firmament with
many-coloured flame. From the middle until the end of June, however,
there is no night. The sun sinks for a short time below the hills, but
twilight blends with the dawn, and before the last rays of evening have
faded from the sky the morning light streams forth with renewed
brilliancy.
* * * * *
Then, as to the people, Madame Pfeiffer speaks of them as of medium
height and strength. Their hair is light, and frequently has a reddish
tint; their eyes are blue. The women are more prepossessing in
appearance than the men; and pleasing faces are not uncommon among the
young girls. They wear long skirts of coarse black woollen stuff, with
spencers, and coloured aprons. They cover their heads with a man's cap
of the same material as their petticoats, ending in a drooping point, to
which hangs a woollen or silken tassel, falling as low as the shoulders.
This simple head-dress is not inelegant. All the women have an abundance
of hair hanging picturesquely about their face and neck; they wear it
loose and short, and it is sometimes curled.
The men appear to dress very much like the German peasants. They wear
pantaloons, jackets, and vests of dark cloth, with a felt hat or fur cap,
and the feet wrapped in pieces of skin, either seal, sheep, or calf.
* * * * *
Here, as a corrective, and for the sake of comparison, let us refer to
Captain Burton's description. The men dress, he says, like sailors, in
breeches, jackets serving as coats, and vests of good broadcloth, with
four to six rows of buttons, always metal, either copper or silver. The
fishermen wear overcoats, coarse smooth waistcoats, large paletots, made
waterproof by grease or fish-liver oil; leather overalls, stockings, and
native shoes. The women attire themselves in jackets and gowns,
petticoats and aprons of woollen frieze; over which is thrown a "hempa,"
or wide black robe, like a Jesuit frock, trimmed with velvet binding. The
wealthy add silver ornaments down the length of the dress, and braid the
other articles with silk ribbons, galloon, or velvets of various colours.
The ruff forms a stiff collar, from three to four inches broad, of very
fine stuff, embroidered with gold or silver. The conical head-dress,
resembling a fool's-cap or sugar-loaf, measures two or three feet high,
and is kept in its place by a coarse cloth, and covered with a finer
kerchief. The soleless shoes of ox-hide or sheepskin, made by the women
out of a
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