometimes the children of the white men who +are in the salmon business go to live in Alaska +and there they see many a strange sight. They +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_67'></a>67</span> +look with wonder at the half-naked Indian boys +and girls, with their wild bright eyes. They +watch with envy as the red children glide over +the water in their light bark canoes, and race +with one another on the rivers. They shudder +at the hideous faces carved on the totem poles. +They look on with delight at the dances and +the odd games of their red neighbors, and they +laugh when they hear of Mr. Bruin and his +way of catching fish. They would rather not +be alone, however, when the bear is creeping +down through the woods to get his dinner. They +think he might possibly prefer a white child +to the delicate pink salmon, but in this they are +quite mistaken. +</p> +<h3>Bears.</h3> +<p> +The bears seem to know when the salmon arrive +as well as the human beings do. They +leave their homes in the woods and make their +way down to the quiet little coves along the +shore. When the fish come crowding in, out +go the bears’ paws into the water, scooping in +the salmon of which they are so fond. Mr. +Bruin swallows one after another until he has +had his fill; then he creeps away as quietly as +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_68'></a>68</span> +he came, to seek safety once more among the +trees of the forest. Sometimes, alas, the white +hunter discovers the trail and follows the bear +to the shore. Then bang! bang! sounds through +the air and Bruin’s salmon feasts are over. +</p> +<p> +There are many bears in Alaska,—black, cinnamon, +and in the far north the dangerous +grizzly; but the red boy’s father teaches him +that it is best not to kill these animals. He has +an idea that the bear’s spirit will be angry and +harm him if he does so. The white traders, +however, want the skins and are willing to pay +a good price for them, so the Indians sometimes +go bear hunting, although after they meet with +success, they go through strange rites, hoping +thus to make peace with the bear’s spirit. +</p> +<h3>Whales and Sea Otters.</h3> +<p> +As the children who live along the shores of +Alaska look out to sea, they sometimes notice +what appears to be a water spout, then another +and another far away in the distance. It is the +blowing of a school of whales, which have come +up to the surface for fresh air. They run to +tell the news to the older folks of the village, +for nothing could be more delicious than a dinner of +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_69'></a>69</span> +whale. The men get their lances ready +at once and hurry down to their canoes. Then +away they paddle with all their might in the +direction in which the monsters have been seen. +</p> +<p> +If they succeed in coming upon the whales, +there is busy and dangerous work for a while. +The hunters must not think of fear as they draw +near to the huge creatures to throw their spears +in such a way as to inflict dangerous wounds. +Then away they must paddle for dear life so +as not to be swamped by the whales as they dive +below. Before the men threw their lances they +carefully fastened sealskin buoys to them. As +the whales plunge after being wounded, these +buoys on the surface make it hard for them to +stay below and they are soon worn out. When +the hunters have wounded a whale as much as +possible, they go home and wait for the tide to +bring the dead animal ashore. Then there is +a great feast in the village and all make merry. +Many years ago white men fitted out big ships +to sail into the northern waters after whales. +In those days the oil was burnt in lamps; but +now, since kerosene is plentiful, whale-oil with +its unpleasant odor is little used. Whale-bone, +however, is still valuable, and for this reason +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_70'></a>70</span> +many ships are still engaged hunting these +monsters of the sea. +</p> +<p> +The Alaskan boys are ever on the watch for +sea-otters. These shy creatures never leave the +ocean, except when they have little ones to care +for. Even then, it is said, the mother sea-otter +sometimes chooses a bed of sea-weed out on the +waves and there she floats, with her babes beside +her. It is a curious sight. More curious +still is it to see one of these huge creatures asleep +on her back, floating along on the surface of the +water, with her little ones held in her close +embrace. A party of Indians often go on a +sea-otter hunt, for the animal is covered with +fine black fur, through which are scattered long +white hairs. It is very beautiful, and the white +traders are always willing to pay a large sum +for a sea-otter skin. +</p> +<p> +The hunters must paddle quite a distance out +to sea before they begin to look for an otter’s nose +to appear above the surface of the water as the +creature comes up to breathe. The moment it +is seen, they swing their canoes around in a +wide circle. Then, with spears in hand, they +watch eagerly for the right moment to hurl +them. Many days sometimes pass before the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_71'></a>71</span> +patient watchers are rewarded with even the +sight of the longed-for prize, and even then +the hunters may fail to secure it, yet it is worth +all the time they spend, for the fur is among +the richest and the rarest in the world. Indeed, +the sea-otter is rarely found except in the waters +which wash the shores of Alaska. +</p> +<p> +More than once an Indian child has tried to +raise a sea-otter, but he has never succeeded, for +he cannot make the little creature eat, and it +soon starves to death. +</p> +<h3>Seal-Hunting.</h3> +<p> +You remember that on the islands reaching +out into the west from Alaska, many children +are living who are neither Indians nor Eskimos. +They are called Aleuts. Before the coming of +the white people the Aleuts looked much like +the Japanese, but afterwards the Russians married +among them, so that many of their children +to-day have lost much of the appearance of the +yellow race. +</p> +<p> +Few trees grow around the homes of the +Aleuts but enough wood drifts over from the +forests of the mainland to furnish fuel for their +fires. They live in dark, damp huts built mostly +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_72'></a>72</span> +underground, so it is no wonder that they love +best to be out-of-doors when the hills and the +fields are covered with pretty grasses, mosses, +and bright flowers in the summer time. Many +blue foxes run wild through the islands and +these are hunted by the men, for the fur is very +valuable and the white traders are always ready +to buy the skins. +</p> +<p> +The little Aleuts love the sea, where they paddle +about in their light canoes, or fish in the +clear waters. Northward from the Aleutian +islands are two others called the Pribylov or +Seal Islands. Thick fogs shut them in during +the summer, while in the winter the shores are +surrounded with drift ice. They are very important, +however, because they are the greatest +hunting grounds for seals in the whole world. +The Aleuts are the only people who live on +these islands, except for a few white men who +oversee the work of killing the seals. The villages +are scattered here and there, close to the +sea, each with its church and its school-house, +and during the winter the little Aleuts pass +their time quietly in play and study. +</p> +<p> +But when the spring comes, they are full of +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_73'></a>73</span> +excitement, as they watch the seals, big and little, +old and young, gather on their shores. No one +knows how far these creatures have traveled, +nor in what distant waters they have passed the +winter. Come they do, however, by hundreds +and thousands, and on the shores of these islands +the baby seals are born. They are graceful little +creatures, and play and frolic together like kittens. +When they are born they are quite blind, +but they begin to see after a few days. When +they are about six weeks old their mother leads +them down to the water for their first swim. +At first they are afraid, but their mother coaxes +and urges them on, so that in a short time they +are able to swim about with ease. Before long +they enjoy this new water-life as much as their +fathers and mothers do, and are soon able to +hunt for the small fishes and kelp which are the +seals’ principal food. The hunting season lasts +about six weeks, and begins early in June, soon +after the arrival of the seals. The men arm +themselves with clubs, and then drive the seals +up into a cleared space away from the shore, +where the animals are helpless, because they are +clumsy and move slowly when out of the water. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_74'></a>74</span> +A single blow on the seal’s head is enough to +end his life, and to give the hunter the beautiful +soft skin he wishes. +</p> +<p> +Year after year goes around and each summer +brings herds of seals to these islands, with no +understanding that thousands of their number +are coming only to die at the hands of the +hunters. Sometimes the Indian boys catch baby +seals and keep therm for pets. They are gentle +little creatures, and soon learn to love their +young masters, and to follow them about. They +bark much like puppies and are often taught +to do tricks. +</p> +<h3>Hunting in Alaska.</h3> +<p> +The Indian boys of Alaska could tell you +many stories about the wild animals they hunt +with their fathers. There are martens, with +their soft brown fur, black and silver foxes, +beavers, muskrats, mountain-goats, moose, deer, +otter and many others which roam in great numbers +over the hills and through the valleys. The +Yukon River, one of the largest in the world, is +the most important one in Alaska, and through +the country on either side of it the wild animals +are found in great numbers. The hunters get +many of them in traps. There, on the banks +of that great river, hundreds of canvas-back +ducks lay their eggs on the platforms of grass +and twigs which they build on the low marshes, +and the Indian children go in parties to hunt +for their eggs and the baby ducklings. +</p> +<div><a name='i074' id='i074'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i007' id='i007'></a> +<img src="images/illus-074.jpg" alt="An Alaskan Village Showing Indian Totem Poles." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>An Alaskan Village Showing Indian Totem Poles.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_75'></a>75</span></div> +<p> +The older boys trap many a fox and musk-rat, +whose skins they proudly give to their fathers +who will sell them to the white traders, and get +sugar, tea, and blankets in exchange. They +spend hours in hunting along the banks of the +stream for beaver villages, and taking these little +creatures unawares. +</p> +<h3>The Gold Mines.</h3> +<p> +Not many years ago it was found that not +only furs and salmon could be obtained in +Alaska, but in some places the rocks were rich +with precious gold. The Treadmill gold-mine +is one of the most valuable in the world. The +men who work there do not have to leave the +sunlight and dig far down under the earth, for +the mine, or rather quarry, is above ground, +and there the workers are kept busy, breaking +away the masses of rock which are afterwards +crushed in heavy stamps, to separate the gold +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_76'></a>76</span> +from the quartz. When darkness falls, electric +lights make everything as bright as day. There +are more than two hundred of these stamps at +the Treadmill mine, so you can imagine that +when all are at work crushing the great masses +of rock, the noise is enough to deafen one’s ears. +</p> +<p> +As the gold is separated, it is made up into +bricks, each one of which is worth between fifteen +and eighteen thousand dollars! These +bricks are afterwards sent in ship loads to the +mint at San Francisco. +</p> +<h3>Sitka.</h3> +<p> +On an island off the southern shore of Alaska, +lies Sitka, the capital of the territory. It was +built long ago when the Russians owned the +country, and even now you may visit the moss-grown +Castle, where the governors always lived. +There they held many a feast and dance, to +which the savage Indian chiefs from the country +around were sometimes invited. Fine glass and +silver, which had come all the way from Russia, +sparkled at these feasts. Grand ladies in silks +and satins laughed and chatted beneath the soft +light of hundreds of candles, trying perhaps to +forget their longing for home. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_77'></a>77</span> +</p> +<p> +Now that Alaska belongs to the United States, +many things have been done to make Sitka +healthful and comfortable. The new governors +chose Indians for policemen. Very grand they +must have thought themselves when they first +put on their blue uniforms, with gilt letters on +their caps and silver stars on their breasts. +</p> +<p> +Among other wise things, the governor made +the law, that the children must go to school. +Now, there were many Indians in Sitka, and +they did not understand what a fine thing it is +to have learning. But the governor directed +that all the houses must be numbered. Not only +this, but each child of the house was given a +number, and this was stamped on a tiny, round +plate which he was obliged to wear on a string +tied around his neck. He had to show this number +to the school-teacher and in this way one +could keep track of him. +</p> +<p> +Whenever an excursion steamer enters the +harbor, the people of Sitka make ready for a +holiday, while the Indians hasten to get out +their blankets to sell to the visitors. Many people +travel in Alaska in the summer time, on +purpose to see the wonderful sights there,—the +high mountains covered with snow, the valleys +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_78'></a>78</span> +filled with flowers, the wild Indians, the strange +huts before which the totem poles rise high in +the air; but most interesting of all are the glaciers, +whose beginning is far up in the snow-covered +mountains. Slowly but surely, they +make their way down to the sea, growing larger +as other and smaller glaciers join themselves +to them. There is a certain bay in Alaska +which the summer visitors are sure to visit if +they can possibly do so. It is called Glacier +Bay, because of an immense glacier which enters +it. Imagine yourself on a steamer entering this +bay on a bright sunshiny day of mid-summer. +Yet you shiver, for the air begins to grow colder +and colder. It is no wonder, for icebergs meet +your eyes on every side. They are clear as crystal +and are lighted with the most beautiful colors,—delicate +pinks and blues. As you look, you +fancy that they have the shapes of different animals +or of grand castles. Some of them, indeed, +seem like great lonely beings. From time to +time flocks of birds pass overhead and light on +the bergs for a short rest. +</p> +<p> +Whence did these bergs come, and whither are +they drifting so slowly? You look ahead and +there before you is the Muir glacier entering +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_79'></a>79</span> +the sea. As you draw nearer it seems like a +mighty fortress. The captain of the steamer +tells you that its face is three miles wide, and +that all these icebergs, among which the ship has +to be steered so carefully, have broken away from +this one glacier. He does not dare to carry his +passengers too near, for some time, without any +warning, a fresh berg may break away. As it +plunges into the bay, with a noise like thunder, +it will stir the waters into an angry whirlpool. +</p> +<p> +There are many other glaciers in Alaska, but +this one is the largest and the most wonderful +of them all. Geysers and volcanos are also to +be found in the country. One of the mountains, +named Mt. McKinley, is the highest peak in +North America. Another, Mt. Elias, rises almost +out of the ocean, and its cloak of snow and +ice reaches nearly to its base. When boys and +girls wish to travel where they can see many +strange and wonderful sights, they would do +well to take a summer’s trip to Alaska,—the +land of gold and fur, of waterfalls, geysers and +glaciers. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_80'></a>80</span><a name='chIV' id='chIV'></a>CHAPTER IV<br />Little Folks of Canada</h2> +<h3>The First White Settlers</h3> +<p> +If you look at the map of North America, +you will find that nearly the whole upper +half, with the exception of Alaska, bears +the name of the Dominion of Canada. Its +northern shores are bathed by the cold waters +of the Arctic Ocean. On the east is the great +Atlantic, and on the west is the stormy Pacific. +The boys and girls who live in this vast country +can travel for hundreds of miles along mighty +rivers; they can sail on lakes so great that they +may lose sight of land and grow seasick from +the motion of the boat as it moves through the +waves; they can climb high mountains capped +with snow in the hottest summer weather; they +can wander over vast prairies for days and even +weeks at a time with no view of anything as +far as the eye can see, save miles and miles of +grass; they can lose themselves in thick forests +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_81'></a>81</span> +where only wild animals and Indian hunters +have ever ventured before. All these things are +possible for the Canadian child without moving +out of the land which he calls home. +</p> +<p> +Once upon a time, less than fifty years after +Columbus discovered the New World, a brave +Frenchman named Jacques Cartier left his +sunny home in France, and sailed into the west. +The king of France had heard of the wonderful +land which Columbus had discovered, and +which the Spaniards had begun to settle. He +wished to have some part of it for himself, so +he directed Cartier to go farther north than the +Spaniards had done. When he reached a good +place for a home, he was to land and set up +the flag of France. +</p> +<p> +Cartier, with two ships, each of which bore +sixty-one men, set out. They crossed the ocean +and arrived on the coast of a large island. Its +shores were still blocked with ice, although it +was the month of April. To-day we know this +island as Newfoundland or New-found-land. +The Frenchmen were not pleased with the country, +for it looked bare and rocky. When they +landed, they were met by savages with red skins +and black hair tied on the top of their heads, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_82'></a>82</span> +“Like a wreath of hay,” as Carter said. He +was quite sure that this was not a fit place for +a home; so the ships were turned northward. +They soon entered a large gulf which received +the name of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. +</p> +<p> +On the shores of this gulf the white men were +also met by Indians, whose homes were their +upturned canoes. The savages wore little or no +clothing; they lived on fish and flesh that was +scarcely cooked; they seemed poor and very +savage. The country, which was the mainland +of Canada, looked pleasant, and Carter set up +a tall cross and took possession of it in the name +of France. He induced the Indian chief to allow +his two sons to go back to France with him. +Then he set sail for home, eager to tell his friends +of the land he had visited. +</p> +<p> +The next year Cartier returned to Canada +with a goodly company. They entered the gulf +of St. Lawrence, as they had done before, but +they sailed on until they came to the mouth of +a wide river. +</p> +<p> +“It flows from afar off,” said the two Indians +who had gone to France with Cartier, and who +had returned with him. “No man has ever seen +its beginning,” they continued. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_83'></a>83</span> +</p> +<p> +“Perhaps,” thought Cartier, who had no idea +how vast was the new land that he had discovered, +“it is not a river. It is so broad and +so deep, it may be an arm of the ocean, and if +I follow it, I may find the short way to India, +about which so many have dreamed.” +</p> +<p> +So he and his men kept on their way up the +St. Lawrence River, stopping from time to time +to admire the beautiful country and the wonderful +sights that met them on every hand. Wild +grape vines hung from the trees along the banks, +and the delicious fruit was even now ripening. +Water-fowls flew over their heads, and they got +glimpses of wild animals such as they had never +seen before. Most interesting of all were the +little Indian villages scattered here and there +along the shore. +</p> +<p> +From one of the settlements Cartier was passing, +the people came out in their canoes to get a +better sight of the white men, but they were +afraid to come close to the ships, till Cartier’s +two young Indian friends spoke to them and +told them not to fear. Then they came on board +and listened to the story of the visit the two +Indian youths had made in France, and of the +wonderful things that had happened to them. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_84'></a>84</span> +The Indians were now quite sure that the +strangers meant only good to them, and that +there was nothing to fear. +</p> +<p> +They hastened to bring presents to the visitors +and show friendship in every way that they +knew. Cartier did not stay long in the place, +however. He sailed on till he came to a fine +harbor beneath steep, high cliffs. An Indian +village stood here. To-day it is the site of the +city of Quebec. +</p> +<p> +“Farther on, up the river, is a still larger +town of our people, and it is ruled over by a +very powerful chief,” the Indians there told +him. +</p> +<p> +“But the way is long and dangerous,” added +their own chief. “You had better not go there.” +</p> +<p> +When he said this, he was thinking of the +store of knives, bright-colored beads, and tiny +looking-glasses the white men had shown him. +A few of these strange and beautiful things had +been given to him. He could not bear to think +of that other chief also receiving some. +</p> +<p> +But Cartier was not to be frightened. He +set sail once more and for thirteen days the ships +kept on their way up the river. From time to +time they stopped at Indian villages where the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_85'></a>85</span> +red children and their parents came dancing +about them, bringing presents of fruit and fish. +The savages told many stories about the country +beyond; gold and precious stones were to be +found there, and there were strange beings who +lived without food. Still Cartier traveled on +until he reached a village of at least fifty huts. +</p> +<p> +There was a three-fold wall of stakes around +it, and fields where leaves of corn were waving +in the autumn wind. Behind this village was a +hill which Cartier called Mount Royal. To-day, +in the very spot where the Indian village +once stood, is the large city of Montreal, the +most important one in the country. Cartier and +his men stayed in Canada for several months. +They built two forts on the banks of the St. +Lawrence; they made gardens, and marked out +a road. They were of good heart until the long, +cold winter was upon them, longer and colder +than they had ever known. Many grew homesick +with longing for sunny France; others fell +ill. At last they decided to give up the settlement +and to return home. +</p> +<p> +After that French ships visited Canada from +time to time. They stopped to get loads of furs +which the Indians were glad to sell, but no one +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_86'></a>86</span> +came to settle in the country for many years. +</p> +<p> +At last the king of France said to himself, “I +cannot hold the land on the other side of the +ocean, unless I send people there to settle, and +it is worth while to keep it because of the furs +we can get in trade from the Indian hunters.” +</p> +<p> +He sent over a colony of settlers who came +sailing one bright day into the harbor of Port +Royal. They landed on the beautiful shore and +were soon busy building a chapel and a fort, as +well as homes for themselves. A good priest +came with them. He was so kind and gentle +that even the savages loved him, and were quite +willing to listen to the stories that he told them +of a heavenly Father, and Jesus, the Savior of +men. +</p> +<h3>The Explorer Champlain.