194 HUNTERS OF THE GREAT NORTH 



seagulls as early as the snow buntings come to the coast. 

 But near land the gulls do not appear until about the 

 same time as the geese, and that would be about the same 

 time as the first rivers break up, or anywhere between 

 the first and middle of May. There are half a dozen 

 different kinds of geese and a little later there are dozens 

 of kinds of ducks, including four kinds of eider ducks. 

 A very few cranes and a somewhat larger number of 

 swans come about the same time as the ducks, and so do 

 the loons. About a hundred varieties of smaller birds 

 come, too, some of them early and others later — plovers, 

 snipes, sandpipers, etc. 



In the fall at Shingle Point I had seen great rejoicing 

 among the children when the first snow fell and when 

 the first ice came. Now at Flaxman Island there was 

 also rejoicing among the people. They like to see summer 

 change to fall but they also like to see winter change to 

 spring, although the joy seemed to me more exuberant 

 in the fall than in the spring. One reason why nobody 

 in the North can wholly like the summer is that it makes 

 travel so difficult. In winter all the rivers and lakes are 

 frozen over and you can walk or travel by dog sled with- 

 out interruption in any direction. In the summer time 

 you cannot use sledges at all; nor could wagons be used 

 for there are no roads, the ground is rough, and there is 

 sticky mud in many places. In summer the dogs can be 

 used for carrying packs only and, as their legs are short, 

 they cannot be trusted to carry anything that must be 

 kept dry, for they will accidentally drag their packs 

 through water in crossing streams. In hot weather they 

 intentionally lie down in streams and in ponds to cool 

 off, thus making their load.; wvt. The people themselves 

 are, accordingly, the chief beasts of burden in summer. 



