136 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



of topick is that of a cone, very similar to an Indian 

 tepee, but it is sometimes rectangular and built with 

 vertical walls about four feet high. 



The furniture of these summer dwellings is simple, 

 consisting usually of a few skins lying about the rocky 

 floor, to serve as seats in the daytime and bedding at 

 night ; two or three seal-skin sacks of oil, two shallow 

 stone vessels used as lamps, a few hunting implements, 

 some little deer-skin bags, used as ladies' work-baskets ; 

 several coils of seal-skin line, a few pairs of moccasins 

 scattered about, and at one side of the door the some- 



SECTION THROUGH I G L 



what repulsive remains of a carcass consumed at the 

 last meal. Such is the Eskimo summer house. 



His winter dwelling in the snow is more interesting 

 and curious. It is called an " igloe," and is built in the 

 form of a dome with large blocks of snow. The com- 

 mon size of the dwelling apartment of an igloe is 

 twelve feet in diameter, and eight feet in height. This 

 is approached by a succession of three or four smaller 

 domes, connected by low archways, through which one 

 has to crouch in order to pass. 



The innermost archway opening into the dwelling 

 apartment is about three feet high, and as one enters he 

 steps down a foot or more to the level of the floor of 



