268 NORTH MAGNETIC POLE AND NOETHWEST PASSAGE. 



in a similar situation, and "svhiles away the time in joking and convert 

 sation. They are a fine group of men who are standing there, rang- 

 ing tall, from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet, though there are some short ones 

 among them. The}^ are powerfully built, the life they lead inducing 

 all-round development. The ladies' pellucid voices are now heard, 

 and the expectant husbands can complete their structures by knock- 

 ing a hole through the wall from the passage to the hut. 



Let us now pay a visit to one of these camps and see what Eskimo 

 life is here in these burrows of snow immediately after their construc- 

 tion. The huts are of different sizes. Some peoj^le like them high, 

 some low. The circumference is from 30 to 45 feet, according to the 

 size of the family. It is the month of January, and the cold is severe. 

 They, therefore, live two families together, so as to be warmer. The 

 members of the famih^ have just assembled after the building opera- 

 tions and a long day's sledging. The housewife sits in her accus- 

 tomed place and croons her monotonous chant, consisting of four 

 words and as many notes, which are repeated in varying forms. 

 These sounds, when repeated often enough, we found unendurably 

 monotonous. Politely to request them to be quiet was of no use ; but 

 we found another most effective means, namely, to give a vocal per- 

 formance of our own at the same time. Then we had peace, for our 

 man}^ tones, no doubt, sounded as awful to Eskimo ears as their four 

 did to ours. Well, this was not very polite on a first call, but anyhow 

 they were not offended. 



The first thing an Eskimo does when he enters his hut is to take 

 off his outer coat and beat all his clothes quite free from snow. This 

 he does so that the latter shall not have time to melt and wet his 

 clothes. If he intends to be in the whole evening, he takes off his 

 other outer garments. If any of them have become wet during the 

 course of the day they are thrown to the lady of the establishment, 

 who puts them upon the grill to dr3\ His hunger has now to be 

 appeased, and the most tempting pieces of meat and fish are brought 

 out — of course, frozen stiff. But this does not affect the Eskimo in 

 the least; once down, it melts soon enough, and enormous quantities 

 disappear. Their knives are their only eating implement, but these 

 the}' handle with dexterity. They hold the piece of meat fast with 

 their teeth and the left hand, and with lightning rapidity pass the 

 knife right under their noses and cut off a piece of meat so close in 

 to their lips that one is astonished that the latter do not go too. 

 One large bit of blubber after the other goes the same way. 



The family having thus finished this important business, a nap will 

 possibly be to their taste, and the entrance is carefully bricked in from 

 the inside. They now proceed to undress till they are quite naked, 

 and then sleep the sleep of the just ander large coverings of reindeer 

 skin shared in common, possibly till late the next day. This, how- 



