14 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



garment, on the ice, they place a lamp; over this lamp they cook meat. 

 TTieir eyes are sore all the time. We are afraid of them 5 do not like 

 them ; glad they have gone away." 



This tradition differs somewhat in the particulars when told by differ- 

 ent individuals, but the main points are essentially the same. Many 

 will not tell it all ; some, only parts of it. The ridiculous story about 

 the dogs is firmly believed by the present Eskimo as the origin of these 

 animals. 



That the Tunnies have been seen of late years in the west is not im- 

 probable, that is, natives, different in dress and stature; but they were 

 most likely the tribe known as the Pelly Bay Eskimo from the north 

 shores of Hudson's Straits and from Fox Channel, they being larger 

 and more robust than the Cumberland Eskimo of the present day. It is 

 certain that since the whalers have begun coming among the Cumber- 

 land Eskimo, and introduced venereal diseases, they have deteriorated 

 very much. They now almost depend upon ships coming, and as a con- 

 sequence are becoming less* expert hunters, and more careless in the 

 construction of their habitations, which are merely rude temporary shel- 

 ters made at a few minutes' notice. Great suffering often ensues from 

 living in these miserable huts. The seal skin that should have gone to 

 repair the tent is bartered to the whalemen for a little tobacco, or some 

 valueless trinket, which is soon thrown aside. The men are employed to 

 catch whales, when they should be hunting in order to supply the wants 

 of their families ; and the women, half clad, but sporting a gaudy calico 

 gown, instead of their comfortable skin clothes, and dying of a quick 

 consumption in consequence, when they should be repairing garments 

 or preparing skins, are loafing around the ships, doing nothing for 

 themselves or any one else. 



The Cumberland Eskimo of to-day, with his breech-loading rifle, 

 ^teel knives, cotton jacket, and all the various trinkets he succeeds in 

 procuring from the ships, is worse clad, lives poorer, and gets less to eat 

 than did his forefathers, who had never seen or heard of a white man. 



There is a practice among them that is probably of long standing, and 

 is regularly carried out every season, of going into the interior or up 

 some of the large fjords after reindeer. They generally go during the 

 months of July and August, returning in September, to be on hand when 

 the fall whaling begins. The purpose of this reindeer hunt is to procure 

 skins for their winter clothing. Nearly all return to the sound to winter. 

 They have regular settlements, which are hardly ever entirely deserted 



