LIFE AND HISTORY OF THE ESKIMOS 



as stocking-skins. They are easily hunted both with gun and 

 snare. 



An animal which does not exist inside the Polar Eskimo's 

 own territory, but which, nevertheless, within the latter years 

 has played an important part, is the musk-ox. Everywhere 

 along the stretches from Humboldt's Glacier down to the quite- 

 narrow strips of land among the mountains of Cape York, one 

 finds their bones, but no person now living can give any 

 information about the time when the last musk-ox here was 

 slain. 



As long as there were sufficient reindeer the skin of the 

 musk-ox was rejected for bedding, being awkward to use and 

 difficult to keep clean because of the long hairs ; even now bear- 

 skins are preferred, and are looked upon as the finest, most 

 durable, and most convenient. Unfortunately, everybody is 

 not a great bear-hunter, so that the musk-ox is on the point of 

 being considered entirely acceptable. 



Every year in April and May great hunting expeditions for 

 musk-ox are arranged, preferably through Ellesmere Landl 

 to Heiberg Land. These expeditions often last for a couplet 

 of months, as the Eskimos camp on the killing-grounds in 

 order to dry the skins. As there is an average of a score of 

 hunters each season, it would scarcely be too high to estimate 

 that about three hundred musk-oxen yearly must bite the dust. 

 It is deplorable that the Eskimo's lack of sense for limitation 

 threatens this big game with extinction ; but the danger is not 

 an immediate one, as certain flocks in these regions number 

 upwards of two hundred animals, which make a big mountain 

 look quite alive — an impressive sight never to-be forgotten by 

 one who has seen it. 



WOMEN AND CLOTHES 



The Polar Eskimo begins and ends his life travelling. 

 Already as a new-born babe he follows in the bag on his 

 mother's back ; nobody considers the time of the year, and 

 oft-times the whimpering child is transported across wild 

 glaciers in darkness and cold, ending the toilsome day in a 

 B 17 



