327 



skin is the "meat-side" of the bearded seal's skin, the hairy 

 side being carefully peeled off with an "ulo"; this is said to 

 be a very difficult task. 



As it became colder a few days later, the outer covering 

 was put on. This has the hairy side outermost and is not 

 subjected to any special treatment in front. Both the inner 

 and outer coverings each form a single piece sewed together; 

 on the front, more upright part of the tent the coverings are 

 however not sewed together in the middle line, from the ground 

 up towards the top of the lent. The upper part of this slit is 

 laced together with seal thongs , and the lower part forms the 

 entrance to the tent. This is closed by flaps folding together 

 over one another. When no one is at home, heavy stones are 

 laid on the edges of the flaps, so that the dogs cannot break 

 in. Uvdloriark's tent could further be closed by means of a 

 thick strap of seal's skin, which at half the height of the en- 

 trance was fastened round the tent; behind, this strap was 

 attached on each side to another strap, which went over the 

 tent and was fastened at the ends by stones laid on it. 



The framework of the tent consisted in front of a frame 

 or gallows of 3 poles, of which the one was borne horizontally 

 by the two others and supported the broad front-part of the 

 tent, which was about 1 m broad. The two upright poles were 

 not on the ground but stood on a stone, the first of a con- 

 tinuous circle of stones, which went round the inner side of 

 the tent, with exception of the part at the entrance. The slop- 

 ing poles, 9 in all, the principal of which were bound fast to 

 the cross-beam of the top, rested at the other end on the 

 highest stones in the inner row mentioned. The framework of 

 the tent was thus quite loose , but the tent was moored by 

 bringing the lower edge of the covering out a little on the 

 ground and weighting it there with stones (cf. fig. 20). 



The height of the inside of the tent from the ground to 

 the cross-beam of the top was 240 cm, but in the other tents 



