NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NORTHWEST PASSAGE. 267 



resembles a large beehive. Our greatest difficulty was always when 

 we had to decrease and build the roof. The blocks are then placed 

 in a very inclined position, one may say almost rocking. But the 

 Eskimo are born to this way of building. Where one of them puts 

 the block there it stays, even if it forms an angle of 45° with 

 the horizontal plane. The structure is completed by a little, dexter- 

 ously placed, plug of snow in the apex of the roof. After the house 

 is up, there Avill be a mass of refuse snow lying inside it. With this 

 the sleeping bench and firei^lace are made. Meanwhile the lady of 

 the house has not been without occupation outside. The loose snow, 

 which was shoveled away at the beginning, she uses to calk all the 

 holes and cracks with, and if she has any to spare she throws it over 

 the entire house, which helps a very great deal in making it warm 

 and draftless. When all is finished inside, an aperture is cut in 

 the wall of the same height as the bench. The man comes out and 

 the wouian takes his place. First of all, the large water-tight kayak 

 skin is handed in and is spread over the entire bench; then comes 

 the turn of all the reindeer skins — soft, large and warm; then the 

 rest of the effects, such as cooking utensils, a drying grill, blubber 

 for the lamp, and a number of other things which the Eskimo find 

 indispensable. When all this is done, the housewife is walled in. 

 Tt will be asked. What was this immured lady doing inside the hut? 

 Perhaps it will not be indiscreet of me to jDoke a little hole in the 

 Avail and peep in. In the name of knowledge everything is per- 

 missible, so with a '" ski " staff, Avhich I happened to have with me, 

 I made a hole in the wall and opened a Avay into the sight of this 

 mysterious interior. 



The first thing she does is to put the lamp in place and make a fire. 

 After that she fills the cooking pot with snow and hangs it over the 

 flames to melt into water for her thirsty husband. As soon as she is 

 satisfied that the lamp flame is burning to its greatest extent, she 

 turns her attention to arranging other things; the sleeping bench is 

 leveled and flattened, reindeer skins jjlaced in order on it, and everj^- 

 thing made as comfortable and cozy as possible. All being arranged, 

 she seats herself before the fireplace and seems to be particularly 

 anxious to make the fire burn as brightly and give out as much heat 

 as possible. Xow I miderstand why it is she is walled np in this 

 house — in order to warm it and make the blocks of snow sink, so that 

 the whole will form a close and compact wall. But she will certainly 

 not succeed in this if I continue at my peeping, so I fill it up again 

 and take myself off. Meanwhile, the man has built the passage, 9 to 

 12 feet in length, Avhich leads into the house. But he will certainly 

 not dare to make a hole in the wall and put it in communication with 

 the interior of the house before he receives higher orders from his 

 better half. He amuses himself meanwhile with his friends, who are 



