The Eskimo InJmbitants. 233 



The trousers are usually fastened into the tops of boots well 

 made from prepared seal-skin. The women's trousers are nearly 

 always ornamented with eider duck's necks or embroidery of beads, or 

 other decorations. In the winter they wear two suits of clothes, 

 boots, trousers, jacket and all, one with the fur out, and the other — 

 that worn inside — with the fur turned in. They also sometimes 

 wear shirts of bird-skins, and stockings under their boots of dog or 

 young reindeer skin, but this is noticeable only in the case of chiefs. 



Their clothes, like all other articles of Eskimo manufacture, are 

 very neatly made, fit perfectly, and are sewn with " sinew-thread " 

 with a bone needle, if a steel one cannot be had. In person they are 

 usually filthy, and never wash themselves. The children, when very 

 young, are sometimes cleaned by being licked with their mother's 

 tongue before being put into the bag of feathers, which serves them 

 as bed, cradle and blankets, when they are lucky enough to have 

 such bags, they being more generally consigned to the " amowt," 

 without clothing of any kind. 



In summer the Eskimos live in conical skin tents, and in winter in 

 half underground huts (igloos) built of stone, turf , earth, etc., entered 

 by a long tunnel-like passage which can only be traversed on all fours. 

 Sometimes they erect neat dwellings from blocks of snow, with a 

 sheet of ice for a window. These are comfortable only in cold 

 weather. As soon as the soft weather of spring comes they begin to 

 leak and are deserted. 



In their dwellings one will always find the stone lamp, the flames 

 of which-, the wick being of moss, supplied by oil, of which they 

 generally secure a plenty, serve as fire and light. On one side of 

 the tent is the bed or the lounge where, on innumerable skins of all 

 kinds, they sleep and lay round day and night. The floor is usually 

 very filthy, characterized often by a pool of blood or the carcase of 

 a seal. 



These tents or huts are always surrounded by a host of wolf-like 

 dogs. These, in the summer, sleep outside, but in winter in the 

 huts, or in the passages leading to them. Sometimes one hut or tent 

 accommodates two or three families, and often each family will have 

 a dwelling by itself. 