</h3> +<p> +Among the settlers was the brave Champlain, +who advised building a fort above the steep +cliffs under which Cartier had anchored his +ships years before. Workmen were soon at +work on a fort, a chapel, and homes for the settlers. +It was the beginning of the strong fortress +and city of Quebec. +</p> +<p> +After these first settlers, came other Frenchmen +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_87'></a>87</span> +and their families, and before many years, +the red children and the white were playing +merrily together. +</p> +<p> +“You must love each other,” the gentle French +priest had told them. “Though you are of different +races, yet you are the children of the one +Father.” +</p> +<p> +So it was that the sons and daughters of the +Frenchmen grew up with no fear of the little +savages. Why, their priests often went to live +in the Indian villages, that they might better +show their friendship. Indians were often invited +to feasts held in the white men’s homes +and joined in their sports. Moreover, the children’s +own relatives often chose Indian maidens +for their wives, and were very happy with them. +And because of this last, there came in time to +be many people in Canada who were called halfbreeds, +as they were partly French and partly +Indian. +</p> +<h3>The Coming of the English.</h3> +<p> +Many years passed quietly by. The French +people in Canada lived peacefully with their red +neighbors. They built trading stations out in +the country, and here furs were brought in great +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_88'></a>88</span> +numbers by the Indian hunters. Forts were +also built along the banks of the St. Lawrence, +and still farther into the wilderness, on the +shores of the Five Great Lakes, which separate +Canada from the United States. +</p> +<p> +The French explorers and priests went even +farther, for they made their way from these +lakes down into the United States, never stopping +till they had sailed the whole length of the +Mississippi River. Everywhere they went they +planted the French flag and claimed the country +in the name of the king across the ocean. Now, +the English, who had settled on the southern side +of the Great Lakes, did not like the idea of the +French becoming so powerful in North America; +thus it came about after a while that there +were wars between the two peoples. +</p> +<p> +The Indians of Canada took the part of their +French friends. Terrible battles were fought; +brave soldiers were killed; cruel deeds were +done to women and little children by the savage +Indians. Years passed by and the troubles did +not come to an end. It seemed as though there +was no way of settling matters and making +peace. +</p> +<p> +All this time a little boy was growing up in +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_89'></a>89</span> +England. His name was James Wolfe. He +was delicate and sickly, yet his bright, clear eyes +showed that he had a strong will. He longed +with all his heart to be a soldier. And soldier +he became, though it seemed as if he would +never be able to bear such a hard life. +</p> +<p> +When he was only sixteen he fought for his +country in Flanders. He soon showed how +brave he was, and became a high officer in the +army. He was sent to America to fight against +the French and Indians. If he could only get to +Quebec, he thought. It was the strongest fortress +of all the enemy held. But that seemed +impossible, for no one dreamed that an army +could scale the steep crags above which the fortress +was built. +</p> +<p> +Yet Wolfe kept thinking, thinking. By this +time he was the commander of a whole fleet of +English ships. At last there came a day when +he sailed boldly up the St. Lawrence, and +landed his men on the shore opposite to Quebec. +He set up great cannons which should fire upon +the fortress across the river. The siege began. +In the midst of it heavy rain fell; Wolfe and +many of his men became ill. Though he was +burning with fever he still kept planning. One +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_90'></a>90</span> +day, as he looked through his telescope, he saw +something that he had never noticed before. It +was a narrow path,—O, so very narrow—that +wound in and out, yet ever upward, to the top +of the crags that guarded Quebec. +</p> +<p> +He said to himself, “My men and I shall +climb that path and take the fortress by surprise.” +</p> +<p> +Soon afterwards, on a dark night, they did +climb it. Wolfe himself rose from his sick bed +and led them. As the sun rose the next morning +the English army appeared on the Plains of +Abraham, behind the fort, and one of the great +battles of the world was fought. Before night +fell, Quebec was in the hands of the English. +Both Wolfe, and Montcalm, the French commander +were killed. Henceforth, not only +Quebec, but all Canada would be ruled over +by the English. +</p> +<h3>Henry Hudson and the Great Lone Land.</h3> +<p> +It was in the year 1610, that a brave seaman +named Henry Hudson, sailed northward along +the shores of North America. He had already +discovered the Hudson River in the United +States, and traded with the Indians there for +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_91'></a>91</span> +furs. He had tried to find a short way to India +but had failed. Now he hoped by going still +farther he might yet discover it. On and still +on he sailed till he entered a large bay on the +northern shore of Canada, which ever since has +been called Hudson Bay. Here, in the midst +of ice and snow, he and his men were obliged +to pass the winter. There was little to eat, and +it was bitter cold. +</p> +<p> +His men blamed him for bringing them to +such suffering, and at last rose against him. +They set him adrift in a small boat, with his +young son and a few faithful followers. Then, +leaving him to die of cold and hunger, they +sailed for home, to tell of the large bay that had +been discovered, and of the wild country around +it. As time went by other Englishmen visited +Hudson Bay, but they had no wish to stay long +in its icy waters or on its lonely shores. +</p> +<p> +At last, however, a number of English merchants +formed themselves into the Hudson Bay +company. +</p> +<p> +They said, “We will send men to North America +who shall build forts along the shore of Hudson +Bay. They shall buy furs of the Indians, +and send them to us here in England. The furs +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_92'></a>92</span> +of the wild animals there are rich and beautiful, +and will bring us riches.” +</p> +<p> +In this way it came about that English ships +brought to Canada men who at once set to work +building forts and trading stations in the neighborhood +of the bay discovered by Henry Hudson. +They had with them knives and hatchets, +beads and bright colored blankets,—everything +that an Indian might wish in exchange for his +furs. They treated the red men kindly, for they +wanted to trade peaceably with them, but at the +same time they kept their guns ready in case of +an attack by the savages. +</p> +<h3>Alexander Mackenzie and his long Journey.</h3> +<p> +Even after the English had won the country +for themselves, they did not know how large it +was, for no one had explored the country from +north to south or from east to west. At last a +brave Scotchman named Alexander Mackenzie +came to settle in Canada. He was fond of adventure +and liked nothing better than roaming +for miles through the wilderness, hunting the +wild animals in the forest, and skimming over +the lakes and down the streams in an Indian +canoe. He visited many a settlement where the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_93'></a>93</span> +red children had never before looked upon a +white man; he discovered rivers and lakes of +which the French and English knew nothing +before. He arrived in his wanderings on the +shore of the Great Slave Lake in the very heart +of the country. A large river flowed out of it. +Where did it go, and how far? The Indians +could not tell him. +</p> +<p> +At the beginning of the summer, he set out +with a small party of white men and an Indian +guide. At first it was very pleasant paddling +down the river in their canoes, but after a few +days they came to rapids. Then they had to take +to the land and carry their canoes and their supplies +on their shoulders. As they traveled onward +they came to still other rapids which +stopped their course again and again. +</p> +<p> +The farther north they traveled, the colder it +became. The days were much longer, too, for +it was nearing mid-summer. It seemed very +strange to them to have the midnight as bright +as daylight. The wild animals were scarce +now. +</p> +<p> +“Suppose,” thought Mackenzie, “we are unable +to shoot enough for our food,” but still he +kept on. He passed Indian villages on his way, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_94'></a>94</span> +and at last met with Eskimos who were wandering +about on their summer hunt. +</p> +<p> +The wild animals were different now from +what the explorers had met before; they had +reached the home of the polar bear and the arctic +fox. The river was full of broken ice and there +were whales in the water. They were close to +the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and had traveled +a thousand miles down the great river, which +they named Mackenzie in honor of their brave +leader. The party did not remain long in the +bleak, northern country, but turned about and +journeyed homeward as quickly as possible. +</p> +<p> +Three years afterwards Mackenzie made up +his mind to cross Canada to the westward. +Slowly but surely he made his way, now gliding +along a stream or over a lake in his canoe; now +cutting a path through a thick forest; again finding +himself stopped by high cliffs or by a rushing +torrent. But he kept on until he came to +the Rocky Mountains, whose snowy tops +reached far up towards the heavens. +</p> +<p> +“Not far beyond those mountains is the sea,” +Mackenzie’s Indian guide told him. +</p> +<p> +He still pushed on, through narrow passes, +between walls of rock, up steep slopes and down +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_95'></a>95</span> +through deep valleys. At last he reached the +other side, launching his boats in a stream flowing +to the west. In a short time the Pacific +Ocean lay stretched before his eyes. +</p> +<h3>Among the Eskimos and Indians.</h3> +<p> +The middle of Canada is a great plain, which +ends in the north in frozen marshes, where the +homes of the little Eskimos are to be found. +There, in the midst of the ice and snow they work +and play, in much the same way as their brothers +and sisters in Greenland and Alaska. +</p> +<p> +Farther south, yet still where the summer is +short, and the winter is long and cold, Indian +children camp out on the prairies and on the +borders of the forests. Most of these red children +live in tents, or tepees, as they call them. +The winter tents are lined with heavy skins, and +a large fire burns in the middle, around which +they sleep during the cold winter nights. They +dress in the skins of the wild animals their fathers +have killed, and they wear soft moccasins on their +feet. They run many a mile in these moccasins +without getting tired or losing their breath. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the little Indians have great feasts +when ducks and geese, deer and hares are to be +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_96'></a>96</span> +found, or when the berries and birds’ eggs are +plentiful. But many a time during the long +winter game is scarce, and there is no food to +be had. Then the children must not complain, +though they are faint with hunger. If an Indian +child hopes to grow up and be a brave man, +he must learn to bear many things and show no +one how much he is suffering. +</p> +<p> +Fearful storms rage about his home in the +winter. The snow falls hour after hour and the +fierce winds drive it in great gusts. Sometimes +in summer the winds blow hard too, but then +they are hot and dry and they scorch the faces +of those who are exposed to them. +</p> +<p> +The red children learn many things not to be +found in books. They look at the grass,—the +way the blades turn shows them where to look +for the east and west. The flight of birds warns +them of a coming storm and in what direction +to look for it. A broken twig tells them that a +wild animal has passed by. +</p> +<p> +They have many sports. In winter they bind +snow-shoes on their feet and skim over the snowfields. +In summer they ride over the prairies on +their ponies with pads of deer skin beneath them. +</p> +<div><a name='i096' id='i096'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i008' id='i008'></a> +<img src="images/illus-096.jpg" alt="Little Canadian Indian Children." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>Little Canadian Indian Children.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_97'></a>97</span></div> +<p> +Sometimes they let their ponies move along at +a slow walk; but more often they gallop wildly +along, with black hair waving in the air, and +with bright and eager eyes. Then, too, the red +children have canoes, in which they paddle on +the lakes or streams near home. +</p> +<p> +The canoe of the Canadian Indian is the best +possible boat for the kind of life he follows, just +as the Eskimo’s kayak suits the icy waters of +the north. Everything he needs for it can be +found in the forest. He cuts down the cedar +for its ribs, he gathers birch-bark with which +to cover it, he gets resin from the pine to make +it water-tight. When the ice begins to break up +in the springtime and the wild swans and geese +fly overhead, then he takes it from its winter +resting place beneath the snow and launches it +on the lake or stream near his home. With his +birch canoe he can travel a long way through the +wilderness, for when he has hunted or fished +all day long, he can bring his canoe up on the +shore and turn it bottom upwards. In an instant +he has a roof to shelter him while he takes +his night’s sleep. +</p> +<p> +The Indian children are sure to have dogs +about their home. These are long-legged, +sharp-nosed creatures, and they always look lean +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_98'></a>98</span> +and hungry. Sometimes a puppy is cared for +tenderly. Then, perhaps, it grows up full of +love for its young master. But generally the +dogs are only half-fed, and they are ever ready +to fight with each other, and rob the stores of +their masters. Yet they are very helpful to the +Indian, as well as to many a white traveler in +Canada. They drag the sledges over the snow +in the winter and the little carts in the summer. +</p> +<p> +Many a time they stop to quarrel among themselves; +many a time the sledge is over-turned and +the rider is landed in a bank of snow. Many a +time the dogs refuse to obey the word of the +driver. Then the long whip flies right and left +among them, and with angry howls they get back +into order. +</p> +<h3>Wild Animals of the Forest and Prairie.</h3> +<p> +Out on the prairies and among the forests are +many wild animals which the Indian boy delights +to hunt. He has a bow and arrows of his +own, and when he his older, his father promises +him that he will buy him a gun from the white +traders. Perhaps the most clever of all the animals +hunted in Canada is the beaver. It might +well be called the animal-carpenter. Its favorite home +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_99'></a>99</span> +is a shallow lake or stream. The children +of the wilderness are ever on the lookout +for small earth mounds along the banks. Whenever +they find these, they also notice that trees +have been cut down nearby. It was certainly +the work of beavers. These little mounds, then, +are the roofs of store houses where the wise little +creatures have placed piles of tender wood and +roots, for their winter’s supply. +</p> +<p> +From these store-houses, tunnels have been +dug out for some distance under the shallow +water of the pond or stream, to the very doors +of the beavers’ homes, which have been made +very carefully out of twigs and brush, and plastered +with mud. The tops can generally be seen +above the surface of the water. Inside there +are beds of boughs covered with soft grass and +bark, and here the beavers sleep most of the hours +during the winter. If the hunters come upon +a beaver village in cold weather, there is no +sign that the animals are near, for the beavers +are all inside their homes. This is the time to +get them, however, for then the soft thick fur +is at its best. +</p> +<p> +In the autumn the men and boys generally +catch the animals in traps, but in the winter, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_100'></a>100</span> +when the ice is frozen quite solid, the hunters +stop up the passage from the beaver’s home to +his store-house on the bank. Then with their +axes, they break into the lodges, and dragging +out the fat sleepy animals, they kill them, one +by one. The sledges are soon packed and the +hunters start for home, thinking as they go, of the +feast of fat meat they will soon have. The beautiful +furs must be tanned and put away for the +traders, but the flesh of the animals they will +enjoy themselves. +</p> +<p> +Besides beavers, there are martens, minks and +fishers to be hunted and trapped, as well as muskrats +and skunks. As soon as autumn comes +the men and boys begin to put their traps in +order, for with the first cold of November, they +will carry them out to the pine forests. The +Indian children would tell you that they cannot +imagine why the fisher is so called. They know +its ways and that it never goes near to the water +except when it has to cross over to the other side. +It has a long bushy tail and its fur is even richer +than the costly sable. +</p> +<p> +As for the mink, they have discovered it is +quite different from either the marten or the +fisher, and its fur is not as beautiful. It lives +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_101'></a>101</span> +near the streams and feeds upon crabs and fish. +Many a time the young Indian has caught a mink +by baiting his trap with fish. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes, as the children are playing around +the camp in the evening, they hear a sudden +screech in the distance. It is the cry of a wild-cat, +or lynx. They would not care to have it +take them by surprise, for it is a fierce creature, +and its teeth and claws are very sharp. The +men, however, hunt wild-cats and get many of +them every year, because they are well paid for +the skins. +</p> +<p> +Then there are foxes, silver and black and red. +Many thousands of these sly creatures are shot +or trapped every year in Canada. Sometimes a +fox-cub is brought into the camp to amuse the +children. It is a gentle, pretty creature at first, +but before long it will show the ugly cunning of +its parents. +</p> +<p> +The boys sometimes search for muskrats, +whose homes are much like those of the beavers, +a number of them always found together. +</p> +<h3>Off for the Hunt.</h3> +<p> +There are many half-breed children in Canada, +as you already know. They grow up with a love +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_102'></a>102</span> +of hunting like their Indian brothers. They +dress in Indian fashion, wearing moccasins and +leggings. Many of them live in rough log huts +and sleep on piles of brush covered with fur +robes. When the cold weather sets in, the Indian, +and the half-breed boy as well, does what +he can to help the men of the household get +ready for the busiest work of the year, as the +trapping and hunting season is at hand. +</p> +<p> +By the first of November the lakes and streams +are frozen, and the winter coats of the wild animals +are at their best. On a bright, frosty morning, +often with the thermometer below zero, the +trapper dresses himself in his thickest socks and +moccasins, warm leggings and cloak. He fastens +a fur cap down over his head and draws on +his long fur mittens which reach up to his elbows. +A hatchet, hunting knife, and fire-bag hang +from his belt. +</p> +<p> +While he is dressing, his wife is busy preparing +his pack, for he may be gone several days. +The pack consists of a blanket, a kettle and cup, +sugar and salt, tea, of which the Indians are +very fond, and enough pemmican to last several +days. Pemmican is dried meat ground fine and +mixed with fat. If the trapper is not very poor +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_103'></a>103</span> +he has steel traps and a gun to add to his pack. +When it is ready, it is bound to a hand sledge +which is simply a thin board curled up at one +end. It is easily drawn over the snow, and at +the end of the hunt is loaded with furs and game +to carry home. +</p> +<p> +Now for the snow shoes! When these have +been bound on his feet, the trapper can skim +over the snow fields with the greatest ease, drawing +his sledge behind him. He must not sing +nor make any noise as he moves along; nor if +he has any company can there be any loud talking. +Otherwise the animals whom he seeks, +might take fright and flee from danger, and this +must not happen on any account. +</p> +<p> +Ah, how cold it is! the breath freezes as it +leaves the mouth and nostrils, the eye-lashes become +stiff with frost, but the hunter is too busy +watching for signs of the prey he seeks, to think +of these things. His hands and feet become +numb with the biting cold, but this is only +what he expected, and he trusts to his quick +movements to keep them from freezing. At +last the forest is reached and he turns his eyes in +every direction for signs that animals have been +near. A white man would see nothing, where +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_104'></a>104</span> +an Indian or a half-breed reads whole pages in +Mother Nature’s wonderful book. +</p> +<p> +Yes, a marten was here only an hour or two +since and is still not very far away. A trap must +be set up in this very spot and baited with dried +meat, or with a tender piece of squirrel. Then +the hunter creeps away, to seek places where +there are other signs of life and to set up new +traps while he waits. If he is after foxes or +minks, he visits the shores of the lakes and +swamps. He looks carefully about him now for +the foot-marks of the fox, or the sharp, clear +track of the mink. +</p> +<p> +When the evening comes the trapper looks +about him for some place that is sheltered from +the wind. There he makes a roaring fire, over +which he brews a pot of tea. When this is ready, +he enjoys his hot drink, together with a share of +the pemmican brought from home. Next he +gathers soft pine boughs for a bed, covers them +with a blanket, and with his feet towards the fire, +lies down for his night’s rest. Toward morning +the fire burns low, and the cold grows so +bitter that the man cannot sleep. He gets up, +piles on more wood, and warms himself by the +bright flames. Once more he stretches himself +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_105'></a>105</span> +on his bed of boughs, hoping to sleep until the +morning sunshine shall awaken him. +</p> +<h3>Winter Sports.