AN ARCTIC RESIDENCE 255 



and above all, ask him why the English Fleet does 

 not destroy the Germans.' 



"Another unholy joy is the digging of sundry 

 holes in the streets or under the buildings. This 

 is done nominally to let the water sink away, but 

 actually to afford traps for the unwary and make 

 a mess. There are four such holes, some five feet 

 deep, within fifty yards of this house. They remind 

 me of elephant pits I have seen in Central Africa, 

 and afford much pleasure to the simple Norseman. 

 Erik Eriksen or Ole Olsen begin an excavation, 

 and in two or three days throw out a goodly pile 

 of earth and rocks. It must not be supposed that 

 they work all the time. On the contrary, most of 

 the time is spent in rest, contemplation and gossip 

 with passers-by, who all offer congratulations or 

 advice. A nice big hole in the centre of a main 

 thoroughfare seems to arouse a certain enthusiasm. 

 It shows progress and attention to municipal 

 matters, of which the town, which spends large 

 sums in improvements, is justly proud, and a man 

 working in the public service is somewhat of a 

 personality. His work, however, is never finished, 

 nor is it meant to be, and unsightly excavations 

 which would be an annoyance and a danger in a 

 less placid community are here nothing but a 

 pleasure and a sign of industrial advancement. 

 When the digger at last strikes water he will call 

 you to look at the fruit of his labour, and then 

 rests indefinitely amidst the charms of c lagerol ' 

 and ' delicatessen,' until the town puts him on the 

 next useless mess. I have seen many men making 

 these holes, but never one filling them up. By 

 August the place looks like a hillside in Cassiar, 



