MAHKATZAN S HUT. 19 



skins which hung before the inner chamber, 

 Mahkatzan ushered us in with officious zeal ; here 

 we found, besides his wife, who had already slipped 

 off the upper part of her dress, a number of girls 

 and boys, some quite naked, others only partly so. 

 The heat was painfully oppressive after the pure cold 

 atmosphere outside ; but this did not at all distress 

 our host, who deliberately divested himself of his 

 garments, which Avere however disposed about his 

 person with perfect propriety. The heat reaching 

 at last 100° Fahrenheit, we were glad to follow 

 his example, in part, removing our heavy outer 

 habiliments, and resigning ourselves to the now 

 more tolerable infliction, in shut and trousers. 



The unaccustomed scene in all its variety had so 

 powerful an effect upon us that we were unable to 

 do more than look at the viands offered for our 

 acceptance ; indeed, on entering the hut, appetite had 

 been quite banished by the sight of a walrus which, 

 although now frozen, was evidently far gone in 

 putrefaction. 



We were glad to get a cup of tea, of which we 

 had brought a small stock, and hoped soon to 

 forget all our troubles in repose. Fallacious idea ! 

 deluded victims ! Every instant from that of our 

 entrance, the screens were in constant agitation, the 