</h3> +<p> +A great many of the white children of Canada +live in Quebec and Ontario. Although these +provinces lie in the southern part, yet the winter +is very cold even there. The children enjoy it, +however, because the air is clear and dry, and +there is plenty of snow on the ground. Even +the little folks learn how to use snow-shoes, and +with these on their feet, they skim over the +crusted snowfields like the wind. +</p> +<p> +They have many toboggan rides, too. Nothing +could be pleasanter for a party of merry +children, than to spend the morning coasting +down the steep hillside on wooden sleds called +toboggans, which are shaped much like the Indian +hand-sledges. They move so fast over the +snow, that the riders must hold on tightly lest +they tumble out. Sometimes there is a sudden +upset as the toboggan strikes a rough spot on the +hillside. Then there is much laughing and +shouting as the children pick themselves up, and +make ready for a fresh start. +</p> +<p> +Perhaps the greatest sport of all is a ride on +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_106'></a>106</span> +an ice-boat which is raised on large iron skates, +and in a good wind will sail very swiftly. When +the St. Lawrence River is frozen over, one can +see numbers of ice-boats skimming along with +their loads of happy passengers. +</p> +<p> +Of course the children of Canada skate and +play hockey. The lakes and ponds are frozen +over for many months, so that parties are continually +made up for skating and games on the +ice. +</p> +<p> +One must certainly not forget to mention +sleigh-rides. There is no place in the world +where the people enjoy sleigh-riding more. +They wrap themselves up in warm furs, and +spring into the pretty sleighs to which gaily +decked horses are harnessed. Jingle, jingle, +sound the bells, and when the word is given, +away move the sleighs filled with their merry +loads. +</p> +<h3>The Big Cities.</h3> +<p> +Although Canada has been under English rule +for a long time, yet many French people have +continued to live there. In fact, in the province +of Quebec there are more French than English. +The old part of the city of Quebec looks much +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_107'></a>107</span> +to-day as it did in the long ago, when Wolfe +climbed the cliff and took the French army by +surprise. Along the narrow streets there are +many quaint old houses with peaked roofs, in +whose gardens French-Canadian children play +the games and sing the songs of France. Here +and there you will see an altar on which flowers +have been placed, and people bowing before the +image of the Virgin Mary. +</p> +<p> +If you visit Quebec, you will certainly go to +the citadel. Far above the water it stands, on +the summit of the cliff, while just below it lies +the old city, with its high, pointed roofs, and +queer gates opening into old-fashioned gardens. +Far, far below lies the beautiful St. Lawrence, +where ships of many countries lie at anchor. +Immense rafts of lumber come floating down +the river, to be sent on the waiting ships to +other lands. On some of these rafts are tiny +houses for the men who have rowed them from +the forests, hundreds of miles up the river. +</p> +<p> +Before you leave the city you will walk out +on the Plains of Abraham which stretch into +the country back of the citadel. There the +great battle was fought that gave Canada to +the English; and there in the summer of 1908 a +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_108'></a>108</span> +great celebration was held. Three hundred +years ago the city of Quebec was founded, and +in memory of this, many thousands of people +gathered to see the pageants, representing the +great things that have happened there. The +city was gay with flags and bright-colored banners. +There were concerts, balls and grand +dinners. The Prince of Wales himself was +there to take part in the good time. The pageants +were the best part of the celebration, of +course. They were given on the Plains of Abraham, +and hundreds of men, women and children +took part. Thousands of people gathered in the +open-air theatre to look on. +</p> +<p> +Montreal is another beautiful city. It is built +on an island in the St. Lawrence River. Most +of the children there are of French blood, but +there are also many boys and girls of Irish, +Scotch and English families. They are all +proud of the wonderful bridge, nearly two miles +long, that crosses the river at Montreal, and of +the beautiful cathedral that will hold ten thousand +people. They, as well as the children of +Quebec, see ships of many countries anchored +near their homes. Many of these ships have +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_109'></a>109</span> +crossed the ocean to receive the lumber and furs +that Canada wishes to send to other lands. +</p> +<p> +The capital of Canada is Ottawa, in the +province of Ontario. It is also on the St. Lawrence. +High up above the water, on the river +banks, stand many beautiful buildings, where all +the business of the government of Canada is carried +on. Ottawa is a beautiful place for a home +and the children who live there should be very +happy. They have the winter sports of Quebec, +while on the hot summer days they can +sail in and out among the islands of the river, +or picnic under the trees of the forests only a +short distance away. +</p> +<h3>On the Farms.</h3> +<p> +In your grandfather’s time, few people except +the Indians and halfbreeds, were living on +the prairies over which Mackenzie made his +way on his journey westward. There were no +roads there in those days; no tracks over which +trains filled with passengers went flying by. +Great herds of buffaloes wandered about, feeding +on the tall prairie grass, while here and +there little red children ran in and out of their +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_110'></a>110</span> +wigwams, and danced about the camp-fires. +</p> +<p> +To-day scarcely a buffalo is left in the land, +the shriek of the steam engine is often heard, +while many comfortable farm houses can be seen. +In the summer time there is much to do, even +for the little folks. The boys help weed the +vegetable gardens, and care for the cows and the +horses, while their fathers are busy in the fields +of wheat and oats that stretch over many acres. +The girls learn to darn and sew, as well as wash +dishes and help their mothers make bread and +pies for the hungry workmen. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the farmer raises only hay, but the +big crops must be cared for very carefully and +the boys do their share of the work. Ranches +where cattle and horses are raised are also found +on the prairies. Certainly no place could be +better for this work, since the broad acres of +tall grass make the best feeding-grounds possible. +</p> +<p> +When August comes, the men and boys get +out their guns and watch for the coming of the +prairie chickens. Later on, the wild ducks and +geese appear in large flocks. This is the time +for the boys to take their canoes and a few supplies, +and camp out on the shores of the lakes +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_111'></a>111</span> +and ponds, for they know that the birds love +the water and are sure to seek it. There will +be feasting in the big farmhouses now, because +there will be plenty of tender wild ducks to +roast, and the cellars are full of the vegetables +raised in the gardens. +</p> +<p> +Besides the autumn shooting and the feasts +that follow, there are many other good times +for the young folks on the big farms. They +meet together for singing and dancing, they play +tennis, they have games of hockey, both on land +and ice, they have jolly sleigh rides in the frosty +air, they skate and they curl, and, of course, +the small boys and girls make snow-forts and +houses that will last without melting for a month +at a time. If you who live in warmer lands +should pity them for having such long, cold +winters and so much snow, the children would +laugh at the idea. They would tell you that +they love the winter and hate to have it come +to an end. They can have such jolly times out +of doors, and then, when they are tired of their +rough sports, they can gather around roaring +fires in the big living-rooms of the houses, and +listen to the stories the older folks tell them of +the days of long ago. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_112'></a>112</span> +</p> +<h3>In a Lumber Camp.</h3> +<p> +For many years the white settlers in Canada +have been busy cutting down trees in the big +pine forests, yet they still stretch for many miles +through the country. When the autumn comes +the children of the lumber-men hear their fathers +tell of the winter’s work before them. They +are going out into the forests to live, and will +not be home again for many months. A party +of these lumber-men start out together. They +carry everything they will need for their rough +housekeeping,—a few kettles and dishes for +cooking, some heavy blankets, a supply of flour +for bread, salt-pork, tea and molasses. +</p> +<p> +The last good-bye is said and they start out +on their long journey to the forests. As soon +as they reach the place for the winter camp +they set to work to build a house of logs. In +the middle of the roof a place is left open, to +let out the smoke when a fire is burning inside. +Around the side of the big room, the men build +bunks in which to sleep at night, and in the +middle they make a fireplace, where the blazing +logs on winter evenings will send out such +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_113'></a>113</span> +warmth and cheer, that Jack Frost will not dare +to venture through the cracks in the walls. +</p> +<p> +The lumber-men are happy in their work. +All day long the sound of their axes rings through +the forest, while they vie with each other in +cutting down the big trees. Then when night +comes and their supper of bread, tea and fried +pork is finished, they gather around the fire to +smoke and tell stories. The weeks pass quickly, +and with the coming of spring, immense +piles of logs are ready to go to the saw-mills. +</p> +<p> +When the ice begins to break up, it is a sign +to the men to bind the logs into cribs. Thirty +or forty logs are enough for one crib. The +cribs are fastened together to form rafts, which +are set floating down the rivers. Some of the +men ride on the rafts and guide them by means +of long poles tipped with steel, to prevent them +from running aground. Others of the party go +at once to the saw-mills, to be ready to receive +the logs when they arrive. Buzz-z-z sounds +through the air, as the big wheels turn and the +trees of the forest are rapidly changed into strong +lumber. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_114'></a>114</span> +</p> +<h3>Beyond the Mountains.</h3> +<p> +Let us now cross the Rocky Mountains, and +make a short visit in British Columbia. It is +the most beautiful province in Canada, with its +mountains covered with forests and its rivers +stocked with fish. The children who live near +the Fraser River, can tell wonderful fish stories, +for at a certain time of the year, millions of +salmon leave the ocean and make their way up +this river. Then big folks and little are busy +with nets, hauling in the fish and carrying them +to the canneries. +</p> +<p> +Gold is also found on the Fraser River, while +the mountains nearby are rich in other minerals. +</p> +<h3>The Klondike Mines.</h3> +<p> +Far up in the northwest of Canada, near the +borders of Alaska, are the famous Klondike +mines. You have probably heard of them, and +of the long, hard journey a person must take +to get there. Such wonderful stories have been +told of the riches one can bring away from these +mountains, that many a young man has left home +and friends to seek his fortune there. Now-a-days +it is easier to reach the Klondike mines +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_115'></a>115</span> +than it was a few years ago, but the country +is cold and dreary and most of the food must +be brought from a distance, so that few white +children have found their way there. Yet as +they sit in their cosy homes, they are glad to +listen to the stories of that wild country, told to +them by the brave men who have been to the +Klondike gold regions. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_116'></a>116</span><a name='chV' id='chV'></a>CHAPTER V<br />Little Folks of Labrador</h2> +<p> +East of the large bay where Henry Hudson +lost his life is the peninsula of Labrador. +Although it is farther south than +Greenland or Alaska, its shores are very bleak +and bare, because of cold winds that blow inland +from the ocean. You can easily guess that this +country is the home of Eskimos who seem the +best fitted of all people to live in the lands of +ice and snow. +</p> +<p> +Some white children are to be found there, +however. Their fathers are fishermen who get +a living for their families out of the icy waters +of the ocean. Sometimes, too, they hunt the deer, +or set traps for other wild animals. In the summer +time the children search for birds’ eggs, +and in the autumn the men and boys keep on +the lookout for eider-ducks, wild swans, ducks, +geese and ptarmigan. The meat of these birds +is sweet and tender, while the feathers make +warm beds, pillows and quilts. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_117'></a>117</span> +</p> +<p> +The children of the fishermen paddle about +in the rough waters in their canoes when many +other children would be afraid to venture out +from the shore. They ride over the snow in +low sledges drawn by half-tamed, surly dogs. +They spend many a day fishing for cod and +salmon. They hunt for the berries, ripening in +the sunshine of the short summer. They play +with their Eskimo neighbors whom they meet +once a week to study their Bible lessons with +the kind missionaries, who have come to live +among them. +</p> +<p> +Each Eskimo house is entered by a long, low +passage, made of logs and turf. The floor of +the one big room is covered with boards, and +a long, wooden platform at one end is the sleeping +place for the whole family. On another +side is a fireplace lined with pebbles, where the +mother cooks the food for the family. There +is a window in the house or maybe there are +two, so that altogether the Eskimos of Labrador +can be far more comfortable than their brothers +and sisters of Greenland. +</p> +<p> +They live in much the same way, however. +They dress in furs; they fish; they kill seals; +they hunt the deer; they ride over the country +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_118'></a>118</span> +in low sledges drawn by unruly dogs; they make +kayaks, in which they paddle about among the +islands near to the shore. They are not obliged +to build snow or stone houses like their brothers +in Greenland. Cold as it is, forests of spruce +and pine grow not very far inland; so that they +are able to get plenty of logs for the walls of +their houses. These they plaster so thickly with +turf, that the wind cannot make its way inside. +</p> +<h3>The Indians of Labrador.</h3> +<p> +As you leave the coast, and travel inland, you +will find that the air becomes warmer and that +there are more trees and plants. The country +is much pleasanter, and no doubt this is the reason +that the Indians of Labrador prefer to live +here in winter rather than on the coast. The +redmen are great hunters, too, and as there are +many wild animals in the forests, they spend +the autumn and winter trapping and shooting. +Here and there along the ponds and streams +you may see the bark wigwams of the redmen. +</p> +<p> +Children dressed in skins go skimming past +you over the snow fields. They wear snow-shoes +on their feet, so they can travel fast. When +they are tired of this sport, they can take a ride +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_119'></a>119</span> +on a dog-sledge, or play with their puppies. +The boys help their fathers set traps for martens +and foxes; they go on porcupine hunts; they +search for beaver villages, and sometimes they +come hurrying home to say that they have come +upon a bear or the tracks of a lynx or an otter. +</p> +<p> +The girls learn to embroider moccasins and +leggings with beads and porcupine quills; they +bring wood for the fires and drinking water +from the streams; they weave baskets. After a +deer-hunt they dry the meat and grind it to +make pemmican. Indeed, they learn all those +things that Indians think are necessary for the +making of good and helpful women. So the +days pass and the years follow each other in +bleak Labrador. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_120'></a>120</span><a name='chVI' id='chVI'></a>CHAPTER VI<br />Little Folks of Newfoundland</h2> +<p> +You remember that when Cartier went to +Canada hoping to find a comfortable +place where his people could settle, he +stopped first at a large island off the eastern +coast, giving it the name of Newfoundland. +But he did not stay there. The high crags +reaching out into the sea and the rocky shores +seemed to frown upon him and he decided to +go farther where Mother Nature should give +him a more friendly welcome. At that time +Indians were living along the coast, getting their +food by catching fish and trapping wild animals. +No white men came to settle in Newfoundland +till many years after Cartier’s visit, for like him, +they chose to make their homes in a more inviting +country. +</p> +<p> +Now, however, many rosy-cheeked boys and +girls live on the island. Their fathers are fishermen +who have settled there because they have +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_121'></a>121</span> +found it is one of the best fishing-grounds in +the world. Off the southeast coast stretches a +sandbank at least three hundred miles long, and +in the waters nearby millions of cod and haddock +are found every year. It is no wonder, therefore, +that not only the fishermen who live in +Newfoundland, but people from Canada and the +United States, and even from countries across +the ocean, gather on the shores of the island +every year to fish. +</p> +<p> +Heavy fogs hang over these shores for a large +part of the year, and are caused in a curious +way. There is a warm current that flows northward +through the Atlantic Ocean, making the +western coast of Greenland so much warmer +than the eastern that most of the people there +choose to live on that side of the island. But +there is also a very cold Arctic current flowing +southward, filling the air along the eastern coast +of Labrador with frost. These two currents +meet off the Newfoundland shore, and as the +warm and cold come together, clouds of vapor +rise in the air. It is the smoke of a water +battle. +</p> +<p> +Notwithstanding the fogs and the dampness, +the children of Newfoundland love their home +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_122'></a>122</span> +dearly. They love the deep and narrow bays +that reach far into the land, and they often make +up sailing parties to the small islands that dot +the clear, deep waters. They love the blue sky +of the summer. They watch with delight the +icebergs that float by from time to time in their +journey from the frozen north. When winter +comes these children search along the shore for +the seals that play on the floating cakes of ice +and bask in the sunlight. Best of all they enjoy +the famous “silver thaw” of Newfoundland, perhaps +the most beautiful sight in all the world. +</p> +<p> +This “silver thaw” or ice-storm, is seen only +in winter. It is caused by a heavy fall of rain +when the air is very cold. As the rain falls, +it turns to ice on everything it touches. The +branches of the trees and the tiniest twigs upon +them are coated with garments of ice which +grow thicker and thicker as the storm continues. +Every bush and shrub receives the same beautiful +dress. At last the clouds pass and the sun +shines out in all his glory. Then the world +around is changed in an instant into a wonderland +of beauty. It seems as though one were +surrounded by myriads of diamonds, each one +glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. The +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_123'></a>123</span> +riches of Aladdin seem nothing beside them. +</p> +<p> +Neither the fishermen nor the children care +to explore the inland country very far. There +are many high hills there, but they are bare +and rocky. Cattle could not be raised easily +in such places, nor could gardens be planted. +So the people are content to stay near the shores +and get a living from the waters near by. +</p> +<p> +During winter the men and boys are busy +mending their nets and putting their boats in +order. They also go out in the woods to cut +down the trees to get fuel enough for the coming +year. Yet they have much spare time, so there +is a good deal of visiting between the homes, +and many merry parties are held where both +old folks and young dance and sing and play +games. +</p> +<p> +As soon as the spring opens the fishing season +begins. The boats are brought out from winter +quarters, the sails are spread, and the harbors +seem alive once more. There is work +enough for everyone now. The men and boys +are on the water from morning till night, while +the women and girls are as busy as bees curing +the fish after it is brought on shore. +</p> +<p> +The children of Newfoundland are taught to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_124'></a>124</span> +salute the English flag because they, as well as +Canada, are under the rule of Great Britain. +Yet Newfoundland and the peninsula of Labrador +never became a part of the Dominion of +Canada. +</p> +<p> +The capital of Newfoundland is the city of +St. Johns. Its deep harbor is very beautiful. +High cliffs of red sandstone rise on each side +and protect the ships anchored in the waters +below from the fiercest gales. The city is built +on the slope of a hill on the northern side of the +harbor. On the summit of the hill, above the +rows of houses in the streets below is a beautiful +cathedral where many of the people go to worship +on Sunday. In good weather the children +of the city, who wake early enough, can turn +their eyes out towards the ocean and watch the +lovely clouds of the sunrise,—fairy palaces of +crimson and gold which vanish from their sight +as they are looking. +</p> +<h3>After the Birds.</h3> +<p> +Great numbers of visitors come to Newfoundland +every year. Many of them are hunters +who have heard of the game to be found in +the forests and along the shores of the lakes and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_125'></a>125</span> +ponds. The ptarmigan, the wild duck and +goose, the plover, the curlew, and still other +birds are to be found there. +</p> +<p> +The best time for bird hunting is after the +flies and mosquitoes have said good-by to the +country. Then it is that many strangers step +off the steamer at St. Johns. With guns and +game-bags they make their way towards the +“barrens” of the inland country. These barrens +are often stretches where there are no trees, and +little else grows. The wild birds flock there +in great numbers, for they have found that there +are wild berries to be had for the picking even +in that barren country, and they feast and feast +till they are plump and fat and ready for the +sportsman’s game-bag. +</p> +<p> +It seems so quiet and safe out on the lonely +barrens that the birds are not on the lookout +for danger, when suddenly bang, bang! sounds +through the air and some of the birds out of +a happy flock fall to the ground, while the rest +fly away in great fright. +</p> +<p> +Herds of reindeer wander over the lonely +parts of the country in search of the moss that +is their favorite food. They have beautiful +branching horns and their short legs are very +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_126'></a>126</span> +strong. They have a wonderful scent, which +warns them of danger, and they easily take +fright. Often, when a hunter has crept upon +them ever so softly, they have discovered his +nearness and away they scudded over the hills +and rocks where he would not dare to venture, +and he has been obliged to give up the chase +for a time, at any rate. +</p> +<p> +The Indians of the island do much better +than the white hunters. They know how to +outwit the reindeer and to approach them from +such a direction that the wind will not carry +the scent. For this reason the white sportsmen +have learned that if they wish to be successful +they had best take an Indian guide with them. +Even then they have to be so careful that they +think it great sport, and are very proud when +they can show their friends some fine antlers +which they have brought home after a hunting +trip in Newfoundland. +</p> +<h3>The Copper Mines.