OCCUPATION OF INHABITANTS. 129 



talk the loudest. If one has something to say, and anybody appears 

 to differ from the opinion expressed, the one who can talk the 

 other down always comes out ahead. 



The occupation of the different members of the family can be 

 very briefly stated as that of earning a living in the summer, and 

 living in the winter. It is hardly necessary for me to say that this 

 means that what is earned during the summer in fishing and in other 

 ways is consumed, and more besides, in provisions, and clothing the 

 family for the year ; and though I make no allusions to any spe- 

 cial family, there is hardly an exception to the rule that there is 

 scarcely a person on the coast but owes for one, two, or even 

 three years back provisions ; this is due to several causes, of which 

 laziness forms the chief. 



In former years those persons upon the coast who kept httle 

 shops of provisions and the necessities of life, as also the traders, 

 were obliged to trust out large amounts of goods on the credit 

 of the following year's fishing. This was well enough as long as the 

 fishing was tolerably good and the people were not forced by hunger 

 to give untrue reports of the work done, since a falling off of the 

 supply of fish and a little prevarication brought them provisions, 

 etc., without much overwork ; but one or two years of scarcity of fish 

 soon left the people no means of paying their old debts, and mak- 

 ing promises which they could not perform, the traders began to re- 

 fuse them credit, and now there are few families on the coast who 

 hold their own and prosper. 



In the summer the men fish ; in the fall they cut wood and do 

 little odd jobs necessary to the preparation for winter ; in the win- 

 ter they keep things about their place in order and prepare for 

 spring and summer, which come almost together as the ice does 

 not go away till late in May, by mending their nets, boats, and dog 

 sledges or komatiks ; this is usually finished by the opening of the 

 season when fishing begins again. In summer two or three days 

 are taken to collect eggs of sea-birds which abound on all the 

 islands, — enough for family use only. The down of the sea-birds is 

 kept for beds and pillows and the flesh proves a pleasing variety 

 9 



