38o NEAREST THE POLE 



later he learns the hitching up of dog-teams to sleages; 

 and by the time he has lived twelve winters, he is 

 taken to the walrus hunting ground to learn to be a 

 man. 



An Eskimo mother loses no time in teaching her 

 daughter the requirements of a good wife. House- 

 hold duties are as carefully practised (allowing for 

 differences in materials) as in any domestic circle. 

 Sewing is taught by the fond parent, with as much 

 patience as was ever evinced by Griselda. At fourteen 

 or earlier, the young Miss is ripe for marriage. 



During my fifteen years of experience with the 

 Eskimos, I have seen little of the savage treachery 

 which is so frequently alluded to. Quite the contrary. 

 These people are subservient to us in a most gratifying 

 way. It is true that in the beginning of our adven- 

 tures, they were inclined to scoff at our awkward 

 adaptation to Polar conditions ; but as we acquainted 

 them with the use of compass, etc., their laughter 

 soon changed to expressions of admiration and wonder. 



The position of the sun and the movements of the 

 stars, are the Eskimos' gauges for time and location. 

 Thus it will be seen that their ideas of astronomy are 

 definite, though necessarily limited. For the benefit 

 of those who have not read my previous work, I shall 

 retabulate what significance celestial bodies have to 

 Eskimos. They recognise the Great Dipper as a 

 herd of reindeer; the three triangular stars of Cassio- 

 peia are the three stones supporting a celestial stone 

 lamp; the Pleiades are a team of dogs in pursuit of a 

 bear; the three glittering brilliants of the belt of Orion 

 are the steps cut by some celestial Eskimo in a steep 