</h3> +<p> +On the eastern coast of Newfoundland there +is a beautiful bay to which the French gave the +name of Notre Dame or, Our Lady. It has +many arms which reach far into the land; some +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_127'></a>127</span> +of these are so deep that they make good places +for ships to anchor. Others are very small and +the water is so smooth that little children can +paddle about in it without fear. +</p> +<p> +This bay of Notre Dame is now famous for +something besides its beauty, as copper mines +have been discovered on its shores. One of the +richest of these is at Bett’s Cove and many men +are now at work getting the precious ore and +shipping it to other lands. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_128'></a>128</span><a name='chVII' id='chVII'></a>CHAPTER VII<br />Little Folks of the United States</h2> +<p> +Canada is partly separated from the +country south of it by a chain of beautiful +lakes called the “Five Great +Lakes.” They are so large that a person can +sail many days on them, passing from one to +another and sometimes losing sight of land. At +times the water is so rough that the traveler +becomes ill from the rolling of the big steamer +and says, “I am seasick,” although he is far +from the ocean. The northern waters of these +lakes wash the shores of Canada, while on the +south the children of the United States play on +the beaches and swim in the waves. +</p> +<p> +These children are proud of the fact that +they live in the United States, and call their +country “The land of the free and the home of +the brave.” Their people have come from many +lands. French, German, Irish, Polish and +Jewish boys and girls, besides those of many +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_129'></a>129</span> +other countries, sit side by side in the schoolrooms +and play happily together with their tops +and dolls. +</p> +<p> +The United States of America, for that is the +full name of this country, reaches from the Atlantic +to the Pacific, and from Canada on the +north to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on +the south. It is a country of high mountains, +fertile valleys, broad plains and mighty rivers. +Its children know neither the terrible cold of +the far north nor the burning heat of the equator, +for they live in the temperate belt of the earth. +No season of the year is long enough to tire +them, for spring follows close upon the winter, +and is soon followed by the pleasant warmth of +summer. Then comes the autumn when the +leaves change their color and Mother Nature +makes ready for her winter’s rest. At last the +snow falls and covers the earth with her white +mantle. +</p> +<h3>The Mound Builders.</h3> +<p> +In the long ago a strange people lived in the +United States. They left no books to tell their +story, but here and there through the country +mounds of earth which they built are still standing. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_130'></a>130</span> +Some of them are shaped like birds with +wings outspread, others have the forms of fishes, +snakes, and human beings. Still other mounds +show that they must have been used as altars +upon which sacrifices were burned, and others, +again, contain tools, dishes, idols and ornaments. +Some of the ornaments and dishes were decorated +with the finest carvings. Heads of people, +frogs and birds are still to be seen on the pipes +that have been preserved in the mounds all these +years. Tools have been found to show the +mound-builders, as we call these people, knew +how to work metal, and other things tell the +story that the men of that long ago were wise +in many ways and could not have been savages. +There are earthworks near some of the mounds +that seem to have been built as forts, so they +probably fought in wars. Yet we can only guess +as to their life, for no one knows their history. +</p> +<h3>The Indians.</h3> +<p> +When the first white men visited America +they found Indians living throughout the country, +along the banks of the rivers and on the +shores of the ocean. Their homes were for the +most part tents covered with bark or the skins +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_131'></a>131</span> +of animals. When the boys were still tiny little +fellows they learned to use bows and arrows so +that as they grew up they would be good hunters +and warriors like their fathers. +</p> +<p> +In some parts of the country the girls helped +their mothers tend fields of maize which to this +day is called Indian corn. Cakes were made of +this and eaten with the fish and game killed by +the men. +</p> +<p> +In other places the women and children gathered +the wild rice that grew in the shallow +ponds. This, together with the berries picked +by the girls, the honey taken from the nests of +wild bees by the boys, and the sap from the +maple trees, added a good deal to the daily +fare of meat and fish. +</p> +<p> +The red children were taught to bear cold +and hunger without complaining. There were +days when they feasted and had all the good +things to eat they could wish for. But their +parents did not understand the need of looking +ahead. During the summer the berries and the +honey, the fish and the game were plentiful, +and the people did not seem to remember that +winter would soon follow when the earth’s +mantle of snow and the ice on the rivers would +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_132'></a>132</span> +make it harder for them to get food. So there +were times when they and their little ones went +hungry to bed and woke up in the morning +with no breakfast before them. +</p> +<p> +The boys grew up with a love of war, and +looked admiringly at the men when they went +away from the village with hideous, painted +faces, and with tomahawks and hatchets at their +sides, to take other unfriendly tribes by surprise +and to scalp as many of their enemies as possible. +</p> +<p> +While the boys were busy with mock battles +and hunts in the forests after game with their +fathers, the girls worked with their mothers +weaving baskets and tanning the skins of the +wild animals brought home by the men. They +also got wood for the fires and helped in the +simple cooking. They played games with their +brothers, too, and both boys and girls were never +so happy as when sitting around the lodge fire, +listening to the fairy tales told by their grandmothers +and to stories of war and the chase by +the “braves,” as they called their warriors. +</p> +<p> +The parents of these red children did not need +to work so hard for food and clothing as did +the Indians of Canada, because summer in the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_133'></a>133</span> +United States is longer and warmer, and winter +is not so cold. +</p> +<p> +With soft moccasins on their feet the Indians +stole noiselessly over the forest paths, and in their +light birch canoes they glided along the streams, +with never a hat on the head and with light +clothing on the body. They feared nothing save +the war-whoop of enemies. +</p> +<p> +There came a day when a white man and +his followers appeared in the country. It was +Leif, the son of Eric the Red, who had left +his home in Greenland and started out in search +of adventure. He steered his course southward +and came in time to Newfoundland, but the +country did not please him. So he continued +on his way till he reached the eastern coast of +the United States, and there he landed. During +his stay Leif and his companions met no other +people, but to their great delight they found +vines from which hung large clusters of grapes, +and for this reason they called the place Vinland. +When they were ready to leave they +loaded their vessel with grapes, together with +lumber from the forests, which was even more +precious to them than the grapes, because as +you know, there were no trees in Greenland. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_134'></a>134</span> +Then they set sail for home to tell of the land +they had visited which had seemed so warm and +beautiful to them. +</p> +<p> +After Leif, other Norsemen came who settled +along the shore of this country and lived here +for a while. They met the dark-skinned natives +with whom they had trouble. After a while +they went away, never to come again. During +their stay here a Norse baby was born, to whom +the name Snorri was given, and this boy was, +no doubt, the first white child born in the United +States. +</p> +<h3>After Many Years.</h3> +<p> +More than four hundred years passed by and +the red men lived on in their own savage way, +hunting, fishing, and making war upon each +other. Then something happened which led in +time to great changes for the red children. It +was in the year 1492 that Columbus discovered +a small island of the West Indies, lying southeast +of the United States. The natives, who +were gentler and less war-like than the other +Indians of North America, greeted him with +delight and brought him presents of fruit and +gold. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_135'></a>135</span> +</p> +<p> +Not long after the coming of Columbus many +Spaniards, hearing of the rich treasures of the +West Indies, followed him there and settled. +One of them, named Ponce de Leon, stayed long +enough to gain great riches. But he was fast +growing old and all his wealth could not keep +him young. Then he began to listen to the stories +the Indians told him of a land not far away, +in which there was such a wonderful fountain +that a person had but to drink of its waters to +live forever. They called it “The fountain of +youth.” +</p> +<p> +Ponce de Leon’s eyes grew bright. If only +he could find that fountain! He set sail with +a few followers, and one beautiful Easter Sunday +he came in sight of a land rich in flowers. +Such a land, he thought, must be the one to +contain the fountain he was seeking. +</p> +<p> +The sails were furled and the Spaniard and +his friends stepped on shore. “Let us call the +place Florida, for it is a land of flowers,” he +said, and so this peninsula, reaching out from +the southeastern part of the United States, has +been called Florida to this day. +</p> +<p> +Ponce de Leon remained in the country for +some time, wandering about and drinking the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_136'></a>136</span> +water of stream and lake, yet as you may believe, +he failed to discover the fountain he sought. +And, alas! instead of youth, he met death, for, +as he was about to leave, he was pierced by the +poisoned arrow of an Indian who did not trust +the white men like his brothers of the West +Indies. +</p> +<p> +Through Ponce de Leon’s discovery on that +beautiful Easter Sunday other Spaniards followed +him to Florida and settled there with their +wives and children. +</p> +<h3>The Coming of the English.</h3> +<p> +French settlers followed the Spaniards to the +New World, but except in Canada, they did not +stay long. +</p> +<p> +Nearly a hundred years passed when at last +English ships began to visit the country north +of Florida. They carried home wonderful stories +of necklaces set with pearls as big as peas +and worn commonly by the Indian maidens, of +countless hares and deer in the woods, of delicious +grapes, cucumbers and melons that grew +wild on the vines, and of rich forests of oak trees +that grew larger and better than those of England. +Then, too, a strange plant grew abundantly in the fields. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_137'></a>137</span> +This plant the Indians put +in pipes and smoked. +</p> +<p> +“A colony should certainly be planted in that +beautiful country,” Sir Walter Raleigh told the +queen. +</p> +<p> +She listened thoughtfully to what he said, and +not long afterwards a party of men and women +sailed from England and crossed the ocean to +live in Virginia, as the new home was called +in honor of the virgin queen, Elizabeth. Governor +Dare was the leader. +</p> +<p> +The colony settled on an island near the shore, +and here was born the first English white child +of the United States. The new baby, whose +grandfather was Governor Dare, was called Virginia +like her home, but sad to say, no one knows +how long she lived nor what befell her, for +Governor Dare went back to England for a time, +and when he returned little Virginia and her +people had disappeared and there was no one +to tell where they had gone. Perhaps the Indians +had killed them, or had made slaves of +them and taken them far inland. At any rate, +none of the neighboring red men would tell +what had happened to the white strangers who +had come to live among them. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_138'></a>138</span> +</p> +<p> +Other English settlers followed soon afterwards, +however, and built villages among the +Indians; and among the oak forests of Virginia +little white children were born in rough log +houses and played on the beaches along the shore. +Their fathers planted fields of corn, and tobacco +which they had learned to smoke. They hunted +deer, hares, and wild turkeys in the forests. +</p> +<p> +These early English settlers built walls around +their villages in case of sudden attack, for they +could not trust their red neighbors, who were not +pleased to have the white strangers settling in +the country around them. +</p> +<p> +The little English children were generally +happy. The country around them was beautiful, +the birds sang sweet songs in the trees near +by, and there were flowers and fruits in plenty. +When Christmas came they watched the Yule +log burn in the big fireplace, and gathered +around tables loaded with roasted turkeys, venison +and other good things to eat. +</p> +<p> +Years passed by, and other settlers came to +America. Most of them were from England, +but there were some from Holland and Sweden +and other countries of Europe. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_139'></a>139</span> +</p> +<p> +Among the newcomers were the Quakers under +William Penn, who called their new home in +America Pennsylvania, meaning, Penn’s woods. +They were gentle and peaceful and had little +trouble with their Indian neighbors. +</p> +<p> +Then there were the Pilgrims who landed at +Plymouth in New England one bleak November +day. They were quiet and sober-faced. +They left their old home to seek one in which +they would be free to worship God in the way +they thought best. As it happened, they chose +for themselves the coldest corner of the United +States in which to settle and they had before +them years of struggle and hard work. +</p> +<p> +They found the winters in New England +colder than those they had known in England +and the sharp winds crept in between the cracks +in the walls of their rough log houses, chilling +their backs even when they were gathered around +the blazing logs in the big fireplaces. The +crops of corn and beans were often scanty, because +the soil was poor, and around them not +far away were the Indians, some of whom +scowled and muttered ugly words when they +spoke of the white settlers who were hunting +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_140'></a>140</span> +the game in the forests, and planting gardens on +the land to which they thought they alone had +the right. +</p> +<p> +The children of the Pilgrims were taught to +be very quiet and sober in their ways. They +loved to listen to the squirrels chattering in the +trees, and to watch the rabbits scamper across +the paths. They gathered blueberries and blackberries +in summer and chestnuts and hickory +nuts in the autumn. The boys dragged their +sisters on rough sleds over the snow in winter +and waded with them in the brooks as the days +grew warmer, and at such times they laughed +and chattered like all happy children. But +when they reached home their faces became sober +and their voices low, for they were taught +that among older folks children should be seen +and not heard. +</p> +<p> +When evening came they sat in straight chairs +in the big kitchen which was the “living room” +as well, while the men talked over the day’s +work, and the women knit socks for the family. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes as the little Pilgrims settled themselves +for the night’s sleep they were roused by +the howling of wolves outside. They shuddered +as they thought, “Suppose that had been the war +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_141'></a>141</span> +whoop of the Indians coming to attack our village.” +</p> +<p> +On Sunday when the Pilgrims went to church +the men led the way armed with muskets which +might be needed at any moment in defending +their families. +</p> +<p> +After the Pilgrims, the Puritans came to New +England. They were even more sober and +strict in their ways than the Pilgrims, and they, +too, had trouble with their Indian neighbors. +</p> +<p> +Perhaps the jolliest people who came from +Europe were the Dutch, who settled on the +Hudson River in New York. You remember +poor Henry Hudson who was left to his sad fate +in Hudson Bay. Before he went there he discovered +the beautiful river of that name, and +when he went back to Europe he told the king +of Holland about the Indians he had met, and +of the loads of rich furs which they brought +home from their hunting trips. +</p> +<p> +His words were not forgotten, and so it came +to pass that the thrifty Dutchman made settlements +in that part of the New World which +they claimed through the discovery of Henry +Hudson. They were not poor, like the Pilgrims +east of them. They brought chests of linen and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_142'></a>142</span> +silver from Holland, and they built comfortable +homes for themselves on the banks of the +Hudson River, with porches where they sat with +their children on summer evenings, telling fairy +stories and laughing together in their own jolly +way. The children’s eyes grew bright as they +listened to the stories, and as they looked out on +the woods and fields in the silvery moonlight, +they fancied they could see fairies in gauzy green +robes dancing on the grass and little brown +gnomes stepping out from under the rocks. +</p> +<p> +The Dutch children had the grandest time at +Christmas. They hung up their stockings by +the fireplace the night before and then, as they +lay in their beds, too much excited to sleep, they +fancied they heard the reindeer of the good +Santa Claus pawing away the snow on the roof +overhead. Of course there were presents the +next morning and a lovely Christmas tree, followed +by a feast of all good things that grew +about the new home. Yes, Christmas was the +best day in all the year to the rosy-cheeked roly-poly +Dutch children with blue eyes and flaxen +hair. +</p> +<p> +While they were having such good times, their +fathers were trading with the Indians with whom +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_143'></a>143</span> +they had less trouble than the Pilgrims and +Puritans. They sold the red men beads and +blankets, guns and trinkets, and in exchange +took furs of the marten and mink, the beaver +and otter, which the Indians shot or trapped in +the country around. Once in a while a big ship +from Holland sailed into New York Harbor, +bringing tea and sugar, blankets and dress-goods +for the Dutchmen and their families, and were +then reloaded with the furs obtained from the +Indians. +</p> +<p> +As time passed by the settlements along the +shores of the United States grew larger and +more numerous. The Indians scowled more +and more deeply and there were dreadful wars +between them and the white men. In their spare +time the settlers made roads through the country +and cleared away some of the forests. In +the north they traded with the Indians for furs +and planted fields of corn and other grains and +vegetables. Farther south tobacco and cotton +were raised on the plantations. Sheep were +tended on the hillsides and the wives of the settlers +carded and spun the wool and wove it in +hand-looms into clothing for their families. +Cargoes of Negro slaves were brought from +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_144'></a>144</span> +Africa to work on the plantations. The cotton +that was raised there was sent across the Atlantic +to be made into cloth in the factories of Europe. +</p> +<p> +During all these years the white men did not +move far inland because of the Indians, and of +mountains which must be crossed. At last, however, +some brave men ventured out alone into +the wilderness beyond. They found there were +valleys between the mountains, and through +these they passed to the other side. They often +had to hide from the watchful Indians, not daring +even to make camp-fires lest they should be +discovered. +</p> +<p> +These explorers found that on the other side +of the Appalachian Mountains, for that was +the name given to them, was a beautiful country, +richer by far than that on the eastern side +where they had been living. There were also +many rivers flowing westward, making the soil +rich and fertile. Forests of maple and elm +trees, as well as pines, spruces, and oaks which +were abundant along the coast, were to be seen +there. +</p> +<div><a name='i144' id='i144'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i009' id='i009'></a> +<img src="images/illus-144.jpg" alt="Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_145'></a>145</span></div> +<p> +When the explorers returned home they told +such bright stories of the country to the west +that the families of some of them agreed to go +there and live. In those days there were no +trains to carry them and not a single road +through the mountain passes. The journey had +to be made on foot or on horseback, and few +household goods could be carried. At any moment +the travelers might be surprised by Indians, +so the men were obliged to keep their muskets +loaded and ready to shoot every moment of the +way. +</p> +<p> +When the place for the new home was +reached the men and boys set to work to cut +down the trees and make a clearing, while the +women prepared the meals. Everyone must eat +and sleep outdoors while a rough log house +was being built. All through the night a big +fire was kept blazing to keep the wolves and +other wild animals at a distance. +</p> +<p> +The new house was easily furnished. A few +chairs, a rough table, and some bedsteads were +made from the trees that had been cut down. +The feather beds brought from the old home +were spread on the slats of the bedsteads; the +family Bible was laid on the table; the kettles, +also brought from home, were hung on cranes +over the fireplace, and housekeeping in the +wilderness began. