340 cook's voyage to oct. 



with the ground, for the convenience of the women ; 

 but if a man makes use of it, he subjects himself to 

 the same disgrace and derision as a sailor would, 

 who descends through lubbers' hole. The jourt con- 

 sists of one apartment of the form of an oblong 

 square. Along the sides are extended broad plat- 

 forms, made of boards, and raised about six inches 

 from the ground, which they use as seats, and on 

 which they go to rest, after strewing them with mats 

 and skins. On one side is the fire-place, and the 

 side opposite is entirely set apart for the stowage of 

 provisions and kitchen utensils. At their feasts and 

 ceremonious entertainments, the hotter the jourts are 

 made for the reception of the guests the greater the 

 compliment. We found them at all times so hot, as 

 to make any length of stay in them to us intolerable. 

 They betake themselves to the jourts the middle of 

 October ; and, for the most part, continue in them 

 till the middle of May. 



The balagans are raised upon nine posts, fixed 

 into the earth in three rows, at equal distances from 

 one another, and about thirteen feet high from the 

 surface. At the height of between nine and ten 

 feet, rafters are passed from post to post, and firmly 

 secured by strong ropes. On these rafters are laid 

 the joists, and the whole being covered with tur£ 

 constitutes the platform or floor of the balagan. On 

 this is raised a roof of a conical figure, by means of 

 tall poles, fastened down to the rafters at one end, 

 and meeting together in a point at the top, and thatched 

 over with strong coarse grass. The balagans have 

 two doors placed opposite each other, and they ascend 

 to them by the same sort of ladders they use in the 

 jourts. The lower part is left entirely open ; and 

 within it they dry their fish, roots, vegetables, and 

 other articles of winter consumption. The proportion 

 of jourts to balagans is as one to six; so that six 

 families generally live together in one jourt. 



The loghouses (isbas) are raised with long timbers 



