94 HUNTERS OF THE GREAT NORTH 



the side, as our pioneers used to have them. Instead, the 

 fire is built in the middle of the floor. The fireplace is 

 made of huge stones, not to hold in the fire nor yet to 

 rest the pots on, but merely for the purpose of absorbing 

 heat from the fire so that the stones shall give it out 

 slowly after the fire has died. When the cooking is about 

 to begin, the fireplace is filled with specially inflammable 

 material — dry bark, twigs with resin on them, and the 

 like. Directly above the fireplace is a square opening in 

 the roof covered by deer skin parchment or some other 

 translucent material. This skylight is the main window 

 of the house. 



Just before the fire is lighted the window covering is 

 removed and when the match is applied the flames rise 

 almost to the roof of the house. This conflagration is for 

 the purpose of creating a draft suddenly and thus prevent- 

 ing any smoke from spreading through the house. While 

 the fire is going a crevice is kept open at the bottom of the 

 door on a level with the ground. In some houses there 

 is a second opening along the ground just opposite to the 

 door, and I have heard of houses that had still two more 

 openings, these at right angles to the first two. Through 

 these apertures the fresh air enters to supply the strong 

 current that rises through the skylight, thus keeping the 

 house free of smoke. 



When the cooking is finished the fire is allowed to die 

 flown until there are only a few coals left. By that time 

 the great boulders around the fireplace have become hot. 

 The last coals are gathered in a pan, carried outdoors and 

 thrown away, so that there shall be no smoke in the house 

 when the parchment is again put over the skylight. 



I have found by actual experience that even on a very 

 cold day the stones of the fireplace will usually retain 