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_146'></a>146</span> +</p> +<p> +Notwithstanding the hard life, the girls and +their brothers grew up brave and strong and +ready to push still farther into the wilderness +than their fathers had done. West of them,—far +west as it seemed then—was a mighty river +flowing from north to south through the country. +It was the Mississippi, or Father of +Waters, as the Indians well called it, because so +many large streams flowed into it on either side. +The Frenchmen from Canada had long since +sailed along the Great Lakes and down the whole +length of the Mississippi, and for this reason had +claimed the land on both sides and made settlements +at different places. +</p> +<p> +Now, as the English settlers moved westward, +they did not wish the French to own any part +of the country. By and by there was a great +war between the two peoples—the French who +held Canada and the Mississippi, and the English +colonies who were living in the eastern +part of the United States. Then came the battle +of Quebec and the French gave up their rights +in North America. +</p> +<p> +But there were other troubles still, for +wars took place with the Indians who had become +bitter enemies, but they were beaten +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_147'></a>147</span> +again and again, and driven still farther west +till few tribes were left east of the Mississippi. +</p> +<p> +Then there was another war—a very great +one this time—and with England herself. The +Revolution was fought through seven long years. +With General Washington as their leader, the +people fought on to victory, when they in truth +made their country the free and independent +United States of America. +</p> +<p> +After this more and more men took their wives +and children and traveled west in search of new +homes. They had found by this time that in +many places there were great plains where they +did not need to make a clearing, for the ground +was covered with grass for miles in every direction. +Some of these grassy plains, or prairies, +were quite level. Others stretched in long, low +waves of earth. The soil was rich and the grass +grew long and thick. There could be no better +place in the world for raising corn, wheat and +hay, or feeding cattle. +</p> +<p> +Rough roads had been built through the wilderness +by this time, so the women and children, +together with the bedding and dishes, were +bundled into big clumsy wagons with rounded, +canvas tops called prairie-schooners. Horses or +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_148'></a>148</span> +oxen were harnessed to the wagons and cows +were hitched behind. Then away started the +family for the distant prairies. +</p> +<p> +All day long the people traveled, but when +evening came the animals were unhitched from +the “schooner” and allowed to feed on the grass; +supper was cooked over the camp-fire, and beds +were made upon the bottom of the wagon, where +the family would sleep during the night. +</p> +<p> +Many days were often spent on the journey, +but like everything else, it came to an end at last. +Think if you can, of a sea of grass stretching +around you as far as the eyes can see; not a +building of any kind in sight; not even the smoke +of a passing train to remind you that there are +other people in the world; no sound in the air +except the chirping of the crickets or the howling +of the wolves; in summer, the blinding sun dazzling +your eyes and turning the grass a withered +brown; in winter, a carpet of snow stretching +around you over the earth in every direction. +This was the life in store for the boys and girls +who went out on the prairies to seek a home in +the early days of this country. +</p> +<p> +To be sure a herd of bison sometimes appeared +near the children’s home, and then the men +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_149'></a>149</span> +hurried out with their guns to kill as many as +possible before the animals were put to flight. +Before the coming of the white men these bison +roamed together in thousands and the Indians of +the plains made their tents and clothing from +their skins and feasted on the flesh of the bison. +Every year since that time they have grown +scarcer till only a few are left in the country, +and these are on exhibition in the parks of the +west. +</p> +<p> +After the sun set in the evening sky the children +of the prairie did not venture far from +home, both on account of prowling wolves, and +for fear of the Indians who might be skulking +near by. +</p> +<h3>Lewis and Clark, and What They Saw.</h3> +<p> +Not many years after the Revolution Thomas +Jefferson, the third president, did many things +for the good of the United States. Through his +advice the people purchased a great deal of land +in the southern part of the country from France, +to whom it had been given by Spain. It was +called the Louisiana Purchase. +</p> +<p> +Jefferson was not satisfied yet. He thought, +“There is a vast country beyond us of which we +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_150'></a>150</span> +know nothing. No one of our people has yet +crossed it and reached the Pacific. This should +certainly be done.” +</p> +<p> +He knew it would be a dangerous journey, for +it was a wild country, roamed over by tribes of +fierce Indians. Two men, however, offered to +lead the expedition. Their names were Meriwether +Lewis and William Clarke. +</p> +<p> +In the summer of 1803 they started out at the +head of a party of men, carrying with them presents +for the Indians they might meet, three +canoes, two horses which should help them in +hunting game, and a few blankets and cooking +utensils. +</p> +<p> +During the winter they camped on the banks +of the Mississippi, and with the coming of spring +they began their journey up a broad river which +emptied into it and which we know now as the +Missouri. As the men followed the course of +the river they moved farther and farther into +the west. All summer long they slept under +the stars, but as the cold winter set in and deep +snows fell, they made rough cabins in which to +live, and went no farther on their journey for +several months. They killed bison and other +game which furnished them with food, but they +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_151'></a>151</span> +could not keep the biting cold out of their huts, +and they suffered with the cold. Fierce Indian +tribes were around them on all sides, friends were +far away, but they had no thought of turning +back. So, with the second spring, they pushed +on. +</p> +<p> +When they reached the source of the Missouri +there were high mountains before them, much +higher than the Appalachian, and with their +summits crowned with snow. After a long, hard +journey they reached the other side, and +launched their canoes on a small stream which +grew ever broader till it entered a large river. +This was the Columbia, along which they +traveled till the Pacific Ocean lay spread before +their eyes. They had journeyed more than four +thousands miles since they left the banks of the +Mississippi and were the first white men to cross +the United States. They had visited the homes +of Indians who had never seen a white person +before or even known there were such beings. +They had crossed broad plains where thousands +of bison fed on the rich grass. They had discovered +broad rivers shaded by lofty forests and +crossed mountains containing mines of gold and +silver, which before long would be opened up +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_152'></a>152</span> +to give their rich stores to the people of the +United States. They still had before them the +long and dangerous journey home, which they +reached two years and four months after they had +left it. +</p> +<p> +There was great rejoicing among the people +when the news spread of the safe return of the +travelers and of the wonders they had to tell. +From that time many boys and girls looked forward +to moving into the great, far-western +country with their parents. +</p> +<h3>On a Wheat Farm.</h3> +<p> +Many of the children of the prairies live on +farms where wheat is raised. As the sun shines +down on the broad fields, the tiny grains sprout +and grow with astonishing quickness. Then, +when the heavy dews fall at night and the earth +cools, they get new strength for the next day, +so that the farmers gather abundant crops. +</p> +<p> +As the summer days pass by and the wheat +ripens, the children in the big farm house get +ready for an exciting time. Their mother makes +dozens of pies and loaves of bread and cake. A +cow and perhaps a hog or two, are killed and +cut up, for an extra number of “hired hands” +begin to arrive. The farmer himself is unusually +busy. Big machines and engines are +brought out from the barns to be cleaned and +oiled, for the wheat is about to be harvested. +</p> +<div><a name='i152' id='i152'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i010' id='i010'></a> +<img src="images/illus-152.jpg" alt="How They Harvest Wheat on the Prairies." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>How They Harvest Wheat on the Prairies.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_153'></a>153</span></div> +<p> +It is interesting to watch the work go on in +the fields, it is so different from that of the old +days before the threshing and binding machines +were invented. It seems almost like magic to +the watching children as acre after acre of waving +grain is cut down, bound into sheaves and +threshed, almost in the “twinkling of an eye.” +</p> +<p> +Then away it is whisked in big wagons to the +flour mills in the town near by from which it is +sent far and wide to be made into delicious bread +for hungry boys and girls. +</p> +<h3>The Cornfields.</h3> +<p> +In the northern part of the prairies wheat +grows best because it can bear a great deal of +cool weather. But corn is different; warm, +moist nights suit it well. So, although we can +see corn growing all over the eastern part of +the United States, it thrives best in the southern +part of the prairies where the weather is much +warmer than in the north. +</p> +<p> +Corn is very fattening, so the farmers who +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_154'></a>154</span> +raise this grain usually keep herds of cattle and +many hogs. He stores much of the harvest in +the barns to feed the “live stock” and raise them +for market. +</p> +<h3>On a Cattle Ranch.</h3> +<p> +The boys of the prairie help their fathers, not +only in the wheat and corn fields, but also in +raising herds of cattle, flocks of sheep, and great +numbers of hogs. +</p> +<p> +Beyond the prairies, yet east of the Rocky +Mountains, are wide stretches of land called the +Western Plains. Grass grows on these plains, +but the soil is not so rich as on the prairies and +is therefore not so good for farming. +</p> +<p> +As the people moved farther west, settling on +the prairies, they began to think what use could +be made of the plains beyond. They decided +that cattle could be raised there. But first the +tribes of Indians who were roaming freely about +must be forced to stay in certain parts of the +country which the government of the United +States reserved for them. +</p> +<p> +Sad to say, many a little red child growing up +on such a reservation had hate in his heart for +the white men who had seized the land that was +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_155'></a>155</span> +once the free hunting ground of the Indians. +Again and again the red children watched their +older brothers and fathers go out to attack the +men who had ventured into the “wild west.” +Again and again the soldiers of the United States +were sent against them. +</p> +<p> +It was a dangerous life for the ranchmen, so +that many of those who undertook to raise cattle +on the Western Plains, left their families behind +them. It was not a safe place for women and +little children. The ranchmen had to live in the +roughest manner. They had immense herds of +cattle which were allowed to roam for miles over +the grassy plains and were rounded up from time +to time by “cowboys,” as they are called. +</p> +<p> +These cowboys were bold and daring fellows +who carried pistols at their belts, rode half-wild +horses called mustangs, and were ever ready for +danger, since at any moment a stampede might +arise among the cattle. +</p> +<p> +Imagine a herd of untrained cattle feeding +together. An unusual sound is heard which +fills them with a sudden fright. They toss their +heads, kick up their heels and dash wildly away. +This is called a stampede. Now, if the cowboy +in charge is not quick to use his wits he will be +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_156'></a>156</span> +knocked down and trampled to death by the +hoofs of the fleeing cattle. +</p> +<p> +On Lake Michigan, one of the Five Great +Lakes, is the large city of Chicago. The children +who live there grow up in the midst of +noise and bustle, for a great deal of business is +going on about them all the time. Every day +long trains of cars come rolling into the stations +bringing wheat and corn, cattle and hogs. All +of these have been raised on the plains and +prairies south and west of Chicago. Many of +the animals are killed and dressed in the city +and then sent away to be sold in the eastern +markets. Others are loaded on big steamers +waiting at the wharves and sent on a long journey +through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence +River and across the ocean to Europe. +</p> +<h3>Down South.</h3> +<p> +The children who live in the southern part +of the United States have warm weather nearly +all the year. They need few of the woolen garments +or the furs which feel so comfortable in +winter to the people north of them. Their +clothing is mostly of cotton or linen, and they +eat less meat and more fruit than their northern +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_157'></a>157</span> +brothers. Their homes require little heat, and +even the cooking is often done in a small building +separate from the house so that it shall not +be made uncomfortably warm. +</p> +<p> +Let us make a short visit to a cotton plantation +“down south.” We shall be made welcome, +without a doubt, because the southern +people are very hospitable. The planter has +been told when to expect us and a low, comfortable +carriage drawn by a span of beautiful +horses is at the station when we arrive. A black +coachman in livery helps us into our seats, +cracks his whip, and away start the horses at a +lively trot. We pass forests of yellow pine +trees, and possibly some tobacco fields. The +air is fragrant with the odor of flowers and we +listen to the songs of the blackbirds and mocking +birds. All too soon the horses are turned +into a driveway shaded by tall trees, at the end +of which is a large house with broad verandas. +Our host and his family are awaiting us and +give us a cordial greeting. +</p> +<p> +After we have rested and eaten a delicious +dinner, the children of the home show us over +the cotton fields where Negro workmen are +busy among the long rows of plants. The cotton would +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_158'></a>158</span> +not ripen in a short summer. It +must have months of heat and moisture. Then +the flowers will go to seed and long fibers will +reach out and wrap them in blankets of cotton. +</p> +<p> +The cotton is separated from the seeds by the +work of a machine, called the cotton gin. The +seeds are ground into meal which is used in +fattening cattle. Many herds of cattle in the +south are fed on cotton-seed meal which takes +the place of the corn given them in other parts +of the country. +</p> +<p> +As we walk about over the fields the children +of the planter tell us many stories of the Negro +workmen, what fun-loving creatures they are, +and how fond they are of good things to eat. +Water melons please them especially and a +group of “darkies” is never so happy as when +they can sit around a pile of the juicy melons +and feast to their hearts’ content. In many of +the Negro cabins there is sure to be some one +who plays the banjo, to whose music big folks +and little dance merrily when the day’s work is +over. Once the Negroes were the slaves of the +white planters, but they are now free and support +themselves like other workmen. +</p> +<p> +Our little southern friends ask us if we have +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_159'></a>159</span> +ever seen ’possums, as the black people call the +animals. After everyone on the plantation has +gone to sleep, then the cunning opossum steals +from his home in the woods to pay a visit to +the hen-house. He springs up and seizes one +after another of the fowls on the roost, whose +blood he sucks till no more is left in their bodies. +</p> +<p> +The Negroes are very fond of a ’possum hunt. +Soon after dark they arm themselves with clubs +and axes and go into the woods with a few dogs +to scent the game, carrying torches to light the +way. The axes are used to chop down the trees +where the animals climb to get out of the way +of the hunters. +</p> +<p> +A mother opossum with her little ones is a +queer sight. The babies are scarcely larger +than mice and they hang on to their mother’s +body by winding their own tiny tails around +her larger one. The Negroes go on ’coon hunts +too, for they can sell the skins, while the meat is +nearly as delicious as that of the opossum. +Raccoons have long bushy tails and belong to +the bear family, though they are much smaller. +They catch birds in the trees, sucking their +blood and eating the eggs whenever they find +them. They like green corn, too, which they +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_160'></a>160</span> +steal at night as it is growing in the fields. +</p> +<p> +Our little friends go with us to the stables +and show us their ponies, telling us of the lovely +morning rides we may have through the country +if we will stay with them for a few days. +But we must bid them good-by and travel to +the busy towns of the east where many of the +people work in factories and stores and have +little time to spend in the beautiful outdoor +world. Before we leave the sunny south we +would like to take a peep at a rice plantation +in the low marshy country, and to watch the +men gathering tobacco leaves and hanging them +to dry in large sheds, but the northern train is +waiting and we cannot linger. +</p> +<h3>Among the Factories.</h3> +<p> +The children of a factory town often know +little of the free, happy days that a farm gives +to its boys and girls. Long rows of houses +where the workmen live, and large brick buildings +where the machines are noisily running +from Monday morning till Saturday night—these +are what a person sees on every hand. +</p> +<p> +The country settled by the Pilgrims and Puritans, +and much more east of the Appalachian +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_161'></a>161</span> +Mountains has such poor and stony soil that +it is not good for farms. In such places we +find the manufacturing towns where the cotton +raised in the south and the wool from the sheep +of the western plains are made into cloth for +millions of people in the United States. Here +also are large tanneries where the hides of cattle +are prepared for harnesses, shoes, bags and many +other things for which leather is used. In New +England there are many factories where thousands +of boots and shoes are made for the boys +and girls of America. +</p> +<h3>Fishing.</h3> +<p> +Long ago, before the days of the factories, +many ships sailed away from New England +ports after whales in the Arctic waters. Now-a-days +whale-bone is still valuable, but the oil +is not needed so much as in the old times before +gas and electricity came into use, so that whaling +is not so common. But many men are still +busy fishing for herring, halibut and cod, which +are plentiful in the waters along the northeast +coast and off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. +Many a boy living on the coast goes on +fishing trips with his father and becomes so fond +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_162'></a>162</span> +of the free life of the sea that he decides to be +a sailor for the rest of his life. +</p> +<p> +Many lobsters and clams are also obtained +along the coast, and farther south are rich beds +of oysters. In Chesapeake Bay more than one-third +of all the oysters eaten in the world are +grown, and most of these are shipped from the +beautiful city of Baltimore, at the head of the +bay. Thousands of men and women there are +busy, day after day, opening the shells and taking +out the oysters which are then put into tubs +and cans for shipment. +</p> +<h3>In a Lumber Camp.</h3> +<p> +When the white men first came to the United +States, almost all the land between the Atlantic +Ocean and the Mississippi River was covered +with forests. Most of these were cut down to +make clearings for the settlers’ homes. Some +of them, fortunately, were left. Among the +largest forests still standing to-day are those near +the Great Lakes, where the lumber-men work +in much the same way as their Canadian brothers. +When the snow is thick over the ground, +they leave home with their teams of oxen and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_163'></a>163</span> +horses and go to the distant woods, where they +build log-houses for themselves and stables for +the animals. There they live during the cold +months of the year. Sometimes they stop long +enough in their work to go bear and deer hunting +and so get fresh meat which makes a little +change in their daily fare of bread, beans and +salt-pork. +</p> +<p> +The logs are carried to the nearby streams on +sledges which move easily over the ice and snow. +When spring comes they are floated along the +streams and lakes to the saw-mills where they are +made into lumber. +</p> +<h3>Getting Coal.</h3> +<p> +Many of the children living in the Appalachian +Mountains to-day have their homes near +coal mines and their fathers are busy digging out +the coal that brings warmth and comfort during +the winter to so many people. In some places +the rocks have been washed away, but in others +the coal is still so far underground that the +miners have to work day after day where the +sunlight never shines. +</p> +<p> +Iron is also found in large quantities near the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_164'></a>164</span> +coal mines, and trains of freight cars carry both +these minerals to cities not far away where they +are used together in making steel. +</p> +<h3>Among the Rocky Mountains.