186 VIKINGS OF TO-DAY 



driven back towards the sea. Here, no doubt, the 

 squaws who still dress like men and partake in all 

 the expeditions helped them to make one last stand 

 for home and children. Then came the skurry to 

 the beach. Behind are the ruthless, bloodthirsty 

 "braves," in front the mighty ocean. Picture the 

 tiny skin-boats, manned by the few survivors, dart- 

 ing out through Atlantic surf, with probably wife 

 and child hurriedly lashed on the back, as they do 

 sometimes at the present day. Think of the tragedies 

 enacted, as perhaps some obstacle prevented the 

 kayaks getting away some refractory child, some 

 accident to the frail craft at the last moment. With 

 fiendish yells the Indians are hurrying over the 

 / beach towards them, more horrible from their weird 

 war-paint. History only says the settlement was 

 exterminated. 



Starvation also has lessened their numbers. Near 

 Sir Leopold McClintock's winter quarters where the 

 darkness lasted for three months were camped some 

 Eskimo. These people had neither fires nor lights. 

 Living in snow huts, into which they crawled on 

 their bellies through long snow tunnels, they lay 

 huddled on one another for the sake of the warmth. 

 Their' clothes were of duck-skins and other feathers 

 inside, and seal-skin outside. No wood existed any- 

 where near. Their food consisted of raw seal meat, 

 buried deep outside. Whenever hungry, they would 

 crawl out, eat about four pounds of raw meat, and 

 crawl back and sleep again as long as possible 



