NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 123 



avoid all shelter behind hills, or cliffs, or in val- 

 leys. In placing their huts in such exposed lo- 

 calities, as for example, upon a plain, or level, 

 near the sea shore, their purpose is to secure pro- 

 tection from the drifting snow, which otherwise, 

 were they in the lee of some hill, or rising ground, 

 or in a valley, would cover them up, and over- 

 whelm them. Besides, the huts being circular, 

 the wind and snow have opportunity of circula- 

 ting in such a manner as generally to leave a 

 clear space of several feet or more around the hut. 

 Notwithstanding all the precautions of the na- 

 tives to avoid the drifting snow, still it was so 

 deep at times upon a level, that when passing 

 along, and even quite near the huts, we could 

 not discern the tops of them, and should not 

 have known that we were in their immediate vi- 

 cinity, had it not been for tracks we discovered in 

 the snow, or from the barking of the dogs. 



THE METHOD OF LIGHTING THEIR HUTS. 



The lamps are in the form of a hollow, circu- 

 lar dish, somewhat in the shape of a bowl, made 

 of clay. This vessel is filled with seal's blubber, 

 and around the edge of the lamps inside, is 

 placed a row of moss of fine quality, obtained 

 from the mountains. This moss is set on fire, 

 and by its heat the blubber in the vessel is con- 