</h3> +<p> +Great quantities of iron are found in the low +mountains near Lake Superior, where the miners +are constantly at work with the help of steam +engines and powerful machines. +</p> +<p> +The richest copper mines of the United +States are also found near the shores of Lake +Superior. A pig, we are told, discovered the +best one of all in a curious way. It had strayed +from home and fallen into a pit, where it +scratched and rooted in its struggle to get out. +In doing this, it laid bare some copper, which +was discovered by its master when he went to +look for the missing pig. +</p> +<p> +Hunters are fond of visiting the Rocky Mountains, +where they still find the fierce puma, or +mountain lion, with its sharp teeth and claws, +and bright eyes. Night is its favorite time to +roam and it is then that the mountain goat needs +to beware, for the cat-like puma shows no mercy. +Children who live in the western part of the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_165'></a>165</span> +United States have sometimes seen a grizzly +bear brought home by a friend after a hunting +trip among the Rocky Mountains. It is the +strongest and most dangerous of all the bear +family. One blow of its paw is powerful +enough to kill, yet if it is not disturbed a person +has little to fear. It does not care for the flesh +of other animals but is contented with a dinner +of berries and tender shoots like its brothers, the +brown and black bears. +</p> +<p> +One of the most graceful animals the children +of the west have ever seen is the bighorn, or +Rocky Mountain sheep. It browses on the grass +found on the steep slopes where the hunter has +hard work to reach it. Its ears are quick to +hear the slightest sound, when it will toss its head +and flee from possible danger with long leaps. +</p> +<p> +Among the Rocky Mountains are mines of +silver, gold, and copper which have brought fortunes +to many people of the United States. The +silver mines especially are among the richest in +the world. The men who work in them generally +leave their families at home, and go away +to “rough it” as they say, for a mining town seldom +has many comforts and the boys and girls +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_166'></a>166</span> +who do go there to live miss the good schools, +and many other things to which they have been +used. +</p> +<p> +About fifty years ago gold was discovered in +the state of California which lies on the shores +of the Pacific Ocean. The news filled the country +with excitement. As time passed by the +gold mines did not prove as rich as the people +expected, but they discovered that the country +was valuable in other ways. Trees grew to enormous +size there and the warm, moist climate of +the western coast was the best possible for raising +fruit. To-day the children of California +feast on pears, plums, apricots, grapes, peaches, +oranges, and still other fruits which grow very +large and beautiful. There are many wheat +farms, too, in California where rich harvests reward +the men who own them. +</p> +<p> +Beyond the Rocky Mountains and lying between +them and a lower range called the +Sierra Nevada, is a high plateau, where the +rain falls into streams which dry up or form +lakes before they can make their way to the sea. +</p> +<p> +The largest of these is called the Great Salt +Lake whose water is four times as salty as that +of the sea. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_167'></a>167</span> +</p> +<h3>The Colorado Canyon.</h3> +<p> +There are still other plateaus southeast of the +Great Basin where the streams have worn away +deep valleys called canyons. The largest of +these rivers is the Colorado, whose canyon is +so wonderful that travelers in the west always +wish to visit it. +</p> +<p> +In some parts of the canyon the steep cliffs +rise on either side for about a mile up into the +air. As the traveler in the valley below looks +up he can see the stars shining in broad daylight. +The rocks at the sides are of different colors—gray, +brown, red and purple. The best time to +visit the canyon is at sunrise or sunset. Then +the light from above falls first upon one color +and then upon another, making a beautiful sight +as the shadows change from moment to moment. +</p> +<h3>The National Park.</h3> +<p> +The United States is a great country, as its +people believe, and certainly no others in the +world can boast of a park so large as theirs. +</p> +<p> +When Lewis and Clark had traveled a long +distance up the Missouri River they reached that +part of the country which is now called the Yellowstone +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_168'></a>168</span> +Park. A better name would be “Wonderland” +for such it is to the thousands of people +from all over the world who visit it every year. +</p> +<p> +This great reservation is sixty-five miles from +north to south and fifty-five miles from east to +west. It contains not one, but many charming +parks, lovely valleys, sparkling waterfalls, high +mountains, deep valleys and one beautiful lake, +called the Yellowstone Lake. +</p> +<p> +We can travel in a comfortable parlor car +to the very entrance of the Wonderland where +we will first visit the Mammoth Hot Springs +whose waters are as clear as a mirror. They +contain lime and iron, and for this reason many +people drink the water which they take as medicine. +</p> +<p> +The largest of the Hot Springs bursts out of +the ground near the summit of a high hill, from +which it pours down over the slope and as it +falls, makes deep basins in the earth below. +</p> +<p> +Some of these basins are tiny and others quite +large. They are of different colors—red, green, +and yellow, and the edges are worn away into +the prettiest sort of beadwork by Mother Nature. +</p> +<p> +Now let us leave the Hot Springs and visit +the geysers about fifty miles away. Each has +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_169'></a>169</span> +a name of its own. There is the Giantess, which +from time to time throws up a great quantity +of water for a short distance. You must be careful +not to venture too near when the Giantess +wakes up, or you will be soaked with water in an +instant. +</p> +<p> +Another geyser is called Old Faithful, because +you can depend on his appearance at just such +a time. He shows off his accomplishments once +every sixty-five minutes. Old Faithful sends +up a few little jets of water at first but every +moment they become larger and stronger, till +suddenly, with a tremendous roar, the water +spouts up one hundred and thirty feet in the +air. By the end of five minutes the water subsides +and only a small stream rises. +</p> +<p> +Still another geyser is called the Beehive, on +account of the shape of its cone. The water +does not fall to the ground again but moves up +through the air as fine spray. +</p> +<p> +One of the most interesting of all the geysers +is the Castle. As you near it, the air around +may be perfectly quiet. Then, all at once, you +you will hear a loud rumbling noise as though +quantities of stones were rolling over each other, +and at the same time the lashing of water is +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_170'></a>170</span> +heard under the earth. The noise becomes almost +deafening, the earth trembles under your +feet, and if you are wise you will hasten to some +spot quite a distance away. Suddenly a column +of water rises straight up into the air at least +one hundred and fifty feet. The spray from it +falls over the ground around like heavy rain +and those who have not been wise enough to +flee like yourself are drenched with hot water. +</p> +<p> +We must not leave the Wonderland without +visiting Yellowstone Lake. It is very beautiful +and stretches its long arms in among the mountains +as though to embrace them. On the western +shore of this lake you may catch trout if +you will. Then, if you are hungry, you may +take a few steps and drop the fish, still on the +hook, into a boiling spring. Behold! your dinner +of delicious trout is ready for your eating. +</p> +<p> +Yellowstone River flows out of this wonderful +lake and at first moves smoothly and quietly. +Then, as it is about to make its way through a +mountain-pass, it makes leaps and bounds in the +form of cascades and waterfalls, wearing the +earth into a deep canyon, which is as full of +interest as that of the Colorado. +</p> +<p> +In your visit to the Rocky Mountains you +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_171'></a>171</span> +will, no doubt, wish to climb Pikes Peak. It +is named for Major Pike, who tried to climb to +the summit but failed. +</p> +<p> +“Only a bird could succeed,” he afterwards +said. Now-a-days, however, hundreds of travelers +go every year to the top of Pikes Peak. +</p> +<h3>Niagara Falls.</h3> +<p> +Nearly every one who travels over the United +States takes a trip up the beautiful Hudson +River, and goes to the top of Mount Washington +in New England, by using the railroad built +up the side of the mountain, and over which the +train moves slowly with the help of a double +engine. +</p> +<p> +Perhaps the most wonderful and interesting +of all sights are the Falls of Niagara, between +Canada and the United States. Out of Lake +Erie, one of the Five Great Lakes, flows the +Niagara River, which soon reaches a cliff over +which it pours its whole body of water with a +sound like thunder. If you stand near the foot +of the falls you must wear waterproof garments, +or the dashing spray will drench you in a few +moments. The longer you look, the more wonderful +the sight appears and before long you +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_172'></a>172</span> +feel as though you would like to stay there forever, +watching those mighty waters falling, ever +falling, and never resting in their course for a +single moment. +</p> +<p> +In winter the spray covers every bush and +tree near the foot of the Falls and as it freezes +almost instantly, strange forms are built up on +the twigs and branches. Then in the bright sunlight +the world around seems like fairyland. +Masses of ice are carried along with the water +of the cataract and become piled up below, making +a bridge of ice across the river. +</p> +<p> +The children who visit Niagara Falls are sure +to wish to enter the deep cave in the cliff directly +under the falling waters. No matter how carefully +they may enter, they will be drenched by +the spray unless they are clad in waterproof +from head to foot. They have a strange feeling +while they are in the cave. The loud rumbling +of the water and the trembling of the earth fill +them with a sort of fear and they are glad when +they are once more out in the sunlight and at +a safe distance from the mighty cataract. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_173'></a>173</span> +</p> +<h3>A Peep at Big Cities.</h3> +<p> +There are many large and beautiful cities in +the United States, each of which is particularly +dear to the children who live there. Sometimes +they think of their brothers and sisters of a hundred +years ago who warmed themselves in winter +before burning logs in big fireplaces, who +traveled in lumbering stage-coaches and were +lighted to bed by home-made candles or smoky +whale-oil lamps. Many of the children of to-day +have steam-heated houses, lighted by gas +or electricity; they travel short distances in electric +cars or automobiles, and longer ones in +comfortable trains moved by steam-engines; or +perhaps they take water trips in roomy steamboats +where they can move about as freely as in +their own homes. They talk with distant +friends by merely taking down the receiver of +a telephone. Steam, gas, electricity—all these +conveniences are found not only in the cities of +the United States, but on the distant prairies for +the use of farmers and their families. +</p> +<p> +Washington is the capital of the United States. +It is the place where the business of the country +is attended to and the laws are made for the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_174'></a>174</span> +protection of the people. It is a wonderfully +clean and beautiful city, and has many grand +buildings which may well be called palaces. +The White House, the home of the president, +is the copy of a palace in Ireland which was +built for the Duke of Leinster. The National +Library is very large and some people think the +building devoted to it is the most beautiful in +the world. The Rogers Bronze Door which +opens into the Capital is a great work of art. +The most important things in the life of Columbus +and the discovery of America are pictured +in the bronze. This one door cost thirty +thousand dollars. +</p> +<p> +There are large art galleries in Washington +and many other buildings where you can pass +day after day and constantly find new things +to interest you. But before you leave the city +you must be sure to visit the beautiful marble +monument built in honor of George Washington. +</p> +<div><a name='i174' id='i174'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i011' id='i011'></a> +<img src="images/illus-174.jpg" alt="Children Working in the Cotton Factory in a Big City." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>Children Working in the Cotton Factory in a Big City.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_175'></a>175</span></div> +<p> +At the mouth of the Hudson River is the great +city of New York, next to the largest in the +whole world. It contains many beautiful +homes, fine churches, lovely parks, and business +buildings many stories in height which, like +others in Chicago, are called “sky scrapers.” +On an island in New York Harbor stands the +famous Statue of Liberty given to this country +by France. Persons who wish to do so may +climb up into the head of this statue which is in +the form of a beautiful woman with a torch in +her uplifted hand. The crown on the head is +composed of windows from which there is a fine +view of New York Harbor. +</p> +<p> +Another island in the harbor is called Ellis +Island, where most of the emigrants who have +left their homes in other countries, land when +they reach the United States. Irish and Poles, +Italians and Russians, men with children clinging +to their sides, and women with arms clasped +around tiny babies, all dressed in the fashion +of their old homes, step from the big ships and +take their first breath of the free air of America +almost under the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. +</p> +<p> +New York is the greatest manufacturing centre +in the United States. Clothing, books, cigars, +furniture, leather goods and many other things +are made here for the people of this and other +countries. +</p> +<p> +The good old city of Boston is on the eastern +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_176'></a>176</span> +coast of Massachusetts. It has a fine harbor +like its sister city in New York, and many large +ships from all over the world are seen at its +wharves. +</p> +<p> +Ten years after the Pilgrims landed at +Plymouth the Puritans founded Boston. It is +a quaint city with narrow, winding streets, much +unlike Chicago and New York and many other +cities built later on. The State House on Beacon +Hill has a gilded dome which can be seen +in the sunlight for miles around. This is often +called “Boston’s breastpin.” There are many +old buildings in the city, around which are +woven interesting stories of the early days of +this country. Here stands Faneuil Hall where +many stirring words were spoken. For this +reason it is spoken of as the Cradle of Liberty. +Then there is the Old South Church a “meeting +house” of the olden times from which the Boston +Tea Party started out to throw the tea which +had come from England into Boston Harbor. +The cemeteries, in which some of the greatest +men of the early days of the country were buried, +are still kept with the greatest care and are +visited by travelers throughout the year. Boston +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_177'></a>177</span> +is a manufacturing city and is the largest +market in the world for boots, shoes and leather +goods. +</p> +<p> +In the state of Pennsylvania, settled as you +know by the Quakers, is the city of Philadelphia. +This name was chosen for it by William +Penn because of its meaning, “brotherly +love,” and the peaceful spirit of that great man +is felt even now in the quiet streets, lined with +quaint old houses. +</p> +<p> +Philadelphia was once the largest city in the +United States. It is still a very busy one. +Quantities of coal from the mines not far away +are sent to this city and from there shipped to +other places. Iron and steel goods are made +in its factories and many of its people are busy +in the cotton mills. On the river front near by +there are large shipyards where ships have been +built for the United States navy. +</p> +<p> +The children of Philadelphia are especially +proud of Independence Hall where the famous +Declaration of Independence was signed and +the bell rang out to tell of what brave men had +dared to do. This “Liberty Bell” has been carefully +preserved and may be seen even now after +all these years. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_178'></a>178</span> +</p> +<p> +There are many other large and beautiful +cities in the country. One of these, San Francisco, +lies on the far western coast, on the borders +of the Pacific Ocean. It has a deep harbor, into +which come sailing many ships from China and +Japan, bringing cargoes of silk and tea. Many +Chinamen are to be seen on the streets of the +city, and pretty Japanese children with black +eyes and soft yellow skins play in the parks with +the little Americans. More wheat is exported +from the city of San Francisco than from any +other in the United States. +</p> +<p> +There is so much to tell of this great country +and of the children who live here in happy +homes, that it is hard to stop, but we must leave +it for the present and travel south to Mexico. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_179'></a>179</span><a name='chVIII' id='chVIII'></a>CHAPTER VIII<br />Little Folks of Mexico</h2> +<p> +Long ago, when we ended our visit in +Canada and Newfoundland, we left behind +us the polar bears and the icebergs +and all those things which are to be found in the +cold parts of the earth. Then we traveled over +the United States with its temperate climate, +where neither heat nor cold are severe. Still +moving south, we come to Mexico. +</p> +<p> +At the time Columbus discovered America +Mexico was the home of gentle little Indian +children. Their skins were not as red as the +rest of their people in North America, but were +of a brownish tint. Their lips were rather +thick, and their voices were soft. They called +themselves Aztecs. +</p> +<p> +These children went to school and learned +lessons while the other Indians of North America +were living like savages. They were taught +music and painting and the history of the Aztecs. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_180'></a>180</span> +They studied strange-looking books written in +pictures, each of which stood for a certain word. +</p> +<p> +As they grew up they were taught to worship +many gods, some of whom they believed to be +very cruel. They feared these gods and offered +sacrifices of human beings to them. It was a +dreadful belief indeed that could make people +do this. +</p> +<p> +A great king named Montezuma ruled over +the whole country. He lived in a magnificent +palace far up on a lofty plateau in the middle +of the country, with mountains on either hand, +as though to guard him. He wore rich garments +which he changed many times a day. He +ate the choicest food from dishes of silver and +gold. Hundreds of people waited upon him, +ever ready to do his bidding. +</p> +<p> +Montezuma made the city where he lived +very beautiful. There were gardens filled with +flowers, and ponds stocked with different kinds +of fish. There were menageries where birds of +brilliant plumage were cared for so tenderly +that they could not miss their free homes of +the forest, and there were wild animals of both +hot lands and cold. Altogether, the city was +the wonder of all who visited it. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_181'></a>181</span> +</p> +<p> +There came a time, however, when all this +was changed. A few years after Columbus discovered +the New World a Spaniard named +Fernando Cortez sailed along the shores of +Mexico with his fleet of ships. He entered a +harbor and landed. The simple Indians who +stood watching, bent low before the strange +white men, for they thought them gods from +heaven who had come to visit them, and they +gladly told all they knew about the country. +Gold and silver? Yes, there was plenty to be +had in Mexico. Furthermore, they described +the wonderful city on the plateau above, where +the great Montezuma held his court. +</p> +<p> +Cortez listened with great interest. He was a +brave man; he was also cruel and greedy. His +eyes flashed as he thought of all the riches to be +gained if he could conquer the natives. But +he used only soft words and begged to be shown +the way to the wonderful city among the mountains +above him. He declared that he wished +to pay respect to the ruler of the country. +</p> +<p> +The Indian guides led the way while Cortez +and his train of knights followed. +</p> +<p> +On, yet ever upwards they climbed, soon leaving +the hot, damp lowlands behind them. The +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_182'></a>182</span> +air became cooler and fresher, and the fruits +that grow only where the heat is great, were +soon passed. On, yet ever upwards! The pathway +now became steep and rough, but it brought +the Spaniards at last out upon a broad plain +on which stood the city described by the natives +of the lowlands. The king came to meet the +strangers in all his glory. He lavished gifts +upon them, too—gold and silver and precious +stones,—all those things which he thought valuable +in the eyes of his guests. He entertained +them royally and gave feasts in their honor. +</p> +<p> +While the cruel Spaniard was looking at the +rich gifts, he was planning how to conquer Montezuma +and his subjects and get all the wealth +of the country into his hands. +</p> +<p> +It was not long before this was done. Montezuma’s +reign was brought to an end; the beautiful +buildings of the city of which he was so +proud were destroyed, and the Indians of Mexico +became the slaves of the Spaniards. +</p> +<p> +For nearly three hundred years Spain ruled +over the country, during which time many boys +and girls crossed the ocean to make their home +in Mexico. +</p> +<p> +Some of the Spaniards married gentle Indian +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_183'></a>183</span> +maidens and their children were called half-castes, +to show that they were half-white and +half-Indian. For this reason there are three +kinds of children who call Mexico home,—first, +creoles, whose people came in the beginning +from Europe; second, the Indians, and +third, the half-castes. Many of these last are +so fair in the skin that one would scarcely think +they could have any Indian blood whatever. +</p> +<p> +Although the white people came in the beginning +from Spain, they have lived so long in +Mexico that they now have a name of their +own. Many of their children are very beautiful. +They have soft black eyes which grow +sharp and piercing as they become excited. +They are usually very gentle, but if they are +crossed they show a quick, unruly temper. They +are not fond of work, but like to be waited on +by their servants. Many of them are rich and +live in grand houses built around courtyards +whose fountains play all day long. The air +of these courtyards is filled with the odor of +lovely flowers growing there. +</p> +<p> +The mothers of the little creoles dress in +dainty lawns and laces, following the latest +fashions from Paris. They are proud of their +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_184'></a>184</span> +tiny hands and feet and are careful to do no +hard work that may spoil their shape. They +embroider, and do other fancywork, and they +sing and play. They are very loving, and bring +up their little ones to be polite and respectful. +They, as well as their husbands, are ever ready +to show kindness to visitors and strangers. +</p> +<p> +The Indian children of Mexico lead a very +different life from their creole brothers and +sisters. After the Aztecs were conquered by the +Spaniards they lived the life of slaves for such +a long time that it became a habit with them +to look up to the white men as higher beings, +so that to this day they are as humble as slaves +although they are now free and the country is +a republic. +</p> +<p> +The little Indians have few clothes, but that +does not matter, for they do not need more in +the warm climate in which they live. As for +shoes, their people in the good old times before +the coming of the Spaniards wore none, so why +should they? Sandals are certainly far more +comfortable, besides being the best foot-gear possible +for mountain climbing. +</p> +<p> +In the warm lowlands the Indians live in +simple huts of wood or bamboo, with thatched +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_185'></a>185</span> +roofs of palm leaves. Farther up on the table-land +where it is cooler the homes are still small +and easily made, but they are of unburnt brick, +called adobe. The roofs are flat and covered +with clay. No matter how poor the family may +be the home is not complete unless it has an oven +large enough for a person to sit in, also made +of adobe. Stones are piled in this oven and +heated. Then water is poured over them, which +makes a heavy steam rise, in which the people +take their baths. +</p> +<p> +“It is good,” the little Indians would tell +you. “So good, that as the sweat bursts out +over your body, it will take out all the badness, +and make you feel well and strong.” +</p> +<p> +The poorest children need not be hungry, for +fruits and vegetables are cheap and plentiful. +Besides these, there are the tortillas the Indian +mothers make every day for their families. +</p> +<p> +Outside of every house there is sure to be +a field of maize, big enough to furnish the family +with all they need during the year. When +the maize is ripe it is gathered and put away +for future use. Every evening the women of +the household take some of it and place it in +jars of hot water. They add a little lime to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_186'></a>186</span> +soften it. When morning comes, they take it +from the jar, and spreading it on a stone bench, +make it into paste with a stone roller. Now +it is put into a dish, and enough water added +to make it into a batter thick enough for pancakes. +One by one these are baked before a +fire of charcoal. Hours are spent each day preparing +tortillas. Even the rich people of Mexico +are fond of tortillas, and hire special cooks +to prepare them for the table. +</p> +<p> +The Indian children are very strong. The +boys practice running and learn to carry heavy +loads on their backs with ease. Many of the +men are porters, or work in the silver mines +carrying out the ore; some of them, however, +are busy on the farms. As the boys grow up, +they generally follow the same trade as their +fathers. The pay is small and the work is hard, +but it seems easier for the Indians to keep to +the same old habits that were formed under their +masters, the Spaniards. +</p> +<p> +Wherever you may travel in Mexico, you +will meet Indian porters with heavy loads on +their backs, moving along at a steady trot. +Hour after hour they will keep this up, carrying +seventy-five or a hundred pounds at a time. