64 THE SIEGE OF THE NORTH POLE 



which were composed of the same materials. The boots 

 of the woman reached nearly to the middle of the thigh, 

 and were made of tanned seal-skins. Her pantaloons, like 

 her husband's, were of bear-skin. The stockings were 

 of dog-skin, and the mittens of seal-skin. The under- 

 dress was made of bird-skins, feathers turned inwards ; 

 and the coat, which did not open in front, but was drawn 

 on over the head like a shirt, was of blue fox-skins. This 

 coat terminates in a hood which envelops the head as 

 completely as an Albanian capote or a monk's cowl. 

 This hood o-ives the chief distinction to the dresses of the 

 sexes. In the costume of the man it is round, closely 

 fitting the scalp, while in the woman it is pointed at the 

 top to receive the hair which is gathered up on the crown 

 of the head, and tied into a hard, horn-like tuft with a 

 piece of raw seal-hide, — a style of coiffure which, whatever 

 may be its other advantages, cannot be regarded as 

 peculiarly picturesque. 



" Their ages could not be determined ; for, since the 

 Esquimaux cannot enumerate beyond their ten fingers, 

 it is quite impossible for them to refer to a past event by 

 any process of notation. Having no written language 

 whatever, not even the picture-writing and hieroglyphics 

 of the rudest Indian tribes of North America, the race 

 possesses no records, and such traditions as may come 

 down from generation to generation are not fixed by any 

 means which will furnish even an approximate estimate of 

 their periods of growth, prosperity, and decay, or even of 

 their own a^es." 



Towards the end of February other three Esquimaux 

 appeared from the south, and from them Hayes obtained 

 some dogs. 



About the middle of March, Hayes made a pre- 

 liminary journey in order to explore the track for his 

 extended journey to the north, and cached some pro- 



