ON DOGS AND DIFFICULTIES 153 



shoulders in water eyeing his tormentors to see if 

 he could escape unobserved ; but every attempt he 

 made to come ashore a combined rush was made, 

 and he was forced to retire again. 



At night on travel a snow hut is built. Half an 

 hour is long enough for this. The snow is cut in 

 blocks nowadays usually with an old cavalry 

 sabre from the inside of the circle chosen for the 

 house. Thus the hut goes down and up at the same 

 time. A hole is left at the top for the air, while a 

 block is cut to fit into the door from the outside, after 

 all are in. If a tent is carried, it is of the usual 

 reindeer skins, sewn together with tendons. The 

 sleeping bag is made of seal-skin with the hair out- 

 side, and lined with reindeer skin with the hair inside. 

 Almost any cold can be borne in it ; and if your 

 family are travelling with you, and share your bag, 

 they are then said to be positively warm. The 

 skin boots always worn are so exquisitely sewn, that, 

 like the kayaks, they are quite watertight. 



However, there is no water in Labrador in winter, 

 for even the perspiration from the men's bodies, if 

 they do violent work, freezes inside the clothing ; and, 

 as in cases of Arctic explorers, it may become neces- 

 sary to take off one's clothes at night to hammer out 

 the ice from the inside. 



To do this sewing it is necessary to chew the 

 edges of the skins soft. One woman said to me, 

 "Me no good now," showing me that her teeth 

 were all too far worn down to be of any use in 