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_187'></a>187</span> +The Indian farmers may be fifty or even a hundred +miles from a market for their goods, but +it does not seem to trouble them that the vegetables +they wish to sell must be carried all the +way on their backs. +</p> +<p> +Besides the Indian and creole children are +the half-castes whose skins are darker than those +of their white brothers and sisters, though many +of them have rosy cheeks. They are pleasant +and good-natured, but are apt to be sly and +lazy. +</p> +<p> +The fathers of the little half-castes are generally +farmers or mule drivers. Their older +brothers and sisters are often servants in the +homes of the wealthy creoles, where they learn +the ways and fashions of the white people and +try to copy them. +</p> +<p> +Most of the boys and girls of Mexico go to +school which they must reach by seven o’clock +in the morning, and where they spend about ten +hours of each day. The seats and desks are not +comfortably arranged as they are in most places +in the United States. Those children who can +have chairs are fortunate, for many of them sit +on benches and even on the floor. They study +aloud, so you can imagine what a chattering +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_188'></a>188</span> +there is. It is hard to understand how they +manage to get their lessons. +</p> +<p> +There are many holidays in Mexico, when the +tiresome schools are closed and both big folks +and little give themselves up to feasting and +dancing. +</p> +<p> +One of these, Good Friday, is celebrated in +a curious way. All day long men go through +the streets carrying figures of the traitor Judas +hanging from long poles. They stop from time +to time as children come running up to them +to buy a Judas. Now comes the sport, for the +figures can be blown up. Bits of lighted punk +are held against the figures, when they suddenly +burst like fire-crackers and make noise enough +to deafen the ears of the passer-by. It is no +wonder the children save up their money for +Good Friday so that they can buy numbers of +Judases. +</p> +<p> +The evening is the best part of the whole day, +for then immense Judases are hung up on lines +across the streets and crowds of people gather +to watch them while they are blown up and exploded. +At the same time the city bells ring +out the glad news that Judas has been destroyed. +The strangest part of all is the crackling noise that +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_189'></a>189</span> +now follows, representing the +breaking of the bones of the two thieves who +were crucified at the same time as Jesus. The +Mexicans certainly have a queer way of celebrating +Good Friday. +</p> +<h3>On the Coast.</h3> +<p> +Although a part of Mexico lies in or near +the torrid zone, all kinds of climate are to be +found in the country. Let us see how this is. +Along the shores of the Pacific on the west, and +of the Gulf of Mexico on the east the land is +low and the air is hot and moist, and for this +reason there is much illness there. The children +of these lowlands know only two seasons, +the wet and the dry. Many of them live on +ranches where herds of cattle feed on the high, +coarse grass. Here and there small streams flow +through the land from the mountains above, and +there are lakes shaded by tall palm trees. These +are the places where the tropical fruits of Mexico +grow,—vanilla, spices, bananas, cacao, and +oranges. Mangoes, cocoanuts, and alligator +pears, besides many others seldom sent to temperate +lands, also grow here in plenty. +</p> +<p> +The lowlands are not perfectly flat, but slope +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_190'></a>190</span> +upwards toward high hills where the air is clear +and much cooler. The children here can gather +yellow oranges and clutches of bananas, like +their brothers and sisters of the lowlands, while +they may also pick peaches and apples in their +orchards. Flowers and trailing vines grow +everywhere about them. The palms of the hot +lands wave in the breeze on one side, while the +roses and honeysuckles of the temperate zone +bloom on the other. It is a strange and beautiful +country. +</p> +<p> +Slowly we bid good-by to the little homes +nestled among the trees, and with the help of +a big double-engine we climb up the steep slopes +to still higher lands. The trees are of a different +kind now, for strong pines and oaks are +about us everywhere. +</p> +<p> +The long climbing comes to an end at last. +The double-engine has done its work and is used +no longer, for we move out upon the plateau of +Mexico where cactus plants spread over many +acres, and wheat and barley fields greet us like +old friends from the United States. +</p> +<div><a name='i190' id='i190'></a></div> +<div class='figcenter' style='padding-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 1em'> +<a name='i012' id='i012'></a> +<img src="images/illus-190.jpg" alt="A Mexican Village." title=""/><br /> +<span class='caption'>A Mexican Village.</span> +</div> +<div><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_191'></a>191</span></div> +<h3>Vera Cruz.</h3> +<p> +When Cortez arrived on the coast of Mexico +his ships entered the only good harbor on the +eastern side of the country. He and his men +landed at a place to which the Spaniards gave +the name of Vera Cruz, or “True Cross.” +Afterwards they built a city there, which to-day +is one of the two principal ports of Mexico. +Every year many ships are loaded at the +wharves of Vera Cruz with limes and hammocks, +silver and copper, which they carry to +the United States and other countries. +</p> +<p> +Vera Cruz is a beautiful city. Tall palm +trees shade many a lovely home, in whose gardens +children are playing throughout the year. +Before it stretches the Gulf of Mexico, while +at its back the lofty volcano Orizaba reaches +far up toward the sky. The people of Vera +Cruz work hard to make it a clean city, and +they are helped by the vultures—big, ugly-looking +birds who are ever ready to swoop down +into the streets and house-yards to devour any +decaying matter to be found. Bits of fruit and +vegetables, scraps of meat, and dead animals +whether big or little, are greedily eaten. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_192'></a>192</span> +Although the city is kept clean from one end +to the other, it is not a healthy place for a home. +Fever is in hiding everywhere and visitors find +it wise to make only a short stay in the place. +</p> +<h3>Getting Vanilla.</h3> +<p> +Few people live in the low country around +Vera Cruz except Indians and half-castes. +Here and there on the banks of the streams you +may find a group of palm-thatched huts with +Indian children running in and out among the +trees. The weather is so warm here throughout +the year that they wear scarcely any clothing +and many times in the day they plunge into +the river to cool themselves. Sometimes the +boys take long tramps into the forests on the +slopes above them in search of pods filled with +vanilla beans. They must seek only dark and +moist places, for vanilla plants do not grow well +in the sunlight. Swarms of mosquitoes buzz +about the boys’ bare legs, and snakes and lizards +often cross their path. Many times they are +obliged to crawl between tangled vines and push +thick underbrush aside. But they care little for +these things. Their minds are set on finding +enough vanilla plants to yield them a goodly +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_193'></a>193</span> +load of pods, which they will carry home and +dry with the greatest care before sending them +to market. +</p> +<h3>Acapulco.</h3> +<p> +On the western coast of Mexico is the city of +Acapulco, with its deep and beautiful harbor. +Many large steamers are loaded with cattle and +hides, timber and fruit at its wharves. +</p> +<h3>The Mexican Farms.</h3> +<p> +Many of the children of Mexico have their +homes on tobacco and sugar plantations which +are found on the slopes rising from the lowlands +along the shore. Still other children live +on the plateau of Mexico on large farms which +stretch over miles of country and seem like small +towns in themselves. The men on these farms +are busy in various ways. Some of them have +the care of large fields of wheat or barley. +Others tend herds of cattle or flocks of sheep. +</p> +<p> +The owner of such a farm is usually a rich +man who lives with his family in a large stone +house surrounded by high walls. There is a +courtyard where beautiful trees and plants are +growing and fountains are playing. The wife +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_194'></a>194</span> +and children of the owner wear dainty garments +and are waited upon by many servants. They +have the choicest food,—fruits of many kinds, +chicken cooked in different ways, tortillas of +course, besides all sorts of delicacies prepared +by excellent cooks. +</p> +<p> +The workmen have very different homes. +They live in small huts of one or two rooms, +and built of mud or adobe. Inside are rough +stone fireplaces, and a few mats are spread on +the floor. Here the children and their parents +sit while they eat their simple meals of tortillas +and black beans, and here they stretch themselves +at night for sleep. They are quite happy, +however. Outdoors are the birds, the flowers, +and the beautiful sunshine. They need few +clothes and they do not go hungry. +</p> +<p> +There are usually large dairies on these farms +where women are busy making the rich milk +into butter and cheese. Thousands of pounds +are often sent to market from one such farm +during the year. +</p> +<p> +You have probably seen century plants in the +hot-houses you have visited, and have been told +that they belong to the aloe family. When the +Spaniards first came to Mexico they saw the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_195'></a>195</span> +Indians making paper from the pulp of the +leaves of the aloe plant and twine from its +fibers. The sharp thorns on the edges of the +leaves furnished needles for the Indian women, +and the sap of the aloe was made into pulque, +the favorite drink of the natives. They also +made hammocks from the fibers and thatched +the roofs of their huts with the big leaves, lapping +one over the other like shingles. In fact, +the Indians made so many uses of the aloe plant +that the Spaniards thought it worth while to +raise it in large quantities for themselves. +</p> +<p> +The aloe has thick, pointed leaves sometimes +ten feet long. It blossoms about once in ten +years, when it sends a flower stalk twenty or +thirty feet up into the air. At the very top an +immense cluster of greenish-yellow blossoms appears. +All the strength of the plant goes into +these blossoms for, as they open, the leaves +wither and die. +</p> +<p> +The Indians have learned to tell when the +plant is getting ready to send up its giant flower-stalk. +Just before it appears they cut out the +heart with a sharp knife, leaving only the thick, +outside rind of the stem. The sweet sap that +should have gone to feed the flower-stalk begins to +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_196'></a>196</span> +ooze into the hollow and continues to do +so for several weeks. The Indians, who have +discovered the right time to cut into the plant +to prevent its flowering, have also learned that +the sap can be used in making the drink which +they call pulque. +</p> +<p> +The city of Mexico is a beautiful one, with +high stone walls around it, a large square in the +centre, and broad streets running at right angles +to each other. Nearly all the houses are built of +stone, with flat roofs on which the people sit in +the evening to enjoy the cool breezes and watch +the stars twinkling merrily in the heavens above. +</p> +<p> +The children of the big stone houses can play +in inner courtyards among flowering plants and +fountains. But when they leave their homes to +go out into the city they must pass through heavy +doors studded with nails and heavily chained. +The house windows that face the street have +iron bars across them, so that at first these houses +seem like fortresses. But when one passes to +the back part of such a building and looks out +through the windows there upon the pretty +courtyard with its fountains and flower-beds, or +takes a comfortable chair on one of the balconies, +with its gilded balustrades covered with +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_197'></a>197</span> +trailing vines, he begins to feel as though he +were in a beautiful palace. +</p> +<p> +The great square in the middle of the city is +beautiful with trees and flowers, statues, and +walks paved with snowy marble. In the long-ago +a temple stood here where hundreds of people +were sacrificed to the gods in whom the +Aztecs believed. On one side of the square +stands the house of the president, and on another +there is a grand cathedral where the Mexicans +and their children go to worship. The +cathedral doors are always open so that any day +you may go inside and find people kneeling +there. Rich and poor, grand ladies in delicate +muslins and jewels, and the poorest Indians with +their packs of fruit or coops filled with chickens +still on their backs, kneel in prayer side by side. +</p> +<p> +Many of the children who have been to the +cathedral to worship, stop as they leave it before +the flower-decked stands under the trees, +where women are busy selling cool drinks and +sweetmeats. Or perhaps they are more interested +in the Indians wandering about with cages +of humming-birds and parrots, and they beg +their parents or older friends who are with them +to buy one of the birds to carry home. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_198'></a>198</span> +</p> +<p> +As the children go on their way they pass +many a horseman riding through the streets with +broad hat shading his face, and with leggings +trimmed with buttons and silver braid. Silver +spurs shine brightly at his side in the sunlight, +as also do the gorgeous trappings of his horse. +</p> +<p> +There are all sorts of people to be seen on +the streets of Mexico. There are Indians with +packs of all sorts on their backs. There are +girls in gaily striped skirts selling fruit. There +are water-carriers in leather aprons with large +earthen jars on their backs and smaller ones +hanging down in front; there are bird-sellers +with flower-trimmed cages; there are the Indian +policemen who carry lanterns at night, +which they place in the middle of the street +while they nap in the doorways close by. These +naps must be very short, however, because every +fifteen minutes it is the business of the policemen +to blow shrill whistles, and at every hour +to call the time. +</p> +<h3>The Big Market.</h3> +<p> +The boys and girls of the city often visit the +big market which is only a short distance from +the cathedral. It is surrounded by high stone +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_199'></a>199</span> +walls and on every side there is a gateway +through which the people are constantly passing. +</p> +<p> +The sides of the market are lined with shops +where people are busy selling all sorts of goods. +There are the stalls of butchers where only +meats are to be seen. There are stands of fruit +that fill the air with sweet odors. There are +vegetables of many kinds, furniture, and dress-goods +of all colors. There are shops where +fried meats are sold to hungry people in need +of a lunch. There are great piles of cocoanuts +and bananas heaped upon the ground. There +are fish from both lake and ocean. Strangest +of all are the cakes made out of marshflies. +These flies are found in great numbers along +the muddy banks of the Mexican lakes. There +they lay their eggs among the flags and rushes +and are killed by the Indians and made into a +paste. +</p> +<p> +The middle of the market is filled with Indians +who shade themselves and their wares +from the hot sun by large squares of matting +perched on poles. Here is one man with coops +filled with chickens, and another with a stack +of earthen dishes made at home. Just beyond +him is a woman with a baby on her back. She +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_200'></a>200</span> +is standing by the side of a patient donkey with +panniers filled with melons or peaches, hanging +from its sides, and a happy little two-year old +child on its back. Some of the people who are +busy selling their wares have come many miles +and left their homes before sunrise. They have +brought their families along with them, so that +half-naked children and babies of all ages are +to be seen everywhere. Some of them are +munching fruit, others playing hide-and-seek +among the crowds, while many a tiny baby is +nodding itself to sleep on its mother’s back or +crying with all its might for a little attention. +</p> +<h3>The Museums.</h3> +<p> +The children of the city are fond of visiting +the museums, for there they can see many of +the wonderful things made by the Aztecs in +the time of their great ruler, Montezuma. +</p> +<p> +First of all they stop before a large bed of +flowers in the court, in the center of which is +the “sacrificial stone” where, in the old days before +the coming of the white men, people were +offered up to the gods in whom they believed. +Near by are the hideous statues of two of these +gods. They are not pleasant to look at, so the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_201'></a>201</span> +visitors pass quickly into the building where +they can see Aztec vases ornamented with +strange carving, masks of volcanic glass, the +wonderful feather shields of Montezuma, books +filled with picture-writing, and images made of +wax and representing all kinds of life in Mexico. +There is the Indian with his pack, the charcoal-seller +with his donkey beside him laden with +coal, the flower-vender with bouquets of flowers +in her hands. +</p> +<p> +Children are never tired of looking at these +wax figures, but however long they may stay, +they do not like to leave the museum without +at least a peep at the feather pictures made in +the time of Montezuma. +</p> +<p> +These pictures are entirely of birds’ delicate +feathers, laid over each other so carefully that +if you were to examine them ever so closely you +would not be able to tell how the work was done. +The pictures are as wonderful in their way as +fine paintings. Only few Indians know the +secret of making them, which is guarded carefully +and handed down from father to son. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_202'></a>202</span> +</p> +<h3>The Floating Gardens.</h3> +<p> +Most of the vegetables raised for the people +of Mexico are brought in the early morning +from the floating gardens a short distance from +the city, where there are some lakes. A kind of +water-plant grows in these lakes very fast and +mats together, making marshy beds. +</p> +<p> +Long ago, in the time of Montezuma, the +Aztec farmers learned to make gardens out of +these floating masses of weeds. They cut out +large squares which they covered with mud +drawn up from the bottom of the lake. The soil +was rich and moist so that no place in the world +could be better for plants. Flower and vegetable +seeds were sown and in a short time beautiful +gardens were growing. +</p> +<p> +From that day to this Indians have been busy +tending these floating gardens. They pass from +one to another in canoes, gathering vegetables +and flowers for the city market. One boat will +be filled with lettuce, another with luscious red +tomatoes, while still another will be loaded with +bright-colored flowers. It is a pretty sight to +see them as they move slowly along through the +Viga Canal that leads from the lakes to the city. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_203'></a>203</span> +Again and again the Indians paddling along +with their loads are passed by pleasure boats +filled with young people, who make the air resound +with the odd sweet songs of the country. +</p> +<h3>Volcanoes.</h3> +<p> +South of the city of Mexico there is a range +of hills, and beyond these is a chain of volcanoes, +two of which bear the names of Popocatapetl +and Iztacsihuatl. It is much easier, however, +to think of them as “Smoking Mountain” and +“The Woman in White,” for such are the meanings +of these long words. Both these volcanoes +wear garments of snow and they look so peaceful +that the children of Mexico are not troubled +with the thought of what might happen if they +should awake in fiery anger some day and send +out streams of red-hot lava over the country below. +</p> +<p> +The slopes of Popocatapetl are dotted with +the huts of Indians who earn their living by +getting loads of sulphur from the crater of the +volcano. +</p> +<p> +The highest mountain peak in Mexico is +Orizaba, or the “Star of the Sea.” As you sail +towards the eastern shore of Mexico and when +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_204'></a>204</span> +you are still so far away that no other part is in +sight, the lofty volcano Orizaba appears before +you with its summit in the clouds. The Indians +chose a fitting name for it, because it certainly +seems to rise out of the sea. +</p> +<h3>Among the Mines.