224 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



silence which succeeded preceding manifestations of 



joy- 

 When this official reception was at an end, ray- 

 friend Tevis and myself had to snstain a fire of in- 

 terrogations which succeeded each other with great 

 rapidity, and Avere sometimes repeated by those who 

 had already heard our answers. "What country do 

 3^ou come from ? '' " Is it far beyond the sea? " " Is 

 it the country where tobacco grows ? " " Is it where 

 they make powder ?" To the questions, succeeded the 

 answers, and to the answers fresh questions. While 

 ray companion and myself were thus detained by the 

 men of the village, I observed an extraordinary 

 activity on the part of the female part of the popu- 

 lation. It was really a curious spectacle to see these 

 creatures, who are accounted beautiful by the majo- 

 rity of the human race, but who, under the forty- 

 eighth degree of latitude, certainly furnished an ex- 

 ception to that flattering description. The Esqui- 

 maux females, as they ran about from one hut to 

 another, looked for all the world just like witches 

 getting ready for their sabbath. The result of all this 

 tumult and preparation was, that a deputation came 

 forward to invite us into one of the huts, a gloomy 

 and miserable hovel, full of smoke, and populated 

 by myriads of various insects. 



Tevis and myself made the best of the matter, and 

 when the fire which our hosts had lighted blazed up, 

 we did our best to conquer our repugnance. The 