</h3> +<p> +When the Spaniards became the rulers of +Mexico they found themselves the owners of the +richest silver mines in the world. A great part +of the silver used to-day came from those mines. +Although immense fortunes have been made in +the country for hundreds of years, yet the mines +are still rich in the precious ore. They are +owned by white men, but the work of getting the +silver is done mostly by Indians. Mules are +sometimes used to carry the ore from the dark +caverns underground to the bright world outside, +but much of even this work is done by the +Indians themselves, who climb up the steep sides +of the mines with heavy loads on their backs day +after day. +</p> +<p> +When the silver is found it is generally mixed +with sulphur, but sometimes a lump of the pure +metal is turned up. One of these lumps +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_205'></a>205</span> +weighed four hundred and twenty-five pounds, +and was worth eight thousand dollars. +</p> +<p> +The miners sometimes try to steal the silver +by hiding it in their hair, their ears, or between +their toes. They are carefully watched for this +reason, so they seldom succeed. +</p> +<p> +Copper is also found in the mines of Mexico +and some of it is sent to the United States. +</p> +<p> +The children of Mexico never need to leave +their country for the sake of a change, for by +traveling a few miles, they can enjoy either cold +weather or hot; they can see the trees and plants, +can hear the birds, and can pick the flowers belonging +to lands that stretch from the frozen +north to the burning regions of the equator. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_206'></a>206</span><a name='chIX' id='chIX'></a>CHAPTER IX<br />Little Folks of Central America</h2> +<p> +Now let us make a short visit to the children +of Central America. Perhaps it +would not be well for us to stay with +them long unless they live in the high valleys +of the mountain country along the western shore, +for the lowlands are hotter and even more moist +than those of Mexico. Fever lies in waiting for +strangers in the lowlands; swarms of mosquitoes +are ready to attack us on every hand, centipedes +and scorpions are hidden in the grass at our feet, +so that we are quite willing to hasten towards +the hill country as quickly as possible. Even +here we feel in danger, for the high valleys we +enter lie hidden under the very shadow of a row +of volcanoes that stretch from north to south +through the land. Many of these are quite +wide-awake and show this in various ways, some +by the clouds of smoke that rise out of their +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_207'></a>207</span> +craters, or by the odor of sulphur that reaches +our noses, or perhaps by the shaking of the +earth beneath our feet. +</p> +<p> +One of the highest of these peaks is called +Agua which, from time to time, sends out jets of +boiling water. +</p> +<p> +The children of Central America are quite +used to earthquakes, which they feel many times +during the year. At any moment, in the midst +of their play, at dinner time, or during a walk +through the streets, the ground may suddenly +tremble under their feet, they become dizzy and +light-headed, and perhaps there is a rumbling +sound in the air around them. If they are away +from home, they hurry back to seek safety beside +their mothers. +</p> +<p> +A minute afterwards the danger may pass by +and the play or dinner or walk goes on as before. +Yet there are ruined cities in the country to +tell the story that there have been terrible earthquakes +in past times when homes were destroyed, +and men, women and children lost their lives +before they had time to flee for safety. +</p> +<p> +The children of Central America are much +like their brothers and sisters of Mexico. There +are the Indians who are little troubled by the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_208'></a>208</span> +heat and mosquitoes, there are the white boys +and girls whose people came from Spain, and +there are the little half-castes. +</p> +<p> +Some of these children live near dense forests +where their fathers are busy cutting down valuable +mahogany and logwood trees, which are +shipped to other lands to be made into elegant +furniture. It is so hot in many of these forests +that the men do their work at night with flaming +torches to give them light. +</p> +<p> +It is a strange sight. All around is heavy +darkness except in the cleared space among the +trees where the torch-lights show patient oxen +plodding along with their heavy loads, and +their half-naked drivers snapping their whips +and calling in loud voices to the animals and +each other. Through it all comes the sound of +the whip and axe, and the snapping of the big +trunks as they fall to the ground. +</p> +<p> +Logwood, from which a valuable dye is obtained, +is the name of another valuable tree +found in the forests of Central America, as also +is the lignum vitæ, or wood of life. From both +logwood and lignum vitæ are extracted medicines +which physicians often use. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_209'></a>209</span> +</p> +<p> +In Central America people need to be careful +when they are wandering through the thick +grass or along the edge of a forest, for poisonous +snakes lurk about and the bites of some of them +may cause much pain and suffering. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the boys bring home winged squirrels +which they have caught while flying from +tree to tree, but these little creatures do not +enjoy being made captive. They love their wild +life in the woods, where they are free to scamper +over the ground; or spreading their legs, to fly +about among the branches of the trees as they +will. +</p> +<p> +Along the southern coast of Central America +the children find beautiful mother-of-pearl +shells on the water’s edge. As the sunlight falls +upon these shells the loveliest colors are seen +on the clear surface,—delicate pinks and blues +and violets. After the children are tired of +playing with the shells they can easily sell them, +for travelers are ever ready to buy them as +remembrances of their stay in the country. +</p> +<p> +In the forests of Central America there are +many rubber trees, where Indian boys help their +fathers gather the sap which will afterwards be +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_210'></a>210</span> +made into storm coats and shoes to protect the +children of the United States from rain and +snow. +</p> +<p> +In the lowlands and on the slopes there are +many banana orchards, which furnish all the +fruit the little folks and their parents wish for, +as well as many a shipload for the people of +other lands. +</p> +<p> +Some of the white children of the country live +on coffee plantations where Negro and Indian +workmen care for the trees and pick the berries +for market. +</p> +<p> +There are also places in Central America +where the indigo plant is raised on account of +the blue dye that is obtained from it. This, too, +is sent away from the country in ships, as well +as coffee and mahogany, bananas and rubber. +</p> +<p> +Central America is divided into several republics, +each one of which is quite independent +of the others. As you travel through them +southwards, the country becomes more and more +narrow till you come at last to the Isthmus of +Panama, which joins North and South America. +</p> +<p> +The people of the United States are now very +busy building a canal through this isthmus to +join together the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_211'></a>211</span> +As you look at the map it seems an easy enough +matter. +</p> +<p> +You think, “Why, that canal ought to be finished +in a short time and should not cost much, +either, for the distance across the canal is not +more than twenty-six miles at the narrowest +part.” +</p> +<p> +But you must remember in the first place that +the canal can not be dug in a straight line; also, +that it must pass through the heart of high mountains +and that solid masses of rock must be +broken up, bit by bit. Then again, the climate +of the lowlands is very unhealthy during the wet +season of the year and the workmen suffer from +fever and other kinds of sickness. Besides, it +has been hard to get men who understand the +work to go there. For these reasons and still +others the building of this canal is a tremendous +undertaking and will cost billions of dollars before +it is finished. +</p> +<p> +The people of France began it many years +ago, but gave it up after two-fifths of it had +been dug. The people of the United States undertook +to finish it, and at present everything +is going on well. They paid France for what +she had already done on the canal and bought +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_212'></a>212</span> +the land through which it is to pass. Moreover, +they have built comfortable homes for the workmen +and have done many things to prevent the +fevers that attack persons so easily on account +of the damp, hot climate. +</p> +<p> +So it has come about that on the Isthmus of +Panama there are now many American children +whose fathers are busy on the canal and have +brought their families to live with them there. +Schools have been built where these children +study the same lessons as their playmates at home. +Mother Nature gives them other lessons too, for +they see many curious sights in the country +around them, different trees and plants, different +flowers and birds from those of their homeland. +If they enter the forests they can see the parrots +and monkeys among the tree-tops, and possibly +wild hogs among the underbrush. They can +pick flowers which are beautiful, but without +fragrance. They can tap milk trees and get a +thick, creamy liquid which will satisfy their +hunger. They must be watchful, however, in +this strange country, for immense ants are ever +ready to sting their tender toes, and poisonous +snakes lie hidden in the thick grass. +</p> +<p> +Not far from the homes of the little Americans there +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_213'></a>213</span> +are villages where Chinese children +are living with their parents, since many Chinamen +are at work on the canal. There are +Negroes, too, as well as the white men and the +native Indians. +</p> +<p> +By and by, when the great undertaking is +finished and big ships from all parts of the world +are constantly passing through the canal, it will +be a very lively place and many will be the visitors +to that part of North America. +</p> +<h2><span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_214'></a>214</span><a name='chX' id='chX'></a>CHAPTER X<br />Little Folks of the West Indies</h2> +<p> +When Columbus discovered the New +World he landed on a small island +southeast of North America where the +gentle red people greeted him as a god from +heaven. You probably know the story,—how +Columbus thought he had reached India, the +land of silks and spices, and how he accordingly +called the red men whom he met, Indians. In +fact India was far away, and instead of landing +on its shores, the great sailor had reached one +of a long chain of islands reaching from North +to South America, which we know to-day as the +West Indies. +</p> +<p> +The red people who greeted Columbus did +not live long after the coming of the Spaniards +who followed him. They were made to dig +gold in the mines for their cruel masters, and +to do other hard work to which they were not +used. They soon sickened and died under the +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_215'></a>215</span> +hard treatment. Many of them, alas, were +killed by the white men in sport, so that before +long not an Indian was left in all the islands. +</p> +<p> +To-day many white children, whose people +came from Spain long ago, are living in happy +homes in the West Indies. Besides them, there +are hundreds of little Negroes with kinky hair +and rolling eyes, whose homes are tiny huts +thatched with palm leaves, and who wear little +or no clothing. They bask in the sunshine and +play in the clear waters along the shore and are +as happy as the day is long. +</p> +<p> +The beautiful islands of the West Indies lie +in the hot belt of the world, and the people who +live there know but two seasons, a wet and a +dry. For several months rain falls every day,—not +all day long, however, keeping the boys +and girls indoors, but there are heavy showers +every morning, after which the world looks lovelier +than ever. It is far pleasanter then than +in the dry season, when the trees and plants +lose their freshness and the dust is thick upon +everything around. +</p> +<p> +Although the West Indies lie in the hot belt, +yet cool breezes from the ocean blow over the +land throughout the year so that the people who +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_216'></a>216</span> +live there do not suffer from the heat. The +white children wear thin linen and cotton garments, +and instead of the meat and blood soup +so necessary to the little Eskimo, they have cooling +drinks made with limes and lemons, and +they eat freely the delicious fruits that are so +plentiful. They are not fond of lively games +like football and baseball, which are such favorites +with many American children. Instead, +they spend many hours in hammocks among +groves of orange and breadfruit trees. +</p> +<p> +These children go to school for two hours of +the early morning and two in the late afternoon, +but when the sun is bright in the heavens and +the air is hot they stay at home to rest and sleep. +In many of the homes of the richer people the +children take their breakfast of rolls, and coffee +or chocolate in bed, then get up to study their +lessons with a governess who lives with the +family. +</p> +<p> +Some of the islands of the West Indies have +been built up, bit by bit, by the little coral insects +of the sea. Others are the tops of mountains +resting on the bed of the ocean; most of them +are broken up into deep valleys and high hills, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_217'></a>217</span> +among which are many strange plants and animals. +</p> +<p> +Not many years ago there was a war between +Spain and the United States. It lasted but a +short time, and when it came to an end Spain +agreed to give up her rights in the West Indies. +Porto Rico, one of the most important islands, +became a part of the United States, and Cuba, +the largest island of all, was made a republic. +Since that time many Americans have gone to +live in the West Indies to carry on business in +the cities, or raise sugar and coffee on the plantations. +</p> +<p> +When the Spaniards had no more Indians to +work for them, they sent ships to Africa for +Negroes who should serve them as slaves on +their plantations. Now, however, the Negroes +have all been freed. Hayti, one of the islands, +is divided into two small republics of black people. +In the other islands most of the workmen +are black, for these people can bear a great deal +of heat and can stay all day long in the sugar +and tobacco fields without harm, when white +men would suffer from sunstroke. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_218'></a>218</span> +</p> +<h3>Hurricanes.</h3> +<p> +There is one time of the year which the children +of the West Indies do not enjoy. This is +the season of hurricanes. It is because of these +that most of the houses are only one story high, +for the winds are so strong and terrible then +that the strongest buildings are in danger. +</p> +<p> +As the time draws near when hurricanes are +expected, boats are drawn up along the shore, +roofs are patched and made tight, and everyone +watches the sky for the dread signs. Then, as +the clouds gather and the birds take flight into +the depths of the forest, the children run home +to their parents for safety. If they live in the +country the whole family will sometimes leave +the house and seek safety in a stone cavern, +built on purpose for their protection in the hurricane +season. There the people will stay till +the wind has done its work and passed on. +When they leave their hiding-place they often +find that great harm has been done; noble trees +lie stretched on the ground, the crops have been +destroyed, and the glass of the house windows +is shattered. They look about them at the +world that is once more so beautiful and peaceful, +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_219'></a>219</span> +and take long breaths as they think, “Perhaps +there will be no more danger for us for +another long year and that is a long way off. +We will not worry.” +</p> +<h3>In the Woods.</h3> +<p> +There are no large animals in the forests of +the West Indies to frighten the children, but +among the grasses and beautiful plants that grow +everywhere about them there are many insects +that might do them harm. Scorpions, which +belong to the spider family, may give painful +bites, and centipedes with their hundred legs, +must also be watched for. Then there are mosquitoes +without number, and chigos as the children +call them, which creep between the tender +skins of the white people’s toes and make poisonous +sores, but seldom trouble those of the Negroes. +</p> +<p> +“I must not go far into the woods when I am +alone,” think many small boys and girls, for they +are afraid they may meet a wild dog which they +are quite sure is a most fierce and dangerous animal. +But the children have little to fear on +this account, for wild dogs are so scarce that +few people have ever met them. Long ago in +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_220'></a>220</span> +Mexico, in the time of the Aztecs, and in the +West Indies before the coming of the white men +there, it is said there were such creatures in the +forests, but now they are rare indeed. +</p> +<p> +Sometimes the children meet a strange kind +of army when they are walking in the woods or +driving along the country roads. This army is +composed of huge land crabs who go once a +year from their home on the mountain sides to +the sea. There are often hundreds in this army, +which marches slowly but steadily onward, +through patches of woods, across roads, and over +fields of tobacco. After the journey is once begun, +it is said that the crabs do not rest till the +ocean lies before them. +</p> +<p> +The children of the West Indies spend much +time training beautiful parrots caught in the +woods not far from their homes; they gather +firebugs so brilliant that on summer evenings +the tiny insects light up their gardens, making +them appear like fairyland; they can listen to +the singing-tree that makes a soft cooing noise +when the breeze stirs its branches; they can +gather limes and lemons, breadfruit and oranges +in their own groves. +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_221'></a>221</span> +</p> +<h3>Among the Sugar-canes.</h3> +<p> +Many children of the West Indies live on +large plantations where tobacco and sugar are +raised. As you drive along through the country +you will pass broad fields covered with tobacco +plants whose glossy leaves spread out in the sunlight. +Workmen are constantly busy caring for +the plants and watching lest troublesome insects +injure the leaves. +</p> +<p> +Again, you will see before you wide fields of +what seems at first to be corn, but as you draw +nearer you discover that the stalks are much +taller. It is the sugar-cane which grows so high +that a man on horseback may hide himself in +its midst. A great deal of the West Indian +sugar is raised in Cuba where the plantations are +so large that they seem like small villages in +themselves. +</p> +<p> +Let us visit the children of a sugar planter. +We pass through a wide driveway of beautiful +trees and arrive in front of a large, one-story +house with wide verandas. Flowering vines +trail over the trellises. The door is opened by +a smiling Negro maid with a gaily-colored ’kerchief +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_222'></a>222</span> +wound around her woolly head. She +shows you into the drawing-room where a dark-eyed +lady in white is sitting in a lounging chair. +It is the mother of your little Cuban friends, +whom you have come to visit. She speaks to +you in a sweet, low voice and smiles so pleasantly +that you feel at home at once. +</p> +<p> +A moment afterwards the children appear. +They are slim and dark-skinned like their +mother; perhaps they are bare-footed, or they +may have sandals on their feet. They take delight +in making you welcome, and in showing +you over the plantation. First, they wish you +to see their gardens, where roses and lilies, +oleanders and jessamines fill the air with sweetness. +</p> +<p> +After this, it may be, they call to a young +Negro not much older than themselves, who +leads some ponies from the stable so that you +may all ride over the plantation, since it stretches +over the country for several miles. +</p> +<p> +In a few minutes you are out in the sugar +fields where you are obliged to look up to see +the tops of the canes. They are jointed like +corn-stalks, and contain a sweet liquid, as you +find out after breaking off a young cane and +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_223'></a>223</span> +chewing it. The white overseer is riding here +and there, directing the Negroes at their work, +for the cane is ripe and the men are busy cutting +it down and piling it in loads to be taken to the +mill. +</p> +<p> +You follow one of these loads and soon reach +the sugar mill where iron rollers crush the canes +and squeeze out the juice. In another building +near by there are big fires over which the sweet +syrup is kept boiling in copper pans until it +is so thick that it will form into crystals. Then +it is poured into wooden coolers; last of all, +when it is quite cold, it is placed in hogsheads +with holes in the bottom. There it is left for +several weeks while the molasses drips, drop by +drop, through the holes, leaving the clear sugar +inside. +</p> +<p> +Your little Cuban friends may tell you with +much pride that their island home is the largest +sugar market in the world and that the hogsheads +of sugar you have just seen will be sent to +the city of Havana not far away and there be +loaded on ships which will carry the sugar to +the United States and other countries. +</p> +<p> +No doubt the little Cubans will ask you if +you have seen the big fortress called Morro +<span class='pagenum pncolor'><a id='page_224'></a>224</span> +Castle which defends the harbor of Havana. +It is so strong they feel quite sure that enemies +would be afraid to pass it. +</p> +<p> +Before you leave the plantation your friends +take you to visit the homes of the Negro workmen, +which are only small huts. Many of them +have small gardens where melons and sweet potatoes +are sure to be found. Although the huts +are small, the families who live in them are +large, and groups of little “darkies” some of +whom are quite naked, are playing about and +smile as you pass them, showing broad rows of +white teeth, and rolling their eyes in such a +funny way that you laugh in spite of yourself. +</p> +<p> +The children of the West Indies have good +reasons to be happy and loving. The people do +not need to work hard; a little food and a few +clothes, a simple home and a hammock to swing +in, are enough to make anyone comfortable in +the hot lands. How different such a life is from +the toiling and struggle of the people of the +far north, who meet danger and trouble every +day in their search for the wild animals which +furnish them with all they have,—food, fuel, +and clothing. +</p> +<hr class='tb' /> +<p style='font-size:smaller'>Transcriber’s Notes:<br /> +1. All images in the printed book +included the notice: “From Copyrighted Stereograph by +Underwood & Underwood, N. Y.” +<br /> +2. Inconsistent hyphenation has been normalized. +</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Folks of North America, by +Mary Hazelton Wade + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE FOLKS OF NORTH AMERICA *** + +***** This file should be named 37280-h.htm or 37280-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/2/8/37280/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Canada Team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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